Thirty years ago a journalist would be equipped with not much more than a pen and notepad and would travel with a full camera crew to capture news footage. Today this capability has literally shrunk into our pockets with the potential to make any of us a reporter.
So in no particular order I have complied a list of some of my favourite iPhone apps that I believe any mobile journalist cannot live without.
In the age of the internet news can be as much about getting the story out as quickly as possible as creating finely crafted prose and blog can offer a great platform for doing this. Both WordPress and Tumblr offer fantastic apps that make it simple to bang a story out on the spot, upload and edit as required.
With the release of iPhone 4 and its HD video capability Apple also created a mobile version of its successful iMove editing suite which although very basic does allow quick edits to be made to video footage directly on the phone. ReelDirectorhas been in this space for slightly longer and also has a capable app that has offers all the features of iMove plus a few more to boot.
Even low quality reel time footage can send a powerful message and the uStreamapp makes it a simple process to broadcast live through a wifi or 3g connection.
If I am going to be away from the office for more than a day then I'll drag my MacBook but I don't carry it around everywhere. The same cannot be said about my iPhone which I literally do have everywhere I go. Evernote comes with a simple interface for quick story (or even a finished piece if needs must) attach some images and maybe a voice recording - all within the same app, which then stores the content online so it can be accessed from anywhere using any device on any platform. Neat, and essential.
It’s not enough to just write the news anymore, apparently you’ve also got to talk it now and a couple of questions on AudioBoo can really help lift a boring article.. AudioBoo allows you to simply record a five minute clip which you can then upload, share or embed.
Facts, facts and more facts is what Wolfram is about. This computational knowledge engine draws on some 50,000 built-in algorithms and an amazing 10 trillion pieces of updated and curated data to provide expert answers to free-form questions. If you want to find out what the fourth biggest female population centre is in the world then Wolfram can provide the answer.
Twitter is a great communications tool and is a great way to discover stories and connect and discuss with experts. It is also invaluable in getting your work discovered.
Need to store files and text that you can access on the move then DropBox is a great app to have. It automatically synchs your cloud data to your phone.
With Skype on your iPhone or iPod touch you can call and instant message anyone else on Skype for free. You also can call landlines and mobiles and send SMS anywhere in the world at great rates. Now works both on wifi and 3g connections.
Facebook for iPhone makes it easy to stay connected and share information. You can view news feed groups, view events, and upload photos and videos, but you cannot view videos that have been uploaded to FB. App includes built-in web browser
The Instapaper app is one of the easiest ways to store web pages for later offline reading. A fantastic way to make sure you never miss out on an article even when you are in a rush
This is a far from exhaustive list of apps that is available to the mobile journalists and if you have any other suggestions do tell. But it does show that from London to Kabul the power of the media is literally being put into our pockets.
Posted via email from fakingIt
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