Do you access TBN from your phone or tablet?

[Dizzbe]

Re: Do you access TBN from your phone ot tablet?

At work check in via desktop, at home it is the ipad typically. Laptop when I am working on something else or typing a lot. Droid phone if I just really really need a TBN fix when not at the other three devices.

Yep too many gadgets - gotta love it though.

[jerrym3]

Re: Do you access TBN from your phone ot tablet?

PC at home or whoever's house I may be visiting.

ICCL on all the other gizmos.

[BirdWingsToo]

Re: Do you access TBN from your phone ot tablet?

For you guys who reported an issue with using the Search function in your phone's mobile browser...

I have an Android phone (LOVE the Android!)... I went to TBN with the stock browser and tried it. I touched the Search menu item; that opened the customary Search box. I touched the input field... the onscreen keyboard appeared and the Search box simultaneously disappeared. I believe that's what you guys described.

It seems that the popup Search box doesn't like the onscreen keyboard. But I believe there's a solution:

Open the Search box like usual, but don't touch the text input area. Instead, touch the "Advanced Search" option listed at the bottom of the Search box. That opens the Advanced Search screen, which is a whole "page" rather than a popup. Enter your search in the "Keywords" input field at the top left and don't set any of the other options... the results should be the same as if you used the default Search box.

Hope that helps,

Kevin

[BirdWingsToo]

Re: Do you access TBN from your phone ot tablet?

So... you say you love to check in on TBN when you're out and about, but you find it frustrating at times trying to do what you want to do using your phone's browser. I feel your pain! And so...

TBN is now in the Mobile App Space!

We've just finished setting up access to TBN through the web's two most popular forum access apps: Forum Runner and Tapatalk. These are apps that run on your phone and communicate with their own little vBulletin add-ons back at TBN's web server. So, instead of serving the data plus all of the page elements that make up a vBulletin screen, this system just serves the data to the app running on your phone. The main advantages are (a) there's less stuff to send across your data connection, so the response is faster than with a mobile browser; (b) the app is designed to fit your pone's screen, with controls and content arranged for easier access and viewing on a phone. Neither app will give you the full functionality of vBulletin, but both provide all of the important forum functions (reading, posting, viewing and uploading attachments, etc). And because they're native phone apps, you can do other cool stuff that you can't easily do through mobile browser access, like upload a photo directly from your phone to the forum.

We've set up both Forum Runner and Tapatalk because each has its strengths and weaknesses, and this will allow us to support more devices. I'm not familiar enough with either yet to list all of their respective strengths and weaknesses or make a recommendation (I've only used them for part of a day), but here are some key points:

Forum Runner supports iPhone (and I assume iPod), iPad, and Android devices. There is currently no support for Blackberry or Windows Phone 7, but both are currently in development. There's a free version for both iPhone and Android that you can try, with limited functionality (e.g., you can read, but you can't post). The paid version, with full functionality, is $1.99. Search for Forum Runner in the App Store or Android Market to download.

Tapatalk has an app for Phone (iPod), iPad, Android, and Blackberry. There is no Tapatalk app for Windows Phone 7 yet, but I did see an app in the Windows Phone Marketplace that supports Tapatalk. It's called Board Express (check it out here). I haven't tried it (I don't have a Windows phone), so I don't know if it's any good. But as my Canadian wife would say, it's better than a kick in the ass with a frozen boot. The Tapatalk apps are not available in free/trial versions for iThings, Andoid, or Blackberry, but the costs for the full versions are reasonable: $2.99 for iThings and Android, and $3.99 for Blackberry. Board Express has both a free/trial version and a paid/full version that costs $.99. Look them up in your respective app stores to download.

Once you have the app installed on your phone, fire it up and look for TBN. On the main screen, select the Search function and search for tbn. The TBN banner will show up... tap it to enter the forum. Log in and have at it (the app will automatically retain your login for next time). There are ways to save TBN as a Favorite in both Forum Runner and Tapatalk, but I can't recall how. If you're bold enough with technology to be doing this stuff with your phone/tablet in the first place, you'll probably figure it out.

I have only tried Forum Runner and Tapatalk on an Android phone (Moto Atrix 4G). I have no tablets, no iThings, and no Windows phones. I can tell you that I much prefer using these apps on my phone over using the browser to access TBN. I'd be interested to hear everyone else's experience as you try these.

See you in the airwaves.

Cheers,

Kevin

P.S. The sheer length of that post was just for you Jeannie...

[Ski]

Re: Do you access TBN from your phone ot tablet?

It works but the free version of Forum Runner has too many limitations. Now I have something to play with when I'm working the VFW bingo tonight.

[NC2k2TBird]

Just downloaded tapatalk. Easy to read posts but not sure it is for me.

[DavidA]

Re: Do you access TBN from your phone ot tablet?

I haven't had any problems with TBN using the standard browser on my Motorola Bionic. It's a 4G and works just fine as it is.

[BirdWingsToo]

I haven't had any problems with TBN using the standard browser on my Motorola Bionic. It's a 4G and works just fine as it is.

It's not so much a matter of having problems, more a matter of convenience. Most modern mobile browsers work well and mine works fine... does exactly what it's supposed to. But I find it inconvenient to reflow, zoom, and pan to read or to get to various controls on the page... especially while driving (kidding). To me, these apps that are designed specifically for forum access are much more convenient... akin to the difference between using eBay through the mobile browser vs the eBay app optimized for use on a phone. It's perhaps a matter of personal preference, but the only way to really know is to try it... you might like it even better!

My first post using Forum Runner... just one thumb to navigate to this thread and post this reply. No zooming, no panning, no double tapping to reflow text!

Cheers,

Kevin

[AZTB]

Re: Do you access TBN from your phone ot tablet?

this and this...

[BirdWings]

Re: Do you access TBN from your phone ot tablet?

I downloaded both to my phone and IPad. I like the way you can access TBN. It is so much easier to read on the phone and keep up with what is going on. Thanks, Kevin, for the installs. It helps me a lot.

[Ski]

I like it better too Kevin. Nice add to the site.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Forum Runner

Ski

[BirdWingsToo]

Re: Do you access TBN from your phone ot tablet?

I like it better too Kevin. Nice add to the site.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Forum Runner

Ski

Glad you like it Ski. I'm still trying to decide between Forum Runner and Tapatalk. FYI for you and anyone else who ends up using these... both of them add a signature to posts by default: "Sent from... using Forum Runner" or "Sent from... using Tapatalk." If you want to disable this sig or change it, you can do so from the app's Settings options.

Cheers,

Kevin

[Bird03]

Works great for me.

Extremely easy interface to attach photos from your library on your phone or take a picture while you are replying to the thread and attach it.

Apollo talks as I type:


Can't find smilies. Might have to type them on by hand.


Thanks Kevin

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

[Bird03]

Answered my own question.

Forum Runner does not recognize the codes for smilies.

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

[Tony007]

Re: Do you access TBN from your phone ot tablet?

I SNEAK INTO A PHONE BOOTH , JUST LIKE SUPERMAN USE TO.....