Android and Me |
- Keep track of your summer workouts with Endomondo Pro
- StubHub takes me out to the ball game this summer
- Lose It! can help you get the summer body you want
- Let Songza find your perfect party playlist
- Sony Smartwatch review
- The Nexus 7 is one tough little tablet
- Carrier confirms HTC One XL, HTC One S Android 4.1 update being prepped
| Keep track of your summer workouts with Endomondo Pro Posted: 19 Jul 2012 03:47 PM PDT  Working out can be hard when you don’t have any real goals you want to achieve. But once you have your goal set, put on your shoes, grab your Android phone and load up Endomondo Pro as you head out the door. Endomondo is one of the best fitness apps on Google Play and allows you to keep track of all your workouts – regardless of what sport or activity you find most enjoyable. The GoodTracking your workout: Endomondo Pro makes tracking your every move extremely simple. Load the app, select your workout activity and you’re ready to go. The app even has a delayed workout countdown (10, 20,30 or 60 seconds) so that you can set your music and get your phone tucked into your arm band before the workout begins. User Interface: There are countless workout apps on Google Play which are comparable to Endomondo in features, but it’s hard to find an app that’s easier to use. The newly revamped interface was created specifically with Android 4.0 in mind and makes using the app extremely intuitive. Whether you’re scrolling through your workout history, challenging a friend to a workout, or checking out local running or cycling routes, Endomondo is smooth, unified and a pleasure to use. Interval Training: While most of us are happy if we get a workout in once or twice a week, there are those who strive to improve on their workouts every time they leave the house. The Interval training feature in Endomondo allows you to select from a handful of pre-programmed interval training options, but the app also allows you to create your own interval program which can help you reach peak performance. Set a Goal: Looking to improve your endurance for a specific workout, run just a little bit farther, or burn a few more calories? Endomondo Pro’s Set a Goal feature allow you to set simple time, distance or calorie goals for yourself. Simply enter in the numbers and start your workout. Once you meet one of your goals, the app will alert you. Gallery
The not so GoodPrice: Endomondo Pro is a great app, but most will have a hard time justifying its $4.99 price point. Luckily, the free Endomondo app comes with most of the features included in the Pro version, but you will be giving up some of the goal setting abilities and interval training. Sharing: Tracking your workout is fun, but what’s the point if you’re the only one who knows you just finished your 5K run at a record setting pace? Endomondo Pro allows you to share your workouts with Facebook with a predefined message with your time, distance and calories burned during your workout. Updating Facebook is nice, but what if you want to share your results with your Twitter followers with a custom message or just send the results to one person via email or SMS? Tapping into Android’s Share intent would be a much better option and would allow users to share their workouts with dozens of apps rather than giving them a single Facebook sharing option. Battery Life: We all know that most smartphones suffer from poor battery life, but using Endomondo only exacerbates the problem. Since the app keeps track of your every move, its only natural that it can suck your phone’s battery dry with a few hours of use. If you’re going for an hour-long run or bike ride, you’ll probably notice a 15-25% battery drop while using Endomondo, so we really can’t recommend using the app if you plan on running a marathon or going on a long hike up a mountain. Endomondo Pro does have a low power mode feature which cuts back on battery consumption, but we found that it doesn’t make that much of a difference. Final WordsThere are dozens on apps out there that can track your workouts, but it’s hard to find one that really competes with Endomondo Pro. The price may be a bit high and we do have a few gripes about the app, but that hasn’t stopped me from using Endomondo Pro since I purchased it last year. I’d suggest trying out the free version to see how you like the app and you can always upgrade if you feel the interval training and goal setting options are worth the extra cash.
