Writing the "wicked" way

I’ve been looking for the perfect word processor for the Mac for quite some time. When I first broke free of MS Word, I was loving the open-source community and I was all about OpenOffice.

Then, when I made the jump to Linux, I simply adored Abiword and wondered why I had dealt with the bloat of Word and even OpenOffice for so long. (I still use Open Office for other features, but don’t like waiting for the launch for a word processor.)

When I went to the Mac platform, I traded in my OpenOffice for a Mac-specific version of the same called NeoOffice. Frankly, I got tired of waiting so long for it to launch to jot down the idea that I was trying to wrestle, so I started looking for faster options. I looked at Mellel (which was reportedly a favorite of many writers). It came in one of my MacUpdate packages, which pleased me. I liked it ok. I used it for quite awhile. But it always seemed to be a bit lacking. Couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but it wasn’t exactly what I wanted.

I considered getting one of the “blackout” programs that turned the full screen into a writing surface without any distracting menus or pop-ups. I test drove a couple. WriteRoom (with the Windows version being DarkRoom) and even got the iPhone app for WriteRoom to try that one on the fly. Neither worked as I had hoped, I needed it to do a bit more than just blacken the screen for $25, so when the Mac trial ran out, I left it.

I also started looking into notes options that would launch quickly… something like the notepad gadget on Windows… but something with a bit more umph. From there, I discovered TextWrangler, TextEdit (which came with my Mac), and even played with Stickies (also came with the Mac) and a dozen or so others, all in an attempt to find a quick way to keep up with my notes.

I gave up finding the perfect tool(s) and hobbled along, busy with all the other balls I was juggling. Finding these holy grails joined the mass of items on the “I’ll get back to it” list. I find that locating the perfect tools (software) on a Mac can become a full-time hobby all by itself. There are so many options! There are dozens of options that I tried that didn’t even make it into the top contenders list.

But, recently, I found my perfect option. I have a four-pronged approach to the office suite thing – one is for quick notes on my Mac, one is for word processing and “darkening” my distractions, one is for full featured word processing (which I seldom touch these days) and one is mobile.

First, I have a quick-launching multi-note system in XPad. It offers a quick way to get the thoughts down and to make lists for specific projects, ideas and writing projects. It also offers a “slide out” list of all the mini-documents contained therein. It offers cool tools like fonts and highlighter and color options without cluttering the interface with more stuff than I need or want. XPad launches when I turn on my Mac and stays “at the ready” for me to use. And, it’s FREE!

Second, I have Bean. Bean is an oddly named, but beautifully built word processor that launches quickly and handles 90% of what I need. In addition to being there in a couple seconds (literally), it also offers bullets, formatting, highlighting and several advanced features. It even offers a “full screen” mode that blacks out the rest of my computer and helps me to concentrate on the business of writing. I changed the blue background with white text to the retro black background and electric green type of my youth. I love it. LOVE IT. And, it’s also free.

I keep a copy of NeoOffice on my machine, although I seldom launch it for anything other than the spreadsheet app. I don’t really do much with advanced features like mail-merge and the like, so I don’t need those “hefty” features because I don’t do admin work. And, I don’t want to sit and wait. I hate waiting for a program to launch. I despise it.

On the “mobile” front, I absolutely adore that feature-rich note system in Awesome Note for my iPhone. I love that it’s wherever I am, and that it’s able to sync with Google Docs — even the Google Apps version! So I can backup and restore my notes from any location. It’s richly textured and as graphically beautiful and visually appealing as it is functional. I may like bare-bones programs on my computer – clean and crisp is fine there – but on my iPhone apps, I expect beauty. I can’t explain that, but the graphics (even the icon for the app) seriously affects how often I’ll use an app. I’m iPhone shallow, I guess.

I’m a writer by trade — mostly a content and marketing writer for my clients. I write, do web work, and SEO submissions. That doesn’t take much word-processing power. It takes a little knowledge and a lot of creativity — and the ability to capture the creative sparks when they fly. I find that having to wait for my software to launch actually discourages my productivity. If it’s a quick launch, I’ll add a thought or an idea on the fly. If I know I have to sit and wait for it to launch — even for an additional 5-10 seconds — I think, “Oh, I’ll just remember this and jot it down next time I’m working on that.”

The fact is… I don’t remember and I’m not patient. I’ve quit trying to pretend that I will or that I am. I know my foibles and I now find the tools I need to work around them. Resistance is, after all, futile. It’s particularly so when fighting my own nature. These tools make my life better and my business stronger and for under five bucks, I have them ALL.

Even in this economy, that’s a GREAT deal!

I’ve been through a slew of iPhone cases in my quest for the perfect one. SLEWS of them. I love my iphone, ask anyone who knows me… but, trying to keep it safe and in excellent working order isn’t always easy when you take it everywhere. (Heck, I even listen to music on mine in the bathroom while taking a shower — so I needed a moisture-resistant, shock proof, tough case for it.)

