Smartphones, Apps and iStuff (iPhones etc)

[gregf]

A few months after getting an iPhone, I am very happy with it.

The latest "app" (as an iPhone program is called), that I have is called "Bloom".
It is co-authored by Brian Eno, the god of Ambient music.

It is an audio-visual ambient musical instrument.
You touch the screen to make notes which repeat in a loop.

http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2008/ ... -software/

No experience required but a little musical ability helps.
And it is getting rave reviews.
Very relaxing.

[meiakitty]

A few months after getting an iPhone, I am very happy with it.

The latest "app" (as an iPhone program is called), that I have is called "Bloom".
It is co-authored by Brian Eno, the god of Ambient music.

It is an audio-visual ambient musical instrument.
You touch the screen to make notes which repeat in a loop.

http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2008/ ... -software/

No experience required but a little musical ability helps.
And it is getting rave reviews.
Very relaxing.

Is it free? I own an iphone too...if there's enough of us "iphone users" maybe we should open a thread to suggest each other good apps...thanks for that suggestion, I'll go take a look at it.

[gregf]

Hi meiakitty.

Glad to know another iPhone user here.

Not free. I think it was $5.

maybe we should open a thread to suggest each other good apps.

Love this idea. My friend with an iPhone tells me, in the office when you see a little huddle
of people together, they are comparing iPhone apps. It really is a bit of fun.

The best tip i can give is this one : http://www.nuevasync.com/

I use Google calendar. It's great for organising my life especially as my memory is poor now.
You can use Safari to see it but it is not great. And it cannot be linked to your iPhone calender app.
Calendar app talks Microsoft Exchange protocol to link to corporat servers.

What the folk at Nuevasync have done is genius. Their software sits in between, polls your
google calendar and sends it to your iPhone in MS exchange format. And it syncs both ways.
So your appointments made on Google calendar show on your native iPhone cal app. And
appointments you make on the phone get synced to your Google Calendar.

Not only that but it syncs Google contacts as well to your phone, again both ways.

Not only that, it's free.

Dont worry about your google login password. That is not given to neuvasync. They use
a clever google system that keeps your password safe.

[meiakitty]

Thanks for that Greg!
So far I've only downloaded a few games:
BiiBall 3D Lite (Free) the game that uses the accelerometer, I just wanted to see how it was.
Bubble Bash (Paid) it's really nice and worth the money. Unlock different island by popping different levels of bubbles.
Diner Dash (Paid, currently 50%off) it's a game I had on my laptop and I was addicted to it, now it's great that I have it on my iphone as well. You own a restaurant and you have to serve people and make them happy. Your goal is to open up as many successful restaurants.
Because of the holidays I downloaded iXmas Tree (Free) and application that allows you to decorate a Christmas tree with twinkling lights, candy canes and more. It also play a Christmas carol as you work on the tree.
I'm going to download the one you suggested, it sounds very easy to use. Thanks!

[gregf]

A +3 months iPhone review.

After 3 months I am surprised at the iPhone.
I thought it would keep me amused for a few days or weeks.
But at 3 months, I am still "playing" with it and having fun.

It is one of those purchases that makes you very happy.
Best toy in 20 years.

Pros+cons.
I know some are wary of the keyboard being on screen.
In the first few days, i thought I would need a stylus.
But then your skill picks up and you get much better at typing with less mistakes.
Downloading a game (I love minesweeper), helps pick up you keyboard skills.
So after you get used to it, it is not a problem.

The spell checker is annoying. It will probably be fixed soon or they give us
an option to turn it off.

I know some like the choice of software for other phones.
My rough count last night was about 2500 programs in "App Store".
If you can imagine it, there is an app for it.

Glen mentioned dropping it. And this is a valid concern.
You do have to be conscious of treating it carefully.

But I just _love_ the large touch screen. When you use this,
you realise every other phone is obsolete.

I did have to fiddle on day 1 with getting my WiFi connection working.
But most figure it out. Can advise.

Apps review.

Each button on the screen is a little program called an "app".
Because you can download so many apps, it is more like a
new computer platform than a phone.

Music : Brian Eno's Bloom musical instrument app is great. I also love
the internet radio app from NullRiver. Be carefull of data usage.

Productivity : Having poor memory I need memory helpers.
Setting up Nuavasync as described above, was brilliant. It connects
Google calendar and contacts to the native iPhone calendar and contacts.
(Will help people who want to try this (Nuevasync account set up)).
I also like Zenbe Lists. Free and a great way to organise to do lists.

