Best free apps for Android and for iPad

I find that I simply do not have the time to keep an updated list of best apps in various categories. There are plenty of existing reliable venues with such lists. When I look for apps, my first stop is http://www.techsupportalert.com:


- best free Android apps

- best free iPad apps 

Guide to apps for sketching, notes and annotating PDFs

This is a long post. If you are short on time, skip to "Instant decision" section. 


I've evaluated over 50 notetaking/PDF viewer/PDF annotations apps. There is no one app "to rule them all", no app that's perfect and can do everything. I have created some general subcategories and list the top apps in each. For many of them, I also list their features and limitations. On the bottom, I list all the apps that I've evaluated. 



What I have found is that each app is strongest in one particular usage scenario, likely reflecting its original audience. The best have expanded or can be adapted to cover additional uses, but even these clearly belong in one the following categories:

1. a sketchbook for drawing
2. a notebook for handwritten and typed notes
3. a PDF viewer with annotation capabilities  
4. a journal or scrapbook of pages with multimedia mixed with text

The boundaries between sketchbook, notebook and scrapbook can be subtle. When it comes to drawings and text, sketchbook and scrapbook are closer to Microsoft Powerpoint and notebook is closer to Microsoft Word. For example, some sketchbooks and all scrapbooks support textboxes with notes just as Microsoft Powerpoint supports textboxes, but you wouldn't want to write a paper in Powerpoint. Similarly, a notebook may support sketches just as Microsoft Word supports shapes and images, but you wouldn't want to draw a complex graphic in Word. The Microsoft analogy is inadequate since the iPad has pen input, which makes it possible to enter handwritten text and sketch freehand drawings. The emphasis with scrapbook is the ability to easily arrange a mix of text, images and other multimedia; with sketchbook, it is the richness of pen features. 


There are many features that exist across these categories, including

• support for a large set of documents, including search and document organization via folders or tags or categories
• import, export, backup, synchronization or some other integration with apps such as Dropbox, Google Docs, Evernote, iTunes, iCloud, email; support for different formats for import and export, such as image, PDF, video, text, html
• rich editing capabilities, including colors, pen/font sizes and varieties, undo and redo, selecting, erasing, zooming, layers, backgrounds (e.g. lined, graph paper, music paper)
• special features for handwriting such as zoomed area, automatic advance down the line and to the next line, conversion of handwriting into typed text (handwriting recognition)
• miscellaneous: autosaving, spell checking, support for co-editing (simultaneously editing by multiple users), split-screen views, voice notes, alarms

Since the relative importance of any features above is completely user-dependent, the recommendations below are just a guide. If a particular feature is a deal-breaker for you, check the app's descriptions at the Apple store. In the table below I focus on the features of importance to a user who wants a replacement for their paper notebooks, binders, clipboards, highlighted/annotate photocopied materials, etc. Such a user could be a student, a teacher, a coach or anyone else who want to be in a "post-paper" world. Thus, the features emphasized below are document organization (folders), PDF annotations, notepaper for different subjects (lined, graph, music, sports), integration (both for backup and for organizing) with popular services such as Dropbox, Google Docs or Evernote.


The cost of the apps is anywhere from free to $10, with most paid apps falling in the $3-$5 range. Many free apps reserve a strip at the edge of the screen for advertisements; others limit the number of documents you can have. 

