op 50 US Business Schools

A list of the top 50 business schools in the US. These schools are some of the best of the best schools in the world to do an MBA or a Ph.D.

1. Stanford University (CA)

Stanford Graduate School of Business offers an MBA Program that is a two-year, full-time residential program, focusing on the academic facets of general business management. A PhD Program and the Stanford Sloan Program, a ten-month general management program for mid-career executives, leading to a master of science in management. MBA | PhD

2. Harvard Business School (MA)

Harvard Business School offers a two year MBA Program. You can apply Online to this program. In addition, HBS also offers Doctoral Programs leading to a PhD in Management in any of the eight streams of Management. MBA | PhD

3. Kellogg School of Management Northwestern University (IL)

Kellogg School of Management offers full-time, part-time, executive and international executive MBA programs. Kellogg is organized into six academic departments and each area offers individual Doctoral Programs. MBA | PhD

4. The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

Wharton offers full time Program in Business Management. The MBA Program offers a variety of flexible options to students to earn Dual or Joint Degrees. The School also offers Wharton Executive MBA, Wharton Technology Management Course and Executive MBA programs. The Doctoral Program in the B School leads to a PhD in about 10 disciplines ranging from Marketing to Insurance and Risk. UG | MBA | PhD

5. MIT Sloan (MA)

Sloan offers Full Time MBA and Executive Programs. Sloan offers a Doctoral Program leading to PhD in management and an Program leading to Bachelor of Science in Management. UG | MBA | PhD

6. Columbia Business School (NY)

Columbia Business School offers a two year Full Time MBA and admits about 500 students each year to the program. The GMAT range for admissions in Fall 2003 was 670-750. In addition, the School offers a Doctoral Program in five areas of management and also offers executive MBA options. MBA | PhD

7. Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley

Haas Business School offers a two year Full Time MBA program. In addition, the B-School also offers evening & weekend MBA programs and an executive MBA program. In addition to the masters program, the school also offers a Doctoral Program and a Course in business management. A special one year Masters in Financial Engineering Program is also offered by Haas School of Business. UG | MBA | PhD

8. The Fuqua School of Business, Duke University (NC)

The Fuqua School of Business offers four types of MBA programs to suit the needs of different types of students. In addition, the B School also offers a Doctoral Program. The Ph.D. Program currently offers programs of research and training in the areas of accounting, decision sciences, finance, marketing, management, and operations management. MBA | PhD

9. Chicago Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago

The GSB offers two full-time and three part-time M.B.A. programs, six joint degree options, and a Doctoral Program. The MBA programs include a two year Full Time MBA and an International Full Time MBA which includes work or study abroad. MBA | PhD

10. University of Michigan Business School, Ann Arbor

The Business School offers a two year Full Time MBA, a Masters in Accounting program in addition to part time and executive education programs. The School also offers a Doctoral Program leading to a PhD in one of the following areas - Accounting, International Business, Computer and Information Systems, Marketing, Corporate Strategy, Operations Management, Finance, Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management. MBA | MBA | PhD

11. Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth (NH)

Tuck School of Business has been at the forefront of business education since 1900 as the first graduate school of management. Tuck offers only one degree program - the Full Time MBA. The School admits between 200 to 250 students each year. MBA

12. New York University Stern School of Business (NY)

The Stern School of Business offers Full Time MBA and Executive MBA programs. In addition, the school also offers Program and a Doctoral Program in Business Management. UG | MBA | PhD

13. The Anderson School at UCLA (CA)

The Anderson School offers a variety of MBA programs to suit different needs. The Full Time MBA Program, The Fully Employed MBA Program and the Executive MBA Program. In addition, the school also offers Doctoral Program leading to a PhD in Management. The School admits less than 8 percent of all applicants into the Doctoral Program each year. MBA | PhD

14. Yale School of Management (CT)

One of the leading business schools offers enrolment to about 250 students each year. In the academic year beginning Fall 2002, the range of GMAT score was 640-750 with 34% of the admissions being given to international applicants. The Doctoral Program offers specialization in Accounting, Financial Economics and Marketing. MBA | PhD

