Mobile gadgets running Blackberry & Android OS'
Posts tagged Apps reviews
[en] A new/old track from GPSLogger [tech-head/GSM/BlackBerry]
0943 days
Because Everytrail has gone thru big changes at some point more than a month and a half ago, I wasn’t able to upload this track and also add pictures.
But now, thanks to the new layout, everything works perfectly. Here it is. Also by GPSLogger! This is what you can do with a BlackBerry!
Enjoy!
A walk in Nessebar, Bulgaria
[en] BlackBerry review: a Data Counter for my Bold [GSM/Blackberry/apps review/tech-head]
21017 days
So, what’s the most usual complain you get with people using BlackBerry? I really didn’t do a Top 3 or a Top 10, but one of the most common is the fact that Blackberry doesn’t have a data counter.
And I’m sure they know it but have no reason really to let you know exactly how much (money and time) you’ve wasted using the device. God forbids, you might wanna cut back on usage!
For a long, long time nobody thought (or cared) to make an app designed to count the Mb you use daily, weekly, monthly. For a while I used Mini Moni, which measures the band width rather than the consumption. Of course, it can’t tell you the Wi-Fi usage against the GSM or Roaming usage, which really kills the data counter purpose.
For a long, long time nobody thought (or cared) to make an app designed to count the Mb you use daily, weekly, monthly. For a while I used Mini Moni, which measures the band width rather than the consumption. Of course, it can’t tell you the Wi-Fi usage against the GSM or Roaming usage, which really kills the data counter purpose.
What is extremely unpleasant is the fact that all the GSM operators are charging considerable amounts of cash for a relative small usage (5 MB/ 15 MB/ 100 MB of traffic) subscription, so it’s really necessary to have the means to control it.
And then, by mistake, I found Mobile Data Alerter.
This little baby is the perfect example of how a BlackBerry application should be built. Its RAM footprint is small, the design is beautiful and the U.I is simple and complete.
Main screen:
As you can see, I have 2 connections available (self explanatory) and a 3rd field for Roaming. On the left you can see the consumption and on the right you can see the limits I imposed. The setting can be adjusted with any data limit, as you can see in the lower screen-shot.
Another interesting section is the “Active applications” in which you can see the potential data consuming apps – it’s nice to have especially since it will signal you if any of the ones above starts consuming a lot of data.
My only gripe is that is always running in the back putting the strain on the already small value of RAM available on my Bold. But I guess it’s always a trade-off, you lose some in order to get some.
This app is a definitive keeper. Get it here.
[en] BlackBerry Review – BB Robot Scheduler [BlackBerry/GSM/tech-head]
01022 days
I tend to check BB forums, software selling sites and other’s experiences quite often, so I am up-to-date with all the new applications arriving on the market.
At some point, I needed an auto-starting application, an application that would start-up other applications without my intervention. While for other OS like Symbian this is just a routine task, for the BlackBerry OS is something new. Not only that there aren’t too many apps available but even the OS is imposing certain rules: an application can’t be shut down by another app automatically, it can’t change profiles or restart the phone if the keyboard is locked or the phone is holstered.And with all those, the BB Robot Scheduler is an app that offers you a lot of options to automatize quite a few of your daily tasks.
BB Robot Scheduler is done by Computerinbed, a company known for another apps for BlackBerry, like Radio OnOff.
But BBRS is the most important. It lets you schedule a lot of tasks like reset, shut off the radio, send e-mail / sms / GPS position, play or record audio, make or fake a(n incoming) phonecall, show a pop-up message, play a tone, vibrate, launch an application or the browser, lock the phone, flash the led, etc. really, at least 20 processes, all can be scheduled and automatized.
The scheduling process is quite simple…after you get the hang of it doing it a few times because there are some steps you have to follow in order to have an effective program:
-open the menu and press “Make a Scheduler”
- choose a name, when to start (now, date or delay after this moment), recurrence [minute(s), hour(s), day(s)]
- save
- choose the action (send e-mail, sms, pop-up message, fake call, restart, etc)
- choose destination
- save
That’s it! It supports a number of rules (can’t assess exactly how many but a lot,anyway) and can be set at any time. The OS can take more rules at the same time but I advise you to set it at different hours, even if minutes apart.
And now, for my experience: I don’t use it because I don’t need 95% of its features! And I guess it leaks my RAM. If it’s not, it probably uses it and the Garbage Collector can’t recover it. Either way, my RAM decreases very quickly since I’ve installed BBRS. Actually, I DID need a couple of them, like auto-stating apps in the morning and resetting the phone at 6 A.M in the morning but the BBRS’ memory foot print is too big for me and takes quite some RAM. I wasn’t able to find out exactly how much but it seems like a lot [BBRS (sometimes) runs in the background even if you can't see it with the task manager] for 2-3 programs I like to have started in the morning automatically. I kept it because I paid for it (yes, it’s not a free program) but now I found a new tiny lil’ program doing EXACTLY what I need: Start Me Up – small RAM footprint, doesn’t run in the background eating RAM and it’s free.
