Apps for Downtime and Productivity: Make Your Smartphone Smarter

May 21, 2013 by Leave a Comment

This is a guest post by Lauren Schmidt. Lauren loves to blog, play golf and sing in the rain.

Woman on smartphoneFor several years I stuck with my itty-bitty phone whose functions were limited to making calls, sending texts and waking me up in the morning. Why would I want to spend a few hard-earned Benjamins on a smartphone? Well, I drunk the Kool-aid and now I’m never more than a few feet away from my phone. Here are some apps that get used on a daily, or near-daily, basis:

Flipboard

Flipboard helps me keep tabs on social media; it integrates my Facebook and Twitter streams with the RSS feeds of my favorite blogs and news sources. Instead of looking at the boring interface of Google reader, I just open Flipboard and see pics and headlines of the latest posts, tweets and status updates in a magazine. Just tap the picture to read the rest of the post and share it with others. Set up is really easy and, best of all, it’s a free app.

Instapaper

During the week, I never have enough time to read even a fraction of what catches my eye so I use Instapaper to save and read the article later. Instapaper lets me save articles so I don’t spend precious minutes searching for them later. The one-time $4.99 cost is comparable to what I’d spend on just one issue of my favorite magazine. Besides archiving up to 500 articles, I can share them with others via email, Twitter and Tumblr through the app.

Break

To relieve the day’s stresses, sit down and open up funny pics on Break.com’s app to get a few good laughs. The ever-increasing collection of pics are cracking me up have created such an addiction, I have to limit myself to 15 minutes a day! The app is available for iOS, Android and tablet devices and best of all, it’s free!

Evernote

My organization management tool since my husband first introduced it to me as a desktop application a few years ago. Evernote is a virtual file cabinet that can be installed, and synced, on all of your digital devices for easy access to your documents no matter where you are. I keep notebooks, as the files are called, for each member of my family, my business, recipes, my never ending to-do list and projects. I use the basic service which is free, but the premium service allows you to store a larger amount of data and have changes of documents saved.

Mint

Whether you’re trying to dig out of debt or just want to stick to your budget, the folks at Mint have you covered with this handy app that integrates your bank accounts so you can keep better tabs on your money. I like the user interface — it lets me track my spending with a few taps. Say goodbye to racking up $30 overdraft fees for a $3 coffee!

Shop Savvy

You know that feeling you get when you see the same dress you bought last week at a different store, but for $30 less? That may very well be a thing of the past if you employ Shop Savvy on a regular basis. You simply input the item that you’re planning to purchase and it will compare both brick and mortar the virtual shops to find the lowest price. And if that wasn’t good enough, shopsavvy.com states it will give you the closest location so you can decide if the cheapest price is worth it, even if it requires a half-hour drive or let you purchase the item via the app if you’re making an online purchase.

OverTo You

Do you use any of the apps we detailed here? Or do you have suggestions for other apps that should have made the list? We’d love to hear your thoughts – please do share them in the comments and tell us what you think.

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In space, can anyone hear you scream?

February 26, 2013 by

When I was a teenager, I remember seeing a television-edit version of Aliens. When I think of it now, all that meant was that they’d edited out some of the “worst” swear words and replaced them with ones from further down the sliding scale of rudeness. I was fascinated, though… probably by the combination of these dangerous alien organisms and the marines running round with big guns. I’ve kind of been reliving this at the moment, as I’ve been playing the new Aliens: Colonial Marines game on my Xbox.

Anyway, it was a while after seeing Aliens that I got to see the original Alien movie… the one that started it all off… the one with the tagline, “In space no one can hear you scream”.

STRaND-1 smartphone satelliteFunnily enough, a team from the University of Surrey are testing that with the launch of their new smartphone satellite, STRaND-1.