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The apps I evaluated, in no particular order are: 
epiNote HD, Side by Side, Sketch Pad 3,Handwritten notes lite,My notebook! lite, Clefit,7notes HD, 7notes premium,Evernote,Catch Notes,MyScript Memo,Penultimate,MagicalPad,Notes Plus,PhatPad,NoteMaster Lite,Awesome Note HD,inkiness,Noteshelf,Touch notes for ipad,Notesy for Dropbox,Nebulous Notes (for Dropbox),Notebook+ Free,Easy Note,Meteor Lite,Outline,Trunk Notes,Sling Note,SmartNote Free,SmartNote,Note Taker HD,uPad,uPad Lite,PaperPort Notes (formerly Noterize),Notability,Ghostwriter Notes,goodNotes,DocAS Lite,DocAS,PaperDesk LITE,GoodReader,Stanza,neu.Annotate PDF,Papers,PerfectReader,iAnnotate,Readdle PDF Expert,pdf-notes free for iPad,Meteor Notes Lite,Sundry Notes, Sundry Notes Pro, SketchBook Pro

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The best ones for sketching, notetaking and PDF annotating

App	Good at ...	Lacks ...
Notes Plus [$5]	+ notebook with sketches + great folders + autosync with Dropbox + export to Gdocs, iTunes + some shape recognition + notepaper for music	- no pdf annotation [update 1/20/2012 ... my bad: you can annotate PDFs, although it's clunky to get the file in to Notes Plus] - handwriting support just ok [update 1/20/2012 ... with the new $2 handwriting recognition add-on, they are now my top choice in handwriting]
Notability [$1]	+ notebook with PDF annotations and  sketches + folders + autosync with Dropbox	- little handwriting support - PDF features could work better - GUI could be better
Evernote [free]	+ notebook + folders + autosync + available on all platforms	- no handwriting - no sketching [update 12/28/11 ... a new app Skitch [free] allows sketching and is well integrated with Evernote]
Penultimate [$1]	+ sketchbook + clean and simple interface	- no typing - no handwriting support - no pdf annotation - no folders - no landscape mode support - import/export only to iTunes - notepaper for music is $3 add-on
Sketch Pad 3 [free, with ads]	+ sketchbook with typed notes + folders + sync with Dropbox + export to GDocs, Evernote	- no PDF annotation - no handwriting support - jagged "pen-ink"
SketchBook Pro[$2]	+ sketchbook with typed notes + very fluid "pen-ink" + Photoshop-like + import/export to Dropbox, iTunes	- no folders - no PDF annotation - no handwriting support
Noteshelf [$5]	+ sketchbook + very fluid "pen-ink" + good handwriting support + folders + export to Dropbox, Evernote, iTunes + notepaper for music, sports	- no typing - no PDF annotation - no import
DocAS [$4]	+ sketchbook with PDF annotations and typed notes + folders + import/export to Dropbox, GDocs, iTunes, and others + notepaper for music	- no sync with Dropbox - no handwriting support DocAS Lite [free] has no Dropbox/GDocs export and watermarks annotated PDFs
7notes Premium [$5]	+ notebook with sketches + great handwriting support (including reasonable handwriting recognition)	- no folders, only tags - no Dropbox - clunky interface - Evernote import/export is $7 add-on 7notes HD [free] has no handwriting recognition [update 1/20/2012 ... Notes Plus now beats 7notes for handwriting]
Side by Side [free]	+ split-screen with Web browser on one side and notebook on the other side	- very rudimentary notebook features
iAnnotate [$10]	+ extensive PDF annotation features + folders + Dropbox sync	- notebooks functionality only by inserting blank PDF pages
Google Search [free]	+ Google documents and spreadsheet viewer and editor (app name is a misnomer)	- very rudimentary editing
Outline [free]	+ Microsoft OneNote viewer and editor

Instant decisions

Best cross-platform; typing, folders	Evernote [free]
Evernote-integrated sketching	Skitch [free]
Best folders; typing, Dropbox, handwriting (with recognition), PDF	Notes Plus [$5]
Typing, Dropbox, PDF	Notability [$1]
Rough sketching, folders, Dropbox	Sketch Pad 3 [free]
Best sketching	SketchBook Pro [$2]
Great sketching; folders	Noteshelf [$5]
Handwriting; typing	7notes HD [free]
Great handwriting; typing; handwriting recognition	7notes Premium [$5]
Typing, sketching, PDF	DocAS [$4]
Best PDF; Dropbox, folders	iAnnotate [$10]
Split-screen Web and notes	Side by Side [free]
Simplest sketchbook	Penultimate [$1]
Feature-rich multimedia sketchbook	Clefit [$8]

What I would use and why


I'm a big fan of free apps, the fact that heavily influences my choices below. 