Yesterday, the ideal case finally arrived. I got mine on eBay, but it’s available on Amazon too. I got myself an Otterbox Defender Semi-rugged Case for my iPhone in girly pink. It’s also available in white, in black and in black with yellow trim, for those of you who aren’t that interested in going all girly.

It doesn’t maintain the sleek, thin lines of the iPhone. It adds a great deal of bulk and weight — but I don’t care. I love it. It seals it from the elements and from my daily abuse. It’s even got a well-functioning screen protector (unlike those that inhibit my ability to use the touch screen on those ever-so-delicate game sessions when I’m waiting in line or in a waiting room). These things matter!

The holster is also pretty cool. I wish it had been available in pink too — but the pink case comes with the standard issue black holster. It’s quick and easy to slide the phone in and out to answer it, and it keeps it protected and at the ready.

The holster clip can also be adjusted to become a defacto easel back so you can watch videos in landscape mode (which is really nice!)

The only thing that bugs me about this solution is how hard it is to get it in and out. It no longer slides easily into my iHome for extra speaker boost, and it’s required me to get more creative with the Griffin WindowSeat Windshield car mount I just got for my car. Aside from those small issues, it’s the best protection I’ve ever seen. I’d probably not even have a heart attack if my precious iPhone went skidding across a parking lot now — so long as it was in the case.

It’s also uber-easy to find in the bottom of my cave-of-a-purse with the bright hue!

If you are looking for the best possible protection for your iPhone, check it out. It really rocks!

iTalk Recorder – by Griffin Technology

A mobile writer’s best friend. I’ve fleshed out plot sequences, brainstormed settings and traced historical information for my characters using this app while driving down the road. Maybe not recommended, but alot better than trying to write down that amazing idea that always seems to occur when I have my hands at 10 and 2 (or 9 and 3 if you are younger). This app has a great big easy-to hit record and stop button. You can name the file later (if you are driving) and transcribe it at a later date or wi-fi it to your computer when you get back to the office. It permits continuation of an existing recording and has a choice of sound qualities. I’ve tried four of these types of apps and find this one to be the best, most clean cut of the group so far. Great app and the price couldn’t be better: Free!

WriteRoom – by HogBaySoftware

A distraction-free, basic black background with white type text app (landscape-keyboard-enabled for faster input). This tiny version is based on the desktop program WriteRoom by hogbaysoftware.com. The iPhone version offers support for multiple ongoing documents and basic statistics (number of paragraphs, words, characters) in a couple taps. You can also backup your work with a couple taps by sending yourself (or someone else) an email copy.($4.99)

TextGuru – by Brancipater Software

An easy way to file-share your works in progress and reference materials between your desktop and your iPhone. You can view HTML, Images (.jpg, .png, .tga., .tif, .tiff), PDF files, PowerPoint and Word documents. You can edit text files (but NOT Word documents). Text files can be saved in multiple formats including: .txt, .html/.htm, .php, .js, .c, .h, .cpp, .m/.mm, .pl, .py .taskpaper, .rb, .ja/.jar, .bin, and custom file extensions. Nice extras include cut and paste, find and replace, revert to last save (undo) and user-designated autosave timer.You can see file attributes including most recent modification timestamps, encoding and size.

TextGuru also offers multiple fonts, four background colors, multi-document search, basic statistics (paragraphs, words, character counts) and email for instant backup to your inbox when you are out and about. You can also submit your file to Pastie.org and Sprunge. For programmers, the TextGuru’s view as a webpage option is really nice as well. Although you can view most documents in both landscape and portrait formats, you can only enter text in portrait (unfortunately). If it did have a landscape keyboard, it could replace my need for WriteRoom. Maybe the developer will address this in the next update. ($4.99)

Margins – by Architechies

Offers a great way to keep all your notes on books you are reading (or are using for research) in your favorite all-in-one device. Email backup is offered for the notes on any individual book and it’s ISBN enabled so just a few taps (the ISBN number) will auto-fill all the information about the book for you. I wish this had a landscape keyboard option (maybe the developer will add that in an upcoming version.) It would also be nice to have a way to take a photo of the passage and manually “highlight” it in the app with a touch, rather than having to type it all in before making comments/notes on the printed text. ($3.99)

iStop WritersBlock – by Lab013 Studios

A fun little “muse in a box” concept for your iPhone with plot ideas, inspirational quotes and writing challenges for the creative writer. I hope this developer continues to add new plot and challenge ideas. It’s not a workhorse like some of the other apps, but it’s a cool writer’s tweak for a buck. ($.99 – until the end of November as a special for NaNoWriMo).

Idea Generator  – by The Directors Bureau

Cool little shake-it-up mix and match word phrase program. I didn’t really care for the words that came with the program — they were too far out — but I love the fact that I can add my own to create some interesting mashups of current topics, ideas and actions for a work in progress. Makes me look at some of the standard ideas in unusual ways. Fun, cheap, cool. ($.99)

Stanza – by Lexcycle, Inc

I’ve reviewed and raved about this iPhone Book Reading app before, but for the writer on the go, being able to load up reference materials to read while out and about is a great boost in the value of the iPhone for the writer’s toolbox. (Just wish my Palm ebooks .PDB files would work on it.) Price, as always, is free!

