Tuesday’s Tech of the Week: Sun Seeker Edition
Fresh off last week's exploration of apps that make the great outdoors even greater, we've fallen under the spell of the sizzling sun.
In addition to an app that monitors your UV exposure, a solar powered sound system, and a swimsuit that warns you when you're about to catch too many rays, here are 7 apps for those of you who love to follow the sun, and especially for those who love to take photographs on sunny summer days.
1. Sun Seeker: 3D Augmented Reality Viewer ($4.99): Admittedly the app we got today's Tech of the Week title from, Sun Seeker provides a flat view compass and an augmented reality camera 3D view showing the solar path, hour intervals, rise and set times, and a map view showing the sun's direction for each daylight hour. You can use GPS to find the current solar position for your location, and you can choose any date in the past or future and view the sun's path for that day. We're a big fan of the vibrant (sunny perhaps?) user interface.
2. SunGPS ($0.99): This one tells you how long it takes until the next sunrise or sunset at your current location, as well as the current height of the sun using the app's sun compass. It also delivers weather, has an altimeter, and shows you Google Maps-esque simulation of the sky based on METAR data.
UV Safe Timer
KatieCouric.com and part of last week's Outdoorsy roundup, the UV Safe Timer lets you specify the type of sunscreen you're using and will notify you when it's time to reapply. The alert is based on your personal skin profile and, using GPS technology, the current UV index at your location. Less aloe vera for all!
4. Sun Scout ($9.99): You've heard of location scouts, right? Well it's pretty darn likely those folks use Sun Scout to track when and where the sun will be at any given time. You can use it for film to get ideal light and shadow, use it when you're house-hunting to figure out what rooms get the most sun, and use it to help plan hiking, biking, and camping trips. We're not quite sure the price tag is worth it, but for the right folks this is a pretty awesome app.
5. 3D Sun&Moon Compass ($1.99): Specifically for iPhone 4 as it's gyropscope-enabled, 3D Sun&Moon helps you track where the sun and moon are in relation to the world. The 3D compass is designed with a crystal ball in mind and always points to True North, no matter what direction the phone is facing. It also features sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset times, and sun and moon-related details regarding your current location.
6. MrSun (Free): Oh Mr. Sun! Mr. Golden Sun! Before we get carried away with singing sunny songs of our youth, let us take a moment to tell you about this simply, useful app. MrSun determines where the sun will be at any given time, date, or location. Like the others, you can use the iPhone's built-in compass and GPS to get specific information about where you are right now, but you can also plan ahead!
LightTrac
Shutterbugs that we are, this app is our favorite on the list.
