
My first order of business was to determine whether I already had a voice recording app loaded onto my Droid 4. I wonder how many folks like me, operating with only the most fundamental technical skills, are aware of what apps reside on their smartphone. I have viewed my app widgets (why aren’t they called icons?) a number of times wondering what in fact they do, but with my limited 3G or less area connection, I often can’t even load them. Someday reception will be restored to my exurban tract and I’ll be able to read those Kindle books and find my nearest Thai restaurant—but that day remains in the future. A tour of my app widgets revealed Google Maps, some golf and football games I will NEVER use, (but which Verizon has informed me cannot be removed from the phone), a handy calendar and task app, but no voice recorder.
I simply Google'd “best voice recorder app for android” and got a plethora of hits. I wanted a free app, so that narrowed it down—essentially to Easy Voice Recorder and Smart Voice Recorder. As a side note, there are dozens of Bloggers, all half my age or younger, who give great reviews on the whys and wherefores of voice recording. One can download an app to easily record a telephone conversation (my next task), one can record music or concerts or use the feature for more complex endeavors, but I’m only recording my voice and ideas, so I went simple and again FREE. Lifehacker has a nice, brief summary that did not include the options I could find on my Android Play Store app (an app to find an app—don’t you just love it?), and Technobuzz really gives you the lowdown on why certain options work and for what reason.
After reading about options, I went to my PlayStore and when only Easy Voice and Smart Voice appeared as free options, I went with Easy Voice as it had a half a star higher rating. I then simply selected, downloaded and waited for Easy Voice Recorder to install. I then moved the widget onto my homepage, and voila! I tested it, and it worked just fine. It's a basic platform, not pretty or providing lots of options, but it should serve it's purpose.
Then I went to sleep two nights in a row with my smartphone happily downstairs. So now I’m waiting for the smartphone to become a bonafide droid and follow me up the stairs when I turn in for the night!