15. Darden Graduate School of Business Administration (VA)

Darden Graduate School at University of Virginia at Charlottesville, VA offers a two-year Full Time MBA. The School also has an Executive MBA and Doctoral Program The School has authorized major fields in Finance, Management, Marketing, and Operations Management. In making its admissions decisions each year, the School may choose not to admit doctoral students to a particular field. MBA | PhD

16. Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University (NY)

Johnson Graduate School at Cornell University offers a two year Full Time MBA, and an Executive MBA Program. The School also offers a Doctoral Program leading to a Phd in one of Accounting, Behavioral Science, Finance, Management & Organizations, Managerial Economics, Marketing, Production and Operations Management, and Quantitative Analysis for Administration. MBA | PhD

17. Carnegie Mellon University (PA)

The Graduate School of Industrial Administration offers a two year Full Time MBA and a Flexi Time MBA program. The B School also offers an Program in Business Administration and a Doctoral Program leading to a PhD in one of the following specializations - Accounting; Economics; Finance; Information Systems; Manufacturing and Operations Management; Management of Manufacturing and Automation; Marketing; Operations Research; Algorithms, Combinatorics, and Optimization (ACO); and Organizational Behavior and Theory. UG | MBA | PhD

18. Kenan Flagler Business School, Univ of N Carolina, Chapel Hill

The B School offers a two year Full Time MBA program and a Master of Accounting program. The B School also offers an Program in Business Administration and a Doctoral Program in Business with specialization in Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Operations, Technology and Innovation Management, Organizational Behavior, and Strategy. UG | MBA | PhD

19. McCombs School of Business, Univ of Texas, Austin (TX)

The B School offers a two year Full Time MBA, Executive MBA and a Doctoral Program leading to a PhD with specialization in one of the following disciplines - Accounting, Finance, Management, Management Science & Information Systems, and Marketing. MBA | PhD

20. Kelley School of Business, Indiana University

The B School offers a two year Full Time MBA, a Part Time MBA and an Online MBA. The School also offers an Program and a Doctoral Program. UG | MBA | PhD

21. University of Southern California (Marshall)

The Marshall School of Business offers a variety of Undergraduate, Graduate, and a doctoral progragmme with research in the areas of Accouting, Finance and Business Economics, Information and Operations Management, Management and Organization, and Marketing. The Marshall School ranks 11th overall for its undergraduate business programs with all undergraduate academic programs ranked in the top 20. The Leventhal School of Accounting has ranked among the top five undergraduate accounting programs in the country. UG | MBA | PhD

22. Georgetown University (McDonough)(DC)

The Robert Emmett McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University offers both an Undergraduate and an MBA program. The International Executive MBA, IEMBA program is ranked amongst the top 15 in the world. UG | MBA

23. Emory University (Goizueta)(GA)

The Goizueta Business School at the Emory University offers degree programs at Undergraduate level, graduate level and a doctoral program in management. You can apply online to the b school by visiting this page. UG | MBA | PhD

24. Ohio State University (Fisher)

The Fisher College of Business at the Ohio State University is ranked amongst the top 15 for its undergraduate program and amongst the top 25 for its MBA program. The college also offers doctoral program. The college offers doctoral programs in 3 broad areas. UG | MBA | PhD

25. Purdue University - West Lafayette (Krannert)(IN)

The Krannert School of Management and Graduate School of Management at the Purdue University offers Undergraduate, Graduate and Doctoral programs in Management. The school offers Bachelors' program in Accounting, Economics, Industrial Management and Management. The School offers four Master's programs in Management. UG | MBA | PhD

26. University of Rochester (Simon)(NY)

The Simon School at the University of Rochester offers a Full Time MBA, a Part Time MBA, few Masters programs in Management and a Doctoral program in Management. The School also offers few specialized degree programs and many non-degree programs in Management. MS | MBA | PhD

