Great app: GPS MegaTape

GPS MegaTape makes it possible to measure a distance. It has two modes: a straight tape measure, and, an odometer (tripmeter). In the odometer mode you can record a path you walked or drove. That's a rather nice feature. 

Do as follows. When you've reached the destination, press the envelope-button on the bottom left and mail to yourself. Then open the mail and choose to open the attached file with Google Earth to see the path you traversed.

Of course you can open the mail with Google Earth on your PC too. While at the PC you might want to save the attachment to your harddisk and give it some good name for later reference. 

Here's a walk I recorded the other day (screen shot from my iPhone). The walk is the white marking on the picture: 

I usually keep my iPhone in the breast pocket of my shirt or some pocket in my jacket or overcoat. In the rather cold climate of southern Sweden taking a walk at this time of year means you need a pullover and an overcoat over the shirt. That seems to be no problem at all for GPS reception. The proof is in the picture: if reception were a problem, the white line would not be so smooth.

When you use the tape measure, it's important to wait for good GPS reception. Here's how to get a precise measurement: 

• Wait for the indicator dot in the top right corner to turn green. It can take a few seconds.
• When the indicator has turned green, press the Reset button to zero the measured distance.
• Start measuring. 

TCompanion, T stands for Travel

Navigation seems to be a trivial problem for many people. They seem always to know what way to go. Their sense of directions can be such that they know within a few degrees what direction north is. It's a gift they can be proud of. Alas I'm not one of them.

It gets worse. Suppose I'm in a city. Given a map, even given my position on the map, the problem persists. I look at the map and the street signs. I'm here and I want to go there, what direction do I take? I think, Ok, I'm on A-street, but where? I'll walk to the next junction. Right, here's B-street, so I should be about ... here. My destination somewhere on the mid-point of M-street is ... there. What direction do I take from here to get there? Ok, I was over there, I'm now here, so it must be that direction.

By that time, I've probably asked somebody ... who doesn't know either.

I always get there one way or another, but it's a hassle. It was in one of those situations I realized what's actually needed. You need an arrow, which points the direction to the destination. 

That's how the idea of an app called "TCompanion - Point out direction" came to me. TCompanion does exactly what I need: It points the direction. So, here's what you do if you have TCompanion. Open the app and press the "New" button to see the map. Search for the destination and mark it. Press the "Save" on the map screen, give the destination a name, and press "Save and Point". Now you're taken back to the main screen with the arrow. Just follow the arrow until you reach the destination. The box above the arrow tells how far it is, as the crow flies. 

TCompanion uses GPS and compass, both of whom are part of your iPhone. Also, it doesn't matter how you hold the iPhone, the big arrow will always point in the right direction.

Suppose the map and the street signs were written in an alphabet you don't master. You'd need either a human guide, or, TCompanion.


TCompanion can also be used to remember where you parked the car. Open the app and press the "Here" button and name the location. 

The "Here" button is great for marking some location you want to be able to find again. Suppose you're with a travel group and the guide says: "Those of you who want to discover the city on your own for a while, please remember to be here again at ...". Mark the place and wander off with the safe feeling that you'll definitely find your way back. 


I love the TCompanion app and it has already helped me a few times. I'm looking forward to the travel season. Let me suggest you try TCompanion too.

Apps Waiting for Review

Three apps by Proctele have been updated and are awaiting App Store approval. They are "NumberWiz", "Pi, the Magic Number of circles" and "TCompanion - Point Out Direction".

TCompanion has incorrectly been labelled a tool app, but will soon be labelled a navigation app. Hopefully the new label will attract more buyers. The TCompanion is a really good and useful app. I use it as follows. 
Before I go someplace I haven't been to before, I open TCompanion to mark the exact destination (very easy: search address and mark it on the map). Arriving in the destination city I park my car somewhere not too far from the destination. To make sure I don't have to walk very far I keep an eye on TCompanion's distance indicator. After parking, I use TCompanion to point the way to go. It works great! 
I often park in a multistory car park and those often have several exits, so out in the street I mark the exit with TCompanion. In that way I can always find the exit when leaving for home.

The screen shots below, taken from the App Store, show respectively a) the search b) the marking c) saving the destination d) the pointing arrow.

And yes, TCompanion has a torch too for evening walks.

Proctele app reaches #2

The Reverse Talk app reached 2nd place in the Entertainment category in the App Store in Germany this week. At the same time it also became popular in Austria, Switzerland and Luxemburg.