Currently, I do not do much editing/entering of information on my iPad, and Google Docs meets my needs when not on the iPad, so I mostly use the Google Search app.  


If more of my data editing and entry was done on the iPad, I would carry an iPad keyboard with me and use Evernote for typing and Skitch for quick sketches. 


For heavy-duty PDF annotations, I would use iAnnotate or Notes Plus. If I had to pick a free PDF-annotating app and did not need Dropbox integration, I would go with DocAS Lite; if I needed Dropbox, then Notability. 


For handwriting, I would go with 7Notes: 7Notes HD if I did not need to convert my scribbles to typed notes later, and 7Notes Premium otherwise.
[update 1/20/2012 ... For a free handwriting app, I would go with 7Notes HD, but for a lot of handwriting, I would splurge and get Notes Plus with the new handwriting recognition support.]


My sketching needs are so rudimentary, I could use anything. For those with more artistic needs, SketchBook Pro, Noteshelf and Clefit are great.

Office Suite for Android Tablet

LifeHacker does periodic evaluations of various software, including apps for Android tablets and iPads. 


Some of their recent conclusions: 

Best Office Suite for Android:		QuickOffice Pro ($15)
Best note taking for Android that syncs with Microsoft OneNote:		MobileNoter (app is free, sync requires a paid subsription)

Fantastic listing of best-of-breed tools for learning

Published by C4LPT Centre for Learning & Performance Technologies

http://c4lpt.co.uk/top-100-tools-for-learning-2011/best-of-breed-tools-2011/

Tips on using iAnnotate

Dropbox setup: when you add your Dropbox account within iAnnotate on the panel labeled Fetch, clicking the Dropbox logo displays the content of your Dropbox account and clicking the down arrow downloads the entire content of your Dropbox.

iAnnotate bug: executing "Save to PDF" when visiting certain webpages within iAnnotate browser causes iAnnotate to crash. They are trying to resolve this issue. I'll update as I hear from them.

Troubleshooting iPad software update to version 5.0.1

So far a dozen or so of you have updated the software with no difficulties. 

Incidentally, you CAN open an iTunes account without a credit card -- follow instructions at
support.apple.com/kb/ht2534

[update 12/1] Out of 29 students with iPads, 28 have already updated to iOS5 with minimal difficulties. 

Settings on your iPad

During your iPad setup, there are a number of settings you can choose. Many of these choices are up to you, some we require, and some we recommend: 

• enable Location services (required) 
• enable "Find my iPad" (required)
• enable iCloud (recommended)
• choose iCloud backup (recommended)

Initial setup of the iPads

The iPad initial setup will, in all honesty, be clunky. This is how we will proceed. After signing the Student Acceptable Use Agreement and receiving your iPad, you need to do the following when you get to your room:

