Ambient Sound: Going Somewhere Else without Going Somewhere Else

There are settings that, when you are in them, you feel better, even more relaxed, no matter what you are doing.  Whether it's a day at the beach, a spring morning with birds singing, or a rainy day, a big part of being immersed in those environments is the sounds you hear.

Preview Tracks in Naturespace

Naturespace, an app I've written about a couple of times already and one of my favorites, has undergone a major update. If you've never heard of Naturespace before, it's an app that plays ambient nature sounds that are of a quality that is unrivaled in any other similar app out there.  It's a free download so if you don't have it, download it and try the five free tracks that come with it. Try them with headphones to appreciate the quality.  The huge catalog of tracks beyond the free ones range from $0.99 to $2.99, most being $1.99.

Back to the update: In addition to fifteen additional tracks, which would make for a really nice update, Naturespace now offers non-looping shortened previews of tracks. The previews are available if you make an in-app purchase of a "Visitors Pass". The Visitor's Pass is free if you have purchased five or more tracks. Otherwise it is $1.99. If you have the Visitor's Pass, you simply click the Visit button for a track for which you want to download a preview.

Tips for Listening to Naturespace on the iPhone or iPad

In my original post about ambient sound, I mentioned an app called Naturespace for the iPhone and iPad.  Since then I've begun using it even more than when I wrote the post, especially for going to sleep at night.  I also use it to help focus whenever I've got a lot of work that requires that I sit in front of my PC for a long period of time.  This increased use for a variety of situations has taught me a lot that I thought I'd share as tips.

General Tips

1. When choosing to purchase sounds, read the reviews and/or listen to what a friend has.  NatureSpace doesn't have free samples of sounds and has their reasons for it.
2. Turn on Earbud Optimization if using earbuds, like those that come with the iPhone.  Otherwise, leave it off.  In the picture above, Earbud Optimization is on, as you can see on the third button from the left on the bottom.  If you listen with regular, over-the-ear headphones or with speakers, you want to tap that button to turn that feature off.

Essential iPhone Apps

With this blog, I typically write about things that you can do with your iOS device (your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch).  Though I don't review apps, per se, I talk a lot about specific apps because apps are what give you the ability to do so many things.  Over the past seven months since this blog started, I have mentioned a lot of iPhone apps. Below are what I would consider the twenty more essential apps that I've written about:

Tornado Safety Via Your iPhone

I talked with someone today who lives just a few miles from some of the devastation from the EF-3 tornado that struck Jefferson County, Alabama near Birmingham just two days ago. She didn't hear the sirens and I was surprised to find out that, despite the warnings by local meteorologists she didn't have a weather radio.  Another person nearby also didn't have a weather radio. They both, however, had iPhones, which gave them a cheap solution.

I wrote about an app called iMapWeather Radio right after the Super Outbreak of 2011 in my post entitled You Need a Weather Radio: Your iPhone Can Be That. This app will alert you with several beeps and the words "The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning" if there is a tornado warning. It also lets you decide which other watches and warnings you wish to be alerted for.  It also includes a radar map in case you don't have another app for that. (I personally like RadarScope for radar because it makes it possible to see tornados.) The iMapWeather Radio app, at $9.99, sounds expensive next to many of the $0.99 and $1.99 apps out there. But for the potential life-saving value, it's more than worth it...and it's cheaper than a dedicated weather radio.

Making the Most of iOS Audio: The Bedroom

The iPhone and iPod touch are great audio devices for listening to music, radio, ambient sound, or audio books.  The headphones that come with these devices actually sound pretty good, especially if you are a non-audiophile, like me.  However, in your bedroom, wearing headphones is inconvenient when you are getting ready in the morning and want to listen to music, catching a podcast while changing out of work clothes, or listening to a gentle rain in Naturespace as you drift off to sleep at night.  (See my Ambient Sound post for more information about that last one.)