Digital Road Warrior’s iOS Ditty Bag

Introduction

I do a fair amount of travel as a consultant; 75,000 miles give or take in the past 18 months. Working on the road, comfortably and efficiently, takes a bit of practice. Inevitably I'm traveling to make a presentation, and that presentation is rarely complete before my trip begins. So that means completing it, 'on the fly'; literally. Over time, I have adopted a “whatever can go wrong, may go wrong” mentality, when it comes to packing.
 
It’s a bit of a running joke with my friends that I am “high-maintenance”. It may be my BSA training -- “Be prepared, prepared, prepared, the motto of a true scout” -- or maybe I’m just a little too organized, but for better or for worse, when anybody I’m traveling with suddenly needs something, guess who they ask? And more often than not, I have what they’re looking for.
 
So with this in mind, I thought it might be helpful to share with my fellow digital sojourners, a checklist list for my iOS Ditty bag, which in my case is a black mesh, two compartment zipper job that came with my Wenger (Swiss Army) backpack.

I’ve even done the shopping for you!

iOS Ditty Bag Contents

1.  Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic - $79  from Apple. Frankly, for similar money, there are many alternative earbud solutions available online. What I appreciate most about my earbuds, is not the sound quality, which is excellent, but rather, the nifty case. Unfortunately, I believe Apple has discontinued this product. If you hurry, you may still be able to order these on close out, somewhere.
 
2.  Back-up Earbuds - Standard Apple issue here, included with every iPhone.
 
3.  Apple SD Card Reader for iPad - This item is sold as part of the Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit; $29 from Apple vs. $23.99 on Amazon.com.

4.  Apple USB Adapter for iPad - This item is also sold as part of the Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit; $29 from Apple vs. $23.99 on Amazon.com.

5.  Apple iPad 10W USB Power Adapter with Data Cable - $29 from Apple and as low as $15 on Amazon.com. If you standardize on the 10w adapters you can use for charging iPhones and iPads alike, and your iPhone will actually charge faster than it would using the standard iPhone power adapter.

6.  Apple Dock Connector to USB Cables - $19 each from Apple and $5.18 on Amazon.com. You need at least one for every iOS devices you have, plus an extra to be safe.

7.  Jawbone Prime Bluetooth Headset - $39.06 on Amazon.com. These have really come down in price. I’m pretty sure I spent in excess of $100 for mine. Jawbone has done a super job with the Noise Assassin technology, but the headset itself is poorly engineered from the standpoint of attaching to your ear. Jawbone has tried several different approaches from wire hoops (terrible) to plastic inserts they call “ear gels” (slightly better). IMHO, there is only one viable solution that equals the elegance of this headset technology. (see item #9, below).

8.  Jawbone Power Adapter (included with Jawbone headset), this also doubles as an extra iPhone power adapter, if need be.

9.  Jawbone Prime Custom Molded Earpiece - $69 from AverySound.com. If you understand the Jawbone technology, you know that it is critically important for the Jawbone to maintain contact with your jaw -- or it doesn’t work. None of the earpiece apparatus that Jawbone sells with the device manage to do this reliably. It’s maddening! You can hear your party, but they can’t hear you. I was actually in the process of returning my Jawbone Prime to the local Apple Store, when another customer mentioned Avery Sound Labs to me. Once you place your order, they send you a kit and detailed instructions for how to create an impression of your ear using quick set molding compound. You then send this impression to their labs, and they manufacture your earpiece. The whole thing is a bit of an arts and crafts project, but the results are stellar. You can literally go jogging with your earpiece on and it will stay in place while you run and talk.You can order your earpiece in a variety of colors. I chose clear, but I might rethink that if I were to reorder, as the clear tends to discolor over time.

10. Jawbone Charging Cable (included with Jawbone headset)

11. Japanese-style 1:3 AC Adapter - This compact gem turns one outlet into three. Unfortunately, these adapters cannot be purchased in the US because their compact design requires bypassing the third prong ground found on most electronics plugs.

12. Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter for MacBook Pro - $49 from Apple vs. $44.80 on Amazon.com. This cable is designed to power your laptop in-flight, and it works great, assuming your airline offers AC outlets throughout the cabin, and the outlets are actually in working order. The latter is surprisingly not always the case. By the way - this cable will not charge your laptop, simply power it.

