While I may not always find it easy to blog using voice control, I still do a ton of typing on my iPod, and blogging is no exception. Except for the blog blackout that happens during Macworld or CES. When I'm actually supposed to be blogging the most is when I have no time to! Its even harder when I can't upload my screengrabs from my iPod Touch when I'm blogging because I took the screengrab in the landscape orientation. 

My approach used to be to download the images, then rotate them in my Macbook Pro using Preview. This worked ok but took the fun and seamlessness out of the whole blogging from my iPod Touch approach. Until I discovered Photo Flipper. 

This application is the perfect solution for those pesky images that you want to upload to your blog without having to email them to yourself to rotate. I just open the app, and select an image from my Photos library on my iPod Touch. 

First, I select the photo I want to rotate. The application can't display the full image unless it downscales it to display in the normal orientation of my device and app, which is vertical.

You get the option of a Vertical or Horizontal Flip, or Rotation in any direction you want. Usually I got for the rotate 90 counter clockwise to fix my screen shots that were taken in landscape orientation. 

Once you like the way it looks, you can either email it to yourself or save it to your photo album. Because you cannot control the name of your photos, you don't get this option in the PhotoFlipper app either, but it does get saved and the original file is overwritten with your newly rotated photo. 

At first, I was worried that it rotated And shrunk my image, but this was not the case. I double checked 

What's kinda interesting about this, is that you can flip it backwards, and you get to rotate in any direction or orientation you want, say if you're taking a screencapture of the wierd upside down display that happens sometimes when I turn my iPod around too many times. 

Photo Flipper is really simple to use and gives me exactly what I need. I use it all the time and its definitely an app that is useful for anyone with an iPhone or iPod Touch.

-iPod Grrl 

There's finding apps, trying them, blogging about them, scripts, accesories, networking, etc! So much to do that its hard to find time to shoot.

I work with a crew of awesome professionals and it was wonderful to get together again to film the second round of podcasts for iPod Grrl.

We chose the week before Macworld to crank out some episodes. They're all short, but sometimes written scripts need some last minute tweaking.

Sundays are good for filming, usually there's not a lot going on that day of the week. We got an early start, and I bought some bagels and red bull to keep everyone happy and fed. I noshed on a banana and a few energy shots. To look my best on camera, I try to not eat sugars starting the afternoon before.

Needless to say, I was pretty hungry! We even had to retake once because the mic picked up my tummy grumbling. After it was over, I chowed on a french toast bagel and cream cheese - yum! :-> 

The crew was pretty hungry I think as well, but we got through it pretty well I think, and if it wasn't so early in the morning it would probably be a little bit more fun! But it was great to call it a day by 2pm. 

Steve Jobs kept an eye on me from the top of the teleprompter, and it was nice to make eyes at him during the shoot, he's so handsome!

Next week, I'll be blogging about our shoots from the Macworld Expo show floor. This has the potential to be a big learning experience. I'm looking forward to it!

-iPod Grrl 

I was really excited about the Squarespace iPhone application, because its the blogging platform that I use, and it streamlines the process of getting the images to my blog post. In the past, I would email the images to myself, download then, them draft my blog on using the Squarespace website. 

This system was streamlined when I began just posting images directly from my iPod. Unfortunately, the names of the files in my iPod are all named photo.jpg. They only get renamed when I download them, then they become photo-1.jpg, photo-2.jpg, etc. 

This is a problem because I have to rename the files when I upload them, or they will conflict with other files that have the same name. Squarespace deals with this by just taking the newest image and replacing every blog post referencing that image with the new image. I got into some trouble blogging about CES with this, and now I have to go back through the blog and replace all occurences of Photo-5.jpg. :-<

Part of why this is still an experiment is because until very recently I still could not say with certainty what the name is of the files while they are on the iPod. Since the full data capability of the Bluetooth is not enabled, I  cannot browse my iPod like a hard drive. I did a test to see what would happened when I blogged from my iPod Touch without having to download the file, a process that renames it.

