Do YOU bring an "i" device 2 the playa?

[Patiencepie]

Do you bring your i-device? iPhone, iPad to the playa? If you don't have a regular camera, do you take pics w/ your iPhone? Who does this? Good idea, bad idea? Keep them in a ziplock? Just wondering. Thanks!

[captain mcguiver]

Since it's my phone, I bring it. But I lock it away in a small Pelican case and don't even touch it until I leave. I can't imagine how the alkaline dust interacts inside your speaker grills, mic and power ports. I wouldn't touch it out there. Haven't burned in two years but I hear people at center camp hang out and drink coffee with their heads buried in I-devices. If they are checking their Facebook I will suggest they crawl inside the man at say 9:30pm on Saturday

[trilobyte]

I generally power down my phone as I leave Reno, and don't turn it back on until I'm on my way home. Last year I switched my phone to airplane mode (which saved on batteries) and carried it with me so I could play with some of the photo toy apps. The image quality isn't as good as what I got with a mid-range point and shoot digital camera, and I wouldn't choose it over a dedicated digital camera but it made for a nice compliment.

Weather-wise, last year was unusually good with nothing that I considered a 'real' dust storm - just a couple minor kickups. I considered the iPhone to be relatively safe in those conditions, since everything connected to the device's camera is contained beneath the gorilla glass body (no moving lens to get dust caught in). In more severe conditions I wouldn't have considered pulling the camera out. Your mileage may vary, of course. If you do take something out there, I recommend making a lock screen wallpaper image that includes some kind of "if found" contact info (name/email/friend's phone #/etc).

[BBadger]

No phone, but I bring a camera. The thought of seeing some schmuck hauling around an iPad to take pictures would be pretty amusing though.

[lemur]

hooray

another thread to publicly register the 'OMG YOU USE A CELL PHONE?' ...and 'I GO TO BURNING MAN TO GET AWAY FROM CELL PHONES' stuff!

[motskyroonmatick]

I'll be i devicing it up 24/7 at this burn. I use the calendar and alarm functions more than I talk on the phone irl. The camera is phenom and much easier to clean the lens than a point and shoot.

[Lonesomebri]

I always bring several "i"gnition devices 4 the playa, otherwise, what's the point?

[maladroit]

I'm bringing an iPhone, in a heavy rubber case, screen protector, dust plugs, and ziploc bag. It will mostly stay off, except for a probably rare photo or trading numbers. The main use will be setting a GPS waypoint at my camp and using it to navigate back, especially from deep playa or in a storm. I have a standalone app so I don't need network access to see maps, or maybe iBurn 2012 will be out soon.

[Bob]

hooray

another thread to publicly register the 'OMG YOU USE A CELL PHONE?' ...and 'I GO TO BURNING MAN TO GET AWAY FROM CELL PHONES' stuff!

Film is better.

[dragonpilot]

I'm bringing a satellite phone so I can call my stock broker daily and check on how the market is doing. And it's also a convenient way for him to contact me when there's a hot deal that he thinks I should buy.

[Eric]

I'm bringing a satellite phone so I can call my stock broker daily and check on how the market is doing. And it's also a convenient way for him to contact me when there's a hot deal that he thinks I should buy.

That's tiresome. I have my assistant wait for the calls so I can go have fun (which also makes sure someone is there to help the chef make my meals & to help the maid clean the RV)

[captain mcguiver]

I'm bringing an iPhone, in a heavy rubber case, screen protector, dust plugs, and ziploc bag. It will mostly stay off, except for a probably rare photo or trading numbers. The main use will be setting a GPS waypoint at my camp and using it to navigate back, especially from deep playa or in a storm. I have a standalone app so I don't need network access to see maps, or maybe iBurn 2012 will be out soon.

Wait , what? How do you get a "Gps waypoint" on a phone with no network connection? The GPS is tower triangulation based,not space based satellite. Without network, your phone has no idea where you are. How do you expect it to set up a waypoint? Sure you can browse maps offline, but you can't use the GPS on an iphone as far as I know, without a few towers around. Hmnn, I've seen references to GPS without service by map caching, but I haven't gotten it to work.

What software are you using? Do you pre-cache maps? How do you know where the Actual city is before you go?

[theCryptofishist]

I'm bringing a satellite phone so I can call my stock broker daily and check on how the market is doing. And it's also a convenient way for him to contact me when there's a hot deal that he thinks I should buy.

