10 iPad Apps I’d Recommend For Students

After I did a post recommending iPhone and iPad apps, I received a request asking for my picks for students.  Here they are.

1. CamCard (free) – if you’re good at the networking game, you will need a place to organize all the business cards I hope you’re picking up.  You snap a picture of the card, and you’re able to organize the information in your iPhone/iPad contacts.  I bought the paid version ($2.99) for the NABJ San Diego convention and have never looked back.  The free limits the number of cards you can download, so shell out for the paid version.
2. Ptch (free) – the tag line for this app is “An Instagram for all your media…” You can use it to create a presentation using videos and photographs.  It’s great for creating short pieces that can be included on a reel.
3. iMovie ($4.99) – you need a quick-and-dirty editing app and this is it.  But it has rich features, including the ability to create movie trailers, create and edit HD movies and share them across social media platforms.
4. LinkedIn (free) – this app is a great resource for those looking for internships and that first job.  Build up your network, join journalism-related groups and start reaching out to those who will help you in your networking efforts.  Also, join the group LinkedIn For Journalists.  You’ll learn how to use the platform for stories.
5. SlideRocket or Haiku (both free) – Looking for an alternative to PowerPoint or Prezi? Try out these two presentation apps.
6. About.me (free) – use this app to create a portfolio page to show off your work and let potential employers know who you are.
7. Resume Maker ($2.99) – this is a great tool to help you get your resume together.  You can create custom versions for potential employers and download it as a PDF.
8. Interview A-Z (99 cents) – so you’ve done the resume, and got the interview. Use this app to go over potential questions employers may ask.  it also offers interview prep tips and help with writing cover letters.
9. StudyBlue (free) – I’m teaching myself Spanish, and as part of the learning process, I use StudyBlue flash cards for memorizing key words.  You can create your own or crib from the hundreds of cards created by others.
10. Temple Run (free) – sometimes you just need to walk away and clear your head.  My 7-year-old daughter is a master at this distracting, yet fun game that lets you tap your inner Indiana Jones.

10 iPad Apps I’d Recommend To Dori Maynard Of The Maynard Institute

Yesterday I did a post on iPhone apps I’d recommend for NABJ President Greg Lee.  I posted a link on Facebook, and one of the responders was Dori Maynard of the Maynard Institute. Dori got an iPad for Christmas, so here’s the apps I’d recommend for her.

1. AppStart (free) – for the iPad newbie, this is a must-have app that offers great advice on the best apps to download as you begin your tablet journey.
2. Flipboard (free) – I’ve all but abandoned my Google Reader for this app. You can use it to do great magazine-style feeds of your favorite publications.  You can share story links via Twitter, email links or read them later.  I’d also download Pocket (free), which is an app that stores Flipboard stories for offline reading later.
3. CNN (free) – the news junkie in me loves this app.  I can read stories, see breaking news videos, get updates on important stories and even watch live programming (thanks to my DirecTV subscription).
4. Prezi (free) – step away from the boring, predictable PowerPoint presentation with this animated app.
5. Apps Gone Free (free) - every day, this app suggests between eight and 20 paid apps that are being given away for a limited time.  I’ve gotten some great photo/video and travel apps through this app.
6. SoundNote ($4.99) – I learned about this app via a post on best journalist gifts over at the 10000 Words blog. While you are typing your notes on your iPad, it also records.  When you want to play something back, tap the word and the recording takes you there.
7. Google Drive (free) – if you’re like me and have moved many documents to the cloud, having this app makes it simple to access all those files.
8. JoinMe (free) – let’s say you want to have an online meeting with the ability to share your screen.  This app does that, and works great on the iPad.
9. Storify (free) – Dori and former NABJ President Herb Lowe know I’m a HUGE fan of this multimedia storytelling program, and you can create the same magic on your iPad with this app.
10. Find iPhone/iPad (free) – this app will help you recover a lost iPhone or iPad even if the volume is off.  Combine this with a pass code to open your items, and you’re good to go in the security area.

Top 10 iPhone Apps I Recommend For NABJ President Greg Lee’s New iPhone

So I’m checking out the @NABJDigital Twitter account and I see that NABJ President Greg Lee has announced that he just got a new iPhone.  I’m an iPhone user (Santa bought me an iPhone 5) and regularly test and review iPhone apps.  So below, for my president, and the rest of you, are my picks.

