Many of you know Vicky H from her website Remarkable Parents or from Twitter (@eeUS). She's friendly and supportive and a fantastic resource for parenting tech.
But what you may not know is that Vicky is also a total iPhonespaz... 
I discovered this because Vicky and I are connected on Facebook. She took the favorite iPhone apps quiz and the results made me think about my own favorite apps. In fact, seeing those results is what led to iPhonespaz's famous "what's your favorite app" question! So, it's only fitting that Vicky gets to take her place here in the iPhonespaz hall of fame!
The Vicky H iPhonespaz Interview
Jamie: First thing's first... How many apps do you have and what got you hooked?
Vicky: 38 added (non standard icons/applications) to my iPhone.
The main thing that got me hooked was flexibility and convenience.
I want to have both the flexibility and convenience of doing many of the same things on my phone that I can do on my computer. When I'm away from my computer, it is very important that I can do some of the same basic tasks that I'm able to complete on my computer. Many times it's not that I actually 'want' to accomplish something, but it is also the piece of mind knowing that there is not something important that I should be attending to that I am missing, which is many times as simple as being able to see my email account.
The other thing that is really convenient is to be able to use time that is many times unuseful (ie.. waiting in the waiting room for a dr.'s appt) to either complete or start small tasks. This time is no longer unuseful, but I can make use of this time to get something done.
Jamie: How has the iPhone changed your life?
Vicky: Owning an iPhone has given me both basic functionality and many additional application options.
Basic functionality like contacts, calendar, Google maps, notes, camera, iPod (music), email, text messaging, web browser combined with add-on's like WordPress, Facebook, Jott, Linked-In, Twitterfon, Skype, and Evernote. With the additional applications that are so available on the iPhone, I could offset the additional price of purchasing an iPhone because of the additional functionality. I didn't by an iPod or a Blackberry, instead I used the funds for these purchases to be able to purchase the iPhone. I also felt confident with the popularity of this particular phone and the number of applications being created that this technology and the appliations would continue to be a platform that developers would continue to both develop new applications and support/update existing applications.
Jamie: What is your favorite iPhone app and why do you love it?
Vicky: My favorite iPhone application is Twitterfon because I use Twitter quite extensively. I can do almost everything on the application that I am able to do through the web-based application Twitter and addon's for Firefox, my preferred web browser. I can reply to tweets, direct message, favorite tweets, go to url's within the tweets, retweet, which is 90% of the functionality that I have otherwise. This allows me to communicate with many people outside of an email account, which would be much more work and clumsy, by sending direct messages to friends, little 144 character tweets.
Jamie: I'm a Tweetie guy myself, but I used to use Twitterfon and liked it. What iPhone app would be your #2, maybe with a little tweak or three?
Vicky: The one application I wish was better is Jott, not so much that it is better, but that I have the option to keep recording multiple 15 second segments back to back. Even a break of 30 or 60 seconds is enough to break my initial flow and concentration. I think I can buy longer time, which I may do, but I wish it was easier to use the low level functionality more efficiently.
Jamie: The 3.0 OS is pretty much set in stone now, but if you could add one feature what would it be?
Vicky: The one thing I wish was better is the volume of the ringer on my phone. Very basic I know, but there should be options within the Apple community to right this wrong that so many ppl have complained about. Unless you want to jailbreak your phone, I am unaware of much flexibility for this. The other thing is the security feature. You have to have a password to get into the phone unless it rings and is answered. Whoever answers the phone, then has access to your entire phone and all applications. This is not secure and so I still use passwords on many applications as a secondary security.
Jamie: Because we're iPhonespaz, we've got to ask this... What's the spazziest thing you've done with your iPhone?
Vicky: The spaziest thing I ever tried to do was to train my spellcheck to be more twitter and acronym friendly, which actually backfired when my spellcheck changed some key phrases on me. I was in a hurry so I pressed send before I reread them and I got a couple of "what???", actually it was pretty embarrasing but I don't have any examples off hand to share. When your using only 144 chars, it shows when a word or two is off.
Jamie: Isn't that the truth!
A big thanks to Vicky! Make sure to visit her at Remarkable Parents!
About Remarkable Parents...
Our site will help you make better use of your precious time. We will help you become more organized and productive. This will enable you to be part of the conversation, instead of fighting it.
“Because … technology tools aren’t just for teens. Adults are using them to connect with each other, to learn new things, and to be more productive at home and at work!”
Technology is not going away and the web is not going anywhere. … Our kids, in this era, have never experienced life without computers. We have some catching up to do, and this is where Remarkable Parents comes in.
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