Names – by Richard Wilkes

Name randomizer gives you the choice of four male/four female names on a single iPhone screen. Refresh button gives you a whole new list. Rinse, lather, repeat. Great way to get out of the rut of using the same types and flavors of names for your characters. Besides being an inspiration for character names, it’s fun (at least fun for a writer… in that twisted kind of a wordy way that others will never understand). ($.99)

My Baby – by irona.com and vensi.com

This app offers the ability to search based on meaning, or by letters of the alphabet. You can select from female or male names and you can save the “contending” names in a My Names list. The My Names list is a one-touch operation and is extremely helpful when you are sorting through all the possible options. Do note that the Origins search doesn’t appear to work properly — but the resulting names from other searches does offer origins information. Free.

Wikipanion – by Robert Chin

No writer should be without access to Wikipedia. Period. There are a slew of Wikipedia apps out there and I think I’ve tested most of them. This one is free and is bulletproof (doesn’t crash or report “server” issues), unlike many of the others. I may invest in the plus version of this one to be able to download items in my queue for offline browsing at a later time. That seems like the best option for this resource. One app offerd in the app store downloads the whole wikipedia on your device, but I think that’s a bit of overkill (and eats space I need for other apps and stuff!). The online only versions (which is what the free version is here) sometimes is amazingly slow on cell signals. (Free/$4.99 for Plus version)

Still Under Investigation:

Dictionary/Thesaurus

I’m still holding out and hoping for the Complete (not Concise) Oxford and the full, unabridged Oxford Thesaurus. I’ve texted several free and low-cost versions and will continue to use WordBook – Dictionary/Thesaurus combo ($7.99) by TranCreative Software and Dictionaire: The Simple Dictionary (free) by Hampton Catlin until I find my killer options on these two essential resources.

Organization/Data Management

Capturing the snippets of infomation and ideas in one central location is a challenge. Doing it while mobiel is even more challenging. I’ve dedicated one homepage to just writing apps and resources. I’m also evaluating iDB Datamaster by Evince Technologies, Inc (with a section my databases dedicated for use with writing projects) to see if that organizes or unnecessarily complicates the process. I’m simultaneously testing 44 Jots by Shaila Klosterman of Infofission ($.99) at the moment to see if the multimedia options there are a help or a hindrance to my creative process.

Quotes Apps

I like Daily Quote by Miron Vranjes (free), but would like to not be limited to a single quote, since I tend to binge on those little granules of wisdom at any opportunity. It does offer the ability to save favorite quotes, which is nice and one-tap lookup of the person quoted in Wikipedia, which is also pretty sweet. I’d recommend it for those one quote a day types. It works well.

iQuotes free by Danile Perez has beautiful backgrounds and lovely quote selections, but they are often extremely difficult to read, which distresses me and makes me squint. It also makes me angry whenever I try to read the quotes and have to squint to do so. Squinting makes wrinkles. ‘Nuff said.

iQuote by Gihad Chibb ($1.99) offers over 10,000 quotes on a beautiful, easy-to-read interface, the option to read by category and author… and ability to add your own quotes. SCORE! You can also save your favorites and email quotes and rank your quotes.

Reduce the amount of energy you are using by monitoring it. Studies prove that people who keep tabs on their electric meters, tend to use less. Monitor yours with MeterRead (TM) by Mark E.Barton. (This is a free app until Tuesday – then it will be $2.99)

Reuse stuff you no longer want by giving it to others who need it with Local Reuse by Manifest Interactive. Get stuff you need (for free) from your neighbors. This is a great “freecycle” type concept for the iPhone with a nice interface. Unfortunately, it’s not in use in my area, so the screen is always blank on offers. (Maybe I should go ahead and clean out the storage building!) Free, of course!

Recycle – quick, fingertip-access to what kind of plastics can be included in your recycling bin with free app Recycler by Siavash Ghamaty.

Other apps for you to consider:

• Go Vegan with an easy-to-start assortment of Vegan Recipes on your iPhone using the VeganYumYum Mobile by VeganYumYum. It’s free (and it has great photos!)
• Avoid foods with nasty additives with Food Additives by Andrew Middleweek for $3.99.
• Find safe, healthy and green products to make better, more earthfriendly using GoodGuide by GoodGuide, Inc. (Free!)

Podcasts to consider:

• NewlyGreens by Kaisen Productions “provides tips and strategies for sustainable living.”
• Green is Universal Vodcast by NBC Chicago
• Green Air by CBS News – “Offering the latest environmental cultural and consumer tips on going green.”

So go forward and step lightly with that carbon footprint. Enjoy!

(photo courtesy of Alvimann of morguefile.com)

While recovering from a case of the creeping-crud, I’ve spent many hours over at the apps store catching up on what’s new and cool. I’m not BEING very productive lately, so I’m researching productivity (and other) apps. (Hey, at least I’m accomplishing something!)

