TV on android
 

I've heard good things about the optimum online android app. Is anyone using it?

I have used the Optimum Application for Android and it works fairly well.

Dan

I'll jump in and recommend "It's About Time" for anyone who does their own billing/invoicing using QuickBooks. This is a fairly simple app that will import your quickbook customers & items so that you can enter job time with your Android. At the end of a day, week, or whenever, you send them back to QB using IIF files (you can email the file or transfer over USB).

I do billable work for a couple of companies, one of them mine - where I use QB Pro. I've undoubtedly lost thousands for billable time that was not recorded at all, or at the end of the day with foggy recollection.

With this app, I enter time and notes (which appear in my invoice Description field) immediately, and don't have to later transcribe into QB.

Not a perfect app, but I've figured easy work-arounds for some minor issues.

Costs $8, IIRC.

Wouldn't call it my favorite (maybe when I was younger), but I have found Happy Hours from GoTime to be useful. Pulls up local food/drink specials based on your location. Have found it to be pretty accurate - even in Vegas or NYC where there are many options. Shows the days / times / locations - very convenient.

We've used it for vacation travel, but I'll also use occasionally for work travel - as can sometimes find a good option at a restaurant that might normally exceed our travel guidelines!!

Security Apps
 

Having managed to lose my Droid 3 for about 30 panicky minutes this week, I am looking for a way to remotely lock or wipe my phone.

Also wondering about password protection.

Any suggestions?

SeekDroid, 99 cents on either the Android Market or the Amazon App Store, and it uses a fairly robust website to do all things you are looking for.

Dan

No offence, but why would you want to turn of your phone during the night? You might as well put it in silent mode (the level between vibrate mode and call volume select when you press down on the volume button when it's on) and the alarm will ring without an issue.

ChromeMarks is rather valuable to me now as well to sync my bookmarks. Nice when I'm on the run and trying to find a FedEx tracking link I had bookmarked earlier.

Battery life. That's 8 hours the phone doesn't have to be pointlessly on (even if data and wifi is switched off).

If you charge your phone every night then this is pretty irrelevant.

I love my android phone, but by bedtime the battery is always down around 10% so I have to charge it anyway.

Tasker, Swype, Handcent, TripIT.
Tasker allows you automate your phone to almost the nth degree. Once you learn how to use it your phone does the dishes and takes the trash out :p
Swype is a great 'swipe' keyboard, but like politics, BBQ, and religion it is best not to discuss 'swipe' keyboard in civilized company :)
Handcent, because the stock SMS app blows(IMHO)(see above about discussing apps)
TripIT, always good to have a 3rd copy of travel plans available.

Any advice on downloadable maps that I can store then access as needed when abroad. Internet on my phone is painfully slow (orange PAYG in UK) so perhaps something I can download onto my computer and then copy across? I've downloaded google maps but its so slow its impossible to use

I've tried OsmAnd with mixed results. The maps aren't live so they're not always up-to-date. Here's the link in the Android Market: https://market.android.com/details?i...=search_result

Have you tried Google Maps's brand new offline feature? You can use it on wifi to get the maps then save them offline. Pretty fast for me.