Applications » Mobile Apptitude

Posts Tagged ‘Applications’

What I’ve been up to..

Monday, May 17th, 2010

On my mobile handset (and I’ve been using an Android handset in addition to my BlackBerry lately), I tend to look for apps that are either media portals (those that deliver news and or blog content seamlessly) or tools (such as a flashlight app). As I walk between the BlackBerry and Android worlds I’ve been looking to see which specific apps, media delivery and types of tools, that work well in both worlds.

Here’s what I’m up to:

Media
There are a ton of media sites and apps. I believe that very soon you will be able to find an app for your favorite news source on any platform. For the moment here are my picks (all are free unless specifically noted):

Android
• Huffington Post – Original content from one of the most popular blogs out there.
• Engadget – My personal favorite gadget news site.
• AP Mobile – For all AP wire stories.

Black Berry
• New York Times – All the news that’s fit to Print
• Slate – My favorite online magazine. Lots of great writing, debate, and even a bit of fluff.
• AP Mobile – For all AP wire stories.

Tools
For the most part I think the simpler the app the better. Here are my top faves:

Flashlight tools – Completely awesome when it is all you have. When your parking meter change falls out of your pocket at night, a flashlight app can save you from the risk of parking tickets. There are a number of apps out there. Some use a handset’s flash LED (on my BlackBerry tour, for example) and some use the handset’s LCD screen (as on my Android handset).

BlackBerry
• BestFlash ($2.99)

Android
• Color Flashlight

Guitar Tuner – This little app replaces my standalone guitar tuner and tuning fork. Yea! There a number of them for Android. There are a few for Blackberry but they tend to be pricey.

Android
• G Strings Guitar Tuner

BlackBerry
• Guitar Studio ($9.99), also includes chord library and some other useful utilities.

Tags: Android, Applications, apps, Blackberry
Posted in Productivity, Reference, Uncategorized, Utilities | No Comments »

Finding a Parking Spot with Your Mobile Phone

Monday, March 29th, 2010

As urban residents know, finding a parking spot can be a time consuming and incredibly frustrating experience. Sadly, it is also quite destructive for the environment. Transportation Alternatives, a great non-profit in NYC which promotes bicycling, walking and public transit, estimates that 45% of NYC traffic is generated by cars circling the block in search of parking.

Thankfully, you mobile phone can help preserve your sanity while saving you gas money and preventing pollution. If you live in New York or Boston, check out Primospot. They have a mobile-friendly website (as well as iPhone and Android apps) that help you find parking spots, garages, and even bicycle racks. Just type in your address, intersection, or zip code. For parkings spots, it provides a map that shows where you can (and cannot) park, shows how much time is left based on the regulations, and identifies spots that are about to become legal. For garages, you can compare hourly, daily and monthly prices on the map.

To access PrimoSpot on your Credo Mobile BlackBerry or other Internet enabled mobile device, open the browser of your phone or device and type http://primospot.com/m in its address field. The homepage will open.

The results for the on-street parking will display the best options first, meaning which sides of which blocks you can park for the longest amount of time. The red asterisk* indicates metered parking. If you would like to see more results, scroll down to the bottom and click next.

> results1

After clicking on a side of one of the blocks, you will see a map and the detailed regulations for that side of the street.
details

Good luck finding those spots, but wouldn’t it be easier if you were biking? (Also, please pull over before using this app. Driving while playing with your mobile phone is as risky as drunk driving. Tx.)

Tags: Applications, apps, Blackberry, iPhone
Posted in Green, Productivity, Travel and Maps | 4 Comments »

Food Network Everyday Chef for BlackBerry Curve

Friday, December 4th, 2009

I often browse to mobile.foodnetwork.com on my phone when I’m in the grocery store in need of inspiration. The site works well on my BlackBerry and allows me to quickly type in an ingredient or the name of a specific dish in order to see ingredients needed for the various recipes offered. Recently, I found another service offered by the Food Network in the form of a downloadable BlackBerry Application.

everyday-chef1

The Food Network Everyday Chef app is available from the Handmark store online for $9.99. It has more than 1,000 recipes to search from and offers advanced features such as the ability to set personal dietary preferences and create a meal planner up to two weeks in advance.

Key Features:

Set Preferences: Allows you to set food preferences (i.e. vegetarian, vegan or don’t eat pork/beef) and food allergies so you only see recipes that work for your diet.

Recipe Search: Decide what to fix based on ingredients, category or keyword search. You can even get recipe suggestions based on other recipes you like.