27. Vanderbilt University (Owen)(TN)

The Owen Graduate School of Management at the Vanderbilt University is a small school dedicated to post baccalaureate education in Management. The School offers an MBA program and a Doctoral Program. Including its Executive MBA program, the school admits about 540 students. MBA | PhD

28. Washington University in St. Louis (Olin)

The Olin School of Business at the Washington University in St.Louis offers a BS in Business Administration, a Full Time MBA and a Doctoral program in Management. BSBA | MBA | PhD

29. University of Maryland - College Park (Smith)

The Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park offers a undergraduate business program, a full time MBA, joint MBA/MS Masters programs and a Doctoral program in Management.
UG | MBA | MBA/MS | PhD

30. Michigan State University (Broad)

The Eli Broad College of Business, Michigan State University offers an Undergraduate program in management, a full time MBA program and various Masters program in Management. In addition, the college also offers Doctoral programs in five main areas of management research. UG | MBA | Masters | PhD

31. University of Arizona (Eller)

The Eller Graduate School of Management, University of Arizona offers a full time MBA program. You can apply online to the program. MBA

32. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (Carlson)

The Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota offers an Undergraduate program in Management and is ranked amongst the top 15 in the country. The School also offers a full time MBA in addition to various Masters programs. The School also offers Doctoral programs in Business Administration and Ph.D in HRIR. UG | MBA | Ph.D

33. W P Carey Business School, Arizona State University - Main Campus

W P Carey Business School offers a Full Time MBA and many Part Time and Online MBA courses. The Schools offers a full fledge Doctoral Program in management. The School also has an Undergraduate program in management that is ranked amongst the top 25 in the country. UG | MBA | Ph.D

34. Mendoza College of Business, University of Notre Dame (IN)

The Mendoza College of Business, Indiana offers an Undergraduate Program in management in the fields of accounting, finance, marketing, and management information system. At the graduation level, the College offers a Two Year Full Time MBA program and few Masters programs in Management. UG | MBA

35. DuPree College of Management, Georgia Institute of Technology

The DuPree College of Management offers an Undergraduate program in Management leading to a BSM. The MBA program offered by the College is a two year full time program that admits students in the Fall term. DuPree's Doctoral Program is in the functional areas of finance, information technology, marketing, operations management, or organizational behavior. UG | MBA | Ph.D

36. Smeal College of Business, Penn State University - University Park

The College offers an Undergraduate Program in Management with an intake of around 5000 students offering 21 degrees. At the graduation level, the college admits about 100 students for its Full Time Two Year MBA. The college also offers a Masters program in the fields of accounting and supply chain and information systems. The Smeal Ph.D. Program offers the following fields of study: accounting, finance, management and organization, marketing, real estate, and supply chain and information systems. UG | MBA | Ph.D & Masters

37. Jesse H. Jones GSM, Rice University (TX)

The Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management, Rice University offers a Full Time Two Year MBA. The school also offers an executive MBA program that is ranked amongst the top 10 in the Southwest of the country. MBA | EMBA

38. Cox School of Business, Southern Methodist University (TX)

The Cox School of Business, Southern Methodist University offers an Undergraduate program that leads to BBA degree. At the graduate level the School offers a Full Time MBA and a Master of Science in Accounting. BBA | MBA | MSA

39. Henry B. Tippie College of Business, University of Iowa

The Henry B. Tippie College of Business offers a full fledged Undergraduate program in Business. At the graduation level, the College offers a Two Year Full Time MBA program. The college also has a full fledged Doctoral Program in the following areas: Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management & Organization, Management Sciences, and Marketing. UG | MBA

40. Madison School of Business, University of Wisconsin, Madison

The Madison School of Business offers a Full fledged Undergraduate program in management that is ranked amongst the top 15 in the country. Students can choose to major from among the 10 majors offered by the School. The graduate school offers a Full Time MBA and a Doctoral Program in management. UG | MBA | Ph.D

