I Join the iPhone Revolution

I'll admit I'm something of a gadget freak. I love new technology and can't wait to get the latest cool gizmo. I adopted VHS early on, and started building a home video library back in the days when VHS tapes were relatively new and most were priced at the ridiculous sum of $89.99. Still, having the ability to watch such classics as RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK or ROBOT MONSTER at any time, day or night, was worth the price of admission.

I got a CD player when those were fairly new, when record stores still sold, you know, records, and when CDs made up a miniscule portion of their inventory. Once again, the chance to be in the forefront of a technological revolution was pretty great.

And now we come to this, Apple's iPhone 3G. I resisted getting the first, and even the second iteration of this groundbreaking device, knowing that they would be plagued with bugs. And apparently I was right. There were a number of problems with those earlier versions. But Apple has apparently worked hard to resolve them, and, while I'm sure that this latest version will have its issues as well, it's a pretty slick device.

For all intents and purposes, this is like having a computer in the palm of your hand. It handles email, plays movies and video, accesses the Internet via the Safari web browser, and does virtually everything your home desktop does. The only things that I can see that it lacks so far are basic word processing and spread sheet programs, and I wouldn't be surprised to see those in the somewhat near future.

The best part about the iPhone are the applications, or "apps" that one can download and install. Although many of the apps are for sale, there are a number that are free, and I've been downloading those like crazy. Some of my favorites:

1. Lightsaber: This one puts a lightsaber on your screen, complete with music. When you move the iPhone, it makes cool lightsaber noises. Just about the closest you can come to actually being a Jedi.
2. Shazam: Whoever came up with this should be burned at the stake as a witch. I mean, this is just this side of black magic, and just as cool. Run Shazam, hold you iPhone up to any music source, and it will listen to the song, analyze it, then identify the song and tell you where you can buy it. It's not infallible - it failed to identify some Celtic music I heard on the radio - but it's pretty damn good. I'm in awe of the people who developed this incredible app.
3. Yelp: Using the 3G's built in GPS capabilities, the iPhone can find a variety of businesses, including restaurants, bookstores, drugstores, banks, and much more, all located within a defined area around your current position. I can't imagine how helpful this is going to be.
4. Flixster: Being able to watch movie trailers in the palm of your hand is what technology is all about.
5. Mobile News: Instant headlines from the world's top news feeds.
6. iSushi: Again, using GPS coordinates, my iPhone can now tell me where the nearest sushi restaurant is located. Yum.
7. Pumpkin: Incredibly dopey, this app let's one create a scary pumpkin face, complete with flickering candle light and spooky sound effects.

That's just a few of the cool apps I've downloaded, and I'm sure there will be more to come. It seems that new things are being created and posted everyday.

And now, it's time to stop blogging and go back to playing with my iPhone.