iPhone Apps: Gratuitous Geek Post…

Alright, so this blog post comes courtesy of many “geek” chats I’ve had with my buddy Michael Denton of Contributing Comments. More nights than I care to admit, Denton and I have glossed on about the pros and cons of various cell phones across carriers. We’ve duked it out over features, operating systems, and even the value of open-source, oh so geeky!

Now, recently (about 2 months ago) I purchased an iPhone 3G. Yup, I went for it. My original Black Jack aka 21 was giving me signs that it was time to move on. I wrestled with the thought of which device to purchase, but ultimately it came down to a Blackberry or an iPhone. Obviously, you can’t beat the BB when it comes to email functionality, but it was the applications of the iPhone that made the most sense. I’m loving my iPhone aka Elroy for the most part — though I miss the feel of an actual qwerty keypad. Since I chose the iPhone for the applications, figure I should call out some of my favs.

Shazam - a music discovery tool. Load the app, hold your iPhone to any radio, computer, car speaker and magically watch as Shazam tells you what’s currently playing. Never have that “damn, what’s this song called” moment ever again. Btw, this baby even works in fairly noises restaurants — we tested it at Caliente Loco during happy hour.

Facebook – A no brainer. I’ve been slightly addicted to FB as of late — mainly cause all my friends are (finally!) using it. Updating status messages, writing on walls, and especially the direct mobile upload feature makes it easy to let friends know what you’re up to.

NYTimes - My go-to source for news. Love checking the NYTimes app first thing in the morning while sitting on the train. Never been a fan of newspaper ink – the feel and smell of it – so now I can get all my news right on my phone. I know, the Ad dept at the times is cursing me right about now.

Around Me – Uses your location to tell you what’s around you… duh. From hotels to coffee shops to banks to hospitals – this app keeps you in the know. Oh, it even shows you where the closest Apple retail store is, just in case. It’s powered by Google, so you know it rocks (click the link above to see a video review of app).

Coffee Finder – Literally DLed this application as a joke. It uses your location to tell you the nearest Starbucks. So the joke is that I work in Manhattan so needless to say I never have a problem finding a Starbucks – but figure when I’m NOT in NYC, this little baby will come in handy. Like when Coma and I were in West Palm Beach, FL and couldn’t pay someone to tell us where a Starbucks was. Guess old people don’t dig Frappucinos or something.

WordPress – For blogging on the go — when it works. It’s sort of a sketchy app, not so impressed, but think it has so much potential. Let’s hope the folks at wordpress work the kinks out.

Vint B&W - this application lets you shoot black and white photos using your iPhone’s boring camera feature. B&W just another one of those simplistic features that the folks at Apple forgot to inclue in the iPhone. You know, kinda like ability to send/receive MMS, but let’s not go THERE!

Loopt - LBS app that let’s you find friends even strangers (creepy!!) in your vicinity. The guys at Loopt pitch it as “you’ll never have to eat alone again,” but really it’s one of those applications that can be used for stalking.

AIM – just cause you gotta have old school AIM for when a text messaging isn’t quick enough.

Twitterific – For the Twitter loves out there — like myself. Honestly, haven’t found a GREAT Twitter app to use, but this one is good enough (for now).
So there you have it – all the app’s I’m currently rocking on Elroy. What are your favorite iPhone apps?

 

(FYI, AT&T happens to be an FH client – but I’ve been a loyal AT&T customer way before I knew about FH)

Can’t Function – Forgot My Cell Phone…

I’m going a bit crazy today. I mean it started off like a normal day — I left the house and headed to a doctor’s appointment. Naturally, I was early (as usual) so took a seat and figured I might as well catch up on some work email. Reach in my bag for my cellie and feel around — nothings there. Panic mode sets in. Where the hell is my cell phone?!

The doctor calls me in the office, which is the only thing keeping me from a total meltdown at this point. We go through the usual routine, which seemed to take only minutes today. I pay and head for the train – catching the glimpse of a clock hanging outside my town’s post office. It’s only 8:30a – train is at 8:32.

Seriously contemplated walking the 1/2 mile back to my house to search for my cell phone, but then that would’ve made me ridiculously late for work. Reluctantly, I headed for the train and hoped for the best. The entire train ride was filled with thoughts of What Ifs. I mean, come on, I’m a neurotic NYer. Buildings have been know to blow up, collapse, trains break down, man-holes explode, debris and now the latest craze CRANES fall from the sky — lots can happen in a single day and here I am with no cell phone!

Tried to distract myself with my ipod (at least I remembered that!), but to no avail – everyone around me on the train was frantically typing away on their blackberrys and iphones — ugh! Managed to make it safely to GCT without incident and sprinted to my office — being unconnected for that long was obviously driving me insane. What’s the first thing I did when I got to my office? Logged into Facebook and put up a message about how I don’t have my cell so call my office line. Second thing? Called my mom to ask if she can head home during lunch to find my phone (like it being in the house will make me any less paranoid!?). Third? Call my cell VM to see if anyone left me an urgent message.

WHAT IS MY DEAL?! I’ve turned into a maniac when it comes to a damn cell phone. I’m obviously addicted to it. This is going to be the longest day — EVER!