My First Smart Phone

[rocketsocks]

Some apps you may enjoy:

Weather Underground (Free and shows as WU on a black background) has a great weather application that will target the nearest reporting station to your location, showing live radar (animates weather) and a host of supporting information from general week long forecasts to dew point levels. I have avoided serious weather using this feature that kept me holed up as it boiled past and can plan for a cold night wind that may come from a non prevailing direction, etc.

For navigation back up there is Motion X GPS application ($3), though it is a power pig. I don't use this unless my primary hand held GPS goes down, however it has been useful in the past.

The Audubon collection of Birds, Animals, Plants, and Trees in a single app ($5) is a great reference tool to identify things you run across all over North America.

Trails.com has an app you can use to find trails, you have to have a subscription to download this app.

Compass - there are dozens of compass apps that can be very useful, most of them are free.

Beacon - Unsure if there is a cost for this or not, but its used to plant a "beacon" by a car in a very big parking lot for example, so you can find your way back to it. I have used this to stash packs near roads and find my way back to the pack if I return after dark or in bad weather that can cause confusion.

Applications on Smartphones can be surprisingly adept when you are in range of cell towers, very few work on the GPS system satellites but some like Motion X can. These apps can be a tremendous power drain on these (especially Motion X), you have to be sure to manage your applications and keep them from running in the background when not using them, and keep them from updating automatically.

That is one thing I've leaned/learning to do, very helpful. Airplane mode seems to handle it all, but I may be missing some things I don't know about, any thoughts on his...or is it best to just manage each individually?

Thanks for the app suggestions, will check all those out.

[Traveler]

That is one thing I've leaned/learning to do, very helpful. Airplane mode seems to handle it all, but I may be missing some things I don't know about, any thoughts on his...or is it best to just manage each individually?

Thanks for the app suggestions, will check all those out.

Airplane mode also prevents email, text, voice calls, navigation, and map apps from working (they need to get a signal to a tower or satellite), and it is easy to forget to turn on. Frankly, it doesn't sound like a bad idea to keep the Airplane mode on all the time and I use that a lot.

I prefer to manage apps individually. You should be able to shut down the auto update feature on these things with a single switch in the control panel of your Smartphone. It doesn't impact the app, but will usually put an indicator on the app button telling you there is an update for it. Then you can manually do the update when you have power.

[rocketsocks]

Airplane mode also prevents email, text, voice calls, navigation, and map apps from working (they need to get a signal to a tower or satellite), and it is easy to forget to turn on. Frankly, it doesn't sound like a bad idea to keep the Airplane mode on all the time and I use that a lot.

I prefer to manage apps individually. You should be able to shut down the auto update feature on these things with a single switch in the control panel of your Smartphone. It doesn't impact the app, but will usually put an indicator on the app button telling you there is an update for it. Then you can manually do the update when you have power.

Sounds like a plan, yeah I just gotta sit with each one an fool around with them, been leery of flippin' those switches. thanks AT Traveler.

[rafe]

Airplane mode is the way to go -- I've more or less figured that out for my Galaxy S4. I'd guess in that mode the phone could stay alive for at least 3 or 4 days (on stock battery.) It seemed to lose maybe 10-15% capacity per day in that mode, turning it on just to take photos or send a few text messages per day.

[rocketsocks]

oh no , so sorry to hear that. But know that you've saved yourself a ton of aggravation...when theses things work, they're great, when they don't and get finicky and affect every other computer program you have, they..... well, I can't say here @%$#*&.

...and as it were, this past week I spent about 2 hours at the iphone store having them wipe the phone clean and restore as it locked up...crashed. so far so good...running great, but as I said, they can be tons of aggravation.

I think it was something to do with me charging from my computer and it not recognizing the devise, and it only gave me the option to restore...ugh! that means reloaded everything without a viable backup this was a pain. The iphone store tech said "put on it what you want, and then update from the icloud and never plug it back into your computer again, charge from the wall instead"...works for me. thanks tech guy!

[rocketsocks]

Airplane mode is the way to go -- I've more or less figured that out for my Galaxy S4. I'd guess in that mode the phone could stay alive for at least 3 or 4 days (on stock battery.) It seemed to lose maybe 10-15% capacity per day in that mode, turning it on just to take photos or send a few text messages per day.

that is almost exactly what my numbers are as well, though I've be playing with the new toy left and right...Neato Burrito this thing is...I'm a fan of technology, got all my books on there, music out the wazoo, whiteblaze o'coarse, movies, word games, weather, field guides, maps...ect ect well you guys know. I'll still hump a book in the woods though...nothin like a good book.

[July]

that is almost exactly what my numbers are as well, though I've be playing with the new toy left and right...Neato Burrito this thing is...I'm a fan of technology, got all my books on there, music out the wazoo, whiteblaze o'coarse, movies, word games, weather, field guides, maps...ect ect well you guys know. I'll still hump a book in the woods though...nothin like a good book.

Socks you are seriously making me contemplate upgrading from my multi years old tracphone. I was feeling pretty highspeed with the calculator, alarm, mp3 and calender Funny side note, last year in the NC highcountry a few of us hit a road and checked service for a shuttle. iphones, galaxys, etc, and my humble lil tracphone was the only one to pull service signal Who wudda thought...

