Google Docs editing finally comes to iPhone, iPad and Android mobile devices via Google Mobile

If you haven’t downloaded or updated your Google App you may want to do so now if you are a Google Docs user. While I am not, this appears to be a pretty handy addition to your office toolbox of applications that you can use to access documents created and/or stored on your Google Docs site.You can now make changes to your Google Docs from any IOS 3.x or later device as well as from Android devices running Froyo (2.2).

Seems to work well except I had a problem with using the desktop version for Google Docs on an iPad. It errors out. This may be due to the fact that the website is trying to download to a local add in of the Google Docs application. Since this doesn’t exist on Safari on the iPad it can’t do it. I also tried this using the Atomic Browser on the iPad without any success. However, it does work on my iPhone. Maybe the new update of upcoming IOS 4.2 for the iPad will fix this problem. Without the desktop function I don’t really see much use for this application on the iPad and using it on the small screen of my iPhone is not good either but will work in a pinch if I need it to.

For now I will continue to us DocsToGo for my formatted text and for the quick and dirty, I will use Evernote and FastEver XL to work with text on my iPad.

Hulu Plus is now out of preview with new $7.99 subscription cost!

I am an active user of the free Hulu product on my computer at home, but I really wanted the offer of anytime/anywhere access that Hulu Plus promised on my iPhone and iPad devices. Have I been using this service? Yes, but I am not as happy with the selection as compared with what is available on my computer.You would think that with word PLUS in its name, there would be more, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. The list seems to be getting better but not fast enough to suit me. Is it something that will cause me leave the service? Not yet. But it is nice that the price has dropped to $7.99 and that we should be seeing some credits back for us earlier adopters.

Here is a quick breakdown from Hulu that shows the differences between the two services:

Whether the $2 per month savings will be enough to spark a new wave of subscribers is hard to say—the service is still pricey for a somewhat limited selection of popular shows. Then again, Hulu Plus does offer complete seasons for current shows (something free users won't get), but unless you're the type to blow through whole seasons of recent shows, it may be a better use of your money to subscribe to Netflix instead.

Netflix in the News Again

Be sure to update your iPhone so you can now watch your Netflix on your phone as well. For around $9/month you have the ability to stream content from Netflix to not only your computers but also to your iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. When you think about the size of our phone it having the ability to stream beautifully formatted movies and TV shows to you phone and other media devices. The Application is simple and easy to use and renders well to the screen size that it is played on. Access to mobile media is expanding for sure. Enjoy your movies while you are on the go!

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My new constant companion.

So what item do you normally always have with you these days that you feel lost if you don’t have it with you. I’m sure most of you would say your phone. If it is a smart phone, of feature phone and you are into texting, you would probably find yourself looking/reaching for it to see who has contacted you or wanting to respond or tell everyone what is going on in your current situation. Well, for me, I have found that I have been neglecting my phone more and more to give my new companion most of my attention. Yes, I’m talking about my iPad and it is now my new favorite device that I can’t be without.

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How to Stay Connected

I talked a little bit about how I pick the devices that I use, in this post I want to talk about the what I am using to accomplish this. First, let’s go down the list of devices that I use both for the office and my own entertainment. At the office I have an i7 Workstation with dual 19 inch monitors in the traditional square or 4:3 format. At home my primary system is again an i7 but I am using a 32 inch TV/Monitor as my secondary monitor and a 22 inch widescreen for my primary screen. I also have three mobile devices, an 10.1 inch Acer NetBook, an iPhone 3gs, and my newest acquisition an Apple iPad.

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Tech Toys

It is such a sad thing to open my desk drawer and see all of the my tech toys of the past just lying there with their sad faces staring back at me, no longer seeing the light of day. no longer being touched with loving fingers, no longer being recharged to provide the enjoyment that they once did. I do love my toys. I love trying to find new uses for them

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iPhone Multitasking coming soon…

Steve Jobs and company showed off new skills for the iPhone today, such as multiple apps running at one time, plus services like background location and Internet calling, and a new advertising platform called of all things, iAd. The new operating system is going to have 100 new user features. They demonstrated seven of them today calling them their 7 pillars.

