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Satchel is Backpack on the iPhone done right (finally)
Filed under: Productivity, iPhone, App Review
Being a productivity nerd who happens to love technology has its benefits. Those of us who are happy to spend a Friday night creating and destroying a list of tasks have absolutely no shortage of quality applications upon which to practice and hone our weirdo craft.

For web-based task management there's the popular and venerable Backpack by 37Signals which, up until very recently, was in bad need of an equally awesome representation on our iPhones. I'm happy to say that the clouds have wandered west and the iPhone-toting Backpack lovers can rejoice at the advent of Satchel [App Store].

I know what you're thinking. "Dude, could you be a little more gushy about a freaking iPhone application?" Perhaps I could, but there's a reason that this article is written with such an overt sense of elation and joy. I love this application. It has succeeded where others (most notably, FrontPocket) have woefully failed. So, if you just want to know whether or not I "endorse" this product, the answer is yes. Read on if you're curious as to why.
Continue reading Satchel is Backpack on the iPhone done right (finally)
TUAW Satchel is Backpack on the iPhone done right (finally) originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 17 May 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Talkcast reminder: Open phones and news of the week, 10pm ET
Filed under: TUAW Business, Podcasts

Last week, both Mikes (Rose & Schramm) joined Steve, Kelly and the gang as they talked Mother's Day and Macdom (with a special visit from The Mac Mommy herself). You can download the show from Talkshoe or subscribe in iTunes.

I've been sidelined the last couple of weeks thanks to some stormy weather and an ear infection, but I'm back tonight and will be filling in for regular host, Michael Rose. Hopefully some other TUAW comrades will join me and we'll talk news of the week, take your calls and discuss all things Mac and iPhone. Join us live at 10pm ET using Talkshoe or calling in directly.

To participate on TalkShoe, you can use the browser-only client, or you can try out the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; however, for maximum fun, you should call in. For the web UI, just click the "TalkShoe Web" button on our profile page at 10 pm Sunday. To call in on regular phone or VOIP lines (take advantange of your free cellphone weekend minutes if you like): dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 -- during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *-8. Talk with you then!
Recording support for the talkcast is provided by Call Recorder from ecamm networks.
TUAW Talkcast reminder: Open phones and news of the week, 10pm ET originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 17 May 2009 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Fun for kids and adults: Pickin' Stix
Filed under: Software, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, App Review
Pickin' Stix (click opens iTunes) took me back to my childhood in the early sixties, when I had a little cylinder filled with colorful plastic "Pickup Sticks". You'd toss 'em in a pile, and then try to pick them up without disturbing the other sticks. Not only was it a great way to stay engrossed for a while, but it was also teaching me and my friends manual dexterity, as well as how to use our depth and relational perception to figure out how to move a stick without moving any others.

Now Jonathan Tenkely has come out with his iPhone version, just the thing to pass to the kids when they're bored and you want to keep them out of trouble. Jonathan's wife Kelly is an educator who runs the great iLearn Technology blog, so it's not surprising that his first iPhone app is a combination of fun and learning.

With the US$0.99 Pickin' Stix, you shake the iPhone to "toss" the sticks, then use a finger to "pick them up". The better you do at tapping on the top sticks, the faster you'll get done. You lose points for tapping on sticks that are partially under other sticks.

The only complaint I have is that Pickin' Stix, currently in a 1.0 release, has no way to keep your best time or score, or to compare your time to others. I'd also like to see an advanced mode with more sticks to pick up for an additional challenge, and a way to pause a game. And if Tenkely can figure out a way to get a kid to give the iPhone back to you after you've let 'em play for a while, he'll have it made!

What other childhood favorites would you like to see on the iPhone and iPod touch? Let us know in the comments.
TUAW Fun for kids and adults: Pickin' Stix originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 16 May 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mac 101: Geodata copying in iPhoto
Filed under: iLife, Mac 101
The most recent update of iPhoto to version 8.0.2 included a couple of new features around the Faces functionality for identifying people in photos. Apple, however, was kind enough to throw in another feature; one which I was hoping would show up from the day iPhoto '09 was announced.

It is now possible to copy geodata from one photo and paste it into another photo. While this feature might sound useless at first glance, the reality is that it can be very applicable. Consider this: you have a tried-and-true digital camera that you've had for years. Along comes iPhoto '09 and it's fancy-schmancy geotagging chops make you feel old and outdated. Well, fear not dear friends, your trusty iPhone 3G has GPS built right in.

The process goes like this: wherever you are out taking pictures, snap an additional photo using your iPhone 3G then copy the geodata from the iPhone picture to all of your other pictures taken at the same locale. This process will work with any photo that has location information, not just an iPhone 3G's photos.

To do this, select the photo with the geotag information that you took with your iPhone 3G. Right-click (or command-click) the photo and choose "Copy." Next, select the photo(s) that are missing said geotag information and right-/command-click the photos then choose "Paste Location."

Now, you too can take part in all of the GPS-y goodness of those new-fangled cameras without having to buy any new gear.
TUAW Mac 101: Geodata copying in iPhoto originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 16 May 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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TapTapDial makes phoning and driving safer
Filed under: iPhone, App Store, App Review
Unless you have voice recognition and Bluetooth in your car, dialing any cellphone can be dangerous to your health. It's truly frightening to see great numbers of commuters fooling around with their phones while trying to drive. Driving is tough enough these days without the distractions; without any tactile feedback on the iPhone, it's especially challenging to operate while in motion.

All the more reason for us to take a look at TapTapDial [App Store link]. This $0.99US app makes it easy to dial without looking at your phone and it provides voice, audio, and on screen confirmations, but don't look at that screen!

Describing how to use the app is a lot more difficult than just using it. You can add favorites from your phone book, and the app assigns them a number. If you want to call someone who is in position 3, you tap 3 times. The app will respond audibly with the initials of the person you are calling as a double check. It also will say if the favorite is a home, office, or cell number.

If your list is really long, you can tap on the right side of the screen to go through your list in increments of ten, so if you wanted to call person 31, you would tap 3 times on the right, and once on the left. If you make a mistake, simple swipes left, right, up, or down will move you around your list and provide other navigation functions inside the app. Once you have the person you want, a swipe up or down initiates the call.

You can even dial numbers that aren't in your address book, by tapping on the lower half of the screen. 6 taps dials 6, 3 taps dials 3, and soon. I think this feature is better for the vision impaired. Keeping track of all those taps while driving is probably not a good idea.

This is a clever and needed app that is, as I said, much easier to use than to explain. Some people will get quite addicted to it, and it will certainly result in safer roads and highways. I'd just make sure you have the app up and running before you get in the car, otherwise you'll be doing something dangerous just to get it up and running.

I don't really have any suggestions for the app, other than I think the GUI is not very attractive or contemporary to my eyes. Of course, if you're using the app correctly, you're not looking at it anyway.

Here are some screen shots of TapTapDial in action:

Gallery: TapTapDial
TUAW TapTapDial makes phoning and driving safer originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 16 May 2009 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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