The Unspoken Savings of iPhone
We know about the core features of iPhone (the bottom row of the home screen)—Phone (duh), Mail, Safari (the iPhone’s web browser), and iPod (which handles audio, video, photos, etc.).
But, I’m always finding extra uses for my iPhone. I just wanted to share some of the products I’ll never have to buy, as long as I have my iPhone.
- Flashlight: I use this “feature” more than I use the phone. This thing isn’t a heavy duty flashlight, but it’s perfect for checking on sleeping kids, looking for a plug in a dark room, etc.
- Alarm Clock: Best UI of any alarm clock I’ve ever owned. In fact, my existing alarm clock has been blinking 12:00 for months.
- Watch: I haven’t had a watch since I got a cell phone. Not only do I get the time when I pull out my iPhone, I see my wallpaper of my kiddos.
- Calculator: Sure, I haven’t owned a calculator since high school. But on quite a few occasions, I’ve thought “oh yeah, my iPhone has one!”. Keep in mind that the new software update will add a scientific calculator.
- Notepad: The other day, I was fetching coffee for a couple guys. I couldn’t find a piece of paper anywhere. I took the order down as an iPhone note. Sure, they harassed me about it, but it worked!
- Newspaper: Google Reader on iPhone, FTW.
- Map: You know those huge maps & atlases a bunch of people have stuffed in their car? I have Google Maps on the iPhone.
- Pocket Calendar: My wife LIVES by her pocket calendar. I live by six ICAL feeds fed into iCal.app and synced to iPhone.
- Rolodex: Okay, I’ve never owned one of these. But between exporting my contacts to Address book and accessing BatchBook via the iPhone interface, I’m covered.
I haven’t taken the time to add up what all that costs, but I’m pretty sure it’d subsidize the phone. 
Until there’s AT&T service in Vermont, I’ll have to sadly wait on the sidelines for the iPhone. I’ve been told I can crack the iPhone to work on unicel’s network, or buy an iPod Touch and just carry another cell phone around with me, but I’m going to hold out hope that us north country folk can catch up to the 21st century soon.
$500 Flashlights
Side Note I do all those tasks except Map, Calendar, and Rolodex on my LG. Google Reader Mobile is surprisingly easy to use.