Hi All!
I recently helped a friend setup his iPhone for use on his tours. He wanted to use it as a travel'puter to upload/update text and photos for a blog of his travels.
Here's some of the challenges we faced...
• iPhone's on-screen keyboard too hard to type on while holding, so needed a keyboard.
• Screen glare/visibility was a problem while the phone was laying flat, so it needed a stand.
I solved the problem pretty compactly by suggesting a CellMacs keyboard/stand combo:
http://www.cellmacs.com/iPhone-Sliding-Bluetooth-Keyboard-Case-and-Stand-p/I4K.htmAt USD$40, cost was pretty reasonable and very good build quality and execution in his example.
The keyboard/stand connects to the phone with Bluetooth and uses its own li-ion rechargeable battery for up to 25 days on standby or 8 hours continuous typing. This keyboard is *small* -- akin to the slide-out texting keyboards built into some phone, but with larger keys. He didn't mind it, but I'm not sure I'd want to thumb-type that much. The iPhone screen is pretty small, but workable. The real attraction of the package was the small size overall (for packing ease) and the battery life. The lot could be charged by dynohub and Life Was Good. Wouldn't be for me, 'cos there's little to no cell-coverage in the places I prefer to tour, and 4G coverage in those areas is even rarer. To each his own.
For charging, I suggested the B&M e-Werk, 'cos he also needed voltages and current
other than the standard USB ~5.0vdc@0.5A failsafe provided by the ToutTerrain The Plug 2. Pity he forgot to adjust it back again when he later plugged in his phone and fried it. His reaction summed up here, in stages:
Just one of the hazards of a moment's inattention when one is tired and hungry and spent after a day climbing hills in Weather. I do wish every take-along gadget was standardized for recharging to standard USB specs and that every device had a user-replaceable battery. With embedded batteries, one can get caught out with a flat unit even with a buffer-battery to charge it. Touring with user-rechargeable gadgets takes planning and foresight.
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I recently came across a very nice "nuts and bolts" description of tour-blogging with an iPhone and larger-sized take-along BT keyboard with the phone converted to a monitor using a Gorillapod (Andre has at least one of these on hand, I've seen it securing the vidcam to his Kranich handlebars). A very clever approach. More space-consumptive, but also more comfortable for extended typing, and the Gorillapod puts the monitor where it is needed, rather than attached to the keyboard. The author has been kind enough to give some insight into his thought processes when composing, showing how he makes outlines and notes that he later fleshes out into blog posts and updates. All can be seen here:
http://thattripcray.com/blogging-while-traveling-abroad-using-the-bare-minimum/- - - - - - -
My own experience helping a friend and this article are really opening my eyes to the possibilities of using an iPhone (and I presume, an Android OS phone with something like:
http://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Bluetooth-Keyboard-Android-Devices/dp/B005OOKNP4 ) to blog while on-tour. If you already have such a phone and coverage to power it, the additional expense for a keyboard/monitor stand is minimal and could get one going pretty inexpensively with little additional equipment.
Best,
Dan. (...who thinks iPhone can also mean iType, iView, and iBlog if you get the right accessories for it)
