An Open Blog Post to Google

Dear Google,

I submitted my request for access to "App Inventor" several weeks ago and have yet to hear back. I am not sure you fully comprehend the opportunity loss you are facilitating by not granting me access. I am teeming (in a good way) with clever ideas to publish to the Android Market. Ideas that may sway owners of the "other" phone to switch - simply to gain access to "Kelly's Thuls"

Editor's note: My last name is pronounced "tool", making "Kelly's Thuls" pretty darn clever. Oh, and by the way, "Kelly" is not a girl's name. It means "warrior". Quite manly if you ask me.

To dispel any doubt on the magnitude of the relative coolocity of my app ideas, allow me to frame just one up:

DrunkTweeter

Typing is hard when you are drunk. If you are REAL drunk, Android's awesome voice entry also becomes of limited value. DrunkTweeter provides large, easy to hit buttons so you can send one of several likely tweets. These include:

• Heeey, your cuuute :)
• I'll be home soon
• I never liked you
• Are you mad at me? You seem mad at me.
• More shots!!!
• Heeeey buddddy - whatz uuuuuuuuuuuuuup????

There. So now your mistake should be clear. No apology necessary, just grant me access soon.

If you really feel compelled to make amends, I am open to you chatting with Motorola to assist in securing me the R2D2 Droid 2. It seems like a small, but fitting gesture.

Round two of Android Favorites...

While I still stand by my first list of my favorite Android apps, I decided to add a few more. I am still cheap and all of these are still free.

1. Multicon - Strictly speaking, this is a widget, not an app - but it is awesome. Will change your life. OK, maybe not, but it is sweet. Multicon lets you place icons for four (yes FOUR) apps in the space usually occupied by one.
   
   Great way to get your most used items on your main screen. I am not the most dexterous person, and I still have no problem starting the right apps via Multicon.
   
   
2. Folders - Keeping with the "not actually listing apps in my list of favorite apps" theme, let me plug folders next. When Multicon doesn't work for you to load up a page of apps, use a folder.
   
   
3. TripIt - Book a trip. Send the confirmation email to an email address provided by this app. Stand back in amazement as it builds a handy itinerary for you. I have been able to send it work and personal travel info and it handles it all like a champ.
   
   
4. Dolphin Browser - The default browser is MUCH better with Android 2.2, but I still prefer Dolphin. I really like tabbed browsing - and Dolphin does this quite well.
   
   
5. Touiteur - Nice Twitter app. I still mostly use Seesmic, but Toutieur's fast and attractive interface, coupled with the ability to see activity from multiple accounts on one page, makes it worth considering.
   
   
6. SCVNGR - I am on the pathetic path to check-in using 34 diferent geo-location apps when I am out and about - and SCVNGR isn't helping. Foursquare remains my main app, I use Gowalla to easily select which check-ins I want to post to Facebook and/or Twitter (plus it is PURTY), and SCVNGR lurks out there as another choice.
   
   What is special about SCVNGR is the numerous options it offers to interact more -- bump phones with fellow visitors, add a location specific challenge, etc...
   
   
7. Pocket Agent - Full disclosure here. This app is from my employer. But if you have State Farm insurance and/or bank products AND an Android - you ought to grab this.
   
   A text "auto response" widget call "On the Move" was recently added. Pretty cool if you want to tell folks "can't reply to text right now... driving (or sleeping, or in class, or anti-social)"
   

Favorite Android Apps

Had more Droid for a couple months now and LOVE it. Thought I'd list off my favorite apps/features. Everything below is free. Sounds like us Droid users favor that pricing model anyway....

1. Car home - without a doubt the GPS, navigation features alone make the Droid an awesome device. "Navigate to pizza" always provides me a list of local options immediately - me likey.
   
   
2. Seesmic - I enjoy Twitter and this is the best client I have found on Android.
   
   
3. Advanced Task Killer - Knocks off programs running in the background to save battery life. Sarah found this one for me. Thanks Sarah, for now I like you more than your sister.
   
   
4. Voice Search - Even with my lousy enunciation, this works great. I find myself talking to my iTouch to search now. That doesn't work as well.
   
   
5. Foursquare - As Mayor of La-z-boy, I declare this am awesome app. You can get Gowalla too, just not from the Market currently. Gowalla is purtier than Foursquare, but not working super on Android yet.
   
   
6. FxCamera - cool effects for your camera.
   
   
7. Meebo - since the Facebook app is lame and does not offer chat, kinda need this. Includes access to GTalk, MSN, AOL, etc...
   
   
8. DroidLight - LED flashlight. I actually use this more than you think.
   
   
9. ShopSavvy - GREAT UPC scan and price check (stores, online)
   
   
10. AP Mobile - handy news app.
    
    
11. Pandora - streaming music.
    
    
12. Photoshop on mobile - just starting to learn how great this app is to edit/crop mobile photos.
    
    
13. Oh, there is an icon that lets me use the Droid as a PHONE too. Pretty cool

More to come....