Finding a gym app

August 27th, 2010 by Pranil

So I’ve been looking for a decent gym app for some time now. Searching ‘gym’ on the app store brings up a heap of results, so I thought I’d narrow it down by trying a few different apps. In my travels I came across this article. Success!

I ended up trying 4 different apps. They were GymBio, GymBuddy, GymTrainer, and iFitness. A brief (very brief!) review of them follows:

GymTrainer – I didn’t have any good experiences with this. The app looked nice in screenshots, and seemed to have good functionality. However everytime (bar once!) that I try and open it, it crashes! I’m not sure why. Again, this is an iPhone app, so maybe it’s because I’m running it on the iPad….

GymBio – there are two version of this, one paid and one free. I only tried the free version, and it wasn’t tooo bad. The design is interesting, obviously made for the iPhone instead of the iPad. So the graphics are a bit clunky, but this is expected. Registering for their online service lets you download more exercises. It wasn’t too bad, but not being able to create and save custom workouts was a killer for me.

GymBuddy – seriously looked at this app, it was the first one that I bought. The only thing that held it back for me was the visual design – way too intense! Even on the default settings the way the info was presented wasn’t ideal. However it does have a whole heap of features, like custom workouts, scheduling and data export/backup. A closeish second too….

iFitness – Fabian linked me to this app while we were doing some evaluating yesterday. It has a really clean UI, and the funtionality is pretty good. iFitness supports multiple users, custom workouts, and adding custom exercises. And it’s a dedicated iPad app, so looks pretty swish too! I tried it out lastnight, and found that it actually made me a bit quicker around the gym. No more flicking back through pages to see last weeks results, and entering data was a breeze. There are a couple of little things that could make it better, but all in all it’s a very well rounded app.

The sheer amount of apps on the Appstore is amazing. This of course has it’s pro’s and cons – one downside of how easy Apple have made it to create apps is the amount of them that don’t quite work as expected (or at all in some cases)! On the flip side, you can generally find an app to suit your needs, even if it takes some searching.

All this evaluating has given us an interesting perspective on app development (it is after all, what we’re doing!). In the meantime, I’m looking forward to my next workout!

Time out

August 25th, 2010 by Fabian

I’ve been under the weather for almost a week. But, an advantage of working for Chase the Sun (cough), is the accessibility of the tools required to work, via the great gadgets you get (eg: Macbook). So every chance I’ve felt up to it, I would dive into some work or much needed up-skilling etc.

I didn’t really take much time to relax, that is – until now. This afternoon at home, I decided to close up our little sun room and turn it into a mini sauna, and sweat out this damn bug. I plugged my earphones into my iPad, switched on my current audio book, and away I went.

One of the subjects that was touched on during my listening was, meditation (or taking time out). Meditation can be anything from unplugging and relaxing in the back yard or balcony, to going for a nice walk etc. It stated that meditation helps creative thinking. Now, creative thinking doesn’t necessarily mean visual creativity (which I thought it did), but anything to do with creating new ideas about anything in particular (eg: new business venture ideas, improving current lifestyle or business processes & systems etc). This sounds like a good plan to me.
The narrator also mentioned that he would always make time to take a week off every 4-8 weeks so he could withdraw from the ‘doing’ and get time to think. He said the ideas that would come to him during that time off would easily pay for the holiday (big or small) ten fold.

I then had a realisation that the early morning stretching at the gym that I recently made a habit was actually a form of meditation. And that the narrator was in fact right, I did tend to come up with some cool new and interesting ideas randomly during this gym time. So, I’m looking forward to kicking this flu in the butt and getting back to the morning gym routine. I’ll try my hand at running the `1 week holiday every 4-8 weeks` past the other guys too.. Wish me luck

Visual thinking

August 24th, 2010 by Jussi

Data visualisation is not just eye candy but an effective tool to communicate, make meaning and find new solutions. One of the most interesting thinkers and doers in this field is David McCandless. His TED speech is very insightful and thought provoking, well worth watching.

Ted Talk

Is the iPad useful, or just another gimmick?

August 18th, 2010 by Fabian

This is a question that I had often wondered about – but never for too long since I could never get my hands on one (even after Jussi had acquired his). Until now that is, as Pranil had mentioned, we got one each at the end of last week.

First things first: What is an iPad?
For those of you who’ve managed to escape the hype (well done to you, i’m quite impressed), the iPad is Apple’s thin tablet computer. A few people have asked me, “is it just a big iPhone?” or “isn’t it just a laptop without a keyboard?”.
While it has strong similarities to both, I believe it is neither. My take on the iPad, is that it’s an object for doing things in an accessible, but focused manner.
Accessible by

  • How portable it is (lightest model only 0.68kg).
  • 1 finger swipe to unlock the device for use.
  • No wires getting in the way during use.
  • The Apple website boasts battery life lasts ‘up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music’. My first stint with the iPad lasted 3 days without requiring a charge. However, I wouldn’t recommend draining the battery for the sake of it, as recharging all that life back takes longer than you would think.
  • How quickly the apps (applications/programs) on the iPad load, run, and switch to other apps.

I mention doing things in a focussed manner because of how the iPad and it’s apps work. It’s a little bit different to your usual computer in the fact that when you use an app, it occupies the entire screen. Compare this to a desktop PC when you often have 10+ various windows open all over the show. Now, the thing that has stood out most for me, is how quickly & easy it is to switch between apps – a couple of taps on the touch screen is all that is required, for you to be using another app of you choosing. The majority of the apps I’ve used so far remember the exact state they were in when you last used them, so switching between apps becomes seamless.

