iPhone Apps

This is a list of the Apps I've downloaded and think are very cool and useful. Everything is this is free.

-Jott is a great little app for voice recording and transcription. It allows you to record up to 10 seconds (I think) then transmits the recording to the Jott server. The server trascribes the recording and keeps it on the website which then sends it to your phone as a note. Great way to make a to-do list while on the go without needing to stop and type. (It does require free registration on Jott.com)

-Pandora is a free custom radio station (much like Yahoo! Launchcast) which allows you to create stations based on you favorite artists. It will then play music similar to your favorites and let you rate it with a thumbs up or thumbs down.

-Simplify Media lets you stream music from your iTunes library on your home computer directly to your iPhone. This gives you access to your entire iTunes library (or music folder) which may be 50GB in size without taking up space on your phone. ( I have the 8GB version of the phone and have to be selective of what I put on it) I was driving down the freeway today listening to music that wasn't even on my phone. This program also requires you register for free and also makes you install a small 'server' program on your computer. Only issue is you always need to have your computer on to make this work....iTunes does not have to be running. I should also note that for best results, your host computer should be on an ethernet cable instead of a crappy Lynksys USB Wi-Fi adaptor. Mine keeps falling off the network.

-Bible Reader by Olive Tree puts the entire bible at your fingertips in nine translations! This program installs everything on the phone so you don't even need a data connection to make it work. This means you can put your phone in 'Airplane mode' and use it in church without the worry of receiving phone calls or text messages.

-GPS Tracker is a program that will track your phone and post the data on a website that you can share with friends and family. They can track your progess while you're on a trip giving them your location, altitude and speed at any track point. The only problems with this program is that is has to be in the front to work, you can't start it and then listen to iTunes. It's also a huge battery hog. You can however launch the program to get a reading, then close it after a few minutes just to give the website random points if you want beople to know where you are at a certain time. (other programs I've read about use SMS which is a problem if you don't have unlimited texting)

There are TONS of other apps available that I'm sure are gems, but these are the ones I've come accros so far and find useful.

Apple iPhone

Ive been one of those Anti-Apple guys for quite some time. I don't like the endless proprietary cables, plugs, and power supplies that Apple incorporates into everything they do, making you spend even more money on things you need and can only get through Apple. However, as I began researching the options of getting a new cel phone (with data connectivity) and possibly replacing my tried and true every day usable Palm TX, I began looking into the iPhone. Most of the people at my work have them and absolutely love them.


I made a list of all the things I use my Palm TX for and compared it with what is available for the Apple iPhone as included programs or free 'apps' to install. What I found was that I could do everything I do now plus a ton more by using the iPhone. It wasn't anything to enter into lightly as the monthly cost was pretty high as well as the initial cost of purchasing the phone and activating it and such. Since the monthly cost of what we are already paying for cel service for a family shared plan was the same as a single plan for the iPhone, I thought it wouldn't be too big of a strecth. Granted we will now be butting T*** on a pay-as-you-go type of plan that will hopefully not cost very much at all to maintain for the amount of time she actually will use it.


Needless to say, I bought one less than a week ago and really like it. One of the things I was really excited about was the GPS functionality. It's not what I'm used to and not quite as good as what I had with the EMTAC Navigator and Palm TX. The iPhone currently doesn't have real time turn by turn directions, but it does give directions as you would find on Google Maps and print out, has constantly updated maps, and current traffic conditions. To make it most useful, you'd want to have someone with you reading off the directions to you...but the ability to have current maps, Points of Interest via Google, and current traffic conditions make it worth while (until someone makes better software for it). Downside to this system is that it always needs a data connection to work. So when I went to Mt Rainier last weekend, as soon as I was out of the AT&T data service, my map went away. The Palm TX was my copilot for that trip and worked like a charm.

I also really like having my email always with me. There are times when I will be wiating for an email and constantly tethered to the computer waiting for a response...this way I can get email anytime all the time. Our mail server at work will also 'push' the email to my phone so as soon as the server gets the mail it alerts me....I don't have to wait for it. Standard POP3 email uses a 'fetch' schedule that will check for mail every 15, 30 or 60 minutes. Push and frequent fetching drains the battery faster than if you didn't have it on...but when you need your mail, it's there.


I have had to charge the phone everyday as opposed to my once a week charge on my old phone. I assume the battery wil last longer once the novelty of this device goes away and I stop playing with it so much, but even then it's not a huge deal since it will charge from any computer or as long as I keep the AC 'cube' with me.

I'll write more another time about all the cool things you can do with the iPhone and free apps. For now I'll say that I really really like my new phone and do think it's the future of mobile connectivity. I am impressed that my standard headphones work and the power charger is basically the USB cable that plugs either into your computer or the proprietary AC 'cube' that comes with it. The bummer is you can't use your standard car adaptor with the USB plug in the same scenario. I've purchased a car charger from Meritline.com that will be arriving this week ($5)...hopefully that will work.

More to come.