A Tale of Two Running Apps

I've been down in Key West for the past two weeks and I've been trying out two running apps. One is Runmonster (iTunes link) and the other is RunKeeper (iTunes link). I've been wanting to try something other than the built in Nike+ app and figured I would dive into both apps and see which one came out on top. Both apps use the iphone's built in GPS, so no iPod touches here. There are some different things that both apps bring to the table and some are good and some not so much.

Runmonster

Runmonster has a few things that are nicely done in app. For one there is iPod integration. When you open the app, you can select from any playlists that you have in your iPod app. If you don't have your music sorted into playlists then it won't do you much good. You can't pick from artists or albums so if you want to go that route, then you need to pick the music before you open the app. Once you start your workout, you can change the songs by swipping right to advance forward or left to advance backward. Tap twice on the screen for an update on your progress. I do like the way that runmonster handles your postrun info. It presents it in a neat chart that you can slide your finger accross to see what your min/mile was and your elevation. Overall this is a nice app that misses the mark on one feature that I like about RunKeeper.

Runkeeper

This app is almost identical to runmonster save for a few items. Runkeeper has a few built in training workouts that aide you in well training. This ability to have the program help with training is a huge thing to me. I love to do intervals so you can program an interval where you run hard for x minutes and then slow for x minutes. It also has integration with it's website so you can go and look at your workout later on online with a nice slick site. Where Runkeeper falls short is the fact that there is no iPod integration. It is nice to be able to from within the app add songs from a playlist or control the music. Of course you can set up the phone to do this by double clicking home (if you have that set up in Settings).

Conclusion

Both apps are very nice and tracked my run pretty accurately from what I could tell. They both also can track biking or walking if those happen to be something you would rather track. Runkeeper has a website that you can use to later look at your run and edit it if need be, while Runmonster doesn't. Both have some pretty small things that set them apart, so you just have to look at what matters most to you.

App Review of Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain

When I was a boy, my parents would buy me books that were known as "choose your own adventure." This was where you, the reader, were allowed to make choices to determine how the story progressed. For the most part, these books were Fantasy/Sci-Fi themed and helped to inspire my imagination which was quite active, as I'm sure all kids' were. While looking for a new iPhone app to help fight boredom, I came across Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain by Steve Jackson & Ian Livingstone. These two British gents created Games Workshop and have not only been involved in the development of Role-playing games since the beginning but produced the books under the same title, Fighting Fantasy.

The app keeps true with my memories of this genre of books with the added bonus of not being able to cheat. In the past, it was possible to read ahead of each available choice. If it wasn't a good choice, all you had to do was turn back to the page that was conveniently marked by your thumb and try the next selection. Once you make a choice in the game, it's made until you either complete the quest, die, or start the adventure over. The creators went a step further to make the game more interactive by introducing combat and situations where luck or skill would determine if the game continued or ended in blood.

The game took about a week to beat but that was playing casually and following the instructions that the in-game guide suggested. The primary suggestion was keep track of where you are at by drawing a map. Although at times my mapping skills helped me to get further lost, it did allow me to be prepared for the second and third play throughs that were required to make it through the dungeon. The game guide predicted this as well. It was a fun game to play once or twice through and maybe a in couple years it'll be fun to pick up again.

I have two major complaints about this game. The first is major problem with the game. Every so often the game will freeze when the dice are rolled or an item is picked up. One item caused the game to take several minutes to load and if the game started from this point it would also take forever to load. The other problem was the sound. For the most part it wasn't bad except for when an enemy was defeated. The triumph music is pretty silly and should've just been left out.

App Review: Spell Number

For those of you who want to include smiley faces in your texts, this is the app for you. My hubby discovered it when he wanted to send me a heart in a text (he's so sweet!) and he discovered it. While, you have to follow a few steps to get it to work, once it's set up it is VERY FUN. The app includes all kinds of pics to use (too many to name) and can be used in any program (it works for Facebook for iPhone too, although the pic I used didn't show up on Facebook on the regular internet...) Definitely worth a try, especially since its FREE!

App Review: Skee-Ball

I used to play skee-ball a long time ago. Who didn't play skee-ball growing up. Arcades aren't as commonplace anymore and with that neither is the skee-ball. Enter this app (iTunes link). This game brings back those days. The game play is pretty well laid out and very smooth. It's very addicting. There is also a chance to earn some cool stuff with the tickets you win by scoring high. Just like in those arcades.

Google Nexus Hands On

Looks like Engadget has a hands on with the Nexus One.

AT&T still misses the boat

This latest commercial still misses the boat. Alright, I get great 3G here in my area of Hampton Roads, VA. But if you look at the map (Verizon's ad campaign is genius), there is a HUGE gap in coverage when it comes to 3G. I recently spent some time in NC and the coverage for 3G is horrible down there. Sure the major cities have it, but I was on EDGE for 99.9% of the time. AT&T needs to stop spending so much money hiring Luke Wilson for the commercials and spend it upgrading their network.

LTE

To add to the rumor mill, I really think the next iPhone will be LTE (Long Term Evolution). I've heard lots of things that would prove this point. I think that Apple wants to get off AT&T and the move to Verizon would coincide with their roll out of LTE and the move from EVDO. Verizon has been testing LTE in 2009 and have said that they would introduce it in 2010. It's looking like AT&T will be going with LTE as well while Sprint on the other hand is going with WiMAX. This could very well mean that if Apple rolls out it's next iPhone in July AND it's LTE, it could run on both AT&T and Verizon.