41. Boston College (Carroll)

42. University of California, Davis

43. University of Washington

44. Brigham Young University (Marriott) (UT)

45. Texas A&M University-College Station (Mays)

46. Tulane University (Freeman) (LA)

47. University of California, Irvine

48. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

49. Wake Forest University (Babcock) (NC)

50. Babson College (Olin) (MA)

51. University of Florida (Warrington)

52. University of Georgia (Terry)

53. University of Pittsburgh (Katz)

Top

op 10 Companies in India by Market Capitalization
S.No	Company Name
1.	Reliance Inds.
2.	ONGC
3.	Tata Consultancy
4.	Coal India Ltd.
5.	Infosys
6.	ITC Ltd.
7.	Bharti Airtel
8.	NTPC
9.	SBI
10.	HDFC Bank
As on 23/11/2011

The key players of the economy in India are the top companies of India. About 47 Indian companies headed by the corporate giant Reliance Industries are listed among the biggest 2,000 companies of the world by the Forbes,US Magazine.The new entrants in this list are Hero Honda Motors,Indian Bank,Sun Pharma and Jindal Steel and Power Ltd. They have made their significant presence in the world business scenario.

List of Top Companies of India:

Bharat Petroleum

Bharat Petroleum is a leading energy company that has established global presence through sustained aggressive growth and high profitability.It is a great learning organisation and hence offers valuable products for the society.

Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited

This company is a Government of India Enterprise with a Navratna Status. Also it is a Global Fortune 500 company whose annual turnover is 1,32,670 crores.Check out the site for more details.

Tata Motors

Tata Motors is a world's fourth largest truck manufacturer and the world's third largest bus manufacturer.The company is the leader in commercial vehicles in each segment, and among the top three in passenger vehicles with winning products in the compact, midsize car and utility vehicle segments.

Reliance Industries Limited

This is the largest private sector conglomerate in India founded by Dhirubhai Amabani with an annual turnover of about US$ 35.9.This Fortune Global 500 company have its businesses in materials and energy value chain. It enjoys the position of the global leadership and is also the largest producer of yarn and fibre in the world. It ranks among the top ten producers across the globe in major petrochemical products. The primary subsidiaries of the company are Reliance Retail Limited and Reliance Petroleum Limited along with Reliance Industrial Infrastructure Limited.

Oil & Natural Gas Corporation

It is awarded as the Best Oil and Gas company in Asia. It is the lone contributor of about 84% India's oil and gas. They are not only among the leading Indian companies but also a leading company of oil and gas. The highest profit making corporate of India is ONGC. It has 77% share in the crude oil production of India. The company's main activity is to explore,refine,produce,market and transport crude oil,natural gas etc.

State Bank of India

It is the largest Indian bank .It offers banking services through its wide network in India and overseas. With more than 16,000 branches it accounts for the largest bank branch network in India. It offers services like the Mobile Banking,Internet Banking, Demat Services,ATM Services,Corporate Banking,Merchant Banking,Agricultural Banking,online services like online educational loan,online SME loan and many others.

Indian Oil Corporation

It is a public sector Indian Petroleum company and also the largest commercial enterprise in India. It ranks 116 on the list of the Fortune Global 500 list in the year 2008.It operates the widest and the largest network of fuel stations in India which is about 17,606.Auto LPG Dispensing Stations are started by the Indian Oil and it helps reach Indane Cooking Gas to 47.5 million households. The company's products are diesel, petrol , Servo Lubricants etc.

ICICI Bank

The largest private sector bank in the sector of market capitalization in India is ICICI Bank and the second largest bank in assets. The wide network of the bank has 1,399 branches,49 regional processing centres,22 regional offices and more than 4,485 ATMs. It provides the banking services like Personal banking,Corporate Net Banking,NRI,Internet Banking,24-hr Customer Care and many other banking facilities.

NTPC

National Thermal Power Corporation Limited is the largest power company in India and has a capacity of 29894 MW with 7 gas based,15 coal based power stations and about four joint ventures. They are among the Best Workplaces for Large Organizations. Two major units of NTPC is in Orissa. The core business of the NTPC are construction,engineering and operation of power generating plants.