1. AppStart for iPhone (free) – one of my geek tech friends told me about this app when I got my iPad last Christmas, and they have now released an iPhone version.  It offers dozens of suggestions for folks just getting started.
2. Apps Gone Free (free) – every day, this app suggests between eight and 20 paid apps that are being given away for a limited time.  I’ve gotten some great photo/video and travel apps through this app.
3. AP Stylebook ($24.99) – any journalist worth their salt has a copy of this on their desk.  This app puts it all in your hands, with a search function and the ability to bookmark key items.
4. Miriam Webster Dictionary (free) – I love this app. You can get quick definitions and pronunciations of words.
5. SoundCloud (free) – this app allows you to record sound for stories and upload it to Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook and Foursquare.
6. iTalk Recorder Premium ($1.99) – every good reporter needs  a recorder for interviews.  This is the one you want.  You can do good, better and best sound quality. Once the recording is done, you can email it (if it’s not too big), upload it via Dropbox or download the desktop app that automatically transfers files.
7. Camera+ (99 cents) – the built-in camera on the iPhone is crap. Spend the money to get this app, which includes a zoom, a grid, a stabilizer, a timer, the ability to take bursts of photos, quality adjustment, sharing on social networks and geotagging.
8. Video+ (99 cents) – again, the video camera on the iPhone is crap. so spend the 99 cents for an app that offers more than a dozen special effects, contrast and other settings, and the ability to use the flash as  a light for your video.
9. Ustream (free) – use this app to live stream events.  The video can also be automatically uploaded to a YouTube channel.
10. Evernote (free) – this app allows you to take notes, capture photos, create to-do lists, record voice reminders–and makes these notes completely searchable. You can also access your notes via iPhone, iPad or desktop.

Tomorrow I’ll offer my top 10 iPad picks.  And I’d be happy to see what your iPhone/iPad app picks are!

5 Reasons Why You Should Submit Something To The Knight News Challenge On Mobile

By Benét J. Wilson, chair, NABJ Digital Journalism Task Force & social media/newsletters editor, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association

The Knight News Challenge has release its third and final round, focusing on mobile.  For those new to the challenge, it was created “to accelerate media innovation by funding breakthrough ideas in news and information. Winners receive a share of $5 million in funding and support from Knight’s network of influential peers and advisors to help advance their ideas,” according to its website.

I first heard about the challenge in June 2010, when NABJ member and ASU professor Retha Hill won a grant for her CitySeed application.  My blog post on that is here; Hill also explains CitySeed in this YouTube video.

This Knight Challenge has $5 million to give away.  All you have to do is answer eight questions by Sept. 10 about “using mobile to improve news, information, democracy and communities, and your ability to execute on it.”  So here are my five reasons why you should apply.

1. It’s important that journalists of color get known in these communities that are helping to drive the future of news distribution.
2. Duh – it’s your share of $5 million, which can help fund your dream idea.
3. An explosive growth in smartphones has also fueled growth in news-related apps so why shouldn’t you get a piece of the pie with your idea?
4. How cool would it be to develop the next killer news app?
5. What do you have to lose — and how much could you gain if you win?

From Journalism.co.uk: 22 Tools And Apps Every Journalism Student Should Know About

By Benét J. Wilson, DJTF chair & freelance aviation/travel journalist and blogger

The Journalism.co.uk is among the websites that are on my must-read list.  I’m a big fan of journalism tool lists, because they not only let me know if I’m keeping up, but they almost always teach this old dog some new tricks.

They’ve done it again with this list. I looked at the list, and discovered I’m using 15 of the 22 tools with varying degrees of success.  And below are another five you can add to your own toolbox.

1. Camera+ — this iPhone camera app takes it to the next level, allowing you to zoom in and out, adjust picture quality, use a timer, add a stabilizer, save to your camera roll and instantly share on social media platforms.
2. Video+ — This takes the video camera to the next level, allowing you to do cool stuff like add special effects and lighting.
3. iPromptPro — turn your iPhone or iPad into an instant teleprompter with this app.
4. AP Stylebook – yes, it’s pricey at $24.99, but it’s great to have this journalists bible right on your iPhone. Plus you can save things you look up regularly (like datelines for me).
5. Hours Keeper — this is a great app for all my freelancers to keep track of projects, including time spent and invoicing.

