My Top 75+ iPod Touch Apps
Posted on 08. Jul, 2010 by kchristieh in technical
When we recently purchased a MacBook for our daughter to take to college, I asserted myself and claimed the iPod Touch that came with it. I’m so glad I did. While we wait for Verizon to start selling iPhones, I’ve become completely obsessed with and dependent upon the apps on my new iPod Touch.
I can click to my favorite apps – ShoppingList, Mail, Facebook, Contacts, Safari and Twitter – directly from my home screen. I highly recommend ShoppingList. I walk through the grocery store with my iPod in hand, checking off items on my categorized list. I also use it for packing for trips.
I’ve categorized the rest of my apps into 14 different categories. Here are my favorites for each category:
College:
- iStanford: Shows what’s going on at Stanford each day. I wish I could hear all the great speakers and attend the great events, but maybe it’ll come in handy the next time I visit.
- TommyCam: I can see a live view of the Tommy Trojan statue at USC. This Fall maybe my daughter will call me when she’s standing in front of the statue, waving to me. You can also see the TommyCam online here.
- CollegeMapp: Keeps track of college application submissions and statuses. I’ve got to get my son to put this on his iPod. Yes, I get to experience the college application process all over again this year.
Date / Time / Cal:
- CalenGoo: Great Google Calendar app. Our family’s calendars are on Google Calendar.
- Super Countdown: Counts the days until a big event. Right now, we’re counting the days until my daughter leaves for college (40).
- IP Free: For women. If you don’t get it, you shouldn’t.
- Clock: Shows me the time in various time zones.
Entertainment:
I don’t spend much time in this area, but this category includes YouTube, Fandango, Flixster, IQ+ Netflix, The Onion, Oprah Mobile, Videos, Kindle, This American Life and Public Radio.
Finance:
- Mint.com: I can view and categorize my financial transactions. It synchs with the online version.
- Tip Calculator: Easy way to figure a tip and split a bill.
Food:
Some cookbooks are completely downloaded on the iPod, and others will only show up offline if you “favorite” a recipe. Cookbooks include:
- How to Cook Everything (where I learned to make crepes!). This was worth paying for, as it downloaded the whole cookbook to my iPod and includes great step-by-step directions, tips and recipe variations. It also includes a timer for each step.
- Epicurious
- AllRecipes
- Recipes
- On the Grill (shout out to Jamie Purviance!)
- Whole Foods
- Jamie Oliver’s 20 Min Meals.
Music:
- Pandora: Just like Pandora.com. Listen to your favorite playlists.
- Vuvuzela: My virtual vuvuzela comes in handy when I watch World Cup games.
- Music: The music from my iTunes on my computer.
- Binaural Beat: Relaxing sounds.
- Shazam: Identifies songs. I haven’t used it yet, since it would require me to plug in my earbuds/microphone. I’m usually at my computer, so I can usually see what song is being played if I’m actually listening to music.
News:
If I’ll be offline, I’ll download the news before I leave home. It’s especially handy while waiting in a car line.
- New York Times
- Slate
- TheAtlantic and AtlanticWire: Look for new versions coming soon!
- The Daily Beast
- NPR News and NPR Addict
- WSJ (Wall St. Journal)
- LA News, KTLA 5, Fluent News
- Scanner911: Listen to real-time police scanners from around the U.S. We’re in the LA County Sheriff’s territory, but LAPD is much more interesting.
Photography:
- Flickr: Synchs with my photos at
- Rebel T2i (my camera’s manual)
- Photos: The photos I’ve chosen to upload from my computer.
Productivity:
- MobileRSS: Allows me to see all the items in my feed. I can download it when I’m online and read it when I’m offline.
- Things: Synchs with my Things to-do list on my computer
- Evernote: Synchs with Evernote on my computer and online.
- Dropbox: Allows me to read files that synch with my computer via Dropbox. Password-protected.