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| StubHub takes me out to the ball game this summer Posted: 19 Jul 2012 03:46 PM PDT  Football and basketball season are over, but baseball is starting to heat up as we enter the second half of the year. Now is the time to head to the ball park, but make sure you check out StubHub before you purchase your next ticket. The service offers an online marketplace for tickets and their Android app allows you to purchase tickets at a moments notice. Last year I was working in San Francisco across the street from AT&T Park and I quickly became a Giants fan. They had just won the World Series so most of their series sold out, but I still caught a lot of games by getting tickets on StubHub. AT&T Park is a beautiful stadium and it was nice to be able to enjoy the games from the seat I chose. The infield and upper deck provided amazing views, but I had the most fun sitting in the center field bleachers. Even if you are not a sports fan, StubHub provides tickets for concerts, theater and other live entertainment events. If you are looking to take the family out this summer and have a good time, check out the StubHub app and see what deals pop up. The GoodSee where your seats are located: This is the number one reason I use StubHub. I can get detailed ticket info before I make my purchase. All available seats are listed up front and you can drill down to any individual section. Get into sold out events: Even when events sell out at the box office, StubHub can still help you get to the event of your choice. You will likely be paying a higher price, but going to see your favorite band or attending a playoff game is priceless. Buy tickets below face value: StubHub lets sellers post tickets at any price they choose. You can often find season ticket holders who want to unload tickets that would otherwise go unused. That means you could buy a discounted ticket priced at $2, that might otherwise be sold for around $20 at the box office. Find events based on location: Users can search events based on their location or manually select from a list of cities. StubHub offers ticket listings for the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Filters for sports, concerts, theater and venues: When you live in a large metro area, it can be difficult to keep up with all the events that are taking place. StubHub has listings for every kind of performances and can help you discover events you might have missed. Sell tickets from your mobile device: This feature has been available on the StubHub site for years, and it was finally added to the mobile app in a recent update. The Not-so-goodUser interface is dated: This app is ugly and the layout needs a major overhaul. It still does not use the action bar introduced in Android 4.0, there is no tablet-optimized layout, and some elements do not display correctly on the latest Android 4.1. The developer needs to study the Android Design guidelines and go back to the drawing board. Unable to change date range: When searching for events, the user can only select Upcoming 7 days or All events. Upcoming events sometimes doesn’t show enough and all events takes more time to search. Low-res stadium maps: StubHub does a good job of capturing most stadium maps, but they are of very low quality. For the larger stadiums, it is difficult to read all the section levels as they get blurry when you zoom in. Tickets need to printed out: I understand there might be limitations with certain venues, but it would be nice if I could redeem my tickets directly on my Android phone instead of having to print them out. Final WordsI still use the StubHub app when I have an impulse to buy tickets on the go, but the experience leaves a lot to be desired. If StubHub could deliver digital tickets to my mobile device, I would definitely take advantage of the service more often. The app is also in bad need of a makeover, so there is plenty of opportunity for the developers to improve the user experience.
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| Lose It! can help you get the summer body you want Posted: 19 Jul 2012 03:44 PM PDT  Though you might not know it from looking at me now, I’ve always struggled with weight. In the summer between high school and college, I topped out at 225 pounds, which with a 6’0″ frame put me square in the “Morbidly Obese” category. I justified my increasing weight and waistline by my athletic physique; after all, I played a multitude of sports in high school, but I was more of a David Ortiz than a Jose Bautista (a chubby guy who could hit home runs instead of a lean, mean, fighting machine). My transition started that fall. I had chosen a college close to home, mostly due to the fact that my mother was seriously ill and I wanted to be close to her in case she needed extra care. She ended up passing away over the summer, leaving me at a school I didn’t really want to attend, with classes so easy I had significant amounts of free time. Sure, I partied a lot–San Diego State is a party school, after all–but I also hit the gym. 6 days per week. 2 hours per day. Over about 12 months and with no small amount of sweat, blood, and pain, I had dropped to a lean 165, and fell in love with my body. Of course, the working world has a way of letting the pounds add up. In the fall of 2011, I was back up at 195-200, a full 30-35 pounds heavier than at my ideal weight. Problems were adding up; asthma made a reappearance, allergy issues I hadn’t faced in years reared their ugly heads once more, and I felt like a lug. I knew something had to give, and I made the decision then and there to get my life back on track. I purchased a treadmill, my wife got us a small weight set, and like our-own Clark Wimberly before me, I turned to smartphone apps to help me through. Now, I didn’t find Lose It! until about three months back. It came recommended to me (or, I read it in a magazine, I don’t really remember) earlier this year, and I figured I’d give it a shot. I’d already been exercising fairly religiously for a few months, and was down to about 190 