Issue link: https://imageup.uberflip.com/i/1005983
16 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | AUGUST 2018 By Steve Benoff We're in the middle of summer and it occurs to me there are apps that are particularly appropriate for this time of year. A handy little app I found is called UV Index Widget. Using location information you grant the app when you first use it, the app tells you what the UV Index is where you are. It shows a UV graph for the day in a color code corresponding to low, moderate, high, very high, or extreme. The phone itself doesn't actually read the UV; the app gets the information from a national database. The free version gives you the index for where you are at the moment. It has several other features, all of which require the pro version (at a cost of 99 cents). With the pro version, you can get UV forecasts for the next three days and you can also get UV info for cities throughout the US. There's another UV app called UV Lens that isn't as comprehensive as the paid version of the above app, but it's more informative within its limited scope. For your location, it presents a clock dial with UV readings for today and tomorrow. It shows the index for the current time, but it will also show the index for anytime you choose by putting your finger on the dial. The dial is color-coded corresponding to the UV Index at times throughout the 12-hour period. If you're concerned about UV exposure, this is a handy app to have. If air quality is your concern, download the Air Visual app. This is a very comprehensive free app that gives you the Air Quality Index for your current location and locations around the globe. The index ranges from good (0-50), moderate (51-100), unhealthy for sensitive groups (101-150), unhealthy (151-200), and very unhealthy (over 200). In a ranking of major cities, only Beijing was in the worst category and no major US city was above 100 on a late June day. Air quality for your current area is broken down by hour into the next day and by day for the next week. You can also create a list of favorite cities which will show the air quality for the current and next few days. But wait, there's more. If you press the map icon, you'll see current readings from around the world. The map alone makes this app worthwhile. SkyView is an app that uses the camera in your phone to give you information about the planets, stars, constellations, and a few very bright satellites. If you tap on a celestial body you can get more detailed images and info. It's pretty cool and easy to use. Of course, this is a great app for anytime of the year. Curiously, it also works in the daytime. Here's an app you might want to try out. It's called Field Trip. To quote the developer, it's "your guide to cool, hidden, and unique things in the world around you…" It can tell you interesting places to visit based on your current location or any place you select on its map of the world within the app. I'm not sure if the app is making a comment about Beaumont or itself, but using my home in Four Seasons as its location, the only local point of interest is the Banning Women's Club Clubhouse that apparently is listed as a national historical marker. I've been there several times. While it has well- served its purpose as a meeting house and venue for plays, if I went out of my way to visit it, I'm not sure I'd be very pleased. On the other hand, I found hundreds of interesting places when I zoomed in on Salt Lake City. One more summer app, and one in which I have no interest, is the GetMyBoat app. It's been described as the Airbnb of boat rentals. If that's your thing, give the app a try. Like almost all the apps I talk about, it costs nothing to explore it and is easily deleted. By the way, while I'm not into boating, I am into cycling. I entered "cycling" in the App Store search bar and found several apps for the bicyclist. Do you use an app you'd like to share with others? Let me know at steve.benoff@verizon.net. Apps for Summertime THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT!