Yeah, so, what apps can't you live without, that give your life meaning & structure...
Mine are:
Shazam (music identifier) - got so many tunes thanks to this, perhaps my second most used app after
Viewranger - where would I be without it? Struggling with a map & compass several hours behind my viewranger me.
Met Office - I can only see so far from my window and not in the future at all
WhatsApp - for organising revolutions but now migtrating my use over to Signal as the devil now owns WhatsApp
Keep Notes - for recording moments of inspiration and shopping lists, reminders to pay council tax and all my passwords (!)
Leaf Snap - what is this (holding leaf in hand)? Photograph it and Leaf Snap will mis-ID it based on their default assumption you're US based. Its usually the second suggestion (except for those so obvious you don't need the app, e.g horse chestnut leaf, oak, holly...)
British Hills - for reminding myself how little progress I've made over the last few years to ticking off the munros, corbetts & grahams. Never open the 'All Scottish Hills' section!
GPSstatus. I use it to ensure my Geocaching app is getting a good position.
LastPass - A more secure and more convenient option than Keep for storing all my passwords. Can't recommend it enough, though other password managers also have great reputations. Definitely worth ditching Keep for one of them.
Cool. Will do.
OSMaps
BIRDNet - tries to identify birds by their song. Mixed success but still neat.
Chess
PluralSight - work account for computer training
Downdog - yoga (although mostly use the laptop)
Windfinder - better for wind and patterns than met office although use met office for general checks.
Evernote (to-do list, diary, planning notes - all availabile on both phone and PC), Slack (for chatting), Chrome browser, Kindle. And, or course, Ingress (if I'm supposed to exercise in just my part of the city, I might as well make it fun!). I'll add in Google Maps once travelling much becomes sensible again.
Windfinder sounds useful. Going to look into it.
Google Sheets - I used this all last year to keep track of my running goal and this year have made a more complicated (and beautiful!) tracker to keep track of my running distance, weekly / total, and average speed / PBs, and to track cycling and press-ups/pullups etc. I just open it and pop a number in the cell for each day now.
Viewranger - considering upgrading to OS maps this year.
Keep - share notes with my wife so we can both add to a shopping (or christmas present!) list over time, like being able to update on the PC aswell.
Whatsapp - I don't worry about privacy notices but that's just me.
FYI these are all iPhone long-live iPhone boooo Android.
> FYI these are all iPhone long-live iPhone boooo Android.
No way, you sucker! Bet you wear a polo neck too.
And tuck it into your jeans.
Spotify
Safenotes - used as password vault
Memory map
Yr weather
Moonclimbing - for the board I can't get to😭
aCalender, don't like Google adding stuff
Natwest banking app. So much easier to keep grip on finances.
My most used and useful app is a password manager.
Keepass for my computer and
Keepass2android
Both are synced to Dropbox.
After 4 years use, I'd never go back to weak passwords.
I think I may have removed my Moon app...(off to check phone)...yes I did.
Not uing the board enough since I did not renew annual membership at the bouldering centre back last January, plus lockdown
> Yeah, so, what apps can't you live without, that give your life meaning & structure...
Grid Reference - This one is front and centre on my home screen. It does one thing, but if I ever need it (or someone who's trying to scoop me up does) I want it done simply and quickly.
Signal. Never installed whatsapp because, well, their terms were always a bit ****y but they've shown their cards now. I was toying with starting a thread on this to gauge how many people are outraged (the correct answer btw), how many don't give a crap and how many were unaware.
Skytube - OMG where has this been all my life? Youtube has become a cesspit. This is the remedy.
OpenVPN - lets me connect back to the mothership so everything goes through the pihole.
OsmAnd, Alpinequest and Fitotrack for all my navigation needs, except...
Magic Earth - for driving places
Fdroid - for installing all this good stuff
Antennapod - awesome podcast manager
Simple Gallery - alternative to 'Photos' without all the nagging, interference, and needy "sign in. go on, you know you want to. just go on and sign in. do it, for me, pwwweeeeeeeeasse" crap.
Naked Browser and Firefox Focus - just seem to be the best option for keeping unruly webjunk in check.
DW and BBC - apps for news. Open to other suggestions but these seem the least unhinged sources.
