I have seen a lot of talk this past week about if you can or can’t use the iPhone as a solid mobile device for getting “work” done. That’s a very good question and it really depends on what type of business you are in, and what exactly are you trying to accomplish. I often see people lug their laptops pretty much everywhere they go, but is that always necessary? One of my main purposes for purchasing an iPhone was the notion that I could leave the laptop at home and still have some of the functionality I need while away from my desk.
One thing I always find amusing about my iPhone, is that I rarely use it as a phone. Aside from some business calls, and some calls with family, the phone part isn’t used much. It’s all about the data! Now I currently have the 1st generation iPhone with the 2.0 software update, and that update has really made the iPhone even more handy. The 1.xx software was nice, but it was just lacking too many features, and lets not forget the lack of 3rd party apps. The 2.0 update takes care of a lot of those issues, but their is still much work to be done.
E-mail is probably the most used feature for my iPhone. I have about 4 of my main e-mail accounts setup including my new MobileMe address. One of my biggest gripes was there was no simple way to delete multiple e-mails, so I was happy to see that the 2.0 update brings that feature. Reading e-mail on the iPhone is just about as good as reading it on my PC, although I do wish you could type e-mails in landscape mode.
Next up would be mobile blogging. Although this was possible pre-2.0, the recent addition of the WordPress application makes blogging from wherever you are at way more easier. The application still needs some features, but you can do some great posts with it as-is. I also like to upload pictures to services such as Flickr, Facebook and Brightkite which can be done several ways including through e-mail, and iPhone apps.
That’s some of the basic ways I use my iPhone. What do you mainly use your for?
One of the applications I have been waiting for is the WordPress app for the iPhone. Well today it was released and I am actually writing this post with it.
So far it’s working well, and I definitely like the ability to include images with posts.
Since the iPhone 3G launch along with the 2.0 software update, I have seen tons of reviews about the apps that have become available in the App Store in iTunes. While I have about 3 or 4 home screens filled with applications that are very cool and useful, I noticed there are quite a few missing that i would love to see added, and I bet you would you to. Here is my list, and please feel free to add your own.
WordPress. There is no arguing that WordPress is one the top blogging platforms out there today, and a native iPhone app for WordPress is on my top most wanted list. Typepad already has an application released, but the good news is that WordPress is working on one. I haven’t found much information yet, but in a preview video the application makes use of the iPhone camera and photo gallery, and it seems it will make mobile blogging one step easier.
Hahlo. As of right now, Twitterific is pretty much the only (and best) Twitter client for the iPhone. For a while now, I have been using Hahlo on the iPhone, which is a web-based Twitter application. I like the Twitterific app, but it’s still a bit quirky so I hope Hahlo is ready to roll out an app for themselves.
FriendFeed. Of course I had to mention FriendFeed. They have done some great work lately on getting an iPhone compatible website up and running, but hey, we still want a native app here. I haven’t seen any word on this, but I think it’s a safe bet they have something in the works.
Brighkite. Brightkite is one of my new favorite social networks. It’s more location-based which is just begging for some integration with GPS and location based services. The good news that it is in the works! Hopefully, we can see a demo or some screenshots soon.
IM Application. The App Store has an AIM app, but I don’t know anyone who actually uses AIM anymore. A multi-network IM application that would work with services like MSN and Yahoo would definitely be in the top most wanted list. JiveTalk was an excellent web-based IM client, and if they would bring that as a native iPhone app it would be perfect.
Those are my top 5 most wanted iPhone applications, what are yours?
Well today is the day we will finally get confirmation of all the stories and rumors from the past couple of months. Will there be a new iPhone, a MacBook update, .Mac re-branding? The list goes on and on.
For some reason there is no live stream of WWDC keynotes. I’m not sure what the theory is behind this, but it’s annoying to say the least. However, there are some other sources of WWDC news and live blogging, that is about as close to live as you can get. I wanted to list some here for the benefit of anyone who is interested.
Macrumors: Definitely the best coverage with updates from the Macrumorslive.com site where you won’t have to worry about constantly refreshing the page.
Arstechnica: Another great site for coverage with plenty of images to go along with the reporting.
It’s pretty much confirmed that a new iPhone will make its public appearance in the next few weeks. Now all the talk is related to the iPhone supporting 3G, which is great, but there are a lot of people, including myself, who will not upgrade just for that. I would hope that the upgrade shows us a host of new features, not just a network speed boost. So with that I wanted to list some features I would like to see added, aside from 3G.
GPS. The “Locate Me” feature is nice, but it does not compete with true GPS.
Better Camera. A much higher resolution for the iPhone is needed, and it makes such an advanced phone lag behind some others.
Video Recording. That pretty much says it all.
