10 must-have iPhone apps according to Ken

These are my favorites as of right now.  At this moment.  Subject to change at any time without notice.

I left off the social media apps everyone has, like Facebook, LinkedIn, and TweetDeck.  I also excluded the apps I’ve written to eliminate the obvious bias :) 

Here are 10 apps I use on a regular basis:

 #1 Simplify Media 2 ($5.99)

Simplify Media lets you stream music from your computer to your iPhone.  The downside is you need to leave your computer on.  But if you do that anyway then you can have your entire music collection with you anywhere you go.  For me, that’s enough music to fill 10 iPhones.  Plus I don’t have to sync music to my phone.  Once it is on my computer I can play it on my phone.  And the sound quality is great.

 #2  i.TV 2.0 (Free)

i.TV is the perfect TV guide app, especially if you have a TiVo.  You can see TV listings in a stylish format and flip through stations and show times quickly.  Once you find a show, you can read the synopsis, tell your TiVo to record it, and even change to the station using a built in TiVo remote (yes, control your TiVo from your iPhone.  Is there anything the iPhone can’t do?)  There’s tons more to this app that I haven’t yet explored.

 

 #3 Evernote (Free)

Evernote keeps Text, Pictures, and Voice notes, and does so with a nice easy-to-use inteface.  The real exciting feature, though, is all of your notes are synced and available via the Evernote Web site too.  I jump between using the Evernote Web site at my desk, and the iPhone app on the go.

 

 #4 Lose It! (Free)

Lose it! is designed to help you control your weight, the only way that works – by counting calories.  It has a huge, though not complete, list of foods including store brands and popular restaurant chains.  For the foods it is missing, you can add custom foods or recipes.  It tracks all sorts of exercises too.  You start by setting a goal, then as you track intake and exercise, you can see exactly how well you are doing.  I’ve only just started using it, but it does help you think twice before grabbing that brownie in the cafe (not that it stops me, mind you!)

 #5 Zenbe Lists ($2.99)

Zenbe is a simple app for keeping to-do lists, shopping lists, etc.  It syncs with a free Web site so you can update lists in both places.  I use it a lot for grocery shopping and keeping a list of projects I need to do at home.  There are many to-do lists in the App Store, including ones that are made specifically for grocery shopping, but I find this simple app works best for me. 

 

 #6 Sportacular (Free)

Sportacular has all the details you need for a sports fan who needs to know the current score of a game, or a team’s upcoming schedule, etc.  It’s a well-designed app and covers all the bases, if you will :)  Gives you play-by-plays, stats, and even has an alert feature to notify you when a score has changed.

 

 #7 Let’s Golf ($1.99)

I haven’t purchased many games for the iPhone, but this one caught my attention and is pretty amazing for the price.  I got it on sale for a buck, and it was worth every penny.  Very addictive once you get the hang of it.

 

 #8 Pandora Radio (Free)

Pandora is a free music streaming application that generates playlists based on a band name you enter.  The app uses a highly analytical process to guess what other music you’d like based on the band you select.  It is usually spot on.  This app was one of the reasons I dumped my Sirius radio subscription.  Who needs a monthly fee when I can get this for free?

 

 #9 Shazam (Free)

Have you ever heard a song and wished you could push a button to find out who the artist is, and what the name of the song is?  Shazam does that for you in 12 seconds.  Just hit “Tag Now”, hold your iPhone near the speaker, and it finds the artist, song, lyrics, bio, and much more.  It is worth checking out just for the pure novelty of it. 

 

 #10 iMapMyRun (Free)

Here’s another app that has replaced a separate device I used to use.  iMapMyRun will track your running routes using the GPS on the iPhone.  It records time, distance, pace, etc, and syncs that information to mapmyrun.com, where you can enter way more information about your run than you’d ever care to.  They also have an app for bikers and other activities.  It’s the best run-tracking app out there at the moment.  And I don’t need my giant Garmin wrist watch anymore to track my distances.

 

So there’s my list.  What are your favorites?  Feel free to comment!

Email enabling your Outlook 2007 To Do List

I use the Outlook 2007 Tasks, aka To Do List, regularly at work.  Occasionally when I’m out and about and I think of something I need to do, I send myself an email from my iPhone (before my memory is garbage-collected) because I know if I fail to write it down immediately it will be lost from my memory forever.  Then the next day, I can take that email and copy it into my to-do list, set a follow-up date, a project category, etc.

Wouldn’t it be nice if I could just have that all triggered from the email itself?  I thought so, and I started imagining how I could program a script or Outlook Add-on to handle it.  But thankfully, anyone can do this very easily using just built-in Rules for Outlook 2007.

First, create a new rule in Outlook by clicking Tools > Rules & Alerts.  I chose to Start with a Blank Rule then clicked the Check messages when they arrive option.

On the first step of the wizard, I selected a few conditions.  I wanted this to only run if the message was sent only to me, was sent only from one of my few email addresses, and only if there were specific words in the subject.  I entered TODO: as the specific word that triggers the action.

For step 2 of the wizard, I chose to mark the email message as read, flag it for follow up, assign a specific category and move it into another folder (i.e. out of my Inbox)

And that’s it!  Click past step 3, and then click Finish.  The system works great, with the only downside that Outlook must be running for this rule to work.  I leave it running usually while I’m away, so that is not an issue. 