What’s a smartphone satellite? Well, if you imagine a “normal” satellite – it’s got all manner of complex systems including, most likely, a custom-built computer. The thing is, smartphones are also little computers, and are actually powerful enough to be used in place of the custom-built components. The benefit is that they’re cheaper and more readily available than getting someone to build a satellite from scratch. Additionally, smartphones are designed to allow developers to write apps for them, so it’s not a mammoth task to create the required software for the task at hand. Finally, smartphones are brimming with sensors… cameras, accelerometers, gyroscopes, compasses, microphones… all of which can be put to use in the name of science.

So this particular smartphone will be running an app that plays screams through the phone’s speaker, and then checks whether those screams can be heard by the phone’s microphone. In reality, any sound could have been used, but the satellite’s builders have obviously been influenced by Alien… and that’s no bad thing!

There’s more to this satellite than just testing a movie myth though – it will also test how durable consumer electronics are in space (if this goes well, we could see more smartphone satellites), and will test two new propulsion methods; the WARP drive, which uses a jet of water and alcohol to provide thrust, and a pulsed plasma drive which uses electricity to heat and evaporate a material to produce a jet of ionised gas.

It’s all very clever, and there’s some great science being done here. What I want to know, though, is whether those screams can be heard or not!

You can keep up with the latest about the satellite, STRaND-1, on the official Twitter account at http://twitter.com/SurreyNanosats.

[Source: BBC News]

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Motorola RAZR i – “full screen” in the palm of your hand [sponsored post]

October 3, 2012 by

This is a sponsored post. Click here to find out what that means.

I still remember the first mobile phone I chose myself… it was a Nokia 7110 and I loved it. I loved how you could answer calls by pressing a switch that made the phone extend, just like the ones in The Matrix. I loved how it looked, and how it felt. But now it’s old hat, and I wouldn’t want to go back.

In fact, I can’t help feeling that anything that uses more than a couple of physical buttons or switches is old hat. In my mind, a modern smartphone should be mostly taken up by a touchscreen. It just makes sense. If I’m honest, it’s made sense since I read the Star Trek: The Next Generation technical manual‘s explanation of how the control surfaces on the Enterprise worked (yes, I’m that much of a geek… what did you expect?).

The fact that “big screen, few physical controls” seems to be the ideal smartphone form factor makes me wonder about the recent bout of arguments between Apple and Samsung. Did Samsung copy the iPhone’s design? Well, sure there are similarities… but there’s only so much you can do when your main feature is a screen!

So along comes Motorola (who are now owned by Google, remember), advertising their Razr i as a “full screen” smartphone. That is, the screen goes from edge to edge. And it’s a capably large screen – 4.3 inches across the diagonal… and, yes, it does go pretty much right to the edge of the phone. I can’t help but feel, though, that while a larger screen and less wasted real-estate round the edges is a good thing, it’s not revolutionary. It’s, well, what a smartphone should be like. Don’t get me wrong, the RAZR i is a good looking phone – I’m just not sure about using “full screen” as one of the main marketing points.

So what else is there to this handset?

The RAZR i sports an Intel processor, capable of clock speeds up to 2GHz, an 8 megapixel rear camera and 0.3 megapixel front camera. Average battery life is 20 hours, which will obviously vary depending on how the phone is used. It’s designed to be tough, too, with Gorilla Glass, Kevlar fibre, splash-guard coating and aircraft-grade aluminium all used in its construction. It would be interesting to see how it holds up to being dropped on the doorstep a few times, but it certainly sounds impressive.

Most interestingly, for me, is the choice of operating system: the RAZR i comes with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). This is one version behind the most recent (4.1 Jelly Bean), which will annoy people who always want to have the latest and greatest versions, but it’s still pretty good.

I’m quite impressed with the RAZR i. As I say, I don’t think it’s revolutionary, but it appears to be a respectable device in almost every respect.

For more information about the RAZR i, check out the official website, or watch the advert below.

Viral video by ebuzzing

Sponsored Post -  I will receive financial payment for posting this article. Please be aware that I will never accept offers of paid posts where I am required only to give a positive opinion – objectivity is important to me and you can be sure that what I write, even in paid posts, is what I really think.

