I fully realize that for some iPhone users, this is a “no duh” moment, but as I’ve just discovered this (being the slow deep features discoverer that I am) I thought I would pass it along.
How many times have you been surfing a freelance writing resource on the go, a cool logo you want to emulate, or perhaps looking at a writing job on Craigslist and wished you could just get a screen shot for later review?
iPhone screenshots are easy–just click the Home button (the round one below the screen, feh) and the Sleep button (at the top of the iPhone on the right) and you’ve just done a screen capture. The image is stored in the Photo section along with all the others. Voila!
Here’s a secret you should know about the iPhone 3G. If you are a travel writer with some international travel coming up, you can spare yourself some nasty surprises on your next AT&T bill by turning off your roaming and deactivating Fetch New Data. That’s the “no duh” part of the advice. What might come as a surprise to some iPhone 3G users (mostly the new ones) is that you can turn your iPhone into the equivalent of an iPod Touch by using Airplane Mode (where no signals are received or sent) AND turning on Wi-Fi.
Step One: Turn on Airplane Mode to render your iPhone incapable of transmission or reception.
Step Two: Once Airplane Mode is on, go into the menu and turn ON Wi-Fi mode. Now you can get signals via wi-fi hotspots AND block incoming calls. It’s not just handy for preventing you from accidentally roaming on the cellular network, it’s also great when you just want to hop on and check your e-mail and do a bit of surfing without being hassled every ten minutes by a ringing phone.
When you’re done with Wi-Fi mode, you can turn it off manually, but deselecting Airplane Mode turns off Wi-Fi automatically when using with this “hack”.
We haven’t test-driven the Incase Power Slider yet, but the potential for this third-party phone case/battery pack is just what the doctor ordered for iPhone addicts at Freelance-Zone. The Incase Power Slider is two things in one–a protective case for the iPhone 3G, plus a battery pack which the marketing hype claims will “more than double” the life of your iPhone battery.
I won’t go so far as to say that all good freelancers should be using the iPhone, since there are Sprint products which rival the iPhone 3G’s ability to stay connected, respond to editors, and keep you in the game no matter where you go. But some of us are Mac addicts, plain and simple. The Incase Power Slider does add a bit of bulk to the phone (based on customer reviews I’ve been poring over) but no more than you might expect from any other third-party addon for the iPhone. One customer review warns of increased heat from the unit when charging, so it seems best to babysit the Incase for the first couple of charges until you know what to expect.
The idea that I can get double the amount of surf and talk time out of my iPhone 3g is pretty tempting. The Incase Power Slider sells for about $80, a worthy investment if the reviews are to be believed. I’m getting one…look for a review in this space soon.
I can’t say enough about Grammar Girl. I stumbled across her podcast when I first got my iPhone and really enjoyed it. Every single writer out there can always use a little help when it comes to grammar, and this resource provides quick, easy bites of it that are not only useful, but clever. She has been featured on Oprah, in the New York Times and other major publications. Check out her site and brush up on your grammar–and while you are there, sign up for her “tip of the day”.
Those Freelance-Zone readers who have been around for a while already know that I am a big iPhone lover. I use this tool for many different things, and it has saved me in many work-related situations. I use the calendar, I love the e-mail on the go function and I can’t get enough of the “apps”.
This is all news of course because yesterday Apple announced the iPhone 3GS. This is the latest version of the phone and some of the new features include:
Voice control
Video recording
16 or 32 GB of storage
Choice of black or white color
3 megapixel camera with autofocus
Photo and video geotagging
See all the details here. New updates released with this version of the phone include a cut and paste feature, landscape keyboard and a “remote wipe” capacity that allows you to remove all your personal data if you lose your phone. (Getting it back on is as simple as synching the phone to your computer.) The best news for writers may well be the fact that the iPhone 3G price now drops to $99. If you want an iPhone…it just may be the perfect time to get one!
I’ve had my iPhone for a while now and thought I’d ring in on how it is working for me thus far in the freelance writing arena. Here’s a list of the good and the bad:
The Good:
The calendar is included for no charge and I keep all my appointments on it. Great for staying organized.
The calculator comes with as well–great for figuring rates on the go.
The weather feature comes in very handy if you travel. You can program other cities to keep an eye on the weather there before you go. A great help when packing.
Google Earth is terrific for finding appointments quickly and easily.
The alarm is great–I no longer use an alarm clock.
All the “apps” give you plenty to choose from to customize your phone. There many that are free. I downloaded a mileage program to help me keep track of business miles for the car–terrific!
E-mail on the go. This is the best thing in the world for any writer.
The Bad:
My main disappointment with the iPhone is the call quality. Sometimes I’ll be in the middle of an interview and start to lose the person for no partiuclar reason. This is not a good thing. From what I understand, many people don’t care for AT & T’s coverage. I have to concur. I’ve had better.
I’ll post again on this after a while to update you on any cool features you might want to know about. In the meantime–if you have a phone that works great for you–feel free to clue us in!
Chicago-based content writing, editing, and social media. 1579 N. Milwaukee #220, Chicago Illinois 60622