13. Mophie External Battery - Mophie makes various battery packs, but I chose this one because it can actually recharge an iPad! I also wanted a model that I could keep in my pocket and tether to either my iPhone or iPad via a data cable, rather than having to attach the battery directly to the iOS device. Two other great features about the Mophie products are their LED power-level indicator lights and an on/off switch which prevents the battery from losing it’s charge over-time. The new version of my battery, will also work with DROID, HTC and Blackberry.

14. Generic Compact Camera Case - Another way to stay organized is to package certain items together in their own case or bag. It makes packing and “grabbing” the items much easier. I use this case to carry my external battery and the two pictured cables. It is made by Case Logic. Case Logic manufactures various sizes and styles.

15. USB Charging cable (included with external battery).

16. Griffin USB to Dock Connector Cable (Coiled) - $14.20 on Amazon.com. This compact cable is not only handy for use with my external battery, it doubles as my extra iPhone/iPad dock connector cable, as mentioned in # 6, above.

17. Belkin Velcro Cable Ties - These velcro straps are a great way to keep your cables organized and tangle-free. Several types are pictured, but I prefer the Belkin Velcro Cable Ties; $2.99 for a set of 6.

18. LED Flashlight - Always handy to throw in any ditty bag. The flashlight pictured is actually a trade-show trinket I picked up somewhere, but there are plenty of similar flashlights available from Amazon.com.

19. Carabiner-style Key-ring - Many uses for these; another handy item for the well-equipped ditty bag. I found this exact style and many other alternatives at Amazon.com.

20. Apple iPad VGA Adapter - $29 from Apple vs. $22.99 on Amazon.com.

21. Apple Mini Display Port to VGA Adapter  - $29 from Apple and $27.55 on Amazon.com.

22. Apple iPad HDMI Adapter - $39 from Apple vs. $30.62 on Amazon.com.

23. Apple Mini Display Port to DVI Adapter - $29 from Apple and as low as $13.99, new, on Amazon.com.

24. MINI 1/8 Stereo Female to 1/4 Stereo Male Cable Adapter - Many options available. Here is a list from Amazon.com.

25. Mini 1/8 Stereo Splitter - This handy little item allows you to share your iPod, iPhone and iPad media with a friend; perhaps on a long plane ride or while waiting for a delayed flight. There are many similar products to the one pictured in the $2-$3 range on Amazon.com.

26. Monster 3.5-mm Headphone Adapter for iPhone - $2.52 on Amazon.com. This adapter is an interesting legacy from the original iPhone which had a recessed headset receptacle that would not accept many third party headsets -- coincidence, Apple? I have since used this adapter several times to get me out of a few jams with certain 3rd-party iPhone and iPad covers obstructing a proper connection with 3rd party headsets.

27. Jabra CRUISER2 Bluetooth In-Car Speakerphone - $56 on Amazon.com. I love this device. The sound quality is great, plenty of volume, and it seems to run forever on a single charge! It is very lightweight and it doubles as a desktop speaker phone if I am working from a hotel room, etc.

28. BoxWave Capacitive iPad Styra (Jet Black) - $17 on Amazon.com. I’ve tried several other stylus manufactures and for my money, BoxWave is not only the best, but this model of their's also doubles as a conventional writing pen -- another ditty bag essential!

29. Targus 4 Port Ultra Mini USB 2.0 Hub - Very handy to have. I use mine on nearly every trip. Targus is definitely the leader for these mini USB hubs. The styles change often, but they all pretty much to the same thing. Here’s a link to a comparable model; $9.99 on Amazon.com.

30. Sandisk USB Memory Keys - Always smart to throw one or more of these into the ol’ ditty bag. I like SandDisk; they are reliable, and again the cost has come way down; starting as low as $4.03 for 8GB on Amazon.com.

31. Plantronics Voyager PRO Bluetooth Headset - $77 on Amazon.com. By now you may have noticed my inclination toward redundancy. Unlike the Jawbone and Jabra solutions above, this headset can be paired with both my MacBook Pro laptop and my iPhone, simultaneously; making it a great solution to handle both Skype and iPhone conversations.

32. USB to Micro-USB Cable - $1.95 on Amazon.com. This cable doubles a charging cable for both my Jabra speakerphone and my Plantronics headset. FYI - If you are ever in a pinch, I believe this is the same cable Blackberry and some Droids use for a data-cable. Good to know. ;-)

33. Wired USB Mouse - Why a “wired” mouse? Because you cannot use wireless mice in-flight; although, I did so for years before getting caught one day by a flight attendant. It never occurred to me that I was breaking the rules. What’s pictured is an old Macally clear USB mouse, that I have had for years. I still think the clear housing is pretty slick looking. There are lots of similar wired mice for under $10 on Amazon.com.