Steel Authority of India Limited

In India,one among the largest steel makers is Steel Authority of India Limited. SAIL has a turnover of about Rs. 45555 crore. They are ranks higher among the top five largest profit earning Indian corporate. It is also the 16th largest producer of steel in the world. The website of SAIL gives all the required information about the Sales, Durgapur Steel Plant and other Plants and Units of the company.

Tata Steel

Tata Steel was initially known as TISCO and Tata Iron and Steel. It is the sixth largest Indian Steel company in the world. The crude capacity of Tata Steel is 28 million tones. It is also ranks second among the largest private sector steel companies in India.It had a profit of Rs 12,350 crore in the year 2008.The main plant is in Jharkhand, Jameshedpur.It has become multinational for its operations across the world. The registered office is in Mumbai.

Wipro

Wipro has its headquarters in Bangalore, India and was established in 1945. It believes in philosophy of 'Applying Thought', thereby helping clients to "Do Business Better".

Bharti Airtel

Bharti Enterprises' flagship company is Bharti Airtel. It is the topmost company in the sector of telecom. Airtel is ranked as the one with best performance across the globe in 2007 by the Business Week Magazine. It is also the first provider of telephine service in the private sector and has carved the telecom sector path in India. The three business units of the Bharti Airtel are Enterprise Services,Mobile services and Broadband and Telephone Services

Coal India Limited

Coal India Limited deals in the production of coal efficiently and hence is the leader in the energy sector.Check out the site for more details.

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd.

BHEL is the manufacturer of power plants equipments. Also it is regarded in terms of turnover,as one of the largest engineering and manufacturing companies in India

Tata Consultancy Services

TCS is one of the best companies in India in IT sector.It provides IT solutions to its clients.

Infosys Technologies

Infosys was started in 1981 by 7 people only and now it is one of the larget IT company in India. It provides IT solutions to various companies.

Larsen & Toubro

The company offers services in the fields of Hydrocarbon, Heavy Engineering, Construction, Power, Electrical & Automation, Machinery & Industrial Products, Information Technology, Financial Services, Shipbuilding and Railway Projects.

Top Android Mobiles

Top 10 Android Phones

Android phones come in a variety of forms and flavors. Here are the best smartphones running Google's innovative mobile platform.

Edited by Ginny Mies, PCWorld    Jan 30, 2012 1:30 pm

Rating & Price Products

1 PCWorld Rating Prices from $673 Samsung Galaxy Nexus The best Android phone to date, the Galaxy Nexus dazzles with its curved display, sleek design, fast performance, and, of course, the Ice Cream Sandwich update. Full Review - Rated: December 16, 2011

2 PCWorld Rating Prices from $120 Samsung Epic Touch 4G The slim and speedy Samsung Epic Touch 4G is excellent for gaming, Web browsing and watching video, but the plasticky design feels a bit on the cheap side. Full Review - Rated: September 13, 2011

3 PCWorld Rating Prices from $49.53 HTC Evo 3D Uneven call quality doesn't stop the Evo 3D from being the best phone currently available on Sprint. Full Review - Rated: June 21, 2011

4 PCWorld Rating HTC Rezound If you can deal with subpar battery life, the HTC Rezound is an excellent phone that won't feel outdated anytime soon. Full Review | Specs - Rated: January 03, 2012

5 PCWorld Rating Prices from $120 T-Mobile MyTouch 4G Slide The MyTouch 4G Slide has one of the best cameras we've ever tested--and the rest of the phone is pretty amazing as well. Full Review - Rated: July 15, 2011

6 PCWorld Rating Prices from $210 Samsung Galaxy S II (T-Mobile) Like the rest of the Galaxy S II series, the Galaxy S II on T-Mobile is one of the best phones currently available, hands down. Full Review | Video Review - Rated: October 11, 2011

7 PCWorld Rating Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX The Droid Razr Maxx packs in a dual-core processor, large battery and LTE in a very thin frame. Full Review | Specs - Rated: January 28, 2012