Yr.no and xcweather and netweather's radar app - I find these work really well. The met office app annoys me too frequently with nags and ads to be my go-to.
> Keep Notes - for recording moments of inspiration and shopping lists, reminders to pay council tax and all my passwords (!)
Yes, but no! Don't store passwords in plain text... for the love of god use a password manager if you need one.
> Leaf Snap - what is this (holding leaf in hand)? Photograph it and Leaf Snap will mis-ID it based on their default assumption you're US based. Its usually the second suggestion (except for those so obvious you don't need the app, e.g horse chestnut leaf, oak, holly...)
Try PlantNet - hasn't let me down yet
Phone
Clock/alarm
WhattsApp
Messager
BBC (news, sport, weather)
Browser
Bank
UKC
File Manager, able to access my NAS and networked computers to transfer stuff to phone, and use phone as a small computer
Acrobat for manuals, guides, etc.
OruxMaps for navigation
Traccar Client and Manager for accessing my Traccar device tracking server
Grid Reference
GPS Status
iGeology & MySoil
Did have BBC Weather app, but it was enormous, and I'm running out of the 8GB local space.
I've left it on, being optimistic (or daft,??).
> Windfinder sounds useful. Going to look into it.
I read it as Witchfinder.
Have to admit my current addiction is Duolingo. It massages my ego as I ace through the easy French, although I suspect I'll hit a wall fairly soon.
Guardian
7digital Music ( So can buy and download music)
Blackplayer (to play music)
FIP (Great French online radio)
Knots 3D (in case I forget)
Jazz.fm91 (Canadian jazz station)
Guru maps pro
Viewranger
Hangboard repeaters (basic app)
Mixcloud (Just for farside radio)
Eurosport player (to watch cycling mainly)
> LastPass
Thanks for that, I'll check it out. I was just having a play with Bitwarden. Really need to get my passwords organised.
I'm a bit surprised nobody mentioned Daff Moon yet. It's amazingly good - nominally a moon phase thingamabob, but it's much more than that. Also handy for photographer's ephemera possibly, as it gives times and bearings for sunrise, sunset, moonrise/set, planets etc..
The Met Office's own app is my favourite weather app, the rainfall radar map is particularly good - much better than it is on their website.
> Signal. Never installed whatsapp because, well, their terms were always a bit ****y but they've shown their cards now. I was toying with starting a thread on this to gauge how many people are outraged (the correct answer btw), how many don't give a crap and how many were unaware.
I think outraged but not at all surprised sums up my thoughts. Have successfully moved a lot of chats/contacts over to Signal, not sure yet what to do about those who won't move. We were tempted to migrate as soon as Facebook bought WhatsApp but were too lazy to move until now.
> Skytube - OMG where has this been all my life? Youtube has become a cesspit. This is the remedy.
Hadn't heard of it before. I'll give it a go as Google is making it harder and harder to block YouTube adverts. I used to block them at the router until they moved their ads on to the same server as their content. I use Brave's built in blockers now but Google keeps catching up with their methods.
Other apps I use:
Retroflash - for logging climbs on my board. Its free and better than the alternatives (Stokt, Eat Spray Love, Open Climbs)
Yr.no, Met Office, Weather Underground - I find a combination of all 3 apps gives the most accurate picture of the weather
Downdog - free yoga app with better content and options than most of the premium alternatives. I think the free version is more limited for new users though, I got grandfathered in with some of the premium options for free due to being an early adopter.
Impetus - interval timer for training. Not the best UI and it sometimes deletes your custom timers after major updates so I ought to look for an alternative.
Mirror Timer - free basic timer made by sometime on the other channel. Perfect for aerocap workouts with rest equal to work time
Revolut - for all your holiday spending, currency conversion and foreign transfer needs without the obscene rates that most places charge. For most currencies, it offers the best rates of anywhere, as long as you don't convert money on weekends. Also does bill sharing etc and allows you to pay your contacts without needing their bank details
Petrol Prices - useful for finding cheap fuel in unfamiliar areas
Shell, BP, Esso apps - I don't ever plan on going on to a petrol station again
Clinometer - turns your phone in to a spirit level
In order of importance.
Email.
