Channkuah Stuff (Updated for 5774)
In the spirit of this Yom Tov, we've decided to review a few apps (even if some are of dubious value) to help you decide what's worth installing. Most of these apps were tested on Android 2.3.4 and ICS (Android 4.04) and Jelly Bean (4.1.2) phone/tablet platforms. Check back once Channukah starts as some apps will get updates and newer apps may hit the Play store.
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Type: Application
Cost: Free
Overview: Shows which candle to light tonight, how to light them and which blessings to say
+Regardless of what the user reviews say, this app does show the candles being lit correctly.
+Appropriately omits the third blessing (She'hecheyanu) after the first night.
+Automatically tells you which night it is (with midnight as the threshold, which should avoid most confusion).
+Blessings and songs sung beautifully to help teach the uninitiated.
+Gives one the choice of blessings in Hebrew (no vowels), English or transliterated into English. +ICS friendly
-Audio plays blessings in the Sefardi Nusach, but they are written (transliterated) as Ashkenaz, which is inconsistent.
Verdict: Very good Channukah app.
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Type: Live Wallpaper
Cost: Free
Overview: A busy wallpaper that has a winter theme with an unlit menorah outside.
+ICS/Jelly Bean friendly
-Seems to take up an inordinate amount of RAM while running.
-Requires paid version to "light the candles after sunset".
-Requires paid version to modify settings.
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Droidel (v. 2.0.1) by Triuna Software
Type: Application (Game)
Cost: Free
Overview: A very well-designed dreidel app that allows two people to play a real game of dreidel.
+Has the "feel" of spinning a real dreidel.
+Tells you what night of channukah it is (or how many remaining nights until channukah).
+Actually keeps track of the "Gelt" won or lost between two players; who's turn it is; and the amount in the pot.
+Number of players can be changed from 2-4.
+Music, amounts, currency, and custom player names all changeable in settings.
+Can set dreidel for Israel or diaspora (one letter is different).
+After mid-night the menorah on the intro screen switches to say "X DAY of channukah" instead of night. At the next evening it will display the next "night" of channukah to avoid confusion.
+Works well on ICS
+Author responsive to suggestions.
Verdict: So far, the the best reviewed channukah game app.
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Type: Application (Game)
Cost: Free (Ad supported)
Overview: A so-so dreidel game with some add-ons designed for Hebrew speaking Israelis.
+Easy to spin colorful dreidel
+Option for Hebrew only or Hebrew with English labels for the four positions.
+Has blessings, songs, and recipes
+Jelly Bean friendly
-Designed only for use in Israel -- Dreidel is set up with Israeli letters.
-Entire app is in Hebrew except as noted above.
-Does not really keep score -- instead it totals how many times one landed on each letter.
-Doesn't "feel" like a real dreidel
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Dreidel (v. 2.0.1) by Octagon Software LLC
Type: Application (Game)
Cost: $.99
Overview: An older game that is not compatible with newer phones
-Does not play well with newer versions of Android
Verdict: Don't waste your money
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Type: Application (Game)
Cost: Free (Ad supported)
Overview: A simple app that allows one to quickly flip in either directly to land on a different letter.
+Works smoothly on both old and new devices.
+ICS friendly
-Requires Adobe AIR to work. Adobe AIR is Adobe's replacement for FLASH on Android. If you have it already, fine. But to install this platform just for a dreidel game is a bit much.
-Doesn't "feel" like a real dreidel
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Type: Application (Game)
Cost: Free (Ad supported)
Overview: A touch game whereby one must put the candles into the menorah in the correct order.
-Does not work properly on ICS (Android 4.04)
-Rather silly game.
Verdict: The backwards dreidel on their logo picture says it all.
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Type: Application
Cost: Free
Overview: A simple app that tells you which blessings to say on each night of channukah..
+ICS friendly
-While explained in English, it is Hebrew only (no vowels)
-No built-in intelligence to know which night of channukah it is. The user must select this manually.
Verdict: Of dubious usefulness. The only difference between the first night and all of the others is the lack of she'hecheyanu, and the "Menorah - Chanukah - חנוכה" app (reviewed above) not only does that already, but has the intelligence to know which night of channukah it is.
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Type: Static Wallpaper
Cost: Free
Overview: A selection of static (not live) wallpaper images of menorahs and other channukah related themes
-Pictures look good when choosing, but after selected, background image does not scale properly to screen resolution of phones. Tried this on two difference phone devices running two difference versions of Android and both were too "zoomed in" to see the image intended.
-Retested v. 2.0 11/17/13 - Tested and have the same problem. App simply shows a number of pictures. If you "save" a picture, it shows up in your gallery downloads. Then when selecting it as a wallpaper, you have to choose only a portion of the picture. These pics were not optimized for wallpaper use.
Verdict: Unnecessary to make this an app. There could just be images available for download. However the algorithm is set to create wallpaper, it's not working correctly, at least on both phone devices tested. (Not yet tested on a tablet.)
___________________________Type: Live Wallpaper
Cost: Free
Overview: A live wallpaper that shows the current night of channukah by lighting the appropriate number of candles
+ICS friendly
+Pretty image
-Shows the candles backwards.
-Changes the candles at a set time (5 PM) regardless of locale.
-Could not download on Jelly Bean device
Verdict: Now a free app, still
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Type: Live Wallpaper
Cost: $0.99
Overview: A live wallpaper that allows one to touch an select which candles to light.
+ICS friendly
+Pretty image
+Allows a few choices of background including black
-No built-in intelligence to figure out which night is chanukah.
-Flames are shifted slightly from the candle.
Verdict: Pretty wallpaper if you get past the flame being slightly off.___________________________
Type: Application
Cost: Free
Overview: An App that acts as a source for all things channukah.
+ICS friendly
+Links to instructual and entertaining videos, how-tos, blessings, etc. for each night of channukah.
+Great historical background to the holiday
+Includes not only Hebrew (no vowels), but English and English transliteration. Even videos demonstrating the lighting with voice-overs of brochos (blessings).
-Less of a true app and more of a source linking to various websites and YouTube videos
-No built-in intelligence for which night of channukah it is.
-A bit redundant re-iterating all of the instructions for each night of channukah when nights 2-8 don't have true procedural differences.
Verdict: Very good app for learning about channukah
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Overview: A live wallpaper with prety picture of burning candles and sparking tops at the base of the menorah.
-Does not work on older (2.x ) and newer (4.1+/Jelly Bean) version of Android. Could only get it to work on our ICS device.
-Has screen size issues. Cannot see whole menorah at once.
Verdict: Not worth installing until improvements are made
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