Tag: Mobile Technology

Categories
Digital

@VoucherCloud #iPhone App

If you’ve never heard of Vouchercloud (or other similar apps, which I’d love to know about), I was told about this over Easter. If you don’t have a smartphone (a variety are accessible), simply go to the website and download printed vouchers before you go.

What does Vouchercloud do?
Another example of global returning to local… On entering a postcode (or type of activity, or name of company), the app searches for nearby offers within distance (you can bring all of them up, but I tend to be looking for restaurants), and offers a range of discounts to be used in store.

“Get the latest discount voucher codes from a range of high street and local retailers. All our voucher codes are updated weekly, allowing you to get the best promotional deals as soon as they get released.”

What’s Special about Mobile?
However, what I love about this app is the ability to use it on the move. On downloading the app, it uses the phones GPS function to identify those nearest to you, and which have valid vouchers for that day (yes, some appear on a Friday night, and not on a Saturday and vice-versa). You can also save favourites for those places that you like to visit frequently!

“Vouchercloud is also the first voucher supplier in Europe to have released a separate mobile voucher application. You can now also get our discount voucher codes directly to your smart phone by signing up to our mobile voucher app”.

Not Always Super-Prepared?
When out and about, I haven’t always thought about where I want to go, or I’m staying with friends and have no access to a printer, so this is great. I simply get up a code on the phone, show it to the waiter in the restaurant, and they subtract from the bill – saved £20 in La Tasca the other week, got a few pounds off my tyres in National Tyres & Autocentre, and a meal for £10 in Zizzi.

What’s New?
Vouchercloud are clearly very excited about their new collaboration with Vue cinemas, and have a special offer of 2-4-1 for a viewing of ‘Knight and Day’, the new Cruise/Diez film, voucher valid until 14th September. Here’s the preview for the film if you’re tempted:

Is the site interested in feedback?
The site has an active Twitter account. I just sent this status update indicating that there was a spelling mistake on their ‘apologies we’re super-busy’ message, and 5 minutes later (who knows, they may just have noticed it themselves too):

Categories
Digital

Sleep Cycle #iPhone app

Why Sleep Cycle?
For years I have complained of being tired, and have had all kinds of tests… but I think the general conclusion is that I just enjoying living life to the full too much, and consequently do too much (and I work best late at night too… why is culture built around morning larks rather than night owls)!! Recently, however, I have been waking up knowing that I have had a lot of disturbing dreams, feeling less refreshed than ever, and falling asleep in the middle of the day. Many years ago I stopped trying to get to sleep if my eyes weren’t closing on their own – either picking up a book, or watching a film I already know (or now, iPlayer, in the knowledge that I can finish watching the next day). Last night I went to bed at 1.15am, watched Casualty, and started watching John Bishop’s Britain… I had already set my phone alarm… and it looks like it woke me just as I’d slipped into the second super-deep sleep of the night…

The App
The app, which was only 59p, was recommended to me by a friend who had tried it for several nights. You need to be able to leave your phone plugged in all night, otherwise I suspect it sucks all that wonderful iPhone battery life… The app uses the iPhone accelerometer (used to sense orientation, acceleration, vibration shock, and falling) to monitor movement during sleep. The more you move, the lighter the sleep phase that you are in. As I already had the phone alarm set, I didn’t really test the claims of the phone that the best use of this phone is to set the alarm, and the app will sense which is the lightest part of your sleep pattern within a half-hour window around the alarm time, and wake you up, allowing you to feel more refreshed/less tired during the day…  maybe one to try tonight…  The phone keeps a record of all your statistics.. maybe one to take to your GP to discuss… Note: Don’t put the phone under your pillow, not good for the phone or the accuracy of the app.

“Scientific” Review

“Actigraphy is the science of recording motion patterns during sleep. It is generally considered a more accurate means of monitoring sleeping patterns than a sleep journal or devices that can only record in short time frames, but not as useful as polysomnography, which encompasses the use of an EEG. For instance, it is very useful in collecting the night-to-night sleep patterns of patients diagnosed with insomnia or disorders with their circadian rhythms.

So in trying this app out, the graph is a little misleading. Since no motion occurs during REM sleep, the part of the graph that says “dreaming” is a misnomer. Perhaps a better term would be “wakefulness”. However, “deep sleep” works okay for the lower portion, but keep in mind that REM is when we are dreaming the most, and true “deep sleep” occurs in the latter two stages of Non-REM. More motion likely means you are not in REM, but for deep sleep you could easily be moving or not. The app builds on ideas that actigraphy utilizes, which is a good test for basic sleep cycle pattern testing, but should be used for novelty purposes only and to get a GENERAL idea of how you tend to sleep. The fact is, you could lay still during Non-REM just as you do in REM, so if you are truly having sleep issues, polysomnograph performed at a sleep clinic is the way to go.” (Review by a physiology instructor)

Categories
Digital

How To… #iPhone Folders

I still have several months to run on my contract for my iPhone (3GS 32GB), so an iPhone 4 is definitely out of the question at the moment, and probably have to wait for iPhone 5! The only things I crave on the iPhone 4 are the improved battery life (although not the weight that comes with it) and the flash on the camera… Otherwise, I’ve updated to OS 4.0 on my phone, so I’m sure it gives me whatever the extra functionality is… although unfortunately the phone seems (unsurprisingly) much slower and the battery life is just killing… although that may be more down to the experiments with geolocation software – notoriously hard on battery life!