Going To New Orleans For #NABJ12? Check Out The Black History Mobile App

An iconic New Orleans balcony. Photo courtesy of Katjusa Cisar via Flickr.

By Benét J. Wilson, DJTF chair & freelance aviation/travel journalist and blogger

Back in November 2010, NABJ member and digital journalism pioneer Retha Hill won a $12,000 grant from the McCormick Foundation’s New Media Women Entrepreneurs program.  Hill, director of the New Media Innovation Lab and professor of practice at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, used her grant to create the Mobile Black History Project app. You can see her presentation of the app here.

The app offers an augmented reality view of prominent black history sites in 12 cities, including New Orleans, where NABJ will hold its annual convention next week.  “When NABJers are out and about in New Orleans, they can look through the lens of their smartphone and find out about all kinds of interesting African-American history,” said Hill.  “They can discover, for example, the home of Dr. Louis Charles Roudanez, the founder of the first black daily newspaper in the U.S., or the Cheval House, which was once home to the free person of color who invented a way of refining sugar.”

To access the app, download the Layar browser (available for iOS and Android devices) then search for “black history.” After your mobile’s GPS determines your location, the app can direct you to nearby points of interest, providing historic images, video and other information.  Below is a YouTube video demonstrating how the video works.

10 iPhone Apps To Enhance Your NABJ 2012 Convention Experience

By Benét J. Wilson, DJTF chair & freelance aviation/travel journalist and blogger

Regular readers know that I am a HUGE fan of my iPhone as a great tool to do my job as a journalist. But some of the same tools I love to do my work will also help make next week’s National Association of Black Journalists Annual Convention and Career Fair a better experience. So below, in no particular order, are 10 apps to make your convention experience even better.

1. The Weather Channel: I love this app for giving me detailed hourly, daily, 36-hour and weekly forecasts in any city.
2. Hoot Suite: with this free Twitter app, not only can I keep track of my six Twitter accounts, I can also create columns to follow the #NABJ12 and #NABJ hashtags, along with key people like @NABJprez2011. I also like the Hashtag app to follow particular tags in one place.
3. Dragon Diction: this handy app allows me to post directly to my Facebook or Twitter accounts just by speaking. And because so much is going on, I can also use it to send myself reminders and updates.
4. AroundMe: this free app is an invaluable resource when you’re in a new city. It offers information on local conveniences including banks/ATMs, bars, hospitals, restaurants and supermarkets.
5. Concur: If you’re going on your company’s dime and it uses Concur, this app is golden. It allows you to keep track of expenses on the run. And after the convention, there’s no huge pile of receipts to track. Nice! If you don’t use Concur, click here for other suggestions.
6. Urbanspoon: New Orleans is a great city for food. Use this free app to find restaurants in the city, complete with menus, comments, directions and contact information. It also breaks down restaurants by cuisine and price.For my sushi lovers, I’m a big fan of iSushi.
7. Ustream: this app allows me to shoot live video from my iPhone. I can also upload the video to my YouTube channel.
8. Audioboo: I used this tool in Philly last year to do quick, 5-minute audio interviews.
9. CamCard ($6.99): every year I collect a huge stack of business cards and only input a fraction of them on Microsoft Outlook. I hate paying for apps, but this one was worth the money. I can take a picture of a card and the information is automatically updated in my NABJ contacts group. Plus it’s environmentally friendly. ABMW President Troy Johnson also told me about CardFlick, a free app that allows you to share business card information.
10. Taxi Magic: you need a cab, but you don’t want to hunt for phone numbers. Use this free online booking service to get a cab where you want, when you want.

So, what did I miss? What apps would you suggest for NABJ?

My Top 10 List Of Must-Have iPhone Apps For Journalists

By Benét J. Wilson, DJTF chair & freelance aviation/travel journalist and blogger

As chair of NABJ’s Digital Journalism Task Force and certified digital media geek, I get asked all the time what are the best apps journalists should have on their iPhones. There’s a lot of great stuff out there, and 10 different journalists would give you 10 different apps.  Below are my picks, but I have many more apps I love to use.