In particular, I was looking for:

• a better way to handle my to-do lists
• a way to maintain standard packing lists
• a quick-launching notes program
• a running diary for those “when did I do that?” queries
• a grocery shopping list-maker
• a way to do my @ lists (loosely based on GTD philosophy — VERY loosely)

I found one of the most incredible database programs to date for the iPhone. It’s called iDB Datamaster Pro (there’s a free version and a lite version, but I wanted a limitation-free option). It was developed by Evince Technologies, Inc specifically for the iPhone and is not a port or a re-write of another program.

It literally replaced half a screenful of other apps on my homepage — and we all know how precious that space is!

The layout is good and the templates (which I hope will continue to expand) handle most of what I’ve needed so far. I like the integration with the native apps which permits one-tap phone calls and web site launches from within the databases.

The best features?

1. A powerful search across ALL the databases. (Really nice!)

2. The ability to “pause” the database and return to the exact same place next time the app is launched saves taps and frustration. (Small feature, huge impact on usability.) It even has time-stamped logs for locating what was done when.

3. I particularly like the fact that I can backup the databases to my own computer in CSV format — but need to play with this a bit more to learn how to backup and restore effectively.

It’s a little more expensive than the standard .99-4.99 apps, coming in at 12.99 for the pro version, but it’s worth every penny, IMHO. I’ll review a few more of my best finds over the next few days, including writer’s tools for the iPhone and (hopefully) a decent replacement for some of the standard apps (like calendar).

In the meantime, go download the free version of this DB app and give it a try. I think you will like it as much as I do.

Ok, I’m loving the way the platform for the iPhone is constantly expanding. Holding up the device to a radio and using an app (Shazam) to identify the song, artist and offer the ability to buy that song… well that’s just cool. It works pretty well, I had it on my iPhone for awhile.

(I took it off to make room for more apps I wanted to test. I don’t really NEED to know a song that often, but it’s cool to have when I do.)

Being able to scan a barcode and look up the product online, complete with price comparisons to get the best deal… that’s a great concept as well (It’s on my list of apps to try, but I’ve not done this one yet — I’ve heard it still needs a bit of work). I’ll wait for the next version.

One that I did recently download (a paid app) that is uber cool is called the Ocarina by smule. This has GOT to be one of the coolest expansions of the different parts of this device for a completely new purpose.

The mic is used as a “reed” to blow into in order to play the instrument. The touch screen offers combinations of four virtual “buttons” to make a multitude of tones and sounds. And if having a little instrument in your pocket isn’t cool enough… they’ve also taken the social networking aspect to a new level by broadcasting (with your permission, of course) the music of all players all over the world.

So you can watch on a globe of the earth as someone far away struggles with those beginning chords of amazing grace, or triumphs over the final chords of Greensleeves. If you get tired of listening to one new-iphone-age artist, you can hit the next button and the globe spins and picks up another player somewhere else in the world.  Hit the heart emblem to give props to those you like — everyone has their own username.

Yeah, I know that the iPhone has had mini-piano programs (I got the free one to play) and drums and guitars, and some that are a whole band in your pocket… but this is different. This is something completely new.

It’s an instrument FOR the iPhone and it’s worth the 99 cents just to play with the expansion on this smartphone’s overall concept and what it can do. Very cool. Try it.

I hope that an expanded play list will be added to this great new resource for those iPhones and iPod Touch models availing themselves of the use of a wi-fi connection.

Hollywood Pocket is a website offering Quicktime movies that download and play beautifully straight from the website. The selection is rather small now, but I hope it will grow.

This resource is a great example of what could be done with the the wi-fi access of these pocket devices. Since I get most of my television shows from the Internet these days (through Hulu usually or straight from the TV websites), I’d love to see iPhone-friendly layouts for those.

Wouldn’t it be great to be able to cruise to the latest episode of Bones or Life or Gossip Girl (yeah I watch it, so sue me), or a dozen other great options — all on my iPhone?

If the idea is to increase viewership, I’d hope that one of the executives realizes that there are some of us who would not only use the service, but would wax poetic about it if it were available.

In the meantime, check out Hollywood Pocket and see what (I hope) the future will hold.

My disappointment that Wowio went from a free to a paid model a few months ago has now been replaced with awe that there’s an iPhone optimized version. Why?

Because all the content is still available to be read online. You can use wifi, 3G or Edge — and now the whole library is available from wherever. How nice. View yours here: http://www.wowio.com/iphone-wowio.asp

The comic books are particularly pretty on the iphone screen (check out the Grimm’s Fairytales).

You will be required to register to gain access to the free content, but it’s worth the effort. I’d love to see an app for this, so the settings are stored and so I could have access to some of the content when I don’t have a connection.

Is anyone at Wowio listening?

A whole little Village of Sims on my iPhone!

I’ve been looking and looking at the apps store for JUST what I found last night…

Tiny little sims for my iPhone. Life is almost complete, now.

