Those Smart Phone Thingies

[Steve Colman]

While reading the Feb issue of RCM&E and in particular the article entitled A question of incidence by Martyn Kinder I was struck by the following words. I quote:

"Until recently I was a dinosaur when it came to mobile phone technology. I always used to consider a phone to be a phone, and if it has a camera then it was an advanced phone with a poor camera." Unquote.

Martyn then went on to describe how this opinion has now changed thanks to an Iphone that was gifted to him and the App he downloaded and used with his incidence measuring tool.

Now this really struck a chord with me as both myself and SWMBO have steadfastly resisted all attempts by family members and friends to convert us to the wonders of said items in question, regarding our "not so smart" pay as you go mobiles to be perfectly sufficient for the somewhat limited use they get at present. For example, one two hour charge lasts me a full week.

But, Martyn's article has got me thinking about the range of possibilities that one could have in hand, at a touch of a couple of touch screen keys. (are they still called keys on a touch screen?).

So, after my somewhat long winded preamble some questions to all smartphone owners.

What modelling specific apps have you found, downloaded and found to be useful?

What other apps do you use that you wouldn't be without?

Are there any apps that you didn't know you needed but have proved to be invaluable?

And finally, how would you convince me to abandon my very serviceable and perfectly adequate, long lasting battery mobile phone for something that will cost many times more and need charging every five minutes?

I await in anticipation to be enlightened.

Steve.

 

Edited By Steve Colman on 16/03/2016 18:02:08

[David Molineux]

I use an Android app called 'convert pad' that is really handy for conversions of all sorts (torque, weights, pressure etc. ) not modelling specific I know but very useful. If you don't care about having the latest phone (or one made by Apple) you can get a perfectly good Android phone for well under £100.

Dave.

[GONZO]

Can be used as the display for a VR 3D head set **LINK**

[Frank Skilbeck]

You can surf the forum when you are out and about, what more reason do you need

[Erfolg]

I am another dinosaur, hated the things when I worked. People only phoned you about stuff that did not matter, or they sensibly could take ownership by themselves. Then later your phone would be choked with stupid E-Mails, about rubbish.

In the past i also had a pay as you go. It was OK, could be of use when I went flying by myself.

Just a few months back, I was forced to take a 4G phone. Now i did technically could have used my wifes old Samsung Galaxy, other than it was going to cost more than a Nokia Microsoft phone to get to use it. I was not going to use it, so cost was the thing, to stop the constant ringing in my ear, that kept saying, I may need to speak to you.

Now I really feel uneasy when i go out without it. Great camera that pretty much down loads itself to the PC. As I cannot take a photo to save my life, it is great. There are more applications on it than you can shake a stick at, such as Google maps. It tells me where speed cameras are. It is perhaps most importantly my means of communication when at the flying field, especially when by myself.

Perhaps what makes them useful, is that it is slim enough to fit in my shirt pocket. Weighs nothing, seems to use very little charge. Above all costs very little per month compared with even samsung and almost a decimal point when the cost is compared to Iphones.

[Allan Bennett]

I've had a Samsung Galaxy for a few years now, on a PAYG deal. I rarely ever use 3G or 4G or whatever, but I do leave it switched on all day every day, and my battery lasts about 5 days.

I wouldn't do without a smartphone now, even though I usually use it only for phoning, because of the other functions it has, which I use occasionally. Things that come to mind are calculator, camera, calendar, address book (the latter two synced so that they're the same on my PC), notepad, maps, spreadsheet, etc. One RC-specific app that I've got on the phone is EZ GUI Ground Station which, using a bluetooth connection, can read and edit the parameters of the flight controller in my quadcopter

[Shaunie]

For starters on my IPhone 6s I get a pretty good camera 12 Mpixels that shoots 1080P video as standard, optional 4K.

I've got some decent mapping (Viewranger with OS maps for the whole of the South East downloaded) as well as all the Google and Apple maps online. A GPS that works better than my GPS.

Several different converter programs that can convert everything from imperial into metric and Dollars into Matabele gumbo beads.

I've got a spirit level in my pocket, an audio spectrum analyser and a compass.

I have an app called rain today which does what it says on the tin. another called UAV forecast which is aimed at drone fliers but works for FW too.

When I need to catch a train I have an app that tells me when the next train will be,what platform it will be at, how many changes, what platforms at each stage and how much the ticket is.

If a commercial plane goes over I can tell you the flight number.

When a new member couldn't bind his receiver I googled how to do it at the field.

When I'm at the field I can interrogate my security cameras to see who's outside my unit.

When I can afford a GoPro I can use my phone to program it.

I know these aren't all modelling related but it just goes to show how useful they can be.

Shaunie.

[Erfolg]

Shaunie

For your phone there is an even better app, that not only tells you the flight number, it tells you at what height it is flying at, how fast it is going and where it is going.

What has surprised me about 4G is that it seems that everything we do that is trivial on a PC, you can do with your phone.

