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Monday Tip - Apps For The Outdoors
This week, we pick out some cool apps to enhance your outdoors experience.
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Metric Kate
07/02/2011 at 14:27
Ok, what about Apps for those of us who don't have a full range of Apple products?

What Apps are out there for Symbian (apart from Viewranger and UTM Data - useful grid ref app), or perhaps more pertinently given the way non-apple smartphones are going, for Androis (apart from Viewranger)?
PirateDani
07/02/2011 at 14:41
what about us people who dont have a smart phone of any kind? Back to the abacus...
Jon Doran
07/02/2011 at 15:16
Dunno, any Symbian/Abdroid users care to comment? I would go for a pocket calculator over the abacus every time btw.

OutdoorsMagic Editor | jon@outdoorsmagic.com 

Catherine Lloyd
07/02/2011 at 15:52
WeatherPro isn't only on Apple - it's also on Android and Windows Phone 7 and literally just launched on BlackBerry too. It's definitely the best weather app on the market - by far the most accurate.
Mr Sworld
07/02/2011 at 16:07

I have on my Android at the moment:

First Aid Assist A First Aid 'reminder'

Grid Reference Will convert your GPS location into OS co-ordinates

Peak.ar Want to know what that mountain is in the distance? Hold the phone upto it and it will overlay the peaks onto your screen

Rainy Days Shows the weather radar for the UK so you can get an idea when the clouds and rain are about to arrive.

Androids also come pre-loaded with Google Sky Map (tells you what stars you are looking at) and My Tracks (will track you and the results can be uploaded to Google Maps or as various file formats (GPX, KML, CSV and TCX).

I've also just found British Hills which lists all the Munro's, Marylins etc in the UK. It looks quite good and it allows you to tick off the ones you've done.

Sig's are a waste of bandwidth...

Metric Kate
07/02/2011 at 16:21

Excellent, thanks Sworldy.

Everyone, please continue to post any Outdoors apps for Androids, since my Symbian will almost certainly be turning into an Android shortly!

Anthony Dyer
07/02/2011 at 20:50
http://panoramascope.com/

Nuff said!
Sara
08/02/2011 at 11:00
For Android, Google Sky Map is quite lovely!
Moorland Gentleman
08/02/2011 at 12:37

I was going to mention My Tracks too but I see Sworld already has it down. There's a few there I would like to check.

Kate, any idea on handset yet?

EDIT: Seems that First Aid Assist isn't on market for Wildfire, often if an app was made before it got released it misses the market as they can't gurantee it will work.

Edited: 08/02/2011 at 12:41
Jim Steel
08/02/2011 at 12:54
It doesn't have to be an app. Apps are designed for the small screen of a phone, but there are alternatives using familiar websites:
- for weather MWIS has a mobile friendly version at http://www.mwis.org.uk/mobile
- the Opera browser for phones (http://www.opera.com/mobile/) renders webpages into more usable versions for the screen size - though not always as much as dedicated apps do
- even ordinary webpages are usable if you can zoom in easily
Tall PC
08/02/2011 at 16:53
What about Blackberry users? I mean I use one fo these for work as they are a no nonesense work tool but wiht the gPS on it and the BB app store there should be plenty of scope for outdoors apps but nothing. Absolutely nothing. I don't even thin viewranger will work on it.
Metric Kate
08/02/2011 at 17:17
MG - I suspect it'll be the HTC Desire (non HD version), but it depends whether I can get a good deal from Voda.
Mr Sworld
08/02/2011 at 17:46

I've got the Desire Kate and while it is a good phone I'm unsure if I would get one again after using it.

It's not the battery issue (all smart phones will have a short battery life) however the Desire doesn't have a big internal memory. The Android 2.2 operating system does address this to an extent by allowing Apps to be moved onto the memory card but some things cannot be moved.

Flash, for example, takes a 11MB(!) chunk of memory to work and I've had to remove it from the phone to allow software upgrades to download properly.

I can't recommend an alternative at the moment as I'm still tied into a contract but it is worth looking for a phone with a large internal memory or one that will allow you  to use external memory.

Sig's are a waste of bandwidth...

Ray Britton
11/02/2011 at 11:48
Hi Kate.
Can you explain in more detail what app you would like for androids?
My son is an android app designer, and I will pass on your reply.

Maybe can make one :)
Neil Wilson-Harris 2
11/02/2011 at 14:05
Hi Jon,

thanks for mentioning RouteBuddy Atlas in your article, though our iOS app (iPad and iPhone) isn't Mac-specific at all…

Both Windows and Mac users can easily transfer our Ordnance Survey maps (and geo-data) between their computers and RouteBuddy Atlas on their iPad or iPhone.

(Of course the advantage is Mac users can also use the same Ordnance Survey maps from our store on their Mac as well!)

BTW - With our free apps any user doesn't need 'GridPoint GB' either, as we not only show, and convert on-the-fly, between OSNG, UTM and Lat/Lon; Note - there are also free Ordnance Survey and online maps available which adds to usability.

Check out our very popular GB Road Atlas 250K, with all the above features, right here:http://bit.ly/RoadAtlas250K

~ Neil
Jerry Atric
14/02/2011 at 20:37

Kate

 I just got the Desire (non HD), great phone and functionality.

I havent found the same problem as Mr Sworld yet, but had an issue setting e-mail up through Orange. I managed to get a bigger battery and new back of e-bay for £10 which seems to help.

Dont intend to use the GPS unless I really need to when out - but what feedback is there on viewranger.

Oh! and my vote goes to Google sky maps as well.

Edited: 14/02/2011 at 20:44
Metric Kate
03/05/2011 at 19:35

Just resurrecting this thread as my Android phone is coming a month earlier than expected following a theft yesterday. So, apart from adding Ray Junior's My Grid Ref to the list, any other Android apps that'd be worth looking at?

Including a decend backgammon program if anyone's come across one

Skippy the Roo
03/05/2011 at 20:24


Just thought I'd add my fav's form Iphone but most can be found for android too


Motionx GPS and tracker always running when I'm out on walks

My Altitude

SAS Survival (the books great too written Lofty Wiseman Legend)

Star walk just hold it to the sky and it names all the stars etc

Hill list great for tagging your hills

Geocaching great fun and passes a lot of time when out

wild forager is ok but waiting for a better one


Kindle for Iphone

weather +

and the odd game or two

A very good app if you get signal is whattsapp, a message service which works from an email account, as long as the person the other end has this app message, send photos or video all free from anywhere around the world.

Just a few well used apps

And to top it all just got a Veho Pepple to recharge phone so can use apps when ever and not worry about draining battery.

Hope these help you

skippy
Dorian
03/05/2011 at 20:34

Can't add any more apps to those listed above but I find that the mobile website version of Met Office valuable as it provides the mountain specific forecasts.

BTW good apps but not walking specific include Dilbert, Phone Usage, GPS Status, Opera mini, Vlingo.

BTW I have the HTC Wildfire and would highly recommend it.

Metric Kate
03/05/2011 at 20:37
Thanks Skippy and Dorian. I agree with you on Met Office mobile and Opera Mini, Dorian, I was very happy with those on the Symbian Nokia that was nicked yesterday!
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