pounds. I knew that one of the biggest issues I had was eating well; I was always first in line every Thursday when I or a co-worker of mine brought sugary treats into our office, and would work out extra hard to (hopefully) make up for it. Then I started using Lose It!, an application which gives you all the tools you need to manage your eating habits according to your current weight and weight-loss goals. Lose It! suggests a goal at a body mass index (BMI) of around 22.0%, which would put me squarely back at around 165. I agreed to the goal, and selected the option whereby I would drop 1.5 pounds per week en route to my goal. Using its built-in database, I would be allowed around 1,900 calories per day, which sounds like a lot until one realizes just how many calories are in the foods we eat. At its core, Lose It! is a meal-tracking application. Every time you put that fork in your mouth, you have to log what you’re eating, right down to the number of sultry potato chips, york peppermint patties, or whatever else. If the food you’re eating isn’t in the Lose It! database, and has a barcode, you can simply scan the code and the nutritional information automagically appears. Adding exercises you’ve completed reduces the number of calories used for the day, and the goal is to have your food minus exercise calories add up to your daily goal (or less). You’ll also be entering your weight in on a regular basis (daily, every other day, really whatever you want), and Lose It! will chart out your progress. The GoodFunctionality: The Lose It! application is a breeze to use, and has a fairly pleasant UI. Once you’ve logged a food or an exercise into your daily activity, Lose It! saves it into your “My foods/exercises” and “Previous Meals” shortcuts so you can easily and quickly add pieces of your meal, or the entire meal altogether, especially helpful for leftovers. Simplicity: The biggest hiccup to using applications like LoseIt! is when it takes so long to use the application that you stop using it out of frustration. Fortunately, it takes a relatively short amount of time to log your daily activities and weight, making the barrier to entry minimal if any. Once you use it for a week, you’ll have likely built the habit and be hooked for the duration of your weight loss challenge (and, hopefully, beyond). Web-Based Interface: Sometimes, I don’t always have my phone chained to my hip (I know, I know). Applications that are only applications are good to a degree, but become infinitely more useful when there’s a web-based interface for either those times where you don’t have your phone with you, or when you want to manage your progress on a bigger display. Fortunately, the Lose It! application does have a web front, which is as well designed and feature-rich as the Android app. Graphs and reports give you a look at your daily, weekly, and monthly progress, and forums connect you to others with similar goals. Social Features: Anyone who has lost weight in the past knows that a tight support network is ideal for success. Lose It! allows you to connect with friends who can provide the encouragement you need to plow through it. Your meals, activities, and badges earned appear on your homepage, so friends can easily track what you’ve been up to and see when you either aren’t using the application or aren’t making the best decisions to meet your goals. Of course, there’s a creepiness feature; after all, who really needs to know all the details of your daily life, even the mundane diet and exercise decisions? Still, having the ability to hold yourself and your friends accountable is a powerful motivator, and puts Lose It! one step ahead of much of the competition. The Not so GoodReliance on BMI: Of course, anyone knows that BMI isn’t exactly the best measure of health. Other indicators such as body fat percentage are better, though not everyone has access to a body fat analysis machine. Body fat percentage is a much better indicator of how healthy an individual is, though in this case BMI serves as a viable proxy. It’s too easy to NOT use Lose It!: There are very few applications I want accessing my notifications bar, but Lose It! would easily be at the top of that list. Sadly, while Lose It! does sometimes access your notifications, I experimented for the last 5 days or so by not tracking any of my activity, and have received nary a snarky notification from Lose It! When it comes to something that users should be using on a daily basis, I think Lose It! should notify me when I haven’t logged my activities and meals for a few days. Not every day of course, as sometimes you just want to check out of all screen-based activities, but reminders every other day or so should suffice and encourage people to keep using it. Gallery
Final WordsWhile it certainly isn’t going to tell my lazy ass to get off the couch and go for a run, Lose It! has provided me a powerful encouragement I’ve needed to make healthier decisions. I play a weekly tennis game, exercise at least 4 days per week (2 more than I used to), and often stay away from the treat desk at work. My daily caloric activity might not always be 100% accurate, as I sometimes miss a meal or an activity or two, but it has very noticeably and importantly changed my behaviors in a positive way. In short, since using Lose It!, I feel better. I’m down to about 178 pounds, the lightest I’ve been in a few years. I can now run 4 miles without really thinking about it, and my energy has noticeably improved. If you’re looking for a solution that could help you lose the weight you’re looking to shed, you certainly ought to give Lose It! a whirl.
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| Let Songza find your perfect party playlist Posted: 19 Jul 2012 03:43 PM PDT  Songza is the new online radio kid on the block, boasting some stand-out features like ad-free playback and a “concierge” service that can pick your music based on what you might be doing. Having a BBQ, jogging on the trail, or sitting on the porch doing nothing, Songza has the tunes for you (and whatever you’re up to).
