Tuesday, January 22, 2008

iPhone Improved


Quote of the day:
“The intelligent man finds almost everything ridiculous, the sensible man hardly anything.”
--Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Apple has released a very interesting update to the iPhone. If you are anti-iPhone (as in “My (blank) is just as good, and cheaper/faster/more reliable”), please don’t read any further. You’ll just get annoyed.

They’ve added a number of small conveniences, and there are two significant improvements.

One is the ability to touch an icon on the maps page and have my current location marked with a red pin. Then I can touch another location on the map to get directions to it. It’s not GPS, but does essentially the same thing using wireless locations.

It works great. While I won’t use this a lot, it’s good to know it’s available if I need it on the small device that I carry with me all the time.

The other improvement is the ability to customize the functions and icons. I can add one-touch access to any internet page. There is capacity for 60 of them, divided into separate screens I page through by swiping the screen.

Believe me, I’m trying not to gush. But this is so cool it’s never been in the same precinct with school. We’re talking randomly sick.

On my iPhone, I have the phone, text, mail and internet browser on the task bar. My first screen is news (MSNBC, NY Times, BBC), business (Stocks, MSNBC, LA Times) and reference (Dictionary and Wikipedia).

Second is entertainment, including iPod, iTunes, YouTube, camera, photos, local movie times, Mountain West basketball standings and a couple of games (Connect 4 and Blackjack).

My third screen has banking, iPhone settings and various internet pages that I’m checking out or that don’t fit anywhere else.

What this is turning out to be is a very handy, fun and amazingly easy to use resource that I carry everywhere.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I find Notes to be most valuable. A TO-DO list and a SHOPPING list. Next is iCal to set reminders and alerts, from birthdays to closing eBay auction deadlines.

Oh, I can even use it for phone calls when I go out. AT&T connectivity is so bad at home I put the iPhone on call forwarding to home phone.

From my iPhone via home WiFi,
Andy
www.Revangelical.com

Craig Dorval said...

I like notes, too. Always in my pocket, always available. And now with a menu of all notes I've written!

The ability to automatically add address or other info from within e-mails is great, as is the chance to go directly to a map to see where the address is.

I still think that, in ten years, most everyone will be carrying this or something very similar. I have yet to talk to anyone who doesn't rave about his/her iPhone. Once you own it and use it, you''re hooked.