My 10 favourite iPhone apps

Obviously the 3 main functions of the iPhone are hard to do without - the Phone, the iPod & Messages.

Yesterday I noticed that the most popular camera on Flickr is now the iPhone 4! They say the best camera is the one you've got with you when you need to take a photo & I guess that is often the camera phone.

In addition to these, my 10 favourite iPhone apps are:

1. Hipstamatic - I love the surprise of the photo, especially using the random mode. It captures a look & feel that I really like. It does all the post-production & the results are great.

2. Scrabble - I was never a fan of word games until I found the scrabble app. Each game is quite short & fills in those moments where you want to have more than mindless fun. I've even learnt some new word - just no idea what they mean.

3. Safari - OK, so it's not really an app, but it's impossible to get the information I want, when I want it without Safari on the iPhone. It just works so reliably well.

4. Flashlight - This has saved my life a few times when trying to navigate slippery or narrow steps at night. It launches quickly & is bright enough to guide my way.

5. Geocaching - Ok so I'm a bit of a nerd, but an outdoor nerd. It's fun going on a treasure hunt to find a hidden logbook. This app makes it easy to find these treasures without much forward planning. The app is expensive compared to others, but cheap compared to buying a GPS.

6. Tomtom navigation - Another expensive GPS app, but invaluable to tell me where to go. I haven't bought any voices yet, but it would be great to get a Star Wars character to navigate me through the universe.

7. Facebook - I'm not the biggest facebook user, but I like to stay connected with who is doing what & this app (although quite basic) does most of what I want.

8. Simpleminds - This is a great little brainstorming app that is free to download, then if you like it, buy it for more functionality. I use it for lists, notes & exploring ideas.

9. Angry birds - What list would be complete with Angry Birds. Epic, awesome & fun. Each level is quick, simple & engaging. I wouldn't be surprised to see a new app where the pigs revolt... maybe it could be Revolting pigs!

10. Quickpix - Sometimes the iPhone camera isn't fast enough. Quickpix is the camera that should've come with the iPhone. It can even take a picture as soon as you launch the app so you never miss a moment.

It's hard to stay up to date with the daily changing world of the iPhone app store. but these 10 have stood the test of time & I would definitely recommend them to download from the iPhone app store.

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A newbies guide to geocaching

I recently heard about geocaching and thought I would give it a go. I did & I really enjoy it.

What is geocaching?

I think of geocaching as a treasure hunt using a GPS.

How do I get started?

The official website is www.geocaching.com where you can sign up with a free basic membership. This gives you access to all the geocaches around the world.

Each cache is recorded by:

- the longitude & latitude

- difficulty & terrain rating (5 being the most difficult)

- the type & size of the cache

Do I need a GPS?

Having an accurate GPS is an advantage. Many car navigation models don't have the accuracy for off-road searching but can be a good starting point. Likewise you can use Google maps or Google Earth to pinpoint the co-ordinates, then use the description and hints to locate the cache.

What is a cache?

A cache is a container (ranging in size from a tiny 1cm high tube to a 20 litre bucket) which contains a logsheet and it may also have items that can be swapped (including special geocaching items called geocoins or travel bugs). There are also Earth caches which are interesting geographic finds.

How do I get started?

Go to www.geocaching.com

Enter your current location

Find a nearby cache that is at least 400ml in size which gives a better chance of finding it

Check the difficulty & terrain rating (start with an easy one)

Load the co-ordinates into your GPS

Take appropriate clothing & supplies

Explore!

When you get back, log your find on www.geocaching.com

Is there anything special I should know?

There are some 'rules' & 'etiquette' that should be observed:

1. If you take something from a cache (never take the logsheet, pencil, sharpener or eraser), leave something of equal or greater value.

2. Make sure you leave the cache as & where you found it (unless it was exposed incorrectly).

3. Watch out for muggles (non-geocachers). Part of geocaching is exploring secretly so others aren't aware of the caches.

4. Respect the environment. Take out your rubbish & don't ruin any natural environments.

5. Be polite & respectful to other geocachers, especially those who went to the trouble of making the cache in the first place.

6. Have fun! Share the fun!

What do I need to watch out for?

It is important to be safe. This means having the right gear for the conditions, being sensible around hazards, checking routes, being prepared and having backup plans if anything doesn't go to plan.

I've found myself on the wrong route to a cache. It is also worth checking that you have the correct co-ordinates!

What should I take?

Here's my (ever-growing) list of useful items:

- Good shoes or boots

- Food & water

- Pen & paper

- Camera

- Bag

- Goodies or trinkets to swap

- Geocaching application for my iTouch

- GPS

- Sunscreen, sun hat & insect repellant

- Positive attitude

- Small first aid kit (including antibacterial wipes & tissues)

- Layers of clothing & wet weather gear if appropriate (remember the weather can change)

- Cell phone

What now?

log into www.geocaching.com & start exploring the wonderful world we live in!

