[Nexus S Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] zorak950:
Not including live wallpapers or apps that require rooting or that are preinstalled, ordered by a complex secret algorithm involving frequency of use, personal importance, the barometric pressure in my room at the time of install, and dummy variables derived from the precise time of most recent use and the balance of power in the United States House of Representatives:

1. BuzzBox News (BuzzBox, Inc.)

- I have pretty much abandoned other news readers, mobile or otherwise, for this app. I use it pretty much every time I use my phone. Good widgets, and the dark theme is easy on the eyes and my phone battery. The interface itself is stubbornly a bit rough around the edges, but there are too many good things about it not to forgive its minor flaws. Note: enable automatic full text download in the options. It's been in "beta" forever, but it works very well and there's really no reason not to.

2. PDX Transit Finder (Ryan Roemmich)

- Ignore this if you don't use TriMet (Portland, OR's public transit system). If you do, though, highly recommended. The UI is about as good as Windows 3.1, and looks about as fancy as DOS, and it really only does one thing: fetch arrival times, but this actually works to its advantage in a perverse way, because its rival app updates about as frequently as this one (read: pretty sure both are no longer in development), and since it includes a lot more features, it has a lot more inaccuracies. PDX Transit Finder: the best argument for mediocrity in the app store. If you live in Portland and ride on public transit.

3. Flash Player 10.1 (Adobe Systems)

- Not much explanation needed here. Adult Swim video on my phone? Yes, please.

4. Root Explorer (Speed Software)

- Yes, you can use it without root privileges, and it is wonderful. With root, it's even better. You need something like this, since the Nexus S doesn't really have an onboard file manager to speak of, and Root Explorer is one of the best.

5. WiFi OnOff (CurveFish)

- WiFi on, WiFi off. In a 1x1 widget. Much easier than going into the Settings, and a lot more compact than the control panel widget that comes with the phone. Great for when you want your phone to find WiFi networks on its own when you mean to use them, but not kill itself and make you want to kill yourself looking for them constantly when you're on the move.

6. ADWLauncher EX (AnderWeb)

- Yes, I do like it. A lot. No, I haven't tried LauncherPro. No, I won't try it just for the sake of comparison. Don't you have anything more important to do? Despite the fact that using Android automatically subjects you to the opinion of everyone who is aware that launcher options exist, choice is sweet. ADW was the first I tried off-stock, and I've never wanted to change. AnderWeb is also possibly the most responsive developer I've ever dealt with, so if you have an issue, let him know and he'll either fix it or tell you why he can't. That alone goes a long way to customer satisfaction.

7. SoundHound (SoundHound Inc.)

- Music recognition that works reliably in pretty much any setting. It's that song on the radio I hear once every two years and want to add to my collection, but I can't figure out what it is! Not anymore. I would make out with this app if I could.

8. Screen Filter (haxor industry)

- Sure it's not perfect. The whole display red-shifts and gets uneven, and sometimes it will decide to close itself for no apparent reason, but it's pretty darn well-crafted and reliable when you think about what it's actually doing. Finally, I can use my phone in a dark room and not feel like I'm forcing my eyes to stare at a 25-watt incandescent light bulb. Happiness.

9. doubleTwist (doubleTwist)

- This app is a royal pain in the ass, especially since I know what it's like to have an iPod. But even though it will not sync some files and fail to explain itself if it doesn't like your folder structure, or any of your tags start with something other than a letter or a number, or somebody looked at it wrong, it is still, sadly, the best all-in-one media solution I'm aware of. Music, video, and podcasts. Delicious. It's like... an orange-flavored Tootsie Roll Pop. Sure, the outside is kinda gross, but just think about the delicious filling and you'll figure out a way to tolerate it. Or just smash it open.

10. ColorNote Notepad (Notes)

- The UI could use a couple slight refinements, but it works very well for the basic app it is. The list feature is great for grocery shopping, too. Just one more opportunity to banish paper from your life.