8 PCWorld Rating Motorola Droid Razr The thin and elegant Motorola Droid Razr is smoking when it comes to data speeds and performance, but the short battery life is a disappointment. Full Review - Rated: November 07, 2011

9 PCWorld Rating Prices from $79.53 Motorola Droid Bionic The long-awaited Droid Bionic is blazing fast and has a slew of great entertainment and business features, but the high price might make it a hard sell. Full Review | Specs - Rated: September 07, 2011

10 PCWorld Rating Prices from $600 Samsung Galaxy S II (AT&T) The Samsung Galaxy S II pretty much has it all: a dual-core processor, HSPA+ speeds and a gorgeous display. But a current security flaw with the lock screen causes some concern. Full Review - Rated: September 30, 2011

Top Android Apps

The Top 30 Android Apps And Games Of 2011

Brad Spirrison

Saturday, December 24th, 2011

Comments

Editor’s note: Contributor Brad Spirrison is the managing editor of mobile app discovery services Appolicious, AndroidApps and AppVee. After having looked into the best iOS apps and games of 2011, Spirrison now turns his attention to the best Android apps of the year.

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Android apps come in all shapes and sizes – literally.
Unlike iOS applications, which are basically created for two form factors, Android apps need to be developed with dozens (if not hundreds) of device-types in mind. This is on top of the inconsistent operating system releases still mucking things up. While all of this fragmentation is a headache for developers, ignoring a platform with 50 percent market share would ultimately lead to their peril.
The best Android apps are thus the ones that can both push the technological envelope while also remaining accessible to the vast majority of users. This is no easy feat.
We divided our list of the best 30 Android apps into four distinct categories. The top ten apps come from third-party developers, and, if not exclusive to Android, were created primarily for the platform. Additional sections include the best new or significantly updated apps from Google, as well as the best apps and games that appeared first on iOS but later arrived to Android in 2011.
As is the case with our lists of best iOS apps and games of 2011, hundreds of additional titles are worthy of consideration. Our top 30 showcase the growth and maturation of Android apps over the last year. They are also worthy downloads.
1. Any.DO: To Do List | Task List (full AndroidApps review)
Funded by Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt, Any.DO is the best productivity and to-do application tailored specifically for Android devices. The app’s elegant interface is optimized to limit actual typing through voice-driven commands. Users can swipe each task when complete, and shake their phones to clear them from the screen. The app also offers (mostly) seamless integration with Google accounts.
2. Lightbox – Photos & Effects (full AndroidApps review)
More than just an Instagram for Android, Lightbox offers features like photo journals and the ability to arrange pictures by personal timelines that make it unique and, to some, indispensable. The app’s stunning visual display and compatibility on multiple Android devices set the standard moving forward for photo-sharing apps on the platform.
3. Amazon MP3 (full AndroidApps review)
Along with Google Music (see below), Amazon MP3 is the best way for an Android smartphone and tablet owner to kick an iTunes habit. The app provides access to a library of nearly 20 million songs, 5GB of free storage, and reliable offline listening. Subscriptions to Amazon’s Cloud Drive service start at a reasonable $20/year for 20GB of storage, but you can store as much of your own music as you like with that subscription.
4. AirDroid (full AndroidApps review)
Android devices offer so many customization features that sometimes using a larger screen, mouse and full-sized keyboard will help you get the most out of your smartphone or tablet device. This free app lets users operate their smartphones from a PC with a Wi-Fi connection. Additionally, AirDroid emphasizes privacy protection with password changes for each use.
5. SwiftKey X Keyboard (full AndroidApps review)
After launching a beta app last year, SwiftKey X arrived on Android smartphones and tablets in 2011. The app has larger keys as well as superior word and sentence prediction algorithms than what is typically found on Androids. SwiftKey also learns from previously typed emails and messages, and offers three color schemes to simplify the process and brighten things up.
6. Skitch (full AndroidApps review)
Acquired by Evernote, Skitch lets users annotate photos with sketches, images and words. The app has dead simple editing tools and the ability for users to draw with multi-colored crayons. Skitch is a great app for kids in addition to serving as a functional and unique photo-sharing service.
