Wonderful recent discoveries:
- NatsuLion/NatsuLion for iPhone. While it may not be the most advanced twitter client, I love NatsuLion for its simplicity. Get your feeds, post, and reply. It filters through your responses and direct replies automatically and highlights the replies in red which is WONDERFUL, and the iPhone version has a very cool full-screen option for reading your feeds. While not perfect, the beauty of software is software updates, and NatsuLion is free! Goodbye annoying “location services” spazz-outs from Twinkle!
- BrightKite. BrightKite is location-based social networking the way it should be. Fast, easy, free, and cool. The “wall” feature, which allows you to create a full-screen, live-updating feed based on location, radius, OR keyword makes this a powerful networking and feedback app as well. Turn on the wall, punch in your church’s/business’s/favorite band’s name, and instantly see what BrightKiters around you are saying about the things you care about. Or just type in your address and see what’s happening. BrightKite is still in private beta, but getting an invite is as easy as signing up and waiting about a week or just asking me. Best part: BrightKite updates (which automatically post with your approximate location,) feed into your twitter feed if you so wish, and come with some nice privacy features to keep the crazies from tracking you down.
- iPhone 3G. Sure, this thing has been out forever. Sure, it’s more expensive than some BlackBerry or Nokia offerings. Yes, you have to deal with the supposed “Apple tax,” (my foot.) But this device has changed my life. I know only use my computer for recording and writing abnormally long blog posts, meaning I’m freer, faster, and able to be more places at once. I get my emails. I give and get on-the-fly calender and contact updates. I can publish the surprisingly-clear pictures straight to the web with my MobileMe account. I have rollover minutes. I have 3G, WiFi, Edge, and GPS capabilities. And it’s the only device I’ve ever owned that gets better every week thanks to software updates and the unprecedented App Store. The to-do apps and free iTunes remote almost make this device worth it, but the ever-growing list of top-notch apps and abilities make this the best $200 I’ve ever spent. Not to mention the fact that it’s a touch screen iPod to boot.
So what cool gadgets, applications, or networks am I missing out on?
