My new precious…
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I began to realize that my old mobile phone (limited to texting, and calling, 0-9 keyboard, no camera, no MP3) was not hacking it in the last 6 months. I began to look longingly at mobile PDAs, etc. I also hated going out to a fun and photograph worthy event with son, and having this discussion with dh:
DH: Did you bring the camera?
ME: No, did you?
BOTH: Sigh….
I’ve also become very fond of texting, but hated the limitations of the 0-9 keyboard. In my work managing an SES after-school program, I often need to contact my boss (or my dh) when he is in meetings, where text would be more discreet. I needed a QWERTY keyboard, and a camera. I settled on the enV phone from LG, but my upgrade wasn’t due to until October. My carrier in an attempt to separate customers from their newly received federal refund checks made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. When I went in to get the phone, I discovered that they had the newer model for the same price, and that it has some mobile web capability, and can be used as a wifi modem for my laptop in a pinch (like if I’m at a conference with sucky wifi–sorry CUE). In addition to the myriad projects I’m attempting to wrap up as school ends (like double Open Houses this week for work and my son), I’m also trying to get to know my phone. That is why my posting has been pretty anemic lately. Here’s some interesting stuff I’m finding:
Today, Mike Temple shares how to Mobilise your blog | Edublogs Tutorials using an application called MoFuse: Create a Mobile Website, Mobile Site Builder. I used it to create a .mobi of this blog, The Blog of Ms. Mercer Mobile Ready but, most of what I’m reading I’m getting through Google’s RSS reader, which comes out beautifully.
Here is my list of what works and does not, so far:
| Works | Doesn’t Work |
| Yahoo Maps (text only directions) MapQuest (won’t let you pre-load locations away from mobile) |
Google Maps Conclusion: I think my carrier wants me to use their own GPS enabled service for a fee. |
| Yahoo!Mail GMail |
Gmail works, but is not “featured” on the splash page of my device. Come to think of it, I haven’t figured out how to change the splash page, or if I can. |
| Google Reader | I can’t edit Google Docs, but I can look at them |
| Tumblr | Edublogs, but the MoFuse solution handles that, and really, most folks are going to look me up at home, or on a reader (which does work) |
| Flickr Picasa |
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Alice – Whew! Just in time for NECC! If you had your old cell phone there … well, I just couldn’t be responsible for protecting you! : )
One of my personal highlights that I have never blogged about was just how totally connected some people are. As soon as they are outside the “wifi zone” the phones come out and they are Google mapping and emailing and texting … it’s truly amazing. I was following someone last year to the Google party (which was postponed due to thunderstorms) and to find it they just pulled out their cell … searched the net for address where it was … went to Google and it gave them step by step instructions to get there. When it was delayed we did the same to make it to some other reception.
People found restaurants, baseball tickets, each other, as well as texting and Twitting happenings and anecdotes.
Well now you won’t be embarrassing … although maybe you should have held out for an iPhone! : )
Brian
Yeah, the kids keep asking me if it’s an iPhone (I wear it on a lanyard around my neck), and offer to trade for their phones (HAH!). It’s not as fancy as the Blackberry, etc. but I’m not about calendar-syncing, etc. I like the the MP3 feature, but I’m OBVIOUSLY not using it the way intended (for downloaded tunes and tones from my carrier). Most of my data time is spent going to GoogleReader, or mapping stuff. I still load my pre-existing collection of MP3s. We’ll see what I do when I want something new to listen to. It is SO lightening fast to text, it’s not even funny. That is what I’m doing a ton of.