How to get started with Android Apps at Amazon

In order to buy any Android Apps at Amazon, you must have at least one Andriod device registered with Amazon. The only way to do this (that I can find), is to install the Amazon Appstore app onto an Android phone or tablet and then log into your Amazon account on the device.

Once you have done this, you can buy apps and leave them in your library (you don't have to install them). If you don't have a device, you can borrow one from a friend or even use one on display in a store (I found this out while testing tablets at Best Buy, were I bought the Asus Transformer (that I am, painfully, trying to use to write this post).

These are the general steps involved:

[A] On a tablet that doesn't have the Appstore installed:

1. Go to the Amazon Android Apps and Devices page and send yourself an email, where it says "Add a device". Use an account that you can log in on the web, preferable gmail.

2. Use the Settings app on the device to allow installation of apps from outside the Android Market. On this tablet, you open Settings, choose Applications and check the box next to Unknown sources.

3. Open the email from Amazon and click the link to download the Appstore app. When it has downloaded, click on it to open/install.

[B] On a device/tablet that has the Appstore installed:

1. If borrowing a tablet with the app installed, you need to have the friend de-register the app (go into Settings, Applications, Manage Applications, find Appstore and select Clear Data). This doesn't remove the device from his account (so, he can still buy apps) and you'll do this same step later on (which leaves a device registered to your account, but prevents anyone from using the device to purchase apps using your Amazon account).

Once you completed either [A] or [B], run the Appstore app and log in. You can then go to any Android app page using the Android device or your computer (or the iPad) and click to buy an app. It is not automatically installed, but just added to your library.

When you are done shopping from the device, be sure to use the steps in [B-1] above to remove your login information from the device (but leave the device registered to your account, so you can get new apps using the website). If you "borrowed" a device at a store, it's a good ideao to also remove the Appstore app when you are done (same place as [B][1], but choose Uninstall after you do Clear Data).

No pics this time (and if I missed any spelling, I'm blaming the tablet's keyboard, which keeps moving the cursor on me).

ETA: OK, I tried out VirtualBox, which you can install on most computers and laptops: there is an installer for Windows, OS X, Linux and Solaris. If you are a techie, it's not too bad an install -- use the directions I found, install the ISO you are instructed to download onto the virtual hard drive (when you run off the image, choose to install to the hard drive, then skip down a ways in the directions), making sure to create a fake SD card, as the Amazon download requires one. Once it is set up, use the Settings tab to change the boot order, so the Hard Drive is first, the start up the VM.

Click thru any messages, until you see a green lock icon. On the Machine Menu, choose Disable Mouse Integration. Then, click inside the VM and OK a the message that displays. Click and drag the green lock upwards, to unlock the desktop.

Click the menu on the right to see your apps, scroll down to Settings, then Applications and check the box to allow Unknown sources. Press escape a few times, then open the Browser and go to https://www.amazon.com/app-email (or open your email client in the browser and click the link from Amazon). The app installer will download automatically (provided you created an SD card); run it by clicking and dragging on the menu bar at the top. Install the app, open it and log in to Amazon. Once you've managed to get thru the setup, though, you can then buy apps from the Amazon web page and don't have to mess with the Virtual Box program any longer.

There is no doubt a more elegant method, but to back out of an app or window, I just pressed the Escape key until I returned to the desktop. To get out of the VM desktop, press the Right CTRL key one time, then close the VM window. You might want to either Take a Snapshot (a named restore state) or use either the Save Machine State or the Send Shutdown Command when closing the app - that way, if you need to get to the VM again, you can skip some of the installation you just did. Using Save Machine State is the easiest, but snapshots let you back up after installing any app that causes a problem.

Free App (Android) - Jamie's 20 Minute Meals

Jamie's 20 Minute Meals, by Zolmo, usually sells for $7.99, but is free, today only, in the Amazon Android App store. If you have any type of Android tablet or phone (or can persuade a friend to let you use theirs, just long enough to register it to your account), I'd recommend you pick this one up. There are some reports of a problem with the DRM causing the app to close, on some devices (mostly phones), a few seconds after opening -- but that should eventually get fixed, as it generally does on most apps. When it does, you'll get the update, if you already have the app in your library.

Book Description
Who can help but be charmed by England's Jamie Oliver, The Naked Chef? Jamie is well known as chef, restaurateur, and an advocate for improving unhealthy diets, especially championing healthy school lunches for children.

Watch an introductory video from Jamie and get right to the recipes. Search for a recipe or peruse 10 categories such as Delicious soups, Tasty stir-fries, and Simple risottos. Each recipe includes a summary with a picture of the dish, an ingredient and equipment list, detailed instructions, and relevant videos on tasks like garlic preparation or onion chopping. Double-touch the screen in landscape mode to see pictures of each step.

Add ingredients to your list and then use the general shopping list to view by recipe or by aisle. Use the menu to quickly access any video or learn about what Jamie feels are kitchen essentials -- both ingredients and equipment. Jamie promises that this app will "arm you with the confidence" to have tasty meals in 20 minutes!

