Great Google Calendar App

Thanks to Dan Buzer about the news that Google Maps is back on the iPhone! Good stuff and about time, thanks Dan. The old Google Calendar App didn't integrate with iOS6 that well, and as I use Google calendar on all my devices,  I bought this one called CalenMob Pro for $6.99 and it's worth every cent, and is really much better, and syncs all your devices automatically when you connect to any of them.

The good thing about this one versus the free Google Calendar app is that it works OFFLINE when you don't have a good data connection and resyncs automatically when you do. That is very handy when you're travelling or are in a poor reception area. Integration isn't as quite as tight as with the native Google Calendar app but it works much better, has many more features and views, and you can even try out the lite version first for free.

And it has some very powerful features for a phone calendar app including integration with your native iPhone calendar as well as well as all your Google Calendars. Now that Google Maps is back and working well, I have this sitting right next to it, and it's a total calendar and mapping solution that just works so very efficiently!

Google Calendar Mobile

Errands - A Great iPhone To-Do List!

I've used many to-do lists in my time, but I must admit that I haven't found one that is as useful and exciting as Errands before. I've used the inbuilt Apple App, and I've tried Google's Task App, and while they were both good, Errands actually is nothing short of superlative in the way it handles your tasks and to-do's. 

It's so easy to use, and to categorize your tasks, but where Errands shines is the subtle yet highly efficient way it reminds you on a very consistent basis when you need to do something. There are no loud alarms, just a very subtle audio and visual reminder, even when the app is not active. It's just works, and integrates into your life so well, that I cannot but help recommend you check it out.

Errands for iPhone

Portable Battery Power for your iPhone 4S

One of the great things about some mobile phones is that they let you carry spare batteries so you can operate over long days. The iPhone has a built-in and non-changeable battery and while lasting a long time, you can run out of power in a day if you use it a lot. So what do you do?

Well one solution is to carry a Powerbank with you, or recharge it in the car, but that often is not convenient or suitable.

Recently I ordered a case for my Apple iPhone 4S that also contains a 2,200mAh rechargeable battery with enough power to more than double the iPhone's basic capacity, and it was only $14 postage free in Australia. Yesterday I received  it and tested it out and it works great!

It's called the iPower battery case and the iPhone just slips into it, and you can keep using your phone while it recharges. That's handy stuff, and I like it and fully recommend it.

You can buy it from eBay at this link: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/290676630834?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649#ht_3185wt_1271

Here's a picture of the iPower device if you want one, and I consider it a must-have accessory for the busy business person who doesn't have access to recharging during a busy day!

Should you get the new iPhone 5?

With the release of the new Apple iPhone 5, many current iPhone owners will be asking themselves the question "Should I get an iPhone 5?"

Well it really depends on your situation now. As an example, I'm not getting one at this stage because I have a10 month old iPhone 4S which already has a dual core chip, Siri and 8mp camera etc, and is doing everything I want. 

I also have a lot of accessories for it which I don't want to have to replace. When Apple unveiled the new iPhone 5, it announced that it was losing the 30-pin connector that has been the standard for five years. It's adopting a new eight-pin connector called Lightning, saying a smaller connector is necessary to keep making thinner devices, so the new dock wont work with the existing accessories. 

So if you have an iPhone 4S, it's a question of whether you want the latest phone just to have one. For 3GS owners and even iPhone 4 owners though, it is a significant upgrade and they would really notice it. Its important to note that iOS6 will be available on your existing phone models in a few days, and that has several of the features of the iPhone 5 in it as a free upgrade. Only the 4S can run Siri, the voice assistant, as previous models don't have the hardware capability.

Click here to see Apple's side by side comparison of the iPhone 4, the 4S and iPhone 5.

So weigh up your options and make an informed decision. Some may just want it for the Wow factor and that's OK. At the end of the day it's your choice! 

Do you want to use your iPhone as a Scanner?

This is the BEST scanner app for the iPhone. I have been using it since I had a iPhone 3 but with the iPhone 4S it is brilliant. I just found out by reading an article that you need to scan about 12-15" above the page with flash ON. The app sets the camera for contrast, distance, stabilization and the rest. 


After that you get to select the exact area to be processed, and an enhanced pic of your document is saved to the camera roll to be emailed, printed or whatever. If it sounds complicated, it's not, but it does take some practice. I liken this app to a portable photocopier, because when you use it properly with the high res camera and flash, you get almost the same results, and it cost on $2! Try it....you'll be astounded!


Jotnot Pro Scanner App

Playing MP3 music from your iPhone to a Car Radio

Many of us have MP3's on our iPhones, and would like to play them on our car radios whether they be music, training audios or similar. Some car's have the ability to dock with the iPhone but those are few, and connecting by a cable is not really a possibility.


The answer is actually quite simple. By using the base connector on the iPhone in combination with a small FM transmitter that plugs right in, you can play any MP3 wirelessly and it will be picked up by a pre-tuned frequency on your car radio. 


This device is available for less than $30 in Australia and works well. I have been using one for over a year. Click on this link to go to the suppliers website: FM Transmitter for iPhone 

Does your iPhone ever run out of battery during the day?

The great thing about the iPhone, and many smartphones, is that they can do so many things that the old phones couldn't. But if you had a basic Nokia or similar years ago, you could rely on the battery to give you up to five days power at times.


Not so with an iPhone if you are using it fully as a mobile computer, making lots of calls, and using GPS etc. It's not the iPhone's fault at all, as they can only put a certain size battery in it if they want to keep it compact. But if you are a power user, and out of the office a lot you may find yourself out of battery well before your day ends. One solution is to use a car charger, but this is slow, and not always convenient.