7. BlueStacks Cloud Connect (full AndroidApps review)
While still in Alpha, BlueStacks is demonstrating how Android applications can run on Windows-based PCs. The Android app works in concert with the Windows-based BlueStacks App Player to run mobile applications on PCs. The venture-backed company and application, which has attracted more than 500,000 early adopters since launch, expects to debut a Mac OS version in 2012.
8. Qello (full AndroidApps review)
Available as separate applications for Android smartphones and tablets, Qello offers a great catalog of high definition concerts (mostly rock, but with other genres sprinkled in). Users can sample the 500+ titles for free, or lease any of them on a weekly ($1.99) or monthly basis ($4.99).
9. AccuWeather for Honeycomb (full AndroidApps review)
Developed specifically for Honeycomb-based tablet devices, this all-inclusive weather application showcases the beauty and utility of Android on larger form factors. The Lifestyle section, which informs users on things like whether it is a good day for biking or bad day for allergies, is a nice humanized touch.
10. HD Widgets (full AndroidApps review)
Android is all about customization, and there is no better and more comprehensive widget app available than this one. Optimized for Android tablets and smartphones, HD Widgets is great for Android experts and first-timers alike. Users will also appreciate the “fanatical” customer service of the developers.
Here are the five best Android apps developed by Google that were released or received significant updates in 2011.
11. Google Currents (full AndroidApps review)
As long as Flipboard remains exclusive to iOS devices, this new release from Google serves as the premier news reader on Android smartphones and tablets. More of a fast and elegant aggregator than social magazine, Google Currents benefits from an organized layout and dead simple third-party publisher platform. There is also — shockingly — nice integration with Google+, including curated content from the likes of Robert Scoble and Guy Kawasaki.
12. Google+ (full AndroidApps review)
Google became a relevant player in social networking this year with the successful launch of Google+. While the service is also available as an iPhone app as well as a web app through BlackBerry, Windows and Symbian platforms, Google understandably treats its own platform as first among equals. Check-ins for business, for instance, rolled out first on the Android app.
13. Google Maps (full AndroidApps review)
A November update to this trailblazing application introduced indoor mapping functionality to mobile devices. Google Maps 6.0 helps users more easily navigate within airports, shopping malls and other locations where GPS technology is spotty.
14. Google Docs (full AndroidApps review)
While no mobile application matches the utility of Google Docs on a desktop or laptop, this official version for Android is pretty close. If you’re a hardcore Google Docs user, this app will help you break free from your desk and still read and edit docs and spreadsheets on the fly.
15. Google Music (full AndroidApps review)
Like Amazon MP3 cited above, Google Music is a way for Android users to comfortably cut the cord (or cloud) on iTunes (at least on their mobile devices). The app lets users store up to 20,000 songs for free in the cloud, with a portion available for offline access.
These next 10 apps were initially released for iOS devices. They are included here for their utility, entertainment value and impact on the Android ecosystem.
16. Price Check by Amazon (full AndroidApps review)
When Amazon unveiled this price-comparison app to Android devices just before Black Friday, the company’s retail Death Star became fully operational. Sure, Price Check was available to iPhone owners a year earlier, and there are similar apps across all major mobile platforms. But having an Android app gives Amazon critical mass in this category, and allows the company to (again) upend physical retail as we know it. This includes offering discounts to consumers on their phones during the point of comparison.
17. Netflix (full AndroidApps review)
There were a lot of things that Netflix did horribly wrong in 2011. Releasing a killer Android app for smartphones and tablet devices was not one of them. As Android tablets become ready for prime time and more plausibly compete against the iPad, entertainment apps like Netflix will flourish.
18. SoundTracking (full AndroidApps review)
The most innovative music detection and discovery app of the year finally arrived to Android in December. SoundTracking not only identifies a song a user is listening to, but shares it with Facebook, Twitter and foursquare friends and followers. The advantage of the Android app, relative to the iOS version which launched earlier this year, is that users with Spotify and Rdio can listen to entire tracks (as opposed to 30-second snippets from iTunes).
