What's On My iPhone

People always ask me what apps they should install on their iPhone or iPad. I've been wanting to make a mini catalog like this for a long time and I finally started to scratch the itch. I've created a "What's On My iPhone" Pinterest board. I've embedded it below using a script. If for some reason it doesn't load properly, just click this link. For each pin I've included a short and sweet reason for why I chose to install the app and what purpose it serves. I started getting punchy after pinning for a while so some of them are a little silly. Several of them I wrote as if my great aunt were asking me about apps on her very first smartphone.

I'm hoping I can use it as a point of reference because I get asked this question so many times and I always feel like it's more of a needs-based answer. This way the viewer can just skim through and see what might apply to them or maybe find something they hadn't even considered.

Follow Melissa Davis's board What's On My iPhone on Pinterest.

My Adventures With The GMen On MyMac Podcast Epsiode 524

What did I get myself into with Guy and Gaz on
"MyMac Podcast 524: Bend it like Beckham"

Check out original show notes here: http://www.mymac.com/2014/09/mymac-podcast-524-bend-it-like-beckham/

Tap or click the play button in this player to listen to the show.

How To Make an iPhone Wallet

It's 7:38 AM and I'm tired, haven't yet brushed my teeth, the kids are fighting over a toy and dragging their feet trying to get out the door to go to school on time. I'm rushing to get organized while throwing on something that resembles clothes and I'm lucky if I manage to slip on some matching shoes because thank goodness I only need to look presentable from the waist up during the morning drive-and-drop-off at my eldest son's school. Do you know this dance?

I'm here to tell you that rushing out the door to run errands without grabbing a purse now is so liberating! My iPhone in its new case is now my new wallet and it's the only thing besides my water bottle and keys that I grab while dashing out the door. It's rugged, durable, stylish, and convenient now that it's protected by the NewerTech NuGuard KX combined with a Kena Kai iROO phone pouch on the back. I get so many compliments on this case and pouch combo.

I love buying my computer parts and accessories from Other World Computing and always recommend them to friends, family and clients. When they asked me to review one of their cases, I couldn't say no. They provided me with this NewerTech NuGuard KX case along with the KXs Screen Armor to put through the paces. When I saw what a rugged case it was, I knew it would be my new full-time case. I had already been using a regular TPU case with a pouch on the back, but wasn't wild about the color combo. When they sent me this case in the Darkness color, I just had to get another iROO pouch for the back in the same black color and now I have the most awesome iPhone wallet!

The NewerTech NuGuard KX iPhone case by itself is some serious protection for your iPhone. Add to it the KXs Screen Armor (screen protector) and you've got something really rugged that even the kids can play on without fear of having your precious iPhone damaged.

Here is a description from the manufacturer: "Unlike common military-impact test grade iPhone® case materials, the NuGuard KX uses state-of-the-art X-Orbing gel technology to absorb and evenly distribute kinetic energy. This revolutionary technology is then engineered into an effective one-piece design that's available in eight attractive color combinations."

Here is a photo of the two products I combined to make my perfect "iPhone Wallet."

The NuGuard KX is very tough, but not too thick and bulky. It feels good in your hand and has a great grip to it. It has a tire-tread look to it on the back. At first I thought it a bit masculine for my own tastes, but in a color like Darkness, it's actually very unisex. I also like to think of it like that little black dress mother tells you that should always remain in your closet. I so rarely wear dresses much anymore, but with a little black iPhone case, I feel like I'm stylin!

Normally I like purple, but I'm very picky about the shade of purple. Black makes it easier and it always looks great no matter what you're wearing — if you're fashion-conscious. I suck at fashion, so this really is the best color for me because it just goes with everything. The other really great thing about this case is that when I upgrade to the next iPhone, my husband will get this one and he's already excited about this case and pouch combo.

One of the design features I really appreciate is the lip around the front perimeter. I was quite surprised at how it doesn't get in the way when trying to move apps around like a lot of cases I've seen. I have been using this case for over a month now and love it. It has been drop-tested by accident several times now by both the kids and I and it holds up wonderfully.

Having my iPhone dropped is one less thing I panic about because of this case. It has landed straight onto the glass on hard surfaces with absolutely no damage whatsoever. The NuGuard KX case is totally mom-approved! 

Of course, I wouldn't recommend testing this for yourself, so just take it from me — I've taken one for the team here several times over! This is important for parents who let their little ones play with their iPhones. Let's admit it, this happens to us all and maybe more than we'd like at times. This would be a great iPhone case for a kid's phone if they're old enough to have one of their own. It's so rugged, just watch this video of an iPhone inside this case being drop-tested from a wind turbine! My son LOVES this video and it's all he would talk about when I first started using this case.

