Category: iPhone

Mini review of some free iPhone Apps

WordPress – Bloging app -Covered previously.  Nice but still on the buggy side. At least for me, has limited use until Apple adds spell check. Would like to see an approve comments function in a future version.

 

NowLocal – News -Nice concept, gives local news based iPhone location data.  I only used it a couple of times, but seems to work fairly well.  It is a quick way to get some local news

 

Blip Solitaire – Game – Boring, reminds me of a bad old Atari game. You drag your finger along the screen, moving the paddle to bounce a little ball from side to side.  Blahhh

 

Cube Runner – Game – You navigate a boomerang plane type thing though a series of cube type structures.  The ship is controlled by turning the iPhone like a steering wheel activating the tilt sensors.  Fun game but to easy to waste time on…

 

Shakespeare – E-book – Easy way to carry around the complete works of Shakespeare.  Unfortunately, this is pretty barebones.  I would love to see a notes function, or commentary, modern translations etc.  But it is free.

 

eReader – E-book – nice to finally have an e-book reader for the iPhone, without having to jailbreak.  You can buy books or at eReader.com or Fictionwise.  Features are still pretty limited.  Bookmarks work by remembering the last page you were on.   Still pretty barebones, but no real complaints.  I would be willing to pay for a decent reader that handled multiple formats, could reflow PDF text and had support for notes. 

 

AOL Radio – Music – Stream AOL music channels, same ones available through AIM/AOL. Since I haven’t yet upgraded to a 3G phone, this is really only useful when wifi is available.  Most stations won’t stream or won’t stream well over edge.  Hopefully will run well over 3G.  I will let you know next month!

 

AIM – IM – Not bad if you need to ping someone while out and about.  Not sure if this is a function of being on a first Gen edge phone, but service disconnects if AIM is not open and active.  I am rarely so engaged in an IM conversation that I would want to have it as the only app I am using.  For me AIM is for quick responses and multitasking,  without it working the background, I find it pretty useless. 

 

Twitterific –IM/miniblog – There is a pay version of this program, but the free version is ad supported.  I like this app a lot, might be the one I use most.  You can update location (works better on 3g phone I am told), load twitterpics from library or direct from camera, and of course tweet to your hearts content.  Biggest drawback is there isn’t a view reply button.

 

Google App – I tend to forget about this one.  It basically consolidates all of the Google services built into other areas of the iPhone.  I could see using it more if I didn’t have an year of iPhone information gathering habits already established.

 

Facebook-bloggish thing – Nice way to easily update status.  You can snap pictures and upload to your status and mobile pictures.  Access your facebook inbox, even chat with online friends.  Fun little app, very useful to facebook addicts. 

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Update

Left off one of my favorites.  NYTimes – great way to read the morning paper!  Would love a Washington Post version.

iPhone WordPress App

Trying out the WordPress App for the iPhone. It was easy to setup. Creating new post adding tags and catagories seems intutive. This is actually my second attempt at posting. The save button was missing first go round and I lost the post. It is a nice little app but given my challenges with spelling I doubt I will use it regularly. Apple, I need me some spell check!

Weekend update

Had a wonderful weekend.  I didn’t do any writing, but you know what, that is OK.  I don’t think I spent more then 15 minutes at my computer all weekend.  Not to say I embraced a luddite way of life, I had my trusty iPhone, even made a couple Joshua related blog post straight from the Jesus phone.   I did not think about work until I hit the gym this morning – work related reading material in hand.  While the pregnant 4pm Friday before a holiday weekend phone call did indeed come, I had left at 2 and no one bothered my cell.  What I did do this weekend was spent quality time with my wife and son.  We read, gardened, shopped, hung photos on previously barren walls, played with Joshua, rode the CJ Park train and went for walks.  Actually Melissa walked and pushed the jogging stroller and I strapped on the roller blades and entertained Joshua with my wheeling around.  It was a wonderful weekend filled with family, love and joy.  It was a beautiful reminder of why I get up every morning; battle the demons (traffic, work and personal) happily and without reservation. 

Old Man’s War

I just started listening to Old Man’s War by John Scalzi.  Mr. Scalzi is a fantastic writer. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t read his blog and his The Android’s Dream kept me thoroughly engrossed not to mention occasionally laughing out loud.  I purchased the audio version from Audible about 6 moths ago, but hadn’t been able to bring myself to hitting play.  This is really unusual for an audio book.  Paper copies tend to sit.  I buy far more books then I have the time to read.  With audio I tend to buy as I need.  Part of the problem is I have never been a big fan of either space opera or military fiction. This being both, well… it sat for six months.  I had even purchased a few books outside of my monthly 2 book subscription while Old Man’s War sat unheard and unappreciated but loaded on my iPhone.  Well today I ran out of the house without a new book and just wasn’t in the mood for a podcast or music.  An hour into it, I am sorry I waited.  It is well written, funny, thought provoking.  I am actually looking forward to my commute home (well almost).  The premise is this:  Earth is a space fairing civilization.   However there is a quarantine that keeps people from going out and seeing the universe.  Not to mention the Colonial Defense Force has all of the Faster then Light Ships.  They are also the only ones with the technology to reverse ageing.  Earth Doctors have been unable to replicate the technology.  So at a certain age you can sign up for Military service.  You can see the universe.  Your youth is restored.   But it is a one way trip.  You give up your citizenship to your world/country and by law you are legally dead.   Marriages and contracts are dissolved and property is passed along as if you had actually died.  You leave everything behind, save whatever you can fit into your one carryon bag.  It is quite fascinating and I am looking forward to seeing how the story develops. 

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