The better solution is to carry around a device called a Powerbank, which is a big Lithium-Ion battery in a housing with multiple USB ports that carries enough energy to power three iPhones, and can also charge your other USB powered digital devices like cameras. These Powerbanks are available on eBay, or in electronic stores and tend to range in price, capacity and reliability. 


So when I saw that Aldi were selling one on special, and quite a powerful one at 7.500 mAh, I thought I'd blog about it. I'll be getting one myself, and they go on sale for $29.99 on Saturday 28th April, and the good thing about buying locally is the 3 year Aussie warranty and no wait for it to arrive from overseas. It also charges an iPad at the same time and even has a micro USB port, so I'm recommending this item to everyone who has ever had a device lose battery power at the wrong time.


You can charge it up at home from AC power and carry it around in a briefcase, and it is small enough to fit into one of the new carry-all bags that a lot of business people now use. Check it out, and if you miss out on this special, you can always search for "Powerbank" on eBay if you need to in the future.

Putting Video on Your Blog

Someone asked me if you could put video on a blog like Blogger, or do you need to go to WordPress. I like Blogger for it's ease of use, simplicity, power and integration with Google.


And yes, you can easily put video up. Here's a basic example I made just now using my iPhone 4S. I used Extras4iMovie to do the titling, and iMovie for the Iphone 4 to edit together the titles, clips and add music. All done in ten minutes and now I am ready to upload using the Insert Video menu item in Blogger.


It really is that easy, so have a go, and you'll find it fun! If you don't already have a blog, start one at www.blogger.com and it's free...

Keeping Track of Your Expenses

A lot of people in business find it hard to keep track of small expenses like coffee, parking meters, and a raft of other small things. And then they don't claim them back as they have no record. The app iXchecker for the iPhone let's you easily do this on the run, and sends the results to a GooGle Spreadsheet which acts the same as a diary note for expenses under a certain amount (Check locally with your accountant for advice on that).


The app is easy to use, very affordable and will in some cases be worth a lot to you in previously unclaimed expenses, plus keeping track of normal expenses.


Here is the link on iTunes, check it out... iXchecker Expense Tracker

What has been my personal experience with the new iPhone?

I was asked about my experience with the iPhone 4S yesterday in a message, and this is the reply I gave - I bought an black iPhone 4S 32Gb model. White is available and is nicer for ladies. You need the 32Gb as it films in high definition and that uses a lot of space. You can sync an iPhone 4S to a Mac or P via cable or to the Apple iCloud when you're not near a computer. This is a cool feature and allows sync between all your Apple devices. Check out www.icloud.com 

If you are really going bush, then you need to be with Telstra, otherwise you're fine with Vodafone or Optus. I prefer Vodafone as I get very good performance since they have done their upgrades. A year ago it was a different story, but now they're good.

The plan I am on is the Vodafone Infinite Plan 50, which allows me to call any number in Australia, landline or mobile for any amount of time. 13 and 1800 numbers are charged and come out of the $50. This is the best plan I have ever been on. They even gave me a bonus 1Gb of data on top of the included 500Mb, although I don't know if this is an ongoing deal.

Here is a link to the Infinite plans, I am on the $50 one at the top and it seems enough. http://shop.vodafone.com.au/all-plans?id=900013

The handset cost over the term of the 24 month contract is $20 a month, very fair making the phone cost $480. The 16Gb version is only $3 less at $17pm so go for the 32Gb.


So your total cost per month inc data and phone is $70 total, and the only thing you have to watch is you don't go over the $50 on the 13 and 1800 numbers. 1900 number are chargeable of course.

The iPhone 4S is the best business phone on the market, not just because of features but because Android phones, and they may have one of two better features, are open source operating system and therefore still vulnerable to malware. Apple's iOS is closed architecture and you don't need to run a virus program (I don't think they even make one), and it is just an elegant, businesslike smartphone with a great camera, and a good feature set that also happens to have a iPod built in - bonus!


And then of course there's the many accessories you can buy for it if you know where to look. Here's some of them in one pic that I compiled just this week.

Find Your Lost iPhone

I just lost my iPhone. It was somewhere in the house, and even when I rang it from my landline, it didn't ring long enough for me to locate it. It was well and truly misplaced.


Fortunately, I had installed the Find My iPhone app on it, so I was able to go to the iCloud website, and send it a message and make it play a continuous sounds until I found it. This worked, and I found it quickly.


The app also lets you find your iPhone when it's much farther away too, as it uses GPS. It has three options and the first is to send it a message and play a sound. The second is to lock the phone. And the third, which is very useful if you think the phone has been stolen or lost for good, is to remotely wipe all data, so the whoever has it can't access any of your personal information.


This app is free and required iOS5 and you can use it on other iOS devices or from a computer. It's an essential rather than a luxury as I have just proved to myself.


Click here to go to the apple site to find out more: Find My iPhone

So you're thinking of an iPhone 4S, and wonder if Siri is worth it?

Want a new Smartphone for New Year's? The iPhone 4S and Samsung Galaxy SII are almost identical in many ways except one. The iPhone 4S has Siri, which is more than just voice control, it is an intelligent assistant that works well most of the time. I find it extremely useful and easy to use. You can do a lot of tasks without even touching the keyboard or unlocking the phone, so do yourself a favour and try it before you make your next phone choice!


Check out a video of how Siri works!