The Android Market is one hot mess.
There seems to be an explosion of apps being created and added to the ‘ever expanding Android Market’, which currently has over 50,000 apps. However, no word on how many of those apps are, well, not worth downloading.
So how do you distinguish between the good and bad? (My stink-eye is looking at you, soundboard apps…)
Perhaps this might help…
Enter AppAware which is kind of like a trending topics for the Android Market.
It allows you to see what other Androidians are using, updating, and removing. It can also be device specific, which allows you to see how others are using your phone.
You can even integrate AppAware with your Twitter account to let others know what’s going on with the ins and outs of your phone. Due to my tendency to install/update/remove apps, I chose not to integrate in order to spare my followers with a barrage of Android app related tweets.
It’s just one of those things I won’t tweet.
I know the “Top Paid” and “Top Free” categories in the Android Market give you some indication of a good app, as do the comments, but AppAware is a great way to discover new and trending apps. It also great place for new Android users to start.
Remember: People are Listening to You!
This brings to mind the power of suggestion. I have had several friends ask me where to start when they get their first Android phone. I am happy to oblige, and I try to suggest apps that they would benefit from.
But what about your church? Your church can be viewed as a spiritual growth marketplace. What systems or practices do you have to suggest to others of ways to volunteer, or get connected to small groups, or other ‘spiritual-tools’?
Have you ever been caught in the hype and suggested something you really don’t know anything about, or never used yourself?
A reminder that what we say actually matters to others. People are listening. Mind your suggestions.
So I am bit confused, if not many folks know what is good in this app store, then this app is only reproducing the lack of knowledge of what is good in the app store correct?
Or am I missing exactly how this app is working. It sounds like genius for the Apple Store but even that is WAY off for most of the apps.
The best way I can describe it, is like Twitter’s trending topics. It’s not like genius where it is based on what you download, but more like “What’s Hot”. You can see what’s been most downloaded by hour, day, week, or within the last second.
Kind of like a social network for apps. It gives you a lot more stats on the app than what you’d get out of the market. (ie. download to uninstall ratio, top apps for your specific phone, etc.)
It also includes apps that aren’t in the market, but available for mass consumption (ie. Swype)
So when ESPN went live, I caught it “trending” in AppAware way before it was in the “All Apps” top applications. Sure it’s high in the “Sports” section, but I wouldn’t have been looking under sports, because I already had a decent sports app in “Score Mobile”.
There are some other apps from AppAware that I’ve ‘discovered’, that I never would have found in the market.
Okay I am following you a bit more. I hope it picks up, I think the Android community has a ton of potential, I just hope it comes as far as the Apple Store has.
Me too. Developers are key to a good app market, and keeping the good ones happy help. That’s why I like to reward good apps by telling other people about them. Everyone wins!
Downloaded and installed. Thx for the tip!
peace | dewde