# Must have Apps!



## skiNEwhere (Jun 10, 2014)

Whats the latest App you got your hands that's been of use?

Well I can't call this app useful but it is fun to play, I got the game "2048" a few weeks ago and have been playings it in my downtime.


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## ctenidae (Jun 10, 2014)

I had a pretty good app last night- spinach and ricotta crepes, really tasty.

Wait, what?

/2048 is of the devil. Total time suck.


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## Not Sure (Jun 10, 2014)

ctenidae said:


> I had a pretty good app last night- spinach and ricotta crepes, really tasty.
> 
> Wait, what?
> 
> /2048 is of the devil. Total time suck.



Cane Toad licker....


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## bvibert (Jun 11, 2014)

I broke myself of 2048 a few months ago... must.. resist...


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## gmcunni (Jun 11, 2014)

i love waze (gps) use it all the time even when i know where i'm going, great realtime updates on avoiding traffic and cops


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## bvibert (Jun 11, 2014)

gmcunni said:


> i love waze (gps) use it all the time even when i know where i'm going, great realtime updates on avoiding traffic and cops



I never remember to use it.  It is a cool app though.


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## dlague (Jun 11, 2014)

gmcunni said:


> i love waze (gps) use it all the time even when i know where i'm going, great realtime updates on avoiding traffic and cops



I used it for a while, but then realized that i could not drive any faster since it is a reporting based model therefore if something was not reported and you are hauling ass - well then you are busted.  But is also helps to alert you of other road hazards.  It also is dependent on people using it to report and the number in NH is not high enough yet.


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## dlague (Jun 11, 2014)

Alpine Replay  or MapMyRide


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## Savemeasammy (Jun 11, 2014)

Pandora.  Nothing else gets nearly as much use.  


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## wa-loaf (Jun 11, 2014)

gmcunni said:


> i love waze (gps) use it all the time even when i know where i'm going, great realtime updates on avoiding traffic and cops





dlague said:


> I used it for a while, but then realized that i could not drive any faster since it is a reporting based model therefore if something was not reported and you are hauling ass - well then you are busted.  But is also helps to alert you of other road hazards.  It also is dependent on people using it to report and the number in NH is not high enough yet.



I don't rely on it for the cops, but it's a big help on my commute since there are a couple routes I can take depending on traffic.


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## HD333 (Jun 11, 2014)

Waze and Pandora are my top 2.


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## bvibert (Jun 11, 2014)

I use Pandora quite a bit.

Also a big fan of the IMDB app. It's great for when I'm watching a movie or tv show and want to know who that actor/actress is, and what else they've been in.


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## skiNEwhere (Jun 19, 2014)

I got the emergency radio app to listen to the police/fire/ems band all over the world. Pretty interesting to listen to, and informative when you know something is going on in your neighborhood and you want to find out more.


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## gmcunni (Jun 19, 2014)

skiNEwhere said:


> I got the emergency radio app to listen to the police/fire/ems band all over the world. Pretty interesting to listen to, and informative when you know something is going on in your neighborhood and you want to find out more.


what app?

i had a web site i used in the past for fire/rescue but was told that police was encrypted for safety/confidentiality and not available.


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## skiNEwhere (Jun 19, 2014)

gmcunni said:


> what app?
> 
> i had a web site i used in the past for fire/rescue but was told that police was encrypted for safety/confidentiality and not available.





I've wondered why some police stations don't encrypt as well, but having worked with encryption quite a bit myself I know it can be finicky; you bump it and it loses it's fill, you turn it off without a battery backup it loses it's fill, and depending on what kind you use, it expires. All would could be very bad for an officer asking for immediate backup. I don't know if the stations that do maintain crypto need to hire someone else just to fill the radios either, if so it could be a payroll issue as well.


On a slightly different note, I will say it's pretty interesting to listen to the Sydney (yes, Australia) PD feed


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## Geoff (Jun 19, 2014)

Waze is useless for something like the Bridgewater, VT speed trap but it's great for locating speed traps on high traffic interstate highways.   I'm usually on cruise control at speed limit + 9 mph where I'm unlikely to get ticketed but it's really easy to have my speed drift up over 80 mph when there's more traffic.   I have the top-4% sword icon in Waze.  I always turn it on for long drives.   It's really good about real-time traffic and construction updates.

I also really like the text message/email you can send to someone via Waze so they can track you.   If they're wondering when you'll show up, they can get latest info with one mouse click.

