Srcasm

Some say it’s easy to turn a trick but that’s not always so when it comes to technology (see what I did there?).  Sometimes the architecture of an OS and software applications are too locked down (ahem, Verizon comes to mind) but that’s not the case with the G1.

After having the phone for a little over a month and spending countless hours poking and prodding away at the device, these are the top 5 tricks I’ve come up with.  Share some of your if you got ‘em, please.

1. Free Wifi - Many people know of the free wifi that comes with the G1 data plan.  This means that anywhere there is a TMobile hot spot but something neat I learned was to install the HotSpot Locator app from the Market.  It automatically connects to any TMobile hot spot that it sees and no login necessary!
2. Task switching saves time and your “Home” button - The application, Task Switcher, in the Market allows you to press the Camera button to switch between applications instead of going to the home screen.  In addition, I put a Camera icon on the home screen so I can still snap pictures of my kitty.  In addition to this, hold down the “Home” button for a couple seconds and see the 6 most recent apps listed.
3. Email from multiple accounts - I wanted to be able to send email from multiple from addresses and the built in GMail client doesn’t allow this.  So I installed K-9 and set them up so they wouldn’t auto-retrieve my email.  This way when I want to send email from the work account, I just tap that name and hit Compose.
4. What’s next on your schedule? - I find this out the easy way with the Background Calendar application from the Market.  It posts your upcoming agenda onto your wallpaper of the phone.  It would be nice if I could customize what screen it shows on since I leave my third screen (the one to the right) blank so I can always see what’s next.
5. Use your phone as a modem - Tetherbot was written for Android and the G1 to let you use it as a modem (of sorts).  Once the application is configured and your computer is setup, you should be able to browse the web with a USB cable to the phone — FOR FREE.

When I am ready to head out for the night to the local watering hole or the amazing place that reminds me of my fraternity house basement, I send a quick message to Twitter to let people know where I’m going.  I have the policy that if I post it to Twitter, it’s open to anyone and that includes coming to hang out and grab a beer or dinner with friends.

One thing I’ve begun to realize though is that some people won’t come out unless I directly invite them.  Whether it’s that they feel that they are unwelcomed or they would like a personal, “Hey, I’m thinking about you and I would enjoy your company,” is up in the air.  I guess it differs for each person.

One thing is clear, we may be leaving people out of our lives by using services like Twitter, FriendFeed or Facebook to blast out invites to hang out instead of the more traditional methods like telephones, email or SMS messages.  What do you think?  Are we losing touch with our humanity?  Do we feel that we no longer need to communicate in a one-on-one world with micro-blogging and one-to-many services?  Should we be focusing on those closer to us by sending them personal invitations or notes instead of expecting them to check the large flood of information that’s contained on the internet?

As Bart and I were walking into a networking/mobile information event, I started talking about an idea I had. People have done something very similar to this in the past but I think there are a few key steps missing in the process.

Virtual/connected business cards

The idea is simple, instead of handing out a card that has your name, phone numbers, emails, web sites, address, and more on it, why not hand out a Moo card with a short set of directions (Send a text to 84782273 (VIRTCARD) with:) and then a unique username (SRCASM). That’s it. When you meet someone new (and they best have a cell phone), you simple either tell them these steps (and save the environment) or hand them a tiny set of instructions. They can text that at their earliest convenience and be hooked up.

Now, this is where it gets a little better. After sending that text message, a few things happen…

• If the person sending the text has an account:
  • Your information is added to their online account (this includes all of your social networking links, email, contact info and any other information you wish to provide), AND
  • They then receive a text message with your pertinent immediate contact info such as name, phone number and email address, AND
  • They receive a text message with a vCard (or whatever compatible format works for their specific phone) attachment to add your info directly to their address book.
• If the person sending the text does not have an account already:
  • They receive a text message with your pertinent immediate contact info such as name, phone number and email address, AND
  • Next, they receive a text message with a vCard (or whatever compatible format works for their specific phone) attachment to add your info directly to their address book, AND
  • Finally, they get a specific activation ID that can be used on the web site later to both activate a new, free account, for them and with your info already included in their profile.

There is so much more that could be added to this service, I am only beginning to scratch the surface. Tie it in with Brightkite for location specific info, Twitter for updates of the people you know and add it into my aggregated address book idea for even more contact power!