Page 19 - NyghtVision Magazine Volume 2 #3

FOUR (FREE) SMARTPHONE APPLICATIONS FALCON 19

OPEN SYSTEMS CAN MEAN

POWERFUL FREE APPLICATIONS

email via my phone. While I continue to resist “complete con-
nectivity,” I have learned how powerful—and important—a
smartphone can be. So, in late 2011, nine months after my
Treo died and I moved to a Samsung Galaxy S phone, I made
a decision to take full advantage of all the power my phone
offered. Whether you are a pro or an amateur, these apps can
prove invaluable.

Swiss Army Knife

Free for Droid-based phones, this app is actually eight apps
in one. It is a compass, a flash light, a bubble level, a plumb, a
ruler, a magnifying glass, and a measurement tool. Enter your
height and it will calculate how far you have walked. Still not
impressed? Use the cross vertical tool in conjunction with your
built-in camera to measure vertical distances.

MilesTrac

Simply put, this app enables you to track your mileage. MilesTrac is easy to use and flexible. It
keeps track of the places you go and provides autocomplete to help you quickly enter starting
and ending odometer readings. Best of all, if you make a data entry mistake (for example your
ending odometer reading is less than your starting reading), MilesTrac reminds you that an
odometer can’t go backwards. MilesTrac generates reports and emails them to you.

Vlingo

I hate typing on small keyboards and I hate “swiping” across a virtual keyboard. Enter Vlingo. I
have tried dozens of voice command applications. None—not even Apple’s—have come close to
what Vlingo offers. It will even read voicemail, incoming texts, and email for you. It requires no
training. And it is free.

CWMoney

This app is available in a free version and a Pro version. The Pro version is about $7.95. The free
version is incredible. This is how I track all my expenses. When I put gas in the car, for example,
I enter the expense then use the link to my camera to photograph the credit card receipt—all in
a matter of seconds. No mounds of receipts. Nothing to scan. No piles of paper.
CWMoney tracks both income and expenses. It keeps a running total of what I spend and I
can sort my expenses and income as I wish. I can also create “projects”—categories essentially—
to easily track trips related to specific jobs or assignments. CWMoney also exports to the spread-
sheet of your choice. Not bad for free.

nyghtvision magazine Return to Contents volume 2, number 3, Fall 2012