Mobile Devices – Page 37 – MobileViews Blog

The Starbucks iPhone app is going away. But, where is the new one?

The most used mobile ecommerce app on my iPhone is Starbucks Mobile Card app. The app is currently issuing a messages telling users that it will be discontinued soon and to install the new app. However, if you tap the banner as instructed to get the new app, you are led to the App Store entry for the current app (the one that says it is going away). So, what is going on?

It looks like the replacement app is buggy or, from the point of view of the end-user, non-functional and was pulled from the App Store. Here are some comments on the current’s app’s product page:
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January 29, 2012

AT&T says cell sites greatly improved in my area (twice). Oh, really?

On Nov. 26, 2011, AT&T Wireless sent me a text message stating that over 50 cell sites in my area had been enhanced. Did I see better coverage or data speed? Actually, since then it appears that a section of the city of about 2 miles by 0.5 miles does not have any 3G data capacity (despite phones reporting it has a 3G signal) and often no voice coverage. In other areas, voice coverage has deteriorated to the point where voice conversations are difficult to conduct for more than a few seconds at a time.

Yesterday, Jan. 25, 2012, I received another text message from AT&T Wireless stating that a call site in my “local area” (whatever that means) was enhanced specifically for wireless Internet access. Oh really? The Speedtest.net app reported a ping time of 432ms (very slow), 0.16 Mbps download (that’s 160Kbps) and 0.06 Mbps upload (that 60 Kbps or nearly analog modem speed). This is actually far worse than it was before the enhancement.

To say the least, I am not impressed by AT&T’s “enhancements” to their cell towers.

January 27, 2012

RunKeeper Fitness Reports enhanced

RunKeeper updated its Fitness Reports to provide more information. A premium account (RunKeeper Elite) is needed to view most of it. However, I found the the Total Distance information available for free accounts useful. It lets me look at my walking information in a variety of ways. You can see my totals sorted by day of week in the screenshot above.

The free RunKeeper mobile app is available for a variety of platforms. I use the version for Windows Phone to track my near-daily walking sessions.

January 23, 2012

Tech Peeve: Note to @WeatherBug – Stop issuing Tsunami Warnings when none exists

WeatherBug beat out other weather apps to earn its spot on my Windows Phone’s start screen because it provides the most accurate information.

The app has, however, one feature that really annoys me: It issues a Tsunami Watch/Warning when there is no actual warning. The “warning” is based on an informational alert from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center that clearly states This Statement is For Information Only. No Action Require. WeatherBug should be able to parse this statement and either not issue any alert (which pops up on my Windows Phone) or relabel it as a simple informational alert.

Hey, WeatherBug! Please fix this issue in your otherwise useful app!

January 22, 2012

Apps updated for my iPhone & iPad in the past week: 37

Thirty-seven (37) of the apps for my iPad &/or iPhone were updated in the past week. Apps that do not have comments in the list below indicates that the update is simply a bug fix release.
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