Reverse Talk lets you record and then play it backwards or forwards. Playing something backwards usually results in something quite amusing. Some say it reveals hidden messages in lyrics. Babies sometimes speak backwards, although most parents seem unaware of it. 


Reverse Talk has the following names in the localized App Stores:
SV: Backsnack
NL: Achteruit praten
DE: Rückwärts reden
FR: Inverser parler

Great fun for a fraction of the price of a cup of coffee: $0.99.

TCompanion app offers navigation-by-arrow

TCompanion offers mapless navigation. Yes, it's true! Just follow that arrow. 
Arrow navigation is here :-) 

Navigating with a map can be a challenge. Even with an iPhone running the Maps app it's not trivial. You know where you are and where you want to go, but you have to compare the map with reality to get there. That's the problem that this app solves for you. It points the direction to go, until you reach the destination. 

TCompanion uses GPS satellite navigation. 

With TCompanion you mark locations of interest on a map. Once you have marked the locations, you don't need the map anymore. Just follow the app's big arrow to find one of the places you marked. 

Advantages: 
-Much easier than map navigation, just follow the arrow; 
-Whatever direction your iPhone points, the arrow always points correctly; 
-Shows the distance to the destination in metric or imperial units; 
-The best navigation-alternative when visiting a country with a different alphabet and unreadable street signs; 
-You can share your location markings by email with a friend, who also has this app; 
-No operator data-charges when navigating, as opposed to map navigation; 
-Compass for the cardinal points; 
-LED torch by pressing a button. 

Open the app's map screen and locate the places you want to visit and save them. Later, you can choose one of the places and ask the app to point out the direction. 

Of course you can do this on the go too. Like, what direction is Bond Street from here. Open TCompanion's map. Search for Bond Street, put a mark there and Save & Point. TCompanion's big arrow will point the direction to Bond Street. 

Suppose you're traveling to London. Before departure, you use this app to mark the places you wish to visit. You may select Big Ben, the British Museum, a theater in the West End, your hotel and a pub that someone has recommended. These places end up in a table. On location in London, you can now open this app and select for example Big Ben in the table and press Point button. Then the arrow will point you in the direction of Big Ben and show the distance there. 
A simpler example is to mark e.g. where you parked your car. 
This app does not use the Internet when navigating. Internet is only used when you access the map. 

The app enables you to use the unit's LED-flash as a powerful flashlight.

TCompanion, the new app

There's a new Proctele app in the App Store!

TCompanion - Point The Way

With TCompanion you mark a place on a map where you want to go. TCompanion will point you which direction to take. Using GPS it knows where you are and it knows your destination, because you told it. TCompanion will point you to the destination whichever way you turn your device.

TCompanion uses metric or imperial units to show the distance to the destination. 

Using maps is a hassle, even if it's on iPhone, the perfect mobile device. The difficulty is that you have to match points on the map with your immmediate surroundings. That often involves turning the device and looking at street names and comparing them to street signs around you, if you can find them. You might also have to zoom the map. It's difficult.

TCompanion solves this problem for you, by simply pointing with a big arrow what direction you have to move in and how far you are from the destination.

Wherever you are on the planet, whatever way you turn your device, TCompanion will always point the direction.

MiniDisc is Dead

The last MiniDisc player/recorder will be shipped in March this year. MiniDisc, or MD, was launched in 1992 in Japan.

I remember being impressed by the small size and Sony's beautiful compact design. I never bought one though since it was far too dear for my budget. You could even record music with it, which was more than could be said about the CD. I remember considering this inability to record as a serious shortcoming of the CD; analog tape was my reference back then.
Competing formats in those days were the CD, DAT and the DCC. The portable CD players were considered small at the time and I guess most people's choice. The DAT went professional only. DCC (the Digital Compact Cassette developed by Philips) had the advantage that you could play the old analog cassettes on DCC players, a very valid thought in many instances, but of less importance in that particular case. The MiniDisc was the most attractive device, but too expensive.
I must confess that I thought the MiniDisc was no longer being made. Who would buy it? Those who own a large enough collection of pre-recorded mini-disks, but who else? There are some excellent alternatives as we all know. CD, recordable CD, dirt-cheap or more expensive MP3-players, Apple's iPod Shuffle, Nano, Touch and Classic, most mobile phones, any PC, any Mac. In short: a crowded market.
I wonder why Sony took so long time to kill the MD. I'm sure they wouldn't give a product this long nowadays, because indecision costs.

The chance to buy a new MiniDisc is running out. Do-it!


Refs: 
Gizmodo.com
Asahi Business Update