This appears to be made by the same company who created the earlier, more rudimentary version for my formerly beloved Treo (called Village Sims). The company that created both the older rendition and this new “Virtual Villagers: A New Home” is Last Day of Work. But, in the apps store, the seller is listed as Vivendi Games Mobile, (but it is copyrighted by Big Fish Games of LDW fame.)

When I ordered from LDW before, the customer service was amazing. I really like them as a company.

With this app going through Apple’s app store, I’m not sure how much direct contact I’ll have with the developers — if LDW is in fact the creator of this port. (I may have to drop them a line to inquire and then thank them for creating these cute little guys for my iPhone.)

Coolest new feature? The mini-games you can play to speed up the progress of the itty-bitty people learning new skills.

Biggest frustration? Grabbing them isn’t easy. I have to try multiple times to tap successfully to pick them up and move them where I want them to be. (Hoping this will be fixed in the next update.)

So, if you have been jonesing for some little sims for your iPhone, your wish is granted. And, it’s just one more way iPhone rules the smartphone/gaming/communication realm.

Not that I’m biased, or anything.

(note: Photo taken using the built-in screenshot tool on my iPhone – just hold down the home button and briefly tap the top button. The screenshot will be added to your camera roll automagically!)

I try to keep on top of the iPhone apps store. It’s like an addiction… maybe an affliction. But, the very least I can do is share the cool stuff I’ve found. Right?

My favorite aspect of the iPhone is how much of the cool stuff I love, use, need and want can be put in one pocket-sized place. Of course, that’s probably why I had a dream the other night that my iPhone exploded. Don’t get all Freudian on me… I don’t know why. All I remember (from the dream) is that I was all panicky about how I’d replace it — since I don’t want the new 3G. (My 1st generation iPhone is cheaper on my data plan, has SMS messages included, and my area doesn’t have the 3G coverage — so I’d be paying more for less.)

Now, back to the cool stuff I’ve found…

Say Who – A voice dialing app that simply works. Warning: You do need to enunciate and be sure you pause between each word. Run-on commands don’t work very well. You can set it to auto-dial the number or wait for your approval. Free.

Fifteeen – a fifteen square puzzle that’s free. I know it’s not horribly high-tech, but this is one of my all time favorite games (I even have the old classic metal version around here somewhere.) Now, I can always have it with me.

Air Mouse – I can now use my wifi to control my computer from … you guessed it… my iPhone. This one is a WAY cool app. I don’t like the air mouse feature as much as the air “touch pad” feature. The touch pad is easier to handle on the iphone and is amazingly responsive.

Ah.. Moemory Lite – Beautiful graphics on this free flip-card style memory game.

Easy Relax – I like this one better than the paid Ambiance “sound machine” that I purchased a few weeks ago. I can mix my own “white noise” sounds and set them to play for a specified time. My personal rain mix has already helped to calm my monkey-mind enough to drift off to sleep. Free.

iBowl – This is a wii-style bowling game. Price is right (free), and it’s fun. I did remove this from my iPhone fairly quickly simply because I’m afraid that I’m going to fling my iPhone across the room playing it. Please see above reference to exploding iPhone dream.

iDicto – Best dictation recorder for the iPhone I’ve seen to date. Easy to use, intuitive, cool graphics. Only issue is that this free app is now marked with a banner stating “free trial” which makes me raise an eyebrow. I’m hoping that I’ve not downloaded an expiring “bait and switch” app. I hate that stuff.

If Found Please – An easy, quick way to add a “call if found” number to your iPhone wallpaper. I made mine and then immediately removed the app. The resulting wallpaper is stored in your photo gallery on the iPhone, making it uber-easy to set up and use. Free.

Contacts Fast Add – Don’t fumble around trying to quickly add the basic info on a new contact. Use this little gem to avoid the “going to the phone app, then realizing that I need to be in contacts to edit and add” conundrum. I keep this little baby on my first screen, always at the ready. Free.

i.TV – This is a feature-rich and beautifully executed app to show you what’s playing when in your area (and on what channel). I’m not much into television myself, but I like this app and found it for my father to use on his phone because it shows “airwaves” TV information as well as cable. It’s a great way for him to set his TiVo and determine which talking-heads show he most wants to watch. Free.

I “heart” Radio – Cool way to get radio talk shows on your iphone. Helps balance out my Pandora app, my iPod functionality and my podcasts. I like having options. Free.

Around Me – I use this little app more that I’d ever thought I would. It’s a great way to locate nearby businesses, hospitals, coffee shops, etc. With just a couple taps, I can call local-to-me businesses to get the information I need. It is quicker and easier than using the yellowpages app and will also give me a map and directions on how to get there. Nice. Free.

Fring – a great little all-in-one for IM and Skype (including the ability to place Skype Out calls when you are in range of a strong WiFi signal). Using the iPhone with Skype was something I was seeking before I found this. It’s nice to have. Hint: Use the + sign (hold down the zero to access it) and a 1 before adding your numbers for Skype Out, or it won’t work. Free.

