Use your BlackBerry to track your runs! alphaRunner Review
For avid runners and beginners alike alphaRunner by Eppisoft could be the app for you. When running on a treadmill you have the advantage of a computer tracking your distance and calories burned. Where the treadmill falls short is on scenery and enjoyment of the outdoors. alphaRunner tracks your run using GPS and displays the data in real-time. It records the time, speed, distance and calories burned during your workout.
Once you open alphaRunner it is non-functional until the GPS satellites connect. The average time varied depending on surrounding conditions. Typically it took no longer than a minute to connect. Once connected you are able to start your workout.
The GPS accuracy was usually within 3-10 meters and was extremely responsive during the run. You are able to start, pause and restart your run. These functions are available as many times as you need them (during my review I had to pause my workout a few times to...well, catch my breath).
One of the immediate things you will notice when opening alphaRunner is the lack of custom settings. You are not able to enter your age and weight to more accurately track calories burned. If you are tracking this information on a website such as thedailyplate.com this may not be the best option for you.
Another non-option is the inability to save workout data. Once the End button is clicked or the app is closed all workout data is erased. Like I mentioned above if you are tracking this information elsewhere you would have to keep alphaRunner open until you are at a computer and can enter the workout information. This could be an inconvenience if being near a computer is not in your immediate future.
I was not overly impressed with the application, nor was I under-impressed. It does exactly what it claims to do and it does it well. It is compatible with both touch and non-touch Blackberry devices and is available for both 4.7 and 5.0 OS.
Conclusion
For quick and easy run tracking this is the application to use. Besides running I found this also works to track your biking workouts. When used with biking calories cannot be considered. If you are looking for a more robust application that allows tracking - Running Log by Collaber Solutions may work better for you. Running Log, however, does not connect through GPS.
Ratings
Pros
- Easy to use
- Accurate GPS connection
Cons
- No custom features
- No historical tracking
More Info / Download
- Pick up alphaRunner for Blackberry Smartphones > >
** This review was written as part of the CrackBerry Idol 2010 competition. Click for details. **
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