10 Best New Google Android apps for FUN and WORK

Google’s Android Market is cooking:Google says there are 250 million Android devices in use and that 11 billion apps have been downloaded, including 1 billion over the past month. The latest wave of Android apps for smartphones and tablets address everything from remote PC access to encyclopedias to silly ratings.

AppZilla! 40 Apps in 1!

Previously available just for the iPhone, you now can get Appzilla for Android, which includes a police scanner, area code lookup, battery life monitor, crystal ball, coin flip and LED flashlight apps, among others.

Price: 99 cents

Official Wikipedia App for AndroidAlthough you might run into the occasional anti-SOPA blackout day, Wikipedia is making its online encyclopedia available to Android users with this app featuring access to 20 million articles in 280 languages. Features include being able to save articles to read later or offline. There are other Wikipedia apps on the Android Market, but this is the official official official one.
Price: Free

Airbnb AirbnbAirbnb Airbnb, which lets you find unique accommodations in 19,000-plus countries and 190-plus countries as well as rent out your own property, has expanded its app beyond the iPhone to Android devices. The app, which includes lots of photos of potential homes and apartments made available to the “trusted community” of Airbnb, lets you reserve and pay for accommodations from your mobile device and monitor guest check-in/check-out for your property. Price: Free

 

Dragon Go! From NuanceThis simple yet sophisticated voice search app comes from one of the recognized leaders in voice technologies. You can use it to conduct basic searches, such as for a local pizza joint, or to interact with dozens of popular websites such as YouTube and ESPN. Android blog Appolicious found Dragon Go! very fast when used on a Motorola Droid X.  

Price: Free

Splashtop Remote DesktopThis app, now at Version 1.6.5.6, gives you remote access to your desktop and laptop files from your smartphone and some Android tablets, such as the Kindle Fire and Nook Color and Nook Tablet. Splashtop can be used to stream high quality video and audio from your computer to your mobile device as well. An HD version is also available for tablets running Android 3.X and higher.

Price: $4.99

 

Facebook Timeline Covers:
D33P, from JoyAether Now that Facebook has foisted its Timeline technology on users of the social network, it’s time to get fancy about it. This app helps you combine cover art for the timeline with your profile picture. 

Price: Free (for limited time)

UpNext HD MapsThis touchscreen-enabled and tablet-oriented app offers fluid 3D maps of 50+ U.S. cities that you might be exploring to shop, eat or bop around. You can also use the app to search out deals and sync up with Verizon’s VZ Navigator GPS offering. 

Price: Free

Jotly, from FirespotterJotly celebrates the oversharing lifestyle enabled by the combination of social networks and mobile devices with this app for rating everything you come across. “Search for nearby items. Even if it's a piece of lint, it might be really awesome. Jotly will help you find it. Find the best and worst things at any place. Like ducks? Jotly will show you big and little ducks.” Oh, and the app has a rating of “Low Maturity.”
Price: Free

 JunoWalletThis mobile wallet lets you get store gift cards on your smartphone, give gift cards and early credits toward new gift cards. The app is now on Version 7.2.6 but is gaining popularity, so figured it was worth highlighting.
Price: Free

Activision’s Call of Duty: ELITEThis companion app to the popular game lets you “evaluate your multiplayer progress with in-depth stat analysis. Formulate new strategies based on your recent performance and remotely incorporate edits to your loadouts. Push your changes directly into Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 so you’re always ready to play.”
Price: Free