iPhone/Touch roundup: WordPress app, NetNewswire, Salon on eReader, protective case and the bathtub trick
The new WordPress app for the iPhone is too dumbed down except for quick postings. But perhaps that’s what you want to stick to, anyway—given the challenges of tap entry. Also, the app is free and will let you insert photos. Unfortunately posts created with Microsoft Windows Live Writer show up just in code, not WYSIWYG. Other links of interest:
–The NetNewswire app is s-l-o-w at this point, at least if you’re juggling around a lot of feeds. Maybe the next version of the OS will help. How are you using your iPhone or iPod touch to keep up with RSS feeds? By the way, you can read the TeleBlog directly in an iPhone-optimized format. A special iPhone and Touch flavor of the blog is available via the magic of WordPress categories.
–Salon contributor Joe Hutsko tells Why the iPhone is the best and worst e-book reader ever. I’m to see eReader getting some pixels and hope that Joe goes on to write up Stanza and BookShelf. Joe himself is an old-timer on the e-book scene. For free, you can read his Undo, a novel about an Apple-type company. Talk about apt reading for the iPhone. You could pick up Joe’s book from the PG site via the BookZ text reader.
–I’ve ordered The OtterBox iPod Touch Defender Series Case, selling for a bit under $30 (minus shipping). It won’t protect my baby against water but, I’d hope, against drops. Anyone have other suggestions, as far as drop-proofing of the iPhone and Touch? Meanwhile, OtterBox is planning an iPhone case. Detail: I don’t know if OtterBox is advertising the Touch version with the right photo.
–As for waterproofing, I suspect the plastic bag trick will work just fine in the bathtub and let you read better than with E Ink. The LCD might be more visible. Anyone wanna try it before I do?
–The inevitable jailbreak happened with the new 2.0 firmware (thanks, Mike). What does this mean to e-bookers, however? I suspect most software developers will go for the largest market and stick to Apple-blessed apps. DRM breaking? For those inclined—and you can’t legally do this in the States—the best place would be on your desktop rather than on the iPhone.
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:59 pm
You might investigate one of these for your iTouch – http://www.proporta.com/F02/PPF02P05.php?t_id=4154&t_mode=des