34. Logitech Wireless Mouse - $19.99 on Amazon.com. In-flight work sessions aside, I prefer a wireless mouse while working on my laptop. The Logitech mice have a great weight and balance, which make them my preferred choice.

35. Microfiber Cleaning Cloth - Package of 5, $3.99 on Amazon.com. Keep your screens clean and smudge free with a microfiber cleaning cloth. Needless to say, NEVER use tissues or paper towels to clean your screens, as you run the risk of scratching.

36. Jewelers Screwdriver Set - I’ve had my kit for years, but I recently found an updated alternative: the Silverhill 20 Piece Tool Kit for Apple Products for $12.99.

Please leave a comment to let me know if you found this article helpful, and/or if you think of something that I should have included. Happy trails!
_______________________________

Steve Lomas is an interactive media veteran, designer, entrepreneur and idea mechanic. He is the founder of MojoMediaPros.

 

 

The New Workflow

 

The way we do business is changing...

I have been reflecting lately on just how dramatically my day-to-day workflow has changed. The tools I rely on today, are completely different from the tools I was using, even a year ago.

It used used to be...

  • If you wanted to make a phone call you used a "phone", and your phone number indicated where you were calling from. 
  • If you wanted to schedule a meeting, the trickiest aspect was scheduling a conference room. 
  • Notes were mostly taken on paper, even though we all had laptops. 
  • Most people had four phone numbers: work, fax, home and cell, and typically two email addresses: work and personal. 
  • Applications ran on your primary computer workstation, which is where your all documents were stored. 
  • Working remotely was uncommon, and travel was required if teams really wanted to collaborate. 
  • Conference calls were expensive and video conferencing was too expensive and and much too complicated for daily use. 
  • TV shows were watched on televisions and surfing the Internet required a networked computer.
Get where I'm going with all this?

In the last year I have integrated the following tools to my workflow...

Toolbox

Cloud Services: Okay, I will admit it. Larry Ellison was right! I didn't get it at first, but it is so much better to have your documents and even applications up in the cloud. From a data protection and accessibility perspective, you can't beat it -- as long as you can access the internet! That's where DropBox comes i ...

DropBox: This is a bit of software you install on your computer that allows you to share the contents of a folder on your desktop with anybody you chose, via the Internet. Files are seamlessly uploaded to the cloud where you can access them from other computers, and mobile devices. Both the iPhone and iPad support DropBox, as do other mobile devices. Very impressive when a client mentions something you had worked on together months before, and you say, "Here it is..." as you pass them your iPad! The great thing about DropBox, is you maintain local copies of your files as well a the cloud copies, and DropBox does all the heavy lifting, in the background, to everything in sync.

Google Docs:  More and more of my docs are stored in the cloud on Google servers, and the all the Google applications are browser-based. Google has knock-offs of Word, Excel and PowerPoint online, complete with the ability to read and save in these Microsoft file formats. Any Google Doc documents can be shared with teammates for review or editing. Documents can actually be edited simultaneously by multiple individuals.In one creative session earlier this year, eight of us were editing the same document at the same time! And it wasn't as chaotic as it may sound, because we could all see in real time what was being edited and by whom. Pretty cool!!  If you need a local copy, perhaps for an in-flight work session, you can export a local copy to your DropBox.

Skype: I realize that Skype has been around for a while, but I only woke up to it, this year. It happened when I was talking to a co-worker at lynda.com, After several phone conversations, I learned that she was not based in California, but New Zealand! I was confused, because her incoming phone number was a CA number. She explained explained that she was using Skype, and the cost of the service, with a dedicated CA phone number was under $10 a month. I said, "Thank you, very much", hung up the phone, and signed up for Skype on the spot! Ever since, Skype has been my preferred telecommunications service. The audio quality is crisp and the video video teleconferencing and screen-casting are immensely helpful for remote collaboration!