- iDisk: Part of MobileMe
- InstaPaper: Allows me to save articles to read later.
- GoodReader: Read pdfs
Reference:
- Articles: Great way to find something on Wikipedia.
- Dictionary, English/Francais Dictionary, Eng<>Spa Dictionary
- Wolfram
- YellowPages, W&Y Pages
- Wikipanion
- WebMD
- Bible, FastFacts
Shopping:
Apple Store, Amazon.com, Groupon, App Store, iTunes
Travel:
- TripAdvisor
- TrafficLA: Shows camera views of different freeways. I wish I could find an app that would show a map with how busy different freeways are.
- TripTracker
- Yelp
- GoogleEarth
- FreeMaui
- Maps
- Chateaux de Loire: I can dream, can’t I?
Utilities:
- Settings
- Free Wi-Fi
- Flashlight
- Calculator
- KitchenPro: Translates cups to TB, etc.
- Carpenter: Level, ruler, etc.
- Life: BMI, life expectancy
- Notes: I use Evernote instead.
Weather / Quakes:
- Weather: But it’s always the same here: sunny, sunny, sunny. :) (except yesterday and the day before)
- QuakeWatch: Shows and maps the most recent, biggest and closest quakes.
- TWC (The Weather Channel)
- pUniverse: Plots the stars and planets from wherever you wish.
As much as I love my iPod Touch, I’m frustrated that I can’t put more than 12 apps in a given category. If there’s a way to do that, please let me know.
In case you’re curious, I uploaded my own wallpaper as a photo into my Photos app.
Elderly couple playing piano
Posted on 04. Mar, 2010 by kchristieh in inspirational people, music, videos
When I’m 90, I want to be able to do this. I guess I better start learning piano soon! Here’s a video of Marlow and Frances Cowan playing piano at the Mayo Clinic:
According to the WishTV8 website, this is no hoax: the Cowans were at the Mayo Clinic for five days, and enjoyed playing the piano there between appointments.
“I saw that piano and it said ‘if you’d like to play it’ and I touched the key and I thought, WOW, now THAT’s a piano,” said Marlow.
They’ve played the piano in nursing homes, prisons and hospitals for years, but have never had the audience they’ve achieved on YouTube. They don’t have a computer at home, so they’re surprised by all the attention.
Maybe when I’m 90 I’ll shock people with my up-to-date technical skills instead of playing piano. :)
La Canada High School seeks gently-used piano
Posted on 24. Feb, 2010 by kchristieh in education, music
Do you have a gently-used upright piano gathering dust? Give it new life and get a tax-deduction by donating it to the La Canada High School instrumental music program. Funds are tight, so please consider doing your part to keep the music coming.
If you’re interested in donating your piano to this incredible program, please contact Fernando Aenlle-Rocha at or .
Please spread the word to anyone else you know who might have a piano to donate!
Christmas caroling at any age
Posted on 10. Dec, 2009 by kchristieh in music, my life, religion
This past weekend I sang Christmas carols at a local nursing home with junior high kids and fellow youth group leaders from our church. I vividly remember doing this with my high school youth group, and I wanted to do what I love and hopefully cheer people up at the same time.
I think they enjoyed our visit; they smiled and thanked us at the end. It was a lot like how I remember it was in high school, but with one exception: it was all I could do not to cry. At least I knew the songs by heart, so when my eyes welled-up it didn’t matter that I couldn’t see the page as easily. I live a life that’s so sheltered from the difficulty and isolation that can accompany aging, and it was overwhelming to see that all of the residents were in wheelchairs, and that some clutched dolls and stuffed animals but still looked so alone.
At first I thought it was because I’m 30 years older than I was in high school. I’m closer to most of these people in age than I am to the junior high kids who sang with us.
But this evening, one of the junior high school girls told me that she’d had a hard time not crying too. And a high school girl told me that she’s surprised at how emotional she gets at times.
