Friday 5

More cool stuff to do with your phone

Picking five cool things to do with your phone was a fun project (I'll post the link here after it's published on Friday), but there were multiple cool things that didn't make the cut.

Put an audio clip on your blog: If I go out and buy a new data contract for my obsolete Nokia, I'd be able to e-mail posts and photos to this blog and have them show up like magic. Personally, I think all reporters should have that capability now, since you never know when you'll bump into spot news. But I digress.

But let's say you're wandering around and you spot something you want to add to your site right away. My answer: Utterz, a free service that lets you record audio posts for your site. Utterz is also a community for people who want to -- in essence -- trade voice mails.

While I find that prospect less than enticing, the Utterz interface is relatively simple and the pieces that connect it to standard blogging platforms seem to work fine. I've got the number saved on my phone, and if I'm riding around and I notice something (a church sign, the Ron Paul blimp, etc.), I'll just get off the bike and make the call. Bingo: A quick audio post.

Also nice to know: When my first attempts at using the service didn't work because of my own mistake, someone from Utterz noticed, then left a comment for me to help me through the problem. Didn't even have to ask for help.

Tell people what you're doing via Twitter: I did a Twitter piece for F5 some weeks ago, and Tweeting has gone on to become part of my daily life (follow me at http://twitter.com/xarker).

There isn't much time in my life for sitting around doing nothing, but every now and then I have to go to the DMV, or wait for something. And that's when this feature comes in handy.

I can use SMS to send a Tweet, and I often do. It's not as fast as Tweeting via keyboard, though, so I tend to reserve it for out-of-pocket times.

If I'm REALLY geeking out, I can record an Utterz message and have that appear in my Twitter stream, but I haven't figured out why I'd want to do that. I may do it anyway. Just because.

New features that could convince you to upgrade: Sometimes you wonder whether gadgety features are worth anything. But as the Web matures and phone OS become more sophisticated, there are reasons to consider bumping yourself up to a more fully featured phone.

For instance, as nice as it is to know that I can text my location to Google and find my way out of a jam, I'd be a lot better off if I could receive a map. And your camera phone doesn't really become a useful appliance until you can post photos to the Web from anywhere.

Why worry about sending and receiving video on your phone? Because of Qikcasting.

I hate to think of myself as being nothing but a shill for Robert Scoble, but the people who make higher-end cell phones really need to pay this guy some money. He's singlehandedly raised Qik's profile with his live-streaming of tech events, and in doing so he's made me re-think my cheapskate attitude toward my phone.

What else could I be doing?

SEWE field guide

The bulk of the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition flock descends on the peninsula today, beginning a three-day habitation that will fill hotels, block traffic and make our historic city just a bit more colorful. To help you make the most of this great event, we’ve prepared this weekend field guide to help you identify the various species of SEWE participants. Can you spot all five?

Serious Collectors
Altus ars optimus
Habitat: Upscale neighborhoods in Charlotte, Raleigh, Greenville, Columbia and Atlanta. Can also be spied around country clubs, yachting facilities, expensive restaurants and galas.
Migratory plumage: Males sport blue blazers and khaki slacks for their annual SEWE migration; females are typically more brightly colored, but may molt as many as three times a day, depending on changes in environment and temperature.
Comments: Like many apex predators, Serious Collectors observe their targets with an unhurried air, then descend decisively. Though fearsome, they are surprisingly sensitive to small changes in their environment and may become quickly annoyed.

Big Game Hunters
Bellua interimo
Habitat: Most split time between seasonal urban dens and remote wildernesses in both North America and Africa.
Migratory plumage: Both males and females of this species are khaki-colored, further distinguished by broad-brimmed hats, epaulets, firm jaws and determined, steely gazes.
Comments: Do not show fear in their presence, stay downwind of them whenever possible and never, under any circumstances, offer one a clean shot at you.

Dog People
Canis populus
Habitat: Urban centers, suburbs, rural areas, big cities, small towns, open savannahs, deep woods, coastal plains, foothills, high mountains. Everywhere, basically.
Migratory plumage: Though migratory Dog People resemble native Dog People, experienced SEWE watchers look for these signs: 1. “My Border Collie is Smarter Than Your Honors Student” bumper stickers; 2. “I (heart) My Boykin Spaniel” T-shirts; 3. Typically accompanied by one or more Labrador Retrievers.
Comments: Dog People are the friendliest SEWE species and most seem to interact well with children, but don’t approach them suddenly, as they can become highly protective.

True Sportsmen
Panton interimo piscis
Habitat: Suburbs, small towns and rural areas, typically located within minutes of a shooting range, hunting preserve or fishing area.
Migratory plumage: Camouflage shirts; camouflage pants; camouflage hats; camouflage footwear; camouflage jackets; camouflage vehicles; camouflage lingerie. And black sunglasses. Note: A common subspecies wears only RealTree.
Comments: Organizers have never gotten an accurate count of how many True Sportsmen attend the event because so many are mistaken for foliage.

Interior Decorators
Perficio pingo sollicitus
Habitat: Suburbs and small towns.
Migratory plumage: Though they resemble some common local fauna, Interior Decorators migrate, graze and hunt in packs, occasionally accompanied by Bored Spouses, a symbiont species.
Comments: Interior Decorators are easy to attract. Wander alertly through expo crowds calling out “Oh how fabulous! Oh how fabulous!” or, alternately: “Those colors will go perfectly with your couch!” Alternate your calls to avoid sounding tacky.