The world at your fingertips

It’s three in the morning and I’m chatting with my friend B, a classmate from elementary who transferred to the USA. We were never close in grade school, but we found each other on Facebook, and now, we get together every time she’s in town.

I notice that it’s raining really hard one night. The next day, I wake up to news that most of Metro Manila is flooded. On Twitter, those with electricity and an Internet connection are disseminating information faster than the TV stations are able to. They begin organizing relief efforts, many of which are good to go within 24 hours. Those managing the donation drives (who have Internet coupled with their phone plans, or have applied to services like Globe’s Super Surf) send Twitter blasts to let people know what goods the relief centers need.

Whether it’s on a personal scale, like with my friend B, or something far, far bigger, like Typhoon Ondoy, social networking has changed the world.

You don’t even need to be in front of your computer to stay connected. I do it from my iPhone using the Super Surf service, which is great because I can be online all I want without worrying about getting a big bill at the end of the month. I got an iPhone 3GS from Globe Telecom late last year, and while I love everything about it (from the insanely loud alarm clock to the surprisingly clear voice recorder to the apps), what I love best is how easy it is to keep in touch with people because of it.

I tweet on the go, sometimes using Twitter to ask questions about where I am or to seek directions to where I’m supposed to be. I chat with friends, load up on tsismis on Facebook, and even update my blog, and I can do this from anywhere because of the iPhone and great service from my provider. Many take it for granted that technology has advanced so much, but it never ceases to amaze me that, with a touch of my fingers, I am talking to someone halfway across the world.

Here are my favorite iPhone apps for doing just that:

Echofon Pro — Echofon is my favorite Twitter app because of its clean, simple interface and its ease of use. I opted to purchase the Pro version a little less than a week after I downloaded the free one because I don’t like ads, but it was worth the money. Echofon makes it easier to Tweet and post pictures and track your replies. The only thing you can’t do with it is manage your friend requests, but you can do that on a computer, anyway.

Tumblr — I blog on Tumblr, and the very user-oriented team there developed a free i-Phone app for people like me who like to blog no matter where they are. You can put up text posts, pictures, and videos from anywhere, making blogging (on Tumblr at least) even more convenient.

Yahoo! Messenger — Another free application, like its computer counterpart, Y!M for the iPhone lets you chat with your friends, and it’s as easy as texting. Except it’s free! You do get disconnected every time you close the app to open another one (you can’t exactly multitask on an iPhone 3GS yet — the iPhone 4 is another story), but it’s still endlessly practical.

Facebook — Filipinos love Facebook, and now, they never have to be without it. The free Facebook app is another clean, streamlined program that’s easy to navigate and easy to use, neatly condensing huge pages for your iPhone. You can do almost anything you do on your computer in Facebook for the iPhone: check your news feed, post pictures, search for (and maybe stalk) people, manage your friends lists, chat, and send private messages. Perfect for Facebook addicts!

For Internet junkies like me, the iPhone is a dream come true.

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iPhones are available from Globe Telecom. Until July 31, you can get the iPhone 3GS 16GB for free on Globe’s postpaid Plan 3500; or get it bundled with unlimited data service on Globe’s iPhone Plan 3799 or via prepaid kit for P34,995. You can e-mail me at vivat.regina@yahoo.com.