Thursday, March 6, 2014

23 Mobile Things, Thing #3: Utilities

I downloaded an app for both of my devices.

On my Samsung S3, I downloaded Google Goggles.  It is super cool.  I can see how it would be useful in a library setting as well as in your own regular life.  I tested it on a few things I found around the house - a bag of Doritos, a couple of books, and a bottle of vitamins.  It scans the item and then brings up the exact text printed on it.  From there you can have the text translated using Google Translate --- very helpful if you're ever in a foreign land and/or any time you need to read text in a foreign language that's on something.  You can also copy the text to a clipboard and then paste it wherever you like (an email, a text message, a blog post, etc.)  Goggles also brings up any and all websites (no matter how remotely related to the item).  This is a super cool app and I can tell I've only scratched the surface of the possibilities it allows.

On my iPad I downloaded the Stand App.  I'm very excited to put this into use.  (I've been sick for the past two weeks so I haven't yet).  What is neat about this app is that it gives you a gentle reminder to take a standing break at any interval you choose.  This is important because we all sit too much (except when we're sick) and there is no reason I can't stand to do a good many pieces of my job - it's just getting used to doing it that's tricky.  The other part to remember will be to have my iPad near me at all times, which is isn't always possible.  But a healthy person is a happy person (as I've had to learn, yet again, the hard way).

Here's a bonus app for you that I downloaded to my phone:  Fooducate.  With this app you can do tons of things - track your food intake, calories, and exercise - but even better and possibly more important than that, you can find out what's really in your food.  You just scan the UPC on whatever you're about to eat and it tells you what's in it and if it's good for you.  It even gives the food item a letter grade using a grading system designed by "scientists, dieticians, and concerned parents."  In my case I was about to make a flatbread pizza, so I scanned the UPC for the new "Flatouts" I was trying.  I was delighted to learn this product had a B rating!  I picked something good for me (yay - mini miracle!)  :)  You can download it free from the Google Play Store or on your iPhone at the app store.  Not sure if it's available for the iPad...

Anyway, this was my favorite "thing" so far.  I'm tempted to look into the iSleep app too but I'm not sure how I feel about sleeping with my iPad... ;)

1 comment:

  1. Doing good! Fooducate sounds very interesting and I may have to download it myself. :)

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