Gmail: I was reluctant to abandon Outlook as my primary email client and the whole notion locally archived email, but I finally made the leap earlier this year, and I must admit, it's very convenient. I can search all my email in seconds (who better than Google to handle search?) and my email is readily available across all devices! I had already figured out how to manage multiple email accounts in Gmail (see previous post: The Ultimate Email Hook-up), so migrating wasn't too difficult.It has taken a while to get used to the Gmail, web client, but now that I have, I like it.

iPad: My friend and co-worker, Chipp Walters said of the iPad before it was released, "The iPad will be game changing". He was right. We use our iPads all the time. In fact, I created the attached info graphic on my iPad, using Notes Plus. You can read my initial thoughts about the iPad, in this post, "iPad Not Perfect, But Very Cool". And if you are really stuck for how to be productive with your iPad, check this out, "New Favorite iPad App".

iPhone 4: Multi-tasking, folders, Reina display, and a rocking' great camera made this a must-have upgrade, given how I rely on my iPhone (see "It's an iPhone Life").

GoToMeeting: This is a virtual meeting and collaboration service which allows you to screen-cast to multiple people and pass the screen-cast baton at any time during the meeting, to anyone connected to the meeting. This feature is great. G2M also provides both private and public chat rooms, a participant list, a who's speaking indicator, and the ability to screen capture an entire meeting. GoToMeeting's VOIP (Voice Over IP) capabilities can be a little finicky, so thankfully, participants can also call into a meeting via telephone.

PogoPlug: This is a nifty little device that allows you to create your own cloud service, out of any external USB hard drive, so may can access these files from anywhere over the Internet. Files can any file format, including photos, videos and music. PogoPlug does all the trans-coding so you may access and play these files remotely from mobile devices, like the iPhone and iPad.

Drobo: Dobo is a a very smart storage robot, that employs a unique RAID technology that is drop-dead simple to deploy and maintain. Unlike other RAD technologies, the Drobo does not care about drive size parity. When you run out of storage, you simply remove the smallest drive in the array, and replace it with the largest hard drive that is currently available, and Drobo does the rest -- no files are lost in the process. It works GREAT!

BaseCamp: This is another cloud service, designed specifically for Project Management. It is easy to set up projects, and virtual teams. BaseCamp provides file sharing with regression, threaded discussions, tasks, milestones, calendars, and an odd shared document format called "Write Boards". BaseCamp is not the end-all, be-all PM tool that it could be, but it is certainly useful, and we use it often in conjunction with the other tools, mentioned.

MacBook Pro & Parallels: I love my little 13" MacBook Pro. It is well-sized for travel, but don't let its small stature deceive you. With 8GB of RAM, two video processors and a 500GB hard drive, this machine is a true work-horse! If you have followed my previous posts, you may know that I run a split Mac OS | Windows XP environment, using Parallels. This allows me to run whatever software is required, and test our web-apps cross-platform from the same compact workstation.When I'm at my desk I connect to a Dell 27" Ultrasharp monitor. My windows environment is dedicated to this monitor, but my Mac OS environment spans both the laptop screen and the Dell Ultrasharp. You can read more about my Parallels experience, here: Magellan's Guide To A Parallels Universe - Part 1. Parallels has its mysteries and foibles, but all-in-all, it works well for me and I am satisfied with its performance -- I never really think about fact that I'm doing the lion-share of my work on a virtual machine!

Closing Thoughts...

This new way to work and collaborate is great, but it is not without its drawbacks. As you can see, from my graphic, it is a highly distributed model.The old axiom, of "Ultimate information needs to exist ultimately in one place" is definitely being challenged in this sort of work environment. "Where did I create that?" and "Where did I save that?" are not uncommon questions. We have some clients who don't mind reviewing a DRAFTs in Google Docs, while others prefer a PDF to mark-up, and others still insist on MS documents. This, of course, pains me, because it means redundant effort, migrating text edits and comments, back and forth. Therefore,  I find myself having to really think, before I begin a document, or project, to determine the best tool, the intended audience and where and in what format it will be published. 

The other thing I've noticed, is just how much time seems to be sacrificed to maintaining of this complex environment. There seems to be a constant barrage of software updates to manage. None of it is that hard to do, or fraught with much risk, but each update, takes a small bite out of your day -- maybe that is the hidden meaning of the Apple logo ;-)

But before I all throw in the towel, and pine for the "good ol' days", I remind myself that it is still very early in this business/productivity revolution. Tools will get better. The best will float tot he top, and the rest will disappear, and in the not too distant future, much of this will all seem commonplace.

