The APPle of my Eye -- Iphone 2.0

I finally upgraded my Iphone with the "new and improved" OS a few weeks ago. This is ALWAYS a little tricksy, upgrading anything on my Mac because it is so chock-full of pics, Itunes, all my show files, etc.

And well, I have to say, I'm very well pleased about the search function for my contacts. I still don't understand how I can search (or if I can) on a particular word. This is why I'm intrigued by Bento, Filemaker's newest database offering because I do NEED a database that is more functional than just a contact list and I can't seem to keep up with it in Excel anymore. And while I take umbrage at being labeled a "control freak" -- I prefer FlyLady's term "Born Organized" instead -- I am totally the demographic for Bento.

Once this show is over, I can get back to my purging of files and do a major electronics cleanse. At which point, I might actually have room on my machine for yet another program!

How has Iphone specifically helped me in production? Let me list a few of the ways:
Texting -- I was able to give my boss a secret heads up in a meeting about a shit storm he was going to walk into once he left said meeting.
Photos -- I proved that damage to a Japanese Tea House was preexisting and not caused by our stunt people (as Ninja) jumping on and off the railings with a photograph taken by the camera, saving my show $3600 in repairs.
Locations -- I've been helped out numerous times by the mapping and traffic reporting functions.

It's a great tool that more and more of us in the Hollywood trenches seem to have. Take note app developers...you have customers in Tinseltown!

Hoping my lucky streak continues. I've been working consistently since late January and I'm a finalist in the FIND Producer's Lab with a project I've been developing with M.

Will Amazon Kindle the flame of reading?

This is a little OT but I am a gadget girl these days and the latest thing to catch my eye (or ear actually since I heard about this on NPR this afternoon) -- is Amazon's ebook reading device, Kindle.

I was a little skeptical after hearing Jeff Bezos talk about it, but after I watched the video it seemed like it could be a good thing to have. I liked that you could read Word documents on it, and I wondered if Amazon weren't trying to horn in on the Ipod/Iphone market since there were clearly audio plugs visible on the device. I often listen to music while I read (or type - I'm listening to our latest CD now) and you can apparently do both on a Kindle. If it can check my email, access the Internet, take my calls and allow me to read call sheets and production reports at a glance as well as tell me where the closest Indian restaurant is to set or what the traffic is like then I'd say -- SOLD!

Amazon are hitting a good price point. I'll be curious to see how well it sells this holiday season. I can see indulgent grandparents and desperate to get their teens to read something parents shelling out the cash for this. Or as my friend G commented, "Add porn and it will sell MILLIONS."

Now, back to showbiz...
I'm meeting M tomorrow at a big strike rally in Hollywood. I think it will be the last big action before the holiday and before the AMPTP goes back to the table. They might be sweating since the New York Times is reporting in this article that the Studios are concerned about their public image. Remarkably, they have no online presence to present their point of view. A perfect example; the Studios are buying full page ads in newspapers while the Writers are blogging, Youtubing, Twittering and sending out emails -- all of which are FREE and environmentally friendly as well.

(Thanks to mrtwism on flickr for the pic)