Have you ever been reading an email on your phone and your phone shuts off the screen display. We all set our phones to automatically shut our display off to save our battery life. You know if you have a data phone how easy it is do drain the battery life of your device. All it takes is a short road trip with your navigation app running, while listening to a podcast and your battery could be half gone or completely gone. Everyone needs a way to save some battery life anyway possible. That’s why you need Screebl.
How Does It Work? Screebl is an app that turns your phone’s display on or off based on the orientation of your phone. This is a great app to have in your toolbox. Once you have configured the app, it monitors the position of your phone and shuts off your screen when it is not in reading range. All of this awesome functionality, with no intrusion of ads.
How Does Screebl Save Power? Remember your display is the largest drain on your battery for most devices. The idea is that you will set your display screen time out very low(mine is 15 sec). Then once your phone is no longer in the configured range it unlocks the screen on, and allows the display to power down.
I think this is a great app. I do a lot of reading on my phone and it always annoyed me when I was in the middle of reading something and my phone turned off. Now that I have Screebl it’s always on when I’m reading and when I put it down it turns off in 15 seconds.
I recently published an article about a podcasting app that I enjoy using called Stitcher Radio. After talking with a few people about the app I realized that a lot of people do not know what podcasting is. In this article, I am going to describe exactly what podcasting is, and why you need to listen to podcasts. I will also give you some direct links to the shows that I listen to weekly. I think that podcasting is a great way for people with little time to get great content. Did I mention that its free. OK maybe some people charge for their podcasts(I’m playing it safe), but all of the podcasts that I listen to are delivered to me for free.
What is podcasting: Imagine being able to search for any information you would like to learn about, or any topic you are interested in. I have good news that’s exactly what podcasts are. Podcasts can also be any type of syndicated radio show that is played on air or a radio station. Imagine them as on demand radio style content available around the clock, or whenever you have the time. Some shows are 5 min long; some shows last hours. Most podcasting apps allow you to search for anything, and they will have a listing of categories you can scroll through.
Why do YOU need to listen to podcasts: Because you don’t have time to sit around reading all day to learn the things you want to know, or the things you wished you would have learned when you where still in school. Also if you have an interest in a topic, but don’t think you have the time to invest in it. I think you may be able to find time to listen to a podcast while doing these things and you don’t know it yet.
Commuting to work
Traveling while at work
Lunch break
During work(as long as it’s safe and you’re not stealing time from your company!)
Doing housework
Driving with your family on a road trip(and everyone in the car is sleeping but you)
During exercise
On a plane, train, or boat
Turn off the TV: Turn off the TV one night a week and learn something. We all stare at the TV week after week watching shows at night. Sometimes you can’t even find a program you want to watch so you settle for a movie or episode you have already seen. I have an idea: turn off the TV and fire up a podcast about something your interested in, or something you have always wanted to learn. Maybe you should get on the treadmill in your bedroom, with tomorrows work clothes hanging on it, while you listen.
Why am I so passionate about podcasting: I travel for work and it gets very boring. I have started listening to many podcasts while I am at work. I have learned a great deal of information about topics I am interested in. In addition to that I have found many motivational and leadership based podcasts that inspire me weekly to do the things in life I never thought that I could.
Listed below are some of the shows I listen to on a weekly basis: The links I have provided below will take you directly to that show’s preview page inside iTunes. From that page you can read a brief summary of the show and/or start listening. Make sure you bookmark your favorites, and give your podcaster a positive review if you are enjoying listening to their work. All of the podcasts I have linked to are available for free. Alternatively if you are an Android phone user you can download Stitcher Radio and do a search inside your app for the shows I have listed. I would also like to add, you can download Stitcher Radio for almost any data phone or tablet(iPhone,iPad, Kindle. etc.).
I hope you will take the time to check out these shows. If you do not currently listen to any podcasts, I truly believe you are missing out on a great learning/entertaining opportunity. Do you have an awesome podcast that you listen to regularly? If so, leave it in the comments and if it’s worthy of my list, I might add it.
Do you have a great App that I should know about? Do you have the next great App idea? If so please send me an email of your Apps or Ideas. Who do you know that needs to be introduced to the world of podcasting.
I have an idea for an app that I can’t seem to find. I am a truck driver for my job and it would really help me if there was a mapping app that would allow me to enter multiple destinations. I use Google Maps now, but it only lets me enter one destination. I have 8-10 stops a day and I would like to enter them all in the morning when I start my day. Thanks.
Steve
That is a great idea Steve, but I have good news. We don’t need to build an app for that; because it already exists. The app you need is called MapQuest. This app is similar to Google Maps, but there are a few extra features included. MapQuest has the option of entering multiple destinations and it also has a night mode. I have created a screenshot tutorial to walk you through the process. Please note, I took all the screenshots in night mode to illustrate that feature also.
1. To get things started, go to the Directions button(located in your app menu) and type in two locations. Once both locations are identified and your directions are created, you should be at this screen. Click the Actions tab at the top right.
2. Select the Edit Route button.
3. Select the + Add a Location button.
4. Now type in your additional location.
5. Now you have selected your additional location. Then press the Get Directions button at the bottom right of the screen.