Games : I am not into console games. I downloaded "Crash Bandicoot".
Many seem to love it, but I found it noisy and flashy and uncontrollable.
I may try the motorbike game.

Email :
.. is simply brilliant. Bear in mind that Google gives you full IMAP access for free now.
So you iPhone is synchronised with your main email. Sent, Trash, Drafts etc.
For me, email is like SMS conversations only free.
(Will help people who want to do this (IMAP Gmail to the iPhone)).

I also use :
"FitPhone" for tracking my gym workouts.
IPedia : A front end to Wikipedia.
Shazam : Hold your iPhone to any music being played and it identifies it for you.
Bloomberg : For monitoring stocks. (Been avoiding lately).
Koi Pond. A visual pond with interactive Koi fish. Beautiful but you tire of it.
Ebay : Used this to buy a PSB CD. No more getting out of bed at 4am in Winter to bid.
ElectionMap : tracked polling before US election and counting on the day.
WiFiFoFum : A great WiFi testing utility.
SydTraffic : Links to the Sydney traffic cameras, so you can see traffic conditions.

Besides this you have a brilliant visual iPod.
And the standard apps, YouTube, Google Maps, Weather, Clock, Calculator etc.
No regrets at all.

[Vince]

a friend's got it here.. i love that music app where you can play a song to it, or sing or whistle to it, and it'll find the song!!! (Shazam was it?)

[gregf]

Yep Shazam.

You hold it to the source for 10 seconds, the phone vibrates and uploads
the sample to their server. Straight away it comes back with the info on
the song, artist, album and a link to buy it in iTunes.
And A link to the song on YouTube, which you watch from the iPhone.

And its a freebie.

[Pet Shop Girl]

I am an iphone owner too, the phone is really cool thing to have.

[Postscript]

Wow, sounds very cool. Wish I had an iPhone..

[gregf]

iPhone software version 2.2 is out.

Some improvements to Google maps,

but most important,

there is now a setting to turn off the annoying auto-spell/correction "feature".

[Deschanel]

Auto-spell/fill isn't that annoying, to me- it 's usually pretty correct and saves me typing time, esp. for common words. I just installed 2.2 today. I like that Safari has Google built in, I'd had it as a separate icon. Google Earth is pretty cool on iPhone as well.

Ps. Greg, love your Germaine Greer quote. Fierce independent mind, fierce Aussie, that one. I admire her greatly.

[gregf]

The auto-spell annoyed many. I think it depends on what sort of typist you are.

Because I don't see well, when I make typos, they get acpected into the dishionary.
These thn starred gettin auto sujjested bak, and if you dunt wash carefully, insertd enta Tex.

And you cant turn it off. Arrghh.

GG used that line in a political chat show here this year on an interjecting fellow panellist.
Not only shuts up the opponent while they figure it out,
but it compels them to raise their own standard of debate.

[meiakitty]

I'm not as clever as Greg, I download lame apps, but they're fun to me.
Just downloaded Santa Live 3D...basically they send u a video update on what Santa Claus is doing everyday and then the videos start to be more frequent on Xmas Eve...great if u have kids or if there's a kid in you
Monday I'm going to Paris and I don't speak French...so I got Talking French Phrases: it has the essentials and it pronounces the phrases for you, so if u find yourself in a bit of a pickle, you can always have your iphone "speak" for you


I love my iphone, there is only one thing I miss...being able to send a MMS...

[gregf]

A note about internet radio apps.

Some time ago, I bought the NullRiver I.R.A. (excuse the acronym).
Looked really good and was enjoying it for a while.

The problem is, it wont play Real Player or Micro$oft Media streams.
So that rules out lots of stations.

So I went looking again. I want to catch Lovetc on Radio 2 and BBC-R2 is
only available as both of the above (which NullRiver wont play).

So I bought "WunderRadio" app. Picks up all streams incl Real and Microsoft.
Got it tuned ready for Monday on BBC 2. So go for WunderRadio.

Note both are about $8 AU.


I have been really careful and not dropped my iPhone.
But mine has developed a hairline crack in the case.
It is around the silent switch on the left hand side ; this must be a weak spot.
Be careful.

[Your Funny Uncle]

I got an iPhone 3G a few weeks ago. I won't repeat what Greg has said but I'll second his recommendation of WunderRadio. I do find that it crashes now and again but for the most part it's very good.

I will say that I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the games on the iPhone. So far I have Real Football 09, Fastlane Street Racing and International Snooker, and I'd put the quality of the graphics and playability on a par with later PS1 games, which is no mean feat for a phone. I'm especially impressed by the football game.