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Listingly Web App that allows you to share Lists

While I was getting ready to go out and do our weekly grocery shopping this morning I started transferring my written paper shopping list on my TODO list on my iPhone I started talking to my lovely wife about what I was doing.

Now, if anyone knows Kathy she is very much a list person. She loves lists. and when she commented on whether she had a Todo or list program on her iPhone it got me to thinking that it would be nice to have an application that we could share the information back and forth on our iPhones that we would also have access from a web browser as well. This is my big thing, I want to have all of my data where and when I can get at it from most any device I sit down with or touch.

So I sat down and began the search for the golden chalice. listingly is what I finally decided on. I failed to find anything that was a web based app and had a standard iPhone app as well but I was pleasantly surprised how well listingly works through Safari.

Once you have signed yourself up you will want to edit or add your own lists to your account. This has to be done using your computer but once you have your list setup and shared you can easily add items, subtract items and manage your list from either the iPhone or your computer screen. You will use your computer for setting up your lists primarily, and your iPhone for working with the lists.

Your account comes predefined with three lists, grocery, wish list and to do list. It uses your first name to define the owner of the list so the wish list is named in my case, Bobs Wishlist. This is something that you will want to make sure that you put on your list in case you share the list with someone, it will make it easier for them to know where the list originated. When creating a list you will choose a name, pick one of four types of lists:

• Grocery (Smart List) – This type of list allows the site to remember items that can be added back into the list over and over again as your need for them recurs. It will also help you build your list by auto suggesting items based on what you are typing. You can also categorize by adding a comma and entering a term for your categorization. For my grocery list I used the aisle names to group the grocery items together to make it easier to get all the items from the same area.
• Free Style List – use this list item for just general lists. You can still categorize the list the same way as listed above. And as in all the lists you are able to add a note to your list item to give yourself more info about the listed item.
• Wish List
• To Do List – has an extra field for you to add a due date for each item.

To add button on your iPhone to go directly to your lists, press the plus symbol at the bottom of the screen (image #1), then press the button for Add to Home Screen (image #2), name your new icon (image #3) and position it on your iPhone where you would like it to show up (image #4).

This is a shareware product and if you find that you are using it and want to help with the continued programming and possibly new features, you should consider helping the cause by donating some money to the author.

Good luck with this, and have fun!

Will the iPad become the Ultimate eBook device?

The iPad will have its own built-in application for access to books purchased from the ibookstore and in the interface four actions to your library is interesting as well as you can see with the image displayed at the right.  You will have the basic features that you find in the Kindle in the nook, and you get the added bonus of being able to use the iPhone applications that give you access to these two sites as well as other epub applications that are available.  No other device at this moment other than your computer has this capability. So if you are really looking for a new eBook reader the iPad is giving you a reason to take a much closer look at what it can offer you.

2010 winter Olympics are here-have you gotten your iPhone apps to follow the coverage?

As soon as I found them I couldn't keep myself from downloading these two new applications from NBC.  The first one, NBC Olympics, gives you breaking news, video, photos and Facebook and Twitter feeds.  On the social front, you can join or create your own groups, look at popular groups and different categories.  You have a tab to look at individual sports coverage, favorites and the all important schedule which shows what is going on in when during the day.  With the weather not qte porting as well as desired we're already seeing some of events being postponed until conditions get better.  The schedule allows you to see what is on TV, what is online, which events are scheduled, when countries are scheduled for different events, and to setup alerts for the events when the metals are presented.

So if you work into the whole Olympic experience and you have an iPhone this is a great application to add to your phone.

The NBC cheer app gives you many options to use your are phone to make noise while you were cheering on your favorite Olympic sports.  It is cute but can become quite irritating especially to those around you if they don't have a similar capability.  So, if you need a little extra something to route along your favorite event you definitely have to get this app added to your phone.  Have fun!  Go USA!