1. Download and install iTunes on your laptop, if you don’t already have it. If you are not sure how to do this, watch the tutorial at http://bit.ly/vJVikQ
2. Connect the iPad to your laptop using the included cord and wait until your laptop installs all the necessary drivers. At this point, iTunes will start up. Note that if you have an outdated version of iTunes, it may ask you to upgrade the iTunes before it allows the iPad setup.
3. You need to go through a few iTunes screens to register your iPad.There are good tutorials that walk you through the registration steps: http://bit.ly/ubG4E9. Once you reach an empty iTunes screen, it is time to continue the configuration on your iPad. 
4. There are a number of iPad settings you choose along the way. Please read the separate post about the settings we require and the settings we recommend. [Hint: to move to the next setting, touch "Next" button in the top right corner of the screen] The critical step at this point is the networking:
1. Network: choose LVwlan and enter your Lawrenceville network id and password; than choose “Accept” on the Certificate.
2. On the “Set Up iPad”, choose “Set Up as New iPad”
3. Skip entering your Apple id on the “Apple ID” screen and finish the other settings.
5. At this point, you should see the iPad desktop. Open Safari and enter any URL. Choose ‘Continue’ when you see “Cannot verify Server Identity” popup. You now have to go through connecting your iPad to our network. This process is similar to how you registered your computer when you first got to campus. At the end, the webpage should display a message that your device is registered.
6. Disconnect your iPad cable from your laptop, wait 10 seconds, and reconnect it.
7. Follow iTunes screens on your laptop to associate the iPad with your iTunes/Apple ID. Choose ‘Setup as a New iPad’ and continue following the instructions, some of which may be repeats of what you had already configured on the iPad.
8. Now comes the crucial part -- you need to choose "Update" to get your iPad software to version 5.0.1 on this screen:
   

   
   

   Depending on the connection, this update may take anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of hours. During the update, your iPad will reboot a few times. At the end, iTunes should indicate that the update is complete.

   
   

   When the update is done, please check Settings → About → Version on your iPad.
   It should say "5.0.1". If it does not, try repeating from Step 5 above.

   
   

Troubleshooting:

1. Visit this blog to see if a solution to your problem is posted under the "Troubleshooting" post here. If it is not, leave a comment under Troubleshooting describing where you are stuck. I will be checking and replying here frequently.
2. Google the problem you are having

iPad Pilot kick off

Welcome to the iPad Pilot. Since this is the first pilot of its kind for all of us, expect a few bumps along the way. This blog is a central clearing house for thoughts, discussions, help and instructions related to this pilot, so you may want to check it regularly.

Update #2 on "iPad as Smartboard"

Success!!! After weeks of testing, I have finally succeeded in getting Option 1 to work: in the video below, I am drawing (with a different color) on three iPads and the drawing is instantly displayed on the other iPads and on the projector (projected on to the whiteboard).


   

Stay tuned for the details of the necessary equipment and the best app for this task...

iPad in the classroom

The "Apple"-dom has been raving about AirPlay feature and its potential since its introduction sometime in the beginning of 2011. What is it? AirPlay allows the iPad (2 only) to mirror its display wirelessly on to Apple TV and via that, onto any projection system you have. The catch is that in order to mirror an app, the app must be AirPlay-enabled. Apple even introduced a special section in iTunes devoted to AirPlay-Enabled Apps. So, how much adoption has AirPlay had? 




Here's the image of this iTunes section in Mar 2011 (11 apps)

and here's the same section in iTunes today, Nov 2011  (48 apps):

Given the hundreds of thousands of apps iTunes has, these snapshots do not bode well. Apple seems to have abandoned this section of iTunes in favor of a section at theapple.tv, which is larger (132 apps):

   

but still a disappointing number given the hundreds of thousands of apps out there. 

Apple wants iPad to be a classroom tool. In order to accomplish this, iPad must have an easy way to have its display projected, either on to a screen via a projector or on to a TV. 

What are Apple's plans in all this?

Android tips of the week

I came across  "20 essential Android 3.0 tips and tricks", and, even though our Lenovo ThinkPad Tablets cannot be upgraded to Android 3.0 yet, I tried these tips and (almost all) worked! #16 (longer battery) did not, which is a bummer. But many of the other tips are excellent. 

Update on "iPad as Smartboard"

I did not emphasize one important difference between the three options, namely, what other apps can be projected as part of the setup.


Option 1: Projector can display any AirPlay-enabled app. Right now, the number of such appls is modest, but it is expected to increase. In summary, this option will display (some) of what you are able to run on your iPad.


Option 2: Anything that your classroom PC is able to display -- you are not limited by iPad's features. This means you can project Java, Flash, Shockwave, etc.  