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UltraGlass – protection for your smartphone

April 2, 2012 by

UltraGlass Screen Protector

There’s a bit of a dilemma to be had with modern smartphones. They look lovely, but using them without any sort of protective cover is a quick path to scratches.

I’ve got a slimline case on my iPhone 4S that protects that back and sides without being too intrusive, but that does leave the front open to the elements. Am I bothered? Well, I know the iPhone 4S’s glass is pretty tough, so I haven’t been worrying about it, but I did notice a scratch recently that made me realise having an open-front case is far from ideal.

I really don’t like most of the cases that offer full enclosure, so I guess we’re looking at some sort of mobile phone screen protector.

The UltraGlass screen protector is a thin sheet of tempered glass that adheres to the front of your phone. It’s thin, and it comes in colours and finishes that allow it to blend in with white or black iPhone 4s and Samsung Galaxy S2s. Because it looks like the face of the phone, it maintains some semblance of the phone’s “naked” look, while offering some protection.

How much protection are we talking? Well, the graphics I’ve seen show people attacking their phone with a drill, but I can tell you I won’t be testing that! I can see it offering a little protection from drops, but the main thing will be protection from scratches. I’ve had my iPhone in the same pocket as my car keys this week (deliberately) and so far there have been no scratches on the UltraGlass.

Application is very easy – just clean the phone, peel the backing off the UltraGlass, line it up, and press it down. Because it’s quite rigid, there’s no worrying about getting bubbles under it.

If there is something I’m not happy about it’s that, under extremely bright light (like a very sunny day) there are little dots visible on the UltraGlass. I think these are how the electrical conductivity of your finger is transmitted to the phone’s touchscreen and, in most conditions they aren’t visible, but they do become a little annoying when you notice them.

Overall, though, I’m pretty impressed with the UltraGlass Protective Screen Cover. It’s easy to apply, feels sturdy, and does allow you to use your phone as normal. And it’s nice to know there’s just that little bit of extra protection in place, without making my phone look ugly in the process.

A review unit of the UltraGlass screen protector was provided free of charge by Mobile Fun.

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Gumdrop Drop Series Case for iPhone 4 [review]

July 11, 2011 by

It’s a standard question when buying a new mobile phone: “Do you want to take insurance on that?” On the one hand, it’s an extra expense and, of course, you’re planning to be very careful with your new gadget. On the other hand, accidents happen… unfortunate meetings between toilet and telephone, children getting hold of your handset, or whipping your phone out of your pocket to answer a call and having it tumble from your hands only to land on the unyielding pavement below.

I have always preferred my mobile phones “naked”; that is, without a case. But having dropped several phones and seen how quickly they get scuffed and scratched I now always use a case. So when MobileFun asked me to look at one of their Gumdrop offerings, I jumped at the chance.

The Gumdrop Drop Series Case for iPhone 4 gives a very distinct impression. If you were looking for a single word to describe it, I’d go for “rugged”. It looks chunky and as if it could be made from a piece of tyre!

The Drop Series case is made up of several layers of protection. A hard inner layer clips around your iPhone very snugly. In fact, it is so snug it can be hard to open again but I would rather that than something that doesn’t fit properly. The nice thing is that the inner layer includes an integral screen protector too, so there is pretty much all-over protection.

Hard cases do still have a tendency to crack if dropped, though, so the Drop Series Case has a rubber outer section. This is what makes it look like a tyre, and what adds to the size of the case. It will absorb the shock of a drop and makes the whole affair very, very grippy.

That’s something you want in your phone case, but here it’s almost too much. Having the Drop Series Case in your pocket and trying to get it out quickly to answer a phone call invariably results in an inside-out pocket. It’s not a huge problem but it could become annoying in time.

A few friends also offered their views of the case, and pointed out that it adds nearly a centimetre in every direction over the “naked” phone. That, and the overall styling, makes it seem that this case has been styled more for male tastes than female. It doesn’t have to be that way, of course, but this is the feedback I received from the women I showed it to.

