When I first embarked on my university studies the concept of smart phone apps was still nearly two years from realisation and most people’s phones still had actual buttons.
Technology as well as time has moved very quickly since then and the inevitable has happened. We now have a Bournemouth University app, imaginatively named iBU.
Despite my cynical tone and the apps slightly dated styling, this is an app that every BU student should have.
It is not perfect but it is useful for the student on the move. Never again will you be wandering around campus asking yourself where that rescheduled lecture is or rushing to the library to renew your loans.
[one_half]ProsYou can check your reading list and then reserve items from it.
Checking your timetable takes 2 seconds.
Renewing and reserving books on your phone is very useful.
Availability check of PCs in all libraries.
Bus timetable info is very convenient.
General info about opening times etc is useful.
[/one_half] [one_half_last]Cons
Bus timetables aren’t viewable on Android or Blackberry without a PDF viewer.
No way to check grades on the app.
Security issues with usernames and passwords not being encrypted.
Not supported on Windows phone.
Takes up ~4MB of space, not as much as Angry Birds but about the same as your average news reading app.
[/one_half_last]Despite some criticism it is actually a good functional app which I will definitely find useful from time to time. It’s nothing that’s going to massively change your University life but it will make it a little easier from time to time. A good first effort by BU and developer oMbiel.
Main image: Yutaka Tsutano
