Reading and News

Apps to keep up with the news, read a novel, or relax with a comic book.

Comics
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Comixology's digital comics app is so good, it makes a diehard print nerd like me think twice. Doubling as a reader and a digital marketplace, Comics is your one-stop shop for comic books from just about all the major publishers (except Dark Horse). Readers new to comics might enjoy the guided view mode, which takes you through each book panel by panel. Looking for a few great apps for your shiny new app? Try our monthly list of10 Digital Comics You Should Read Right Now.

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Flipboard
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Even the best news sites don't always look great on your mobile device, and that's where Flipboard comes in. This handy app lets you flip through articles reformatted into a magazine style, with very readable text and large images. The unique "flip" interface is perfect for idly paging through the news in search of something interesting.

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Google Play Newsstand
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Google's recently launched Newsstand app is quite ambitious. It rolls up the magazine-like reading experience of Currents along with easy access to your digital magazine subscriptions. You can also discover news stories by browsing the Read Now or Explore sections. Of course, it includes sharing features for when you find something really interesting.

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Umano
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There's plenty of ways to read popular news stories, but few apps can claim to let you listen to breaking news. Umano is different, employing professional voice actors to read long-form articles from sources like The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and others. The only downside is that you can't listen to just one news source, but variety is the spice of life.

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Pocket
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Your Bag of Holding for the Internet, pocket lets you save articles, images, and video for later. I especially like how it reformats articles for more comfortable reading, and how it syncs between all my devices. A new version of Pocket added improved sharing features making it even easier to pocket stuff no matter what app you're working in.

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ESPN ScoreCenter
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What impresses me most about ESPN ScoreCenter is the sheer number of sports it covers. Everything from American football to Brazilian soccer to INDY 500 is available. For those unmissable games, you can set alerts and follow specific matches as they unfold. It also connects you to videos and news headlines, courtesy of ESPN.

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theScore: Sports & Scores
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If you don't care for ESPN, try out The Score. This minimalist app has a very Android design, and keeps you up to date on upcoming games and current scores. You can also follow particular games, and set a schedule of competitions to follow. The Score doesn't have as many options as ESPN, but will keep most sports fans happy.

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Calibre Companion
$2.99
Calibre is the 800-pound gorilla of eBook management, and this app is the perfect (ahem) companion for it. With just a few clicks, you can add any book from your computer to your device over USB or Wi-Fi. What's so surprising is how well it works, and how easy it is to use. If you've got a lot of eBooks, this is the app for you.

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OverDrive Media Console
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The library is an oft-overlooked public resource, but OverDrive brings it back into the fold with its app. Supported by 27,000 libraries worldwide, the app lets you access your local library's array of available eBooks. Use it to download titles, place holds on titles not yet available, and read your borrowed eBooks. The only requirement? A library card (or its digital equivalent).

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Kindle
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This app puts all of your existing Amazon eBook purchases at the tips of your fingers, and gives you mobile access to the Kindle eBook store for impulse purchasing. Best of all, it syncs your notes, bookmarks, and where you left off between all your devices.

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Stitcher Radio - News & Talk
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Though its interface is a bit tricky, Stitcher connects you with just about every podcast out there. Podcasts are organized by subject, or you can just search for a familiar title. Once you've subscribed to a few shows, you can organize them into playlists for a continuous stream. Once you've exhausted all your favorites, let Stitcher recommend something new.

Shopping

Whether it's finding the perfect gift or the perfect deal, these apps will help you find what you want and maybe save you some money.

ShopAdvisor
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Instead of making an impulse purchase, ShopAdvisor lets you see an item's price history so you know when you're getting the best deal. You can also quickly comparison shop between online and local stores. If you're on a budge, create a price alert and ShopAdvisor will let you know when an item is within your price range. It's the perfect companion for the methodical shopper.

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Groupon
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The original deal locator for mobile, Groupon partners with businesses to offer low prices to a certain number of people for a limited time.. While the value of Groupons offerings is sometimes debatable, it is a useful way to try a new restaurant in your area or try a totally new activity.

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Pinterest
Free
Pinterest is sort of like a social network of stuff, a place to "pin" things that interest you on themed boards. I recently used it to help redecorate my living room, letting me see everything I wanted all together. It easily integrates with your browser for fast pinning, and you can view the pins of others for added inspiration.

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Amazon
Free
Amazon is the Internet's marketplace; the one place where you can buy just about anything—and it's cheap too! On Android, two of my favorite features are the barcode scanner and photo search, making it easy to surreptitiously comparison shop from a brick and mortar store. You can also make purchases from Amazon's streaming video store, but Kindle eBook titles are still unavailable for purchase.