[rocketsocks]

Socks you are seriously making me contemplate upgrading from my multi years old tracphone. I was feeling pretty highspeed with the calculator, alarm, mp3 and calender Funny side note, last year in the NC highcountry a few of us hit a road and checked service for a shuttle. iphones, galaxys, etc, and my humble lil tracphone was the only one to pull service signal Who wudda thought...

I've personally only been on the net about 7 years now, gots lots a catchin up to do, fun stuff. we had a computer at the house, but I never used it really....didn't know how, MS Dos way back when.

[Venchka]

Tapatalk for this and many other Forums.
Cardiio. The coolest heart rate monitor. +1 for Runkeeper. Argus is a great pedometer. I leave it turned on all the and the phone in my pocket. Tracks steps. You could navigate with it.
iTunes (the app) for home computer and phone. Syncs all my tunes with the phone. Rips CDs too. Don't leave home without your tunes.

Wayne


Sent from somewhere around here.

[July]

I've personally only been on the net about 7 years now, gots lots a catchin up to do, fun stuff. we had a computer at the house, but I never used it really....didn't know how, MS Dos way back when.

Rasty said you are a Friend, come Home young Man

[Rolex]

That is one thing I've leaned/learning to do, very helpful. Airplane mode seems to handle it all, but I may be missing some things I don't know about, any thoughts on his...or is it best to just manage each individually?

Thanks for the app suggestions, will check all those out.

Rs, there is a compass built in the utilities. It has a couple of tricks also.
After the calibration and laying flat like you are going to use it, tapping the dial will "lock" the heading in and if you deviate from your course, draw a red arc showing you to be off course.

Under the numbers on the bottom are two dots showing a second page.
Swiping your finger from right to left brings up a level.
Standing the phone on either edge transforms the level to the bubble type to hang a picture straight, get tent uphill end, etc.

Don't trust it as a compass due to using cell signals for triangulation but free,built in and fun to play with. I use the level all the time around the house.

[rocketsocks]

Rasty said you are a Friend, come Home young Man

Rasty is a good dude!

[rocketsocks]

Rs, there is a compass built in the utilities. It has a couple of tricks also.
After the calibration and laying flat like you are going to use it, tapping the dial will "lock" the heading in and if you deviate from your course, draw a red arc showing you to be off course.

Under the numbers on the bottom are two dots showing a second page.
Swiping your finger from right to left brings up a level.
Standing the phone on either edge transforms the level to the bubble type to hang a picture straight, get tent uphill end, etc.

Don't trust it as a compass due to using cell signals for triangulation but free,built in and fun to play with. I use the level all the time around the house.

I've been looking at the Motion X, thanks for the tips/tricks, but may opt out of the whole GPS app thing altogether...so to speak. Proprietary GPS seems like it would be a huge drain on the battery. I'm running some other map app right now, that one alone is quite a draw...so just not sure now If I want to go the GPS route. I may just stick with Map apps through Avenza, and purchased maps of particular areas and the occasional "find me" satellite view. While tracking is a way cool feature, the power consumed may be more than I care to fool with. Thanks Rolex for the suggestions.

[freightliner]

A couple apps you might like to think about is CamFind. This app is great all you do is take a picture and it will search the web to find out what you're looking at. So if you see a flower and wonder what it is just take a picture and it will look it up on the web for you. The one app you should have front and center is the Pizza Hut app. There is nothing better then order a pizza and have it waiting for you at the shelter when you get there. I mean really who can wait to have pizza delivered. I usually end up pacing like a caged animal. You might just be amazed of how many Pizza Hut are along the trail that will deliver. Now if there was only an app for someone to deliver beer to the trail life would be perfect.

[Traveler]

I've been looking at the Motion X, thanks for the tips/tricks, but may opt out of the whole GPS app thing altogether...so to speak. Proprietary GPS seems like it would be a huge drain on the battery. I'm running some other map app right now, that one alone is quite a draw...so just not sure now If I want to go the GPS route. I may just stick with Map apps through Avenza, and purchased maps of particular areas and the occasional "find me" satellite view. While tracking is a way cool feature, the power consumed may be more than I care to fool with. Thanks Rolex for the suggestions.

The Motion-X app is good, but for use on long hikes or multiple days a hand held GPS unit would be better. Motion-X takes a lot of horsepower to run and will take a battery down fairly quickly. For short time use (hour or two), it won't have too high of a battery drain but will take my phone down to zero in about 7 hours.

[Deacon]

The Motion-X app is good, but for use on long hikes or multiple days a hand held GPS unit would be better. Motion-X takes a lot of horsepower to run and will take a battery down fairly quickly. For short time use (hour or two), it won't have too high of a battery drain but will take my phone down to zero in about 7 hours.

I concur. I use Motion-X just going for a walk at my local park, and I can say it drain battery very quickly. I have an iPhone 5, and when charged to 100%, two hours of Motion-X will take it down to around 65%. Not practical for trail use IMHO.

[karo]

I use the Newtrent Power Pack Extreme and it will charge everything you need for a week. Being Waterproof is what sold me on it. A little pricy but I got it on sale and shipped under 50 bucks. I also use a lifeguard case by otterbox of my cell esp. for use around water or wet conditions. You only need to be careful while charging because you have to open up the seals to run your charging cord.

[fredmugs]

I use Mapmyhike. I can use it for walking, biking, hiking, etc and it will track my distance, pace, etc plus log all of my workouts. Most trails are already on there.

If you get on the PCT then Halfmile's App is a must.