Go to iTunes and look each of these up by name to learn more… or (if you have your iPhone handy), just go directly to the apps store and download them from there.

iPhone to Thunderbird Sync Client.

I’ve not tried this one myself, since I use Google Apps now, but it looks like someone found an easier way to make this happen than what I’ve seen to date.

Check out the full info page here:

Sync your Thunderbird to your iPhone.

Until recently, I found it exhausting to juggle all the online “faces” of me. The social networking thing was just completely out of control. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been evaluating where I spend my online time (socially speaking) and where I enjoy being the most.

I wanted to do the 80/20 thing on social networking (the same way I’ve tried to apply it to other portions of my life). What I didn’t expect was to get all tied up with a massive time-suck while doing so. But, stuff happens.

It all started when I rediscovered Tumblr…

My Tumblr Experience

I’ve had a Tumblr account for forever, but it was just sitting there… like so many of my social identities. Recently, I wondered if I could use it as the “go to” place for all my online snippets and info. My experiment has become my own little monster. It sucked up alot of my time for a few weeks. I was always tweaking the layout, getting my own URL, trying new ways to get the information up there quickly and easily.

I fell in love! It’s so easy to post, so quick, and with a sidebar RSS here on WB, it makes my updates insta-matic!

I’m not willing to go with ONLY a Tumblr Blog — although the thought has been tempting. Using it really brought me into the “soundbite” era — and I now appreciate media catering to the “television-commercial-length-attention-span” I once despised. Gone are the overwhelming urges for long, verbose blog posts. (I’d rather just grab something interesting (or bizarre) that I find and slap it up on my Tumblr.)

Blogging on the Fly: No — REALLY!

Having a shortcut on my Firefox browser makes it easy to grab my online finds and share the golden ones. (If you want something to get ALL your social networking options in one place, try Sharaholic.) I also purchased Tumblrette for my iPhone (for $1.99) and find that having a quick and easy way to post when I’m out (including quick snapshots from my iPhone’s camera) makes me use the Tumblr blog much more often. It’s probably the best 1.99 I’ve ever spent at the apps store.

Tweaking it so my Twitters are automatically included, and so my blogs here on WB are also auto-magically added (along with other social networking automatic updates) has resulted in Tumblr becoming my personal online mashup.

I know that when I get time, I’ll be tweaking it more. I’d like to (eventually) host it myself — I’m not even sure if that’s possible yet. The brief research I’ve done hasn’t turned up any simple methods to accomplish this. In the meantime, visit my ever-evolving tumble log over at angelaallenparker.com.

And if you are just starting to blog… it’s a great “leg up” on the process. Tumblr makes blogging really fun. And it’s low-maintenance and it’s multi-format friendly. It’s a great way to create your own online “mashup” and can even be used to organize research and online finds (if you use your tags intelligently).

Now, I’ve “whittled down” my online time Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts and I don’t spend much time on them anymore. The others are there, and I add them to my profiles, but I don’t really spend time with them. (I can’t… all my extra time is spent on my Tumblr!)

There are many things that the iPhone is, but there were a few nagging things that the iPhone wasn’t. This holiday weekend, while helping my father set up his iPhone, I found a few of the missing pieces.

First and foremost is a decent and FREE ebook reader. I wanted one that would permit me to read the classics AND my own library of ebooks. Enter the winner…

Stanza – you can pick it up in the apps store and you can go to Lexcycle.com and download a desktop version for your PC or Mac. It even handles Kindle formats! I’ll be playing with it more later, but I wanted to share it with any of my readers who have been seeking a quality ebook reader.

Pages turn with a tap in either direction (or a finger-swipe) and you can adjust the size of the font without being required to scroll left to right on the iphone to read the lines. It breaks them for you automatically.

It’s a sweet little app that allows you to download free books from a sizable online library when you are out and you can personalize the contents on your iPhone by adding your own if you pre-plan enough to load them up before leaving home.

And did I mention it was free?!?!

YOUR ebook library now showing on your iPhone

Sending Instant Messages on the iPhone

Another missing piece was a good multi-platform IM manager. Enter Palringo – Vocal Instant Messaging.

Granted, the lack of background apps on the iPhone are a pain for this type of “always on” platform — but I’m just happy to have a non-web-based app with which to shoot off a quick note to my clients/peers/family. I tried a couple of the earlier attempts, and found them sadly lacking. This one seems to be solid, responsive and pretty as well. I’m still playing with all the options.

Taking Notes on the iPhone

I’m less than impressed with the notepad that Apple ships with the iPhone. It takes forever to find and load my old data (and it’s not that I have tons of pages, I only have two or three entries at any time). I wanted a note taking app that would take my info in whatever format I wanted to use — typing, scribbling, voice, whatever.

Wishes do come true… YouNote (in the Apps Store) gives me exactly what I need. I only wish I could get these out of my iPhone and onto my desktop or sync them with a web app so I could use them on my Mac too. I’m just now discovering this little app, but I’m already in love. The drawing feature using a fat finger, produces an impressive thin, responsive line. Bravo!

