Living with the iPhone
Well, after living with the Apple iPhone for four months today, I have to say that I still love it! I can do most of what I need to do on a daily basis and the interface cannot be beat!
It was not until the App Store launched, and I installed the OS upgrade on my iPod touch to try the App Store, that I realized the power of having a well-engineered, converged device. I have been a smartphone user for years (both Palm and Windows Mobile) and there is truly no comparison. I have been following the other new devices, like the Android and Storm, and do not feel a bit of techno-lust!
The only downside is the poor battery life. I know I can shut off some functionality to prolong the battery life, but that is an inconvenience. (However, I guess it is MORE of an inconvenience to have no battery life left!) I have just purchased a small battery life extender (Kensington Mini Battery Extender) and that should solve my problem.
There are all types of apps for the iPhone, and many of the ones that I have installed have been free and low-cost. Some of my favorite add-ons include:
Update 12/6/08:
I have purchased Tweetie for using Twitter on the iPhone. It is a full-featured Twitter client that is very easy to use and parses well on the device.
The Kensington Mini Battery Extender arrived it and works very well! First it charges up the device, and then, when you use the iPhone, it supplies the power until it runs out of power and then you start using the iPhone battery again.
Here is a list of 50 iPhone apps for education that came out right after this post.
It was not until the App Store launched, and I installed the OS upgrade on my iPod touch to try the App Store, that I realized the power of having a well-engineered, converged device. I have been a smartphone user for years (both Palm and Windows Mobile) and there is truly no comparison. I have been following the other new devices, like the Android and Storm, and do not feel a bit of techno-lust!
The only downside is the poor battery life. I know I can shut off some functionality to prolong the battery life, but that is an inconvenience. (However, I guess it is MORE of an inconvenience to have no battery life left!) I have just purchased a small battery life extender (Kensington Mini Battery Extender) and that should solve my problem.
There are all types of apps for the iPhone, and many of the ones that I have installed have been free and low-cost. Some of my favorite add-ons include:
- Twitterfon: for keeping up with my tweeting colleagues
- MobileFiles: read-only access to my iDisk files
- Google: text search and the great new voice search functionality
- MightyDocs: read-only access to all my Google docs
- YouNote: write, draw, or record a to-do for yourself
- Pandora Radio and AOL Radio: two different types of streaming radio
- GPS Tracker: open it up and family members can follow your whereabouts
- iWant: based on your current location, find local essential services
- Ruler, Compass, and Dual Level: handy tools to have with you at all times
- AirMe: send your photos taken with the phone right to the Web
- Panolab: create a panoramic photo with the iPhone
- fring: access to Skype
- Google Earth: it is amazing how well it can be used on the iPhone
- HanDBase: the great database program now for use on the iPhone
- iTalk: an easy-to-use voice recorder that can sync with your computer
- Say Who: voice-dialing program
- SportsTap: easy access to sport scores of all types
- i.TV: based on your location, get the TV show lineup
- SnapTell: take a photo of a book, CD, or DVD cover in the store and get pricing
- Facebook and AIM: I could not be without them
- SearchMe: a search engine that returns "coverflow-like" results
- Games that take advantage of the touchscreen and the accelerometer like iBowl, TapTap Revenge, magic8Ball
Update 12/6/08:
I have purchased Tweetie for using Twitter on the iPhone. It is a full-featured Twitter client that is very easy to use and parses well on the device.
The Kensington Mini Battery Extender arrived it and works very well! First it charges up the device, and then, when you use the iPhone, it supplies the power until it runs out of power and then you start using the iPhone battery again.
Here is a list of 50 iPhone apps for education that came out right after this post.
Labels: iPhone, Kathy Schrock
posted by Kathy Schrock at 8:11 AM
7 Comments:
The Evernote app is great for note taking. For those that aren't familar, they have a web client, mac client, windows client, mobile web client, and Windows mobile client. All your notes are kept in sync.
Remember the Milk, although it requires a $25 a year subscription to use the app, is the best to do list I've found.
Kathy,
I followed your link since I need a battery life extender also. This review at the Amazon site warns that it doesn't work with 2.1 or 2.2.
http://tinyurl.com/5e49hm
I hope that changes as it would make a great Christmas present for my son.
Hi Kathy,
I just have the iPod touch, but find these apps essential:
Used regularly:
WordBook (dictionary)
SpeakEasy (recording app)
Mobile News (latest AP stories)
I like these for foreign travel:
Spanish/English dictionary (that speaks the phrases)
Converter (currency conversions)
All the best,
Doug
Karen
I don't know what that review is talking about. The Kensington battery life extender works pefectly with the upgraded iPhone. It came yesterday and we put it to the test and it passed with flying colors!
Anything that charges using the firewire pins will not work with the newer iPods/iPhone. In my experience most chargers use the USB pins (5 volts), although many iPod dock radios do not.
That being said, if you feel like a doing a little soldering, I have my electronics students construct a minty boost kit that can be used to charge any USB based device using AA batteries.
As to apps, I like Roller Coaster Physics (for data collection), Box.net (for access to those files), MiniPiano, Stanza eBook reader, and (not really an app but a service) NuevaSync for wireless calendar and contact sync.
Hi Kathy,
I got an iPod Touch recently, and I love it. Have you come across any grading apps in your explorations? That is the one thing that I am missing that I could do with my PDA that I can't do with my iPod. YET!
Thanks for pointing me in the right direction if you have any ideas!
-Meredith
Band Director in Boothbay, Maine
Meredith,
Of course, you could use the spreadsheet function in Google Apps or the database in HanDBase for a gradebook. However, I did find a low-cost Web-based gradebook that looks like it will parse on the iPhone/Touch but leave it to you to try out! http://www.smartgrading.com/
Post a Comment
<< Home