So I won’t over-analyze my reaction. I’m grateful for the blessings that allow me not to have to visit or live in a nursing home, and for the people who opened up their lives to us this weekend and allowed us to sing. I don’t know what the next 30 (or 60, or whatever) years hold, but I hope I always appreciate a good Christmas carol.
Next time we’ve got to bring jingle bells…
The dolls to the right remind me of my sister. Not only does she love little dolls like these, but her singing voice is identical to mine. We’re the alto sisters who grew up in NJ but moved to CA. Too bad our voices aren’t super-amazing, because maybe we could take our act on the road. In the meantime, I can’t wait for her to visit so we can sing next to each other on Christmas Eve. :)
Independence Day carolers spread the spirit of the 4th of July
Posted on 04. Jul, 2009 by kchristieh in food, inspirational people, local news, music
Three young patriots treated us to a striking rendition of “God Bless America” today. Thank goodness they came before we departed for that other great American tradition, In-N-Out!
The performance was capped off with an Apple Pie. What could be more American?
Happy 4th of July!
The Bird + The Bee = A Perfect Concert
Posted on 25. Jun, 2009 by kchristieh in music
The most-hyped concert I ever attended was Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” concert at the Meadowlands in the summer of 1984. One of my father’s clients was having trouble paying him, so he appeased my father by giving him four amazing tickets to the biggest concert of the year. I think my sister/stepsisters and I were in the second or third row. Michael Jackson was an incredible performer, but my ears haven’t been the same since.
This evening I attended a much more casual concert, but in my mind it was perfect. The Bird & The Bee performed their own tunes and covered some others (e.g., ““) in the shady, peaceful oak grove at Descanso Gardens in La Canada. The Bird (Inara George) looked positively blissful as her sweet voice covered an incredible range, and when The Bee (Greg Kurstin) played a solo she’d dance lightly around the stage.
The music was excellent, the company divine, the venue was perfect: it doesn’t get any better.
I discovered The Bird and The Bee when KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic played their cover of “.” That’s one of my favorite songs of all time. My mother had the original on a 45 record when she was little, and passed it on to me. It’s such a sweet, catchy tune that I used to sing it to my kids when they were little. I wish they’d played it tonight, but what they did perform was wonderful. I think that “” was my favorite.
Here’s a video of their 2006 Morning Becomes Eclectic performance. Wow.
Why is it so surprising that Susan Boyle has an awesome voice?
Posted on 15. Apr, 2009 by kchristieh in inspirational people, music, tv, videos
In just four days, on “Britain’s Got Talent” has had over 10 million hits.
She’s got a lovely operatic voice, and lots of spirit. I hope she wins.
Here’s what Wikipedia says about her:
Boyle is the youngest of nine children and lives in Blackburn with her ten-year-old cat, Pebbles. Boyle suffered oxygen deprivation during birth, resulting in learning disabilities. Her classmates teased her because of this and because of her appearance. She stopped her pursuit of singing to look after her sick mother who died in 2007, at the age of 91. Her performance on Britain’s Got Talent was the first time Boyle had sung after her mother’s death. She is unmarried and presently unemployed.
It’s too bad the judges, the audience, and so many on the internet seem to be surprised that she can actually sing.
Is it because she’s 47? If so, then I wonder what people think of me at 45. Also, why judge her so harshly when American Idol judge Paula Abdul is nearly 47? Is it because of her appearance? Or her learning disability?
Whatever the case, I hope that people learn a lesson from Susan Boyle about not judging people by their outward appearances, and instead giving them a chance to perform.
As Susan says,
Modern society is too quick to judge people on their appearances. … There is not much you can do about it; it is the way they think; it is the way they are. But maybe this could teach them a lesson, or set an example.
Handbells were my ticket to California
Posted on 01. Dec, 2008 by kchristieh in animals, music, my life, religion, travel
Miss G Dog would have played handbells if she could have. Unfortunately, she lacked opposable thumbs. Hopefully God gave them to her in heaven. At any rate, she gets them in cyberspace on my new Christmas-themed header.
