Robb Montgomery

OK. I finally took the plunge and have successfully downloaded new programs onto my iPhone.
The temptation to be able to use new programs to report from the field with was just too much. More than ringtones, wallpaper and hacks modding an iPhone can put new superpowers in the hands of your reporting staff. I believe that a properly configured iPhone will allow reporters to do more reporting from the field - closer to their community, closer to sources, closer to where they should be doing their best work.

I waited this long to try this be sure I wouldn’t be ‘bricking’ or otherwise damaging my iPhone or exposing my data to security exploits.

Jailbreaking is not unlocking.
I am still on AT&T and I have not unlocked my phone. Not yet anyway. I would be interested only in the ability to use SIM cards that I purchase when traveling abroad. Perhaps that will happen before too long but that’s another blog item for another day.

So jailbreaking has nothing to do with changing anything about the software the iPhone uses to connect me to my service provider. Think of “Jailbreaking” as installing a shareware program on your computer that allows you monkey around with the operating system. Something that I personally have been doing with computers since my first Apple computer purchase way back in 1981.

Just one click to freedom
The first step in “Jailbreaking” my iPhone for journalism was to point my iPhone to this Web site Jailbreakme where, with one click, I downloaded the installer program. Installer is a really slick bit of code and is what makes loading and deleting programs and tweaks as easy as popping candy bars into your mouth after Halloween. You don’t have to sync the iPhone to a computer and run Shell programs. You can do all of the modding from the iPhone itself using Installer. Just brilliant.

Now why would I do that?
Let’s take a look at a couple of screenshots of my iPhone as it looks now.

The top row of my home screen focuses on instant reporting. ‘SMS,’ ‘IM,’ ‘RSS’ reader and the ‘iFlickr’ camera. ‘SMS’ is nothing new - but it is just the best SMS app on any phone anywhere. RSS lets me monitor multiple news feeds. For a GA reporter, it would take only a couple of taps to include a direct feed from the assignment desk blog as well as feeds from the top news sources they need to monitor that day.

The ‘IM’ (Instant Messaging) app works flawlessly and allows you to add multiple AIM, Gtalk, .mac, MSN or ICQ accounts. IM is another channel of communication as well as a low-cost alternative to SMS. A beautiful program in operation, too. Just like the familiar ‘SMS’ and ‘iChat.’

The ‘iFlickr’ “camera” app is a real piece of James Bond kit. You snap the shutter and the picture takes and is posted directly to your Flickr account. You can pre-configure with tags for live event reporting uses. Many possibilities here. Instant Election coverage anyone?

The next row is nothing new: ‘Map,’ ‘Clock,’ ‘Calendar’ and ‘Weather.’ Just the the daily essentials. The difference here that I downloaded the ‘Customize’ program to organize the placement of all the icons to my workflow. That’s a powerful enabler. One thing to have more programs - better still to be able to have them where you need them when you need them.

The third row gives me quick access to multi-media files and a flashlight that is super practical when heading to bed late at night or fumbling for the light switch in a strange hotel room. The program is called ‘Light’ and it is dead simple - tap it and the screen emits pure white light at max brightness.

Of course, adding more programs to the iPhone means that you will soon have “pages” and pages of program candy.

The Dock

Before we look at Page Two, I want you to notice the four icons at the bottom - what iPhone developers call the “Dock.” Notice the ‘iPod’ icon is gone and I have a direct link to the over 1,000 contacts I manage in my address book. Being able to tap directly to my contacts from the home page was what pushed me past temptation.

I hate to have to dig through the Phone menu to reach my contacts. My blood pressure has already declined by 10 percent by installing that mod alone. As it will your reporter’s, too I imagine. That trick is made possible by the one of the panels in the ‘Customize” application.

Next page, if you please
It is just a flick to get over to the next page of programs - tools that are important but perhaps not everyday important.

‘Notes,’ which is not really a useful journo application, because you can’t yet do anything with them (like e-mailing, SMSing AIMing blogging, etc). I’ll be watching for a better writing app for the iPhone.
‘Services’ gives me quick access to the switches to turn on and off Wifi, Edge, Bluetooth and SSH.

‘iSplit’ let’s you quickly enter the dinner tab tax and tip and split the bill up to four ways. Handy for anyone on an expense account. ‘SMB prefs’ is for editing the springboard theme, ‘Send Song’ allows you to e-mail any song in you iPod as well as assign any song to a ringtone.

I use this tool in my song writing to send musical arrangements that I am drafting out to lyricists that I am collaborating with. My song demos are always synced to iTunes - and I tend to compose many different patterns as I go so this is a great program for when inspiration strikes.

Perhaps your multimedia journalism needs will not require this particular app . . . but I hope this example helps to illustrate what is happening now as developers bring more capabilities to the iPhone to talk to its own data and integrate better with the way you like to work.

‘Installer’ is the magic application that makes all this possible. It stays up-to-date as new programs and updates to existing apps are released.
‘Customize’ is the power tool for rearranging the icons as well as all the UI graphics.

I moved the ‘iTunes’ music store icon off the home page. Sorry Apple - I sell my songs on iTunes but I still buy CDs.

‘Tic Tac Toe’ is fun because you can beat it every time. If your loveless editor is making you feel like Clark Kent then ‘Tic Tac Toe’ can make you feel like a mental Superman (Or Lois Lane if you are one!)

Yes, this is just the beginning but what a promising start to providing more reporting power to MoJos without spending another dime. Next I would like a search app that will comb over everything I store in my phone - notes, contacts, e-mail, sms, IM chats, Bookmarks -everything.

I would love a hack for the Google maps that would let me do something useful like SMSing or e-mailing driving directions to another person.

And I want a Skype client, native Twitter and native Facebook aps and, oh yeah, and I want a real blogging app. (Maybe that’s what I’ll ask Santa for this year?)

What are your favorite new iPhone applications and what type of apps will help your reporters?

Share on Facebook