More Cowbell… errr… Games!

As far as games go, I’ve discovered a few cool ones this weekend as well. Check them out by name at the apps store:

• Hanoi – great ancient (classic) puzzle. Free.
• Asphalt4 – Not free, but worth the bucks (and I have NEVER liked driving games). I just wish the iPhone was actually the steering wheel, that would be even cooler.
• reMovem free – This one is terribly addicting. Pop all the bubbles to clear the board. Curse when you get down to one lone bubble. Rinse. Repeat.

Enjoy!

I have been listening to Garrison Keillor’s The Writer’s Almanac Podcast for over a year now, but I’ve never shared that information. I find that when I’m looking for some “writerly” inspiration, it’s a perfect springboard.

The podcast is only a few minutes long – I keep about 6 months worth on my iPhone at all times. It’s not a daily offering, but it’s close to daily. It usually gives a couple of fantastic quotes, a biography of a writer and sometimes even a short poem.

If you would like something interesting to listen to on your way to work, or when standing in line waiting, check it out on iTunes. It’s supported through brief advertising statements at the beginning/end and is brought to us by American Public Media. (You can also subscribe to the RSS feed by visiting The Writer’s Almanac Website.)

Worthwhile way to spend a few minutes each day.

Well, after buying a bunch of cool apps night before last, I’ve essentially decommissioned my iPhone. Not only does this “upgrade” make all my applications crash seconds after they attempt to launch…

I no longer have music, videos or audiobooks on my iphone! Yesterday and today (despite an all-night synch attempt) I have been stuck with an iPhone that is JUST a phone. I’m hating this, and according to reports online, it will be sometime in September before this is fixed.

If anyone knows of a place to download iTunes 7.7 for Mac OSX (or if anyone has their old copy of 7.7 still hanging around), please let me know. I’m desperate!

I had such high hopes for Apple’s “cloud.” I believed (I really did) that it would be the answer to my mobile dreams. For years I’ve searched for a way to get what I need quickly and easily from anywhere. I’ve tried sync programs, I’ve tried web apps. I’ve used a laptop, a Treo (or two or three), a Tablet PC, and now an iPhone.

I’m so in love with my iPhone, I just assumed MobileMe would be another fantastic product from the mind of Apple. I’m glad Newton wasn’t under the tree when this Apple product fell. History may have been quite different.

I don’t want to use Outlook and although I’ve been seriously considering buying an iMac, I’ve not done so yet (despite the rather suspicious “second chance” offer on that one eBay iMac that I nearly won). Mobile Me won’t let me upload my information from Google. Nope, I can’t upload my calendar, not even in iCal format. I have to Sync it. That means I’d have to either load up Outlook on my computer again (ain’t happenin’) or hand enter all the calendar items (that’s probably not going to happen either.)

I love Gmail as a “cloud” app — the search ability is obviously without competition, the spam filters and the ability to avoid viruses and not have to maintain alot of extra CPU-devouring programs on my system is made possible by Gmail. I adore using Gmail with only a few caveats (notably the “sent of behalf of” addressee information) and I think using Google Apps may address those. I’ll know soon.

I want to keep Gmail. Does the Apple email program have the same quality of spam filtering, virus protection and search? Doubt it.

But I can’t upload my email to MobileMe from Gmail either. If there’s a way, it’s some convoluted backward, third-party app sort of methodology. I’m no longer interested in finding a difficult way to get things done. Nor am I willing to change the way I do business to facilitate the use of certain technology. I’ve done that for years. It’s over.

So, the simplicity that is the beauty of the iPhone is completely lost on MobileMe. Suddenly I don’t really want to be “mobile-me” I think I want to be “mobile-somebody-else” — somebody who has an easier way to make the cloud, the iPhone, and the computer play nicely.

Aside from the lack of functionality it’s SLOOOOOWWWW. I mean creeping. Like molasses in January… outside… during a particularly cold snap… in Vermont. It’s THAT slow. And, it throws errors after making you wait.

I’m going to give it a full 30 days out of my 60 day trial period before making a final decision. I hope I’ll be eating crow… Maybe there will be enough of an uproar from people like me that they will add some real-world functionality to the product… but somehow I doubt it.

I had hoped MobileMe would be my “IT” app. It isn’t.

This little physics-based puzzle game is amazing. See for yourself:

AquaForest Game for iPhone

Now, you go buy it too. My daughter loves it so much, I may have to send her to bed early on a Friday night, just to get it back so I can play.

I’m loving the new iPhone apps. I love that many of the best ones are free.

Freebies Worth Gold

Pandora - Now I can have my Pandora tunes in my pocket! I only wish I could have them playing in the background while I did other things, like I can with the tunes on my iPhone through iTunes. If you already have an account at Pandora.com, it takes seconds to connect and start enjoying.

Morocco – Because I love “reversi” games and can’t get enough of having a computer kick my butt.