And to summarize this review, I gotta say I like the multiple tasks, the stability and the fast replies from the creator of this program – you’ve been a great help! I wanted to un-install it but I won’t because of all the features it holds; I will need some on the spot like: – send GPS position by email, fake incoming call, show message pop-up, etc. This program runs very well, never crashed neither failed to run whatever rule I added.
It’s been 3$ on special offer here (nice review,too!).
[en] Blackberry’s Later Dude updated [Blackberry/GSM/tech-head]
01050 days
As reviewed earlier, the free Later Dude Blackberry call reminder app from FabianH gets an update.
So what´s new in this one? Fabian listened to us:
So what´s new in this one? Fabian listened to us:
- change the reminder date freely to whichever suits the user better
- instead of a 3 hours reminder, now the user can set it up to a week
- 1 minute event created in the Calendar
- bugs fixed
I am glad this app evolves even if it’s a free one. Looking forward to further development. Download here.
[en] LaterDude – do I need a call reminder?! [Blackberry/tech-head/GSM]
01061 days
I don’t need a call reminder! I have the Calendar, I have the Tasks, and finally, if needed I can always hit the “snooze” button and delay the calling with 10 to 15 minutes (due to be changed as the owner pleases in the Calendar options).
Now, if I snooze it repeatedly I will get annoyed, I’ll annoy the people around me and finally, I’ll forget all about it. So it seems like yes, I do need a call reminder. A simple one to integrate into the BB menu. I don’t like to get another icon that I have no place to put it to or to hide it.
© http://mobileutil.com
LaterDude integrates with you Calendar application and provides a way to set a call reminder on the run, with just a few clicks.
Additionally, you can edit the phone number (why would you do that if you’re on the run?!), add a location and a note. I don’t know how big it can be but I imagine you do have a lot of words for a note.The application will make an “appointment” into the calendar and ask you to define when you need to be reminded of the call.
or
And from the user’s point of view, that’s about it. The program it’s supported by all OS’, so try it out a.s.a.p. Be sure to follow instruction upon installation because if you don’t you’ll end-up just like me: you set up the delay to 5 minutes or whatever, and when you save it, it’ll start ringing (reminding you) right away. This happened because I didn’t set the Calendar default reminder to 0, as requested in the instructions here. If you do that, you’ll be just fine.
Oh, did I mention it’s free? Oh, yeah!:-)
[en] Weather Bug review [BlackBerry/tech-head/GSM]
01066 days
Each time I want a program able to do something, I can’t find it. Then, after I realize I have a Blackberry in my hands (you know, not a ton of programs available) and I forget all about that, I find it.
And I’m asking for the simpler things in life: like a weather program. We all know the weather’s really unpredictable and that even the ones in the business make mistakes most of the times. But I still need a program to tell me how the weather’s gonna be (forecast) rather about how it is at the moment-I can see; I look up and see it’s hot or it’s raining.
Unfortunately, there are only a handful of BlackBerry weather programs available and only a few available in Romania (not so many users I think!). This example is about numbers: a top 5. That’s all. Only five apps to be considered for one of the best professional mobile platforms in the world; it’s like businessmen or Berry-addicts do not need or care about the weather. Or you need to be a businessman to afford one of the good apps. But some things in life are free and very good.
Let’s take Weather Bug for example: it belongs to a big company, AWS Convergence Technologies, Inc. . The smart people running this company decided that it would be better to invest in developing a nice app for BlackBerry, rather that spending a great deal of $ on publicity. And the program works! It’s free, the UI is simple and functional and the information is plentiful.The app is fast, intuitive and it won’t stay on all the time eating your RAM.
As above, there is an icon on the homescreen refreshing at a rate between 15 minutes and 4 hours. There is also a “manual” updating mode and a choice in which you can have additional info like “hi/low temperature”or none.
As seen above, the application has a wide variety of features including a video and camera view, a map pin-point (Google Maps), locations, where you input all the cities of interest, a five days forecast and the daily conditions. The help file is also rich, you can directly visit the dedicated forum or email the developers. Another interesting and very useful feature is the “share button”, which opens up the e-mail client. You can send a screenshot (done automatically when using the feature) by email. Nifty!
As you can see, the program’s add supported but the banner is very small and unobtrusive. Talking about friendly UI: by positioning the cursor over the city name it will allow you to flick quickly through the cities rolling your trackball left or right.
As for the details involved, you get a forecast for the day, the minimum dew point, speed and wind-temperature, humidity and the most important, “feels like” temperature.
As for functionality, the apps’ right most of the times. If you take into consideration I’m half-way across the globe, I’m ok with it when it’s not accurate. But hey, this happens when you talk about the weather.
You can get it here – also avalable for Android and Iphone.
