I know quite a few ProBlogger readers are enjoying the iPhone App store – so I thought I’d ask the question:
What iPhone Applications are most useful for bloggers?
In addition to that – what iPhone apps would you like to see developed for bloggers?
PS: I’m yet to get an iPhone (although I have ordered one at last and it should be here 1 August) but one app I’d love would be one that interacts with Google Analytics or some other metrics program. I’d like something that would send me a message/email/sms which an ‘event’ happens on one of my blogs. Events could be spikes in traffic, server outages, spikes in comments on a post, rise in traffic from a social media source…. Knowing these things would help keep blogs up and running but also leverage unusual traffic trends. Just a pie in the sky wish.
Next week’s question:
What other useless questions would you like me to ask on Problogger.
Really isn’t this the kind of question you could ask on Twitter? Is it really relevant to Problogger?
We only just got the iPhone in Australia earlier this month but I had a chance to see one in the big New York Apple store a couple of days after they first came out. Would love to have one but I don’t want to sign up for a plan to get it.
But still I can dream and look at the applications I would get if I had an iPhone. My pick would be eWallet. I have so many passwords for things now that this would be ideal.
Speaking of twitter… I like Twitterific for the iPhone.
Twitterific is good- being new to iPhone I’m glad you asked this question. @Duhh-pointless to you might be useful to others. Eagerly waiting to hear USEFUL responses…
Here is a vote for Twinkle on the iPhone. Like Twitterifick, not really a blogging app, but staying in touch and keeping the conversation going is part of blogging.
As for real blogging use, just the web browser itself is what I love. A full web experience in the palm of my hand.
I think I read somewhere that the guys from WordPress are working on a native app to manage your blog.
Here are the ones I like so far. Twitterriffic, NetNewsWire, Safari, waiting for WordPress fir iPhone.
Here’s the link about development: http://iphone.wordpress.net/
I too like the WordPress app. I’d like to see a Google Analytics for iPhone app, I dare say the iPhone is the ideal platform for GA.
As a blogger, I’ve found two apps to be indispensable, so far:
-Twinkle (better than Twitterrific, in my opinion)
-Evernote (now I can view all my Evernote writings on the go)
And both are free!
The “OFF” button.
Byline for the iPhone is great, it is an RSS reader that syncs with Google Reader. That’s the only app I’ve found very useful for my blogging.
I agree with Bryce, Google Analytics would be nice on the iPhone.
I also can’t wait for MarsEdit or the wordpress app which both should be out in the next month or two (last I heard)
adapt your blog for iPhone: http://iwphone.contentrobot.com/
adapt your admin for the iPhone: http://wphoneplugin.org/
adapt your blog for iPhone (I like this one best): http://bravenewcode.com/wptouch/
I can’t tell you my others, they are secrets…..
Duhh – sorry you don’t find this to be relevant to your blogging but if the questions I’m asked by readers and the numbers of people I’m seeing view this blog on mobile devices are anything to go by then it’s actually a topic of interest to readers who are increasingly reading blogs and producing content for the web on mobile devices like the iPhone.
Another person here waiting for WordPress for iPhone ;)
I find the Omnifocus iPhone app to be a tremendous help to me as a blogger – combined with Evernote, I’m always able to quickly take down notes (by voice or in text) about new blog articles, things to research, etc without losing those notes and effortlessly link them to my system for maximal efficiency. I’m a GTD-head, though, so…
Another vote for Twinkle (vs Twitteriffic). And, of course, another vote for speedy creation of WordPress for the iPhone.
Eric
I am writing this on my iPhone, and have found it quite difficult to do microblogging without a copy & paste function. So I uploaded a pic to Flickr – now how do I link to it on my blog? Something which fixed this problem would be very valuable to me.
I’m surprised by the question. Perhaps the question should be broadened out to other mobile applications including other operating systems would be more relevant – like Symbian and Windows Mobile – as well as the iPhone platform. I don’t have an iphone but have been consistently using my phone for posting and reading blogs for a couple of years. I think a dedicated application for blogging could be handy but I’d prefer to see more websites/blogs optimised for mobile platforms.
