Here’s some suggestions for the next version of EBC Android and iOS.
Some are pie-in-the-sky ideas.
Feel free to post your own.
Support for XFAI
Toggle mode option to switch between AUTO and Slope without having to step through other modes.
Magic Buckets functionality added which would switch into Slope mode when EBC is running an indoor workout. I.e. swipe to view Magic Bullets screen; Slope is enabled.
This would allow you to use Magic Buckets to perform an indoor workout entirely or switch to Magic Buckets any time if you want to abandon an EBC controlled workout and fill any remaining buckets as an indoor free ride.
Automatic XMB operation option. Jump on bike and start pedaling, start EBC on phone and everything is automatic from there. Syncs XSS spec for the day, displays intervals or endurance screen, begin your warm-up and follow the guidelines to fill your buckets.
Latency calibration to resolve transition/latency issues for all models of trainers by adding a user-defined setting under Options. Let’s you adjust a pre-load timer to accomodate your particular trainer. Include a special test workout in the Library with sets of high and peak intervals. Adjust the setting until actual time under ERG control lines up with target durations. Save setting and future workouts pre-load intervals so target compliance is improved in AUTO mode.
Another unique function could be a scaling function to match trainer with your outdoor power meter. You would use powermatch to determine the appropriate scale factor after which your outdoor meter is no longer required. Once scale factor is saved the trainer would operate as though in powermatch mode. This means any bike can be your trainer bike. You only need to mount your outdoor bike once to determine the scale factor.
Bell lap sound (clang-clang-clang) when at cusp of a BT I.e. keep going until failure if you want a BT.
Rainbow gauge codified: i.e. all apps (EBC, XMB, XDB, Connect IQ Player, remote players) show rpm and bpm in same location with similar rainbow gauges with Cadence Optimizer arc.
Tablet mode or landscape display option for use on phone or tablet.
Simple charting function added to Period Stats; tap a chart icon to view any data sets that support a chart view.
Fitness Test icon added to Filter which displays only fitness test workouts or a standard fitness test function is added to XMB on EBC (warm-up, couple sprints, intervals to failure).
Sensor battery alert is displayed if any sensor is below 10% when you Save a recorded activity.
Smart Cooldown option for AUTO mode. Set a HR value and during cooldown watts decline automatically every 30 secs until that threshold is reached. E.g, set to 99 and the activity ends and is saved automatically when you reach 99.
If EBC is used as a head unit track accelerometer sensor to determine if the activity is off-road based. IOW automatically detect mountain bike rides and use that info when analyzing ride data on XO. Benefit would be more accurate strain score assessment for off-road activities factoring in altitude and accelerometer data in conjunction with HR.
Generally make better use of space. Increase the font size where it is obviously small, reduce white space between elements, remove the workout time and remaining text (its self evident after the first ride)
Have the green section of the rainbow larger, I can’t tell of I am in, over or under, so I have stopped looking at it. I.e. non linear scale or shorten the blue part. I guess no-one will be that interested in seeing that they are riding at ~50 Watts on the blue bar.
I ride outdoors so never use the bottom row of widgets ….
Have an indoor and an outdoor screen. Put the extra space to good use.
The “intervals remaining” is way too small and can be meaningless anyway. How useful is “I’m on interval 23 of 76”. Find space for a readable size, better still change to an indication of where you are e.g. 25%, 30%, 50% . Either number or graphic. Or take off the main screen
Have the workout intervals graphical screen more zoomable and panable.
Is the intention to also have a dashboard screen a la garmin dashboard?
Has there been a review of purpose of these apps? Might be better to do that before asking for everything including the kitchen sink.
Off point but …
The size of the orange and black popups when using non magical buckets are completely unreadable. Why not make it a full screen splash screen then I can actually read it. Making both background and text colours intense doesn’t automatically make them easily readable. The choice of non contrasting colours and tiny font size is still very disappointing. The bucket colours could be pale shades of the existing colours, then I might be able to read a contrasting font colour. It is annoying and distracting having to squint at these and still not be certain. I ride with prescription glasses and I am still left guessing.
That is a lot @ridgerider2 ! Sounds like they will have to work on this for a while!
Being able to easily switch between Auto and Slope is probably what I want. My use case would be to do some additional micro intervals when inside a workout.