[Engine Doctor]

Smart phones are very clever bits of kit as they can do so many things , even use a seismograph APP to balance EDF fans ! There is a rumor going around that soon you will actually be able to talk to someone on them ! Yes I know i'm being silly but why do so many people send countless texts when a quick call could sort it ? Or a text when they want a quick response or a quick answer then get shirty when you ignore it or don't hear it .

[flight1]

Posted by Engine Doctor on 17/03/2016 17:44:44:

Smart phones are very clever bits of kit as they can do so many things , even use a seismograph APP to balance EDF fans ! There is a rumor going around that soon you will actually be able to talk to someone on them ! Yes I know i'm being silly but why do so many people send countless texts when a quick call could sort it ? Or a text when they want a quick response or a quick answer then get shirty when you ignore it or don't hear it .

Because society is be coming more child-like 'tempestuous' as the nanny state grows!

 

also I am in firm belief that if it is important they will try more than once and a proper conversation would be in order.

P.S. I got a new windows 550 running windows 10 my calendar and all syncs with one account and i don't looses contacts etc because i lost or someone stole my phone

 

onwards and upwards I say!

Edited By flight1 on 17/03/2016 18:40:01

[Steve Houghton]

I've got a fantastic Sony-Ericsson C902 with buttons. I can make phone calls when I'm out and take blurred pictures of things. That's pretty smart!

Stegosaurus Steve

[Don Fry]

A text does most things. Text a query, query gets answered at the CONVENIENCE of the recipient, et al. My flying mate and I never phone, texts do the communication, to allow us to speak, without electronics, or indeed two tins and string. But the apps are clever. I don't own any mobile, last one, belonged to my employer, was deposited in a fishpond, intruder red with work, but I like an I Pad. Thinking about phones, but no great rush.

As an aside, " intruder red with work" was a slight misspelling of "interfered with work", impressed with this technology, undecided.

[flight1]

Posted by Steve Houghton on 17/03/2016 18:41:01:

I've got a fantastic Sony-Ericsson C902 with buttons. I can make phone calls when I'm out and take blurred pictures of things. That's pretty smart!

Stegosaurus Steve

Ahhh! i see ..........

http://dilbert.com/strip/2014-12-05

[Steve Colman]

Thank you for all the amusing responses gentlemen.

I can see a few useful additions to what my current un-smart phone can do but nothing that makes me go "Wow, I really could do with that".

However, please do keep the replies coming and you never know, I might just become converted.

Steve.

[Colin Carpenter]

Steve - T3chDad . A flight log for planes and lipo's on your phone ! Been using it for 3 years and it's under £2 ! Colin

[Steve Colman]

Colin, now you've got my attention!

My Spanish clubmates/amigos are somewhat amused and consider me to be something of a typical English eccentric in that i keep a detailed log of every flight of every model. Additionally, I also record which lipo is used for each flight and record the mah put back in when charging/balancing and add this to the flight log afterwards.

At the moment I use an A5 sized booklet in which I insert my own design pages specific for each model.

Steve.

[AJ]

Keep the perfectly good phon e you have for making calls and get a cheap tablet for running the apps. The are two seperate tasks and are better served by two seperate devices.

AJ

[Depron Daz]

On mine I can control my heating and hot water when I'm hundreds of miles away, can even control certain plug sockets! GoPro control is brilliant. When my birds are breeding, I put the GoPro in the birdhouse and I can view whats going on from indoors and not keep disturbing them. I can also view my home CCTV, and go over recorded files from the hard drive. I can instantly watch what's recorded on my Transcend DrivePro 200 car cam via Bluetooth, I can real-time map my cycle rides via Strava and instantly (automatically) share it to the web.

Always use my converter too. My best app is my medication app to remind me to take my tablets, nothing worse than saying "Did I take my tablets?" as once taken you open the app and tick each one off.

Not like the old days when you always carried tuppence in your pocket in case you needed to phone home

[Dai Fledermaus]

I have a smart phone, not 4g but a rather modest one, £7.50/month from Tesco. Don't ask me what the number is, I haven't a clue and Shock Horror I have been known to leave home without it

Recently we had booked a table at an Indian restaurant in Cardiff. It was done on their web site via a link to a table booking service. Very easy and convenient. That evening, as we were about to leave, I had a message via my phone saying `you need to leave at 7.23 to be at your table at the Mint & Mustard by 8.0` It also gave me the route and traffic situation on the way. I was gobsmacked - talk about Big Brother.

Yesterday, we had taken the Park and Ride into Cardiff. As we waiting for the bus to take us back to our car, I looked at my phone and up popped a message from Google again giving me the weather in Cardiff, as if I needed it, the route home and traffic conditions again.

What have I done? Who is watching me? Is the truth out there?

[Rosco]

Predictive text can be a bit here and there on the smart phone thingies. Sometimes the phone seems to think it's better than me!