After visiting and reading through the website, FirstAnd20, I decided to one for myself. The concept is simple, you screenshot your iPhone’s first home screen and then explain what apps you have on there and why. You can also touch on apps that might not be on the first page but that you use regularly. Here we go…
If you look at my home screen you’ll notice that with exception of a single row most of the apps on my home screen are either the default app, or an app that improves upon exisiting default apps. For example, the Evernote app replaces both the default Notes and Voice Memo apps. Also the Weather Channel app replaces the default Weather app. You’ll notice that my bottom 4 apps remain unchanged except for the fact that I have jailbroken my device so that I could install the updated version of GV Mobile, giving me a Google Voice app on my phone. I’ll continue to use this app until Google brings out their nice web app or Apple approves the official iPhone Google Voice app. The GV Mobile app has replaced the Phone app on my bottom row.
Some of the none default apps you see are: Tweetie 2, which is hands down the best Twitter app on the iPhone. It doesn’t crash and it’s feature set is fairly complete. Not to mention some of the user interface and user experience touches that really improve it’s usability over other Twitter iPhone apps. For those that might try to convince me otherwise, I have tried most of more popular Twitter apps for the iPhone.
There’s the Facebook app which really needs zero explaination. The BeeJive IM app which I use to maintain instant msging presence (this is also how I communicate with the wife while on the go). I use the Gowalla app to checkin at places I visit. I prefer Gowalla to FourSquare. There is also a Safari bookmark to the Houston area traffic map which is a must when driving around Houston at any given time. And finally there is the Toodledo app which I use to manage my todo list. It syncs with the Toodledo website allowing me to have my todo list anywhere I’m at.
Apps that are not on my main page that I use frequently include the USA Today app for news, Shoutcast and Pandora for streaming music, and the game I’m currently playing is Fling. Also, I use Wikipanion, which is a great Wikipedia app for the iPhone and essentially turns the iPhone into the Hitchhiker’s Guide.
So there you have it. My FirstAnd20. What’s yours?
After visiting and reading through the website, 
Yesterday, Google held an event to demo it’s newest product, Chrome OS. This operating system designed for (at first) netbooks (like 
Yesterday, Google held an event to demo it’s newest product, Chrome OS. This operating system designed for (at first) netbooks (like 
Michael Koby 
Privacy in a World with Location Services
A lot of people have an iPhone. If you’re using a a 3G or 3GS iPhone, you have GPS in your phone. This GPS feature makes using location aware applications and services extremely useful because it’s easier to let the GPS pinpoint your location than it is for you tell a service where you are. Location based social networks like FourSquare and Gowalla, have constructed businesses built around this idea and they’re pretty fun to participate in. The more spaces you add and visit, the more “prestige” you get.
However, the other day when I was using Gowalla on my iPhone to check in at a place I was at (local business close to my home), I noticed something when Gowalla pulled up the locations I was close to. What I noticed was an entry labeled “[PERSON’S] House” (I have omitted the person’s name to protect their privacy at least a little). Who in their right mind thought that it was okay to add a personal’s physical residence (where they live) to a social network like this? This is a huge invasion of privacy on that person’s part. And if the person who’s house it is, said it was okay, why would they do that? There are lots of crazies in the world why would you give everyone pinpoint accuracy to where you live. It’s just not a smart move at all.
I understand that the younger generation has lived in a world of Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and other social networks. Things like this just weren’t around when I was in my teens (no, I had to use IRC and newsgroups and the web was still young). Granted, I’m not going to sit here and tell you that everyone on the internet is a child pornographer, perv, or creep. But people like that do exist and while we have these social networks, one should still exhibit some discretion when they post information to the public internet. Especially on networks that revolve around location.
To be fair, I do participate in location based social networks (Gowalla fan/user here), but I’m very particular about where I check in at. Also, when using Tweetie 2’s (iPhone Twitter app) new geo-tagging feature, I turn it off when I’m at home. I don’t need that level of privacy broken. Sure, you could probably find the area I live in quite easily based on tweets, pictures, and other miscellaneous info I’ve posted around the internet. But exact address, nope sorry (unless I’ve designated you allowed to on Facebook which if that’s the case you probably already know it anyway). But I won’t geo-tag a tweet from home, that’s too much information the internet does not need to have cached somewhere.
People, I implore you, use common sense when using location based social networks. Don’t put people’s personal residences in to the database and sure as heck don’t allow others to do it (even with consent). It’s just not a good idea and too much potential bad can come from it.