My favorite applications on the iPhone:
Comcast Xfinity TV Remote - I basically never use the infrared channel changer for my HD Set-Top Box
Cumberland Farms Smartpay - Pay at the pump and get a 10 cent discount on fuel
iSailGPS - A really nice chart-plotter for the sailboat.  I rarely ever pull out my real GPS these days.
TideDataFree - A tide chart application
Zillow - I'm always curious about asking price when I see a For Sale sign in front of a house


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## gmcunni (Jun 19, 2014)

Geoff said:


> I have the top-4% sword icon in Waze.



i got my crown just last night.. i treat it like a video game and try to get a lot of points.


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## Cannonball (Jun 19, 2014)

Regulary: This is a great app for getting reminders about things on weird schedules.  Water the plants every 4 days.  Change the filter in your furnace every 3 months.  Anything on any schedule...with reminders.  Maybe not everyone needs this but I live by reminders. 

My Cars:  Great for tracking MPG, service costs, fuel prices.  Service reminders, etc.


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## Geoff (Jun 20, 2014)

gmcunni said:


> i got my crown just last night.. i treat it like a video game and try to get a lot of points.



Considering I telecommute and don't drive all that much, I was kind of surprised I could get to top-4% in 7 or 8 months.   I just make it a point to run Waze whenever I make a long drive.


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## Nick (Jun 20, 2014)

2048 is a rip off of Threes! . 

I recommend threes instead. 

I spend most of my time in the AZ app (duh), Feedly (For news reading), Touchdown (work email). I still play candy crush occasionally (err...)


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## dlague (Jun 20, 2014)

Geoff said:


> Considering I telecommute and don't drive all that much, I was kind of surprised I could get to top-4% in 7 or 8 months.   I just make it a point to run Waze whenever I make a long drive.



Waze saved my ass today!  Was notified that there was speed checked by aircraft on the way to work today on the 93 in NH.


i typed with my i thumbs using AlpineZone


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## skiNEwhere (Jun 20, 2014)

dlague said:


> Waze saved my ass today!  Was notified that there was speed checked by aircraft on the way to work today on the 93 in NH.



I never understood that....is the state really making money off of speeding tickets to justify the thousands of dollars spent on gas, maintenance, and pilots?


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## wa-loaf (Jun 20, 2014)

gmcunni said:


> i got my crown just last night.. i treat it like a video game and try to get a lot of points.
> View attachment 12842



I've got 200 more points than you, but I'm still only a Knight. Maybe it's regional with more competition here in MA than CT?


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## bvibert (Jun 20, 2014)

Clearly I need to step up my Waze game...


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## gmcunni (Jun 20, 2014)

Geoff said:


> Considering I telecommute and don't drive all that much, I was kind of surprised I could get to top-4% in 7 or 8 months.   I just make it a point to run Waze whenever I make a long drive.


same here, I also telecommute and just use waze for errands and other misc stuff.  i was surprised how fast i moved up but now i have my crown and wear it proudly.  Driving to DC this weekend, that should give me lots more points.



wa-loaf said:


> I've got 200 more points than you, but I'm still only a Knight. Maybe it's regional with more competition here in MA than CT?


i believe i recall reading that it was indeed by state.


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## Savemeasammy (Jun 21, 2014)

I have waze, but since I live and work in rural nh, it doesn't have much benefit to me (unless I'm missing something)...  When we travel, I generally have my wife monitor traffic on google maps.  That seems to work fairly well - although there are likely some better alternatives out there...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## dlague (Jun 21, 2014)

Savemeasammy said:


> I have waze, but since I live and work in rural nh, it doesn't have much benefit to me (unless I'm missing something)...  When we travel, I generally have my wife monitor traffic on google maps.  That seems to work fairly well - although there are likely some better alternatives out there...
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



It was lit up like a Christmas tree coming home from work on the 93 between Plymouth and Concord.  Probably due to motorcycle week!


i typed with my i thumbs using AlpineZone


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## skiNEwhere (Jun 26, 2014)

Cannonball said:


> Regulary: This is a great app for getting reminders about things on weird schedules.  Water the plants every 4 days.  Change the filter in your furnace every 3 months.



Is that an android app? I couldn't find it on the iPhone App Store


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## Tin (Jun 26, 2014)

Savemeasammy said:


> Pandora.  Nothing else gets nearly as much use.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



WebMD?   :razz:


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## Savemeasammy (Jun 26, 2014)

Tin said:


> WebMD?   :razz:



Between this past winter and this summer, I hope I have fulfilled my injury quota.  


