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So I bought an IPhone

We're thinking about going to smart phones soon, probably iPhones. Just curious how much data you guys use per month, esp. using Pandora & other streaming services.

Also looking at Android phones...the new Samsung looks good. Anyone out there use Androids?
 
Also looking at Android phones...the new Samsung looks good. Anyone out there use Androids?

I want to like Android, but so far I don't, bought and returned three different devices over the past couple of years. Data? I don't do streaming so that won't help.
 
I love mine and not quite certain how I worked or lived without it. My Garmin 478 has taken a back seat to my iPhone 4s, with Siri and Starcom I can ask for directions, google, etc. with the touch of 1 button.

Get a good case like an Otterbox and a Ram mount and you can be entertained and given directions from 1 device plus have a book to read when you get there.
 
I use mine all the time but it is great on trips. I book rooms through the Kayak app, decide where I am going next using accuweather, weather bug, weather channel, Wundermap and in Canada Weathereye. 5 weather apps you say? Once you start using them you will see how different they can be and you develop your own tea leave system based on the various forecasts and radar maps. I also use trip advisor, yelp, map app, google, podcaster, dermandar panoramic photo app, Facebook to post where I am and photos along the way and finally my banks app. I booked every room on my 2 week trip to Nova Scotia using the iPhone and on my 10 trip to Quebec. I forgot, the Starbucks app is great as well and you can pay using the app. I look for those coffee shops on cold days.
 
Also looking at Android phones...the new Samsung looks good. Anyone out there use Androids?

Love my Samsung S4G, and I bought an HTC Flyer 7" tablet to use as my GPS et al on the bike. On some of them, you'll want to upgrade the ROMs. I'm using ICS on both... nice.
 
I have the new iPhone and the new iPad. My advice for everyone is to buy, Oh this won't work in the states because your iPhones are only sold through cell phone companies. I was going to say, and you can do this in Canada directly from Apple, buy iPhones outright and unlocked that way you can change SIM cards every time you go to a different country, and that way you pay local rates local roaming local data local text.

Unlocked iPhones rule. When my wife and I went to Germany we just bought a German Sim card and could use the iPhone there as if we lived there.
 
Well it seems that the IPhone is being used by most of you for things that I hadn't even considered. I was about 50/50 IPhones vs Android and I guess the deciding factor was that the IPhone would give me some experience with Apple products.
It seems that the IPhone is doing things as a matter of course that I have to do manually with Windoz.

BTW Siri snores.....:D
 
5 weather apps you say? Once you start using them you will see how different they can be and you develop your own tea leave system based on the various forecasts and radar maps.

I just counted 17 WX apps on the iPad. I've been sending WX data from my backyard station to the Internet and APRS ham radio net since the early 90's. It was transmitted on 2 meters for a number of years until dial up modems went away and a full time connection was available.

The pc that was running the WX server failed last Nov and I elected to not replace it, so I'm waiting until Rainwise updates their WX app to send data to wunderground again. It's only going as far as Rainwise.net for now.

http://www.rainwise.net/weather/tom02184
 
Well it seems that the IPhone is being used by most of you for things that I hadn't even considered. I was about 50/50 IPhones vs Android and I guess the deciding factor was that the IPhone would give me some experience with Apple products.
It seems that the IPhone is doing things as a matter of course that I have to do manually with Windoz.

BTW Siri snores.....:D

And Siri also sucks battery life. So if you want to have longer battery life turn Siri off.
 
And Siri also sucks battery life. So if you want to have longer battery life turn Siri off.

I don't worry too much about battery life. The iPhone sits in easy reach on a Ram Mount with Powerlet Power charging it the entire ride. For years I lifted my face shield and licked my gloved index finger to activate the screen. A few months ago I found a small stylus shaped like a guitar pick at Radio Shack and Velcroed it to the Ram Mount. I now grab it and use it on the screen.
 
Perhaps it would be nice to exchange some operating tips. I downloaded the 4s manual and yeah it has some info but I get the feeling that Apple with it's followers are so used to the operating system that much is taken for granted as one thumbs across the screen at high speed.
Anna (bmwgsrider) sent me tips on how to check and shut off apps that are/may be running needlessly, Thanks Anna! There seems to be many things that could be learned from those with experience :ear

Tips could be- what to expect when the IPhone is connected to a PC that has the ITunes program.
Timer settings for the different apps.
How to set notifications.
How Safari works and the differences between it and the Windoz (PC) based browsers.
Rearranging apps on the screen so most used are easiest to reach.

That's just a few, If you have a tip or suggestion- post it up.
OM
 
Safari can be annoying, but i can say that about any browser on any OS. I also keep Atomic browser on the phone.

To keep apps categorized, press and hold the icon. The screen will wiggle and let you drag them around. You can also drag one on top of another and create a folder.

I'm on my third iPhone, never knew there was a manual.
 
Siri is far from perfect, but it works well with the controls on my comm system in the Schuberth helmet. One button to activate Siri through bluetooth and then tell her what I want to be played, who to call, read me the text that came in, etc.