Picocalc – I use this tiny program as a way to keep a running balance on my checking account. No muss, no fuss — I always know where I am.

Light – Although there’s a paid version of this, this freebie is better. I use my iPhone’s considerable backlighting power to “light my way” quite often, and this tiny app makes it easier — I no longer have to find a screen that’s bright to use, this one is an all-white screen. You will be amazed HOW bright this thing is.

Shazam - A music identification tool that actually works. Hold it up to the speaker when a song is playing and it gives you the complete stats (artist, song, album, etc.) along with the option to buy it on iTunes.

eBay - bidding from the iPhone on the day’s “must have” items just got simple… maybe too simple! I’ll probably go broke!

Twitterriffic - An easy way to twitter on the go. Beautiful interface. It’s like having twhirl in my pocket. Driving has never been so dangerous! A paid version is available that will remove the ads. I’m ok with free for now. (Tried another Twitter client, but it kept throwing errors.)

Puluwai – A real estate tool that should capture the attention of all real estate agents. I tested it on some of the most rural areas of Kentucky with great results. Love this thing!

Weight Tracker – An easy way to face the horrible truth, right there on your iPhone… EVERY TIME YOU TURN IT ON! Has online sync and standalone options. I’ll keep my info to myself, thank you.

Zenbe - nice little “to do” list app that’s free, and (supposedly) works with the Zenbe.com website. After syncing my iphone, I don’t see my to do lists on Zenbe.com yet… but maybe that’s something they are still working out. After all, it’s just been released. Even as a stand alone, it’s a nice list app.

Spinner - Infuriating game that promises to become addictive. Uses the iPhone as the controller, twisting and turning it to get the arrow to the goal location.

Cube Runner - Another infuriation masquerading as a game. But, I like the abuse.

Blip Solitaire - great for the old computer folks who remember playing pong. It’s like lonely-girl pong. I like it, but my fingers seem to get in the way of seeing where the blip is when I whirl it 360 degrees.

Rotary Dialer - Cool little app. Fun, if useless. Allows you to low-tech your high-tech iPhone into a standard rotary phone. Animations are nice and the touch screen lends itself well to this use.

Molecules – this will be a cool app when Alex gets to that section of her science studies. Allows the 3-D virtual manipulation of a string of dna. (At least I THINK it’s DNA!) Offers a great view of what’s possible with 3-D rendering for this device.

iPint - because it’s funny and amuses me. I don’t even like beer, but the idea of “drinking” it from an iPhone is something I find cool, for some reason. It’s a free version of the iBeer and the iMilk type applications. Why pay for novelty if you can get it for free?

NYT - Nice way to peruse the headlines in the NYT quickly on my iPhone — and the ability to read the whole story with a single tap. Ad block at the bottom isn’t too bad. Is worth it to get this info for free.

Am still playing with “Pocketpedia” and “Mobile News” and “PayPal” and “Facebook” apps. No determination on those yet.

I’m going to be playing with “Where” and “VoiceNotes” and “TruPhone” and “eReader” programs over the next few days.

Purchases:

I purchased a few things too. I must say that Monkeyball makes me crazy. I can’t seem to manipulate that marble anywhere I try. I will never get past the second level. Ever. I think I hate it… but if I ever get any good at it, my attitude may change. The graphics are quite impressive.

FuelGauge- Helping me to keep up with gas mileage (with an eye toward conservation) on both my car and my moped. Simple easy to use interface that simply works. (.99 pricetag)

VoiceRecorder – May be helpful, but it’s awfully low, even with my mouth right next to the iPhone. Since buying this, I’ve found several other apps with this as one of the features, so it may not last on my iPhone.

iGotchi is a cute Tamagotchi immulation (and cheaper than the physical version), but it does take the “parenting” of the little thing seriously. If you get five warnings for neglect, your little fluffy-fuzzy guy goes away and you have to EMAIL the company and explain why you should have another chance to do better before it’s returned. Not sure about that! (But if my daughter had an iPhone, I’d think this would be a great way to pre-test prior to an actual pet!) My daughter is NOT getting an iPhone, however.

I love iFrogz cases… love them so much that I’ve purchased them for myself and for other members of my family. My daughter loves her purple metal one. I only wish I’d been able to do so while they were on sale like this!

If you haven’t checked them out, visit iFrogz today for some of the coolest silicone and leather cases around. You can also find the metrobag (gee, I just LOVE bags) and some other accessories, like an uber-small (and bright green) compact speaker (it looks like a tiny yo-yo) that will work on any MP3 player you may have. And 40% off is always nice (but it only lasts until Wednesday).

Negotiations, reported by the WSJ today, may make it possible to digitally “rent” FOX movies for play on your iPod for a limited period of time.

I, for one, could really go for something like that (if the price is right). It would save me the trouble of going out to rent a movie and would give me immediate gratification when I did find a title I wanted to see. Instant gratification is nice, isn’t it?

And, it would let me “stock up” on things to watch on my iPhone right before a trip.

I like! To learn more, read the Wall Street Journal Article on iPod movie rentals.