The
iPhone
Locksmithsfor
by Matthew Myers
Apple’s iPhone, first intro- duced in June 2007, is without a doubt one of the
most popular and influential mobile computing devices in recent
memory, (photo 1). Classified
as a “smart phone” the iPhone
should really be thought of as a
small computer. This unit, which
happens to be able to make
phone calls, has so many capabilities that there should be little
doubt of its usefulness in any
office or work place, (photo 2).
In the April issue of The
National Locksmith, in Mango’s
Message Greg talked about an
iPhone “app” for Pop-A-Lock
which is designed to help individuals locate a Pop-A-Lock locksmith in their area. As professionals we should be using tools that
help us grow our business, and
run it as well. In 2010 the iPhone
is undoubtedly one of these tools;
however, I would like to preface
this article by mentioning some
of Apple’s competitors. Smart-phones made by other manufacturers have many pros and cons
associated with them. Some are
faster, some are smaller or have
bigger screens, and yet others
might be more cost effective.
Some of the competitors include
the Motorola Droid, the Palm
1. Apple’s iPhone is the most
popular cell phone in the
United States.
2. Of course one of the primary
functions of the iPhone is to
make calls.
Pre, and products manufactured
by HTC and BlackBerry. I chose
the iPhone for two reasons, the
first of which is that I own one.
The second reason is the ubiq-uity of the iPhone (the iPhone is
the most popular cell phone in
the United States with over 21
million sold).
As I mentioned the iPhone is a
computer. As such it can run software designed by third parties.
Apple has cleverly marked these
as “apps” or applications, and
allows users to download them
from their i Tunes store, (photo
3). A number of “underground”
apps are also available through
software called Cydia, for those
who have unlocked and/or
jailbroken their iPhone (more on
that later). For now I’m only going to speak to apps which can be
downloaded directly from Apple.
The first thing which the
iPhone can help a locksmith with
is navigation. Right out of the
box the iPhone features a useful
Maps program with “like GPS
accuracy,” (photo 4). This allows
you to find your customers just
from an address, get directions,
and even see which roads are
bogged down with traffic. I’ll be
the first to admit this feature has