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## skiNEwhere (Jul 9, 2014)

Question for wazers: does this run in the background? Or if the screen is locked?


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## Edd (Jul 9, 2014)

Most used for me:

Pandora
Downcast
eWeatherHD
Songza
Rhapsody
Twitter
Shazam
TideDataFree
Yelp


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## gmcunni (Jul 9, 2014)

skiNEwhere said:


> Question for wazers: does this run in the background? Or if the screen is locked?



i have it running/showing all the time.  there is a feature that disables the screen security lock but this can be turned off if you prefer.


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## bvibert (Jul 9, 2014)

skiNEwhere said:


> Question for wazers: does this run in the background? Or if the screen is locked?



I think so.


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## wa-loaf (Jul 9, 2014)

skiNEwhere said:


> Question for wazers: does this run in the background? Or if the screen is locked?



It does. I've made a stop on a trip and put my phone in my pocket. Walking through the store all of a sudden it starts giving me directions thinking I've gone off course.


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## spring_mountain_high (Jul 9, 2014)

scallops wrapped in bacon


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## ctenidae (Jul 9, 2014)

Just heard about If This Then That from one of our analysts. Actually sounds pretty cool, and very useful if you use a lot of apps. Basically, you can set up if-then functions between apps. One I thought of was: If your phone connects to your car's Bluetooth, Then turn on Waze, and send a text to your wife saying "On my way". One of the analyst's friends has it set to turn his wifi enabled light bulb a random color if he gets a Yo (discussion of the silliness of wifi light bulbs and Yo ensued). Their example is If Waze says you're within X distance of your house, Then turn on the porch light, or something like that.

I don't use any apps thatI know of, and so don't have any actual applications, but thought it was a neat idea.


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## bvibert (Jul 10, 2014)

ctenidae said:


> Just heard about If This Then That from one of our analysts. Actually sounds pretty cool, and very useful if you use a lot of apps. Basically, you can set up if-then functions between apps. One I thought of was: If your phone connects to your car's Bluetooth, Then turn on Waze, and send a text to your wife saying "On my way". One of the analyst's friends has it set to turn his wifi enabled light bulb a random color if he gets a Yo (discussion of the silliness of wifi light bulbs and Yo ensued). Their example is If Waze says you're within X distance of your house, Then turn on the porch light, or something like that.
> 
> I don't use any apps thatI know of, and so don't have any actual applications, but thought it was a neat idea.



I have a similar app called Tasker.  My last phone, which was a Motorola, came with an app called Smart Actions that was similar, but not as powerful.  As neat as it is I haven't found too many wildly useful applications for it (of course I don't have any wireless light bulbs or anything like that).  There is one reason I use it that is indispensable for me though.  When my phone is charging between certain hours (night time) it automatically silences the notifications and ringer, then it turns them back on in the morning, of if I take it off the charger.  The reason it's so important to me is that my phone charges on my night stand right next to my head.  I use it as my alarm clock, so turning it off isn't an option.  Luckily the alarm clock app I use has the ability to ignore the system volume and play the alarm sound at full blast (or whatever level I set).

That reminds me that I didn't mention one of my most used apps earlier, and that is Alarm Clock Plus.  This app came preloaded on my first smartphone several years ago, and I've been using it ever since.  I'm not a morning person, and I've been known to repeatedly hit snooze or just turn the alarm off in a half asleep stupor with regular alarm clocks.  With this app I can set it to not only limit the number of snoozes it allows (or turn off snoozes all together, but lets not get crazy), but I also have it set to require me to answer a math question before I can turn the alarm off.  That means I need to have some level of consciousness before turning the alarm off.


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## skiNEwhere (Aug 21, 2014)

VideoPane. You need a jail broken phone but it allows you detach YouTube videos while doing other important stuff, like wasting time on AZ 

You can make it transparent as well


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## Nick (Aug 21, 2014)

^cool.i'm sure something similar exists on Android. I think my samsung s4 has a pop out video but I've never used it.


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## bvibert (Aug 27, 2014)

Nick said:


> ^cool.i'm sure something similar exists on Android. I think my samsung s4 has a pop out video but I've never used it.



I can do that with the stock video player on my LG G2, along with some other stock apps.. Not sure if I can do it with YouTube videos though. I've never used it until just now.


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