Quick overview of the AutoStitch Program

I need to apologize for the resolution of the video but it will give you an idea of how to run through the stitching of your iPhone pictures. I am still working on coming up with a good video capture routine for the times that I want to capture things I am doing with my hands in close quarters. I had hoped that the Flip had better macro focus then it does. It could have been a problem with light levels as well. I’ll keep playing and we will see what happens. I wanted the HD capabilities of the Flip but if I need to drop back to my Canon then I will. We have some new Canon Video Cameras at the store that I will probably try out as well. Again. it is the macro capability that I need to work with.

 

The completed image is shown below:

AutoStitch on your iPhone

I threw this image up on our family site and I thought once I started looking at it that this application might be of general interest to those who happen to have an iPhone and also enjoy using your iPhone to capture special events.  I find myself at times, being in a situation that presents an image of something I would like to share that is panoramic and nature.  If I were to take only one shot it would not capture the total experience that I am viewing.  Here is a great example of a scene that if I had taken just one image would not have portrayed what I was seeing.  There are not a lot of controls that you can use when taking a picture with your iPhone. With this tool in your bag you can take multiple images and then stitch them back together as a single image. AutoStitch is the application I use to accomplish this on my iPhone.  The image below is made up of 31 separate pictures.  I missed a few snaps in the lower left but the rest of the images  turned out really well.  So, if you have an iPhone and you find yourself in a situation where you want to be able to capture a panoramic view, think about downloading this application. It’s a whopping $2.99 to buy and I think it is well worth it.

Voice to Text has finally arrived on the iPhone

If you've been following me at all lately. You will notice that I am constantly looking for an application that will give me good dictation capability with voice to text recognition on my iPhone.

On the PC, I use Dragon NaturallySpeaking and these same people have developed their own iPhone application to dictate on your iPhone-and it works very, very well. In fact, I am using this program to write this article that you are reading right now! It recognizes all your commands for punctuation, so don't forget to put that in.

The interface makes it very easy to make changes during and after dictation segments. Just tap on any word on the screen that it has converted from voice to text and you will be given options to delete or replace the word with other words that might be similar to what you said.

One of the tricks is to keep your sentences short because it will only have a certain amount of memory to use for the conversion. At the end of your dictation you have the ability to send your text to the clipboard for use in another application. There are also two buttons available that will send you directly to the mail application or text messaging application.

The most useful part of this application is that it allows me to store this text in the clipboard so that I can share my dictated notes with whatever application that I want to insert in to.

The best part of this application for all of us, is that it's free. This App gets my big thumbs-up to add to your library of applications on your iPhone.

Voice to Text Recognition on an iPhone

I have been searching for an application that will allow me to use my iPhone as a dictation device and will automatically convert my voice recordings to usable text. While reQall doesn't quite fill all my needs, I am finding that it is still a pretty interesting utility that can add a lot of extra support to a hectic lifestyle.

reQall allows you to set up categories and set times for your tasks. You can have folders for categories like Shopping, To-do and Notes. It has both a Web and Phone interface so you can make changes and update your lists to help make them work even better for you. But what I like the most is the ability to add your notes, dictation style, on the fly using your iPhone and the reQall application.

There is a free version that gives you a taste of what the program can do. And then…. the Pro version adds quite a few subtle capabilities that will make this program almost indispensible to you if you are one of those people that is continuously on the go. We need all the tools to make ourselves more efficient and to operate at our peak efficiencies. You might find this is just the program to give you that extra edge. These days, it is only small things that differentiate ourselves from our competition. Here is one way to give you the ability to shine in your customer’s eyes.

The Standard Version is free but for $2.99/month, $24.99/year you may want to consider the Pro version. Here is a brief list of features found in the Pro Version:

• Add items to Google Calendar and Outlook by voice.
• See what you need to remember right here and now via the Memory Jogger.
• Group items by creating Places that have an associated geo-location (with a GPS-enabled device. If you have the new iPhone 3GS this will do that for you).
• Group items by Place even without a GPS device. For example, "Errands" or "Online Tasks" can be Places.
• Create To-Dos, Notes and Shopping List items via email.
• Have your items for Work and Home organized automatically.
• Receive reminders via text message.

I have only been using this application for a short time but already I know that when the initial trial is up I am going to spring for the Pro Version.