Today...
  • You can "telephone" people without the use of a"phone", using Skype, and similar Voice Over IP technologies. I've made calls from my iPad when I left my cell at home.
  •  Services like Google Voice and Skype allow you to establish a local phone number, anywhere, regardless of where you actually rest your head at night...
  • You can create a virtual conference room in 60 seconds or less, using GoToMeeting and similar online services, like Adobe Connect and Web-X.
  • You can screen capture, or other record the meeting notes in a variety of ways, such as Sound Notes for the iPad or the Pulse digital pen.
  • Most people have abandoned their land-lines at home, in favor of cell phones. And when was the last time you actually sent a FAX? If you have, it was likely not your first choice.
  • Instead of two email addresses, I have too many! ;-)
  • My workflow integrates dozens of apps which run on either my iPhone or my iPad; generally both. 
  • Remote collaboration across virtual teams is becoming more and more common as businesses embrace the cost savings and the potential for increased productivity.
  • Conference calls are simple and inexpensive --  even FREE, with services like FreeConferenceCall.com -- and video conferencing is a snap with Skype or iChat. 
  • YouTube, Netflix and Apple TV are blurring the lines between Internet and television.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject, and how you manage your workflow... Please leave a comment.

Steve Lomas is an Idea Mechanic and the founder of MojoMediaPros.

iPad - Not Perfect, But VERY Cool!


Traveling Light

As cool as it is, I couldn't justify an iPad, if it were only an entertainment device or media player. No, it has to hold its own as a productivity tool, in order to win my vote. I say that, but come to think of it, I did actually buy my first iPad (that's right, my "first" -- read on), sight unseen, hoping I could whip it into a useful productivity tool. I'm not looking for a a laptop replacement; just a good web and email machine with light duty authoring and editing capabilities.

I recently took my iPad to the CMS Expo in Chicago, and it was delightful to be able to leave my laptop and laptop bag back in the hotel room.

May The Best App Win...

So, with this goal in mind, my friends and I have probably spent way more money than any of us care to admit, purchasing, testing and replacing one app for another, trying to determine which apps rule; a Darwinian competition of sorts: Survival of the Fittest iPad Apps.

"Look, folks... No file system!"

As you may may or may not know, there is no file system on the iPad. So, the issue becomes how you get files onto the iPad, how to edit or author files on the iPad and then how to get them off the iPad to share them with the rest of the world. Support for cloud services, such as mobileMe, Dropbox and Google Apps, is key! Currently, most apps that can edit content don't support these and other cloud services, well or at all. And the apps that do, either can't edit or don't support your file formats, or if they do, they simply are not terribly robust. This will, of course, improve over time; but today, it's a reality.

One key app is GoodReader. This app seems to have the most robust email and cloud support and they provide their own pseudo file system. GoodReader recently opened their API to any app developer that wants to support it, so this could become a defacto standard -- why in the world didn't Apple make file sharing easier?

Another brilliant service is Dropbox. This app allows you to share a single desktop folder and it's contents with multiple PC's your iPhone and iPad. It works really well.

The combination of GoodReader and Dropbox is very powerful.

Projecting the Dots,,,

For you Microsoft office users, DocsToGo, can author and edit MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint docs, and they have just added support for cloud services.

Now, before you start thinking, "Great I will use my iPad to author and present projected PowerPoint presentations", you need to know that while Apple does offer a handy VGA adapter to connect your iPad to an external monitor or projector, only a select few apps are actually supported! I'm pretty sure the programmers at Apple had to go out of their way to create this unwelcome feature!

From my experience, Keynote and the built-in iPad Photo app are the only two apps that you can project. Oddly enough, Safari isn't even supported for VGA output. So, that means you cannot include any web content, (or for that matter, any Google apps content) projected from an iPad.

Keynote has its own shared desktop folder interface, for pushing files to the iPad, but keeping files synced, will likely pose challenges for some.

Another thing, that blows my mind is that you cannot organize photos, once they are on the iPad. You have to dock with your PC and re-sync.

I just bought the camera interface for the iPad ($29.00). It includes a USB dongle and SD card reader dongle. I'm hoping this hardware will mysteriously unlock some phantom functionality for organizing photo albums on the iPad. Probably not, but I can dream, right?

Other Accessories I Recommend:

An additional 10W power adapter($29.00). It comes with an AC power cord, which the power adapter that ships with the iPad does not include. This is the only way to get a 6' power cord, for the iPad. Believe it or not, the iPhone/iPad data cable that ships with the iPad is actually feels shorter than my iPhone data cable. Net/net: without the 6ft AC power cord, you havevto station your iPad within 30" of the AC outlet.

