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google voice: probably my favorite app. you can get a phone number from google and it will be directed to your phone or up to 5 other numbers. but that's not the power of the app. even using my stock cell number, the app can transcribe my voicemails, tell me when i've missed calls even when the phone is off and allow me to text over wifi. it also stores voicemails on the google voice site for viewing/management. one thing that disappoints me is the fact that it can't do VOIP natively. hopefully that's coming soon.
dolphin browser HD: a smartphone without a browser is a pretty useless thing. the preinstalled browser app on android is functional, but for those who are looking for a fast powerful browser, this is it. the user interface is very good, the home page is a customizable speed dial for your favorite pages. one criticism i have, that should probably be leveled at google and not the dolphin team, is the inability to sync your bookmarks from chrome in an effective way.
evernote: i'll admit, it took me a while to understand the utility of this application, but once i found my use case for it, i found it indispensable. this application operates like a notebook for text, pictures and audio. it two-way syncs between a web application and your phone. 2 examples of how i use it, one simple, one complex. the simple way is for my grocery list. if i have my phone, i have my list with me. the more complex way is that i like to write stories. within evernote, i maintain 1 notebook per story with 3 sections in those notebooks for character ideas, dialog ideas and story ideas. it's an incredible way to simplify my writing and makes sense of sometimes cluttered thoughts
tweetdeck: while i'm still annoyed that twitter has now purchased the once independent app, i still hold this app as the king of social media. twitter, facebook, foursquare, buzz (meh), this app handles them all with incredible ease and a slick UI.
feedly: i rarely watch the news anymore. i get my information from RSS feeds. most people recommend google reader for those who love rss feeds, however, i prefer feedly because it makes the feeds look attractive to read. it sounds like a small thing, but once you see it, it's hard to go back to jumping to site to site to get your information or looking at rss feeds as google reader presents them (which is where it'll sync from if you want).
gosms: i've never liked the stock sms application. i'm a rather superficial person and stock sms is just "bleh" looking. not only is gosms a better looking alternative, it allows you to back up your text messages and schedule messages to be sent later. it supports plugins for facebook chat & emoji, has a file system and a bevy of other hidden features.
google listen: as simple as it gets. if you listen to podcasts, this podcast catcher is simple and easy. an interesting twist is that it syncs to your google reader account where you can listen to and manage them. from your phone you can listen to them on the fly or download them beforehand if you know where you're going has a spotty data connection.
words with friends: there isn't much more to say here except that this is scrabble & it's pretty damn fun. it also has cross platform support so android users and throttle iOS users and visa versa. one knock i have to give it is that the notifications for when the other player has moved are spotty. other than that, it's a fun distraction
movies: only ebert watches more movies than i do....no, it doesn't matter if you think i'm wrong, but thanks for suggesting it. it's a sad fact of my life that i've spent many countless hours in front of a movie screen. that said, this app makes my addiction much easier to plan. it tells you about upcoming movies, currently playing movies, upcoming/recently available dvds. it also allows you to manage your netflix Q