Social networking
Share photos, update your status, tweet, or hang out. Whether you're jumping waist-deep or dipping only your big toe into the social space, these apps are must-haves.
Facebook for Android
The official Facebook for Android app is undoubtedly the best way to view Facebook on your Android. The overhauled app (which now closely resembles the iPhone version) offers a clean interface with a sliding navigation panel on the left. Meanwhile, the most-used buttons -- Friend Requests, Messages, and Notifications -- are right there at the top of the screen. This means you can respond to friends without having to leave the screen you're on. Read full reviewGoogle+
Google+ for Android is a clean and intuitive mobile app that has all of the powers of its desktop counterpart, save for the games and a few other minor features.If you're an avid user of Google's still-growing social offering, then this is absolutely a must-have. If you're not, then we still suggest checking it out if only for the app's auto-upload feature for photos and videos.Read full review
Twitter
We wouldn't be the least bit surprised if choosing a single Twitter app for Android leaves you paralyzed by choice. There's no shortage of third-party Twitter apps in the Android Market, and many of them are good. That said, a great place to start is the official Twitter app. It's superclean, easy to navigate, and now supports multiple accounts. While it may not offer some power features like Saved Searches, for most users, the official Twitter app should be a great option.Read full review
Tumblr
With Tumblr for Android, using the megapopular blogging platform cum social network while on the go is a snap. The app lets you create and publish posts, read through posts by other bloggers you follow, and manage your account settings, all without much of a learning curve.If you own a Tumblr blog, then frankly, this mobile app is a must. It makes it incredibly easy to post any type of media to your site (except audio), and it provides a nice interface for doing all of the social stuff that Tumblr offers.Read full review- CNET editors' rating4.5 stars
Get your multimedia on with these feature-packed photo and music apps.
Turntable.fm
Fan favorite music-streaming and discovery service Turntable.fm is available on Android, and it does a great job of packing its full desktop experience into your mobile device. With Turntable.fm, you can hop between rooms to discover new music, as well as create your own playlists so you can DJ for others. It's a fun experience all around. And to top it all off, the interface, with its slick listening rooms and hypnotic animated avatars is absolutely stunning.Read full review- CNET editors' rating4.5 stars
Instagram
More than just a free photo-enhancement app for Android, Instagram connects its users to a photo-based social network that's more than 30 million users strong. With this powerful social functionality, the app makes it incredibly easy to not just polish and share photos, but also to keep tabs on friends through the built-in Instagram photo stream.If you're looking for a high-end photo-enhancement app to make your pics really shine, then Instagram probably isn't it. However, if you're hungry for followers, and you love sharing your photos with as large an audience as possible, then look no further than this must-download.Read full review
Slacker Radio
Slacker Radio, Pandora, and Last.fm are three free music services that help you find and groove to live-streaming tunes. Though each contains a strong element of discovery, we enjoy Slacker Radio's human-curated stations, the lyrics in the pro version, and ability to cache stations for offline listening. Plus, Slacker's Premium account is the only one we've seen that offers both socially programmed radio and on-demand listening.Disclosure: Last.fm and CNET are both properties of CBS Interactive.Read full review
SoundHound
If you're having trouble naming that tune, just fire up SoundHound (free) to speak, sing, hum, type, or record a song for the music-identification service to identify. It will return a song, complete with artist bios, video links, and links to an online music store.SoundHound will also, crucially, pull in complete song lyrics where available or link you to a lyrics search where they're not. The free version of SoundHound maintains the entire feature set, but limits the number of sung, hummed, or recorded song IDs to five per month--to get rid of that limit, opt for the $4.99 plus version. However, there's no cap on typing or speaking your music terms, even with the free version.Read full review
Dining and travel
Whether you're still planning your trip or already abroad, these downloads are must-haves. And if you're into discovering new places to eat, pay special attention.
Yelp
When you're out and about, and on the lookout for businesses (especially restaurants), Yelp for Android might be your best friend. It pulls up user reviews, location info, photos, and so much more. The app also lets you place calls, navigate, check in, and even post your own reviews, if you'd like. It's so powerful because its database is so enormous. In fact, it can be difficult to find a business that isn't covered by Yelp, especially in major metropolitan cities. We also love that Yelp lets you search based on proximity to your current location, and the nifty augmented reality feature, Monocle, is also quite awesome.Read full review
TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor is the comprehensive companion app to the popular travel Web site of the same name. It's a great resource for discovering hotels, restaurants, and things to do in destinations all around the world. It even lets you read reviews, talk in forums, and look through tons of photos shot by other travelers. If you're planning a trip, this app is a great way to get all the inside info on potential destinations.Read full review- CNET editors' rating4.5 stars
Kayak
Think of Kayak as a digital travel agent that searches through hundreds of different travel sites to help you book your trip. It searches through popular sites, such as Travelocity, Expedia, and Orbitz, all at the same time, and gives you current rates and itineraries that can all be booked in just a few clicks. In addition, Kayak offers convenient travel tools like a packing list, currency converter, and airport information, all accessible right from the main dashboard. Read full review- CNET editors' rating4.5 stars
Hipmunk for Android
Whether you're a novice traveler or a frequent flyer, the Hipmunk travel search app should be a breeze to handle. Simply type in your destination and departure cities and select your travel dates. Then select Coach, Business, or First class, and enter the number travelers. And that's it. The process is very similar to that of most travel apps and Web sites, plus it comes with some quick auto-complete suggestion and a super-smooth date selector. What's special about Hipmunk, though, is it's unique, visual interface, which makes it incredibly easy to compare different travel options across several different criteria. Hipmunk can even include Amtrak options in your search results.Read full review- CNET editors' rating4.5 stars
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