What My Droid Does – Part 8

With the upgrade to Froyo (Android 2.2) there are many new features available on Android phones. There’s a complete list at the Verizon website, but here are some of the highlights:

Source: Gizmodo.com

• Easily switch between the eight most recent applications.
• Text Message Widget.  You can scroll up and down
• through the list of all your text conversations in one screen.
  Also, you can call a number back immediately from text messages.)
• Automatic app updates including an “Update All” feature.
• Instantly know the strength of your signal with improved
  signal display.
• Updated People application to accommodate contacts with
  Facebook accounts.

Updates to the Android operating system seem to be coming pretty quickly with the next version, Gingerbread, due out in the fourth quarter of 2010. All the android versions are named after food. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_%28operating_system%29

• 1.5 is Cupcake
• 1.6 is Donut
• 2.0/2.1 is Eclair
• 2.2 is Froyo
• 2.6 will be gingerbread
• After that…Honeycomb??

So, where is a good place to go if you need answers to some of your Droid questions?  My favorite forum is at http://androidforums.com. Here seems to be where I can get the answers to my questions about the operating system.  But Mashable has been a great source for learning about the different apps that are available in the Marketplace. Check out some of these resource lists that they have compiled:

• 10 Free Apps to Boost Your Productivity
• 8 Best Android Apps for Photo Editing
• 8 Best Android Apps for Health and Fitness
• HOW TO: Turn Your Android Phone Into a Killer MP3 Player
• 5 Amazing Android Apps for Baseball Fans
• 6 Free Android Apps That Will Make You Drop Your iPhone
• 5 Free Android Apps for Web Developers

So, that’s a lot of apps to review, so I wanted to bring your attention to one that I think is fantastic.

QR Code for Congress

Congress

I like the ease in which you can contact via the phone your local district reps, keep up-to-date on what laws are bring introduced to Congress and search by “just introduced” as well as by the legislature name, state or zip code. The app developers list:

• Read the latest bills, laws, and see what bills were recently voted on.
• Find members of Congress by using your phone’s location, a zipcode, a last name, or a state.
• Read tweets and watch videos from members’ Twitter and YouTube accounts.
• Reply to a member of Congress on Twitter from within the app, using your own account.