Documents to go (allows the creation and editing of word and excel docs)
Google Chrome.
What's app.
Alarm clock.
Unit converter. (found a great one that does pressure, flow and volume)
Idvr (cctv program that I use to check my workshop when the alarm company rings me in the middle of the night)
Calculator
Sudoku
No-one's mentioned GPX Viewer yet. I think it's mostly used to view your GPX trace on a map, but I find it handy when I'm planning routes - can draw a route, load it onto my phone and then view my planned route and my current position on it without using data.
> Phone
> Clock/alarm
> WhattsApp
> Messager
> BBC (news, sport, weather)
> Browser
> Bank
> UKC
That is almost identical to me except I have Met Office and no Bank.
Apart from UKC. Is there a UKC App? What for?
Oh, and I have f****** Microsoft Teams for work but plan to delete it with enormous pleasure as soon as this pandemic is over.
For UKC you can create a web app if you use Google Chrome mobile browser. Just go to the menu and click on send to home screen, this creates a logo and title and places it on the home screen as if it was an app. It then opens full screen and is shown in the apps menu as a separate item not just a tab in Chrome.
> For UKC you can create a web app if you use Google Chrome mobile browser. Just go to the menu and click on send to home screen, this creates a logo and title and places it on the home screen as if it was an app. It then opens full screen and is shown in the apps menu as a separate item not just a tab in Chrome.
But that is mostly gobbledegook to me! I was just wondering what the point of the UKC App is. I just use the UKC website. Is it any different?
> LastPass - A more secure and more convenient option than Keep for storing all my passwords.
Just installed. Quality. Exactly what I was looking for!
crimpd? anyone?
> quiet taken / amused by having a witch finder app . They would have some kind of witchometer to make it easy to find just the right witch for the " job" , hexes and voodoo death spells would be my favourites .
I think we're on to something. Ideally it would include a full moon warning that linked to your calendar, and a Pokemon Go style AR display of nearby invisible paranormal entities.
Most of those I'd list are already covered. Would like to add one:
Waze (for driving): does speed alerts and camera alerts (with user/community input).
> crimpd? anyone?
I use it to track some of my training, I use the timer and use it for inspiration for different training methods.
But it can't compete with a spreadsheet for logging or visualisation of your training. So a spreadsheet is still my primary log.
> Waze (for driving): does speed alerts and camera alerts (with user/community input).
As does Google maps. Information is pooled between the two apps as Google owns Waze. Waze is effectively beta testing for Google, all of its new features eventually end up on Google.
Despite pooling data, they don't always suggest the same route, even with the same settings. Google gives better on the go information about alternative routes in changeable traffic. But Waze often performs better when traffic is truly awful and all major roads are gridlocked.
I used to use Waze as my default, but switched back to Google when Waze introduced adverts. I switch to Waze when dictated by traffic conditions. I'll have a decision to make when Google inevitably brings in adverts too.
Magic Earth and Mapfactor both know where fixed speed cameras are. Magic Earth sort of does rudimentary traffic info too, but it's a bit crap.
Both have the benefit of offline maps which means you can drive to places you want to go climbing without not-enough-bars dramas.
Edit: I think OsmAnd might do too but haven't tried it for driving yet.
I'll keep them in mind once Google maps introduces adverts.
> LastPass - A more secure and more convenient option than Keep for storing all my passwords. Can't recommend it enough, though other password managers also have great reputations. Definitely worth ditching Keep for one of them.
Seconded, I use lastpass for everything now. Its good for all the management features etc, but for me the killer feature is that if I go missing, access can be granted for a named relative to access my account, get into my messages in fb/whatsapp etc, or if the worst does happen, deal with all the digital 'stuff' we leave behind
Bandcamp: for finding new music and then buying the stuff I like. Streaming is a crap idea if we want musicians to actually be able to afford to make more music.
Pulsar: For playing music I've bought. Not as versatile for different formats as VLC but loads a lot quicker and easier to use.
eBay: mostly used for buying books and spare parts for my tools / lawnmowers etc. Very handy.
Plantnet: Helps identify plants from photos you upload. Not perfect (struggles to differentiate wild orchids etc) but does a good job most of the time and for a free App is great.