Grocery List: The Quick Shop feature instantly generates a grocery list based on the recipe you selected. If you’ve planned ahead there is even a feature that will collect all the ingredients needed based on selected recipes and put them into a single grocery list organized by grocery store department so it is easy to shop. You can manually add additional grocery items as needed to this list.

Planner: Plan up to three meals daily for two weeks in advanced.

Favorites: Once you’ve found a successful recipe, you can bookmark it to use again later.

If you haven’t yet experienced the difference between a downloaded application and the mobile internet perhaps this is a good application to try out in order to see which you prefer.

Download Instructions:

Go to Handmark’s site. www.handmark.com
On the site – select your handset model and type “Everyday Chef” into the search box.
In order to download the application you’ll need to set up an account. Handmark charges downloads to a credit card, debit card, or paypal account that you provide. Handmark is a partner that CREDO recommends to our customers for Smartphone content. In addition to the BlackBerry, Handmark offers content and applications for many other phones including almost all smartphones and some standard phones including the Motorola Razor.
Once you purchase a piece of content, you’ll receive a text message with a link to download the application. You’ll need to have a phone with a data service plan in order to access the mobile web link and download the application.
After you have successfully downloaded you’ll find the application’s Icon on your phone’s main menu/icon list.

I hope that either the website or the application inspire you to cook up something fabulous!

Tags: Applications, Blackberry Curve, Handmark
Posted in Entertainment | No Comments »

BeBuzz – A Rainbow of Alert Possibilities

Friday, November 20th, 2009

You know those people who can’t stop checking their phone while you are having a conversation with them? OK, I admit it. I am one of them. I just can’t ignore my BlackBerry when it starts vibrating. Many times whatever’s buzzing can wait, but it might be something that needs my attention immediately. A forgotten appointment, a sick child, tickets for a show that just went on sale – you just never know. The alert could signal a new message in one of my multiple email accounts, a reminder on my calendar, a text message, BlackBerry Messenger, or a Facebook update. I have to pick up my handset and scroll through all my inboxes.

But, I’ve decided to stage my own intervention. I just discovered a BlackBerry app called BeBuzz. CrackBerry calls it a “must have.” It lets me customize the LED color for each type of alert. I chose green for business email, purple for personal email, turquoise for Facebook – you get the idea. With BeBuzz I immediately know why my phone is buzzing by the color of the LED, and I can safely ignore it when I’m in the middle of something more important like signing a petition and sending a coat hanger.

With BeBuzz, you also have customizable vibrate for incoming calls, and your BlackBerry can vibrate while it’s ringing. Once you install it on your device, BeBuzz will show up as a new item in the Options menu, and you can design your new alert system. Goodbye messaging distractions. Hello BeBuzz.

Tags: Applications, Blackberry, Facebook
Posted in Messaging, Productivity | No Comments »

DriveSafely. Just say no to TWD.

Friday, November 6th, 2009

In a recent AAA survey, 21% of respondents admitted to texting while driving (TWD). Even California’s first lady can’t resist the urge to use her mobile phone while driving. It’s also tempting to read your emails and texts while at the wheel. To reduce my chances of an unfortunate incident, I installed DriveSafe.ly from BlackBerry App World on my BlackBerry Curve.

drivesafely

DriveSafe.ly automatically reads your messages to you as they arrive. You just turn it on when you get in the car or even when you are about to go for a long bike ride and you’re good to go.

DriveSafe.ly will automatically respond to your messages for you, but you can turn this feature off easily by clicking on Advanced Setting. Then you can respond personally when you arrive safely at your destination. The free version will read up to 25 words of each message and DriveSafe.ly Pro will read a maximum of 500 words plus give you a choice of speakers.

If you’re one of the tempted, download DriveSafe.ly today. Keep your eyes on the road. Your fellow drivers will thank you.

Tags: Applications, biking, Blackberry, Blackberry Curve, driving, Messaging, sms, Text, texting while driving
Posted in Green, Messaging, Productivity, Reference, Travel and Maps | No Comments »

WhipCast for BlackBerry? Empty

Monday, November 2nd, 2009

whip-cast1

Republican representatives Eric Cantor of Virginia and Kevin McCarthy of California, aiming to compete with the Democrats’ technical edge, have released a new BlackBerry app. WhipCast is designed to be “a pocket card for the 21st century,” and to allow users to check talking points and bill facts, follow votes, plan floor action and supposedly even check out the latest jabs from the Daily Show.

“Today’s launch of the WhipCast BlackBerry app is the latest demonstration of our commitment to modernize the way we communicate with Americans from coast-to-coast,” Cantor said.