Happy geocaching!

If you have any questions or want to add anything, please feel free to post comments. If you want to share your geocaching stories, I'd love to hear them.

Creating great testimonials

Here are the questions that you can use to help develop top rate testimonials:

1. What do you like most about the service?

2. What were your perceptions before we started?

3. How has that perception changed?

4. What are the three biggest benefits?

5. Would you recommend our service?

6. Is there anything else you’d like to add?

The answers are then given back to the client in a draft summary for them to approve & send back.

For example:

Hi John

I really liked the way you paid attention and listened about my personal situation & developed a plan to help me achieve & protect my goals.

I was feeling a little anxious before we started because I had never thought about some of the issues previously, but after talking it through felt I was in safe hands.

The benefit for me is that I have a motivating goal, a backup plan if things don’t work out due to unforeseen circumstances and I know you are there if you need me.

I would definitely recommend your service to my friends and family.

Thank you once again for your professional & thorough service.

Sincerely,

Tony

Losing the love(mark)

I loved my ipod touch... but now it's gone... the irreplaceable needs to be replaced because of a fault & the store not replacing it, instead sending it away for analysis - so much for their money back guarantee...

My ipod was with me 24/7...

- It kept track of my life with the calendar

- It lifted my spirits with the (disputably) best track list in the world

- It inspired me with some amazing audio books

- It made me laugh with the great podcasts

- It educated me with leaders sharing their thoughts on video

- It amused me with games

- It woke me in the morning with it's alarm

So, my lovemark has been taken from... Now I have to fill the gaps in my life

Creating meaning

I gave blood the other day & thought it would be great if the Blood Donor Centre told the donors how the donation was used.

I would feel more motivated if I knew my blood made a positive difference in another person's life. It would create 'significance' for the donation.

This could be an automated e-mail that said something like:

Hi Tony

Thanks for taking the time to donate some of your valuable blood.

It was used to help a young burns victim.

We look forward to seeing you next month.

Stay healthy!

Regards

Dr ......

High tech! - Tony's Toastmasters speech

I knew I was spending too much time on the computer when my wife sent me an e-mail, asking if I was coming downstairs for dinner.

I was introduced to computers back in 1978 with the first colour computer called a compucolor.  This was just after I played pong - not the smelly type either.  But with the compucolor I could travel through space with star trek, rule kingdoms playing Kings Quest and visit bars amongst other dodgy activities with Leisure Suit Larry.

My first work computer was at the National Bank, but each day we got our paper back up files - just in case "the computer" failed (which it did once).  My second job introduced me to the Macintosh which had some great games.  

My first really fast computer was a 486 in the mid 90‘s with an incredible encyclopedia called Encarta and movie database called Cinemania.  It seemed mind boggling that so much information was available on these CD ROMs.  To give you an idea of the computing power of a 486, we ran 9 users in our office off 1 486 computer!

We also had bulletin boards & on-line games which meant tying up the phone lines while we played Doom on 9,600 bits per second modem connections.  Last night my broadband was 5 million bits per second!

I joined the internet in the mid 90s with a company called Compuserve.  It cost $19.95 per hour which is equivalent to $27 after tax today - so I had to work for 3 hours to get 1 hour on the internet!

When Xtra started on 1 May 1996 & I joined, paying $5 per hour.  In August of that year, it halved.  Today I pay the equivalent of 5 cents per hour.

But suddenly the world started seeming a lot smaller & the information much broader. 

I remember the first time I introduced my mother to the computer.

After explaining to take the mouse and her screaming “Where’s the mouse?”, she began waving it in front of the screen.  When I showed her the internet & told her it could answer any question, she thought for a minute, then typed “How is my mother today?”

But the internet can be really useful too.  I’ve used it to buy a piece of the Berlin wall & a signed picture of Kenny Baker (the actor inside R2D2).

On the internet, I found out that in 2002 scientists spent a whole year determining the funniest joke was:

Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn't seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other guy takes out his phone and calls the emergency services.

He gasps: "My friend is dead! What can I do?" The operator says: "Calm down, I can help. First, let's make sure he's dead." There is a silence, then a gunshot is heard. Back on the phone, the guy says: "OK, now what?"

There are also some wonderful one liners like:

I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn't work that way. So I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness.

or words of wisdom, like:

The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

But as one person said, getting information off the internet is like getting a drink from a fire hydrant.

But some people just shouldn’t talk about the internet.

George Bush - is quoted as saying "It's important for us to explain to our nation that life is important. It's not only life of babies, but it's life of children living in, you know, the dark dungeons of the Internet."

But these last 2 quotes sum it up for me:

"The Internet is a giant international network of intelligent, informed computer enthusiasts, by which I mean, "people without lives."

or  "Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach that person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks”