What's In Your Pocket? ... Today

I've been at this PDAPhone thing now for about eight years and have been through a lot of devices and platforms. I think I've tried just about everything at least once... Palm, Windows Mobile, Symbian, Blackberry, etc. As some may know, I've moved to an iPhone late last year (from an HTC Tilt) and have been pretty happy with it. I have a number of things I wanted to do reviews on, but I've been so busy that I've not had time to write them (the way I wanted to), so I thought it would be fun to through up a "What's in your pocket?" article and summarize some of my favorite iPhone stuff.

Lets start on the outside and then work in.

The one thing that I've struggled to find the perfect solution on was the question of how to carry and protect my iPhone. I had slowly migrated to not using a case with my last several Windows Mobile devices. I generally keep them in my pocket, and I've always had insurance. Since AT&T doesn't offer insurance for the iPhone, I felt a bit exposed not having anything on it. So I set out to fine the right case... that works from the pocket. I went to the Apple store and grabbed a selection of them; and also had a number of companies send me cases to test. I felt like Goldilocks. It seemed that many were too soft, and many were too hard... but none were just right. On the soft side, the slip on membrane type cases that seemed to offer good protection and grip, but were so grippy that I literally couldn't get the thing out of my pants pocket when I got a call (not to mention the lint collection). On the other end were the hard cases that snapped on in two pieces. These things are generally just as slippery as the naked iPhone. And the thing is, the way they go on I'm thinking the case will just pop off if it took a fall to the concrete. Then I found SwitchEasy and their RebelSerpent Black. I got a few cases from them, and was very impressed with what you get for the money. You can check their site for the details, but suffice it to say they give you a total package of stuff. Their cases go on in several interlocking pieces... a bit of a chore to get on, but they are on to stay on. And the grip is "just right". Again, I feel like Goldilocks when she hit the right bed. And on top of it all, their cases score high on the cool meter. Check them out.

Next on my list is screen protection. While SwitchEasy does give you a screen protector with their case, I've long used PPCTech WriteSHIELD screen protectors and they've never let me down. So I've not had a device in years that didn't have PPCTechs protection. I'm using the crystalClear WriteShield, but their anti-glare (the original) works well too. On top of the fact that they have the best protector on the market, they've been doing it for years and been a long partner and supporter of PDAPhoneHome.

Now that we are protected... what about the applications that I use the most. Here is a list in no particular order of some of my most used apps.

Amazon Kindle - This is my latest edition and already one of my favorite apps. I have never used a Kindle, but a fellow PPH team member recommended I try it out on the iPhone and I love it. I bought a couple of books and have found that I tend to read a lot more in times I'd be wasted time while waiting. Even if you've never tried a Kindle, this is a great tool.
Amazon - Over the past holiday, I got addicted to Amazon Prime. For those that don't know, if you sign up for this (fee applies), you get free 1-click 2-day shipping. It is very addicting. Since I have been on Amazon Prime (nothing to do with the iPhone application), I've been ordering a lot more stuff through Amazon. This app makes it even more of a dream. On top of being able to one click orders stuff through your iPhone, you can take pictures of things in a store and Amazon will identify it and tell you how much its costs. A great shopping tool.
LogMeIn - I have used LogMeIn on my laptop for many years. Its free, and it does a great job of accessing my computers when I'm on the road. Now with LogMeIn on the iPhone, that experience is seamless to your pocket. What makes this so great is a new paradigm for mouse movement that LogMeIn has designed into the app. Unlike most systems, you don't move the mouse... you move the desktop around under the stationary desktop. Try it... its brilliant and the best remote desktop solution I've ever used from a handheld.
Google Search - Another app that is scoring high on the coolimeter. Using the proximity switches in the iPhone, once you launch this app you don't need to hit any buttons. When you hold it up to talk, it knows to record what you say. When you hold it down to read, it knows to send what it recored to Google's vast search engine in the sky. And moments later you are dialing or driving to what ever place you were trying to find.
OmniFocus - I'm a big OmniFocus user and fan on the Mac, and this just makes it better. If you are looking for a good GTD (Getting Things Done) solution, then take a look at OmniFocus.
G-Map - One of my primary applications on my PDAPhones for the last several years has been GPS. I don't carry a separate stand alone device for this, and rely on my PDAPhone. The iPhone 3G has built in GPS hardware and comes with an "OK" mapping app in Google Maps. But it is downright dangerous to use as a real navigation app. Apple has blocked navigation apps thus far, but somehow G-Map managed to get into the Application Store without it, and then add turn by turn navigation. Its relatively inexpensive, and it just works. Not a lot of bells and whistles, but it does a good job. It lacks voice audio prompts, but I have always turned those off in the past so I don't care about that. For some folks, that might be a non-starter.
USA Today - A lot of news applications have hit the iPhone. Of all of them, I like the USA Today app the best. I like the USA Today print format when I'm traveling of just feeding me with some headlines and a light bit of info. Their iPhone app seems to have captured that model well.
Lux DLX - I've downloaded a ton of free games to the iPhone and only bought one. That is Lux DLX. If you like the Risk type world domination games, you'll like this. It plays very similarly to the Lux Touch free version, but has more maps.
WiFinder - There are several WiFi finder apps for the iPhone. This is the one I settled on and use to look for free hot spots.
1Password - And finally, I don't think I could survive on the Mac now without 1Password... its the best single sign-on app I've used. While I'm not thrilled with the integrated browsing with 1Password on the iPhone, it does do a great job of syncing all my passwords and accounts so that I can look them up if I need to on the road.

What is in your pocket? I've shared what I carry with me... and the iPhone 3G that this all runs on. What do you use... what device and what "stuff" to go with it?