Practical applications

I have an undying love for all things Apple. On a superficial note, the clean, modern design of their products really appeals to me. The black, white, and silver, the crisp lines; their technology is aesthetic perfection on any desk or in any purse. As silly as that might sound, especially to those who are more concerned about what’s inside a computer system, what a gadget looks like is more important than you think. (Don’t knock what a Mac’s got inside, though. It’s solid stuff.)

But what I really love about Apple products is how easy they are to use. The interface is intuitive and uncomplicated — it’s always good to flip through the manual when you first buy something new, but after that initial read-through, you never really need to crack it open again. Even their software (like GarageBand or its big brother Logic, Aperture, etcetera) is easy to understand.

I got an iPhone 3GS from Globe Telecom in September 2009 and, in spite of my initial negative opinion and ambivalence about smartphones, I fell in love with it.

Like all other Apple products, using it was so straightforward it was like second nature. Most of the built-in applications (like Safari, the World Clock and alarm, Notes, Mail, the calendar, even Voice Memos) have proven time and again to be useful, especially for a working girl with a poor memory and far too many things to keep track of.

The best thing about the iPhone, though, was the very thing I once considered wholly unnecessary: the optional applications. I registered for an iTunes Store account and slowly but surely started filling my iPhone with all sorts of applications. My phone has become more than a phone. It’s a pocket-sized information hub and entertainment center.

It was especially useful on my recent trip to Egypt and Dubai. I had previously downloaded an application called Convertbot, which, if the name doesn’t make it plainly obvious, converts things from one unit to another. From the practical, like length and weight, to the random, like angle, illuminance, and radioactivity, Convertbot covers it all.

But it was the app’s currency conversion option that I used most frequently. Every time you open Convertbot while connected to the Internet, it will automatically update your selected currencies (it has them all listed, and I mean all) with the latest exchange rates, so I was switching from US dollar to Egyptian pound to UAE dirham to Philippine peso with a tap of the finger. The built-in calculator made it incredibly easy to add and subtract sums to see total prices, and best of all, it always looked like I was just texting. (I think it’s important to look uninterested when haggling.)

The smart tourist — and smart shopper — always makes sure to get a good bargain, and Convertbot made it that much simpler for me. I didn’t have to calculate for prices in my head anymore, and not getting ripped off was a lot easier because of it. The best part? Convertbot only cost me $1.99, which is less than P100 (P92.73 at this very second, says Convertbot). And I’m pretty sure I’m going to be using it on every trip I take henceforth, so it was definitely worth every penny.

I just wish it existed when I was still in high school, agonizing over impossible Math and Science homework, but hey.

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iPhones are exclusively distributed in the Philippines by Globe Telecom. Until July 31, you can get the iPhone 3GS 16GB for free on Globe’s postpaid plan 3500. Or get it bundled with unlimited data service on Globe’s iPhone Plan 3799 or via prepaid kit for just P38,850.

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You can e-mail me at vivat.regina@yahoo.com.