• 80 MB of additional media - the download works best over Wifi or in smaller parts as needed in the app.
• Access 60 of Jamie Oliver's quick and delicious recipes
• Watch videos guiding you through common cooking procedures
• See color photos of each recipe, including photos for each step
• Learn what ingredients and equipment Jamie recommends you keep handy

Free Cooking App

If, like me, you've been looking at the cookbooks that are eligible for the KSO $1 Book Offer, you'll want to be sure and pick up the free Android app today in the Amazon App Store: iCookbook The Complete Cooking Solution. I'm wondering how well this will compare to the How to Cook Everything app I have from iTunes (not optimized for the iPad, though).

As for those cookbooks, I'm looking at How to Cook Everything, Completely Revised 10th Anniversary Edition, Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook and Slow Cooker Revolution (from America's Test Kitchen) and would consider The South Beach Diet Super Quick Cookbook or The Cook's Illustrated How-to-Cook Library (also from America's Test Kitchen), but I have both from previous sales (and can definitely recommend the latter). Does anyone else have one of these titles and care to comment?

Book Description
Developed by Publications International, Ltd., publisher and seller of more than 9 million cookbooks a year, iCookbook includes more than 2,000 hand-selected recipes from your favorite brand name brands like Crock-Pot, KitchenAid, Swanson, Nestlé, and more! The app is even optimized for use on your tablet.

Handpicked, Attainable Recipes Meant to Inspire

The iCookbook team is comprised of accredited food experts and nutritionists who have selected recipes with you in mind! The recipes included in the app use readily accessible, and affordable, ingredients. The recipes are designed to inspire you but are simple enough to be attainable for the busiest cook who is just trying to solve the everyday problem of meal selection. All recipes have been rigorously tested, either by the iCookbook team or the extensive testing process of your favorite brands, so they will turn out perfect each and every time.

Stock Full of Features

• Intuitive visual interface with easy-to-follow graphics and tools
• Mouthwatering photography--cooks can view photos for easy recipe selection
• Prepare Mode is unique to iCookbook and provides an enhanced display of a recipe for easy viewing when at a distance from your device screen
• Feeling adventurous? Press Stir and iCookbook offers a selection of randomly selected recipes based on a particular search or filter criteria
• My Recipe Box enables a cook to create a set of iCookbook favorite recipes for easy retrieval
• Network with friends and family--go directly to an email provider for one-touch recipe sharing
• Add your own personal touch to a recipe--the Notes feature allows you to record your ideas and comments about the iCookbook recipes
• Tools! iCookbook includes multiple timers, substitution lists, and conversion charts
• Use the superior sorting feature to find just what you need--iCookbook lets you sort and filter by ingredient, theme, cuisine, occasion, and brand

Free Android Apps - SUPER WHY! and wordoid!

wordoid!, by Sean Wilson, is a word game for ages 9+ that is currently free in the Amazon Android Appstore. I don't know if the price will go up later, but the reviews are very good (other than two people that could not get it to install on Android 2.2).

Game Description
If you're a word person, you'll find wordoid! to be right up your alley. This fun, fast-moving word game for your Android device is easy to learn but hard to put down.

Connect letters on a grid to create words--you'll receive new letters and earn points for every word you make. Wild card and bonus tiles add to the fun and help you boost your score. Race against the clock and see how many words you can create!

• Play this fun, fast-moving word game on your Android device
• Connect letters on a grid to create words
• Earn points and new letters with every word you create
• Race against the clock to increase your score and advance to higher levels
• Make strategic use of wild card and bonus tiles

SUPER WHY! a children's reading app by PBS KIDS, is free for a limited time, exclusively in the Amazon Appstore. After the free period (time limit unknown), the app will sell for $2.99.

Game Description
Reading For Heroes
SUPER WHY! from PBS KIDS makes learning to read and write so fun that kids won't realize they're absorbing essential literacy skills. This app features an intuitive, kid-friendly interface, and best of all, kids learn not to be afraid of learning from mistakes. Based on the hit PBS KIDS show, this colorful, action-packed app features the show's four characters in four different games. Journey to Storybook Village and learn the wonders of reading and writing with Super Why, Princess Presto, Wonder Red, and Alpha Pig. And why yes, Alpha Pig does fly!

Four Games, Four Worlds
When you launch SUPER WHY!, you're presented with a menu of four games: Super Why's Story Saver, Princess Presto's Wands Up Writing, Wonder Red's Rhyming Time, and Alpha Pig's Lickety Letter Hunt. It's easy to exit from each game and start another one at any time. Clearly written rules are available from the main screen. For an added challenge, combine all four games in "Play All" mode by selecting the SUPER WHY! book.

• Play four original games that help build literacy skills
• Practice the alphabet, rhyming, spelling, writing, and reading
• Interact with main characters from the TV series SUPER WHY!
• Learn from your mistakes in a fun way
• Please note that this application requires an additional 17MB download

$25 Appstore Credit with New Android Device

Amazon is stepping up their promotion of Android devices (but, so far, no sign of a KinDroid or other Amazon Branded Android tablet). This week (today thru May 1), you can get a $25 credit to spend in the Amazon Appstore, if you buy one of the Verizon Android devices on this page. If you are thinking of replacing a phone you already have, you can even check your contract, here, to see if you are eligible for an upgrade (or you contract is up so you can switch carriers).

