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Verizon Android Task Force Blogger Chris Gustafson's Must-have Apps

As a somewhat frequent traveler and blogger for Android Task Force, Chris Gustafson knows that having powerful apps on his Android device can be a huge boost to help him stay connected to the world. Below are some of his favorite apps that make life easier.

1. Google Hangouts – Google Hangouts is Google’s all-in-one cross-platform messaging service. Combining Google Talk, Google+ Messenger, and in the future, Google Voice, Google Hangouts allows me to communicate with friends using the chat service as well as video chat with multiple people. An app is also available for iOS and the service can be accessed from any computer with Google+/Gmail or with a Chrome Extension.

2. Google Play Music – This is the official Google music app for Android. It lets me play local media content, sync music from my computer, or for $9.99 per month, get unlimited access to the Google Play Music library. It will also create automatic playlists and radio stations like Pandora. For times when I don’t have Internet access, I can pin music to my device so that I can access it whenever I want.

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3. SlingPlayer – The SlingPlayer app allows me to access and use my Slingbox on my Android device, letting me watch and control my television/receiver when I’m away from home. The cost of the app is $14.99 and there is also a dedicated tablet app available for $14.99. There are no monthly fees. Just watch your data usage.

4. ESPN SportsCenter – This app provides me with live scores, standings, rankings, news and more for my favorite teams. Other than a live video streaming service, this is the only sports app I need on my device.

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5. Twitter – There are a large amount of third-party apps for using Twitter, including some with very large followings. But the official Twitter app does everything I need, including giving me the ability to manage multiple Twitter accounts (Android Task Force and my personal account) and edit my profile directly from my phone.

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