6. Now we are back at the map screen with our third destination shown. If you would like to add more locations, do so in step 5 before pressing the Get Directions button.
Do you have a great App that I should know about? Do you have the next great App idea? If so please send me an email of your Apps or Ideas. Who do you know that needs the Mapquest App? Do you have a friend or co-worker that could use a map app with multiple destination options? If so, please share this post with them. Also don’t forget to subscribe to my Rss or Email feed so you can be notified when I have a new post.
If this post is at the top of a category you have chosen; then I have not posted an article or review for this category yet. If you have an idea or if you are looking for something specific please send me an email. I have a long list of content scheduled to be reviewed. Please bookmark the site and check back. Thanks.
Bubble Bubble Blast by Finger Fantasy Studio is my daughters favorite game to play on my HTC EVO. I can see why, I think it is a great game myself. It is simple and fun; with a twist. You are probably wondering what the twist is. The twist is the best part of this game. Bubble Bubble Blast’s theme is a creepy gloomy forest, but it’s not too scary. The game has the feeling of Halloween. My 8-year-old actually calls the game “the Halloween Game”.
Game Play: The Game is simple and it works well. There are plenty of levels to keep you busy for quit a while. There are Ghosts in the background and creepy music playing during game play. Tap the screen to shoot the ball where you want it to go. Group 3 or more bubbles to make them blast. Blast all the bubbles on your screen and that level is history. Unless you want to try again and get a better score.
I have also recently discovered Bubble Bubble Blast II. It is the sequel to the first game. It does have some great new features. I have placed links to download both games below.
Stitcher Radio is one of my favorite free mobile applications. Stitcher allows you to choose from over 10,000 shows, podcasts, and live radio stations. You can browse by topic, category, or search by interest. I listen on my way to work and when I am traveling. This allows me to learn new things and find out whats going on in the news. I think of it as my own personal commuter university.
FEATURES: With Stitcher radio you can create custom stations of interest, with your favorite shows and podcasts inside those stations. While you are streaming content Stitcher provides listings to previous shows, and recommendations for other shows of your interest. One of the newest features is the ability to share your favorite shows with your Facebook friends. The Stitcher App offers a feedback button; it is located in the menu of the now playing screen. I think the feedback button shows Stitchers great dedication to their user. The greatest feature of Stitcher Radio is, all of this content is available without syncing or downloading anything to your phone. All content is updated as soon as the publisher/provider produces new content.
USER INTERFACE: Stitcher has a very simple and smooth UI. When you open Stitcher, you will start with five options: Election Center, On Demand Shows, Live Radio, Front Page, and My Favorites. From there you proceed into those categories and choose your content. Then once you are in the now playing screen you have many options:
Search
Back Up 30 sec.
Progress Bar/Slider
Social Sharing
Thumbs Up
Thumbs Down
Mark As Favorite
Play/Pause
Skip
Other Podcast Suggestions
Past Episodes
CONNECTIVITY: I have very little trouble with Stitcher loosing signal or freezing up; due to connectivity issues. If signal is lost and restarting the App is necessary Stitcher remembers where It was in that podcast and content resumes.
SUGGESTIONS: There is one feature that I wish Stitcher would add. That is the ability to manually mark the podcasts in my favorites section as, listened to. There are some cases in which I start listening to a podcast without finishing it. It may be a podcast I listen to regularly and it will still appear to have fresh content if I do not listen all the way through.
Do you have a great App that I should know about? Do you have the next great App idea? If so please send me an email of your Apps or Ideas. Who do you know that needs the Stitcher App. Does your spouse or boss need to go to their own commuter university? If so share this article with them.
Applicationtalk.com is a blog where you can find reviews on great apps and you can post your new App ideas. I travel a lot for work and I talk to a lot of people about their mobile apps. I also hear a lot of great ideas that go untold to the audience that needs to hear them. I am not a mobile expert, but I do love researching new Apps. I can’t wait to bring you my findings.
App Reviews: I will be writing a review each week for the Apps I think you need. I will also be posting short articles about how to use some more detailed, in-depth Apps. My posts will include Apple and Android based Applications all categories. I will only be posting one App review per week.
New App Ideas: I am looking for new App ideas. Whatever category it might fit into. Please email me your App idea. I will post an article about your idea, and we will start a discussion about it. I want to build a community that shares ideas. If you would like to build on any ideas that are already posted; please leave your thoughts in the comment areas under that post. Developers can look through the ideas and find there next big project.
Your Favorite Apps: Do you have an App that is great? Please send me an email with all the Apps info so I can check it out.
Much more to come: Please bookmark this blog so you can check back. This blog has just been launched as of 8-28-2012.
Have you ever been reading an email on your phone and your phone shuts off the screen display. We all set our phones to automatically shut our display off to save our battery life. You know if you have a data phone how easy it is do drain the battery life of your device. All it takes is a short road trip with your navigation app running, while listening to a podcast and your battery could be half gone or completely gone. Everyone needs a way to save some battery life anyway possible. That’s why you need Screebl.
How Does It Work? Screebl is an app that turns your phone’s display on or off based on the orientation of your phone. This is a great app to have in your toolbox. Once you have configured the app, it monitors the position of your phone and shuts off your screen when it is not in reading range. All of this awesome functionality, with no intrusion of ads.