Apps Folders

With OS 4.0 comes the option to place apps in folders… which sounds like a great idea… so long as you can remember which folder you put them in… Folders can be named whatever you want, and you work with whatever system works for you!

iPhone Folders

  • Hold down on an app/folder until the cross appears in the left-hand corner (see right)
  • Drag & Drop on top of another app which you wish to put into the same folder
  • Name the folder appropriately.
  • Continue

Now, I have huge problems getting my apps (all 9 pages of them) to move across the screen boundaries on my phone, so Tweeted out, and got lots of helpful advice that it was also possible to do this, much faster, in iTunes

iTunes Folders

  • Ensure that you have the latest version of iTunes available.
  • Attach iPhone to computer, allow it to Sync
  • Click on ‘Devices’
  • Look for the tab ‘Apps’, and a screen similar to the following will appear:
  • Drag & Drop apps from the main screen into the numbered screens.
  • Click on the numbered screen to ensure that it appears as the main screen
  • Drag & drop within the screen to in the folders. Appears to be a limit of 9 apps in each folder… (so I have ‘Games 2’)… actually, that’s not true – just got 10 in one!
  • Press ‘Apply’ otherwise before syncing, otherwise your phone settings will overset it (found that out the hard way!)

Maybe I’ll be back with another screenshot when I’m done… fortunately I had only moved about 20 apps when I lost what I’d done!!!!

Categories
Digital

Talking Carl

Initially, during an ‘app swap’ session at an educational tech conference (#pelc10), I couldn’t see the point of this app, but decided that it was only 59p, and my colleague seemed almost unable to use it for laughing.

What Can You Do With It?

Strictly speaking, there’s not a lot to this app.

  • Carl will repeat everything you say (and any music you play if loud enough) with a high-pitched voice.
  • Tickle him, he will laugh out loud.
  • Poke him and he will shout and yell.
  • Pinch him to hear him  growling.
  • Leave him alone, he’ll chatter back at you

What Do I Think?

Aside from the fact that it gives the biggest belch ever when opening (beware!), this app has had me in stitches several times over the past week (and it’s been a pretty tough week). The website describes it as ‘ideal for children of any age’, and I’ve never denied that I never want to fully grow up! Simple things please simple minds is what we always used to say, but really, life doesn’t have to be all serious!! I’m not going to say that this app does’t have a purpose/point, it does, and let’s enjoy it!

App Homepage: Talking Carl
Price: 59p

Categories
Academic Digital

3 Ways Educators are Embracing Social Technology

“The modern American school faces rough challenges. Budget cuts have caused ballooning class sizes,  many teachers struggle with poorly motivated students, and in many schools a war is being waged on distracting technologies. In response, innovative educators are embracing social media to fight back against the onslaught of problems. Technologies such as Twitter and Skype offer ideal solutions as inexpensive tools of team-based education.

Pockets of experimentation are emerging all around the world, and I hope to inspire my fellow teachers with some stories of success. From cell phones to social media, below are three schools that have chosen to go with the flow of popular technology to turn the tide for education.”

Read full story (and it’s not just a problem in America!). The story forcuses on the use of Skype for language learning, the integration of mobile phones into the learning experience, and the use of Twitter… this one is particularly inspiring:

“Many universities have internal e-mail systems and message boards. But getting students to routinely check these systems for updates can be a chore. As a college teacher myself, my students have been required to participate in group message boards, which is a poor substitute for genuine intellectual curiosity. As a solution, Leicester University in the UK turned to Twitter, hoping that the popular micro-blogging technology would encourage collaboration outside of class. Students were provided with an iPod touch, given instructional materials, and told they had to make a few academic-related tweets a day. Soon, a thriving community grew, complete with @replies and hashtags flying back-and-forth between participants, tutors, and even members outside of the program. Additionally, the study has become an unexpected marketing boon for the university. The Association for Learning Technology noted in its newsletter:

“One year ago, a Twitter search for ‘University of Leicester’ revealed little of interest. More recent searches reveal a growing volume of conversation between existing students, often across institutional boundaries, and also from prospective students, commenting on perceptions of the University and Higher Education in general.”

The university was impressed by the experiment and has begun collaborating with teachers and staff to extend participation throughout the campus. Leicester University joins the growing ranks of major universities, such as M.I.T., that are preparing students with technological and cooperative skills essential to real-life scientific experimentation.”