Android Apps

[Q]

Originally Posted by nekrosoft13

what if i'm driving thought a part of Wisconsin where there is no signal, trusing google maps to have that particular part of map pre-loaded or cached will not always be reliable.

GPS that needs data connection for maps is not very useful.

I've found to be immensely useful, even traveling through very rural parts of Virginia.

[Roadhog]

Originally Posted by Q

I've found to be immensely useful, even traveling through very rural parts of Virginia.

true that, I can lose data connection and it will still work perfectly.

[nekrosoft13]

Originally Posted by Q

I've found to be immensely useful, even traveling through very rural parts of Virginia.

have you ever been camping in wildlife for 2-4 days travelling though woods with zero signal?

i really doubt that google maps would be smart enough to cache he required info.

[six_storm]

Originally Posted by Roadhog

true that, I can lose data connection and it will still work perfectly.

Agreed.

If you are going camping and have no signal, then you need more than just a smartphone to hold you. Otherwise, Google Maps/Navigation works perfect.

[Q]

Originally Posted by nekrosoft13

have you ever been camping in wildlife for 2-4 days travelling though woods with zero signal?

i really doubt that google maps would be smart enough to cache he required info.

Not since I was a child and there wasn't really cell signal available in the nation.

The important thing is, though, that no one in their right minds would rely on a cell phone for GPS navigation for 2-4 days in the wilderness. These things will work for GPS, and usually quite well for driving. But you'll drain the battery on any modern smartphone in about an hour. If you're going to be out in the wilderness where your life depends on it, I wouldn't count on a half-ass app on a phone. I'd have a real GPS device for when it actually mattered. I imagine they have far better battery life and are built better for this purpose.

I realize that you're trying not to bring 50 gadgets along and you're trying to get the most for your money. Google Maps will more than likely not cache to the point where it would be useful in the deep woods. There are likely decent apps, as mentioned by others, that are designed for constant offline use that work fine. But your battery life is going to be miserable, even if you have your phone in airplane mode and your screen turned all the way down. As soon as I turn GPS on with my Droid Incredible, I might have an hour of battery left. YMMV, but I wouldn't count on a smartphone to be my GPS in the woods.

You got the answers you got in this thread because you didn't specify that you were going off the radar to live in a cave to avoid a nationwide manhunt. You should be clearer next time. When most people are worried about cell signal, they're thinking rural roads, etc. Especially at a tech forum, where most of us don't know what an "outside" actually is.

[nekrosoft13]

Originally Posted by Q

You got the answers you got in this thread because you didn't specify that you were going off the radar to live in a cave to avoid a nationwide manhunt. You should be clearer next time. When most people are worried about cell signal, they're thinking rural roads, etc. Especially at a tech forum, where most of us don't know what an "outside" actually is.

haha, for a tech savy person I do like to spend a lot of time outside. on my current phone I had this app that allows to download nationwide geographic maps, with terrain information, elevation etc.... need to look around android market to see if there is something like that also available.

when i have to use app on the phone, i just turn on the phone for a minure or two, look around to get my bearings, few map pointers and move on

[nekrosoft13]

ok, what other apps for android would you folks recommend?

Weather app/widget? something that looks cool
Time widget?
Weather/Time widget that can be added to lockscreen?
Geocaching app?
Exersise tracker/logger?
Something that can be installed in background to located lost/stolen phone?

[Albo]

Beautiful Widgets is pretty good. For widgets.. (its a time/weather widget and more)

[zoomy942]

angry birds is so awesome.

[Q]

Originally Posted by nekrosoft13

ok, what other apps for android would you folks recommend?

Weather app/widget? something that looks cool
Time widget?
Weather/Time widget that can be added to lockscreen?
Geocaching app?
Exersise tracker/logger?
Something that can be installed in background to located lost/stolen phone?

I used the Weather Channel widget until the last update. Its buggy and slow now (instead of being just occasionally buggy). Now I use WeatherBug and rely on the tray icon instead of a widget, even though it's not bad.

I used the HTC time Widget. Didn't add to lockscreen.

No Geocaching.

Exercise - Runkeeper Pro works great and is now free for the most part.

Prey is free, open source, and what I use to monitor my phones location. It takes a few minutes to figure out how to get it to work correctly.

[Albo]

GPS App - Sygic Aura
MUCH better than the first one I told you about.

[nekrosoft13]

Originally Posted by Albo

GPS App - Sygic Aura
MUCH better than the first one I told you about.

Have you tried it?
Why is it better, more accurate, more detailed or just flasher graphics?