Overall my friends and I agreed that the Gumdrop Drop Series case is a tough piece of kit. It’ll protect your iPhone 4 from drops and knocks very, very well but at the expense of making it slightly chunky and those inside-out pockets I mentioned.

If your primary concern is protection over looks, or if you happen to like the rugged appearance of the Drop Series case, this is well worth a look.

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Home improvement – making it easy with mobile apps

April 25, 2011 by

This is a guest post by Drew Davies

It’s that time of year again and whether you’re spring cleaning or doing a major revamp, your smart phone can help you take the pain factor out of your DIY. From mixing your own paint palette to calculating exactly how much concrete you’ll need to construct a wall (or an entire house), there is an app to help you out; planning, budgeting, room layout, interior design, technical calculations and installations, shopping lists and project management are all covered.

The scope and emphasis across these apps varies. Proprietary tools, such as B&Q’s free iPhone app, offer ‘How to’ guides for technical jobs, store finders, wish lists and special offers, while others provide forums, articles by guest contributors and space for users to display their interior designs and other handiwork.

Here are some of our favourites:

  • Wiki How (iPhone, Free) – Offering a wide range of tips from “How to Clean Your Bedroom” to “How to Have Fun with your Cat”. There’s a search function, a “How to of the day” and most interestingly, a Survival Kit with advice on Animal Attacks, First Aid and Home Emergencies.
  • DIY Chatroom Forum (iPhone, Android, Free) – An app-based forum to discuss all your Home Improvement questions – from carpentry to flooring and DIY repair. The community seems knowledgable and good-humoured (see the response to “how to get tape off the wall” for a more tongue-in-cheek reply to a question) and although it’s a little US-centric (lots of talk of broken range cookers) this is a great way to crowdsource an answer to your difficult DIY issue.
  • HomeRoutines (iPhone, £2.99) – More of a productivity app, this brightly coloured scheduler allows you to add tasks by time of day, time of week or zone (such as kitchen or bathroom) which makes it especially useful for home repairs. There’s also an Accomplishments section for you to reflect back proudly on the day’s achievements (and maybe show your significant other).
  • Big Yellow Space Kit (iPhone, Free) – Should you need to move items out of the way while a room – or even your entire home – undergoes transformation, a self storage unit could provide the answer. Help is at hand in the form of this app, which features a cunning room layout tool (which you can populate with furniture), a paint calculator and storage archiver.
  • Dream Home (iPhone, iPad, £1.19) – A look book for people trying to decide on a new colour or style for a room, this app offers full color inspiration images. You can upload photos of your own home and, while it would have been nicer if the images were retina display, it comes with a great range of styles. This is a fun app to use in bed when you’re trying to prove a point about minimalist lines accentuating a modern bathroom. There’s also a Dream Home Spring version of the app, if you’re so inclined.

OK, so we’ve shared our favourites. Now over to you. Are there any mobile apps you have found useful when thinking about home improvement? Or have you tried some of the apps above and want to share what you think? As ever, tell us your thoughts in the comments.

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Eco Apps, mobile recycling and more tips for a greener mobile life

March 30, 2011 by

This is a guest post by Richard Osbourne who is a self confessed gadget geek and a regular contributor to technology and mobile blogs and news sites.

A large emphasis is being placed on ways to be friendly to the planet these days. While many people are unaware of ways to give back to mother earth, starting with their mobile phones may be the best place to begin, especially since mobile phone subscriptions are increasing to over 4.6 billion in worldwide. Mobile technology has been creeping its way into just about everyone’s lives over the recent years, so being eco-friendly with these devices becomes nobody’s responsibility but our own. Let’s take a look at a few ways we can use our mobile devices and not harm our environment.

Recycle, Recycle, Recycle!!

One of the easiest ways to be environmentally friendly is to recycle, and just about everyone knows this simple rule. With technological advancements happening at racing speeds and new phones being developed and released almost on a daily basis, as a person gives up that old phone it is imperative to remember they can recycle it. While many service providers have bins for recycling old phones a person might also want to keep in mind they can easily make money from reselling their phones. With a quick visit to one of many phone recycling sites you can see just how much your old phone is worth. Yes, recycling is that easy plus many sites will either pay you for your old phone or donate to a charitable cause on your behalf!

