Good idea to keep everything flowing with the Ipad

 

Hands On with GoToMyPC for iPad App

By Tony Bradley, PCWorld

The iPad is an awesome mobile computing tool, and it can take the place of a PC for most tasks, but when push comes to shove, it's still not a PC. Citrix is bridging that gap, though, by enabling users to remotely connect to and work with their PC on the go from an iPad using the GoToMyPC for iPad app.

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The iPad, in and of itself, is an awesome mobile computing platform for business. It is lighter and more portable than a laptop, has exceptional battery life, and works like a charm for e-mail, Web surfing, and many other common tasks. Inevitably, though, there will be some special software or proprietary application that doesn't have an iPad app equivalent and requires the actual PC.
A Citrix press release describes the new app. "GoToMyPC for iPad provides a fast, easy and secure way to instantly connect over the Internet to a host Mac or PC from an iPad, allowing people to access and work on their data, files, network and applications."
Lisa Reeves, vice president and general manager of Access and Cloud, Citrix Online, explains, "Today's workforce wants the ease and flexibility to work wherever it's most optimal. Regardless of where people choose to work, this transition to mobility requires secure, high-performing and reliable technology to help them be effective and productive."
So, let's check it out and see how it works in the real world.
My Experience with GoToMyPC for iPad
I installed the GoToMyPC for iPad app on my iPad to see how it works. First, I had to actually install GoToMyPC on my laptop. The iPad app is free, but it only works if you are running GoToMyPC in the first place. The subscription for GoToMyPC service starts at $10 per month per PC, but I signed up for the free 30-day evaluation.
When you install GoToMyPC, you must create an account login for the service, and a unique access code for the specific PC. So, with GoToMyPC installed and running on my laptop, and with the GoToMyPC app installed on my iPad, I was ready to give it a whirl.
The first thing you see after you tap on the GoToMyPC app icon is a login screen. You must enter the e-mail address and password for the GoToMyPC account to connect to the service. Once connected, the app will display any PCs associated with your account that are running GoToMyPC and are available to connect to.
I tapped the "Connect" button for my laptop. A pop-up alert on the laptop let me know that the display settings were changed--apparently, GoToMyPC doesn't work well with the Aero display on Windows 7. After I entered the unique access code I had created to establish the remote session with my laptop, the iPad displayed my Windows 7 desktop. Voila!
A pop-up window on the iPad displays illustrations of the gestures to use with GoToMyPC and what they do. Citrix took advantage of the multi-touch gestures to incorporate the ability to right-click, scroll, or toggle the keyboard off and on using your fingers on the iPad display.
GoToMyPC works in either portrait or landscape orientation, but it fits the screen much more nicely in landscape mode. Once connected, I had no problem accessing any of the applications installed, or data stored on my Windows 7 laptop. I was even able to open Microsoft Windows and type part of this article remotely using the GoToMyPC for iPad app.
There is a brief lag updating the display on the iPad, but if you weren't sitting with both the iPad and your laptop directly in front of you like I was, you probably wouldn't really notice. The preferences for the app allow you to customize your experience regarding how your PC is displayed on the iPad, how sounds from the PC are handled, and managing the balance between speed and performance. You can also set security settings to blank the host screen and disable the host keyboard and mouse while the remote session is active on the iPad.
The press release for GoToMyPC for iPad sums it up nicely: "The need for flash drives, print-outs and late nights at the office is no longer necessary--with GoToMyPC, everything you need is now just a few taps away."
I think that it would be awesome to have GoToMyPC running on my laptop as an insurance plan. If I happen to be roaming about with my iPad and suddenly need access to applications or data on my laptop, it would be nice to jump in remotely and get it. I haven't decided yet, though, if that peace of mind is worth $10 a month.

SmartPhones as tool for Fitness

My favorite app is My Fitness Pal. It reminds me to log in my food, and gives me a breakdown of what I need to have a complete meal plan. I hear great reviews as well about the Nike app. Below is a great article outlining some great uses of smart phones, and connecting them as a tool to organized a good fitness program.




