Smart Phone Applications

Tired of talking about rowing and want to talk about the real world? Enter a forum where rowing is a rude word...

Moderator: The forum police - (nee naw)

Post Reply
User avatar
andy walls
Dedicated and True Free Spirit
Posts: 1087
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2009 10:14 am
I row on...: Model C with PM5
Location: Staffordshire, England

Smart Phone Applications

Post by andy walls »

I have been kept amused by the ibingo thread and it got me thinking.........

I'm fairly new to the world of smart phones and bit the bullet about 3 months ago and purchased an iPhone. To say I would be lost without it now is an understatement.

Thought I would see if we could share ideas on applications for smart phones, there are thousands of them, some good, some not so good.

I'll start off with a recent 69p purchase for an app called mapmytracks, a fantastic app that maps your activity whether it's walking, cycling, running etc. it will work out distance, gradient, pace, calories etc and you can share your routes with people via their web site. Your location is accurate to within one meter and uses GPS. Whilst recently on a 5 mile dog walk through Cannock Chase it even differentiates between cycle, horse and walking routes.

You can save your routes and retrace your steps at a later date, the app continues to work if you put your phone in standby mode, it doesn't blitz your battery either, today the app used 12% battery in 95 minutes!
41 yrs, HWT, If you are going through hell, keep going - Winston Churchill

Image
User avatar
Daffy
Friend of the Free Spirits web site 2018
Friend of the Free Spirits web site 2018
Posts: 1196
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 9:00 am
I row on...: Model D with PM3

Re: Smart Phone Applications

Post by Daffy »

Andy - I just had a look at this out of curiosity. Is it true that people can see what you are doing in real 'live' time? If so it is potentially a fantastic source of information for burglars etc. to find out who is not at home. It is so easy to find out where people live these days.
Image
User avatar
Daffy
Friend of the Free Spirits web site 2018
Friend of the Free Spirits web site 2018
Posts: 1196
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 9:00 am
I row on...: Model D with PM3

Re: Smart Phone Applications

Post by Daffy »

Thought about the last post and realised it sounds a bit negative - I think the app is potentially great for lots of things, perhaps I should have said that too! Great for logging stuff, producing and recording decent reliable data that would be difficult to record yourself, good for the partner to see when to expect you home and prepare dinner, hot baths, etc., make it possible to know where to send the search party if you have a heart attack, or even if you just drop the phone by accident. I'm just a little cautious when it comes to some aspects of security, hence my query. :oops:
Image
User avatar
andy walls
Dedicated and True Free Spirit
Posts: 1087
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2009 10:14 am
I row on...: Model C with PM5
Location: Staffordshire, England

Re: Smart Phone Applications

Post by andy walls »

daffyducky wrote:Andy - I just had a look at this out of curiosity. Is it true that people can see what you are doing in real 'live' time? If so it is potentially a fantastic source of information for burglars etc. to find out who is not at home. It is so easy to find out where people live these days.
Hi Jane

You can dictate via the app if you want people to track you live, I never chose this option, I complete my walk and then sync the details with the web site via the app. Equally since I signed up I have never been asked for address details, only e mail details.

I'm quite security conscious, especially given my line of work, so I spent some time researching this type of app and it's the only one I found where you don't have to give address details if you sign up to share your activity
41 yrs, HWT, If you are going through hell, keep going - Winston Churchill

Image
User avatar
Grobi
Friend of the Free Spirits web site 2019
Friend of the Free Spirits web site 2019
Posts: 3587
Joined: Fri Feb 29, 2008 8:26 am
I row on...: Model D with PM5
Location: Ingolstadt, Germany

Re: Smart Phone Applications

Post by Grobi »

Jane, I understand your concerns about security and I was thinking the same. But good to know that you can disable the tracking.

I'm also quite new to the wonderful world of smartphones. I have mine since the beginning of december and I have found these apps really useful:

- Whatsapp: you can send text messages free of charge, incl. attachments. You need to have connection to the internet and the recipient must have the same app. After one year you have to pay 0.79 Euros once.

- Shazam: detects via the microfone which song you are listening to in the radio, on TV etc.

- Dolphin browser: alternative web browser with additional gesture control. You can define gestures and use them for quick access to sites you visit often. For example draw a "G" with your finger for http://www.google.com or an "F" for http://www.freespiritsrowing.com :fswink:

- MyPhoneExplorer: synchronize and backup your telephone numbers, adresses, calender entries with your PC rather than with Google. You need to have the app on your smartphone and the program with the same name on your PC. You also can connect smartphone and PC via WiFi which has the advantage that you avoid unwanted charging when connecting them via USB.

- Google maps: should be standard on most smartphones. What was new for me is that you can see traffic situation (green, yellow, red) when you enable the traffic layer.
Athletes row, others just play games

Peter

55y, 1,89m, 85kg

Image
User avatar
webberg
Super Dedicated and Truly Free Spirit
Posts: 2597
Joined: Tue Jul 04, 2006 7:48 am
I row on...: Model D with PM3
Location: near Andover, Hants

Re: Smart Phone Applications

Post by webberg »

I think I must be dinosaur. My wife and kids all have "smart phones" but I don't. They spend hours doing "things" on their phones and it makes me feel totally excluded from a world which for all I know is rich in interesting and stimulating things or equally is full of time wasting gimmicks that don't advance you as a person.

I do have a Blackberry for work but I've not added anything to it since the day I was given it and at least 3 days in a week it will be sat in my study or briefcase, out of charge. I take the view that I have time at my desk and at least an hour each evening at my laptop and that is plenty.

Perhaps I am out of touch?

How would one go about designing/selling a Free Spirits App that perhaps showed you your MB position, had a suggested piece to row, showed you the latest posts etc?
Uphill to the finish

ID 140904
User avatar
plummy
Friend of the Free Spirits web site 2020
Friend of the Free Spirits web site 2020
Posts: 8306
Joined: Fri Jul 07, 2006 8:17 am
I row on...: Model E with PM4
Location: Sale, Cheshire, UK

Re: Smart Phone Applications

Post by plummy »

I'm with you Graham - I have a Samsung Galaxy SII - and....make phone calls (and the occasional text) - that's it. It's almost always off all weekend and still makes me jump when it rings (as it rings so rarely) during the week.

Most teenagers treat their phones like Oxygen - watch what happens if you take their phone away!! You'd think you were cutting off an arm without an aneasthetic.
60 yrs old, 76kg, 5' 10"
43Mm metres rowed. Re-setting the bar much lower now. Getting too old for this malarky
Image
Post Reply