Apple iPhone

Ten Ways the Smartphone is the Swiss Army Knife of Technology

Growing up, I loved the Swiss Army knife I got from my dad. They came in what seemed like a million variations. Mine had several knives including the one that looked like a saw as well as a corkscrew (not sure why dad thought I needed that one), combination bottle opener/flathead screwdriver, a toot ... More >>

Christmas Past: 15 Odd Christmas Gift Ideas for Musicians

While we celebrate the holidays, Rocks Off is resurrecting a few of our best Christmas-themed blogs from the past few years. (Wait... resurrecting is Easter. Never mind.) This blog originally appeared November 21, 2011. As the timeless tale of the Little Drummer Boy reminds us, there is no greater ... More >>

Waze, Echofon, Chrome: My 12 Favorite Apps of 2012

It's been a crazy year in apps. Apple released the iPhone 6, complete with larger screen and new OS, as well as the iPad mini, aka Jumbo iPhone. There were scores of updates from manufacturers and, as usual, thousands of new apps on the market. I wrote about my favorite 10 apps of 2011 last year ar ... More >>

5 Simple iPhone Apps Often Used, but Easily Taken for Granted

I recently bought an iPad and as I was going through the apps on my phone to see what I might want to download for the iPad, I noticed a number of apps that would have thumb wear marks on them if that were possible. These were small, simple apps I use often, but never really think of when it comes t ... More >>

Four Things It Appears the New iPhone 5 Still Doesn't Have

Schiller: "We designed the iPhone 5 to fit your hand. Exactly where your money used to be."— Brent Ozar (@BrentO) September 12, 2012 I've owned an iPhone for over a few years and upgrades. I've thoroughly praised it for being an integral part of my daily life, from apps to the phone itself. ... More >>

App of the Week: My Top Ten Most Used Apps

Almost five years ago, I was talking to a friend who had an iPhone. I swore up and down that after a failed Blackberry experience in the mid-`90s, I had zero interest in another so-called smart phone. My friend said it would change my life if I got one. I was already a Mac user, so I figured if I we ... More >>

App of the Week: Apps That Helped on My Vacation...and a Few That Didn't

A few weeks back, I took a two-week vacation that saw me visit three states and travel by plane, car, shuttle and even by boat for a few minutes. It was all within the U.S., but I found my need for technology surprising. Because I work for myself, I did bring a computer for occasionally catching up ... More >>

Free Cabs at HPMA Showcase Sunday!

Rocks Off wants you see as much as Sunday's HPMA showcase as possible, so we have teamed up with our presenting sponsor Yellow Cab to offer free cab rides between the 11 showcase venues. Here's how it works. First you'll need to download the Hail a Cab app for your iPhone. Get it right here. (Sorry ... More >>

Four Ways to Keep Your Technology and Data Safe During a Storm

It's been a little wet in Texas recently for those who don't live here. When we get thunderstorms here, it can create some issues, particularly for technology, which, as you probably know, doesn't mesh very well with water or power surges from lightning. I mean, have you ever dropped your iPhone in ... More >>

App of the Week: Use Your iPhone Camera to Scan Documents with TurboScan

App: TurboScan Platform: iPhone Website: Pixoft Support Cost: $1.99 I think I've said in this column 100 times that something every app should focus on when it came to features is simplicity. It's one thing to have software filled with options and complications when it is on a computer sitting on a ... More >>

App of the Week: Let iTranslate Voice Do Your Talking for You

App: iTranslate Voice Platform: iPhone Web site: iTranslate Voice Cost: $0.99 Back in the '90s, there was this cool band from Denton called Ten Hands. They were sort of a weird mix of the Talking Heads, Peter Gabriel and Frank Zappa. They had really quirky material and covered a wide range of style ... More >>

