Thankfully, nEx.Software has come to the rescue.  His new app APKatcher does exactly what I need.  Once installed, the app allows you to use the preview button in native Gmail to download and install APK files. Now you can share APK files with ease and download them with a single click.

We recently had the chance to catch up with nEx.Software and ask him about his latest creation.

Android and Me:  Why did you make APKatcher?

nEx.Software:  As a developer who works with other developers and/or “clients” on a regular basis, I find myself sending out quick proof copies of Applications I am working on, or receiving the same from those I am working with. Often times I am not at my computer (believe it or not) when I receive these emails. For some reason, the Gmail application doesn’t allow you to download and/or install these applications directly. For the longest time I was going to Gmail in the browser, downloading the file to my SD Card, and then installing the application. Needless to say, this is cumbersome. So, I decided to write a small utility to help this process along.

AAM:  How long did it take to write?

nEx.Software:  I worked on this application on and off over the course of a day. Total development time (including research) probably came in at about 3 hours or so.

AAM:  What has the feedback been like?

nEx.Software:  I am surprised at how it has been received. Going into it, I felt as if it would be a really useful tool for a few people who, like me, send Applications via email. The key word in that sentence is few. To my utter surprise, there have been over a thousand downloads and a retention rate of about 90%. As of last check, the average user rating is 5 stars (4.93 according to Cyrket). Comments have been great and back up the user rating well.

AAM:  Anything else you want to share?

nEx.Software:  To be competely honest, I am not entirely sure why the Gmail application does not do this. I suppose Google might have left out this feature in a passive attempt to reduce the liklihood of unauthorized sharing, but if that is the case, then I’d have to say that all it did was make it more cumbersome. As someone who is simply trying to send and receive applications legitimately, I’m pretty disappointed in this user experience. I hope everyone finds this simply tool as useful as I do.

APKatcher for Android
Version: 1.0
Developed By: nEx.Software
Price: FREE
Filesize: 14.2 KB

Finally I can download APK files from the native Gmail.

When asked to describe the development process Justin shared this with us:

“Again, I want to express my appreciation for the inspiration and support that AndroidAndMe has provided throughout this product. It has been a great learning experience and has allowed me to grow my knowledge of Android as a platform. I’ve never done mobile development, nor have i done Java development, and quite frankly had never intended to until Android came along. Plans for the future include frequent (hopefully) updates to BarTor as new features are requested, as well as additional projects as they arise. I’ve a lot of ideas, and I’m sure that there are plenty of ideas floating around on the web. I’m always looking for a good challenge. And you can bet I’ll be waiting for the next Bounty.”

Some of the new features include:

• uTorrent & Vuse support
• Load By URL, Load By File
• KTorrent – PHP and HTML Interfaces
• Sort By Publish Date or By Seeds and Leechers (Default)
• Purchase opportunities upon Barcode Lookup – Long Click result to open Browser.
• Failed Submissions to the Client are retried automatically at application open and exit.
• Choose maximum number of Torrent Search results (25 [Default], 50, 100, 250)

Scan To Download BarTor

If you would like to download and checkout BarTor, it can be found in the Market under applications.  Retail price is $2.99.  Justin is a very talented developer and offers quality support for his products.  If you would like to see new features, please purchase and support his app.