Home Screen, 12/01/09

My iPhone homescreen contains the icons that I use the most; after the first screen, all of the rest of my icons (9 more pages) are arranged alphabetically. I keep refining the homescreen, switching icons when I find a better application than the one I was using. So it's constantly evolving, but I'm pretty happy with it now.

First row: Messages, Weather, Photos, Camera
Second row: App Store, Calculator, Bookmark, Audio Memos
Third row: Things, Splash Money, Splash ID, Splash Shopper
Fourth row: Safari, Mail, Evernote, Settings
Dock: Speed Dial 1, Phone, Night Clock, Calendar

Bookmark: This is a new acquisition. I resisted getting it for awhile because it was $2.99, which is kind of a lot for something that isn't totally necessary. What it does it hold your position in an audiobook, and allows you to set bookmarks. For some reason, iTunes doesn't seem to be able to remember where you stop in an audiobook. I listen to audiobooks in the car through the Griffin iTrip, which allows me to play iPhone audio through the car speakers. So for instance, I listen to a book on the way to work, and iTunes may or may not remember where I stopped when I get back into the car to go home. It's completely frustrating and makes a severe impact on the audiobook experience, which I enjoy except for that part.

With Bookmark, I open that app instead of iTunes, and it remembers where I stopped in the audio book, and starts back up immediately without having to search for my place. Totally worth $2.99.

iTunes store link ($2.99)

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Audio Memos: This is a fairly new one also. I tried a lot of audio memo-type applications. They're all pretty similar, but I had specific needs. I wanted one that had a big "record" button that I could easily press when I'm in the car so that if I think of something I need to do while I'm driving, I can make a quick recording rather than either trying to remember it, or writing it down. I found some pretty good ones, but the thing I particularly liked about Audio Memos was that when you replay the recording, it plays through the speakers, and you can listen to it without having to have the phone up to your ear. I think it was free when I got it, but it's now $.99.

iTunes store link ($.99)

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Things: I've also tried a lot of productivity apps. Things had turned out to be the best one for my purposes. It allows me to create "projects" and have to-do items within those projects. It sorts the items by due date and displays a badge number on the homescreen telling me how many items I have that are due today.

Things costs $9.99, so it's not cheap, and if you want to sync it with your desktop you'll need to buy a $40 desktop app, but it's a pretty powerful program and, I think, worth it. It's much easier to type out a bunch of tasks on the desktop app and then sync it to the iPhone over the air, and it's great to have my to-do list and project tasks both places.

iTunes store link ($9.99)

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SplashMoney: I started using the SplashData applications when I had a Palm, and got used to them, so I was happy when they ported the apps over to the iPhone. They had a little bit of a rocky start, but the current versions seem pretty stable. SplashMoney is basically a checkbook application. I use it to keep track of my bank accounts, investment accounts, etc. It's password protected, and it syncs with a $19.95 desktop application.

iTunes store link ($4.99)

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SplashID: SplashID is a password manager. There may be, and probably are, better ones out there, but I was used to the interface after having used it on Palm for a number of years, so I stuck with it. I use it to keep track of all the various website logins that I have, credit card numbers, all kinds of private info. It is, of course, password protected. It also syncs with a desktop app that costs $19.95.

iTunes store link ($9.99)

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SplashShopper: SplashShopper is a list manager that you can use for lots of things, not just grocery lists. Grocery lists is what I use it for most often, though. It has a database of items--you can add new ones, of course--and you just check off the things you need, then when you get to the store you check them off as you put them in your cart. Pretty simple, but again, I was used to the interface and like it. You get a break on the SplashShopper desktop app, it's only $9.95.

iTunes store link ($4.99)

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Evernote: Evernote is a free app that syncs with a desktop app that is also free. In the free version you can write text notes, record voice notes, add snapshots to notes, and save images, webpages, and PDFs. You can purchase an upgrade to a premium version for $4.99/month that gives you more file space and allows you to save more kinds of documents, but the free version is fine for me.

I use it to save PDFs of software manuals, operating manuals for household appliances, travel itineraries, and all kinds of notes and lists of things I want to remember. It syncs automatically with both the desktop app and an online version on the Evernote website, so no matter where you are, you can access your notes. I don't generally use it to take pictures of things, but you certainly could. They suggest wine labels, fabric swatches, serial numbers on software boxes, etc.

iTunes store link (Free)

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Speed Dial #1: Speed Dial #1 only does one thing--it dials one phone number when you press the icon. I got it so that I could program it to call Bob so that all I have to do when I need to call him is press the button. Most of the apps that I have on my homescreen are there because I use them all the time, and because I need to have them be easy to identify and use. No matter what screen I'm on, the items in the dock are always visible.

iTunes store link (Free)

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Night Clock: I wanted a clock app to put in the dock that was quick to open, showed the time in large, easy to read numerals, had an alarm function that utilizes iPod music, and turned into a flashlight when you tap the screen. A+ Alarm Night Clock does all of these things for $.99.

iTunes store link ($.99)