TODO apps were amongst the first things I installed on my android.
There's many good TODO apps, with all kinds of UIs and features. The first one I stuck with was Astrid, because of it's widget. If I have to remember to open an app to know what I have to do, my tasks will remain undone. And if a widget's an eye sore, there's no way I'll keep it on my main desktops.
My pick's something I discovered during the last apps sale, named simply Tasks.
Tasks sync with google tasks and let you manage multiple accounts with multiple tasks lists. It also offers a great widget that's got a clean look and that not only let you see your tasks, but mark them completed without having to open the app. And it offers two themes, white and black, the black one having a transparent background. I just love transparent stuff on my desktops :)
Another thing that shines by it's simplicity is it's manual sorting. While automagic sorting based on priority, deadline and other factors might seem interesting, it's never quite right. Much better to just sort it your way, and adjust it as your priorities change.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Altertive to Google Navigation
Don't get me wrong, I love google navigation. I use it often, love google maps and it's routes and navigation features. But that's not the end of it.
I tried other navigation apps to see what they had to offer. And today, I was stuck deep in rush hour traffic. I decided to ask my alternative advisors their opinions.
Actually, I only asked my favorite one, Waze. It's a social network meet maps and navigation. Not that I love the idea of social networks, but the app's got some strong points going for it.
First, you can choose the language of the navigation prompts. Yes you can. And that's already a major point whether you live in Europe or Quebec.
Then, what got me to write this, it saved me over 30 min on my way home today. While google sent me through the congested main roads, waze got me back to my daily favorite back roads, saving me considerable time.
Of course it's also a social network thing. So you get live updates from other Waze users and you can chat with fellow Waze users close by. And it uses all users's position and speed to figure out traffic, tells you about accidents, speed traps and other problems.
So for me it's a pretty decent GPS app what does it right, in the language you want it to.
I tried other navigation apps to see what they had to offer. And today, I was stuck deep in rush hour traffic. I decided to ask my alternative advisors their opinions.
Actually, I only asked my favorite one, Waze. It's a social network meet maps and navigation. Not that I love the idea of social networks, but the app's got some strong points going for it.
First, you can choose the language of the navigation prompts. Yes you can. And that's already a major point whether you live in Europe or Quebec.
Then, what got me to write this, it saved me over 30 min on my way home today. While google sent me through the congested main roads, waze got me back to my daily favorite back roads, saving me considerable time.
Of course it's also a social network thing. So you get live updates from other Waze users and you can chat with fellow Waze users close by. And it uses all users's position and speed to figure out traffic, tells you about accidents, speed traps and other problems.
So for me it's a pretty decent GPS app what does it right, in the language you want it to.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Let there be voice!
You probably know that your phone can speak. Spoken instructions in google maps are just one example. This is made possible thanks to TTS.
TTS stands for Text To Speech. It's the engine that converts written words and phrases to (hopefully) intelligible sounds. It's used by navigation software to guide you on your way, by reader application to read your news while you're jogging or driving, and now by personal assistants that understand what you say and reply to your questions and commands.
Your phone came with Pico TTS and/or Google TTS. Those are basic engines meant to provide minimum functionality out of the box. You should be able to understand what comes out of them, but they won't fool you into thinking that it's a person speaking.
Luckily, there are a few professional TTS engines available for Android. I don't have one single pick, so I'll list the best ones with their main characteristics.
The first one's SVOX Classic TTS. The app's a free download that will let you sample their many voices. One of it's high points is the number of languages supported. They have, for example, male and female voices for both French (France) and Canadian French. Each voice is available for 2.99$ from the market. While their English voices are good, Chantal, their Canadian French female one is the best one around.
Next in line is IVONA HQ beta. This one's the engine, and voices are available from the market. They're very good, but come in a hefty 250MB package; that might be a problem if you have an old or "budget" device. One selling point is that while they're in beta phase, all their voices are available for free. They're definitely worth the download if you have the space.