“I think it’ll go viral,” said McCarthy, the minority’s chief deputy whip, who is also the app’s chief evangelist.

But Kristie Greco, communications director for House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, wasn’t impressed. “They can roll out as many applications and technologies as they want, but their [approval] numbers are still at historic lows,” Greco said. “I don’t see how this helps them.”

Curious to check out the “Friday Funny,” I downloaded WhipCast.

Aside from an intro video with a retro spy-movie soundtrack, there was no content.

Every category turned up empty. No Talking Points, no Bill Facts, just *Empty*, *Empty*, *Empty*.

Tags: Applications, apps, Blackberry, Blackberry Curve, Congress, free
Posted in Political, Productivity | 1 Comment »

Barnes and Nobel eReader for BlackBerry Curve

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

I love to read so I’ve looked at a few eReaders and just downloaded the free Barnes & Nobel version. If you aren’t familiar with the term eReader it is way to read books electronically.

Bottom line – personally, I’m still a fan of the old school paper format but given my desire to lower the number of trees I destroy and the fact that I don’t have much time to make it to the library I think that digital books are worth a try. Who knows, maybe I can evolve.

Here’s what I like about the Barnes and Nobel version…
-Access: I can easily read my e-Books from my BlackBerry Curve or any PC or Mac. I just log into my B&N account and they’re available. This feature also benefits me if I switch devices. Since the e-Books are stored on my personal library at BN.com, I can download the ones I want anytime to any supported device.

-Selection: The library touts more than 700,000 titles (Amazon has about 300,000). You can even download 500,000 free public domain books courtesy of Google Books.

-Try before you buy: Read the first chapter for free before buying the book by clicking “Get Free Sample”. They even included five free books with the eReader download – Classics like Pride and Prejudice, Dracula and a dictionary. This gave me a good opportunity to test out the interface and features before investing more.

Here’s what I was worried about…
-
-Cost: The reader is free, but the e-books aren’t. e-Books cost less than what you’d pay to buy a physical copy, but it adds up as you start to build a library. Many best sellers go for $9.99. You’ll also need a mobile data plan to download the books. Most Smartphones come with an unlimited data plan but if you have a pay as you go plan this may add up quickly.

-Memory: How much space does each book take? It wasn’t immediately obvious to me where to find this, but B&N must have some issue with this since they include a memory check with the eReader to alert you if there is limited space on your device. If you plan to use the reader a lot I recommend investing in a larger memory card for your BlackBerry.

-Time to Load: The books take a while to load and I noticed that when I’d switch chapters there was a significant time delay. Once the section I’m reading is loaded however, it worked fairly well. I checked a few tech blogs and it looks like this is an issue that some people have experienced and others have not. Worst case scenario you just have to mess with it a little bit and be patient. I’m not a terribly patient person and found the wait to be long but not enough to prevent me from using the application.

-Usability: How enjoyable is it to read a novel on such a small form factor? This clearly is a personal preference, but for me it worked. I like that when I’m out and about I can read conveniently on my BlackBerry Curve and then when I’m home I can keep reading on my laptop. I always have my phone with me but there are many instances where I don’t want to carry a book or larger eReader as well.

-How to use: I’ve only started using this app but one tip I can give is that if you’re using a BlackBerry you’ll want to use the BlackBerry key (with the BlackBerry dots on it) to get access to the applications menu. That will allow you to change font sizes, skip to new sections, add bookmarks to the section you’ve just read, and finally close the application. All features that you’ll need!

The download was simple and just takes a minute. Go to bn.com on your device’s browser and click the link Download free B&N eReader App. Once installed, you’ll need to enter your B&N account info or create a new account.

Tags: Applications, Blackberry, Entertainment, ereader
Posted in Entertainment | 4 Comments »

Green (Carbon) Calculator for BlackBerry Curve

Friday, October 9th, 2009

thumbgreencalculator When browsing the Handmark mobile content store I recently found a Green Calculator and decided to try it out. The Green Calculator is a mobile application designed to make you more aware about how to lower your impact on the environment and save on energy costs. It calculates your personal CO2 emission footprint based on your lifestyle choices, specifically from activities such as flying, driving and using daily household appliances.

The main screen offers a few choices: calculate CO2 emissions based on lifestyle (i.e. # bedrooms in house, # people, AC/Heating usage) or by event (i.e. driving or flying) or review of Tips and Tricks. I started by entering info about my lifestyle. As more data is entered it shows the amount of CO2 generated. If I select energy efficient light bulbs it goes down. Check that I leave the heat on up to 6 months a year and it goes up. The application also compares use to the world’s average.

