Tag Archives: freelance gear

Freelancing With the iPhone

iPhone keyboard

by Joe Wallace

iPhone loving writers, bloggers, and editors, our time has come. The growing popularity of iPhone bluetooth keyboards brings us to a new, albeit squinty, era of freelance blogging and writing.

I’ve always said that once I could overcome the problem of having to type on a touchscreen, me and the iPhone would become a road-ready freelance powerhouse. No need to break out the Macbook Pro after searching high and low for a Starbucks along the road trip route…with a bluetooth keyboard, the iPhone, and the right combination of mobile widgets and software tools it’s possible to write and submit from the road, the plane, wherever you can get your 3G or 4G signal.

This is a truly great time to be freelancing.

There are many different bluetooth keyboard models to choose from. The one shown above is the Freedom i-Connex Bluetooth Folding Keyboard for Apple iPad, iPhone 3GS and 4G. But you can also purchase the Jorno bluetooth keyboard for iPhone 4 or go with the Apple bluetooth keyboard, but that one isn’t designed specifically for iPhone or iPad use and some function keys may not work properly.

Whichever one you choose, your new freelancer freedom awaits. I am very excited about trying out a whole week on the road with nothing but an iPhone and bluetooth keyboard…I just have to schedule some time to make it happen. Stay tuned for that–it will be an FZ feature coming soon.

iphone 4

The Freelancer’s Friend

pc magazine

Magazines like MacLife, PC, Wired, and other tech-oriented titles can be a freelancer’s best friend. How many times have you stared down the aisles at your local Best Buy or Apple Store, bewildered at the range of prices, models, and formats wondering how to make the leap?

It’s not just computers, either. External hard drives, wireless routers, even CD-R and DVD-Rs have so many choices it’s difficult to know where to start. That’s where the tech mags come in. There’s nothing better than reading a side-by-side comparison of the latest laptops, wi-fi gear, and software; the sections these mags provide on tweaking and upgrading your existing gear? Priceless.

MacLife is, for the Apple newcomer, one of the best you can buy. The magazine is NOT written for people who already know everything about their Mac. It assumes there are entry-level readers AND more experienced tech-heads in the subscriber list. If only more magazines followed this example!

PC Magazine is a great destination for the PC user, with “roundup” type comparisons and an excellent downloads section that can have you tweaked and running more efficiently in no time. Maximum PC comes a close second, valuable for how-tos for security, work-related issues, and just plain utilitarian things like recovering from a soda spill.

Freelancers who feel lost in the world of computer jargon, installation details and other issues will do themselves a big favor by adding these sites to their favorites list.