Relax with Tranzotica has hit the App Store

I’m a little late with this post, but my second application, Relax with Tranzotica, is available for sale on the App store.

Relax with Tranzotica is a relaxation / meditation aid filled with calming images and soothing ambient music. If you need to escape for a few moments in a busy day, Relax with Tranzotica can help ease your mind and put you at peace.

The music was written by Pamela Davis, an independent artist who released the album Tranzotica in 2008. Part of her inspiration for the album involved studying meditation and how music theory (scales, chords, rhythms) could influence the mind and aid relaxation.

Images are shown based on a theme that you select. A number of suggested themes are included such as "Sunrises and sunsets", "Waterfalls", and "Tropical Island Beaches". You can also create your own custom theme based on keywords you enter.

There is a free lite version available as well: Relax with Tranzotica Lite It includes two tracks and a limited set of images, but is otherwise similar to the full version.

Here is the app store description:

Welcome to Relax with Tranzotica. It’s time to get centered. Relax. Regroup. Use Relax with Tranzotica to de-stress during difficult days or unwind before sleep. Beautiful images and music draw you in to create an experience of peace, serenity, and calm. Select from these ever-changing visual themes, or create your own atmosphere: > Sunrises and sunsets > Exotic flowers > Tropical island beaches > Waterfalls > Mountains > City skylines > Redwood National Forest > New England foliage > and four more... Tranzotica’s music is the creation of Pamela Davis, an accomplished independent artist of 25 years. She describes this recording as "a collage of ambient instrumental music that makes one soul tingle from head to toe...packed full of intriguing music that takes the listener to another place, another time, another realm of reality, to unpredictable heights." No time for a yoga class, healthy meal, or spa treatment? Relax with Tranzotica.

More on the mystery behind the App Store.

I did eventually get a response from a human being? Well, at least it sounds more human and the response did take a few days to arrive rather than 5 seconds.

Here was their latest response:

Dear Ken, Your application, Relax with Tranzotica Lite, is requiring unexpected additional time for review. We apologize for the delay, and will update you with further status as soon as we are able. Thank you for your patience. Regards, iPhone Developer Program ********************************

I appreciate the email, though. The approval process is such a secret and it is at least a little comforting to get some type of communication from the app review team. Who knows, maybe they are understaffed and working their arses off trying to get everyone's app approved? It is vacation season after all.

Then again, a little more visibility into what's involved might put developer's minds to rest. Maybe they could post a "Now Serving" widget on apple.com, like you see at the deli counter?

Yet another glimpse into the mysterious App Store review process

Recently my second application, Relax with Tranzotica, was approved by Apple for sale in the App Store. Strangely, the Lite version I submitted at the same time, is still under review.

On July 9th, I resubmitted Tranzotica and Tranzotica Lite, a free version with less features, to the App Store, after Apple rejected both for improper use of a user interface element. On July 17th, the full version was approved and available for sale. I got the email at 9:30 PM on a Friday night, oddly, so I figured the Lite version would get approved on Saturday, or perhaps the following Monday.

It has now been 10 days since the full version was approved and no word. The strangeness of it all is that the Lite version is 99% the same application, with just a few less features. I can only imagine there are two queues for apps - paid and free - and the number of free apps being submitted is keeping the approval process moving slow.

I wrote to Apple to get an explanation, and within 5 seconds I received a reply. No it was not a sign of outstanding customer service, more the contrary. Their email explains:

Thank you for contacting iPhone Developer Program.

Message Subject: Question regarding application in review

We've received your application inquiry. Each app submitted to Apple has different capabilities, features, and complexity, which means that individual review times vary. Once the application review process has been completed, you will receive an email notification.

Note: If you self-reject a binary and upload a new one, the application review process is reset and starts from the beginning. Therefore, we strongly recommend that any quality assurance testing is performed prior to submitting the app.

While we cannot respond to every app submission inquiry, if we encounter any issues or need additional information you will be contacted.

If you wish to check the status of your application, you can do so by visiting iTunes Connect.

Best Regards, iPhone Developer Program

As cordial as that email is, I'm still a little annoyed that I can't get a response from a human being on this matter. I can only hope Apple has pulled all support representatives that would normally handle developer inquiries, and reappropriated their time toward app approvals! Like most things with Apple, however, we'll never know.

It is amazing what a Google Images search on your own name turns up.

Someone in Japan used my Lotus Notes Export to Excel code and credited me on their blog. http://nsfl10n.blog9.fc2.com/blog-entry-3.html I'm just a bit amazed at the reach that application had.

Not only that, but who knew Lotus Notes was being used in Japan?

How to better focus on your job in three easy steps

(I'm assuming you're a Windows XP user running Outlook, so Mac/Linux users maybe you can do this in two or one steps?)

1. Click Start > Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices.

2. On the Sounds tab, scroll to New Mail Notification in the list of program events.

3. Change the Sound to be played option to "(None)."

Congratulations, you've broken your Pavlovian chains and are free to concentrate on your project tasks without the need to check email every time you hear a ding.

In future posts, I will demonstrate how to logout of Facebook, set your cell phone's ring mode to Silent, disable your instant messenger alerts, and turn off your Twitter client.

UPDATE: Apparently in Outlook 2007 you're better off going to Tools > Options > Email Options > Advanced Email Options, and unchecking all the items under "When new items arrive in my Inbox". You really have to focus to eliminate these distractions.