Learn to use folders. This makes the iPhone much more user friendly. Hold down any app for a few seconds and they shoudl all begin to jiggle. Now, without clicking on the x to delete one, try dragging an app onto another app (of a similar category, ie "news"). They will now form a fold, with a recomended title that can be edited.

Do you run? Try runkeeper.

This American Life is an inexpensive app that's an entire archive of all their awesome podcasts. Great listening while riding.

Bloomberg is a great free app if you have any interest in global or domestic markets, and also for general news.

NPR news. Streaming all their stations, or just choose by show. Doesn't have to be live. Great free app.

Pandora. If you listen to music, you should be using Pandora on the iPhone and on your PC. Also free.

Radio.com free streaming radio stations from around the country. I use to listen to sports talk from other markets, although they black out the actual games.

Baseball fan? MLB app is a great way to follow teams and you can stream the live radio broadcasts of games. Costs about 13-15 dollars per season.

Read later...check it out on your pc. Find a cool article but don't want to read it all now? Don't print it, don't save it, click this app and archive it.

Yelp and Urbanspoon are both good to find nearby food. We use yelp all the time when on the road.

Like to get drunk and take a cab home? Try Uber instead.

HBOgo - better for the PC, iPad, AppleTV, or other devices, but ok for the iPhone. If you pay for HBO on any provider, this is free access to all their shows. Almost everything they've every done in original programmer. Awesome.
 
We're thinking about going to smart phones soon, probably iPhones. Just curious how much data you guys use per month, esp. using Pandora & other streaming services.

Also looking at Android phones...the new Samsung looks good. Anyone out there use Androids?

I don't know!!! I have sprint and my data plan is unlimited as are my text messaging and mobile to mobile calls and sprint to sprint calls, I think I have 450 minutes, but I only use that if I am calling to a land line during business hours, and for just me, my bill is around $80 a month.
 
Perhaps it would be nice to exchange some operating tips. I downloaded the 4s manual and yeah it has some info but I get the feeling that Apple with it's followers are so used to the operating system that much is taken for granted as one thumbs across the screen at high speed.
Anna (bmwgsrider) sent me tips on how to check and shut off apps that are/may be running needlessly, Thanks Anna! There seems to be many things that could be learned from those with experience :ear

Tips could be- what to expect when the IPhone is connected to a PC that has the ITunes program.
Timer settings for the different apps.
How to set notifications.
How Safari works and the differences between it and the Windoz (PC) based browsers.
Rearranging apps on the screen so most used are easiest to reach.

That's just a few, If you have a tip or suggestion- post it up.
OM

The best way to re-arrange the apps is to hook the phone to computer and go into itunes... go under the apps tab and you can move around the apps... when finished sync the phone and it will move the apps on phone... this is the easiest way... I find it harder to move apps on the phone itself especially if you are going to move a lot around.

What do you mean by timer settings for different apps? I do not know of timer... unless you are meaning something else.

In order to set notifications, you can do so in each app or you can go to your settings on your iPhone and than to notifications. I am not sure what all you are wanting to do.

I find Safari to be like a browser on a computer... I know a lot of webpages you might look up may pull up a mobile version but you should be able to click on full version which is normally at the very bottom of the page to view the website as accessing it on a computer. I do have Photon app which will play Flash if you are needing Flash.

When you connect your phone to iTunes, it will pull up phone name... than you will have your different tabs at the top.. main tab to sync you contacts/calenders/etc., ringtone tab for your ringtones, app tab for your apps, music tab for your songs for iPod/Photos tab for photos, Movies tab for your Movies... etc. Just tab through them and you will need to put a check in the box for it to sync over onto your phone. Hooking up to Itunes on Mac and Windows based computer is similar. If windows based computer, you will need a newer version of Outlook to be able to sync contacts.

I hope this helps.
 
I don't know!!! I have sprint and my data plan is unlimited as are my text messaging and mobile to mobile calls and sprint to sprint calls, I think I have 450 minutes, but I only use that if I am calling to a land line during business hours, and for just me, my bill is around $80 a month.

I have unlimited too... but you can see how much data you use on your bill or there is a usage tab where you can keep track that way too... if you use a WIFI connection, you are not using data off of your plan... just when you are not using a WIFI connections.
 
Power Save

The best way to save battery power is to turn off the apps when not needed. To do this, double tap the menu button on the bottom. All running apps will display with a red button on the upper left corner. Press the button to run off the app. I have a habit of turning off any and all apps not actually in use.
 
I find the weather radar application very useful. You can see the nasty stuff coming before you get wet. I always have a Kindle book on mine so that I have something to read if I get stuck in a waiting room somewhere. Beats year old copies of "People" magazine.
 
Some good ideas and tips :thumb It sorta reminds me of Super Mario Brothers, while your doing one thing you can tap on the screen and see the other possibilities.
I did get the Otter-box as I'm frequently in a rough environment, I can say that with the clip it feels like I'm hauling around an English Ballast Brick :hungover
 
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