Shot In The Dark: Put Down Your Phones And Watch The Show

Take a picture, they say. It'll last longer. But fans weren't always able to do that. Only in the last five years or so, with the rise of digital cameras and smartphones, has photography even been an option. Even now, some artists insist on no photography at their shows, and a few venues still ask ... More >>

Money for Nothing: The Scam of iPhone Mobile Hotspot Charges

Over the summer, I will be doing a little traveling, but because I own my own business, I generally need to bring my laptop along, if for nothing more than an emergency. One place I'll be going does not have wi-fi, so my only access would be with my iPhone, which isn't really enough if real problems ... More >>

Don't Do That: Five Big Mistakes iPhone Users Make

I mentioned in an item a couple weeks back that my aunt recently got an iPhone and has hit me up a few times for advice. Being the wise woman she is, she also took a class on how to use her new toy highly advanced technological device and it has made her life easier. But the truth is there are so ma ... More >>

App of the Week: Badge

App: Badge Platform: iPhone, iPad Web site: thebadgeapp.com Cost: $0.99 I think most of us have, at one time or another, left our phone behind somewhere. On occasion, that somewhere happens to be a public place. I know I have left my phone at a couple different restaurants over the years and had to ... More >>

App of the Week: iCab -- A Highly Recommended Alternative to Safari

App: iCab Platform: iPhone, iPad Website: iCab Mobile Cost: $1.99 One of the great innovations of cell phone technology is the ability to use the web on a phone in much the same way you use it on your computer. When the iPhone first emerged, Apple's Safari browser was included and it was a revelati ... More >>

SaveOnBrew.com Goes Mobile to Help You Find Deals on Beer Nearby

I'm going to start this entire post by saying something that might cause you to stop reading: I'm not a big beer drinker. In fact, I rarely drink the stuff. But, what I am is someone who buys a ton of apps for my iPhone, and this isn't really so much a story about beer as it is about a website tryin ... More >>

App of the Week: Instagram

App: Instagram Platform: iPhone Website: http://instagr.am/ Cost: Free I began teaching a class on beginner photography last week for people with nice digital 35mm cameras who need help learning how to use them. When the idea was first presented to me, I suggested that approach rather than opening ... More >>

Meet Chris Clackson, Hockey Player, App Developer

It's been a strange season for the Aeros. They shot off to a quick start, having the best record in the league for the first month or so. Then the injury bug hit the parent club, and key player after key player got the call to join the Wild, leaving the Aeros depleted and relying on young players ... More >>

App of the Week: Dragon Dictation and Dragon Go!

​App: Dragon Dictation and Dragon Go! Platform: iPhone, Android Website: http://www.nuance.com Cost: Free So, let's say you decided earlier in 2011 that you were going to upgrade your iPhone 3GS to an iPhone 4. Let's also say that you were impatient and had no desire to wait until, supposedly, ... More >>

Lamest Cop Impersonator Ever Gets Arrested

An iPhone looked like this?​The mind of a 17-year-old male is a wondrous thing to behold, especially because oftentimes it isn't working properly. Take the case of one unnamed Montgomery County teen who, according to the police blotter, now faces charges of impersonating a public servant. Su ... More >>

My Five Most Indispensable Music Technologies

Previously the pinnacle of music technology...and pure awesomeness.​I started listening to music on vinyl way back in biblical times and things seemed just fine. CDs came along and made hauling around music somewhat easier and, once you got past the crispy clarity, the music sounded pretty dam ... More >>

IWatch Harris County App from the Sheriff's Department Poorly Designed

The IWatch welcome screen.​The best smartphone apps meant for functionality rather than entertainment fill a need, are easy to use and provide appropriate functionality for the task at hand. The Harris County Sheriff's Department IWatch Harris County app delivers about one-and-a-half of those ... More >>

How Things Change: Technology in 1991, 2001 and 2011, Graphically Displayed

I was stylin' and profilin' with one of these bad boys back in the day​A lot changes in 20 years, perhaps nothing to the degree technology does. When talking about the ten-year anniversary of 9/11, I began thinking about the massive changes that have taken place in just that ten years, but go ... More >>