Option 3: same as option 2.

iPad tips of the week

If your iPad is running iOS 5 (I am not sure if these apply to earlier versions)...


Screenshot: to take a screenshot, press Power and Home buttons at the same time; the screenshot is saved in Photos.


Folders: to create a folder, tap and hold on an icon until all icons start to jiggle, then drag one icon over another and drop it. A folder is created with both icons.  You can rename the folder: get all icons jiggling, tap the folder icon, then tap the folder name -- a keyboard pops up to edit folder name.


View all running apps: double-tap Home button.


USB charging: iPad needs a high-power USB connection; many USB ports on laptops, desktops and USB hubs are low-power. The iPad might charge even on the low-power port, but it will take a long time and the iPad must be turned off. 

iPad as replacement of Smartboard

Existing Setup: each classroom contains a PC (Windows or Mac, it does not matter) and a projector with WiFi and VGA inputs (but no HDMI). 


Goal: enable students and teacher to use their iPads to 
(a) collaborate "live", with everyone's writing appearing on one "whiteboard" or "canvas", and
(b) display it instantly on the projector.
In other words, every person in class can write/draw on his/her iPad and everyone's contribution appears instantly on a single "canvas" that everyone can see on his/her iPad, and which the projector displays.

Such a setup would eliminate the need for Smartboard and enable better collaboration in classroom. 



Solutions: Unfortunately, there are no perfect solutions. Option 1 does not use the classroom PC, but instead requires the purchase and installation of 2 extra pieces of equipment in the classroom. The other options compromise on one of the requirements (a) or (b).

Option 1: install an Apple TV and HDMI-to-VGA converter in each classroom.


The only general method for mirroring iPad display onto an outside display is to use iOS5's AirPlay Mirroring app, which wirelessly mirrors iPad display to Apple TV, which can then be output by Apple TV onto whatever device is connected to it, e.g. an HDTV or a projector. Since the projector accepts only VGA, and Apple TV outputs only HDMI, we need the converter. There are at least a dozen "Interactive White Board" (IWB) apps that allow multiple iPads to work in real-time on the same shared "canvas" or whiteboard. An IWB app that works with this setup must be AirPlay-compatible. One such app is 2Screens ($5). 

Option 2: compromise on requirement (a): "collaborate live". 


This is a "single-writer" solution and it uses the classroom PC hooked up to the projector. One app is installed on an iPad and another app on the classroom PC. The iPad app has two modes. In the remote-desktop mode, the iPad controls the classroom PC, i.e. the iPad acts as a mouse and keyboard to the classroom PC. So, any applications you have on the classroom PC appear on the iPad screen and can be controlled from the iPad. In the notepad mode, any writing/drawing made on the iPad instantly appears on the classroom PC (and via that, on the projector). The "collaborate live" is absent since the app on the classroom PC can be paired up with only one iPad.


Apps in this category include Doceri, Splashtop, AirDisplay, and AirSketch.  


Option 3: compromise on requirement (b): "display instantly on the projector". 


There are a number of applications which provide a single "canvas" on which multiple iPads can write/draw in real-time, i.e. IWB from Option 1. These apps can periodically export the results as images or PDFs, and these exports can then be displayed on the projector (for example, using an app mentioned in the previous option). At any time, the projector in this solution displays a recent snapshot of the collaboration effort, rather than the collaboration "live". 


IWB apps include ZigZag, SyncSpace, SyncPad.

I have been crazily testing the various apps and setups mentioned in this post and will soon write up my conclusions on the best ones. 

Passwords ... no need to remember

If you are tired of remembering your passwords (or tired of always forgetting them), there are some very good solutions that will remember the passwords for you. The one I use is lastpass.com. It has extensions for all common browsers, which means that when I create any account, it offers to remember the login and password for me. When I come back to the site sometime later, lastpass offers to log me in automatically. Lastpass stands for "last password", as in "the last password you need to remember". If you need help installing or using it, leave a comment and I'll get a short screencast to show you how to do it.