I first visited California with the Tower Hill Presbyterian Church (Red Bank, NJ) high school handbell choir. We landed in San Francisco, and I was thrilled to see palm trees for the first time. The family I stayed with gave me a tour of the city, and constantly apologized for how dirty it was. Are you kidding? I thought it was 100x nicer than any East Coast city I’d ever been to. It’s no wonder I wound up out here.
Our trip continued up the coast, where we played in a handbell festival at Humboldt State. We also saw Crater Lake and Medford, Oregon, which remains the most beautiful place in the U.S. I’ve ever visited. We drove back down through California’s Gold Country, and enjoyed visiting Yosemite and the old mining town of Columbia.
I remember wondering why the palm trees didn’t have coconuts, and why I didn’t see a bear in Yosemite. I finally saw coconuts on my honeymoon to Tahiti, but I’m still waiting to see a bear. That’s probably good.
We were a pretty awesome handbell choir. We even cut a record, but I think that only our parents bought it. I played the third position from the bottom, which meant I handled pretty big bells. When the choir director would turn his back, I’d flip them. I never missed. To this day, I’m awesome at flipping my hairbrush like that. The bells were REALLY expensive, and he would have been really peeved if he’d known I flipped them.
That’s as rebellious as I got in high school. Flipping handbells. My parents were really lucky. I think they knew it, too. :)
I’ll always be Young at Heart
Posted on 06. Oct, 2008 by kchristieh in cool websites, inspirational people, movies, music, my life
I figure that at 45, I’m theoretically halfway to retirement. I say “theoretically” because I don’t ever see myself “retiring.” I like what I do, so I can’t imagine wanting to stop. Hopefully at some point I’ll slow down a little and put together a few photo albums, however.
Maybe some day I’ll reprise my high school choir training and sing in a chorus like the stars of the wonderful documentary “Young @ Heart.” The average age of their chorus members is 80, and instead of singing old standbys, they conquer the works of artists such as Sonic Youth and David Bowie. Three generations of our family sat down together and watched this movie this weekend, and we all loved it. I loved the spirit and energy that the chorus members had, and I admired how they’d found a group of like minded people to have fun with. Their music videos were hilarious, but there were some very poignant moments also. It comes with the territory, I suppose. I also admired the group’s director, Bob Cilman. He was incredibly patient and persistent, and had a real gift for leading the chorus. He’s a true hero.
I wonder/fear what it will be like some day if I don’t die before all the people I love. I’ll probably become an expert at attending funerals and mourning people. Maybe I really should take up the bagpipes, so I can at least participate in the ceremonies. Death will be certain for all of us, but the living must go on with their lives. It’ll be hard to strike the right balance. Hopefully I’ll have the same good attitude that the “Young @ Heart” singers do.
One more thing: besides singing, I still hope to be blogging. Like Margaret and Helen. Best Friends for Sixty Years and Counting…. (or is it The Blog As Performance Art? Who cares? I love it!!)
PS – When I’m old, don’t call me “Dear” or “Sweetie.” It’s demeaning. See this great NY Times article about the topic, “In Sweetie and Dear, a Hurt for the Elderly.”
Jack Johnson rocks at UCLA
Posted on 31. Aug, 2008 by kchristieh in food, music, my life
Jack Johnson is amazing. He played for over two hours without a break at UCLA this evening, and never skipped a beat. His backup band was incredible, and Zach Hill’s accordion playing brought down the house.
I heard there were 20,000 people on the field watching. I’d believe it. Blankets weren’t allowed, so we brought extra jackets and played on them before the concert started. The opening acts were very good: Culver City Dub Collective and Rogue Wave. The lead singers from each group also joined Jack on stage during his performances.
We saw lots of people we knew, and heard about more that we knew that were there. When the camera panned the crowd, we could see that it was pretty homogeneous. Oh well. Sometimes I’m pretty predictable.