Speaking of power adapters, you may already know that you cannot charge an iPad from a computer USB port or from an iPhone power adapter.

You can however, safely charge an iPhone from an iPad power adapter, faster than it would otherwise charge from an iPhone power adapter.

Griffen has some of the best iPad accessories. I like their leather PadFolio ($49.95); much better IMHO than Apple's flocked cardboard version. I use this in combination with the Belkin clear rubberized plastic clam-shell back cover ($49.99).

When I'm at home I take off the leather PadFolio<, and just go with the clamshell, which gives the iPad a great "no-slip" feel, as you carry it around the house.

Griffen also offers an anti-glare screen film, ($29.99) which greatly reduces fingerprints. The combination of the Belkin shell and the Griffen screen film completely encloses and protects the iPad from scratches and dust; important for resale value.

The Griffen industrial aluminum desk stand for iPad ($49.99) is another great accessory; ultra rugged and versatile.

Of course, I have already mentioned the VGA adaptor($29.00); a must have.

One interesting point about any of the 3rd party protective covers, it that they are generally not compatible with the generic Apple accessories; i.e. any of the docking solutions. All you iPhone users, are already familiar with this issue. Personally, I don't recommend the Apple dock. It's not a great stand, and as I just stated, you can only dock a naked iPad. Some folks may not care about this, but something to be aware of, before you shell out the cash for these peripherals.

Another thing, I learned, is that most ear bud/headphone mini-adapters are not long enough to extend through a clamshell enclosure and still make proper contact in the headphone receptacle. The solution I found is an adapter made by Monster Labs, which I had previously purchased for my original iPhone, which had a similar problem.

I'll stop here, for now.Look for more about my favorite iPad apps in a future blog.

Footnote

Regarding that second iPad, I mentioned... I've come to the conclusion that for the iPad to be truly useful, it has to be reliable, and given the importance of cloud services, described above, that means reliable access to the Internet. So, I ordered my second iPad with 3GS and additional memory.

Turns out, this also solved a couple of other problems: I no longer have to wrestle my iPad away from my business major, college-graduating son... I gave him my original iPad as a college graduation gift ;-)

Please let me know if any of this was interesting or helpful. SL

It's an iPhone Life...

Prologue

On a recent business trip, I found myself reflecting on the impact of recent technologies,to my everyday life; specifically the iPhone and Cloud computing. A few short years ago, a phone was just that: a phone. Now it is an indispensable personal productivity, entertainment and communication device. When I was a kid, Captain Kirk's communicator seemed pretty far-fetched. Not so much, any more. In fact, in many ways, Kirk's Starfleet communicator pales compared to my iPhone -- no worries Captain, you still have an edge, with that phaser! :-)


Let me list the ways...

So, cooling my heels between connecting flights, I decided to list all the ways I rely on my iPhone.

Lets's start with the obvious:

Email, Contacts and Calendars

I have five email addresses, and 4 calendars (including an exchange server and Gmail) mapped to my iPhone. Whenever I look at my calendar it is up to date, and any changes that happen are pushed to me, and I am alerted. I have instant access to approximately 2000 contacts! I can speak a name and my iPhone accurately retrieves that individual's contact info and ask me to clarifying questions to be sure it dials the right number. I know, someone is saying, my phone can do that... I'm just getting started.

The App Store

At last count the iPhone has over 180,000 apps in the App Store. Unless your phone is an iPhone, your phone can't beat that -- not even close.

Tripcase App

When I book a trip, all I need to do is enter the record-locator into my Tripcase app, and my entire itinerary is downloaded to my phone, in seconds. A couple of clicks and my itinerary is forwarded to my family and business colleagues. Should my flight plans change, everyone is updated automatically!

MMS Text

While waiting at the gate, I swap texts with my wife, to let her know I arrive safely at the airport. I include a cute picture to make her smile. This goes on throughout my trip, allowing me to keep in touch with family and friends, from anywhere.

Photography On Demand

Visit a great restaurant, or witness a glorious sunset? That's worth a picture. The iPhone has a great little camera. Snap a picture and moments later it can be uploaded to my blog, Twitter, Facebook -- or all of the above -- directly from my iPhone!

