Listen to the music as you run, it helps a lot

Lime splashing into water. Extremely shallow DoF Uploaded by matchstick

So we finally settled matter of training plan down. We are good boys and girls and had done good job. Let's talk about our first or one of those first days when we hit the ground with our newbie running feet. First week of training is quite simple when looking at our timers and thinking on training time. You have only 5-15 minutes a day to run, here is almost nothing to fear. Second week reveals new problems -- you run about 20-40 minutes and you need to fill them with something to let you be happy and not fell asleep.

There are options, as usual. Believe me or nit, but there are many. Some say, that listening to the music is the best one, but here we come to the problem of play-lists -- you have to create ideal one for your every run or you would stop every 3-4 minutes and search for a comfortable tune which really fits your current mood. Many people fell nice and like their own breath as it sounds during training. It's an option for those runners, who breathe right. Or who breath good. Or for those who are going to improve their breathing technique (we'll discuss it later). The third option is to use special tracking software with your smartphone. It will tell you your current training data like speed (average and current), pace (all the same), time, distance and even transmit data from heart-rate monitor if you have one. This dataset will change from program to program, but I use runkeeper with android phone, it works good and I sure as hell may recommend it.

So there are no more options and it's hard. Like a rock. You are free to combine these techniques, like mixing up music and software vocalized training data. It's a bes option so you can listen to your favorite tracks and don't have to constantly check your timer.

As for me, I prefer radio, but there are days when I just run in silence or listen to the software voice in between my ears. By the way. Do you remember your first running gadget? Yesterday I spotted ipod mini 4 gb blue model in local used electronics shop. It's almost like the green mini, which accompanied me while I was making my first steps in the running field. Tomorrow I'll show you some shots of this device.

Tablet madness is much more trending topic then zombie apocalypse

Yeah, really! I'm sure -- its not zombie apocalypse out there, it's tablet apocalypse. Things are going that way, going along which takes us right to the death under great 1687 inch tablet with ios6, windows 8 and android 4.2 being dropped right from the sky! Sorry, but it's too much: new ipad mini and some new ipod touches which are almost like ipad mini but little bit smaler, kindle fires and asus plus google nexus 7, 10 and 4! You always can refer to warious slates or how are they called now -- windows ipads. Now, when windows 8 and windows phone 8 is here -- who knows how many new shovels will be there in our market!

I know that I know nothing!

Choice was sweet in the past and now you are surrounded by a bunch of mosquitoes which all can be of help but when compared -- every other device is just a crap!

I dunno what to do ) It's a tablet apocalypse!

Android games 10.29.12: ski safari

Ski safari! Image: Google play

About this game

Typical "runner" game in two dimensions with cute graphics, sleek movements and beautiful sound (music is captivating too!). If you never met "runner" game before, then I should refer you to google and maybe you have ever seen ios game called jetpack? It's like this game, for me it's a trendsetter in this genre, but it was ios only for quite a long term. So here we have an "android strikes back" alternative. It is packed up to the top with furious yetis, slippery penguins, fast and mighty eagles, vrooming snowmobiles and wolves going down from the slope along with you, riding your super cool ski. The main idea of the game is to get as far as possible down the hill avoiding avalanche going right after you. You start your ride sleeping in your bed in your cabin at the top of the hill, when avalanche begins it's terrible movement! You have to do stunts, combine animals and taxi them on snowmobile to get more points and increase your point multiplier. Also you are going to collect coins to buy some cool stuff and enhancements. During your gameplay, you will open new track and achieve more "vehicles" at your cabin to start your ride with.

Ski safari! Image: Google play

Links to find out more

Game is as addictive as hell, so you should be careful while choosing it. It's quite cheap so here's the link to google play.

Developer's site: defiantdev.com

Ski safari! Image: Google play

In two words: crazy action!

Zombie run to struck lack of imagination!

Hi there, fellow runner! Today is Tuesday, October 23, end of our world is near, apocalypse is almost there, but Chuck Norris is still here to protect us, so let's go on. Halloween is going closer day after day and here we have some creepy madness in our beloved play market -- I've just discovered cool app (haven't tested it yet, but sure will). App is called "Zombies, Run!" and here is what it all about:

Zombies, Run! is an ultra-immersive running game and audio adventure
You tie your shoes, put on your headphones, take your first steps outside. You’ve barely covered 100 yards when you hear them. They must be close. You can hear every guttural breath, every rattling groan - they’re everywhere. Zombies. There’s only one thing you can do: Run!
Zombies, Run! is an ultra-immersive running game and audio adventure, co-created with award-winning novelist Naomi Alderman. We deliver the story straight to your headphones through orders and voice recordings - and when you get back home, you use the supplies you’ve collected while running to build and grow your base.

