1. Any.DO, Free
There are a lot of task managers and to-do lists in the Android market, but Any.DO rises to the top. The app makes it easy to add anything that enters your mind, but then the app lets you drag and drop that task into different folders or onto different days. This makes it as easy to add something to next week's to-do list as it is for today's to-do list. Throw in the built-in sharing features and Any.DO can help you manage not just your tasks, but those of friends and coworkers. There are also versions for Chrome, the Web, and even the iPhone.
2. Dolphin Browser HD, Free
There is nothing terrible about the native Web browser that ships with Android, but the Dolphin Browser HD does everything better. You can set up custom gestures, it syncs with Google bookmarks, and it supports a bunch of plug-ins. The ability to create tabs is worth the download all by itself. Oh, and I did mention it was PCMag's Editors' Choice for Android browsers?
3. EverPaper, Free
You maybe be familiar with Instapaper, the awesome app that lets you scrape Web pages and download them for later reading, either on the Web or cached on a mobile device. My favorite Instapaper client for Android is called EverPaper and it works great. Anything you save while you are browsing will automatically get downloaded and caches on the app. It even includes a night mode because, seriously, that is when most of us are catching up on those long Slate pieces anyway. Right?
4. DoubleTwist, Free
All I ever wanted from my phone was to sync with iTunes and be able to move playlists and music files. Apple wants this to be an exclusive feature of the iPhone and iPods, but thanks to DoubleTwist, it doesn't have to be. Install DoubleTwist on your PC, install it on your phone, and you can get access to your iTunes playlists in minutes. This app is an iPod killer, pure and simple.
5. Slacker, Free
I listen to Slacker every day at work, much to the dismay of Sara Yin, the news reporter with the cube right outside my office. (Sorry, Sara.) For my commute home, I load up Slacker for Android for Internet radio to go. You have to pay for the premium account in order to cache stations, but streaming is totally free, albeit with a few annoying ads.
6. Mint, Free
How much is in your checking account? Are you over or under your monthly budget? If you had a Mint account and the Mint for Android app, you would know this and much more. Sure, it is a little creepy having all of your banking information in your pocket, but Mint lets you password protect the app. And remember, Mint doesn't move money. It just shows you what you have and what you have spent.
7. Kindle for Android 2.0, Free
Amazon has sold a lot of Kindles, but its real strategy is to make Kindle books available on every device: iPad, iPhone, and, of course, Android phones. Kindle for Android shows you color covers of all you books and will remember your location across devices. It also lets you adjust your screen brightness for maximum readability. Recently, it added support for newspapers and magazines. If you have a Kindle account and an Android phone, you have to have this app.
8. NewsRob, Free
I have used Google Reader, but I have to say I prefer NewsRob for quickly scanning my RSS feeds. The interface is cleaner, and with a few quick clicks, I can send stories to my e-mail, Twitter account, EverNote, or even to Instapaper. NewsRob lets me scan 150 to 175 headlines on my 20-minute train ride to work. Maybe your information needs aren't quite as intense, but it is still the RSS reader to beat.
9. Dropbox, Free
Everybody says "The Cloud" is the future, but Dropbox shows what the cloud can do for you today. I use Dropbox as an online storage folder that I can access from multiple computers. Instead of e-mailing myself huge files to work on at home, I upload them to Dropbox. With Dropbox for Android, I can access these files directly from my phone. Just log into your account and all your files will be there.
10. Google Voice, Free
Sprint wanted to charge me $1.99 a month for visual voicemail, basically transcripts of my voice mail messages. But why pay when you can forward unanswered calls to Google Voice and get the same functionality for free. Open up the Google Voice and you can see a transcript of messages and play them back without dialing into voicemail. It can take a few minutes for the service to make a transcription, but being able to intelligently screen calls is worth the wait.
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