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Thursday, August 12, 2010

People before things?

I've always prided myself on my lack of materialism, but I must confess, I have fallen in love with my iPhone. To the extent that if someone tried to mug me I think I actually would fight them for it. (To put this is context, when someone mugged me for my wallet years ago, when Stephen was a toddler, I just sort of stood there passively - didn't even yell at them, as I recall).

For years, I was adamant that all I wanted from a mobile phone was the ability to make calls and text. And I wasn't even that bothered about those functions. I used to mislay my old phone all the time - it would go flat and I would lose it for days on end.

So I had absolutely no desire to own a smartphone. But then Bobby got one, and I watched him use it, and I realised I wanted one too. REALLY wanted one.

So this Christmas I got one. And seven months later I still love it.

I love the way it feels in my hand. I love the way it looks. And I love its functionality.

These are the apps I use frequently:

iMapmyRun. Tracks my runs, shows where I've run (uses google maps) as well as how fast and how far.
National Rail. Train times and platforms. Very good when running for the last train; you don't have to stop and look at the boards to figure out which platform to head for.
Tube Map Deluxe - useful when there are random closures.
ATM Hunter - lets you know where to find ATMs. Handy in London, where they're often those little stand-alone machines tucked away in the depths of buildings as opposed to signposted ones.
Camerabag - cool effects for the photos I take with the phone. The camera on the iPhone is not all that great, but I have got some good shots with it nonetheless.
TweetDeck - Facebook and Twitter in one handy interface.
News - I have the Guardian app, the NY Times app, the Independent, the Telegraph, and more.
Lovefilm - can put movies on hold, and keep track of what's on its way here.
Rotten Tomatoes - movie reviews
Foursquare - kind of like the Harry Potter clock when all the family plays!
Amazon - one click ordering. I have to restrain myself - possibly the most decadent thing I have done has been to order a book that I saw a stranger reading, while on the train.
Google Maps. Though here I have to admit that Bobby's android is better for this than the iPhone, as it has turn-by-turn voice navigation, whereas mine, if asked for directions, just shows the route on a map. His star map (where you point it at the night sky and it identifies the stars and planets in front of you) is also better than mine).

Apps aside, it's really handy being able to click on phone numbers in websites and dial them.

And then obviously it has all my music, plus podcasts and audiobooks. I'm currently listening to Bill Bryson's At Home: A Short History of Private Life.

So, sort of embarrassingly, this is one material object to which I feel very, very attached.

Othere iPhone users, any favourite apps to recommend?

1 comment:

Carol said...

You must get Words with Friends so we can play each other!