The evolution of mobile reporting
Software
Apple finally allows live streaming from iPhone
Dec 15th
A couple of days ago, Apple allowed Ustream to launch an app that streams live from your iPhone. The Ustream app also gives you the choice to link your account to Facebook and YouTube. I’m still testing the app but I think both Bambuser and Qik provides better video and audio. You still have to jailbreak your phone to download the apps for Bambuser and Qik on Cydia. You can also find an app from Flixwagon on Cydia, but I haven’t had a chance to test it since my phone goes black every time I try.
If you want higher quality from Ustream, they also have an app for recording in higher quality. It is not live stream, but will connect to Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
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 
Notes from the field
Oct 28th
Freelance journalist Guy Degen has written a great blog post about field reporting with mobile devices. It includes tips and tricks about apps and hacks. You can find it on his blog Notes From The Field. The post is called “Better get your mojo working“.
Real-time traffic data
Sep 18th
Over at The Online Journalism Review, Kathlyn Clore has written a piece about the need for a real-time municipal traffic and transport reports mobile app. She interviewed me about my opinions, but it’s really not my area of expertise. Maybe you can add some extra value to her post? Head over to OJR and check out the article.
Pushing viral video
Mar 4th
In the third part of my social media tutorial, viral spreading of video is the name of the game. We’ll start by looking at how live mobile streaming from Qik can spread like a viral infection all through the net.
Better streaming from Bambuser?
Feb 24th
Well, that remains to be proven, but Bambuser has released a new client software for phones using Symbian 60 and UIQ. The new version is supposed to be better on latency. If the flow of data from your data carrier ain’t coping with the flow of data from the video you’re streaming, the client will still drop frames, but after your done steaming, it will upload missing frames of video and audio to the server. In theory, your on demand clips should have better quality than your clips. The QIK client has featured this function for some time. Bambuser’s upgrade is therefore long time overdue.
Bambuser is teaming up with Polopoly
Sep 18th
The mobile streaming market is definitely hot these days. One day Flixwagon announces that they are selling in-house solutions for media companies, the next day Bambuser is answering. Bambuser have made a deal with another Swedish company, Poloply, to include live mobile streaming in their CMS. Poloply has nearly $1 billion USD worth of software installed worldwide and supports in excess of 800 customers in more than 40 countries, according to a press release.
Bambuser has one advantage over Flixwagon. Their streaming system can produce multiple mobile phone streams in one channel. Pretty much the same way you can use Qik and Mogulus. My biggest problem with Bambuser lately have been that their servers seems overloaded, producing streams with bad quality. My own company is already using Polopoly. It will be exciting to see how much the streaming addendum will cost and how an in-house solution will effect the quality. My guess is that the swedes are back in the race again, competing with Qik and Flixwagon.
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.
Making a hotspot of your phone
Aug 14th
JoikuSpot could be a handy piece of software to have on your mobile phone. It simply turns your phone into a WIFI hotspot. You can use your 3G, 3.5G or WIFI network as an access carrier. Giving you or others the ability to use your mobile phone as a hotspot for laptops.
Good MOJO software
Jul 31st
On my Nokia N82, the standard software from Nokia is good, but it can’t do everything i want. I’m always on the lookout for good software. A lot of people ask me what sort of software I use. This is a list of my most important software. I would also be grateful for tips on other good software.
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