Despite strong indications of an imminent second generation 3G iPhone, the recent £100 price drop on the 8GB iPhone proved too tempting. I had hesitated because the iPhone failed to meet my minimum requirements for basic PDA functionality. With 1Password mostly overcoming the secure data exchange obstacle, the remaining challenge was to find a network-independent way of managing and synchronising tasks ("to do" items). I've also been wading through David Allen's book Getting Things Done in a search for ways to improve my personal productivity. Could I cherry-pick the key principles of the GTD religion and apply them on the iPhone using only the built-in apps?
Continue reading 'Using faux Contacts for GTD on the iPhone'
Tag archive for 'Mobile'
Everyone loves customizing new toys and making wallpapers for your phone is probably one of the easier ways to do it (a lot easier, for example, than trying to find an inexpensive yet good-looking protective case!). I took a selection of images from Project Koru are turned them into three thematic wallpaper sets for my iPhone using this great Photoshop template.
Continue reading 'iPhone wallpapers for homesick Kiwis'
Maybe the whole concept of in-phone, out-of-date apps is itself out-of-date? Apple would seem to think so, asking iPhone users to "expand" the capabilities of their device by taking it online. Doing so has drawbacks (e.g. relying on a network signal and cost-effective data plans) and doesn't always provide a solution. In a follow-up to my previous post I look at possible workarounds for the iPhone's "missing features". People seem to be raving about how well it does what it does, so far less elegant workarounds are the only way to address the iPhones limited functionality at launch.
Continue reading 'Workarounds for iPhone foibles'
The iPhone has arrived in the US. Even if it were available in New Zealand I still wouldn't buy one. I'm happy to wait for the large beta-test program (i.e. 1 in 5 US adults) to refine the product first. That said, I've been looking for a way to converge my mobile devices (phone, PDA, iPod) for some time. Sadly the 1st generation iPhone does not look like the device to fill this need. Relative to other Mac-friendly alternatives it comes up uniquely short in a number of areas on my feature wish-list. But of course I haven't seen or held it in the "flesh", and it is only a 1G device—so I can't be overly critical. Or can I? Most of the pre-launch focus has been on iPhone's interface (not unimportant), but what about comparative features? It's clear that while the iPhone offers few unique features (iTMS DRM playback, bookmark syncing) it's also immediately apparent that, relative to comparable products, the iPhone has the most limitations.
Continue reading 'Mac-friendly alternatives to Apple's 1G iPhone'
Apple recently posted a tour of the forthcoming iPhone. Watching the presentation I was surprised to see one of the default wallpapers is the face of a tiki (a wood carving of the human figure).
Continue reading 'iPhone features Maori carving wallpaper'
We knew we would spend the first month of our stay in a Wellington apartment that had no phone line. We also knew that our UK-sourced mobile phones would work fine in New Zealand. Furthermore, being addicted to fond of Internet access, we knew we would want to get online as soon as possible (OK, "we" in this context means Bruce). More than two-thirds of New Zealanders have home Internet access—and you can't go back to dial-up once you've tasted the broadband fruit. So what were our options?
Continue reading 'Keeping in touch and online in New Zealand'