I discovered a folder called post_images in my Squarespace storage. This is where the squarespace app posts the images that I upload from my iPod Touch using the Squarespace iPhone application. Its cool that it does have a unique name, but if you're not paying attention and you just upload your screengrabs that you emailed yourself, then you'll have redundant file names. It would be nice if Squarespace informed you of this when you upload the photo. But it doesn't. :-(

Not to mention, there is the issue of what to do with those landscape-formatted images. Fortunately, I found an app called Photoflipper, but if I am renaming them for example to keep them organized, I open all the photos at once after I've used the mutliple photo email tool. I use the Apple + L to rotate them all to the left, Apple W to close, then they all get rotated and saved all at once! I can now rename them, and upload them using the Sqaurespace web app from my Macbook Pro laptop.

The problem with uploading from your iPod Touch is that you can't go into your storage folder to see what files you have in there like you can with the iPod Touch app. What about when you have to delete or modify a file? How are you going to find it? 

Granted, you could make a folder in your Squarespace server in order to upload the files there, and avoid some naming conflicts, but if you move the files out of whereever you downloaded them in the process of downloading (something I often do in groups of 5, since this is the limit that the iPod Touch lets me send at a time) then your photos will continue to be named photo.jpg, photo-1.jpg, photo-2.jpg, and it continues this pattern every time you begin to download photos to a given folder. 

Blogging from the iPod Touch is relatively safe, you get unique filenames (I checked by logging into my Squarespace account on the web), and if you use Photo Flipper you can have a pretty easy time with it. The downside is, you can't view or modify your photo files, create widgets, or any of the other features on the Squarespace blogging app for the iPhone and iPod Touch. 

Now that I've ironed out the wrinkles, I think I'll try doing some more posts from the Squarespace app. I'll let you know if I have any more problems!

-iPod Grrl

I found an app that works at any hour of the night or day to show me the world in a new way. I wasn't sure what the Smule Zephyr app did when I first opened it. I just poked around to see what would happen. 

When you touch or drag, the application responds by making these little snowflakes appear wherever you're touching. That's kinda cool. Even better, these really pleasant high-pitched notes happen at the same time that you touch and drag.  

I noticed that there are other people in the world playing with the app too, you see a big map of the world and what the different people are doing with it. One of the users was writing things out in the app! That's a cool way to use the program! I thought. 

While I'm still not sure what is the right way to use the application, I think its safe to say that there's no wrong way to use the Smule Zephyr app. I made sure to leave my mark, and will definitely know what app to check out next time I'm feeling like I need some instant gratification! 

-iPod Grrl 

Its interesting to see how its different from year to year, and the various effects that have an impact on the attendance and overall mood of the show. 

Previous years I've been doing a mixture of networking, checking out products, and work. This Macworld will be different for me because its the first time I've attempted to register as press.

IDG, the company that runs Macworld, has got a special iPad event and several influential bloggers and podcasters as speakers. I'll be attending the iPad event and as many of the presentations as possible, and will blog whenever I have a chance and access to wifi.

This will be my first year filming for my own podcast on the show floor as well - in the past I have helped with filming other podcasts, but this time, I'll be out there promoting my show and taping reviews and short interviews with podcasters and other interesting figures in the Mac community.

I know that I'm going to run out of time and there's no way to tell what's going to happen, so you'll have to stay tuned to see what happens to iPod Grrl as she reunites with old friends and connects with new ones.

-iPod Grrl

I was definitely intrigued so the first chance I had I visited the mobile site for Google Voice using Safari. I had a mic plugged into my iPod Touch and I was super excited.

Well, there is no happy ending. I can't say definitely if it works or not because it was my first time using the app, plus I have yet to hear back from Google Voice support.

When I do, I'll absolutely update you!

-iPod Grrl

Doodle Army is a cool 2D game that has both of these element, along with cool graphics and an interface that is easy to use. The game blends seamlessly from one scene to another.

You start off training with a drill instructor, who is pretty firm, starts off by telling you to change your uniform. You add a hat then you're ready to move on to the second part of the training. 

The Sargeant shouts instructions at you, and you also get helpful pop-up windows that point to where you need to go. To pick up guns or collect purple hearts, all you do is walk over them.