Monitor Mobile Phone Energy Usage

There are many energy monitoring sites which enable mobile phone users to compare mobile devices and see which ones use less energy, which in the end enables a person to leave as small a carbon footprint as possible. And for those phones that are a must-have, yet use a lot of energy, a scan of the manual may reveal different settings that can be activated to help cut down on its energy usage.

Green Apps

This one may sound crazy but environmentally friendly apps do exist. In fact, there are actually a large number of apps that fall under the ‘green’ category. These apps can perform a range of different functions including providing consumers with ideas and tips on how to live a ‘greener’ life, and some apps even allow a user to scan bar codes on products and items and see what the products environmental impact is. This makes purchasing products that are friendly to mother earth about as simple as it gets. Other apps with an environmental spin include maps to connect you with ‘green living sites’ nearby, and tips on which cars are most efficient and how to drive them to the best effect.

Environmentally Friendly Broadband

OK, lastly, there are several broadband service providers that donate a portion of any proceeds they obtain to different charities or that go for carbon neutral status.. When seeking a mobile broadband service provider, keep in mind that partnering with an environmentally friendly service provider is the ‘greenest’ way to go.

Over To You

So, there are some ideas on how you can go green with your mobile life. Do you have any tips you would add to the list? Have you heard or used a mobile tool to help you live in an environmentally beneficial way? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.

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Dot Gloves for Capacitive Touchscreens [review]

February 10, 2011 by

Capacitive touchscreens are the in thing at the moment – used on many of the current generation of smartphones. These screens rely on the fact that the human body is an electrical conductor, and when you touch the screen you affect its electrical field. This lets you use just the lightest of touch, and does away with the need to use a stylus.

There’s a problem, though, that rears its head in winter. Gloves tend not to be conductive, so trying to use your smartphone when wrapped up against the elements just doesn’t work. There have been a number of companies producing gloves to overcome this. Some use silver thread to make the gloves conductive too. The other day I received a pair of Dot Gloves from Mobile Fun to try out.

The Dot Gloves have Silicon tips to act as the conductor. When I first heard that I did wonder what they would be like – after all, the Silicon I’m most familiar with is bathroom sealant! I didn’t like the idea of gloves with rubberised fingertips. Fortunately I was wrong – the tips feel just like the rest of the gloves, and they feel, well, normal.

Do they work? Absolutely – the gloves are like those magic gloves that stretch to fit but look quite small before you put them on. That means they’re pretty skin-tight, and the control you have while wearing them is similar to when you don’t have gloves on at all… except that your hands are warm. As with magic gloves, these aren’t windproof, but it’s a definite improvement on going without and it’s great to be able to use my iPhone without having to take my gloves off.

If I have any complaints it’s that the stitching isn’t quite perfect. There are a few loose threads where the Silicon tips have been sewn on. A little attention with a pair of scissors will remove the loose ends, however, so this isn’t a massive problem.

All in all, the Dot Gloves are a nice way to keep using your touchscreen mobile phone during the winter months. They aren’t going to keep your fingers warm in extreme conditions, but if you’ve worn “magic gloves” before you’ll know what to expect. The stitching could do with being a little tidier but, barring that, they’re great.

Thanks to Mobile Fun for sending me a pair of gloves to review. Mobile Fun stocks a huge range of mobile accessories, including iPhone 4 Screen Protectors. If you’re after something for your mobile, head on over and check them out.

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Formula1.com releases official mobile app

March 15, 2010 by

The Formula 1 season restarted at the weekend with the Bahrain Grand Prix. The race itself wasn’t particularly exciting compared to some I’ve seen, but I did discover a nice addition to the proceedings.