19. Hipmunk Flight Search (full AndroidApps review)
Hipmunk differentiates from the run-of-the-mill flight search applications by predicting how painful your traveling might be. The app’s “Agony Index” takes into account factors beyond price including flight duration, Wi-Fi access and other variables. Once users choose the least painful flight, the app accommodates direct booking and provides access to third-party services.
20. Fooducate Shopping Scanner (full AndroidApps review)
This app translates nutritional information found on food packaging into plain English, and offers a letter grade as to how healthy or harmful an item can be. The app offers comprehensive coverage of both mainstream brands and niche delicacies via the scanning of barcodes. Best of all? The app suggests healthier, similar alternatives to the worst offenders.
21. Marvel Comics (full AndroidApps review)
Reading classic comics within this app works on virtually any size Android screen — which is no easy feat. Marvel Comics also offers panel-by-panel viewing that features beautiful art and more legible word balloons. While most titles require a subscription, there are an ample amount of classic comics available for free.
22. Syncplicity (full AndroidApps review)
For digitally promiscuous users who store and share files on multiple devices and operating systems powered by Android, iOS and Windows, Syncplicity is a useful way to manage libraries found within all of them. Unlike many cloud-based alternatives, Syncplicity uses encryption to secure files.
23. Starbucks (full AndroidApps review)
After launching initially on iOS and BlackBerry smartphones, the official Starbucks app finally arrived on Android earlier this year. Better late than never. The app lets users manage their Starbucks Cards and purchase coffee and the like at nearly 7,000 U.S. locations.
24. LinkedIn (full AndroidApps review)
After what seemed like an eternity in beta, LinkedIn finally launched an Android app ready for prime time in the spring. While not perfect, the LinkedIn app is a much better alternative than the company’s more limited mobile site. Finally, this indispensable professional networking service found a full-time gig on Android.
25. Path (full AndroidApps review)
A significant December update to this social blogging app on Android and iOS devices served as an early holiday present to its passionate and vocal adherents. Beyond sharing photos, users can now tell the world about what music they are listening to and other activities they are doing. The app’s new design and “Automatic” feature, which recognizes when users deviate from routine schedules, also separate Path from the pack.
And finally, we present the five best games to arrive to Android devices in 2011. Notably, they all first appeared on the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.
26. Cut the Rope (full AndroidApps review)
While not a household name like Angry Birds, Cut the Rope is among the most addictive and popular mobile games of all time. The graphics and music are superb, and Cut the Rope is optimized and plays very well on larger Android tablet devices. This is another multi-platform grand slam for (Angry Birds) publisher Chillingo.
27. World of Goo (full AndroidApps review)
One of the most original and well-crafted physics-based puzzle games around finally made its way to Android devices in late November. Originally an indie hit on PCs, World of Goo is a construction game in which users must connect goo balls together to build structures so that other goo balls can get to the end of each stage. The abstract art and imagery alone make it worth the five bucks to download.
28. Where’s My Water? (full AndroidApps review)
A clever and addictive puzzle game by Disney, Where’s My Water? combines whimsical design with killer gameplay. Players are tasked with keeping a sewer-dwelling alligator named Swampy clean and pristine while guiding him through urban terrain. Easier said than done, particularly with Swampy’s alligator buddies standing in the way.
29. Plants vs. Zombies (full AndroidApps review)
This classic title from PopCap, which was acquired by Electronic Arts in July, first came to Android earlier this year via the Amazon App Store. It was sold exclusively on Amazon until early December. Fans of the cartoony tower defense game will enjoy tapping into Plants vs. Zombies on Android devices.
30. Asphalt 6: Adrenaline HD (full AndroidApps review)
The best racing game available for Android devices, Asphalt 6: Adrenaline HD combines plenty of cars and game modes — including a psychedelic “Adrenaline” boost — with superlative visuals and gameplay. This one deserves the checkered flag.