At first, you're just there with your trainer, and he's giving you commands. Then, a stick figure shows up that pretty much just looks like you and the Sargeant.

Then, you hear your commander tell you to destroy your "target." At first I was confused, because I was like, you want me to fire at that friendly looking stick figure guy? And as I was thinking this, he started yelling at me to shoot! The poor guy wasn't shooting at me or anything. He was just standing there. 

My superior starts taunting me and I remember what he said earlier about wanting to go back home to my mommy, so I get all emotional and just start shooting. And pretty soon, that nice guy disintegrates. 

Then I see more of these guys. Next thing you know, you're in the game! And you're running and jumping over the barricades. I find that for myself, the snowplow approach worked. 

My snowplow technique is similar to my racing technique. I just lay on the gas and don't let up! It kinda gives me a thrill, and I match catch a little air here and there. 

This worked pretty well actually for my first run through the game. I only managed to get killed when I started experimenting with the game, like running away from the "targets". 

Doodle Army is a unique game and definitely had me engaged. Its a new game, has gotten great reviews so far, and got the potential to be the next hit game! 

-iPod Grrl 

At CES 2010 I saw all sorts of cool accessories for the iPhone and iPod Touch. You can charge your iPod Touch on a mat, or get a case that charges your battery while the case is on.

Well, now you can have a GPS with a simple accessory, and this is pretty amazing, because it's showing how, with the right tools, you can have all of the amazing capabilities of the Apple smartphone with the fun, innocent iPod Touch! 

Dual Electronics makes a product called the XGPS300, which is both a battery and a Bluetooth navigator that attaches and works with your iPod Touch. If you're worried you might not be able to hear the commands from the GPS  while you're driving, well don't worry, because it comes with an external speaker. The car mount works to keep the iPod at eye level, and also to keep your iPod Touch charged during the drive. 

We all know you can plug a mic into your iPod, an external battery pack, and now, a GPS? Granted, it's not quite an iPod Touch at that point, its more like a sexy Borg version of the iPod Touch, but still, that's really hot! 

Dual Electronics GPS Cradle

The gap between the iPhone and the sexy, sleeker iPod Touch is closing fast thanks to this amazing product from Dual Electronics! What's next?

-iPod Grrl 

I love to have fun, and it's why I love the iPod so much. But being a podcaster is work, and its important to be professional and honest!

That's why I've got O.A.T.S.

 Organization for App Testing Standards

-iPod Grrl

I follow a lot of tech folks on Twitter and they're always twittering about apps that they enjoy. I couldn't resist checking out a tweet about a new app that blew someone's mind, so I had to try the Peekeez app.

Sure, the iPod Touch doesn't have a camera. But thanks for Peekez, it now has a very close relationship with my Macbook Pro, which happens to have a built in camera. This application, which you can access from you iPod or from the internet, is very cool and easy to set up, and iPod Touch users won't be left out of the camera fun. 

 If you go to the website, you can download the Peekez software to set up a camera, which will guide you through the steps. You need to make sure you do this part before you can start looking through your camera on your iPod Touch. 

Once you have the application downloaded, go to the Peekeez website and open an account. You won't be able to get into your application without it. But it goes very fast and easy. 

Since you are probably going to be using a webcam or some camera you have virtual access to, you want to set up the camera from your computer. I used my Apply iSight, but you can use any camera plugged into your computer. Peekeez needs access to it so that is what the install is for. 

I immediately could think of cool uses for this. At school I have to run off to get coffee or run to the bathroom. If I'm gone longer than planned, I can just enable my camera using the Peekeez application installed on my laptop, then walk away knowing that I can tune in anytime to see what's going on in class when I'm not there! 

If you want to record videos from your cameras or add more cameras, you can get the full functionality for 7.99 a month. I don't need to tell you all the different things you can possibly do with this app.  

I haven't really tested the Peekeez apps on nicer cameras, but I do plan to experiment with this app to see what else it can do.

While this was just a preliminary test, there are some cool things to explore when you realize the different ways you can harness the power of awesome applications like Peekeez when you combine them with the iPod Touch!

-iPod Grrl