The playlists really are ad-free, with the only limitation coming in the number of skips allowed per hour (like we’ve come to know on Pandora). You’re only allowed to skip six tracks per hour, but the skips are tallied per playlist, so swapping playlists will restart your count. The GoodConcierge picks music based on what you might be doing. Unlike other services that filter based on genre or musical tastes, Songza lets you browse by activity, with some real gems hidden throughout, like “90′s Club Bangers” and “Dubstep Haunted House”.
No ads, ever. I’ve been listening to Songza non-stop for weeks now and I still haven’t heard an ad. In addition to the app, there’s a full web-based service that’s just as easy to use and just as free. Sonos integration, if that’s your thing. I figure this one doesn’t apply to everyone, but if you’ve got a Sonos system, take note that Songza is available via Sonos Labs. The integration is still being fine-tuned, but all the playlists and awesome concierge-ing still work great. The Not So Good
No ability to create your own playlists. For the time being, users are limited to playback only. While there’s no way to create your own playlists, the web version does include some limited social features, like showing who is listening to a playlist and Facebook comments. The mascot isn’t much to look at. I’m sure someone will accuse me of being too picky here, but I’m totally tired of seeing the weird, toothy grin of the mascot (in the app icon and in the top corner of nearly every. single. screen.) It’s totally a small personal gripe, I just think the service would look much slicker without him. Final Words
And if you don’t feel like living the lazy life and letting a concierge pick your music for you, there are plenty of other ways to serve up the tunes (check out the screen shot). Of course, you can save playlists for later, and Songza automatically keeps a list of your recent listens in case you unknowingly stumble upon something that strikes your fancy.
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| Posted: 19 Jul 2012 03:39 PM PDT  Over the last couple of years I have desired a smartwatch, but I have yet to find one that had style and delivered all the features I needed. Sony’s LiveView accessory got me excited a couple of years ago, but the early reviews said it had some issues and didn’t live up to people’s expectations. After listening to customer feedback, Sony went back to work and delivered the new and improved SmartWatch. This time I wasn’t an early adopter, but I finally took the plunge and purchased the Sony SmartWatch after I played with one and a trusted friend gave it the thumbs up. I picked up my SmartWatch at a local Sony Store for $149, but they can be found online for as low as $114 After spending a couple of weeks with the SmartWatch, I’m finally ready to share my thoughts. Read on see how it performed and if I would recommend it to others. The GoodDiscrete Notifications: Read all your text messages, emails, Facebook and Twitter updates, and more from your Android smartphone on your wrist. Active notifications allow you to tap a single icon and instantly read your messages.  Over 100 apps extend the usefulness of the SmartWatch. Hundreds of apps and widgets: Sony provides a dozen official apps for their SmartWatch, but there are over 100 3rd-party apps and the list is growing every day. Sony provides a Smart Extension SDK that allows developers to create new apps and extend their current apps to use the SmartWatch display and sensors. Multi-touch color display: SmartWatch features a 1.3 inch OLED multi-touch display with 128 x 128 resolution and 65k colors. Multi-touch gestures allow for easy navigation between apps and the OLED color display is good for viewing your friend’s avatars and photos. Lightweight design: Made from aluminum and glossy plastics, the SmartWatch is surprisingly light. The watch only weighs 15.5g (0.55 oz) and the watchband is 26g (0.9 oz). When I’m wearing the watch, I can barely tell it’s on my wrist.  Sony offers additional watchbands for $19.99. Choose your own watchbands: The SmartWatch ships with a classic black wristband and Sony also sells five other colors including pink, mint, grey, white or blue. Furthermore, an included adapter allows you to use any 20mm wristband of your choice. Battery Life: Sony advertises that the SmartWatch will last 3-4 days with typical usage, and up to 14 days standby. I found these claims to be accurate and the SmartWatch easily lasted 4 days between charges when I was using it. Easy setup: I had the SmartWatch up and running within minutes of taking it out of the box. Sony LiveWare Manager allows you to connect to the device and manage your installed applications and widgets. LiveWare Manager also highlights the best SmartWatch applications and lets you search the Google Play Store to find new apps.  