I put my camera on a tripod and held it up in the air. I had fun experimenting with the manual settings. Here’s the best shot of the stage that I got:
Note to self: The fantastic restaurant we ate at in Sherman Oaks on the way there was The Dressing Room. Even the teenage boys in our group loved it. We all got to choose exactly what we wanted on our custom-made salads from their extensive ingredient list. I wish they’d open one in my town!!
Amazing men’s a capella Christmas performance
Posted on 14. Dec, 2007 by kchristieh in music
I’m a sucker for a capella singing. It’s so pure, and often incredibly witty. I’ve seen many performances over the years, but this one by the Indiana University Men’s A Capella group made me say “Wow!” at the end. !
Many thanks to Holly B. for the link!
Hear the new Steven Curtis Chapman song that brought me to tears
Posted on 16. Nov, 2007 by kchristieh in music
Here I was, finally getting some work done, when a song played on my iTunes that actually brought me to tears. Steven Curtis Chapman’s new song, Cinderella, really touched a nerve. It’s about a father who teaches his daughter to dance before big events. Here are some of the lyrics:
She says he’s a nice guy and I’d be impressed
She wants to know if I approve of the dress
She says, “Dad the prom is just one week away
And I need to practice my dancin’
Oh please, Daddy, please!”Chorus:
So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
‘Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh I will dance with Cinderella
I don’t want to miss even one song
‘Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she’ll be goneShe will be gone
It’s an upbeat song in 3/4 time, so it really makes you feel like you’re dancing.
Note to self: perfect song for (many years hence) the father-daughter dance at my daughter’s wedding. Yeesh – I’m crying even as I write that sentence!!
If you enjoyed this post, get free updates via email or RSS.
Britain’s Got Talent, and her name is Connie
Posted on 04. Sep, 2007 by kchristieh in music, tv, videos
I’m a sucker for a talented kid, and I’m REALLY a sucker for one who sings, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Click to see an amazing 6-year-old named Connie Talbot as she competes in “Britain’s Got Talent” for a chance to sing for the Queen.
If you enjoyed this post, get free updates via email or RSS.
What do Blackledge, Morrison, McLaughlin & Puppini have in common?
Posted on 02. May, 2007 by kchristieh in music
After hardly purchasing any music from iTunes for months, I succumbed in a big way yesterday to four new albums:
- “A Song Like This” by Rob Blackledge. Great pianist, reminds me of Billy Joel.
- “Undiscovered” by James Morrison. Hot new British singer, sounds a bit like Stevie Wonder.
- “Indiana” by Jon McLaughlin. Great vocals.
- “Betcha Bottom Dollar” by The Puppini Sisters. Reminiscent of The Andrews Sisters. Best song: a remake of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.”
You can see other music I like on the list to the right. If you like those, I think you’ll like these too.
Who is that street musician?
Posted on 16. Apr, 2007 by kchristieh in music
Have you ever heard a street musician you thought was actually pretty good? Hopefully that happened recently to the throngs of people who passed by acclaimed violinist Joshua Bell, who was playing his Stradivari violin to rush hour crowds at Washington, D.C.’s L’Enfant Plaza metro station. According to the Washington Post:
By most measures, he was nondescript: a youngish white man in jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt and a Washington Nationals baseball cap. From a small case, he removed a violin. Placing the open case at his feet, he shrewdly threw in a few dollars and pocket change as seed money, swiveled it to face pedestrian traffic, and began to play.
But did people stop to listen?
In the three-quarters of an hour that Joshua Bell played, seven people stopped what they were doing to hang around and take in the performance, at least for a minute. Twenty-seven gave money, most of them on the run — for a total of $32 and change. That leaves the 1,070 people who hurried by, oblivious, many only three feet away, few even turning to look.
Only one person recognized him. A few others understood that this was a great musician, but that’s it.
Next time I hear a street musician, I’ll make sure to appreciate them. But, I think I do anyway.