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Google Wallet
Free
While probably better known for (the sheer unavailability of) NFC purchases, Google Wallet still has a few tricks up its sleeve. You can access a number of deals through the app, and send money to anyone in the US with an email address. It will even carry a balance, and take the place of physical loyalty cards. And yes, if your phone supports it and you can find a place that accepts it, you can pay for stuff in stores, too.

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Foursquare
Free
What's a location-based social network doing in the shopping section? Deals, my friend. Deals. Check in at a location and sometimes you'll unlock a special discount. Other business challenge their customers to check in more often to unlock better rewards, or give the mayor (that is, the person with the most checkins) even better deals.

Travel

Make your Android your constant companion, even when you're out on the road.

iOnRoad Augmented Driving
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Don't have one of those fancy new cars with collision warning features? This handy Android app can do that and more from your windshield. It alerts you when a car in front of you looms too close, and even detects road markings to warn you if you start to drift out of your lane. It's not perfect, and some might find it even more distracting than regular driving, but it's one more amazing thing to do with your Android.

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Google Goggles
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Use your Android's camera to take a snapshot of anything from a painting in a museum to a placard that's written in a language you don't understand, and Google Goggles will do the searching for you. It even handles QR codes and barcodes for easy comparison shopping. It's not an immersive alternate-reality experience, but it's faster and easier than trying to find the right search term.

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Field Trip
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Part amateur historian, bargain hunter, and gourmet, Field Trip alerts you to articles, deals, and factoids relating to the world around you. Once activated, it keeps tabs on your location and displays cards drawing from sources like Zagat, Scoutmob, Arcadia, and others. Perfect for tooling around a strange city or learning more about your hometown, but Field Trip struggles outside the U.S.

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Google Maps
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This may seem like a no-brainer, but Google Maps is kind of fantastic. With just a few taps, this app will tell you exactly how to get to your destination. It even supports walking, bicycle, and mass transit directions—though these aren't always trustworthy. Recent updates have also improved its discovery powers, making it easier to see what's around you.

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Uber
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It's pretty easy to get a cab from the PC Mag Labs in New York, but it can be more challenging in other cities—even parts of this city. With Uber, calling a cab takes just a couple of taps. You can also select between yellow cabs, pricier sedans, SUVs, or private individuals who act as drivers through UberX. All payments are handled through the app, so no cash is necessary.

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Google Translate
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Probably my biggest fear as a traveler is being unable to communicate with other people. Google Translate takes a bit of the edge off, quickly translating either written text or spoken words. You can even use the app to do the speaking for you, and input text through your camera or handwriting. Unfortunately, you'll need a data connection to perform the translation, but it's the next best thing to actually learning another language.

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Duolingo
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And if you want to learn another language, have we got the app for you! Duolingo gamifies language learning with bite-sized lessons, and a friendly interface. The more you use the app, the more you unlock and—with practice—the more you learn. This free app currently supports Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese.

Cooking and Food

Cooking at home, out on the town, or ordering in, these apps help connect your mouth with delicious food.

Yelp
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I'm always a little skeptical of crowd-sourced reviews, but Yelp can tell you a lot more than what people thought of a bar, restaurant, or just about any other place where you spend money. Many locations have list their hours of operation, contact information, and menus, making it easy to find the perfect spot in your neighborhood or a new city.

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Seamless Food Delivery/Takeout
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Ordering food for delivery is a real pain: you need takeout menus, knowledge of the terrain ("will they even deliver out here?"), cash, and faith that the person jotting down your order gets it right. Seamless takes care of all that, even letting you pay via credit card from your Android. The downside? The app only supports restaurants in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Miami, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Sorry, everywhere else.

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Pepperplate Recipe, Menu & Cooking Planner
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Pepperplate makes it easy to access your recipes from any Android device so you can cook up a storm. On the desktop side, the service connects to websites like Allrecipes and Epicurious so you can import recipes (and sync them to your phone) with just one click. You can also easily build shopping lists and keep your recipes handy wherever you are.

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Allthecooks Recipes
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If Pepperplate isn't your style, Allthecooks connects you with a vibrant array of over 150,000 recipes. Easily add favorite recipes, manage shopping lists, and a handy meal calendar all from within the app. Once you start using it, you'll have one less excuse to eat out.

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Untappd - Discover Beer
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This handy app lets you record each brew your try along with a rating and tasting notes. Think of it like Foursquare for beer! No more staring at a tap list, wondering which you've had before. The app also has a vibrant community of beer drinkers that can point you toward new discoveries, and an extensive list of beers. While it's not perfect, it can change the way you think of that sweet amber ambrosia.

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Health and Fitness

Whether it's losing weight, working out, or just trying to stay healthy, there's an Android app that can help.

Noom Weight Loss Coach
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Noom is a comprehensive weight-loss app that bills itself as a weight-loss coach in your pocket. Every day, the app feeds you customized suggestions on how many calories you need to eat and burn to meet your goals. Premium users get more features and online communities to support one another's weight loss goals.

