Top ten iPhone apps for mobile journalists

Got a new iPhone and wonder about what apps you need as a mobile journalist? Here is my top ten list.

Tweetie 2

The best app for Twitter I’ve found so far. Handles multiple accounts and is very intuitive to use. Features an offline mode with the possibility to save to Instapaper. Also offers possibility to post photos and videos. Will shorten URLs. It doesn’t support the list function in Twitter. Has a geo-function which shows you other Twitter users nearby.

A free alternative is Twitterific.

Facebook

This free app let’s you connect to Facebook and basically almost do everything you can do in a normal web browser.

Some support for video and plugins is missing. But that is mainly an iPhone problem, not a problem in the app.

Since I installed this app I’ve almost stopped login into Facebook on my computer.

Dropbox
This is a handy free utility for storing files in the cloud. For some months I’ve been using this to insure that I have access to important files anywhere. On my computer I can mount my Dropbox account as a virtual disk. On my iPhone I can only read the files or display photos or videos.

Google mobile app

A collection of the most used services from Google. This app gives me a quick access to things like search, Google Reader and Google Documents. It basically loads the different services from Google into your Safari browser, but I find this much more handy than storing the different URLs in favorites in the browser.

I tend read more and more news and blog via the Google Reader. If haven’t already tried it, please do – it will change your way of using the net forever.

IntelliScreen
One of the things I missed on iPhone was the ability to show my calendar and unread mails in the standby screen. I searched long and hard to find an app that could do this. And due to one of many limitations on what Apple allows program developers to make, you won’t find any apps with these possibilities in the app store. If you take the chance and jailbreak you iPhone you will find this app repository in the Rock Your Phone App Store.

Qik

As a journalist this is a must have application. (Edit after comment) Qik is probably the best provider of live streams for Symbian phones at the moment. But not on the iPhone. As you can see in the comment from the founder og Bambuser, Apple dont’ allow live streaming!!!!

The quality of live streams from an iPhone is not as good as streams from phones like Nokia N-series. The camera is simply not good enough. I simply prefer to use my N82.

Bambuser
One of the biggest competitors for Qik is Bambuser from Sweden. They have choosen to releas their client in the Cydia App Store, since  Apple don’t allow live streaming. You will have to jailbreak your phone and download the client from Cydia repository. If you are not a technical person, don’t jailbreak. Be aware that Apple consider jailbreaking to be a violation of copyright. If anything happens with a jailbroken iPhone, Apple will not stand by their guarantee.

(Edit: As you can read in the comment from Måns Adler at Bambuser, they have launched Bambuser on Cydia because Apple don’t allow live streaming. Smart choice, but it makes it hard for low-tech users.)

Poddio
Poddio is the first serious attempt to make an app for recording and editing sound files. For simple recording and editing it works remarkably well. You can use soundblocks from different recordings to make one project.

This is one of the most expensive apps in the App Store, and I think it’s highly overprized. With a much lower prize, this could have been a must-have app for all journalists. With Vericorders current prize strategy I fear that this promising app will die because of low sale. Or at least, won’t be developed with the speed it deserves. So this is plea for Vericorder to rethink their pricing strategy. I think you will earn on it in the long run.

The biggest problem with Poddio is that you can’t really send your finished audio files back home from the field. You have to transfer it to your Mac or PC. And why fiddle with editing on a small screen if you can do it with brilliant software like Audacity on your PC? Well, I found a solution in the next app on my list. Vericorder also sells a microphone for iPhone. They won’t sell me one in Norway, so I really can’t say much about the quality. But I will soon be testing Mikey’s Blue Mic, and will post a review on this blog.

File2Mail
The iPhone is really in the dark ages when it comes to attachments. From the mail app you can’t attach anything. You have to start the correct app to send pictures and videos. But what if you want to send different media formats in the same mail? Or if you want to send your finished sound file from Poddio? Apple won’t let you do that.

This again is a solution which is only doable with a jailbroken phone. File2Mail lets you navigate the file structure of your phone and send whatever files your heart desires. Since the file structure is very complex, you will find it somewhat frustrating the first time you try to do this.

With some patience I found my sound projects from Poddio and was able to send them with my Gmail account. You can send multiple files and different file types in the same mail. I hope Apple soon comes to their senses and makes this possible from the mail app.

ReelDirector

My final app on the top ten list is ReelDirector. It features easy editing of video. Or more precise, it makes it possible to join several video clips into one large one. You can also trim the beginning and end of each clip.

The workflow isn’t optimal, but it’s better than nothing. If you plan your takes, it should be possible to make a reportage out in the field. ReelDirector also offers the the possibility to add opening credits and different sorts of transitions. Unlike Poddio, ReelDirector offers the service of mailing your final clip as an email attachment. Unfortunately, it doesn’t store the final clip along with the other iPhone clips.

You will find all the different apps in the Apple App Store, Cydia or Rock. If you are unfamiliar with jailbreaking, you can read more about it at Wikipedia.

Whats your favorite iPhone app? Feel free to help others by submitting a comment with suggestions