The WordPress plugin called IWPhone is really usefull, it creates an iPhone/iPod friendly version of your blog. For those interested on how to customize it to make it fit the looks of your weblog, I wrote a tutorial on my blog.
The first commenter Duhh just tried to Troll lol…
1) weak Troll attempt
2) just being asinine
I’d like a WordPress app, which I’ve heard is in development too… I’m sure it already has a voice recorder to take quick ideas?
I will buy iPhone maybe next year when comes in our stores so i have lot of time to see witch tools are good. :)
More about iPhone apps: http://liviux.byethost15.com/tag/iphone-3g-apps/
I’m fast getting to the point where I’ll be holding a family meeting to consider scheduling a discussion for choosing to determine when an iPhone will join my happy family (can you say, researching until the cows come home?).
I’ve bookmarked this page, thanks for starting the discussion.
Barbara
Twitterriffic is great although slow at scrolling at times. personally love the fact I can email photos direct to mobileme and then reference on the blog.
Safari is the best iPhone tool for bloggers for sure. And also the Mail client used with Google Alerts.
I don’t have an iphone as of yet but mobile blog a lot from my BB, it would be nice to see a scribefire app for the other browsers out there, if you don’t know already scribe fire allows you to blog to all your blogs from a half screen, very effeciently and quickly
A question rather than a comment. I plan to purchase iPhone this week. How is the battery life on the new iPhone 2.O.
thanks
Glenn
I just downloaded the App from Mocha Soft. It is amazing. Now I can access my computer from home anywhere with my iPhone. Here’s a description from their website.
“Mocha VNC provides access to a VNC Server. Using your iPhone, you can connect to a Windows PC or Mac OS X and see the files, programs, and resources exactly as you would if you were sitting at your desk, just on a smaller screen.”
I think Evernote and Netnewswire are two essential tools any blogger should have on his/her iPhone. There is a Typepad application, I wish they create a similar one for WordPress bloggers too. Till then, one can use Shozu.
There are plenty of ToDo list applications for the iPhone – most of them are free. I use todo lists to quickly jot down blog ideas.
To all iPhone users currently running Twitterific, I would encourage you all to give Twittelator a try. After dealing with Twitterific crash over and over, I gave Twittelator a try and am loving it!
I think the Google app + Evernote is great. Sometimes I’m driving and I’ll think of something I want to write about but I need to look the info up. At a stoplight I can fire up the Google app because it searches so fast. Then I can leave myself a quick note with Evernote about write the blog post when I get home.
@Douglas Porter:
Thanks for those links! Those are great. I’m installing wptouch as we speak to give it a try.
The most useful application is an iPhone itself….I need one
Mr. MacGoog finds the new Google App to be a great addition to his iPhone blogging tools. Quick searches and information in the palm of his hand is very useful. Unfortunately, until there is a Blogger App for the iPhone, Mr. MacGoog will have to continue to submit his mobile post the old fashioned way, through e-mail.
Mr. MacGoog also is a regular user of Google Notebook to store and organize blog data and wishes that there were more functionality in the iPhone (mobile) version of this online app. Adding notebook and blogger functionality to the new Google App would make Mr. MacGoog VERY happy!
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Mr. MacGoog
http://www.macngoog.com
[email protected]
Bluetooth keyboard capability. That is the one thing that is keeping me from buying an IPhone. It’s the real dealbreaker for me.
Lemme explain why.
As adventure travel writer, the less bulk and weight the better. When my wife and I paddled the Mississippi River, I cludged together a setup using an old Handspring Visor and folding keyboard (no wifi), but was still stuck with having scamming internet connections to send in stories and photos. I have (and hate) my Treo/keyboard setup, but it sort of gets the job done.
More details about my search for the perfect mobile writing tools are at http://sourcetosea.net/writing-while-traveling-on-the-mississippi-river
I myself do not have an iphone I have noticed that companies are catching to bloggers and there needs. I have very minimal mobile internet on my phone, but the little on my phone helps such as being able to check email, twitter as many mentioned and such.