If you want to integrate something like XMB, should that be a new functionality inside Train? You probably want to be able to do a XMB session without loading a workout.
Personally I do not think I need XMB on my phone unless it gives a much better experience compare to my Garmin. I have ended up using my Garmin inside as it ensure all my Garmin metrics are properly calculated.
I do run the Session/Remote player on a big screen. So being able to get XMB (what is done, what is remaining, interval target, challenge level, …) on that screen would be nice.
And perhaps also being able to switch straight to the recommended power target by tapping a button would be great. Some times you want to do the intervals in slope, some times in ERG.
Maybe you can suggest the new screen layouts @ridgerider2 ?
A count of number of intervals left in a set would be really helpful, particularly when the count is more than a few, my tire brain struggles to count In all seriousness, it would be helpful from a mental pov during repeated hard efforts like 30s/15s.
I’m just tossing ideas out and hopefully some stick and are worth doing.
My top wants would be AUTO/Slope toggle and an XMB screen.
The Connect IQ XMB code is maxed out. Xert can’t add anything more without removing something else.
With Android and iOS EBC there is an opportunity to expand the XMB format and feature set.
Screen real estate alone opens up possibilities.
I think the Android version should receive as much XMB and Dashboard functions as practical while iOS the minimum required.
I’d like to see a combination of XMB functions on EBC and the Remote/Session Players to match. If the rainbow gauge were codified that would resolve a major piece on XO. The addition of buckets could simply be unlabeled blue, yellow, red buckets filling up during the workout.
There is a lot going on with the EBC apps but it boils down to what a workout session versus XMB session would look like.
I think the best (simplest) approach is going to be the ability to swipe between screen formats.
I’m pretty happy with how the Android workout screen looks/works now.
If you could swipe to a screen that mimics XMB on Garmin and automatically switches to Slope mode that should work fine.
Plus tapping AUTO on the workout screen would toggle to Slope only.
That would be great IMO.
Today I use an old android phone as a second screen and in it I run the “Power Gauge” pop up from the xert web to see the target cadence from the workout I’m running on EBC in my “main” android phone… and between both phones a tablet or laptop with zwift or netflix…
Interested to know why you say
“ I think the Android version should receive as much XMB and Dashboard functions as practical while iOS the minimum required.”
The Android app is more suitable for use as a head unit on an inexpensive phone and is already designed for that purpose (indoor/outdoor layouts, user-defined fields, radar support, etc.).
I don’t think it’s worth the time and effort to make the iOS app work the same way when most iPhone users will never consider mounting their phone on their handlebars and there aren’t alternative brands with small screen models to choose from.
Rather a large statement about iPhone users and what they will do with their phones. There is a huge market of second hand ( and usually smaller ) iPhones out there, not to mention ones kept when upgrading, just waiting to be used as head units. I have used one that way , with a rugged case with no issues.
It is also a big statement to say that iPhone users will have to buy a second phone to get the best Xert experience (and probably a second mobile plan). “ The Connect IQ XMB code is maxed out.”
Why bother creating an iOS version at all if it is obviously going to be hobbled?
Why not dump maxed out garmin and go mobile phone instead?
There are several technologies out there that allow a single code base to be compiled to iOS and Android.
And Android users don’t?
I have a 530. Which does’t run the new version of Magic Buckets.
So you want me to buy a better garmin (keeping in mind Garmin data fields are maxed out) and an Android?
I don’t believe anyone who is serious about cycling/training (with maybe some exception here and there) uses a smartphone as their only bike computer. If you ride outside in low temperatures the battery drain is crazy, just to give one example.
The main goal here is to port XMB to EBC iOS and Android ASAP.
Then everyone has the opportunity to run XMB indoors and outdoors should their head unit not support it and they don’t mind mounting their phone on their handlebars.
Phone-as-bike-computer has several downsides but as a fair weather device an inexpensive new or used Android phone is a viable solution. No SIM card required.
I’ll gladly return to using my Cubot Mini 2 as an alternative head unit when EBC Android is available.
I have confirmed a 530 should run current releases of XMB and XDB.
Only issue might be 3rd party data fields in contention with developer slots which can be resolved by disabling FIT Graphs under XMB settings on Garmin Connect.
I.e. keep going until failure if you want a BT.