You can find out more on this app at it's play store page here.

It looks like normal running application with GPS tracking and all related stuff, but delivers cool zombie story in which you can take part. Run through storyline, collect goods, finish missions and develop your base. It's all about motivation again -- it's autumn out there and nobody sane will ever get nose out of his or hers sweet home to get cold and unfriendly run. The only way is to add some game to your running routine and here some of us are being shocked while faced their complete lack of imagination. And for the rest of us with this lack cool game developers develop such good software.

Handy gadgets for designer on the go

Hi there, fellow designer with a running passion in your mind! How the things are going there, where you stay today? It's quite cold here, in  Moscow, Russia. Autumn is finally here, with rains and crap of all other autumn related sort.

Today I'm going to discuss a topic of working on the go. We are surrounded with android and ios devices like smartphones, iphones and tablets with ipads -- let's find out what can we do on the go, while in transport, moving our beautiful heads from home to work and back. Some say that samsung and it's galaxy note is a best choice, I've never used it, but here is some news about second version of galaxy note with 5.5 inches super AMOLED HD display. Weather it worth buying or not, who can say.

I, for myself, have found out that there are few things I can do with mobile devices and few, I can't. With my tablet (acer iconia tab) I can draw sketches and review page templates. Comment them with picsay pro, for example. With smart office or docs to go applications I can take care of budget stuff while on the go -- it's a nice time-savior for me.

With my lg optimus l7 which features 4.2 inch display I can do much point and shoot part of work -- it's really helpful in this area. PicSay pro, camera zoom fx and instagram applications are of great help too. It's quite good for notetaking and social investigations. And it's a google in your pocket, that's the best part.

So in conclusion I can say that if you have same needs as me, you don't actually need any tablet.

Runner's gadgets #1: smartphones and tablets with android

Hi there, fellow runner! You love gadgets? Smart-phones, iphones, tablets or ipads? Can you imagine your day without one? Can you imagine a training without music? And how can you listen to the music if you have no device to play it for you. Airplane flights with no tablet to watch some great movie? No, thanks! Getting back home from work with no tablet to read magazine or no e-book reader to read book? What a crap, no thanks!

Some tech-related photo by library of congress, Part of the cowling for one of the motors for a B-25 bomber is assembled in the engine department of North American [Aviation, Inc.]'s Inglewood, Calif., plant

So lets say truth -- we are complete addict to gadgets and all that wireless stuff. I've never left home for training without my huawei honor for about two month like i've never left home without motorolla milestone for some time before. Android platform offer so much comfort for our sportsman-hobbyists so I can't stand the passion to use one.

For today my daily gadgets consist of two devices: Acer iconia tab a500 and Huawei Honor smart-phone


 

They are super-cool and awesome by all means. Huawei runs android 4.0 ice cream sandwich and has beautiful 4.0 inch display with 800x480 pixels resolution, it looks nice on sunny days and you can control your run looking at it even if you run on Sundays an mid day. I use endomondo sports tracker and runkeeper for mapping my run and doing some sort of running log, they are almost equal, but I love runkeeper more. The choice is yours.

On my iconia tablet I don't use any run related apps, but I've installed DroidFit by Jefit Inc. -- it's some sort of e-book on building muscles and it's quite comprehensive.

I'll describe my gadgets later, this time I've just focused on their running and sports capabilities.

Seen on facebool #3: angry pigs and angry birds

Oh, it as so predictable, but meanwhile it's awesome

Bad Piggies are striking back!

Android app of the day #2: SketchBook Mobile by Autodesk Inc.

So, Astrid 2.0 for ios is here, but who cares? )
Let's focus on the app for real note-taking and picture-sketching. For me, personally, this app, SketchBook Mobile by Autodesk Inc is a number one prototyping tool. Not even only on the go. It's minimalistic UI and hidden potential with layers and brushes is brilliant.

Oh, and it's cheap -- about 2 bucks instead of about 10 for mobile photoshop. And you of course can create collages in photoshop, but can you take notes with this tool easily? Got it!

Games I love #1: Angry birds!

 

Now tell me the truth! Do you really know anybody, who don't like this super cool game?

Android app of the day #1: Cool Reader

Hello there! I'll tell you a story of my android app love for today. The app that really matters. When installed on my phone it even lets me go out tablet-free. It is Cool Reader. And it's really cool. The app is designed to read long texts in a comfortable way. You even can manage settings so it looks like a real book -- with page flips and rextures. It has support for various book file formats and can acsess lots of network libraries.

Cool Reader »

Reading books in epub, fb2, txt, doc, rtf, html, chm, tcr, pdb, pml formats. eBook reader. Supports epub (non-DRM), fb2, doc, txt, rtf, html, chm, tcr, pdb, prc, mobi ...