APPS

It all started when Alastair gave me an iTunes voucher this summer. I am an iPhone user who thinks this technology is Just The Business. Paradoxically, I am not a phone-sort of person, i.e. I have this mobile phone but I seldom use it as a phone.

So when is a mobile phone not a phone? When it's a computer! This bit of kit that sits in my back pocket (with the ringer turned off) never ceases to impress me!

I decided that I must learn all about these things called 'apps' which is short for 'applications', i.e. things you can do on the iPhone that are neat and ... as I shall show ... jaw-droppingly amazing!

The iPhone has a camera, a very sophisticated one, that takes many of the shots seen elsewhere on this blog. However, I learned in the Tips and Tricks section that it is possible, using the camera in the iPhone, to take a photo of my home page which displays all the apps (or at least this first page) I have downloaded. And there it is above.

Probably the most amazing technology here, apart from accessing the internet itself, is the Google Maps which was pre-installed on iPhone. It shows maps as a satellite view or as a drawing. It helps me find where I am when I am lost! I use it more than I use the phone!

But this app with the green swirly arrow above I have only just discovered (Adam G told me about it). It is called Go SkyWatch Planetarium. The idea is that you can identify and locate stars, planets, constellations by simply pointing your iPhone up to the sky. Website here.

It cost £5.99 and was my first purchase using my iTunes voucher. You must understand that I am hoping to impress my 10 year old friends with my technology. That I still need to figure out all the bells and whistles we shall gloss over....!

So far, it's a great way to meet the neighbours on a clear cold night as I stand outside with my arm raised to the Big Dipper trying to see if the Control Test works!

I am in the process of downloading radio stations as I am a great radio listener. There are various ways of doing this and I am still on the learning curve here. (The iPhone actually does not have a radio as part of its hardware, though I believe the new 4.0 version does.)

Lastly, London Lady told me about this app in which 2 people who have iPhones can "kiss". The app is called Bump (website review here). What happens is that you can exchange (your chosen) information and then tap or bump each other's iPhone and in doing so, the information, say your email address, is automatically exchanged. Is that not amazing?! I tried it with another friend but the transfer only worked in one direction. M-m-m-m ... need to work on this one some more!