Bedtime Beats: The Secret to Sleep
Posted on 13. Sep, 2006 by kchristieh in music, my life, parenting
The UPS man just brought me my new “” CD’s. They contain relaxing classical music set to 60-80 beats per minute, about the same as a human heart. They say these songs are perfect for falling asleep to and help produce a sound sleep.
I can’t wait to load them on my daughter’s iPod – she says that even when she goes to bed, she doesn’t fall asleep for awhile. (see previous post about teen sleep habits) She listens to classical music now, but I think this will be better since there won’t be any loud timpanis or fast trumpet solos to wake her up again.
I love the warning on the CD case: “Not to be listened to while driving!”
Fender sender
Posted on 03. Sep, 2006 by kchristieh in music, my life, parenting
My son finally saved enough money for a new guitar! Yesterday we met his wonderful guitar teacher, Kevin Coston, at the Guitar Center store on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood to pick one out. A great salesman named Jon Croft (no relation to high school buddy Paul Croft, as far as I can tell) helped us out. I felt like a fish out of water: everyone there was young, hip and cool. At least I was wearing a black shirt. If I wanted to fit in, I would have dyed my hair magenta and pierced a body part. Anyway, we spent more than we intended, but not much more, and wound up with a great Fender stratocaster. My son practiced for a looong time last night, and even attempted Jimi Hendrix’ version of the national anthem. I asked him if he could do “Linus & Lucy” since he’d never made it there when he took piano lessons, and he actually did a decent rendition of the beginning of it.
Hopefully he’ll continue to be inspired by guitar, and will branch out from his heavy metal phase. (!!!)
Elizabethtown, other movie recommendations
Posted on 26. Jun, 2006 by kchristieh in movies, music
It’s been a big movie week here. Besides seeing “Cars” and “Nacho Libre” in Kansas City last weekend, we rented “Broken Flowers” and “Elizabethtown” this weekend via cable. All were terrific, but “Elizabethtown” was my favorite.
Elizabethtown is the story of a young man (Orlando Bloom) who has just made a huge business blunder that’s just about to be publicized to the world. Just when he thinks things can’t get worse, he finds out his father has just died, and he needs to fly to Kentucky to make funeral arrangements. He meets a very chatty, helpful flight attendant on the way there (Kirsten Dunst) who gives him her cell phone number. He ultimately calls her as relief from all the funeral craziness, and the rest is…I won’t tell you, but you can guess!
It sounds a little outrageous, but what I liked about this movie was its realism. I liked how impetuous the characters were, and how they were both frail and strong at the same time. I don’t want to reveal much more…but those who know me will know I appreciate it when couples meet in elevators!
Bonus: AWESOME soundtrack, including Ryan Adams, Wheat, Nancy Wilson, and even an acoustic version of “Shut it Down” by Lindsey Buckingham. I downloaded both volumes of the soundtrack from iTunes, plus a bunch of songs by two of the artists on it, Patty Griffin and Eastmountainsouth.
As for Nacho Libre, it had the scariest set of characters ever to grace the silver screen. They’re little Lucha Libre wrestlers whose hair makes them look like lions and who screech as they attack you. We’ve done several imitations of them over the past week to describe recent situations. (I won’t reveal any names!!) The movie was funny and sweet, and our whole family enjoyed it. My son saw it again with friends, and said it was even better the second time around.
“Cars” and “Broken Flowers” (with Bill Murray) were also very good. We almost never seem to pay for bad movies or bad books anymore, since we can do so much research via newspapers or the internet before we commit to them. The only exception I can think of was “The Squid & the Whale.” Awful movie, incredibly annoying characters. We walked out in the middle. I don’t see why critics liked it so much, but to each his own.
We also saw “Pride & Prejudice” on Charter, but didn’t like it as much. The sound quality was really poor, and we resorted to closed captions to figure out what was being said.
Recent Comments