thomascwaters.com

Wanted to publish a list of the 9 iPhone apps I found myself using through this past year (in no particular order):

Awesome apps:

• Kindle- This has become one of my all time favorite apps. Easiest way to read a book on the bus ride to or from work, or after crawling into bed at the day’s end. At first, I thought it would suck, since the screen isn’t that large, but actually the “page” size works out great, and even though you are turning the page more often, I don’t really notice that. Now, I find myself almost irritated if a book I want isn’t available for the Kindle. I especially like the ability to add notes and highlight.
• WordPress2- I really like this app, although my usage goes up and down. I usually blog at home in the mornings, before I leave for work. So, I have started to use this app to read back over what I’ve written, and do last editing/refining. Also use it to approve comments held for moderation. I’ve also found it an easy way to jot a few sentences down and start a post that I finish later after I’m at the computer.
• Public Radio- I use this app every day, and listen to NPR on the way home from work, but I have to say, this app drives me nuts. The station often cuts in and out, and that is really irritating.  I also find it slow to load and the little “play” button at the far left bottom is too close to other stuff, and I often end up leaving my station and am off waiting for something unwanted to load, and then have to make my way back to my station. I’ll keep using this until I find another Public Radio station app that I like better, but then, it will be so long! Still, I do use it everyday.
• Google- This is another app, I use everyday, but unlike Public Radio, I love this one! I use it mostly to read Google Reader, but also use it to get into Google Docs, and I’ll be really happy if they add Google Wave.  If there is anything missing, it would be the ability to send something to my blog, like the “Press This” tool for WordPress. When I’m using a browser, I will often use that to send a link over to my blog, save it as a draft, and then write about it later. Without this ability, I find myself using the “share” feature more than I would otherwise, or just adding a star, so I can easily come back later for it, once I’m at the desktop browser. But too often, I never get back to writing about it. Maybe that’s fine- a level of needed editing. I have a social media buddy who says I post 10 times a day!  If I cut that down to 3 or 4, it wouldn’t be so bad…
• iRewardCards- This is another app, I just absolutely love. It holds all of my “reward” cards and so I’m never without them when I go to a store. As an additional perk, store clerks always seem to find it so cool, and that makes me feel like I’m cool. If there is any thing not cool about this app, it is that too often, the bar code won’t scan, and the clerk has to type in the number, which isn’t too bad, but could be easier. I’m not sure if it is just the type of scanners used, or if it is because I have a protective cover over the iPhone.
• Grindr- I hesitated putting this one on my list, but it actually has been a really handy app. Grindr is a social media app for gay guys. Sometimes understood as a hook up app, that hasn’t been my experience at all. Possibly because I’m an old guy (please say, no you aren’t!!!) but for me, it has worked like any other social media app as a way to meet friends, and stay in touch. It is sort of like a chat client in this regard. I’ve meet some cool guys this way, all totally platonic.I used to use the Gay.com chat for this type of socializing, but since it is browser-only, it isn’t a good option for an iPhone. Grindr, is however, a great choice.
• Bump- This is a very cool app, that I’m glad to say exists for Android and possibly other phones too. It is an easy way to share your contact info withg another Bump user, and that was where I first learned about it. But my partner, who has a Android Hero, use it to pass a variety of files back and forth. Very useful.
• Trektivity- Haven’t used this app too much yet, but got it as a replacement for iTrail (see below.) My partner and I are training for a week-long bike trip from Pittsburgh to DC next summer, and so every time we are out riding, I capture info using this app. I really liked iTrail, but it used up all the battery time too quickly, so for a longer ride it was no use at all. Trektivity seems to handle the power much better, but in all honestly haven’t used it enough to be really sure how much better. Ask me in May or June, and I’ll let you know.
• EchofonPro- This is my Twitter app, and so I am using it all of the time!

