Rob's Recommendations: Upside app

There's a great app out called Upside that I've been hesitant to post about for a few reasons. 

First, they really want you to share it with your friends and are always urging you to do that - which always makes me leery. It's not just my natural contrariness, where I don't want to do something that someone else urges me to do, although that maybe a part of it. But I was kind of cautious about sharing something where there might be a catch later on. (Kind of like, "Hey, free vacation. Just one thing. You have to sit through a two-day sales pitch for a timeshare...")

Second, I wanted to be sure it really worked first, so I wanted to test it for myself for a bit.

Third, it might seem self-serving, because if you download and use the app, and you use my referral code, I get some type of bonus. Don't worry, it's not a multi-level marketing kind of deal, just a few extra cents off gasoline or something - the bonus changes.

Anyway, in spite of all of my initial concerns, I am happy to report that there don't seem to be any catches and this app really works and saves you all kinds of money. It's kind of like an electronic coupon where they refund you the money. I've used it for the last six months or so and have earned/saved $58.33 so far. You can save money on gas purchases, at restaurants, and on groceries, depending on where you shop. 

The savings vary depending on the location. For example, right now I can save 22 cents/gallon on gas at the Holiday station in the middle of Pine City, but if I go to the Holiday station by the interstate, I only get 17 cents a gallon back. And the savings amount changes all the time. 

There aren't any restaurants near Pine City that are currently using this app, but I saved about $15 on a couple of different visits to a Mexican restaurant near my son, Jordan, down in Monticello. You can also save at grocery stores. I saved at Cub Foods in the Cities before, and the Coborn's in Mora is currently offering 10% cash back on groceries. 

You can try it for yourself. If you would like, please use my referral code: ROB2427 when you sign up. Right now, they are offering you an extra $7 cash back the first time you use the app and another $7 for me! But that could change, depending on when you read this and use the app for the first time.

Give it a shot and let me know what you think. After using it for a while now, though, I can wholeheartedly recommend it.

Cool Stuff: Bullzip

I haven't done a "cool stuff" post in a while. And this is kind of cool, but mostly just extremely helpful, and that is Bullzip PDF. It's a free printer driver for windows that basically turns your printout into a .pdf file. (It's Adobe's Portable Document Format for all you file-type nerds out there.) 

I have it installed on all on my computers and use it a ton. If you don't have it, you might want to check it out. Their website is bullzip.com and they've got some other free software there, but that printer driver is the one I use all the time.

Rob's Recommendations: BitWarden

I hate passwords.

Actually, I hate having to memorize them and then having to type them in every time you visit a web site or sign in to an app or something. Annoying.

That's why I love password managers... actually just this one: a free password manager called BitWarden.

BitWarden is a browser extension for your computer and an app for you phone that allows you to store password information on a any site requiring a password and then will fill in those pesky blanks for you. It will generate secure passwords for you or store ones you come up with yourself. And it will remember those passwords across devices, so if you create a password on your desktop, it will remember it on your phone. Plus it will remember your credit card info if you want it to so that you don't have to keep entering all those numbers each time.

I won't bother explaining it all here - you can quickly Google around and find out details. But trust me, if you don't use a password manager now, you are missing out on some great functionality.

Plus, did I mention, it's FREE!?

What A Picture Is Worth

If I were to ask you what the number one social media platform is, your answer would likely reflect your age. For older people, it's Facebook. In your 20s and 30s? Twitter. Teens and tweens? Snapchat. Even more than TikTok, Snapchat is the favorite for Generation Z, according to recent reports.

That lines up with my experience. Most every student I know uses Snapchat as a primary - if not the primary - social media messaging platform. In fact, I don't know many other than students who use Snapchat. My own account - with about 300 friends - consists of exclusively students and former students (and Rosalie, my wife). I never friend anyone I don't know personally. Not every student is on Snapchat, but the vast majority I know at school use the platform regularly to communicate with one another.

It's probably been almost a decade now that I've been using Snapchat. When I first heard about it, I thought it was a crazy idea: who would want to send pictures to one another that disappeared? (You know, other than for obviously inappropriate reasons.) But eventually I began using it regularly after seeing it's popularity among students at school and my youth group. 

What started as a just way to keep in touch with students grew into an appreciation for the platform itself, especially the way it has been appropriated by teenagers and repurposed as a form of visual instant messaging. To me there is an increased level of connectedness when you accompany a text message with a visual image - even if it's something completely random.

Different age ranges tend to use it differently, but a common trend among students is creating Snapstreaks. A Snapstreak is when two people have Snapped each other (not chatted) within 24 hours for more than three consecutive days. Snapchat will put a fire emoji next to their name with a number indicating the days the streak has been maintained. (It's actually a genius move by Snapchat to ensure daily engagement by its users.) I maintain Snapstreaks with about 35 students and my current top Snapstreak is with a senior high student and is 703 days and counting.

In addition to instant visual messaging (which I like using it for because it seems more personal than just a text message), you can also post to your "story" which allows anyone you are friends with to see your post. This is a good way to share information with a lot of people. For me, it allows me a peek into the world of my students. I'm a lot more aware of current trends and culture than I otherwise would be.

There are certainly drawbacks and cautions that need to be observed with this and every other social media platform. Some of the "Stories" Snapchat suggests under their "discover" section are not always the most appropriate, and certainly can be a waste of time, but they're easy enough to avoid if you want.