These are my top 3 requests. So how about you, what else would you like to see besides a 3G update?
For anyone who has an iPhone, or an iPod Touch for that matter, I’m sure you know all about web applications that were designed specifically for the iPhone. Apple.com has a dedicated section of web apps where people can submit their own, and it’s a great place to find some of the best. The list is growing day by day, so I wanted to take you through my 5 favorite iPhone web apps.
The included weather widget with the iPhone is nice, but it’s not very informative. That is why I turn to the Accuweather web app. It has a simple interface that you either switch to a 15 day forecast, or an animated radar image of your selected area. It also has your daily forecast, along with a 4 day outlook. One feature that really stands out is that Accuweather will display weather alerts for your area.
If you ever get tired of waiting for your dinner to get to the table at your favorite restaurant, no worries, just fire up the Tic Tac Toe web app and have at it. The kids really enjoy this one, and it has a very simple interface where you just take alternative turns at tapping the area you want to mark.
One of the things that really aggravates me is the fact that the iPhone doesn’t have any native IM application. Hopefully that will be resolved in the future, but for now BeeJive fills the void quite well. BeeJive connects to several of the popular networks like MSN, Google Talk, AIM, Yahoo, and more. The interface, where has different themes you can set, is beautifully done and you will easily forget this is a web based application.
Ever been to a group dinner, and have to sit around for 20 minutes trying to figure out how much everyone owe’s for a tip? Well I have, and that is why this web app is in my top 5. The Tip Calculator lets you enter the bill amount, tip percentage, and how many people it needs to be split with.
If you like to check your Facebook account several times a day, then this streamlined version made for the iPhone will suit your needs perfectly. You can view your friends list, profile, wall, and even update your current status from this web app. It still needs some work, but it’s far easier than trying to navigate the full site.
Last September I gave a review of the Sena Ultraslim iPhone case. I still think it’s a great pouch for the iPhone, but after a few months of usage, I needed to move on to a solution where I didn’t have to keep taking the iPhone in and out of the pouch. After some research and recommendations I placed an order for the Signature Leather iPhone case from Case-Mate. The case is available in several colors, but it opted for the Phantom Black.
I ordered direct from Case-Mate.com and even with the standard shipping option, the case arrived in just a few days. Upon opening the box, this case includes the case, a screw-in ratcheting belt clip, and a clear protective screen cover.
The iPhone fit perfectly in the case, just snug enough to hold it, but not overly tight. The case has a felt-like inner layer which does a good job of prevent scratches in the times you do need to remove the iPhone. The outside of the case seems to be a decent quality of leather, and is very well made. There is a metal attachment on the back of the case which is where you can screw-in the belt clip accessory if needed.
I didn’t use the clear protective screen cover as I am already using one, but it was nice to have that included. Included with the order was the option to have your name, or any other text, etched into the back of the case. It’s nothing fancy, but adds a nice bit of style to the case. After using the case for several months it still looks as good as the day it arrived, and even though I have repeatedly taken the iPhone in and out of the case, there has been no scratches or markings on the iPhone. I have to give this case a 5 out of 5, and definitely recommend it to anyone with an iPhone. The MSRP is $34.99, but it looks and feels much more expensive, and I know you won’t be disappointed.
The Xbox 360 definitely has great games, but so does the original Xbox. The 360 is backward compatible, but not with all Xbox games. Xbox.com keeps an extensive list of all the compatible games, and is updated when more are added. Stores such as GameStop have a great deal of original Xbox games for sale, but what if you don’t know which games are compatible and which are not?
If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch you can browse to the Xbox pages, but it’s still difficult to see and manage so I came up with this little web app for gamers. It displays an easy to use and navigate list of all the original Xbox games that are compatible with the Xbox 360. The list of games comes from the Xbox.com site, this is just an easier way to browse.
You can use the web app by browsing to the link below with your iPhone or iPod Touch.
Last year, I gave my "real user" review of the Apple iPhone. Since then, Apple has release a few minor updates, but nothing real major until the latest update (1.1.3) that was announced at MacWorld 2008. I grabbed the new update the same day and have been playing with it ever since.
I took a bit of time this morning to get my site updated to work with the iPhone and iPod Touch, both for my readers and for myself. The first tool I found this morning courtesy of CyberNet News was the WPhone plugin for WordPress. This will allow you to access many of the admin functions found in your control panel, and will let you write and manage new blog posts. It will also work with other devices so check the application page for more info.
Next I formatted my blog with an iPhone capable theme that will display when accessed from an iPhone or iPod Touch. This simple, and easy to install plugin/theme is called iWPhone and is available free here. So whenever you visit my site through one of these devices you will get an easy to read format which is much easier to read than the standard theme.
Entries (RSS)