Moving on, I checked out the MyEvents category. Here I calculated the impact of a possible 120 mile road trip. The Tips and Tricks section gives tips on AC/heating, driving, home electronics, appliances, water heaters and more. Unfortunately, there are not numerous tips here, but some are useful.

While this application isn’t going to impact major change, it’s a fun way to spend a little bit of time educating yourself or others about energy use. I purchased my Green Calculator for $4.99 from Handmark and it runs on my CREDO Mobile BlackBerry Curve. Handmark offers the Green Calculator for a selection of other phones to.

Here’s how to download it:

Go to Handmark’s site.
On the site – select your handset model and type “Green Calculator” into the search box.
In order to download the application you’ll need to set up an account. Handmark charges downloads to a credit card, debit card, or paypal account that you provide. Handmark is a partner that CREDO recommends to our customers for Smartphone content. In addition to the BlackBerry, Handmark offers content and applications for many other phones including almost all smartphones and some standard phones including the Motorola Razor. Handmark also provides content across all operators so you can download the Green Calculator application even if you do not have a CREDO Mobile phone.
Once you purchase a piece of content, you’ll receive a text message with a link to download the application. You’ll need to have a phone with a data service plan in order to access the mobile web link and download the calculator or any other application you’ve purchased.
After you have successfully downloaded the application you’ll find the application’s Icon on your phone’s main menu/icon list.

If you find other green mobile applications I’d love to hear about them.

Tags: Applications, Blackberry, Blackberry Curve, Green, Handmark
Posted in Entertainment, Green | 11 Comments »

A review of mobile GPS Navigation Apps for BlackBerry, Katana and more.

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009

I am a frequent user of mobile navigation tools and I hadn’t checked for the latest and greatest recently. I decided to do a little investigation of a few of the programs available. I started by reviewing a new navigation application available within CREDO Mobile’s myContent store – the TeleNav GPS Navigator which works on several standard telephones. Next, I checked out MapQuest 4 Mobile and MapQuest Navigator that both work on the BlackBerry Curve.

If you’re a current CREDO Mobile customer one great option is the TeleNav GPS Navigator application that’s newly available from the myContent store on your phone. It works on the following devices: LG 260/Rumor, Sanyo Eclipse, Sanyo LX, Sanyo Katana, and Sanyo Katana II. TeleNav’s GPS Navigator application offers voice-guided turn by turn directions and all the other features you’d expect from a full GPS navigation device. You get functions you’d have with a unit installed in your car but the convenience of being able to use it anywhere, even when walking or on your bike. To get the TeleNav app go to the myContent button on your CREDO Mobile phone and click the following links to locate the application. “Get New /Applications/GPS” The service is $9.99 per month and the subscription can be cancelled at anytime from the myContent feature on your phone.

If $9.99 is too pricy, a free option can be found with MapQuest 4 Mobile: which works essentially like the version you use on a PC. You can search for a business by name; get directions, view maps, get traffic updates and access My Places. To get My Places on your BlackBerry make sure you have a profile at www.mapquest.com. When you save maps and routes there, you can access them via MapQuest 4 Mobile when you’re out. It even has a cool Find Me feature that works with the phone’s GPS to track where you’re at.
Go to m.mq4m.com on your Blackberry to download the application and check it out.

MapQuest Navigator: For $49.99/year (or $9.99/month) you can get all the bells and whistles you may expect from navigation software across several phone models and carriers. This version offers voice-guided personal navigation that helps you find the optimum route, avoid traffic, find the cheapest gas nearby, and locate the best restaurants and venues as rated by AOL City Best®.
The offer of a free 7-day trial and voice navigation are alluring. Living in a hands-free driving state, voice navigation is the way to go when on the road. To learn more go to MapQuest Navigator.

There are numerous navigation options out there. I’d like to hear about others that you’ve tried as well.

Tags: Applications, Blackberry, Eclispe, GPS, Katana, Navigation, Rumor
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

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Mobile Apptitude

Posts Tagged ‘Applications’

What I’ve been up to..

Finding a Parking Spot with Your Mobile Phone

Food Network Everyday Chef for BlackBerry Curve

BeBuzz – A Rainbow of Alert Possibilities

DriveSafely. Just say no to TWD.

WhipCast for BlackBerry? Empty

Barnes and Nobel eReader for BlackBerry Curve

Green (Carbon) Calculator for BlackBerry Curve

A review of mobile GPS Navigation Apps for BlackBerry, Katana and more.

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