1. AP Stylebook: OK, this puppy costs $24.99, but I shelled out the bucks for this journalists’ bible.  The app offers searchable listings for the main, sports, business, punctuation and social media sections, and it allows users to make custom entries and notes. It also lets you bookmark things — like datelines — that you tend to seek over and over.
   
2. Camera +: I thought the iPhone camera app was perfectly fine. Wrong!! I hate to pay for apps, but this has been worth every penny of the $1.99 cost.  I can use the camera flash as a continuous light.  I can better control and focus my pictures. I can shoot in different modes.  And I can automatically post to Facebook, Twitter and Flickr. Cool!
3. TIE Photoshop Express and iMovie: You have a cool camera app. Now you need an app to edit and organize your pictures. Photoshop Express is it.  You can crop, change the exposure, add colors and tints and upload to your favorite social media outlets. The MovieCamera app just rocks! You can use your flash to light a scene, it has auto focus, exposure and white balance, you can go hi res and HD AND you can see the sound recording levels.
4. iTalk: The iPhone comes with a perfectly good audio recorder.  But iTalk (the free version) is SO much more!! You get three levels of recording (good, better and best), a huge red record button and it puts your files in alphabetical order.  You can email smaller files, but need to download iTalk Sync to transfer larger files to your computer.  But if you buy iTalk Pro for $1.99, youcan use Dropbox to transfer your files.
5. Audioboo:  this app that lets you record up to five minutes of audio and attach a phot, that is easily posted to Twitter, Facebook, Posterous or Tumblr. Some folks even use it for quick podcasts and radio broadcasts.
6. Evernote: I’m one of those people who is addicted to the Notes function on my iPhone.  But the problem is, Notes is very static and I can’t access it when my phone isn’t around. In comes Evernote.  This app is Notes on steroids.  I can yype a text note. Clip a web page. Snap a photo. Grab a screenshot. I can snap a pic of a business card.  I can store web pages. I can copy notes from Twitter.  I could go on, but you get the point.  The bonus is that I can access my Evernotes from any device — iPhone, iPad or laptop computer!
7. Dragon Go/Dragon Diction: The Dragon Go app lets you speak to find the things you need.  This app links you to everything from local businesses to books to maps to weather — all by voice. Keeping it in the family, I also like Dragon Dictation, which records you speaking and allows you to send an email, a tweet or a status update on Facebook.
8. Ustream: this app allows me to shoot live video from my iPhone. I can also upload the video to my YouTube channel.
9. Town Hall:  For 99 cents, you can track current and past members of Congress, including links to official sites, news, Wikipedia, OpenSecrets, VoteSmart and GovTrack.
10. Merriam-Webster Dictionary:  this app is powered by Dragon Diction, allowing you to do voice searches of words. It will even pronounce the words you look up.

Communication: There Is An App For That…Or Is There?

By Meta J. Mereday, writer/editor and diversity, media and community development expert

Living in this high technology and increasing digitized existence makes me wonder a great deal about the future.  In a world that has become the “change your app to control your life” existence, I continue to ask myself are we really better off or not.

There are apps to give you directions, make dinner reservations, correct spelling errors and set up your wardrobe.  All we need now is the app to drive the car itself versus that persistent voice telling you how lost — and actually  how dependent – you are to technology versus instincts.

Some people are so attached to their phones and the multitude of applications, they can no longer write with a pen, count change in their heads or speak in full sentences — there are apps for all of that! Just the notion that the words in the English language, which is so many cases is abridged, altered and adulterated, just becomes further assaulted when you have highly educated human beings who now have to learn what letter combinations such BFF and IDK mean to communicate with the younger generation.

 By improving our way of life and accessibility to information, we have diminished our way of communicating with each other and utilizing the portions of the brain that were designed for creative process and human exchange. There are apps that pick art work, apps that design our homes, apps that explain apps.

Even the phrase “apps” is an abbreviation on the word “applications.”  A word that used to have other meanings, but has now become a part of the modern culture, short-cut mindset.

Unfortunately, there is no going back, but I am sure there is an “app” that will provide you with a time travel experience — or there will be.  It is bad enough that you can hardly get two words out of teenagers who will suffer from what I call  ATCNS – advanced texting crooked neck syndrome- before they reach 30 and will have major neck and back pains, if not a perpetual slump by 40 years old.