New iPhone App for publishing to your SquareSpace Blog

This is my first posting made from my iPhone to my SquareSpace blog. Of course, I can't possibly type as fast on this keyboard as I do on my PC, but if you are on the road and you want to put something up, this seems pretty simple to do.

It provides a rolling list of all your categories, you can adjust the publishing date and time, and you can add pictures on the fly either from your stored images or you can take one on the fly. One drawback on the photos, I don't see any formatting capabilities like I have with LiveWriter. I know, picky, picky.

You can save your post as a works-in-progress or post it up very simply. And, if you have multiple sites you can set them all up and have them handy. I'll work up some screen shots when I do my follow up.

iPhone Tethering

AT&T still hasn’t provided us with tethering to the iPhone and if you are tired of waiting and are willing to jailbreak your special friend here is  a link to Adam Pash and MobileCrunch for details.

Adam Pash writes:

The multi-step process isn't all that difficult, but you'll want to set aside a little bit of time. In the brief overview, enabling tethering works like so:

1. Jailbreak your iPhone with blackra1n (available for Windows and Mac).
2. Unlock your phone with blacksn0w—which you can do through the blackra1n icon on your iPhone post-jailbreak.
3. Install a custom IPCC file via mobile Safari.
4. Turn on tethering in your iPhone settings.

Tutorial: How to Tether on an iPhone 3G or 3GS running OS 3.1.2 [MobileCrunch]

Starbucks Ushering in High Tech Payment

Two new apps to help you buy your favorite brew from Starbucks using iPhone Apps. The first provides an app to find the closest Starbucks location, store your favorite coffee concoction or design one that meets your taste.

The Second app allows you to use a barcode that appears on your iPhone screen to pay for your coffee purchase. Both Apps are free and no you can’t use it to preorder.

Here's the list of stores testing the "Starbucks Card Mobile" payment trial. In Seattle, they are at Key Tower, Columbia Center, 1st Interstate / Wells Fargo, 40th Floor Columbia Tower; Seventh & Stewart; Seventh & Pike; University Village II; and Madison Park.

So while we don’t have the chance currently to try this out locally, if you have a chance to travel to any of the above areas you could stop by and try it out and let us know how well it works out.

Oh Boy! You can now send Pictures using MMS on your iPhone…

This is not to say that I have been hardly waiting for this but is finally here. All you need do is run your iTunes update and sync your iPhone. The updated 3.1 software will install automatically for you. If you don’t initially see the updates in your camera you will need to reboot your camera like I needed to before I could use the updates.

Rebooting: Hold down both your HOME and POWER buttons until the screen blanks.Then hold down the power button until the Apple symbol appears. The restating takes a few minutes so sit back, pour yourself a cup of coffee and wait until your iPhone comes back on. It takes about 2 minutes but it seems like ages.

This update gives you the ability to insert pictures on your iPhone into MMS messages that you send to your peeps. You can do it from three different points in the system.

If you are in messaging you will see a little camera icon in the lower left corner of your iPhone that when pressed will allow you to take a Photo or Video to send, or to choose an existing Photo or Video to send. If you decide to take the Photo or Video on the fly you will be transferred to the Camera application and it works just as it normally does. You are given a choice to retake the process if you don’t like the initial results, and if you pick use it will insert what you have take into the Message for you.

The camera application has added an MMS option to its menu. this allows you to take a photo or video and then attach it to a message to send it out.

The third method of sending out your images is to open your photo application, select your photo or video and then pick the Share option at the  bottom left of screen. Notice how the image is checked and your share and copy buttons show the number of images you will be working with. Press the Share Option and you will be dropped into a choice of sending the images to through Email, MMS or if you have a MobileMe account to the MobileMe file area. Press the MMS Option and you will be taken to the Message Screen.

Which ever method you choose to use to send along you favorite pics & vids to your friends and colleagues, you will find the process simple and fast.   

Evernote, a great tool to give you access to your information anywhere you have an internet connection…

I have been a big fan of Microsoft’s OneNote application and it is still a central part of my daily data collection and storage for all of the research that I do. But the one thing that I miss with it is the ability to access it from wherever I am when I have Internet access.