Graphic Apps

Before uploading that image, I may want to color correct it, or straighten it, or crop and frame it; perhaps add a special effect. There's an app for that. In fact there are dozens. Some of the best include Photogene, PSmobile, PhotoFX, Brushes, ToonPaint, OldCamera, NightCamera, HDRCamera... I have to give a shout out, here, to Chipp Walters, for keeping me tight in this department!

Need video? No problem!

The iPhone has a built in video camera, and you can trim video clips right on your phone. That's come in handy more than once. You can even post the video directly to YouTube or simply text or email it to a friend...

Starbucks App Story

Still waiting at the airport, I decide to get a coffee. I check my Starbucks app to see that I have credit on my Starbuck card. I'm a little light so elect to transfer credit from my bank account to my bucks card, while I'm standing in line. Why? Rewards! I'm only a few point shy of a free drink. ;-) As I'm paying for my drink, I'm asked if I need my balance. "No thanks it's on my iPhone." I check the balance, and the debit has already posted before I could leave the counter. The barista and I take a moment to marvel at how quickly it updated. She's an iPhone user, too!

TripCase Saves the Day!

Heading back to my gate, I glance at TripCase again, and realize I have an update... My gate has been changed; it's now on the other side of the terminal; in the opposite direction. That saved me more than a few steps! If you have you ever made a connection at DFW, you know what I'm saying!!

AwesomeNotes App

I make it to the new gate with time to spare. So, I pull out my iPhone and open my Awesome Notes app to make some notes for this blog post, and I review some notes for my upcoming meeting. Insight App If you use BaseCamp, this is a great way to check-up on your projects while you are away from the office... And I do so.

NIV Bible App

I suddenly realize, in all my haste to get to the airport, and catch my flight, I hadn't had a chance to get into the Word, today. So, I open my NIV Bible app. Reading a particularly meaninful scripture, I copy it and email it to my wife. I also set it as a daily alert; a spiritual interuption in my day, to help me to stay focused on the big picture.

In-Flight Diversions - Dropbox in the Sky?

I've been known to watch movies, and TV shows, in flight on my iPhone, but on this trip, I put some business documents into the Dropbox folder on my desktop computer, so I could easily access them from the Dropbox app on my iPhone. I made each document a favorite, which notifies Dropbox to download a local copy to my iPhone. That way I can access them in-flight...

iPod App

How easy it is to take this app for granted, but let's not forget that it was the iPod and iTunes that turned Apple around... Listening to my iPod, also an app on my iPhone, I spent some mid-air quality time catching up on my business reading.

Alarm Clock and NPR News Apps

At night, I launch my Alarm Clock app; and set the alarm to wake me in the morning with my song of choice: Jimi Hendrix, All Along The Watchtower... In the morning, after listening to a few bars of Jimi, I roll out, and reach fo my Phone; launching the NPR News App: Morning Edition; feels like home. :-)

Dragon Dictation App

Throughout the day I continue to make notes, for this blog, by speaking them into my Dragon Dictation app which converts my words to text. It does a pretty good job.

TimeMaster App

I consult with several clients each day, so need to keep strict notes about my hours and expenses... Yup! There's an app for that; many, actually. The best one I've found, is TimeMaster. It's a little spendier than most iPhone Apps($9.99), but it's well worth it -- and it's fully iPad* aware as well. The cool thing about TimeMaster, is how easily can generate reports, and with the optional module upgrade (also $9.99) you can generate beautiful PDF invoices and email them to yourself or your client, all from the iPhone.

TurboScan App

We did some white board session on this trip, which we captured on our iPhones using the TurboScan app. What a gem! It allows you to correct any key-stoning (making the image rectilinear) and adjust the contrast. You can save the image or email it as a JPEG or PDF. The images are pretty high-rez, and they print reasonably well. My Favorite Apps, begin with "G" Everything I have mentioned thus far is pretty cool, but I have saved my favorite two apps for last: Google Search (voice activated, of course) Google maps and Google Earth. Whenever I'm planning s trip, or even if I just need to call ahead for information, I've gotten into the habit of search in the Google Maps app, first. Once the business destination is found, I immediately add it to my contacts AND I bookmark it, which makes getting directions to or from this location later, very easy. And Google Earth? It's just plain FuN!

Wrap up...

So, admittedly this post may have degraded into an iPhone commercial. I'm not trying to convince anyone to switch; I'm just going on record that I am a very satisfied customer, who is thankful for these technologies.

*The answer is, "yes" -- early adopter. More about the iPad in another post ;-)