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I know that phones are susceptible to losing power. But before they do, they can do some really awesome things. What APPS have you found that dramatically improved the phones function?
One of the ones I found was Commander Compass. It supposed to work even without connection. Need to test it. http://happymagenta.com/compass/
What others do you use?
I have iPhone 8. My favorite functional apps (aside from the stock camera) are:
GrafNCalc83: a reasonable facsimile of my trusty TI-83 graphing calculator
iScanner: it generates great black and white PDFs from photos
Pebble: it links the phone to my Pebble Time
StoCard: it stores a lot of the store cards that so many places force you to carryI use Scanner Pro for creating pdf documents, I like it. My favorite, most useful, apps are Map My Run and Backcountry Navigator. Backcountry Navigator is a gps app I use when hiking or hunting, it has several useful features. It got me back to camp once when I got turned around while hunting in unfamiliar territory. I use a couple other hunting apps that use gps and display the forecast and wind direction/speed. I also bought a “smart” lantern recently from Lander.com that can be controlled using an app. I’d never heard of such a thing before but it it an interesting and useful product.
huntnow said: ↑
I use Scanner Pro for creating pdf documents, I like it. My favorite, most useful, apps are Map My Run and Backcountry Navigator. Backcountry Navigator is a gps app I use when hiking or hunting, it has several useful features. It got me back to camp once when I got turned around while hunting in unfamiliar territory. I use a couple other hunting apps that use gps and display the forecast and wind direction/speed. I also bought a “smart” lantern recently from Lander.com that can be controlled using an app. I’d never heard of such a thing before but it it an interesting and useful product.
Interesting. I’ve always held that an inherent weakness in using the GPS function on a phone is that if you get off in the rural areas or backcountry you run a distinct risk of loss of signal. Or does the GPS function not need a phone signal?I use a ‘dumb’ phone — an old school flip phone so I wouldn’t know myself you see.
L’chaim!
Moshe ben David
Moshe ben David said: ↑
Interesting. I’ve always held that an inherent weakness in using the GPS function on a phone is that if you get off in the rural areas or backcountry you run a distinct risk of loss of signal. Or does the GPS function not need a phone signal?I use a ‘dumb’ phone — an old school flip phone so I wouldn’t know myself you see.
L’chaim!
Moshe ben David
I previously shared your concerns. Prior to buying the app for $13, the only app I’ve ever paid for, I researched it and the reviews were mostly positive. I used it on a hog hunt in the middle of nowhere Alabama and it worked perfectly. I’ve used it back home in places there was absolutely no cell service and it worked here as well.Iphone 7plus has GPS function separate from cell towers. I’ve been offshore hundreds of miles off the coast and it works just fine with Navionics app.
Moshe ben David said: ↑
Interesting. I’ve always held that an inherent weakness in using the GPS function on a phone is that if you get off in the rural areas or backcountry you run a distinct risk of loss of signal. Or does the GPS function not need a phone signal?I use a ‘dumb’ phone — an old school flip phone so I wouldn’t know myself you see.
L’chaim!
Moshe ben David
GPS stands for Global Positioning System, is a satellite-based navigation system, which a receiver in a phone uses to determine its approximate location-therefore it is not dependent on any cell phone signal. Some phones however, also use cell phone signals to determine their approximate location between cell phone towers – this is in addition to GPS. GPS in combination with cell phone signals, help with position accuracy. If there are no cell phone signal, the phone will use GPS exclusively, but it won’t be as accurate as a device that is dedicated exclusively to using satellite GPS signals like a vehicle navigation device like a Garmin, Tom Tom, or other GPS receiver.Some emergency stuff:
Emergency First Aid reference
Postcode (zip code) apps (to provide a location when calling an ambulance)
Weather warnings
For amusement, a good podcatcher is useful, as is an audiobook player.More prosaically, a shopping list app that sorts by store area or aisle saves me a fair bit of time on my weekly shop!
One of the biggest reasons I chose apple when going back to grad school was the Notability app. I also use iscanner along with its fax app for sending documents. This also works great with notability.
Chears,
HGOnly 3 app I really use. Use the Weather app pretty much daily. Phone book app of course to look up numbers but it’s also good for looking up the address of a place so I can use it on the GPS app. The GPS app I use a speedo on my bike and atvs along with the map function of it.
As stated the GPS works without cell signal. I live out in the sticks and use it all the time with zero bars as both a gps and speedo.
On my Samsung Galaxy S8+, I like the flashlight app, and for old guys like me, I also like the Magnifying Glass Flashlight app. It really helps when I don’t have my reading glasses on me.
Tell me what about any Smartphone that is not a MT?
It seems what makes Smart Phones different than standard phones is the fact that they are indeed Info Multi Tools by design.
-I use mine for Networking Setup,Layout and Troubleshooting.
-Layout,Setup,Troubleshooting and Operation of countless Electronics,Automation and A/V Systems every single day and make a living doing so.
-Storage and Database of Documents,Tickets,Passes and Volumes of Data of all kinds.
-Remote Control of other devices from lighting,A/V,Security,etc via I.R.,WiFi,IP and other control modes
-Communications and Social MediaAnd occasionally to make Phone Calls too?
I must also add that though I don’t know that I could live like I do and work now without one,I can not stand my Phone much of the time as well.
What a necessary Evil!
I do not carry any MT all the time and never will.
“Necessary” evil? Society seemed to function as well or, if anything, better before smart phones. I watched local news footage recently showing a woman on her cell phone in a local pool totally oblivious as her son was drowning behind her in the pool..we’ve let cell phones become just another of many addictions. As far as a phone being a tech multi-tool, yes it is, but it comes with the same shortcomings as all multitools…it can be made to do many things poorly. My observation about most phone apps is they are a solution to a “problem” that doesn’t really exist.
Tesla said: ↑
“Necessary” evil? Society seemed to function as well or, if anything, better before smart phones. I watched local news footage recently showing a woman on her cell phone in a local pool totally oblivious as her son was drowning behind her in the pool..we’ve let cell phones become just another of many addictions. As far as a phone being a tech multi-tool, yes it is, but it comes with the same shortcomings as all multitools…it can be made to do many things poorly. My observation about most phone apps is they are a solution to a “problem” that doesn’t really exist.
I don'[t think there is a need to cherry pick the few bad instances of people being to absorbed with their smartphones. And society DID NOT function better before smartphones, I remember, I lived through those times too in my 52 years. Vehicle accidents kill more people on a daily basis, yet its necessary to travel. Does that mean that society functioned better before internal combustion engines were invented? Was it better in the horse and buggy era?Yes, some people are simply too addicted to using their gadgets, that much is true. But to say that life was better before is simply not realistic. Remember when we ONLY had landlines? There was simply no way to get a hold of that person if they were not at work or home near a phone and if you coudn’t get someone to look for them. Now we take that for granted. Remember when the only way to send pictures to far away family was by snail mail? And what about sending letters to someone in another country? 2 weeks going there and then 2 weeks back. It was ridiculous. I can give a thousand more examples.
I refuse to become one of those cantankerous old geezers who sit around and say everything was better back in the day. Some things were, but not everything. Communications and technology wise, it sucked. I just finished my Accounting degree last year at the age of 51 and going to school with the younguns, and I was able to keep up with them and the latest tech. Technology progresses, that is irrefutable fact.
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