First of all, the question.
I take it that if I’m connected via wifi, for example by using the wireless modem at home, that I am not using my data allowance. How do I know I’m connected via wifi and not via the mobile network ?
Is it the dot with the three quarter circles above it ? As long as I’ve got that showing, I’m OK ?

I’ve downloaded a few apps already;
Compass
Level
Moon Phases
OS Maps
AVG Anti-virus
Night Sky

Any other technology/science/outdoors/mountain biking/wildlife type ones I might be interested in ?

STRAAAAVVAAAAA!

Ebay!

Yes.

What phone?

yes dot with 3/4 circles is your home wifi, 3g with arrows pointing up and down are mobile network.

The only after market app I’ve found useful is a dictaphone. I’ve also added strava, but forget to use it. the app novelty wore off quite quickly, I just use it as internet, email, phone, alarm, calculator, camera(occasionally), road map, music.

google skymap is quite cool. Don’t get angry birds or you can say goodbye to battery life and productivity

maybe get a kindle or other reader app so you can get a few books on there

I got the HTC Wildfire from Tesco at £10 a month for 24 month.
They do a SIM only deal for £7.50 a month, so I will end up paying £60 over 2 years for a phone that goes for £60+ second hand on ebay.

Yes, I should have thought of Strava and Endomondo too, although I already log all my rides on a Garmin 800 anyway. I suppose the live tracking might come in handy if I ever disappear on one of my late night commutes. At least MRS MTG will know where to look for me.

nbt, Google Sky Map is what I meant when I said Night Sky. I often see a bright star when I’m out and wonder which planet it is. It’ll be handy to be able to look it up.
Just down loaded a map of all UK LPG/Autogas stations as well.

Anyone recommend one for tree or wild flower recognition ?

One app I’m thinking might be useful is the one with free/cheap 1:25k OS maps (can’t recall name offhand), you load them onto your phone, so they can be used without network connection.

some sort of battery life saver app?

my wife’s wildfire battery lifetime is a shocker but as she won’t let me go near it, I suspect she has everything running on it all the time – bluetooth, gps, facebook sync, etc, etc.

iGeology

Super stickman golf – outdoorsy innit?

B.A.Nana – Member
One app I’m thinking might be useful is the one with free/cheap 1:25k OS maps (can’t recall name offhand), you load them onto your phone, so they can be used without network connection.

Outside?

It’s a good ap.

eta weather pro is excellent and bang on usually.

I know its already been mentioned but Strava is a must

Outside?

no AlpineQuest, I think

I just upgraded from a Wildfire. I found batter life fine, but for longer rides Strava would kill the battery before the ride was over. If you look on eBay, you can get extended capacity batteries. With one of these, plus turning off the data connection,the battery lasted more than 12 hours with Strava running.

One touch SOS

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ideophone.sos&hl=en

When I connect to WIFI the 3G symbol goes and a dot with bars radiating out from it appears. You can also look in WIFI settings and see if there is a connection.

If you have a Sony Experia then you can forget connecting to home WIFI, there is a problem with those phones and they cant connect to it.

+1 for iGeology – never knew there were so many types of gravel! The 3D version is mental – you point the camera at a mountain and it tells you what rock type it is – very geeky…

If you have a Sony Experia then you can forget connecting to home WIFI, there is a problem with those phones and they cant connect to it.

I have an Xperia S and it connects to my home wifi very easy straight away.

monogramman
Its some of the new ones and some of the ones that have had the ICS update. Not all wifis are a problem but it tends to be homes ones because they are more secure; I believe to sort if you have to lower your router’s security (?!). I could connect in the local cafe but not at home or some other public wifis that Ive used before.. Just gets stuck in a Connecting… disconnecting… scanning… Connecting… loop.

Buyer beware of these phones.

Google “sony experia wifi issue” I’m not alone in experiencing this and maybe its not all experia models. I got the “u” on a new contract, luckily I kept my Samsung handset from before.

Shazam
Viewranger
WeatherPro
Sky Survey or Star Walk

Experia s here and had no problems connecting both at home and in WiFi zones I’ve tried .

Grindr.

+1 grindr

An update if anyone’s interested.
Six days after I took out my contract at £10 per month, Tesco brought out exactly the same deal at £7.50 per month.
I took my phone back within the 14 day cooling off period and swapped it for an identical one which will cost me £60 less over 24 months. 😀

Igeology is good, although I haven’t really been anywhere interesting with it yet.
FillLPG is potentially useful.
Google sky map is great, and on a similar theme, ISS Detector and Satellite AR are interesting too.

Another couple of novice questions though…

I’ve bought a 32Gb SDHC card.
Google maps allows me to cache maps to use off line. I was hoping to save the whole of the UK, but it defaults to saving the map to the phone’s internal memory and I can’t work out how to save the maps to the SD card. There’s no option to move the app to the SD card either.

Similar problem with OS maps.
It seems to only cache those areas which I view while connected. Is there an easy way to cache a large area without scrolling it around the screen at 1:25k. Can I zoom out to show a large area, then save that area at 1:25k

iGeology 3D is a great “add on”. Brilliant when used with iGeology.

If you have a Sony Experia then you can forget connecting to home WIFI, there is a problem with those phones and they cant connect to it.

you bugger! i’ve just ordered a new Xperia Arc S. have typed “Xperia Arc S home wifi problem” into google and indeed it seems that there are a lot of cases of the phones not connecting.

nice to read above that not everyone is affected…

My Xperia works lovely with me wifi.

Cyclestreets has an offline map pack for the whole of the UK (OpenStreetMap).