Some free iPhone apps I’ve found useful. I’ve written about paid apps and games in other posts.

Facebook - Maybe not the most useful, but probably the most used.

Chase - If the deposit by camera feature worked more reliably, this would be great, but it only works in perfect lighting and some checks it just doesn’t like at all. It’s usually worth one attempt, then the check goes into the eventual bank visit pile.

Netflix - With the TV cable, works great as a portable Roku. Don’t watch much on the iPhone screen, however.

Instapaper Free, Economist Free - Were very useful when I had more reliable reading time. Now that I’m alone with the phone less often, I’m less inclined to rely on it for timely reading.

Stanza - Broad and easy to browse selection of free books.

Kindle - Switched to the Kindle app after getting the Kindle device. Not all the books are free, but the books I purchase I tend to want to read quickly, or at least comfortably. That leaves all the free books to be read on the phone at a more leisurely pace.

Photosynth - A panoramic picture stitcher. Very easy to use, produces reasonable results considering the limitations of the input, works fast. Gold star.

Open Table - Find a restaurant, make a reservation, walk there, earn rewards. Sweet deal.

Amazon - Ironically, used this app the most in a Barnes & Noble store.

iPhone apps I paid for and don’t regret. Apps where I know the author are marked kta. See also the games and free apps roundups.

WhatsApp - Text message replacement. Not a heavy texter, so I’m not saving money, but it has a few bonus features like location sharing and group chat that make it nicer than SMS. Even though I never run out of texts, there is the peace of mind being freed from even considering if a message is worth 20c. kta.

iTrans NYC - Subway maps. Bought this just to always have a subway map available, but discovered a great second use. Download the neighborhood maps ahead of time, and you’ll have fast offline access to detailed street maps without waiting to make a cell connection. kta.

JotNot Pro - Portable document scanner. Someday I hope to use this, as detailed in my paperless project post.

Camera+ - A great drop in replacement for the default app. It only takes a few touchups to drastically improve the visible detail of photos taken with the builtin camera.

Nike+ GPS - Run tracker. I find the phone too heavy to carry on every run, but take the app with me every once in a while, particularly when trying out a new route.

Split Expense - Total up expenses, then send bills to your friends. Bought it after a friend used it on a trip, then used it myself on a later one. The app is very basic, but easy enough to use once you’re used to it. As much as the formality of tracking every purchase seems like it’d drag down the fun, I found the opposite to be true. People stopped worrying about who paid for what when they knew that an accurate settling up would occur.

Precorder - Video recorder that’s always a few seconds ahead. Would have loved to have this app a million times, then I bought and haven’t needed it since. Am hoping to get a chance to use it. kta.

Some notes on a few games I’ve purchased for my iPhone. I paid some minimum amount of money for all of these. Compare with the paid app roundup and the free app roundup elsewhere.

more...

Scattered thoughts on bitcoin, past, present, and future.

more...

Double movie review, Taken and Takers.

more...

First I read Perdido Street Station by China Mieville, then more recently I read Thunderer by Felix Gilman. The similarities between them are numerous. Updated to review The Scar as well.

more...

I have collected lots of iPods, particularly the nano model. The first one I bought about the day it came (1st gen, black plastic) out to replace a crappy other brand MP3 player. Then when I decided the battery life wasn’t holding up anymore, I bought a 3rd gen (squarish metal model). That fell out of my pocket somewhere and was lost, so I bought a 5th gen replacement (back to tall format, metal case). In each case, I used it to listen to music while walking, traveling, working, whatever.

Recently I had reason to use the 1st gen model as a podcast/audiobook player for the car. The battery is now down to about 30 minutes, which was ok with a DC adapter in the car, but started to suck when I tried listening to podcasts in the gym, too. The bigger problem is that it doesn’t necessarily play all the latest podcast and audible formats. And the hold button once got stuck in the on position, which was rather inconvenient. Clearly, the 1st gen had reached retirement age.

I really liked having having a separate player for the spoken word stuff, just for the convenience of never navigating menus to switch between books and music. iPod navigation is easy, but it’s not free. One button play/pause to get what I want is perfect. I saw the new iPod nano touch on sale on woot and got one.

The touch model being the newest, it gets music duty. The 5th gen is now the word player. As far as the new one goes, I was at first a little suspicious of such a small touch interface, but it works. The hold button is now somewhat implicit in the screen on/off button and there’s hardware volume buttons. There’s also now an FM radio that displays song titles (excellent!) and lets you tag them, presumably so you can buy them later. Otherwise, it’s an iPod. Final call: wouldn’t have upgraded from the 5th gen, but it’s a good gadget.

Actually, it’s been closer to two months, but here are my thoughts on using a Wii Fit Plus. I wasn’t entirely sure what I was getting into, but figured it would be a good supplement to my regular workouts. It’s worth noting that the Wii Fit is not my only exercise and I didn’t have any particular weight loss or fitness goals in my mind. Motive was primarily to get a little variety. I got the new Plus model, which just means a few extra games on the disc.

more...

A while back, I read about filling dumpsters and going paperless with some interest, but it didn’t move me to action because I don’t really have that much paperwork. Then came another DIY approach, something worthy of turning into a project.

more...

First off, if you’re going to read this post, you have to subscribe to the economic belief that an appropriate price for a transaction is any price where both parties leave happy. If you instead believe that the appropriate price is cost of production plus a mixed 10-20% margin, you can leave now. This post is also somewhat constrained by my personal reading practices and habits.

When I buy a book, I’m purchasing it for the information contained on its pages, not the paper the pages are made of. Specifically, in the case of a novel, I’m buying the experience of reading the story. Therefore, I’m indifferent to the medium by which the experience is delivered, provided I enjoy it similarly.

I think more people believe this than realize it. Consider you’re offered two books, one that you’re interested in reading and one that you aren’t. The prices are the same. Clearly, you aren’t going to make your purchasing decision based on how much paper you’re getting for your money.

Physical books actually have a negative experience value (for me). I have to store the books. I have to move them, carry them, care for them, try not to lose them. ebooks do not share these shortcomings. Books do have their advantages, such as resale value, but in practice I almost never sell or lend books. In my situation, there are no benefits to books printed on paper.

Basically, if a paperback costs $6 and the ebook costs $7, I look at it as paying $6 for the story and $1 for the convenience of never needing to deal with the reality of a physical book. There is a limit here, of course. That convenience factor is probably not worth much more than about $2, and I very rarely buy any story for more than about $10 regardless of medium.