This online software package has clients for Windows, MAC OS X, iPhone, IPOD Touch, Blackberry, Palm Pre, Sony Ericsson X1 and Windows Mobile. Just about anyway that you would touch the Internet, from your desktop or phone you  can create and view information that you want to store and share with this application.

If you hare aware what OneNote does, your will be able to understand the concept of Evernote which has been modeled after it. This software program is available as a free application and if you find yourself bumping the limitations of the free version you can upgrade to the premium version for only $5/month or $45/year for a yearly subscription. Evernote Premium gives you bigger upload capacity, supports more file types, and offers enhanced security. Plus, you get PDF searching, faster image recognition, and no ads. The following chart shows you a few of the benefits of the upgrade:

I am finding this an extremely useful application that provides me with the link that I’ve been missing to bring data to my iPhone as well as any desktop that I am currently using. Try out the free version to see if it has a place in your software arsenal. I think that it just might.

Apple’s Mobile Me and Me…

I will need to take a long look at this program and try to see if it has any worth.

I think as a Windows Server/Exchange user, the connection we have with Exchange and our phones is good enough. I think that the problem comes up with some users who don’t have an integrated solution and needs something to pull it all together.

If you are on a MAC this may be just the ticket but for most of us there are so many other ways to integrate and share information that is a lot less expensive then the $90+ that Apple wants for this service. I don’t see anything in the iTunes program to tie anything into this either which probably would make sense if they did to help with the overall syncing.

One of the interesting functions that I saw under Settings was the FIND MY IPHONE menu choice. When you choose this option your phone will be pinpointed on a map and you will have several options available to you. First is to display a message and have a tone sound on the phone. this would help you find you phone if you left it laying around the house and couldn’t find it. Second you have the ability to remotely wipe the phone clean so that if you have sensitive data on the phone you can wipe it out very easily so it’s out of the hands of the thief that has it…

Email: MobileMe sets you up with an email address associated with this account. The address youloginname@me.com is your email and you have the basic email functions and fields, To:, CC:, Subject, large message area (no formatting that I see) and attaching up to a 20MB file to the message. There is spell check and you can hit  the contact button to easily insert contacts from your message list. You can setup multiple folders for storing your messages, but I can’t find a way to have this grab mail from multiple accounts. This will still have to be done on your iPhone and those accounts will not roll into the on screen version. you have the typical reply, reply to all recipients, and forwarding a message. Again, nothing spectacular.

Contact: I didn’t want to add my contact list to the service (2200+ entries in mine), so I pulled up the function on the screen. It harps on me as I do this because I didn’t sync my contacts on the phone. It has all the basic fields you would expect and allows you add more fields to the standard format to fill in more info as you need for someone. If you look close to the left you can an idea of the choices that you can add to the list.

Calendar: The application on the iPhone didn’t give me the ability to synch with my Exchange settings even though for no apparent rhyme or reason some of my calendar events were brought over. Don’t have an answer for that one. I would want better control if I were going to use this feature.

Photo Gallery: This would setup a gallery that you could move between you different computer and phone devices. But I don’t see how this is really helpful because you can do the same basic thing with iTunes with your phone. Could be helpful if you didn’t have any other method of moving and sharing photos, I just don’t want to waste my phone memory on too many pictures though.

iDisk: This is a feature to place files on you iPhone for later viewing or being able to reference them. This program allows you to store often used documents that you might want to share with customers. One of the features is being able to email them directly out of the iDisk interface on your phone. If you are carrying around info that is you need to disseminate to customers, like brochures, then if for no other reason this might be an easy way to manage it. the images are coming from you online storage, not your phone so you won’t be taking up much space in you phone. You can setup file sharing with other people as well in a public folder area. Again an interesting way to collaborate with co-workers and customers.

Conclusion: While this program may not benefit me especially, there are those of you out there that may want to try it. Remember that you can try it out for 60 days before the subscription kicks in. So… it doesn’t cost anything but your time to try it out.