Letters to the editor and publisher of iPhone Life magazine. Unless otherwise indicated, all responses are from Rich Hall, Managing Editor of iPhone Life (rich@iphonelife.com)
Appreciates focus on parenting and moms
Just a word thanking you for the work your group has done on the use of tech and specifically iPhone for parents (iphonelife.com/blogs/tracy-sebastian). It’s very solid, fun, and readable stuff... and it’s helped my wife and I better utilize the iPhone as a parenting tool... I check back often for updates!
Tim Chambers
I
have really been enjoying the articles geared towards moms on Tracy Sebastian’s blog. The information is great (I really like her finds in apps) and love her sense of humor!
Tracy Stoner
Preferred apps for pilot’s iPhone
I
read the article about the US Navy pilot’s use of the iPhone (Spring ‘10 issue, page 70). I have been using my iPhone in the cockpit of my Light Sport Evektor Sportstar for almost two years. I find that the info you get from the Weather app built into the iPhone is not reliable.
I prefer Accuweather.com (free; app2.me/2373), which also gives me radar and weather alerts. Lt. Chris mentioned Aeroweather (free; app2.me/2392), an excellent app that I also use on a daily basis. For landing, I use xWind Calculator ($0.99; app2.me/2393) which calculates the cross winds so I am sure not to exceed the limits of my plane. AOPA Airports (app free, but must be AOPA member; app2.me/2394) gives me info on any airport I fly in and out of, including runways, communication frequencies, services available (fuel, repairs, rental car etc.). If you don’t belong to AOPA, you can use Fltplan.com (free; app2.me/2395) for similar information.
AccuWeather (left) gives me radar maps and alerts. The xWind Calculator (right) determine cross winds for landing.
For entertainment, I like to play X-Plane 9 ($9.99; app2.me/475), and I use a Bluetooth headset called Zulu ($900; light speedaviation.com) to listen to music on long trips. Last year I flew from St. Petersburg, FL to Oshkosh, Wisconsin and the music certainly came in handy to pass the time. 
When I arrived in Oshkosh, I rented a car and drove it to the biggest air show in the world (airventure.org). Over 400,000 people attend the show, and parking is a challenge. I used Take Me To My Car (free; app2.me/2396) to help me find my car at the end of the day. The app brought me right back to my car! I was also able to connect up to the wireless Internet at the show to check my e-mail and call customers and family. This phone is the "bomb!"
Take Me To My Car (right) helps me find me car in crowed parking lots.
Steve Cohen
The iPhone and multitasking
I just got back from MacWorld where I received a free copy of iPhone Life—I like it! However, both Bryan and Todd Bernhard, repeat in their articles the false statement that the device can’t multitask. I have an iPhone 3G (not even 3GS) and I multitask all the time! I’ve had e-mails and apps download while I browse the Web, talk on the phone while checking e-mails or my calendar, and listen to music while doing pretty much anything else. Sure, most apps close when you leave them, but why would you want two games running at the same time? Apple allows the most important types of multitasking and disallows others to keep iPhone performance top notch! Apple got this one right!
Mike Evans
Mike: While it is true that some of Apple’s apps are allowed to multitask, it is NOT true for third-party apps. Indeed, the system is capable of multitasking, but Apple doesn’t open it up, and that is the source of my disappointment. Regarding my comments about the iPad, it has a new processor which is head and shoulders above the iPhone’s.Combine that with the larger screen and Apple’s targeting of the netbook customer, it is a shame that non-Apple apps cannot run in the background.
Todd Bernhard
Handyman prefers Otter Box case to protect his iPhone
I’m a handyman and have needs for a very protective case. I was referred to the Otter Box. It’s a bit more expensive than the cases you’ve described in the publication, but I think it offers that much more protection. It has a screen protector and a hard shell, and that’s covered by another rubber shell. It has a belt clip for easy access.
John Ullman