I'm not necessarily recommending it or advocating for widespread adoption, but just making some observations here. However, if you're in youth ministry I would definitely recommend maintaining a presence on Snapchat. Like the Apostle Paul said, "I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some." Gotta go where the kids are. (And it is a fun way to keep in touch with everyone.)

Rob's App Recommendations: SeriesGuide

This post won't appeal to everyone, but if you watch a lot of TV shows, like me, you'll love the Anroid app, SeriesGuide. It's one of the top apps to help track TV shows and movies. I have mine installed on my tablet and I use it many times per week. 

It's harder to describe than it is to see in action, but basically you add the TV series you watch or are interested in and it gives you a checklist of all the episodes of each season. When you finish watching an episode, just check it off and it lets you know what's up next. You can also link to the Internet Movie Database to look up actors, etc. You can track movies, too, although I use mine primarily for TV shows so I can't attest to the usefulness of the movie function.

Now it doesn't sound like much, but I'm telling you, it's an amazing app. I'll let you read more about it on their website: seriesgui.de. If you watch much TV at all, it's so worth it. I would recommend it on a tablet if you have one, but I'm sure the one for you phone will work, too. The best part is: it's absolutely free!

Rob's Recommendations: Waze

I'm sometimes surprised by how many people are unaware of Waze. Waze is a free app from Google (actually, it was bought by Google a few years ago after having been developed independently). It's a navigation app that will get you from here to there in the most efficient way possible. It's like Google Maps but better because it's designed specifically for navigation.

The killer part of the app is that it updates traffic conditions in real time, so it will let you know if there is a slow-down or traffic jam. Plus it's crowd-sourced in that people can identify navigation hazards like cars on the side of the road, construction, blockages, speed traps, and much more. 

The only downside is that it uses your phone's GPS and data which can be a battery drain, especially if you're traveling any distance, so it helps to keep the phone plugged in while you're using it.

If you don't yet have and use Waze, I'd highly recommend it.

Rob's Recommendations: Android App "rShopping List"

 

This is one of my top, most-used apps on my phone. If you have an Android phone, you'll definitely want to download rShopping List. More than a simple list, you can sort groceries by store and by aisle. You can select what groceries belong to what store and much more. And you can use it for more than just groceries! I also have a list for when I travel of things I need to remember to pack.

It does take a little work to customize it for your needs, although the app comes with sample lists. I have mine set up for the places I shop most: Walmart, Sam's Club, and Aldi. You can also add prices for the items and what they cost at the various stores. (If you live around Pine City and want to use my database to start out, let me know and I'll get you a copy.) It's completely free with no ads, so download and check it out.

Garmin and Runkeeper and Strava, Oh my! Sync all your running apps for free

A while ago I posted about Runkeeper which was the first app I began using regularly when running. I still like Runkeeper, but now have an awesome Garmin watch (a Vivoactive 3) so I tend to use Garmin Connect most frequently. But I also have friends who use Strava and it has some good metrics and graphs, too. How to choose?!

Fortunately a while ago I ran across a great website that will sync your runs (and rides and whatever you are tracking). It's called Tapirik and it's free. According to the site, "Tapiriik synchronizes your fitness activities between Garmin Connect, Runkeeper, Strava, TrainingPeaks, SportTracks.mobi, Endomondo, RideWithGPS, TrainAsONE, TrainerRoad, Motivato, Velo Hero, Epson RUNSENSE, Dropbox, Smashrun, BeginnerTriathlete, Pulsstory, Singletracker, Aerobia, and SETIO (your heart rate, cadence, power, and temperature data syncs too)". Most of these I've never even heard of, but for the three main apps I like to use it works great. You do have to click to get things to sync up, but for $2 a year (yes, a year!) you have have it auto-sync (well worth the money!)

Check it out yourself, and if you use Garmin Connect, Runkeeper, or Strava, look me up. It's always more fun to run with people (even if it's only virtually).

App Recommendation: Runkeeper

It's free app Friday! (I don't know if that's really going to be a thing on my blog or not, but it's Friday and a free app, so there you have it.)

I started running recently and have tried out a number of apps that track my endeavors. So far my favorite is one called Runkeeper. I asked a number of my friends on Facebook who are runners for their recommendations and everyone had a different one to suggest, but so far Runkeeper is the one I keep returning to.

Most of the functions in Runkeeper are free but you can pay to upgrade to more detailed comparisons of how you've been doing, live updating of runs so your friends can follow your progress (say on a 5K event) and so on. There's a 7-day free trial of the upgrades I may try next month when I run my first 5K (Mora Half Marathon and 5K) so may family can see the live updates. But the basic program is more than capable for all my needs. Plus it synchronizes with a bunch of other fitness equipment and apps, so that's nice.

One of my favorite parts of this app are the different audio stats voices you can select from which give you status updates throughout your run. My favorite voice is "Your Conscience" which is hysterically funny. Hopefully they'll keep adding different options. ("Drill Instructor" is good for a change once or twice, but got old pretty quick for me.)

All that being said, I'm also going to experiment with another app called Strava. It seems to be for more serious athletes and not beginners like me, but we'll see. I'll update this if I end up changing. Nevertheless, I'd still recommend Runkeeper.

Do you have a preferred fitness app? Let me know in the comments.

Don't run? Got nothing for you. You can head back to camp.