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.

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 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.

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).

A recent NYT article chronicles the stress of being a full-time blogger, entrepreneur and participant in the Internet information industry. So, after staying up until nearly 3 a.m. last night working on my “new look” for WickedBlog — with proper validation, a new layout and a WordPress update (that I did all by my lonesome!)… I have to wonder if I’m not part of this craziness.

I’ve noticed the weight gain, the failure to eat properly and the lack of exercise — especially lately. But I keep telling myself that my life will calm down soon, that it will get better, that I’m “investing” in my future. I’m serving clients, dealing with children and family issues, maintaining my websites, blogging and doing constant research.

Hmm… maybe I’m merely continuing my life-long habit of “burning-the-candle-at-both-ends” and I’m just CALLING it something new. Food for thought. Definitely!

I was reading about the latest type of mobile processor by Intel today and the writer, a Brian Caulfiled, wrote one of the funniest comparisons I’ve seen in awhile:

“An atom-powered device sounds powerful, even if one might hesitate to crack it open. By contrast, the Celeron sounded like a speedy vegetable.”

It’s been a long day, and maybe I’m just punchy, but I loved it!

(Note: Mr. Celery photo from BlueRocks.com.)

Ok, this one is a new concept in my tiny house experience. How would you like a fold-up house that is only 8 foot across during transport, but rather spacious when it’s set up?

It only takes a couple hours to go from transport stage to fully habitable in this “habitaflex house”

Be sure to check out the sizes and the floorplans on this customizable folding housing/working/office unit. When folded out, the houses range from 18×22 to 34×22 ft. Amazing design!

Ok, today I made the decision that I was going to sell Serenity, my Airstream trailer. My dream was always to have an Airstream Bambi, and pull it with a 4-WD small to medium sized vehicle. I purchased a larger RV because my former spouse refused to consider a Bambi as a real travel option. Now, I’m going to look for a smaller option to avoid buying one of those uber-large trucks to pull the RV. I’d rather not. I have a little Honda scooter, and I’d like to have a bambi with a bike rack to hold it and pull it with a Jeep or an old Land Rover. But I digress…

Tonight, I was over on eBay preparing to list my Airstream when I started looking around (I have a bad case of the can’t-help-its when it comes to such things) and I found the following listing: (more…)

I love the concept of a roll-up computer the size of a largish dinner napkin. Don’t you?

The design (and it is a design concept only, btw) is like a latex tablet pc that’s uber-thin. Kinda cool.

I’ve been following the LiveScribe Pen product since it was announced several months ago, and it occurs to me that this would be a great way for real estate agents to record meetings (and take notes) with both buyers and sellers.

How cool would it be to tap on your notes to “replay” the list of features that a potential buyer wants (when you didn’t quite have time to jot them all down?)

Personally, I’d love a way to hook this into a phone so I could take notes while consulting with a client and have the conversation “searchable” when I’m reviewing notes and completing tasks (with the client’s permission of course).

The chat-boards are already talking about my ideal paper solution — a Moleskin pocket sized notebook with the dot-pattern. Now THAT would be an awesome portable solution for this pen-and-paper loving tech-geek!

If you have a FaceBook account and want a chance at winning a pen — before they are available for sale, join the LiveScribe group. (Find out how here.) They go on sale at the end of this month.

(I’m getting a technology itch again, dang it!)

I’ve struggled for years to find the perfect accounting solution. I saw a T-shirt the other day that capsulizes my love of math. It read: “English Major - YOU do the math.” It fits.

Can I do it? Sure. I can do lots of stupid stuff… like plucking the hairs off my legs rather than shaving them. Or like calculus for example. Been there, done that. But it’s not my favorite activity. Calculus is tied with root canals on my extensive list of things I enjoy in life — albeit these two contenders are rather LOW on that list. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should — and it doesn’t mean you want to.

At my age, I’d prefer if my math were simple and my books were even more so.

While looking around for easy invoicing options, I found a few solutions that may be of interest to others who are trying to do the same or others who are tired of required updates from Quickbooks, battling with Peachtree or trying to figure out Microsoft Small Business Accounting or the Linux baby: GnuCash.

Maybe you just want an easier way to send and track time and invoices. Or maybe you don’t want to be tied to a particular computer or geographic location. In any of these cases, you may want to check into these online invoicing options: (more…)

I was sent a great article today on the problems encountered by the development of multi-core processing chips (thanks, Pops!).

If you are interested in learning more about chips that are “smarter” and do more for you, if you are intrigued by the idea of hand-held mobile units that don’t need traditional keyboard and mouse inputs (think voice commands!) and processors that are “all in one” devices for computing, graphics and higher end functions — then you should read the article too.

It also points to the unveiling of a new set of programming niches for those script artists looking for a brave new place to call home. New York Times article on multi-core chips. 

I just tripped across the latest in a series of ebook reader devices. This Kindle ebook reader from Amazon seems to be a bit more thoughtfully designed than previous incarnations from other manufacturers. For instance, I like the wireless (and free) access to download ebooks and periodicals, to look up things in the Oxford English Dictionary online, and to view the world of Wikipedia without cell phone charges from any location. (more…)

I finally made the switch from my paid password manager program, eWallet (which I loved, but which doesn’t offer a Linux version), to a nice freebie program, which I find quite palatable.

I keep up with far too many username/password combinations, logons and critical (but sensitive) information in my work-a-day world to try to remember them all. Unlike many people, I don’t keep all passwords the same — that’s too risky.

Granted, I had to copy all the information from the old program to the new one (which was a royal pain and took me a couple hours), but now I have all my information on a new program that will work on Windows, Linux, or even on a flash drive! (more…)

I’ve been reading quite a bit lately about how to make sure websites are mobile-friendly and, in particular, how to make them iPhone friendly.

Sure, there are lots of mobile devices out there (and I’ve owned quite a few myself) but none have the kind of market saturation that is expected for the iPhone. So, as a website owner, I’m interested in how to make my sites more iPhone friendly and will encourage my clients to do the same for their sites.

If you want to read more on this topic for your own site, consider the following resources: (more…)