Last but not least, CereProc English voices. They're very good and come in a 160MB package for 1.60$. You can sample them from their website, www.cereproc.com. The Adam voice is so good it should make you forget that it's a computer talking.
Listen to a few samples, and you'll soon be looking for more apps to make your Android talk...
TTS stands for Text To Speech. It's the engine that converts written words and phrases to (hopefully) intelligible sounds. It's used by navigation software to guide you on your way, by reader application to read your news while you're jogging or driving, and now by personal assistants that understand what you say and reply to your questions and commands.
Your phone came with Pico TTS and/or Google TTS. Those are basic engines meant to provide minimum functionality out of the box. You should be able to understand what comes out of them, but they won't fool you into thinking that it's a person speaking.
Luckily, there are a few professional TTS engines available for Android. I don't have one single pick, so I'll list the best ones with their main characteristics.
The first one's SVOX Classic TTS. The app's a free download that will let you sample their many voices. One of it's high points is the number of languages supported. They have, for example, male and female voices for both French (France) and Canadian French. Each voice is available for 2.99$ from the market. While their English voices are good, Chantal, their Canadian French female one is the best one around.
Next in line is IVONA HQ beta. This one's the engine, and voices are available from the market. They're very good, but come in a hefty 250MB package; that might be a problem if you have an old or "budget" device. One selling point is that while they're in beta phase, all their voices are available for free. They're definitely worth the download if you have the space.
Last but not least, CereProc English voices. They're very good and come in a 160MB package for 1.60$. You can sample them from their website, www.cereproc.com. The Adam voice is so good it should make you forget that it's a computer talking.
Listen to a few samples, and you'll soon be looking for more apps to make your Android talk...
Thursday, August 30, 2012
One more password please?
You know it's important to pick good, secure passwords. But more important is picking unique passwords. The last thing you want is for someone to login to your bank account right after you created that free account on freekittenwallpapers.com or when that trustworthy social site gets hacked.
Let's admit it, it's hard to come up with a good password, and almost impossible to do it when you're in a hurry. Luckily, there's an app for that. A bunch of them, actually. My pick's Advanced Password Generator.
It offers batch generation of random characters passwords (pviiag3r2m34), pronounceable passwords (datercheekth), and Memorable passwords (ShoeSpews37Bumps). Pick your poison, then copy it over to your favourite password manager and you're done.
Let's admit it, it's hard to come up with a good password, and almost impossible to do it when you're in a hurry. Luckily, there's an app for that. A bunch of them, actually. My pick's Advanced Password Generator.
It offers batch generation of random characters passwords (pviiag3r2m34), pronounceable passwords (datercheekth), and Memorable passwords (ShoeSpews37Bumps). Pick your poison, then copy it over to your favourite password manager and you're done.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Passwords manager
You've got dozens of passwords to remember. Not an easy feat...
Android to the rescue!
There's an overwhelming number of password managers available in the market (or Play, as it's now called). Should you use free software, or are the paid alternatives better? What features are you looking for?
To make it simple for you, here's my pick: Pocket.
It's a free app that looks great and is very simple to use. It uses strong cryptography to protect your sensitive information and allow you to sync your encrypted database to Dropbox. That means you'll have a backup in case you loose your phone, and you can sync it between many devices.
A desktop version is also available as a windows application and cross-platform java jar file. Having the option to enter your passwords from your computer's keyboard is valuable, especially when you're getting started and importing all your existing password.
No more excuse for those post-it under your keyboard!
Android to the rescue!
There's an overwhelming number of password managers available in the market (or Play, as it's now called). Should you use free software, or are the paid alternatives better? What features are you looking for?
To make it simple for you, here's my pick: Pocket.
It's a free app that looks great and is very simple to use. It uses strong cryptography to protect your sensitive information and allow you to sync your encrypted database to Dropbox. That means you'll have a backup in case you loose your phone, and you can sync it between many devices.
A desktop version is also available as a windows application and cross-platform java jar file. Having the option to enter your passwords from your computer's keyboard is valuable, especially when you're getting started and importing all your existing password.
No more excuse for those post-it under your keyboard!
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