In case you are not convinced you need to have different passwords, especially for the "unimportant" logins, read the excellent post "The thousand-dollar penalty for reusing passwords" by W. Leonhard

To have a tablet or not to have a tablet... for a student

Some call them game-changers; others view them as little more than toys for our insatiable media consumption. Tablets are certainly making a splash.  Until earlier this year, "tablet" meant Apple's iPad. This year, tablets based on Android operating system are trying to rock Apple's monopoly. Do they have a place in to our gadget-filled lives? Do they replace our smartphone? Do they replace a laptop? Are they yet another (the third? the fourth?) must-carry device?


Here's my 2¢-worth.



Contemplating a tablet as a universal replacement of any one existing tool/device is unproductive because a tablet, like any device, is a mixed bag when compared in general terms. The better question is if a tablet can replace an existing tool/device for a particular type of user and usage. 


Tablet for a student, as replacement for all papers in the backpack (electronic textbook availability is limited; it is not clear if the faculty would be able to find appropriate electronic material from what is available right now)? 


Paper's advantages over tablet:
→ bigger page display
→ easier to flip through
→ for handwriting, sketching, and erasing, pencil is easier than stylus
→ inexpensive, can't break and no big deal to lose


Tablet's advantages over paper:
→ materials for all classes in one place; can't forget a sheet at home
→ great for collaborating with others 
→ type notes in class instead of handwriting them
→ audio/visual materials as part of notes and homework

→ do research or homework during random pockets of downtime

→ work is backed up

→ access to all information -- can look up references, homework, etc

→ huge win if teachers choose electronic textbooks 

Is it worth the money? 

---

Tablet (plus keyboard case) for a student, as replacement for a laptop? 


Laptop's advantages over tablet:
→ bigger display
→ access to all multimedia and resource-intensive applications, on and off the web; tablets functionality is somewhat limited
→ better keyboard for typing 
→ mouse is more precise and responsive than fingers on touchscreen
→ a Windows laptop is cheaper than a tablet


Tablet's advantages over laptop:
→ all-day battery life (some laptops now have comparable battery life)
→ light enough to carry around all the time
→ cheaper than an Apple laptop

→ instant-on/off  (very convenient in classroom setting)

→ "flat" form factor 

---

Good article for more thoughts on this subject:

-- Editorial: tablets aren't the 'third device' I'd hoped for... from a productivity standpoint, anyway 

Collaborate via blog? wiki? forum? real-time? - Part 1

There are a number of online ways to collaborate and it can be confusing to figure out how they differ. This is a quick summary on the subject. Examples of each of these will appear on the Ed+Tech page shortly.

Screencasting

A screencast is a video capture of the actions on a user's computer screen, usually with accompanying audio commentary. It is a quick and easy way to explain anything that can be displayed on a computer screen. There are a number of online tools that are free and need no software installation.

Useful links 10/14

• If You're an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch User — Get 50 GB of Free Storage for Life on Box.Net   [Box.Net is a well-regarded alternative to Dropbox; this promo is good until Dec 2; for more info, see Lifehacker story at http://lifehac.kr/nlqt0j]
• Weather forecast with beautiful graphs at weatherspark.com (ex: 08648 forecast)

[update 10/17: the free version of Box.net does not include folder synchronization, which is included in free Dropbox] 

Best iPad apps list

http://bit.ly/lvipadapps  -- best free iPad apps, organized by category, from a very reliable site

Facebook & your future job

[From Forbes]    

The bad news: Employers reject candidates because of what they see about them on a social networking site.

Latest Facebook "gotcha"

Facebook has introduced a new feature that's going live shortly: the "Timeline." Unfortunately, this feature could have unpleasant consequences for you unless you are careful: 

Facebook will auto-share your activities on Facebook-connected apps.