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WebMD for Android
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WebMD is much more than a diagnosis app, although you certainly can use it to input symptoms you are experiencing and find some clues as to what's ailing you. It also contains listings for healthcare professionals and pharmacies in your area, as well as first-aid guides—simple instructions for dealing with an emergency that everyone should have accessible at any time. This free reference app is one you hope you don't need, but, the moment you do, you'll be glad you downloaded it.

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Runtastic Pro
 
$4.99
Runtastic can do so much more than just track your favorite running routes. It keeps track of all sorts of useful data, and can return information-rich maps to plan future outings. It also features a fully integrated music player, to make for a seamless workout experience. Use it for cycling, hiking, and walking as well.

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Zombies, Run!
$3.99
If you find it hard to work up the motivation to exercise, try being chased by a rampaging zombie horde. Using either pedometer step tracking or (less accurate) GPS, Zombies, Run! gamifies exercise with a storyline played over your headphones. The voice acting and writing is top notch, and each "episode" can be infused with songs from your personal playlist. As you run, you'll find items and earn points which can be used to upgrade your base and, just maybe, help humanity survive the zombie apocalypse.

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SleepBot - Sleep Cycle Alarm
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If you're curious about what goes on while you're snoozing, SleepBot has all the answers. Leave your phone in bed with you, and SleepBot will track your movements and nocturnal noises using your Android's microphone and accelerometer. But SleepBot is more than a mere tracker; it is designed to wake you up during the lightest part of your sleep cycle, promising better sleep and more wakeful mornings.

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Period Tracker Deluxe
$1.99
If you're in possession of an active uterus, consider Period Tracker Deluxe (or P Tracker D). This app makes it easy to log the days of your menstruation, and does it with a friendly, customizable interface. You can also record personal details like moods and symptoms. If pregnancy is what you're after, or what you're trying to avoid, this app has your back as well.

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Calorie Counter – MyFitnessPal
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This calorie counter and exercise tracker aims to help you lose weight the old fashioned way: by expending more calories than you take in. With its smart design and an extensive library of foods, quickly logging the calories you take in and what you burn while exercising is a snap. It won't give you a whole work-out regiment, but it will certainly make you more aware of your habits.

The 100 Best Android Apps of 2013 (Part 2)

Security

The freedom of Android also gives bad guys the freedom to attack you. Stay safe with these handy apps.

avast! Mobile Security
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This completely free app packs in a ton of security features, like remote wipe, remote-lock, app management, safe Web browsing, a battery manager, and as an added bonus, a an anti-virus engine that received top marks from independent testing labs. It's incredibly lightweight, but it lacks a backup feature—fortunately, we have other apps that help you with backup.

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Bitdefender Mobile Security & Antivirus
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Bitdefender has all the features you'd expect in a top-tier Android security app: on demand scans, automatic scanning of each newly installed app, anti-theft tools, app reputation info, web security, and more. But its laser-focus is on security, eschewing time consuming scans and using a super fast cloud-based method. While the annual fee may be off putting, it's a third of what other big name companies charge.

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Lookout Security & Antivirus Premium
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Though my Editors' Choice for paid Android security is Bitdefender Mobile Security and Antivirus, Lookout's security app brings solid malware protection and ingenious anti-theft tools to the table. Lookout has also led the charge against aggressive adware, and it has been known to push out fixes to core Android issues before OS patches are released. It also has an impressive free version once your free trial runs out, giving you access to core features that will keep your phone safer.

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LastPass Password Mgr Premium
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A major overhaul to this powerful password manager finally looks as good as it performs. With LastPass, you can access your saved passwords, secure notes, and filled forms from your Android, and you can also create new ones that will sync to all your devices. The new version of the app ingeniously melds the password manager with a built-in browser, putting the app's auto-login features at the forefront. Staying safe has never been easier.

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Mr. Number-Block calls, texts
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Sometimes you just don't want people to bother you, and that's where Mr. Number comes in. With this app, you can block calls and SMS messages from specific people, code prefixes, and whole area codes. It can also help you fight back against intrusive calls and texts with an easy spam-reporting system.

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Orbot: Proxy with Tor
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Tor is probably more famous for providing access to the so-called "Dark Web," but it's also a useful way to connect to the Internet while keeping your movements private. Working with a special browser, Orbot connects you to Tor within seconds. However, I did find that it sometimes takes a few attempts to get online.

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Hotspot Shield VPN for Android
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The desktop version of this VPN service won an Editors' Choice award for VPN, and it also works great on Android. With just a few taps, your traffic is encrypted and routed through the developer's secure servers keeping your activities safe from snoopers. If you need to check your bank account or any other sensitive information over a public Wi-Fi network, this is the way to go.