The ports are all accessible and I have no issues plugging things into the bottom.

One of my biggest areas of concern when it comes to cases is the camera cut-out. I always worry about flash halo. Shiny plastic too close to the flash can result in a funky halo or ghosted edges on your photos because of how the light bounces off the inside edge. This case does not present that problem at all. As you can see here, there is plenty of room around the camera while still protecting that area because of how it's raised up. My one and only critique here is that I only wish they could have designed it so that there were just a few more millimeters of space to the left of the camera hole so that I could still use my magnetic lenses and ring set. If there were just a teeny bit more space, I could have kept the metallic ring affixed and still be able to attach my macro lens without needing to remove the case. Luckily the case does remove easily enough so I can clip on my top-loading 3-in-1 lens kit to take creative shots.

I hope this review of the NewerTech NuGuard KX iPhone case is helpful when you're looking for a protective case for your iPhone 5 or 5s. They come in several colors besides Darkness, including: Roulette Red, Midnight, Rose, Trooper, Eagle Shield, Buzz, and Nubar Forest.

Although this is primarily a review for the iPhone case, I highly recommend getting the iROO pouch and putting these two products together. It has suited my needs really well and is a winning combination. Let me know if it works for you!

I Look Exactly Like This When I Can't Find My iPhone

Yeah, I can't stop watching it either.

Adorable Little App: Baby Tweets

Little language learners will find Baby Tweets by Creative Lamas fun to use no matter what language is native to them. When I first launched this app, my initial impression was that my 4-year old is a little too advanced in development to benefit from an app such as Baby Tweets. Then I tried the different languages and noticed how he was still engaged and trying to make the same sounds. I took French in high school, so it was fun to try and remember some of basic words I had forgotten. Keagan's little cousins on the other side of the country are learning Hebrew and Russian in addition to English, so it will be fun to share this with my sister-in-law and maybe next time they FaceTime with each other, they'll have new words to share.

The app is universal so it works on all iOS devices (iPhone, iPad or iPod touch). Some of the icons look a little stretched out on the smaller screen iPhone version, but it looks great on iPad. The app voice has a slight English accent which is fine with me as I prefer to hear it. (US English compared to UK English.) The buttons or target areas for tapping are large and responsive.

The app is free with the ability to upgrade to the full version which unlocks the remainder of the screens. There are just enough screens offered in the free version to give you an idea of whether or not you'd like to advance to more content. I appreciate how the parental controls section is clever in that if the baby or child were to tap on the "Full Version" button, it asks you to "Please insert your year of birth" before continuing. There are no annoying ads and it does not nag you to upgrade. These features are crucial for me as a parent when selecting an app for my children. Ads get in the way of learning and accidental purchases are frustrating for parents. This app has none of that which is why I was happy to review it for my blog when the developer offered me a promo code for the full version.

What I like most about this app is how easy it is to switch between the different languages without needing to speak that language natively. You just tap on the country flag icon and from there the screens continue on in the language you've selected. It's a fun way even for an adult to learn some basics of a new language! Here is some additional information directly from the developer:
Baby Tweets

First Words app for toddlers
This application has more than 70 word exercises to enrich the child’s vocabulary. With beautiful art, engaging feedback and lots of surprises it is an app that both the baby and the parent will appreciate! The toddler, from about one to two years, is encouraged to identify objects in a picture, showing a number of objects familiar to him. When he touches the correct picture he receives positive reinforcement. In the event he chooses incorrectly he will hear the correct name of the object sought and in this way will enlarge his vocabulary. Infants from the age of one and a half to two years old, is capable of learning new words every day. The Baby Tweets application is designed to aid the parent to expose the infant to a variety of words thus improve his language skills.

Features:
· From 1+ years.
· Free from advertisements.
· Free to install and to play on 4 screens· $1.99 for 8 additional levels.
· Designed for web, iOS and Android.
· Easy navigation.· Languages: English, French, Russian and Hebrew
· Developer: Eran Lesser, Creative Lamas

Celebrating With Friends On The Mac Observer's Mac Geek Gab Episode 500

It was such an honor to join the panel for this episode of one of my favorite podcasts with some of my best buds in the Mac and Podcasting Community. Here's to 500 more!

Check out their original show notes here:
"MGG 500: Geeks and Listeners Celebrate The Last Nine Years"

This podcast was hosted by Dave Hamilton and John F. Braun
Panel: Barry Fulk, Brian Monroe, Allison Sheridan and Cory Imdieke

Tap or click the play button in this player to listen to their show and then subscribe in iTunes.