Dad's iPhone App

Most of you know I am working on an iPhone app. It is related to Maine and I have a really great feeling that you will see my iPhone app advertised in an Apple app commercial or on the back of the Sunday NY Times. This isn't pie in the sky optimism but a gut feeling on how cool I believe this app to be.

I work on it in my spare time (ha!), getting help from an amazing designer (Jessica Keteyian) and an amazing researcher (Lee Heffner). Oh... the initial idea came from my husband (Dan Cosby). He managed to dream up something that isn't actually one of the 160,000 apps already.

But while I have put my app on the back burner for paying client work my dad, with the help of a talented young Italian programmer has submitted his app to Apple and been accepted. It is called textStream. It is a "cute" app that allows you put a stream of text across your screen, playing with color, speed, flash, etc. The exercise for dad was to get something submitted and accepted, not to write the best app in the world. He submitted the app on Monday and it was up and available on iTunes on Wednesday. For you iPhone or iPod users please go download textStream. It is free. Try it out.

Between this movement on the app front for my dad, and a recent chat at the Maine Women's Network that received a lot of interest and encouragement in the app, I have a renewed interest and sense of "urgency" to get my app up. Look for updates here. I do have a deadline of 3/31. That is 20 days away. Not sure I will make it, but I sure am going to try.

Road Trip

Today is the beginning of my holiday travels. Dan and I arose at 3:15 am, car bound by 4:04 am heading to Dothan, Alabama for the start of our trip. I was in good shape overall to get out of town. I guess the good thing about this time of year is that everyone has their thoughts on the holidays, traditions, family, travel, and what will be under the tree.

At LHT we had an unusually busy beginning of the month. We were getting a lot of requests for appointments with new potential customers. It was great. It almost threw me into the panic of "how will I leave town" but by the end of last week it calmed down and I even convinced A2 now was the time to take some days. So I am now officially off until Jan 4 and she closes up our shop Wednesday night for her holiday fun. The important news is we get great times with our families and loved ones for the holidays but client work is in good shape and can easily be picked up on the 4th for a fun new year. I look forward to 2010. Truly.

In the mean while I am on a road trip with my husband. Did I tell you I hate car trips? I do. Can't stand them. I pleaded to fly to meet him, but he wanted my company (aw... sweet, right? no torture). But actually, with technology (yes I am a geek) today wasn't too bad. First, I downloaded a book, well 2, to my iPhone. Dan was sure he wouldn't want to listen to it, but I picked one he would want to hear. A Clive Cussler. Truly entertaining. Plus... my iPhone was constant entertainment on the "are we there yet" train. See image above! By going to my contact record for Dan's parents, I could easily activate the Google Map, click a button, as for directions, including a real time pin point of where we were, and how long until we get there. Very cool! Even at dinner, once parked in Salem, VA, we checked again, knowing we have 10 hours and 50 minutes to go to Dothan.

So while I have left work behind for now (well not really, checking and replying to emails from the hotel and the iPhone), I am taking technology with me.

Look for travel updates tomorrow and maybe a new Google Map!