Biophilia: Bjork Releasing The First App-Based Album

​Your humble narrator is being dragged kicking and screaming into a future of iPhones and whatnot, both by being married to a loyal Apple convert and the innovations of the music industry. Though Rocks Off still tracks down local acts and releases the old-fashioned way - online concert listing ... More >>

Best Apps For Cheating On Your Spouse, Or Finding A Cheater: Apps of the Week

It was easier to keep secrets in the 1800s.​As long as there have been relationships, there has been infidelity. There are even times in our collective history when taking a mistress was commonplace. In the last 100 years, however, the notion of love and marriage and its role in the long terms ... More >>

App of the Week: Never Lose Your Car Again with Parkn' Find

Lose your car at the mall? Parkn' Find can help.​App: Parkn' Find Platforms: iPhone Web site: Parkn' Find Cost: $0.99 There are few things more frustrating than wandering around a parking lot looking for your car. This is especially true when it is raining or the sun is baking you like a ... More >>

App of the Week: Three Hurricane Tracking Apps Just in Time for Hurricane Season

Hurricane is about as good as it gets for tracking storms on your phone.​App: Hurricane Platforms: iPhone Web site: Apple Link Cost: $3.99 App: iHurricane HD Platforms: iPhone, Android, Windows Mobile Web site: Download Link Cost: $2.99 App: Hurricane Tracker Platforms: iPhone Web ... More >>

App of the Week: MySocialMania

It doesn't get much easier than this.​App: MySocialMania Platforms: iPhone Web site: Apple Link Cost: $0.99 Mania seems to be an appropriate word when discussing the crazed use of social media by millions worldwide. From Twitter to Facebook to Flickr to MySpace (God help us), millions of ... More >>

App of the Week: RoadAhead Makes Road Trips Easier

Next time you gas up the family truckster, be sure to bring RoadAhead with you.​App: RoadAhead Platforms: iPhone Web site: Apple Link Cost: Free I love a good road trip. There's something magical about getting behind the wheel and putting your hometown in your rearview mirror. I've taken ... More >>

App of the Week: Ranking Nine Popular Weather Apps

Even weather Hercules Jim Cantore could use some app help now and then.​My name is Jeff, and I'm a weather nerd. When I was very young, my father, an avid outdoorsman, would flip on the old-school weather channel on early cable television that consisted of nothing more than the current Houston ... More >>

App of the Week: Four Apps to Ease Your Summer Airline Travel

Use these apps to help you survive summer travel and keep your face intact.​App: FlightTrack Platforms: iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Palm Web site: Mobiata.com Cost: $3.99 (Pro for $9.99) App: FlightBoard Platforms: iPhone, Android Web site: Mobiata.com Cost: $3.99 App: Skyscanner P ... More >>

Best of Houston Just Got Better

Best Of: there's an app for that.​You totally trust Houston Press to help you find the best margaritas in town, the best place to watch wildlife in this urban jungle of ours, and the best place to be glad you're alive, right? Now we can help you make the most of 31 other cities, thanks to a ne ... More >>

App of the Week: Are We Over-Sharing?

Imagine DeNiro's stalker fan character with an iPhone.​Normally, each week we'd reserve this space for some awesome mobile app or cool website that would help improve your mobile experience. This week, instead of an app, we have a question: are we, as a society, over-sharing? When skimming ov ... More >>

App of the Week: GasBuddy

Find cheap gas with GasBuddy.​App: GasBuddy Platforms: iPhone, Android, Windows Mobile Web site: GasBuddy.com Cost: Free People love their cars in Houston. More specifically, people love their enormous, gas-guzzling, monster-mobiles. With the turmoil in the Middle East driving gas prices ... More >>

