Just Got An Android Phone,

Taking a smartphone out of the box for the first time can elicit a wide spectrum of emotions, starting with unadulterated excitement that can quickly devolve into panic, chaos, and confusion: what do you do now, How do you make it awesome, How do you emanate an air of "cool" on the subway by using apps specifically designed to make you look like a badass, Well, fear not, newly-minted Android smartphone owner: as always, we've got your back. Read on for all the apps, accessories, and tips you should be investigating right this very second. LauncherPro (free). If you don't like the skin on your phone (we're looking right at you, Motorola owners) and you're not stoked about rooting, there's really nothing better you can do than download LauncherPro right now. Widgetsoid (free). You know that Power Control widget that Android includes, It's pretty handy for doing things like disabling Bluetooth when you're not using it -- but really, how often do you need to turn off account sync or automatic brightness control, Widgetsoid comes into play.

Basically, it lets you configure the heck out of home screen widgets that look completely stock but can include dozens of different toggles for managing various aspects of your phone like airplane, WiFi tethering, and so on. Fortunately, the Android version of TweetDeck stays true to the software's desktop and iPhone formula, offering multiple filtered "columns" of tweets, each of which can be configured individually for notifications and refresh times. It also supports Buzz, Facebook, and Foursquare accounts -- and since it's free, it's worth a shot. 4.99 with Power Pack). Most days, we've got exactly one item on our task list: "break news." For you, though, the story might be different. 5 outlay seems justified). 10 / month unlimited download services like Rhapsody or Rdio, but frankly, they're not ready yet -- every one we've used on Android has been buggy, unintuitive, and generally opposed to letting you enjoy your music trouble-free.

Pandora, meanwhile, is free, stable, and slick. Granted, you won't be able to listen to stations offline -- but for pulling some fresh tunes into the tired aural repertoire you've got stored on your phone's microSD card, there's really no easier way to do it. No worries -- you need to go directly through the company's website to register for the beta version -- but trust us, it's worth it. 3.99 full). Okay, so maybe Swype isn't your bag; we know it's not for everyone. Another option is SwiftKey, which moves beyond the concept of predictive text and actually tries to predict entire phrases -- and it does so surprising accuracy that becomes even more accurate as you use it. WorldMate (free). If you picked an Android phone over pretty much any other mobile OS, chances are you did so at least in part due to having Google Maps Navigation on board.

We're taking a little liberty in deeming you an argonaut, but if you're even a casual traveler, you owe it to yourself to pick up WorldMate. All the buzz is on TripIt, but we tend to prefer WorldMate's UI. There hasn't been a confirmation email yet that it didn't like, and it intelligently updates both your app and web profile immediately. Notifications are also spot-on, and if you have two confirmation numbers for a single flight (read: you and your gal / dude are flying on the same bird, but booked via different avenues), it'll properly sort that as well. It looks awful when empty, so get to planning! Angry Birds (free) and Angry Birds Seasons (also free). Be that as it may, this is a must-have game for virtually any smartphone that serves up levels in bite-size pieces that are perfect for the odd free moment in your hectic schedule here and there.