What are we really saying as we streamline the communication process and minimize the power of the written and spoken word?  In the media industry, many are bemoaning the fact that people are not reading, thus the demise of newspapers, magazines and the many jobs therein.

In the education field, the experts are embarrassed by the low reading and writing scores of our young people who represent the booming clientele for all things digital.  Reading the blurbs on the iPad or getting an abbreviated tweet has taken the place of knowledge based fact finding, reading comprehension and writing proficiency.

It is the modern day “cheat sheet” to awareness and understand. Do we not see the connection to the problem being the bridge to ignorance built by the digital era?  I am guessing that we do not see it because it takes too long to grasp the concept and we do not talk about these issues in depth anymore.

We have gotten away from the interpersonal exchange of information - for example, sitting at the knees or our elders. It is not just about lack of diversity and inclusion, which is still a problem, but the even bigger problem is our own digital diversion from social infrastructure and common bonds – conversation, communication and compassion. We don’t talk to each other, we don’t share our stories and we don’t involve ourselves in preserving our own history.

So, do we really think that next generation – “bought everything for to make them better because they got what you didn’t get group – is going to understand the underlying meaning of your actions without words?  Think again — but maybe there might be an app out there to help with that too.

Top 10 Apps I Picked Up At NABJ 2011

By Benét J. Wilson, DJTF co-chair, Online Managing Editor-Business Aviation, Aviation Week Group

At last week’s NABJ Convention, Val Hoeppner of the Freedom Forum taught MOBILE STORYTELLING 101 as a half-day Learning Lab. As part of the lab. Hoeppner showed us a bunch of iPhone apps that journalists can use in mobile storytelling, Here are my 10 favorites. All are free unless otherwise noted.

Val Hoeppner – Google+ If you need to take your multimedia skills to the next level check out our Advanced Multimedia Boot Camp in Nashville, Tenn. Oct. 12-16, 2011. Advanced Multimedia Boot Camp Offered Oct. 2011. Workshops and Conferences. Advanced Multimedia Boot Camp is for professional journalists, journalism educators, students and others with some multimedi…

2011 Convention – Tuesday and Wednesday – National Association of Black Journalists NABJ BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING Location: 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. REGISTRATION & WELCOME CENTER Location: Broad Street Foyer Make sure to visit the registration & welcome center for all of your convention materials. Sign up for the special events, including the golf tournament, the 5K Walk/Run, and purchase tickets to the Salute to Excellence Awards Gala and Saturday Gospel Brunch.

“	I have so many #nabj11takeaway moments, it’s hard to choose. I’ll pick @vhoeppner Visual Storytelling & @webbmedia top 10 #techtrends. #NABJ
	NABJDigital August 8, 2011

Let’s face it — even though we are all news gatherers, we are also voracious news consumers.  I’m shocked that I didn’t have the AP Mobile app on my iPhone, considering all the great content available on it.

AP Mobile AP Mobile is an award-winning multimedia news portal developed by The Associated Press that provides anytime access to international, national and local news. In addition to AP’s own worldwide coverage of breaking news, sports, entertainment, politics and business, more than 1,000 AP members and third-party sources provide content for AP Mobile.

I’m one of those people who is addicted to the Notes function on my iPhone.  But the problem is, Notes is very static and I can’t access it when my phone isn’t around. In comes Evernote.  This app is Notes on steroids.  I can “Type a text note. Clip a web page. Snap a photo. Grab a screenshot.” I can snap a pic of a business card.  I can store web pages. I can copy notes from Twitter.  I could go on, but you get the point.  The bonus is that I can access my Evernotes from any device — iPhone, iPad or laptop computer!

Remember Everything | Evernote Corporation Save your ideas, things you like, things you hear, and things you see. Evernote works with nearly every computer, phone and mobile device out there. Search by keyword, tag or even printed and handwritten text inside images. Get Evernote Download Now It’s free.

And here I thought my installed iPhone camera app was perfectly fine. Wrong!! I hate to pay for apps, but this has been worth every penny of the $1.99 cost.  I can use the camera flash as a continuous light.  I can better control and focus my pictures. I can shoot in different modes.  And I can automatically post to Facebook, Twitter and Flickr. Cool!

