Find your next favorite app (and maybe a new BFF, too)
Hey! My name is Tim, and I am a proud member of the webOS community. You may know me as one of the contributors at two very popular fan news sites, or maybe you know me as AnotherGuy on Twitter. Or perhaps you don’t know me at all...in which case, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. :)
Whatever the case may be, you should probably know one very important thing about me: I have a TON of apps on my phone. In the year that I’ve had my Palm Pre, there have probably been more than 400 apps downloaded and installed on my device (and that’s guessing on the low end).
I didn’t find these apps using only the official App Catalog. I’ve also used several community-run services to make my hunt more successful (and more fun). These tools don’t just pull in the official apps from the Catalog, they also pull in apps from "hidden" channels, like web distribution, public beta and even homebrew.
Want to know which tools are available to use? Well, today’s your lucky day -- ’cause here are a few of my favorites (besides Palm’s official catalog and Featured Apps app, of course):
AppScoop by jiyer
While there are close to 4,000 apps available in the official App Catalog, there are also a ton of great apps that are only made available in Palm's web distribution and public beta feeds. With AppScoop, you can browse through all of these “hidden” apps right on your device. If you're one for trying out the latest and greatest apps that aren't yet ready for public use (or haven't been released in the official Catalog), then trust me, you want to get this app.
appSpotlight from webOSroundup
The latest contender in this game comes from the same guys who brought us the PalmSpot video competition earlier this year: webOSroundup.com. Not only does it have a cool interface that you can use to find apps (from your desktop computer or webOS device), but they've also asked some of the most active members of the community to step up and be App Gurus. People like Geoffrey Gauchet (developer of the Foursquare app), Mark Coppock (from AboutwebOS.com), Lisa Brewster (our favorite bobblehead from Palm) and several others have come together to recommend their favorite apps so that you know exactly which ones to check out next.
App Gallery from Precentral
If you've been in the webOS community for any length of time, you've probably already heard about the very active (and very large) group over at PreCentral.net. What you may not know, though, is that beyond their huge forums, daily tips and news articles, and extensive accessory store, they also have one of the first community-driven app catalogs that was made available on the web (or through homebrew apps like Preware). The App Gallery from PreCentral makes it easy to browse through each channel individually, or all of them at once, including official apps, web distribution, betas and the unofficial homebrew channel.
While the App Gallery doesn't have as many features as other directories, they do make it really straightforward to find the apps you want and keep moving with your life.
Twitter (and other Social Networks)
Over on Twitter, the webOS community has made a strong effort to talk about the latest apps (and news stories) that they find. If you’re looking for new ways to find apps, you simply cannot pass up social networks. And since you’ve probably already signed up for one (or all) of the networks that the community is active in, then it will be even easier for you to get involved and start getting tips on what apps to check out next.
It’s more than just reading what other people are using, though. Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn have created some awesome ways to connect with the very people who are building your applications. Rather than just leaving a review in the Catalog for developers to read (but have no way of responding to), you can contact them directly and give them the feedback or praise that they need to make their apps even better in the next release. No doubt, you should still leave the review, but it’s a lot better for everyone if the developer is able to talk to you directly about what you like/don’t like in their app.
What are your favorite apps?
Now that you’ve been given a few different ways to track down new apps, there’s only one thing you have to do in return: share your favorites with the rest of us! No matter which of these services/directories you use to find new apps, why not give back to the community that brought you those tools, and share your thoughts about the app that excite you the most?
Tim Stiffler-Dean