Tag: Smartphone App

App Review: VoucherCloud

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VoucherCloud LogoIt’s a time of tightened budgets for all in Higher Education, so anything that can save finances whilst on the move has got to be good, right?

VoucherCloud is a free app that works on all smartphones, offering discount vouchers directly to your mobile phone.

VoucherCloud Options

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The app uses the GPS (geographical location) in your phone to identify where you are, and offers discounts nearby. Greyed out offers, as seen to the right, mean that the offer is not available at the time that you view it. You will also note that the food offers lean somewhat towards ‘pizza’, so not always appropriate, but worth a quick look.

The categories are:

  • ‘Near Me’
  • Deals
  • Restaurants
  • Casual Dining
  • Food to Go
  • Bars & Pubs
  • Film & Thetre
  • Online Shopping
  • Retail
  • Days Off
  • Leisure & Entertainment
  • Health & Beauty
  • Home, Garden & DIY
  • Travel & Hotels
  • Property
  • Finance & Business
  • Use Now OptionProfessional Services
  • Auto

Simply click on a deal that looks to be of interest, taking you through to a screen as seen on the right. The icons in the top row give you access to a map (from where you are now, to the location), a phone number, and the web address of the company.

To claim your voucher, double check the Terms & Conditions for any minimum spend/maximum number of users per voucher, etc., and then select ‘Use Now’, which will give you a code to give to your server. Just don’t forget to use it!

You can also access VoucherCloud online, and print out coupons.

National Rail App

App Review: National Rail

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National Rail AppSpend far too many hours on a train? Would you like your train travel to be more efficient? Well, no one can make the trains go any faster, but it’s helpful to know what’s going on with your train journey, and the app can often beat platform announcements with information.*

The app draws on real time train running information to allow you to plan your journey across the UK rail networks, and integrated Underground Zone 1/DLR stations. You can save your favourite journeys.

Information is given on live arrivals and departures from all train stations, so you can plan when to depart/collect someone. The phone will use your GPS (geographical location) to identify which station you are nearest to, and how far away it is.

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You can ‘pin’ a particular train to follow its journey, and identify if it’s running on time. The image to the left identifies that the train left the previous station 8 minutes late, and the anticipated impact upon further destinations. This can alter quite a lot as the journey continues! There are also free in app alerts for delays and cancellations.

The app also offers a ‘Wake Me Up’ alarm for your stop, although the one time I tried this, it had turned itself off! I prefer to set the alarm on my phone to wake me 5 minutes before the anticipated arrival at the stop, should the train lull me to sleep.

*Note: Data signals to your phone are notoriously sporadic, and this only works whilst your data signal does.