The above list are all apps that I downloaded, but there are a handful of apps that came on the phone that I couldn’t live without. I probably use my iPhone as a phone, far less than any of these other apps. Here are my top apps(in no particular order):

Built in essentials:

• Messages- I’ve always been fond of iChat on the computer, and so this app comes close and I use it all the time. Why clutter up an email inbox when you can text instead?
• Mail- That said, I use the email app all of the time too. Much like the Mail app on the desktop, it can have multiple email addresses, in it, and that works out great.
• Calendar- This too is a great app, and close to iCal. I use it for a work calendar (which is from an Exchange server) and my personal calendars that were created in iCal.
• Camera- This is an app, I am using more and more , and really love the ability get a quick picture. As an artist, I am starting to play with it, and see how to get interesting shots that grow out of the idiosyncrasies of the camera, as opposed to seeing them as limitations. I always loved plastic camera photos- this is a digital equivalent in many regards.
• Maps- This is one I never really though tI would use, but find I’m in it more and more. While I have a GPS in the car, I find it a pain in the ass to set up, especially if I’m just doing a quick 10 minute trip. It is easier to use this app, and it doesn’t slow me down. I have an iPhone 3G, and not a 3GS, so I’d expect I’d love this even more if that was the case. New iPhone for me? Maybe next summer.
• iPod- This is clearly the single most used app on my phone. I use it to listen/watch to a number of podcasts every single day, as well as to listen to music.

Lastly, here is a list of apps that at one time were of useful to me, or I thought could be, but for a variety of reasons, never made it work out for me. I’m not ready to delete them off my phone, but I’m disappointed with their use (in no particular order):

Didn’t Make it in 2009:

• ReQall- I believe I wrote about this a year ago, and I found it a useful app to make a voice memo and have it show up in my inbox as text. Conceptually, it seems so cool, especially since I’m a lousy typist, on the iPhone or a keyboard. but it didn’t work out that well for me. I think as soon as I start the record, I think too much about what I am going to record, instead of just saying it. The final text requires so much editing, I can do better typing it from the start. I’d like to give it another try, but I think too, it is now a pay service?
• iWant/Nearby/ AroundMe- These are three apps that do similar stuff. I used them (in the order listed) when I was looking for something, and found them OK, until I took 2 trips- to NYC and to San Fran cisco. I was in SF, looking for someplace to eat, and the apps couldn’t find much, but there was food all around!  Got me wondering how different places get “listed” with different apps, and that left me wondering if I’ll find what I need when I need it?
• Facebook- This app is OK, but on my phone seems to be an orphan. If I get an email that someone has written on my wall, and I click on it, it opens a web browser, and not the Facebook app. Part of the problem for me, is I’m just on Facebook less than I used to be. I use Twitter more than I use Facebook.
• Noble Paths- I love the idea of this app, but I’m left even after reading all of the “about” section, not really sure what to do to get the most out of it. I have no clue what the target score is all about. Seems so unbuddha-like to keep score? Maybe I’m not a good enough Buddhist? When
• I downloaded this, I expected it to be a part of my daily practice, but it hasn’t turned out that way at all.
• iNeedStuff- This is another app, that I love the idea of, but using it when making a shopping list is clunky, and then I forget to use it in the store. Often, I’ll have “Vegetables” on my shopping list, instead of specific veggies. Seems to be too much typing just to get a list together, and the list is too “item” specific.
• 1Password- Another app, that I love the idea of it, but seems too complicated to use. Syncing it with the computer is a problem. Had it working, then that broke and haven’t been able to set it up again. Unlike on the desktop, this app seems totally separate from the browser, so it is useless to store web site usernames and passwords?
• Loopt Mix- This is a social media app, that I was trying to use before Grindr, but there is rarely ever anyone on-line when I am, and the guys who have profiles seem to be under 27 years old. I like that you can have more than 1 picture, but if no one is ever on, how useful is it?
• iTrail- See above- this is a very cool app, if it didn’t drain my battery so badly so quickly. Lots of great features.
• The Carrot- As I’m writing this, seems like it is all the apps I’ve paid for, I stop using. LOL. The Carrot is one of these $$ apps too.  I got it to track my peak flow numbers (I have asthma) but then, at the doctors office, I couldn’t use it to show her my readings. Found out I had to view all the data on my computer. That seemed odd, that I could enter, but not track right in the app. This app, allows you to track all sorts of stuff, and that is cool, but I find I just don’t use it.
• iNap- This is a really cool app, and I’ve written about it before. But I no longer seem to use it. It only works in conjunction with the iPod app, so I can’t use it while I’m using the Public radio app. I’ve also found that the alarm it sounds isn’t louder than whatever music is playing, or loud enough that it doesn’t wake me.