You maybe thinking, ‘this is all very well and good Fabian, but is the iPad useful?’. In short, I would have to answer yes. But obviously the degree of usefulness is based on who you you are.

  • The casual web browser. If your looking for a computer for browsing the net, then I think you should give the iPad serious consideration. The iPad comes bundled with Mobile Safari. It has bookmarking, ability to have multiple websites open at the same time. A few of the most popular websites/services have their own iPad app for making viewing their data even easier. Eg: Facebook, NZ Herald (currently iPad App of the week), most international newspapers have their own app etc.
    However, I don’t think the investment would be worthwhile if you already have a laptop and all you want to do is browse the web.
  • The mobile professional that needs quick access to viewing & submitting data. The iPad’s mobility and user interface means that you could throw away the clipboard & pen. With a customised app you could input data straight into your app, and retrieve any reporting you need in real-time. Some quick examples of professions that I believe could make use of an iPad; Personal trainer (record client workouts, view their progress), surveyor, inspector (anyone that records a checklist), sales rep (live access to product database, showcase product range), sports coaches/statisticians, customer service reps (mobile help kiosk) etc.
  • The traveller. You’ve already heard me harp on about portability, but that’s only half of the pie here. Travelling can be boring, this is where the iPads entertainment value comes in. Music, photos, e-books, audiobooks, movies, games. Need I say more? All of which don’t require an internet connection to enjoy. The Google maps app will also come in handy when you refuse to ask for directions.
  • The serious book reader. The iPad comes bundled with iBooks which is a great app for reading e-books. You don’t even need an external light source for reading. iBooks also has an online store associated with it where you can instantly buy from a countless selection of books (there are also a lot of free books available).

Entertainment. The iPad can replace your iPod (but is too big to fit in your pocket whilst running). It can play movies (but not dvds). The games are great for the casual gamer (hardcore-ers please stick to your modded PC). I believe the entertainment area of the iPad is rather a bonus. I’m not sure if people will fork out the cash for that sole reason.

One thing I did find awkward, is the lack of a camera. This will probably be saved for a ‘new model’ rollout in the near future.

I myself, haven’t found the iPad as the missing puzzle piece of my life, mainly due to the fact I already have a Macbook. But then again, once we start churning out our own iPad apps, I believe my personal demand for it will have easily multiplied out of proportion.

So yes, I do think the iPad is useful, and not the gimmick I feared it could be.


Yes, the iPad DOES rock!

August 18th, 2010 by Pranil

So last Friday Fabian and I got our hands on a couple of iPad 3g’s. The last 5 days have been spent getting used to how it all works, and also seeing if it can reduce how often I pull out my laptop. The short answer to this: YES!

I can’t imagine how much time I’ve spent browsing through the app store and on the web trying to find the ‘best ipad apps’ to download. Just this morning I was training a client on using their site, and instead of a notebook, the Whitenote app worked great. And then there was iDesk to breakdown the current site structure. All this accompanied by a significant amount of “ohh’s” and “ahh’s”.

Last week Jussi also found this great video on “Two of Mankinds Greatest Inventions”. Now where did that velcro go….

iPAd rocks

August 18th, 2010 by Jussi

Touch based computing is here to stay. But you need to have the right kind of user interface, and superb responsiveness to engage your customers to use these touch based gadgets. The iPad has both: it is amazingly responsive and the user interface is just a piece of art.
I have been using the iPad for several weeks now, and the more I use it the better it gets. It’s a sign of a deep product. I don’t envy Apple’s competitors. There’s a huge gap to cross until their contraptions are on the same level :)

Why iPad development?

July 12th, 2010 by Jussi

Something new and exciting has finally happened in the realm of personal computing. The iPad is the forerunner of a new paradigm, and against all the “wireman’s” conservative warnings, it has taken off like nothing else before.
“This iPad thing has taken the world by storm,” said Ted Schadler, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester Research Inc. You don’t need a crystal ball to see what is happening in the industry; early adopters include Mercedes Benz, SAP, Tellabs, Sybase….the list goes on and on.
Chase the sun is committed to becoming The iPad developer of New Zealand. There is a vast sea of opportunity for new ideas, products and ways of using these technologies. Exciting times, eh!

Chase the Sun – new, improved and growing!

July 12th, 2010 by Pranil

Welcome to the new Chase the Sun! We’ve been really busy over the last couple of months working on a new website, new branding, and expanding our horizons.

Firstly, we welcome Jussi Luukkonen as the latest addition to Chase the Sun. Jussi is originally from Finland, and has a background in digital media and marketing communications. He has a wealth of experience in this area and is also studying towards and Executive MBA through Massey University.

We’ve also moved office, and are now out at the Bio Commerce Centre, opposite Massey Uni on Dairy Farm Road. The BCC are a business incubator, and have a few different services they offer companies. Their main areas of operation are investments, start up and growth, and tech transfer. There’s more info on them on their website.

So, what do these changes mean for Chase the Sun? We’ll still provide the same great service – but now our solutions will be more integrated tools for your business. Not just pretty websites, these tools will add value to your daily operations. And we’re not just talking about website tools – we’re adding iPad and iPhone apps to the mix. Imagine being able to manage your business, and run it anywhere. On your computer, iPad or iPhone – everywhere. This opens up a whole new world of possibilities!

We’ll also be releasing iPad applications for business – tools for change. The first application currently in development is uZee, a unique collaboration tool for the iPad. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Flickr for the latest news!

The opinions expressed in this blog reflect the opinion of the author and to not necessarily express the opinion of Chase the Sun 2010 Ltd.