Top 10 Personal Technology Influences – #3 The iPhone and the iOS Ecosystem

The first two influences in this series (Cloud Data and Cross-platform Applications) were conceptual in nature. These concepts  are made real through software such as Dropbox and Evernote. Today, I move on to a more tangible influence, a piece of hardware and the associated platform ecosystem that has evolved along with it.

At the end of my last post I teased that my #3 influence would be the MacBook Air. Well, I've had a change of heart. In reviewing my 10 planned influences I realized I needed to switch numbers 3 and 4. I love my MacBook Air and it is a huge influence on my daily life, but there is one other piece of hardware that simply has a greater influence and rightfully deserves the #3 spot on this list.

Technology Influence #3: The iPhone and iOS Ecosystem

I am addicted to my iPhone. It’s not a secret. I estimate that my iPhone is an active part of approximately 70% of my waking hours. It plays podcasts and audiobooks when I’m getting cleaned up in the morning, when I’m in the gym, when I’m traveling to work, when I'm taking a walk and when I’m doing home chores. At work, it plays background music and helps me track my task time. It serves as my GPS when I’m heading someplace new. It tracks my diet and exercise. It serves up Sudoku and crossword puzzles when I need a break. It maintains my grocery list and tracks my package shipments. It provides me with news and blog entries to keep me up to date. Of course, it's used for text messaging. Oh yeah, it's also my phone.

I am beginning to see Siri as a killer app for the iPhone. Years ago, I stopped knowing most phone numbers thanks to smart phone contact lists. I don’t think of calling 215-555-1212 any more. I simply pulled up “Mom” or “Grace” from a contact list, pushed a button and they were dialed by name. Today that trend is migrating again thanks to Siri. I don’t “pull up” anyone's name anymore. Without needing to look, I press one button and simply say  “call Mom” or “call Grace.” I find myself using Siri more and more. “Remind me to take my checkbook to work at 8:00 tomorrow morning.” “Set timer for 15 minutes.” "Where are the Phillies playing tonight?" When a minor trivia debate broke out at a party one time Siri got asked “How old is Brad Pitt?”

In the iOS realm, I use my iPhone and AppleTV daily. However my iPad use has declined since I bought a MacBook Air (to be described in more detail in my upcoming "Technology Influence #4" post), but I still use the iPad to read e-books and comics. The iPad also serves very functionally in my kitchen as a recipe manager.

In addition to my primary iOS devices (iPhone, AppleTV and iPad) a number of supplementary devices complement the influence iOS has on my life. (Some of these influences will be described in upcoming posts.) Here is a sample of the additional devices that communicate with and complement my iOS devices: the Withings WiFi body scale, the Withings blood pressure monitor, the FitBit Ultra, a Go!Link on-board diagnostic cable and app for diagnosing car problems, numerous iHome clock-radio docks and speaker systems, a series of Apple Airport Expresses for serving whole-house audio and my most recent addition, a Martian watch.

But, there is a downside to investing so heavily in the iOS ecosystem. Switching to an alternate platform such as Android or Windows phone is less practical. And, honestly, being in that position is not a good thing. Choice and options are good. I need to consider if switching to an alternate platform make sense for me. For as important as the iPhone is in my day-to-day operations, I am disappointed by the slower pace at which Apple seems to be moving forward in this area. Android is advancing more rapidly, resulting in an interesting array of new phones. Chicago Sun Times technology columnist, writer, podcaster, blogger and long-time Apple enthusiast Andy Ihnatko recently wrote a three-part series for TechHive on why he switched from an iPhone to Android. The Samsung Galaxy SIII and Android simply became the better choice for his daily use and, recognizing that, he made the switch. Andy's article made me think about my own position.

Next: We take a break from the top 10 to talk a little about a small software-as-a-service technology company who I think is doing terrific job at customer service.
Then: Influence #4 - MacBook Air.

Disclaimer: I have no financial interest in Dropbox, Evernote, Withings, FitBit, iHome, GoPoint Technology, Martian or Apple. I am simply a satisfied customer of their products.

 

iPhone image credit: audioundwerbung / 123RF Stock Photo
Martian Watch image credit: Martian Watches