Thursday, February 20, 2020

37 Free and Useful Android Applications


Hi Everyone!

Android is a mobile operating system developed by Google. It is installed on smartphones and tablets. There are also PC programs that can emulate Android and let you run Android on a regular Windows PC. My Samsung cellphone uses the Android operating system.

There are close to 3 million smartphone apps in the Google store. This includes thousands of free Android applications that you can
download, install and use for free. How do you find out what is good?
I compiled a list of 37 free and useful applications that I recommend. Several of the programs are supported by ads and some have ad-free paid versions. After each application description is a link to its download page.
Note to Apple users: Many of these applications are also
available for Apple iOS devices.
I am not connected or know any of the developers / owners.
There are no affiliate links or advertising on the page.

The app list:
https://jr.co.il/training/free-android-applications.htm

Below are examples of 10 apps from my list:

Pricez:

Israeli food price comparison application including barcode scanner.
The application is written in Hebrew but it is very easy to use.
If you do not know Hebrew, let a friend just install it for you.
The application lets you easily scan in the barcodes of the
food packages in your kitchen and you can add each item to
your shopping list. You can check the price range of each product
and see which supermarkets near you are the cheapest per item
or the whole shopping list.

Moovit:

Moovit is a public transit app and mapping service which features
trip planning, live arrival and departure times, up-to-date line schedules, local station maps, service alerts, and advisories that may affect one's current trip. I use the application all the time when I travel by bus.

My MDA:

Magen David Adom, Israel's national emergency medical response service,
has released a sophisticated mobile app that significantly streamlines the process of locating and reaching Israelis in distress. Available in the
Google and Apple app stores in Israel only, My MDA lets users press
a button to contact EMTs and paramedics operating MDA dispatch centers. Information such as the caller's location and your medical record which
you can add when installing, is securely transmitted and displayed to the dispatcher.

Police 100:

One button to contact Israeli police emergency 100.
Your location is also sent to them at the same time.

GraveZ:

Search for deceased in Israel - fill in the deceased's information
and it will help you narrow the search results according to range of
year of passing and cemetery region. The interface is in English
This free service includes details about the deceased, a photo of
the gravesite, a map with instructions, a bookmark/favorites list
and you can share links with friends and family including direct links
that work in conjunction with the app. Your relatives do not need
the smartphone app to visit the website.
I discovered this app yesterday, found my parents z"l gravesites and
sent links of the info via Whatsapp. I am very impressed with
the program, features and clean interface.

VLC:

VLC media player is a free and open source cross-platform
multimedia player can play any video and audio files, as well as
network streams. VLC is intended for everyone, is totally free,
has no ads, no in-app-purchases, no spying and is developed
by passionate volunteers.
It is one of the best music / video players. The player has
many features including playlists. I have used VLC for many
years on my Windows home computer and I use the Android
version on my Samsung Smartphone.

Rlive:

Rlive allows you to quickly listen to Live Radio Stations from Israel
and from around the world. The connections are done via the Internet
so there is no need for earphone Antenea.
Rlive is also available via your PC web browser without the app.

Speedtest by Ookla:

Internet speed and performance test

Morfix:

Comprehensive and accurate English Hebrew and
Hebrew English dictionary and translation free app.

Sefaria:

Sefaria delivers 3,000 years of Jewish texts - Torah, Tanakh,
Mishnah, Talmud, and more) to your smartphone. All texts in
the library are available in Hebrew along with a growing body
of English translations. Search by keyword or browse the
table of contents to explore texts, translations, and commentaries.

The 37 free and useful applications, descriptions and links are posted at:
https://jr.co.il/training/free-android-applications.htm

Feedback is welcome.

If there is a free, useful app that you use, recommend, and
is not listed, please send me the app name and link and
I will consider it for a future update.

Please share. Many of your friends and relatives will appreciate
learning about these useful apps.
Thank you!

Shabbat Shalom,
Jacob Richman
jrichman@jr.co.il

Sunday, February 2, 2020

Educational and Fun Resources for Tu B'Shvat


Hi Everyone!

Tu B'Shvat, the New Year for Trees, falls on the 15th of the
Hebrew month of Shvat, February 10 this year - 5780 / 2020.
This Jewish mini-holiday is of major importance to our
appreciation of nature and our relationship to it.
It is customary to plant trees and partake of the fruits of
the land of Israel to mark the occasion.

The Jewish Trivia Quiz: Tu B'Shvat
https://jewish-trivia.com

Which fruit is used to make wine ?
When did Kabbalists originate the Tu B'shvat Seder ?
How many glasses of wine are drunk at the Tu B'Shvat seder ?
What branch of a tree did the dove bring back after the flood ?
How many days does the Hebrew month of Shvat have ?
What is associated with both Chanukah and Tu B'Shvat ?
In Israel, what happens to trees starting on the 15th of Shvat ?
Since 1901, how many trees has the Jewish National Fund
planted in Israel ?
According to the Torah, which fruits did the spies bring to the
children of Israel in the wilderness ?

The above questions are examples from the multiple choice
quiz. There are two levels of questions, two timer settings.
Both kids and adults will find it enjoyable.

My English Hebrew Dictionary - Tu B'Shvat Vocabulary Study Sheets
100 Tu B'Shvat related words
https://english-hebrew-dictionary.com/tu-bshvat-1.htm

Free Tu B'Shvat Clipart
https://jewish-clipart.com

Whether you need a picture for your child's class project,
a graphic for your synagogue, Hillel or JCC Tu B'Shvat
announcement, the Jewish Clipart Database has the pictures
for you. You can copy, save and print the graphics in
three different sizes.

Tu B'Shvat Photo Gallery
https://jr.co.il/hotsites/tu-b-shvat-photos.htm

73 Cool Tu B'Shvat Videos
https://jr.co.il/videos/tu-bshvat-videos.htm

To learn more about Tu B'Shvat, I posted on my website
80 links about Tu B'Shvat, ranging from Tu B'Shvat Seders and
customs to graphics and recipes. Site languages include
English, Hebrew, Russian, Spanish, French,
Portuguese and German.

The web address is:
https://jr.co.il/hotsites/tu-b-shvat.htm

Enjoy!

Please share. Thank You!

Have a good day,
Jacob Richman
jrichman@jr.co.il