App of the Week: Six Awesome, Free Apps for Movie Buffs

These six apps will help you with any movie, except Human Centipede. For that, you're on your own.​It's awards season. From People's Choice to the Screen Actors Guild to the Academy Awards and the other hundred worthless statues given out this time of year, people are talking about movies, and ... More >>

App of the Week: GroupMe

Group texting through GroupMe​App: GroupMe Platforms: iPhone, Android Website: GroupMe.com Many experts are predicting that more people will text than make actual phone calls in the coming years. This is already true for younger people, but the convenience of a short message over a long conve ... More >>

Houston Rabbi's STD iPhone App Sure To Liven Up Seders

Fighting STDs through religion and iPhones​A bunch of Jewish chicks from Houston don't want you to get an STD. Houston rabbi Amy Weiss, along with her Initiative for Jewish Women, has created the LoveSmarts iPhone app, which might be the only app with a Space Invaders-style game where you zap the ... More >>

The Best Food Apps for Your iPhone

The 42 Restaurants app is a thing of beauty.​I recently commented to a friend that reviewing restaurants is so much easier with a smart phone, taking notes on the fly and being able to instantly look up directions if you get lost on the way. In my case, I have an iPhone, and -- sad as I know ... More >>

Five Tips for Shooting Food Photos with Your iPhone

Photo by hirotomoThe iPhone really can take good photos if done correctly.​Lots of you like snapping photos of your food while preparing it or after it is served. Most of the time, that means using a point-and-shoot digital camera or something nicer if you have it despite the weird looks of wa ... More >>

The Eight Stupidest iPhone Music Apps

​Apple's foray into the social-network field failed big-time last month with the release of Ping, the iTunes-linked program that promised to connect you to your favorite artists, as long as your favorite artist is Justin Bieber. When it comes to iTunes, we at Rocks Off are a discerning sort. ... More >>

iPhones: World's Least Imaginative Crook Is Stealing Them At HCC Stafford

Take the iPhone and run​Sometimes you don't have to spend weeks or months in your criminal lair thinking up highly intricate plots to attain riches and power.Sometimes the keep it simple, stupid path actually works.Houston Community College has sent an e-mail warning out to students at the Staffor ... More >>

iPhone Gets Even Better: Now It Has A Houston Press App

The Houston Press, now with more touching and sliding.​Over 50 million iPhones have been sold since the release of Apple's now-omnipresent smart phone in January 2007, and that doesn't take into account the mad rush for the latest iPhone 4. So we're willing to bet that more than a few of our r ... More >>

New iPhones Bring Madness To Memorial City Mall

Photos by Travis HensleyWaiting on an iPhone​Steve Jobs must be a happy man today. With the release of the new iPhone 4g he has customers lining up in the hundreds outside of stores.At the Memorial City Mall in Houston customers are finding themselves camping out inside the mall in two groups of l ... More >>

In the Pit

It's easier than ever to take pictures at concerts. Unless that's your job.

What Do Your iPhone Apps Say About You?

When you're an iPhone owner, not only are you better than everyone else (obvs), but the lifeblood of your technological slice of gadget heaven is your applications, or "apps," if you're nasty.  An integral part of your holy iPhone identity really shines through the apps you choose to rely on wh ... More >>

Social Distortion: While You Weren't Tweeting

Oh, by the way, the new iPhone came out. In case you hadn't heard.Yup. It's Monday morning. The weekend's indisputably over. You sucked down the last of Saturday night's spliff before bed, and you've pulverized the remaining vomit from your knees with a skin-scalding jet stream. You've blearily ... More >>

The Willie D Scam: Read Along As It Goes Down

Willie D is still cooling his heels in a Federal lock-up as we write this, but there's updates o'plenty. Hair Balls's old buddy Matt Sonzala posted a Willie D round-up on his blog yesterday. To us, the most fascinating link Sonzala unearthed was this one, in which you can document in real time the r ... More >>

David Brown: “20/40”

David Brown makes art with his iPhone

Drenched in Blog: Nick Cave Digs Lazarus