" Smartphone fitness apps
Adam Turner
October 3, 2011

Smartphones might be fancy entertainment devices but they can also help you hop off the couch and get into shape.

The key to a successful fitness program is motivation and that's where a smartphone app can really come in handy. Thanks to GPS tracking, many apps can plot your exercise sessions on a map. They are easy to use - just launch the app, tell it what kind of exercise you're doing and press go. Slip your phone back into your pocket and use it to listen to music or podcasts while you exercise.

When you've finished exercising, just press stop and the app records the details of your session and uploads it to the web. You can look back over previous exercise sessions and view details such as time, distance covered, average speed and calories burned. As well as tracking you while you move - say, walking, jogging, running or cycling - these applications also let you record stationary exercise, such as sessions on a treadmill or exercise bike. Some can also link to gadgets such as heart-rate monitors and cycling speedometers.
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You will find fitness applications for practically every smartphone platform, including iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone 7 and Symbian. Most let you monitor your progress via a website, with the option to publish your results for the world to see. Of course, in this age of social networking, most services can also tie into your Facebook and Twitter accounts, so your friends can follow your progress.

Vibrant communities have built up around some of the popular exercise apps, offering general health information and helping you set fitness goals. Some services also let you create virtual exercise groups so you can train with friends.

Today we look at three free apps designed to plot your exercise sessions on a map.

Rather than just focus on exercise, some have expanded to address your general health and well-being. Some apps also help you structure your fitness program, plan your diet and even train for specific goals.

RunKeeper is one of the most popular smartphone fitness apps and has a large and active user community. Developed for the iPhone, RunKeeper is now also available for Android and Windows Phone 7. It relies on a simple, clean interface that makes it easy to use on the go. Support for third-party gear includes heart-rate monitors, sleep monitors and wi-fi-enabled scales. Use Street Teams for training with friends - although the other apps make it easier to keep track of your friends' progress. RunKeeper is designed with runners in mind and a Health Graph is designed to analyse your diet, sleep, weight and activity. The RunKeeper Pro app is now free (renamed RunKeeper) and provides voice feedback options as you exercise. The optional RunKeeper Elite subscription offers advanced fitness reports and discounts on RunKeeper's virtual fitness classes.

runkeeper.com

Sports Tracker lacks the advanced health options of RunKeeper and is designed more around keeping track of your friends rather than the wider community. Sports Tracker was originally developed for Nokia Symbian phones but is now available for iPhone and Android. It also supports heart-rate monitors. The app's dashboard home page displays your last workout and today's sunrise and sunset times (with a sunset countdown). There is also a tab for keeping track of your friends, which requires creating a free account (or using your Facebook details) and sharing workouts. You can also call up a map to see the activities of nearby users. When it comes to tracking your exercise, Sports Tracker lacks some of the manual activity options found in the others - for example, you cannot specify particular gym equipment. You've also got less flexibility regarding the voice prompts.

sports-tracker.com

MapMyFITNESS tries to strike a balance between RunKeeper's advanced health options and Sports Tracker's social-media integration. The app is available for iPhone, Android and BlackBerry devices. The GPS tracking screen offers plenty of information and the app is compatible with gear such as heart-rate monitors and cycling speedometers. You have plenty of control over the frequency and detail of voice prompts. You will also find the most options of the bunch when it comes to manually entering details of stationary exercise, such as gym sessions. The app features a Friends tab for keeping track of others and you can even enable real-time tracking. Another bonus is the automatic stop detection. A nutrition section lets you log foods, track calories and monitor your weight. MapMyFITNESS is free but offers bronze, silver and gold subscriptions for advanced features such as training plans.

mapmyfitness.com

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/executive-style/gadgets/smartphone-fitness-apps-20111004-1l66c.html#ixzz1Zn3FTeQY