$25 Amazon Appstore Credit with Purchase of Verizon Android Devices

Purchase any Verizon Android phone or tablet from AmazonWireless between 12 midnight PST April 25, 2011, and 11:59 p.m. PST May 1, 2011, and receive a promotional code for $25 in Amazon Appstore credit. Promotional codes will be sent via e-mail within five days of shipment and are valid through December 31, 2011. See terms and conditions for additional details.

Free Android App - Doodle Jump

Doodle Jump( $0.99), by Real Networks Inc., is today's free Android App at Amazon. If you don't yet have an Android phone or tablet, there is a way to get an emulator on your PC, so that you can get the Amazon App and the games. See the comments on this post for now and I'll try to put together a step-by-step primer for a post later on (it's a bit involved, but doable).

Book Description
If there is such a thing as a "classic" in a mobile gaming genre that is still very young, Doodle Jump is exactly that. Millions have been charmed by the delightfully addictive gameplay and irresistible style of this casual platforming game.

Nowhere to Go But Up
The object of Doodle Jump is to guide the Doodler, an adorable, interminably hopping four-legged creature, up a series of never-ending platforms. Watch your step--miss a jump and the Doodler will fall to its doom. Some platforms are solid and steady, while others move, explode, or have other properties that create interesting challenges for the Doodler.

Free Android App - World Series Of Poker: Hold'em Legend

World Series Of Poker: Hold'em Legend ($4.99), by Glu Mobile Inc., is today's free Android App at Amazon (yesterday's Angry Birds Rio is still free, too!). I added it to my library (it's free), but won't be playing it until I get an Android tablet, as it is too big to fit onto my phone (at least, until I can update it to Android 2.2, so that I can load apps onto the SD card). The reviews are not great, but it seems a number of them are complaints about the size and some had failed downloads due to their phones going to sleep (which can be resolved by turning off the sleep function during the download). Why, you ask, don't I have a tablet to put it on? Because I have an iPad (the original, as I really don't see paying the same amount, again, just to have a white iPad with a camera) and the rumors of Amazon bringing out an Android tablet have stopped me from picking up a NOOKcolor (which, if rooted, can be used as a generic tablet with access to the Marketplace, the Amazon Appstore, the Kindle App, games and still be used to read both nookbooks and ADE DRM'd EPUB and PDF books.

Book Description
Make your way from an amateur poker player to a Hold'em legend in World Series of Poker: Hold'em Legend for your mobile device. Win prestigious World Series of Poker events in Las Vegas and other popular casino venues around the world. Show off your winnings on your wrist as you win prestigious bracelets along the way. This game offers an in-depth career mode and global real-time multiplayer so you can practice solo or put your skills to the test online. Become a poker legend as you evolve from playing bar games to competing at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas, Caesars Palace, and The Empire in London in this authentic and fast-paced game of Hold'em poker.

Amazon Opens AppStore with free Angry Birds Rio

As has been rumored for some time, this first day of Spring is the day chosen to launch the Amazon Appstore for Android. You are going to want to bookmark the Appstore for Android Deals page, because they are promising to give us one free app every day! If you have a browser that lets you designate multiple tabs for your Home page, be sure to add it (and hey, you could add Books on the Knob, too!); if not, then set a bookmark that you'll remember to open each day (I have an entire group that I open daily, called (of course) "Daily Pages"; with Firefox, I can open the entire group each day, which I do while waiting for the coffee to get ready). Another one to bookmark is the Free Apps for Android page, where there are currently 1,439 free Apps. One great feature (ok, two) is that you can manage your apps and devices, just like you do with the Kindle (and you can re-download any app that you have deleted on your device) and, since it's Amazon, you don't have to worry about processing the payment (they'll even come off your gift card balance, just like Kindle books, if you want to avoid having lots of tiny charges on your credit card to reconcile or if your bank is one of those that tends to mark such activity as fraudulent and freezes your card). once you've made an app purchase in the Amazon Appstore, you can run it on any of your Android devices (without having to repurchase). They are also going to let you testdrive apps on your desktop, before you purchase, but that feature seems to be turned off for the moment (I've seen a few press stories about how it works, but the TestDrive button isn't showing up for me, in FireFox or IE).

Today's free app is Angry Birds Rio ($0.99 FREE!), by Rovio Mobile

Book Description
Just when you thought they couldn't get any angrier, the Angry Birds flock gains new cause for vengeance. Swept away by smugglers to Rio di Janeiro, their captors soon find out that these caged birds don't sing. It's time to bring back their unique brand of weaponry--the finger-powered slingshot--and launch the newest adventure in the world's most popular physics-based casual game.

In the original Angry Birds, this peace-loving flock was hoodwinked by greedy green pigs with a hunger for poached eggs. After the pigs stole their precious eggs, this flock was friendly no more: unleashing an arsenal of angry bird artillery, the avian army smashed through the green pigs and their hideouts. The world pulled the trigger with glee as these ornery birds made bacon out of swine.