With smartphones, tablets and the cloud, we’ve gotten used to
multitasking and efficiency. God forbid we spend five minutes
disconnected from our devices. Next time you find yourself stuck in a
long line or waiting out a seemingly never-ending flight delay, look to
your Android device for some entertainment.
We’ve rounded up seven apps, below, that are worth downloading. (We didn’t include Twitter, since we feel it’s a given).
Reddit is a treasure trove of links, pictures and facts; but let’s be
honest, the social news site’s interface isn’t the best. Android users
can benefit from Reddit Is Fun, which lets users browse Reddit’s
homepage and “subreddit” pages.
A lot of places have crappy reception, but don’t let that get in your
way. Pocket lets you save articles, videos and websites for offline
viewing, and it automatically syncs to your phone, tablet or computer.
If you
do have reception, you can share articles directly from the app. Pocket just edged out another great app for offline reading,
NewsRob, which autosyncs with Google Reader in the background to enable offline reading.
If you’re looking to learn a thing or two while you’re stalled, you
can’t go wrong with The Grey Lady. Stay up to date with the latest news
from the
New York Times (if you have reception, that is;
otherwise save some articles to Pocket or Newsrob). The app’s free
version offers the “Top News” section, but you’ll have to pony up and
subscribe to unlock all the sections, which includes blogs, videos and
photo galleries.
Test your wits with Who Becomes Rich, a multiple-choice trivia game.
You can compete with friends for a high score or play privately,
answering hundreds of questions about sports, movies, science, math,
politics, pop culture and geography. Bored with the questions or looking
to share your own knowledge? You can submit questions that’ll be
reviewed by the developer and possibly added to the database.
Remember Super Nintendo? Now you can play it on your Android device
with this emulator. The product works well, but you’ll have to find the
ROMs for Super Mario World, Street Fighter, Donkey Kong, Super Metroid
and more games on your own (they’re free, too). The free version of this
app doesn’t let you save your progress, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a
great way to kill a few minutes — and save Princess Peach. One up!
Everyone’s favorite timesuck! It’s been a big month for Pinterest, which dropped invites
and came to Android. The visual social-bookmarking site lets users
collect and organize online images and videos into boards (think mood
boards). If you have a project, an apartment to decorate or a goal,
Pinterest can quite literally help you visualize it.
If
you’re into frivolous time-killing and games are up your alley, try
Bebbled. Align gems next to similar gems to nuke them, and repeat for 33
levels, as the game gets harder and harder. Finished level one? Keep
going — there are six levels in all. A multiplayer version is in the
works, so you can play with friends.
What apps do you use to kill time? Tell us in the comments below.
(
Lauren Drell)
Thanks for sharing all of these awesome time killing apps! I spend a lot of time away on business for my job at DISH, so having apps like these to help kill time in airports and such are great! I use a couple of these apps a lot too, in addition to my DISH Remote Access app. I use that app to watch all of my favorite shows from home, live or recorded, anywhere I go in the world. It’s probably my most used app as well, since I am a self-proclaimed TV junkie and hate missing my shows when I'm on the go! :)