HOWCAST
You can learn anything from a video tutorial these days and Howcast covers everything from "how to hide big ears" to "how to fall asleep faster". Very useful. Free
POCKET EMPIRES
One of the best Android games, Pocket Empires is a medieval multiplayer online game in which you'll need to grow crops and build a small city to succeed. Extremely addictive. Free
HOCCER
Hoccer allows you to share things like contacts and photos through gestures like dragging, snatching and throwing your handset. Saves fiddling around. Free
TRIPIT
Email that impenetrable airline confirmation to TripIt and it plots the key details on a simple itinerary. Phone numbers and maps are a click away and it even works offline. Free
KINDLE
This app makes hundreds of thousands of books, many of which are free, accessible on your phone, and you don't need to own a Kindle to use it. Free
QIK VIDEO CAMERA
Handy video app for recording, saving and sharing clips across YouTube and Facebook, as well as storing them on Qik.com for easy playback. Free
LOCALE AUTO SYNC
Sets your phone to switch to silent in school or remind you to charge when you get home. Free
SPEAKING UNIVERSAL TRANSLATOR
Translates in real time. Supports English, Spanish, French and Italian, so far. £1.29
PITCHUP.COM
Search hundreds of UK campsites by location, availability, facilities and local attractions. Price TBC
RECORDOID DICTAPHONE
Turn your phone into a dictaphone, add notes and then send your audio by email. Free
LAYAR REALITY BROWSER
Augmented reality browser which layers information over your surroundings. Free
TRANSLATE FOR ANIMALS
Hold you phone next to you dog/cat/tortoise and it will translate what they "say". Free
MAPS NAVIGATION
Layers data such as traffic updates, street views and business information over a Google map. Free
BLUETOOTH BARCODE SCANNER
Scan QR codes to buy apps and retail barcodes to search and buy online. 60p
EARTHQUAKE
For the neurotic traveller, Google developer Reto Meier has built an app that monitors the world's seismology readings, complete with notifications and quake magnitude. Free
MY TRACKS
This fitness app uses GPS to keep track of walking, running or cycling routes and plots speed, altitude and performance statistics. Perfect for the competitive. Free
GOOGLE GOGGLES
Photograph a landmark and Goggles will tell you exactly where you are, what you are looking at, when it was built … basically a Google search on real world objects. Free
FOURSQUARE
The location-based service that turns socialising into a status game. Increasingly, notching up points to become "mayor" of your local coffee bar or pub can win you prizes, or at least discounts. Free
SKY MAP
Get as much knowledge as Patrick Moore at your fingertips by pointing this app at the night sky for a detailed constellation map. Entertaining as well as educational. Free
SEESMIC FOR TWITTER
Once upon a time, these guys ran a video chat community, but now their app has new fans from its Twitter client. Great for heavy tweeters with multiple accounts. Free
SWYPE
Like typing, but faster. Swype follows your finger in a sweep from one key to the next and translates. Free
SKYFIRE
Web browser that irons out the problems with Flash some others have. Includes a very smart search too. Free
HERE I AM 2
Lost your mates? Sends your precise location to your friends via Twitter, SMS or email. 64p
LOGMEIN
Access every email and file on your computer remotely. Also works with servers and can run applications. Free
FXCAMERA
Put a bit of soul back into your mobile photography with camera effects, filters and lens styles. Free
TOSS IT
This office favourite is casual gaming's gateway drug. Once you start, you just can't stop. Free
GUARDIAN ANYWHERE
Brings you Guardian content in mobile form and lets you download an offline version. Free
SWEET DREAMS
Set up call filters, turn down ring volume and disable Wi-Fi so you can sleep without late-night calls. Free
SAVE ON FUEL PRICES
Uncle Malcolm will love this app, which gives you all the petrol prices in your local area. £3.03
WHAT THE DOODLE!?
Charades updated for the Android generation as a real-time, multiplayer game. Free
COLOUR DETECTOR
Fancy the RGB, HSV or HTML reference for the colour of that wall? This app can tell you. 59p
WHERE"S MY DROID
Lost your phone but it's on silent? This app texts it a dedicated word to turn up the ring volume. 61p
RUMMBLE
Offers local venue recommendations and integrates with Facebook to tell you if friends are near. Free
COOKING CAPSULES BRUNCH
Brunch recipes with how-to photos, shopping checklist and instructions. 60p
METAL DETECTOR
Makes the compass in your phone double as a metal detector. Will only pick up significant chunks of metal. Free
BUBBLEBEATS
Makes playlists based on which of a series of bubbles you pop. As pointless as it sounds, but very pretty. Free
DROPBOX
The cloud storage service du jour. Makes it very easy to upload, backup and share content between your desktop, mobile and remote computers. Free
CHOMPSMS
Sexes up your messages with lots of customisation options, a range of diverse message alerts and a web-based SMS service that will cost you less than your mobile operator. Free
LAST.FM
London's favourite music startup launched its Android app in early 2009, with all the streaming, sharing and recommendation features you'd expect. Free
MEEBO
Super-useful instant messaging tool that combines Google Chat, AIM, MSN, Skype and more into one simple-to-use interface to let you communicate in real time. Free
BAC CALC
Easy-to-use blood-alcohol calculator, which estimates how much alcohol is in your system based on what kind of drinks you've had, how long you've been drinking and your weight. 60p
MOVIES
One for movie buffs, this is Flixster's app for film reviews, trailers and cinema times. Free
SHAZAM
Could this be the music industry's secret weapon? Play Shazam a song and it will tell you what it is. Free
SPOTIFY
Premium members of this popular music site can stream their playlists over Wi-Fi, 3G and even offline. Free
TWITTER
Tweeters who are not fans of TweetDeck may prefer the native Twitter app. It's clean, clear and fast. Free
GESTURE SEARCH
Great for walking texters. Draw a letter to bring up contacts under it; draw another to drill down. Free
3 (CUBED)
Navigate this media player with a 3D cube. Simple, smart and imaginative as well as striking. 64p
FACEBOOK FOR ANDROID
Access social networking behemoth Facebook with this official app. Free
LISTEN
Personalised audio news magazine that automatically updates each time you launch it. Free
FLOATING IMAGE
A very different way to browse your photo gallery, this app lets all your stored images drift like clouds across your screen – beautiful and functional. Also doubles as a screensaver. Free
Men Vs Women: the apps
With almost 80,000 apps in the Android Market, developers are increasingly exploring niche services for particular demographics – and specific sexes.
For men there are inevitably plenty of apps along the lines of the Hooters Calendar Girls, and other Android apps suitable for a stag weekend include Noble Fart, Snore Machine and the Fantasy Tracker football. Developers explored similarly predictable gender-specific ideas for the ladies with CarbsControl Tracker, MomsZeal discussion and the Period and Ovulation Tracker.
But beyond the predictability are some genuinely impressive apps.
The new generation of tablet computers has inspired several lush, magazine-style workout apps tailored for men and women. Expect an Android tablet version of Fitsync, which includes 400 workouts including Bikini Body Cardio for her and Rock Hard Challenge for him.
Dating is big business, with apps ranging from gay services such as Android's Purpll, to app versions of big-name brands such as Match.com.
Babies are also a popular theme, from conception onwards. Android's Newborn app, for recording breastfeeding, logs which side your baby is feeding from and for how long, while BabyPhone Deluxe can be left next to your sleeping child and set to call your partner should your bundle
of joy wake.
Yep, there really is an app for that.
