My favourite paid apps on Android 2.2

I recently got myself an i9003, a Galaxy S variant. This is my first android device and so it took me some time to figure out what apps to download and what to avoid.

So here's a list of my favourite apps.

1. Poweramp - Without a doubt the most functional and versatile music player on the android market. Plays any audio file you throw at it and has exceptional library/organizational abilities. A must have app for around $4.

2. Read It Later - This is a special app. What this does is that it gives you a reformatted version of web pages so that's it's easier for you to read articles. This is much like the article view on Kindle 3. Although not free, this is very much worth what the guys are charging for the app. Also future developments and browser integration only justifies that price tag.

3. Doggcatcher - One of the more expensive softwares out there. This $6 app is a podcast manager like no other. With integrated Google listen/reader syncing ability, the ability to auto download content, this one app is a must have for any podcast enthusiast. There are of course other free and paid podcast apps in the market, but none are nearly as efficient and customizable.

4. CacheMate - This thing is only available for users who have rooted their phones. Outstandingly simple to use this extremely cheap app lets you clean cache memory from each and every app saving you precious disk space.

5. Juice Defender (Ultimate) - Juice Defender is actually quite a popular app. It lets you save up on and reduce data usage on your mobile device thereby substantially increasing battery life. Although it is difficult to say the extent to which this battery saving ability works, its pretty evident that it does take visible measures to reduce data loss. I would recommended the ultimate version as its more useful and cheaper in the long run.

No online music stores? Really?

I was at a complete loss for words the other day when I found out that India does not have any online music stores. Sure there are the ones like flipkart and infibeam which will ask you to buy entire albums, CDs to be more specific. But nothing in the lines of iTunes or Amazon mp3 store. Hence we are left with no other option but to physically go out and buy music CDs of entire albums even if just one track in the entire album is worth listening to.

This is quite a shame to be honest. India is regarded throughout the world as a music loving nation. To stifle the average music lover with lack of digital downloads is a sin. Fortunately for the native music industry there are places like raaga and saregama which will offers digital downloads but those online stores are strictly without anything remotely western music.

I have stopped blaming iTunes for this though, as Apple is a company which likes to believe that the world has just one country and the rest don't exist. Well that's why Apple doesn't matter to me. But I really can't understand why companies like Amazon and Google are shutting their doors to international users.

No wonder then that music piracy at least of international albums is rampant throughout the country. People willing to pay are being forced to take the illegal route as its way simpler. For heaven's sake downloading torrents is the easiest thing ever. Why would anyone stop doing that and spend money on fuel to drive to the music store? Its not that I support piracy, I totally don't.  But I do understand why people would want to pirate music.

Message to the music labels? Make internationally recognisable stores available in this country. Give users the option to buy individual tracks instead of forcing them to pay big bucks for entire CDs. Make music accessible to users, the users will be accessible to you.

Aww That Was Sweet!

This is one of those "I know what you did when you were a kid" videos. Innocent. Pure. Beautiful.

Watch "High five for first kiss (original)" on YouTube