I wasn’t going to be able to see the start of the race as it began at twelve – our worship meeting at church usually finishes about quarter past. I wouldn’t get home until maybe one o-clock, and that was a big chunk of the race to miss.

Luckily, Formula1.com, the official F1 website, released a mobile app for the 2010 season that gives you live timing information on the move. And the best thing? It’s free! So after church this morning I could fire up my iPhone and see the state of play. I could see the running order, lap times, and even track data like surface and air temperature and which direction the wind was coming from.

At one point a group of us were watching the BBC’s website stream and I noticed that the app was right up to date. As soon as a car came into the pits my app updated. As soon as they were out, the same thing happened. I was really impressed with just how current the information on the app was.

The F1.com mobile app isn’t going to replace actually seeing a race, but I found it really useful for a time when I couldn’t see a television. I also know some people who have the timing screen on even when they are watching the race, so this isn’t just one for when the telly’s on the blink. As I said earlier, the best thing is that this is completely free (you need to register on the F1.com website), so if you’re into Formula 1 it’s well worth a look.

If you’re using an iPhone, you can get the app in iTunes. If you’re using a different mobile check out the Formula1.com mobile site and see if your model is supported.

If you used the app over the weekend why not tell us how you got on? Is it a good idea? Pointless? Tell us in the comments!

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Find your way with CoPilot Live GPS [iPhone - Review]

November 9, 2009 by

This post is by Rob Griggs-Taylor – a 40-something Scottish bloke, married with three kids. He’s a petrol-head who also rides an old Honda motorcycle for fun, and has a love of gadgets. You can find out more about him at http://www.griggs-taylor.co.uk

Your finger moves the mouse towards the ‘Buy App’ button, but once again you hesitate. “It’s £25.99,” you think to yourself. “That’s a lot for an iPhone app that I don’t know much about! And it’s not TomTom…”

Fortunately for you, some of us here at Geek Speak have already clicked that silvery ‘Buy App’ button and bravely purchased Co-Pilot Live 8 for iPhone, and now we’re going to tell you whether you should go ahead and buy it for yourself. Please be aware that an update to the software actually took place during the testing for this review so if you have the App and don’t recognise some of the features, it’s time to check the App Store for updates!

The most popular SatNav product in the UK is widely accepted to be TomTom. I’ve used and recommended them to friends and family, and bought at least three over the years. When TomTom announced that the software would be launched on the iPhone I was excited, and then patient. And then a bit bored. And then a bit more patient. And then horrified. How much? £60? So, thinking that this was quite simply poor value for money, I went searching for an alternative and was surprised to find a number of products available for the iPhone and all cheaper.

I opted to buy Co-Pilot Live v8 as the write-up on the iTunes Store made it sound and look like a viable alternative, and it seemed to have some interesting features.

Installation was a breeze, although a little time consuming as it’s a big file. Please do follow the instructions and download to your computer through iTunes and then install to your iPhone or iPod Touch. There are many feedback notes stating that installing straight to the device did not work well.

Initial setup is straightforward, allowing you to have a ‘Work’ address saved in addition to the normal ‘Home’ one. On the main screen the software operates in portrait or landscape mode comfortably although it does take a couple of seconds to ‘re-focus’ when you move from one aspect to the other.

Using it is easy enough, once you get your head round the fact that the menus can be fairly tortuous. It’s definitely best to familiarise yourself with the layout before getting into the car as some of the features are not where you might expect them to be.

In everyday use, we’ve found it to be a very acceptable alternative to TomTom or other competing sat navs, with no significant issues. There are some lovely touches, like showing you at the top of the screen which motorway lane you should be in when approaching an exit. The latest update also includes a photo-style picture of a motorway exit as a full-screen representation, and even the sign that you should see ahead.

You are given the ability to set a clock time when the day colours change to night colours. We thought that this didn’t happen if you are actually using the gps as that time passes, but in testing this week it did do so.

Speed camera locations were recently added as POIs, but the implementation is a bit clunky with the iPhone telling you ‘Point of Interest Ahead’ rather than a more obvious warning. This took us a little while to get used to!