As for Durr – my guess is he wanted to be the first one posted and wanted to tacky. This blog is not only about the blogs themselves my friend, but the lifestyle of those people that participate. I say next time participate, don’t pass judgement.
Don’t listen to em Darren for a young 20-something new to blogging your a lifesaver.
@ Tim Struck I’m going to try Mocha VNC, thanks for that.
@ Douglas Porter wptouch looks interesting, I may try that.
For me, I love Twitterific so I can keep a pulse on what the latest trends and interests are within my friends, and also so I can tell what potential Virtual Assistant clients may be interested in reading about.
I posted this already darren =P
I use a bunch of stuff – I use bloglines.com twitterriffic
I use social apps like loopt too. I want to see something connected to feedburner or maybe analytics taht would be great for productivity
I’ve had my iPhone for three days now, and my wife has come to hate it. Until she receives hers, that is. ;)
I’m still tossing up between Twitterrific and Twinkle. Both are good apps. I’m thinking Twinkle is easier to use at this point.
Having my mail on the iPhone has been handy, though I’m worried that it’ll check when I’m in the car or at a restaurant and download some huge email with attachments and run up my bill. Eek.
Safari is also good, especially with tabs, and it’s the first time in almost ten years of PDA usage that I’ve enjoyed using the net on my phone. It’s a chore using any other phone with any other phone browser. It does sometimes get slow, especially the keyboard, when there are several tabs open, and I tried twice to comment on this post with it—it crashed both times. Perhaps it’s the site not playing well with Safari, perhaps Safari has a few kinks to be ironed out.
Evernote, Facebook and the Google Mobile apps have been handy. NetNewsWire might get useful sometime soon, I hope—it’d be nice to have a usable mobile version of my favorite desktop feed reader.
One of my biggest uses for a Windows Mobile phone was reading with Mobipocket. Terry Pratchett, mostly ;) I was very worried what would happen to my reading and my Mobipocket books, but there’s a great app (though it’s still young and somewhat buggy) called BookShelf that reads those files. I’ve been able to pick up where I left reading the Pratchett book I was in the middle of when my last phone’s screen cracked.
Currency is a good app for conversions. Light is good, especially when I need to swap my lamp out for my charger in the bedroom. ;) And Crash Bandicoot has been a somewhat expensive time-waster. Very enjoyable.
And, of course, I’ll be ecstatic when the WordPress app comes out, but at the same time I usually write longer articles, so it might not help so much. Still, it’d be nice. I’d also like to grab a copy of OmniFocus for the iPhone and a matching copy for the Mac—but I’ve already blown my app budget for the month!
Wow, that could’ve been a freakin’ post in its own right. I’m very happy with the phone. It’s opened up a whole new world of being connected that I may live to regret! Sorry about the lengthy ramble.
WordPress — of course … and a Mint app.
( http://www.haveamint.com/ )
I would like to see a Skype App!
What happens when the iPhone is no longer the hottest fad?
Is there not a general mobile phone application that can be used for all?
The Typepad application for the iPhone is quite good. However, the ongoing inability to copy and paste text on the iPhone is a serious disadvantage for bloggers who like to incorporate links within their posts. Typepad offered a web-based application prior to the iPhone application that is now downloaded to the device and the downloadable version is much better. Pictures, categories, and tags can be used while allowing you to post from any of your Typepad weblogs.
Well, I have a smartphone with Windows Mobile and I manage my blog from my phone when I’m away from any computer. So I guess it’s a good thing.
And now WordPress was released for iPhone, too. Great.
I was pleased with the release of the WordPress application this week for the iPhone. I have posted a few times using it. The feature to include shots from the phone is also a welcome addition.
A somewhat selfish suggestion since I worked on it, but I would recommend Blog It for iPhone: http://blogit.typepad.com
It allows you to post to blogs on several different platforms and/or update your status on Twitter and Facebook.
I’m developing a similar application that would give a wide range of features to its users for blogging.
Sam Shaw
iPhone Application Developer