The evolution of mobile reporting
Hacks
Secure your iPhone from hackers
Nov 11th
(Photo: Ed Shipul – Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 2.0 )
If you have a jailbroken iPhone, you could be in big trouble. A vulnerability in whats called the SSH gives hackers free access to your phone. Open SSH is supposed to encrypt your traffic on Internet, but the version installed in the jailbroken version has the same password for root users. A Dutch hacker recently hijacked several iPhones, forcing the owners to pay him to open up their phones again. If this SSH-talk is all jibberish to you, just follow this link to Redmond Pie to secure your phone. It’s pretty easy, even for low tech users.
Top ten iPhone apps for mobile journalists
Nov 10th
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 
Is it a razor or a phone?
Mar 25th
On top of my geeky mobile wish list these days is this wonder. Code named Cool 758. It’s both a phone and a razor. Just had to share it with you Found in on Craziestgadets.com .
External microphone on N82 with pre-amp and dynamic mic
Mar 12th
This is a recording done with Maycom MicTube. A pre-amp for dynamic microphones. The sound is a bit to high, but I think the over all quality of the sound recording is good. For some reason there is a glitch in the N82. The first time I connect the pre-amp, I get good sound quality. If I try to do a second recording, the quality is all garbled. I then have to rebot the phone? Any ideas why this happens?
Could a high quality pre-amp solve the problem?
Feb 19th
A couple of years ago I had to fill in as the head of technology at the place where I worked. At a technical conference, one of the key speakers showed me this little gadget. It is a high quality pre-amp, designed to increase the sound quality on MP3 recorders. As you may have read, I have pussled a lot with the sound quality on my Nokia N82 lately. Today I came to think of this product from Maycom. The TubeMic.
It’s a long time since I saw this product for the first time. I guess the quality is even better now, but I really haven’t tried it myself. I got a quick demonstration at the conference, but our need at that point where aimed towards high-end recorders, so I really didn’t bother thinking about it.
I have tried a couple of solution so far when it comes to external microphones on Nokia N-series, and my conclusion is that you got to boost the signal level high to get good quality when recording with an external microphone. It’s almost like old time MP3 recorders, which really needed gain strengt for line signal, not microphone. With this device it should even be possible to use a dynamic mic, since it has built in battery power. I haven’t tried, but I’m curios if there’s anyone out who has. Drop us a line in the comment field and share your experience.
External microphone on Nokia N82 and N95
Feb 10th
More info about the Zoom H2 recorder. One thing i didn’t mention is that you can record audio in full quality on your memory card, while recording on your N-series. If you also work for radio or want to make a podcast of it later, you can then produce a story inn superb sound quality. The H2 also works as a USB microphone. You can use it to put voice-over on you laptop when you’re editing .
To connect the recorder to your phone you first have to connect the original Nokia cable to the phone. You then get four choices for connection. Choose ‘headset’. There is a microswitch in the Nokia and this is now opening for incoming sound from the yellow connector on the cable.
To achive good audio quality you also need a 3.5 mm minijack stereo to phone mono adapter. This is a special adapter and you can buy it from RadioShack or Ebay. I got mine one Ebay. The last connector you need is a phone to phone adapter.
The Nokia N82 and N95 requires higher sound level in than you might be used to. You have to experiment with this. On the H2 recorder, you are taking the sound from the headset outlet. In this recording, the sound on headset outlet was set to 60. I had the same level for recording. If you loose your lip sync, set recording format to WAV, 48 khz, 16 bit. The N82 and N95 record audio in this format.
Great sound quality on N95
Jan 22nd
I found this post about using a wireless mic on the N95. The wireless idea is old, but Steve Garfield manage to produce some of the best sound quality I’ve ever heard on a Nokia N-series phone. Check out the video Steve made about it. And just to make this clear. When you connect an external mic to your N95, N82 og N96, you connect it through the video-connector on your Nokia AV cable. That’s the yellow connector. The mic have to be self powered.
Steve has bought his audio adapters from RadioShack. Unfortunately they don’t ship to Norway. If anyone knows where I can buy the phone to jack adapter (with stereo to mono conversion) on the Internet, I would be really happy. And once more, why can’t Nokia produce an external mic cable?
Testing out Apture
Aug 25th
You might have observed a lot of new features on my site these days. I’m trying out Apture’s link magic in my posts. Just try to hold your pointer over links with for example a “w”. This indicates that you will be able to view an article from Wikipedia, even without having to leave my site. Apture also makes the job of finding video for embedding much easier. From my perspective as a blogger, this is one of the easiest way to add links and video I’ve tried ever. Hopefully giving this site added value. What do you think of this features? Too much, too little? Leave a comment with your opinions.
Unscramble the message
Jun 25th
Have you ever wondered about what your phones bar code scanner can do? More and more mobile phones can read bar codes and QR codes. This is a quick and easy way to read URLs, text messages and phone numbers. Can you read my message? On the right hand you also can find a QR code with the URL for this blog. Check it out. You can make your own QR codes at KAYWA.
Adapting to memory cards
May 30th
The major drawback for MOJOs working for broadcasters are that they often have to carry heaps of equipment. What if you could manage without your laptop, simply using your cell phone to send all sorts of files home. Memory cards and adapters are the solution.
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