The main screen can come across as a bit ‘busy’ until you get used to the layout, but there’s a lot of very useful information available. You can program the bottom display bar to show a small selection of stats, e.g. current speed, estimated time of arrival, distance to destination and so on, but if you choose more than two they roll round. I settled on speed and distance to destination as the ETA is ridiculously inaccurate at the beginning of a journey. As Chris stated, it makes the ‘beat the satnav’ race a lot easier!

I’d written a whole piece on the fact that you could use the ipod function in the background while Co-Pilot was directing you to your destination, and the downsides of having to come out to change tracks. However in the latest version (8.0.0.469) ALK Technologies have added an iPod menu into the software allowing you to choose playlists and skip tracks, toggle shuffle and repeat status and pause the music. It’s a neat idea and it works acceptably in practise, although some of the features like track choice don’t work in exactly the same way as the regular iPod software. Note that there are some minor flaws currently, like the fact that mine shows no podcasts despite there being around twenty when accessing via the normal iPod function.

Unfortunately though, they haven’t managed to solve the biggest negative of running both. which is that the sat nav SHOUTS at you over the top of the iPod. This is particularly irritating when listening to podcasts, and at the time of writing there is no way to balance out the two volumes. In the last update the developers added a ‘mute’ function to Co-Pilot which turns the verbal directions off while leaving the iPod playing. There’s a space on the iPod screen that seems exactly the right size to fit a volume slider so I’m assuming that this will appear in a future update.

One slight downside is that Co-Pilot has been known to crash while out driving, which is just what you don’t need from your SatNav. However, we found that if you restart your iPhone before setting off the program is very stable.

Finally, we come to the Live bit of Co-Pilot Live. This is clearly still a work in progress. The Live Traffic section is currently unavailable but will eventually be able to supply traffic updates while on the move. In the US this costs around $20 for an annual subscription, and if the $/£ conversion is favourable will make it significantly more competitive than the £7.99 per month that TomTom charge for a similar service.

At the present time many of the other Live services seem to be available at no cost but it looks as if ALK will start to charge for them in future. For the time being the Live Fuel is useful as it finds petrol stations near your location and can even show the fuel cost which is a nice touch. Weather is also available and you can choose to see it where you are or at your destination.

LiveLink is a facility to track your friends after entering their email address and getting their approval to be tracked. We haven’t had the opportunity to trial this yet, but it could be useful if trying to meet up somewhere as it allows you to see their position relative to your own.

LiveSearch finds something you’re looking for nearby. I tried a few recognisable brand names, all of which it found, but some of the locations were omitted suggesting that again this is a work in progress.

Not all of the features available on other Co-Pilot Live platforms are available on the iphone. For example there is the ability on some to navigate to the geocoded location of a photograph held on the device. There is also a Windows-only desktop software tool but again this is not compatible with iPhone.

This means that Co-Pilot Live doesn’t offer the same levels of customisation available to other products, such as uploading your own POIs or creating your own colour scheme. However these limitations are more than offset by the other features available.

In summary, you get a pretty polished application for a fair price, especially considering the price of the TomTom app. I have no hesitation in recommending Co-Pilot Live v8 if you’re an iPhone user and you’re looking for a competitive satnav App.

Nice work!

  • Swaps from night to day colours automatically
  • Where two junctions are close together it shows both in the pre-directions
  • Shows which lane to be in at motorway exits in addition to signs
  • The developers seem to be listening to the user community and feeding out updates

Could do better…

  • Speed camera locations are not well integrated
  • Mute volume is better than before, but some method of adjusting the volume with the iPod function playing would be great
  • A little laggy sometimes deciphering instructions and on startup
  • ETA is waaaay inaccurate at the beginning of a journey
  • Occasonally crashes, but seems to work perfectly if you restart your iPhone before setting off on a journey

This test was carried out with CoPilot Live UK & Ireland, available from the Apple App Store*.

* Affiliate link

Do you want more on the iPhone? Find our best iPhone posts here.

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