Camera+ …the ultimate photo app Use the iPhone 4 LED flash as a continuous fill light to improve photo quality, especially for portrait and macro shots. Use the grid to line up your shots and eliminate tilted shots. Up to 6× zoom with advanced digital processing provides you with quality that simply blows away the competition.

You have a cool camera app. Now you need an app to edit and organize your pictures. Photoshop Express is it.  You can crop, change the exposure, add colors and tints and upload to your favorite social media outlets.

Photo Editor, Online Photo Editor, Photoshop Express | Photoshop.com First things first… create an account Create a free Photoshop.com account so you can use Photoshop Express apps to upload photos, store and organize them, and create interactive slideshows-and to quickly post your edited photos to sites like Facebook. Does your photo need a quick fix? Crop, straighten, adjust color, and touch up imperfections.

Staying with the photo theme, Hoeppner told us about the Pano app, which allows you to easily take fantastic panoramic pictures.  I love that this app tells you just where to move the camera to use up to 16 photos for a 360 degree shot.

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftwareSocialPreview?id=293709029&mt=8&s=143441&wdId=32800

I’ve used the iPhone video camera, but the MovieCamera app just rocks! You can use your flash to light a scene, it has auto focus, exposure and white balance, you can go hi res and HD AND you can see the sound recording levels. Sweet!

iPhone – iPod Touch – iPad Apps Finally! A motion picture camera app for the iPod touch, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 that allows your professional skills to shine. Movie Camera is designed for professional cinematographers who want to leverage the small size and portability of the iPod touch or iPhone but still want complete control over the picture settings.

The iPhone comes with a perfectly good audio recorder.  But iTalk (the free version) is SO much more!! You get three levels of recording (good, better and best), a huge red record button and it puts your files in alphabetical order.  You can email smaller files, but need to download iTalk Sync to transfer larger files to your computer.  But if you buy iTalk Pro for $1.99, youcan use Dropbox to transfer your files.

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftwareSocialPreview?id=293673304&mt=8&s=143441&wdId=32800

iTalk Sync Free Download for Mac and Windows | One More Tap Griffin Technology has just released a public beta version of iTalk Sync for Windows computers. iTalk Sync is a companion program to iTalk. iTalk Sync for the Mac is also available and requires Mac OS X v10.4 or greater. iTalk turns your iPhone, iPhone 3G or 2nd generation iPod touch into a high-quality recording device.

Hoeppner had nothing but high praise for Tumblr,a microblogging site that can be used via browser, phone, desktop or email.  Tumblr allows you to post content including ext, photos, quotes, links, music, and videos.  Check out how NPR is using Tumblr, below.

Sign up | Tumblr

When analyzing the black women who are 35 and older, the percent who have never been married drops to 25 percent, indicating that a solid majority of black women get married before they turn 35.

The Dragon Go app lets you speak to find the things you need.I used it in Philadelphia to find a restaurant that had late-night delivery because I was still starving after an evening reception.  I highly recommend the soup dumplings!  This app links you to everything from local businesses to books to maps to weather — all by voice. Keeping it in the family, I also like Dragon Dictation, which records you speaking and allows you to send an email, a tweet or a status update on Facebook.

Dragon Go! Say What You Want and Dragon Go! Delivers Across the Mobile Web Imagine – one app access to everything you want on the mobile web! That’s Dragon Go! You just say what you want and Dragon Go! not only hears what you say – it also understands what you want and gives you direct access to the best sites on the Mobile Web delivering what you want.

Compose message and update Social Networking status – by voice on iPad, iPhone or iPod touch Dragon Dictation, powered by Nuance’s world-renowned Dragon NaturallySpeaking software, allows you to stay connected all the time, even when your hands are busy.

We ended the session with Hoeppner sending us out into the halls to use one of our tools to do a small mobile storytelling project.  I chose to use Audioboo, an app that lets you record up to five minutes of audio and attach a photo, that is easily posted to Twitter, Facebook, Posterous, Tumblr or Friendfeed.  Below is one I did with one of my fellow attendees. Enjoy!

Audioboo

http://boos.audioboo.fm/swf/fullsize_player.swf