Power Tools - putting your phone's sensors to good use

[wizzly]

Power Tools

Power Tools is a new app for Windows Phone 8.

The idea is to have a collection of measuring instruments within a single app with a nice and consistent user interface. Additionally the individual tiles can be pinned to the Start screen for quick access.

The list of tools in the current version are:

• Torch
• Vibration meter
• Sound meter (decibel meter)
• Compass
• Ruler (metric and imperial units)
• Incline meter
• Level meter

Link to the US Windows Phone store: Power Tools | Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United States)

Link to the UK Windows Phone store: Power Tools | Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United Kingdom)



Your comments are more than welcome! :smile:

 

[hopmedic]

Welcome to WPCentral! Thanks for bringing another app to the platform! Looks good from what I see so far.

 

[Slater_GS]

Had all sorts of issues trying to get it from the online link.
Searched in marketplace and it popped right up. Might be beneficial to add a QR code to the post?

Just using the trial on my 822 at this point. May purchase when I need any of the features
From first blush:
Very clean and FAST interface!
The "activate" screen pops down really fast on most of the tools. Too fast to really see if they are useable.
The vibration tool works fantastic and the "activate" screen does not slide down. This looked very slick and seemed to work perfectly and was very responsive.
It would be nice if on the trial the activate screen would pop down after 5-10 seconds, rather than .5 seconds.
Preference and just nitpicking, but I am not sure how I feel about the blue changing color slightly for each set of tiles going down. I think either all one color or a more drastic change would be better. Also the ability to change the tiles colors or make it be the themes color

All in all it looks fantastic. Would like the trial to show a bit more, but everything seemed to work very well.
When I need a tool to measure a few things that this app does, I will pick it up!

 

[hopmedic]

Ok - I bought it sight unseen. I often do that to support other developers especially if they're new and the screenshots look halfway decent.

First time I opened it, I was instantly impressed. The hub control is nice. You've added tools to this app that I've not seen before - the sound meter, the shock sensor, the inclinometer. I mean I've seen the sensors involved used before, but I haven't seen them used in this way. Good job with coming up with a new way to use the sensors. I'm impressed.

The first time I opened the inclinometer, the radial gage came up, with all the numbers, but the camera didn't turn on. I was trying to figure out what it would do, and tapped it a few times, and the phone rebooted. After it rebooted, I tried again, and it worked fine. Not sure what it could have been, but there's a bug in there somewhere. I can't tell you how to reproduce it because it just seemed like a random thing - the hardest kind of bug to find, unfortunately.

Good job. Good luck with the sales.

 

[hopmedic]

Had all sorts of issues trying to get it from the online link.
Searched in marketplace and it popped right up. Might be beneficial to add a QR code to the post?

His link was to the Great Britain Store. Just a tip - whenever you get a link to an app that isn't in US dollars, just look at the URL, and where it says en-GB in this case, put the code for your country. I don't know what country you're in, but if you're in America, it would be en-US.

 

[windoors]

This app uses features that are not available on your phone. Learn More :crying:

 

[wizzly]

Thanks all for your comments!

@Slater_GS, I've taken note of your suggestions. They will probably be in the next update. Thanks.

@hopmedic, thank you for your nice comments; I will definitely look into that issue. The camera requires some time to initialize fully so maybe I should communicate that in the UI.

@windoors, the app requires a camera at the back and a compass. Your device probably does not have a compass. I may remove that requirement and hide the compass feature if not available.

 

[windoors]

Thanks all for your comments!

@Slater_GS, I've taken note of your suggestions. They will probably be in the next update. Thanks.

@hopmedic, thank you for your nice comments; I will definitely look into that issue. The camera requires some time to initialize fully so maybe I should communicate that in the UI.

@windoors, the app requires a camera at the back and a compass. Your device probably does not have a compass. I may remove that requirement and hide the compass feature if not available.

Yes compass is the missing feature. Can you remove that? Great Help!

 

[wizzly]

Yes compass is the missing feature. Can you remove that? Great Help!

I will remove that requirement in the next update; probably sometime next week. Of course the compass feature won't work

 

[wizzly]

Yes compass is the missing feature. Can you remove that? Great Help!

Updated version is up on the Windows Phone store.

Devices without a built-in compass are now supported. I've also integrated other feedback from you guys.


Link to the US Windows Phone store: Power Tools | Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United States)


Thanks!