Sony LiveWare Manager allows users to install new apps and manage settings. Compatible with numerous smartphones: The SmartWatch is compatible with and optimized for Sony Xperia phones, but it works with most devices that run Android 2.1 or higher and feature Bluetooth. I had no problems connecting to phones from HTC and Samsung. In my testing I found the SmartWatch also works with the latest Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Software updates: Sony continues to improve the user experience of the device with updates to their SmartWatch app. Users download this app to their Android device and then it updates the firmware on the SmartWatch. Recent updates have expanded compatibility with new devices, provided a choice of watch faces, enhanced battery life, improved connectivity, and fixed various bugs. The Not so Good The display is readable outdoors, but it can be difficult to see in direct sunlight. Display is hard to read in direct sunlight: I have no problems seeing the display in-doors, but I needed to shield the display to read it if I was outside in direct sunlight. Does not pick up all system notifications: Sony has apps that relay most of the important notifications from your smartphone to the SmartWatch, but it does not pick up all system notifications. An app needs to be optimized for the SmartWatch in order to display notifications. Additional 3rd-party apps can pick up system notifications, but it would be nice if Sony could provide an official solution. Final WordsThe Sony SmartWatch is a keeper. Some users might be underwhelmed with the SmartWatch when they first set it up, but after it is personalized they will find a convenient device that can make their lives easier. Every day I wear the SmartWatch, I’m finding new ways to take advantage of it. At first I was using it to discretely check emails when I was at the movie theater with my wife. Then I started using the incoming call notifications while I was driving to see if I needed to pull over and answer a call. Pre-defined text messages allow me to respond to my friends without ever taking my phone out of my pocket. I soon discovered I could open the active notifications by pressing my nose to the SmartWatch display, which is great for those random times when you need hands-free operation (like changing a diaper). By installing additional apps I was able to find my lost phone in the couch, receive Instagram updates, get GPS navigation, view my gallery photos, and adjust my phone settings. The Sony SmartWatch might look like a simple device, but it’s quickly becoming one I don’t want to leave the house without. It’s fun to explore all the apps that are being released and I continue to be amazed when I discover all the use cases for the SmartWatch. I haven’t wore a watch since I purchased my first cell phone, but the Sony SmartWatch has found a permanent home on my wrist. Other reviewers have been pretty tough on the Sony SmartWatch, but I think a lot of their issues were related to older software that had some various bugs. Most of the complaints centered around connectivity and battery life, which were two things I had no problems with. The ecosystem of available apps continues to grow, so I think the users will find the SmartWatch more useful then when it first came out. After getting to know the Sony SmartWatch, I would definitely recommend it to people with Android phones that are looking for a smartwatch. The initial experience might be limited, but the numerous apps really allow you to customize the device to you liking.
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| The Nexus 7 is one tough little tablet Posted: 19 Jul 2012 12:33 PM PDT  If you can’t possibly stand to watch the Nexus 7 thrown on the ground, pushed off a ledge and dunked in a bathtub, avert your eyes. In their latest famous drop test video, SquareTrade is pitting the Nexus 7 against the new iPad in an epic battle to see who can withstand the most abuse. Spoiler alert: the Nexus 7 wins every single one. Both when dropped from chest level and pushed off a ledge, the Nexus 7 sustained far less damage than the new iPad. The Nexus 7 saw minimal to moderate markings on its back from the falls onto the cement, while the iPad’s display was cracked and shattered. When dropped into a bathtub full of water, the iPad and Nexus 7 both appeared to have fully functional displays, but only the Nexus 7 still had functioning audio. Is this a perfect simulation of what would happen were you to mishandle an iPad or Nexus 7 in the real world? Not necessarily. But it does showcase the durability of the Nexus 7, or should I say, clumsy people everywhere’s new tablet of choice.
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| Carrier confirms HTC One XL, HTC One S Android 4.1 update being prepped Posted: 19 Jul 2012 07:06 AM PDT  HTC’s official stance on the Android 4.1 update is still “reviewing the software to determine our upgrade plans and schedule,” but that’s not stopping Telstra from confirming that HTC is already working on the Jelly Bean update for the HTC One S and HTC One XL (aka HTC one X in the US). Telstra’s smartphone software updates page does not reveal when the update will be available for handset owners, but it’s probably not going to roll out any time soon since the update hasn’t yet been submitted for testing. Many have been disappointed with how long it takes OEMs to push out the latest Android updates. This time around, I have a feeling that HTC, Samsung and most other smartphone makers will surprise with how fast they are able to deliver the Android 4.1 update to handsets currently running on Ice Cream Sandwich. Place your bets. When do you think HTC will push out the first Android 4.1 update to the HTC One S and HTC One XL?
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