That's tiresome. I have my assistant wait for the calls so I can go have fun (which also makes sure someone is there to help the chef make my meals & to help the maid clean the RV)

That's fine, if your assistant is trustworthy. Mine will tell the stock-broker all sorts of nonsense.
It's so hard to find good help these days...

[shykat]

I'm bringing a satellite phone so I can call my stock broker daily and check on how the market is doing. And it's also a convenient way for him to contact me when there's a hot deal that he thinks I should buy.

That's tiresome. I have my assistant wait for the calls so I can go have fun (which also makes sure someone is there to help the chef make my meals & to help the maid clean the RV)

That's fine, if your assistant is trustworthy. Mine will tell the stock-broker all sorts of nonsense.
It's so hard to find good help these days...

I'm sure there is campp for that.

[trilobyte]

I'm bringing a satellite phone so I can call my stock broker daily and check on how the market is doing. And it's also a convenient way for him to contact me when there's a hot deal that he thinks I should buy.

Don't forget using the satphone to order pizza delivery from Reno and the occasional hooker. Gotta support the local economy

[Eric]

I'm bringing a satellite phone so I can call my stock broker daily and check on how the market is doing. And it's also a convenient way for him to contact me when there's a hot deal that he thinks I should buy.

That's tiresome. I have my assistant wait for the calls so I can go have fun (which also makes sure someone is there to help the chef make my meals & to help the maid clean the RV)

That's fine, if your assistant is trustworthy. Mine will tell the stock-broker all sorts of nonsense.
It's so hard to find good help these days...

I keeping telling you "electro-shock collars", but do you listen? (Just don't hire anyone from Retrofrolic...)

[theCryptofishist]

I can't afford Retrofrolic...

[Simon of the Playa]

yes.

[portaplaya]

I bring a tablet (not an iPad) because I have a wearable action cam, a ContourGPS. It communicates by BlueTooth to show its current framing and the settings for the camera can be changed by the tablet.

Since the other option is guessing if the camera is aimed correctly on the handlebars of my bike (or a headband, or attached to a post for a time lapse set, etc.) and you can normally only change settings with a PC, the tablet is pretty invaluable for video work out there with this camera.

[Bob]

Film is still better.

[portaplaya]

Film is still better.

As soon as they make a wearable film-based action cam that shoots 60fps, I'm all over that!

[darius]

Yes, yes I do. iDevices are fantastic for playa dj's. Beats the heck out of burying your discontinued technic 1200's in dust. And what's so wrong with working on the playa anyway? If you need to trade a quick stock, or make some tweaks to a website your working on, so be it. Burn how you wanna burn, right?

I don't really take any precautions, but I might wrap my iPad in plastic wrap this year. Just know that your device is disposable, and don't expect it to work afterwards, even though it probably still will.

d.

[theCryptofishist]

Just my iThneed.

[maladroit]

Shemaghs are thneeds.

[shroom]

I brought my ipod to use as a clock as I put up my cell phone when I arrived. I used it for music a few times and planned on using it for the 'time to burn' app but forgot. It's a great app to read on the way, just forgot to get my ipod out when I was enjoying the burn. I think that's a good thing.

[VultureChow]

I'm bringing my Nexus 7. My blackberry as well. My deal with my parents, who worry a lot, was to attempt email once a day. The Nexus is light and small enough to carry around.

[RedHeaven]

I'm old school. I got me a dumb phone, I bring it to call my hubby. Everyone else can fuck off
And I bring an old iPod classic so we can dork out on our sound system when the live music takes a break.
Then I take my old digital Casio camera that takes AA batts. Works like a charm. I just had one break on me, it went to 6 burning mans, pretty awesome!! Glad I got a couple for the price of one on ebay back in 1924. haha

[Elliot]

I'm old school. I got me a dumb phone, I bring it to call my hubby. Everyone else can fuck off
And I bring an old iPod classic so we can dork out on our sound system when the live music takes a break.
Then I take my old digital Casio camera that takes AA batts. Works like a charm. I just had one break on me, it went to 6 burning mans, pretty awesome!! Glad I got a couple for the price of one on ebay back in 1924. haha

If that's "old school" then I'm hanging around with Plato himself. I bring a 25 year old travel alarm clock to make sure I go to my GP&E shifts and a few other specific events on time.
I don't own a cell phone. Had one for a year or two some years back and found it nothing but an expensive nuisance. (Would be nice to have one in the car for emergency, but not at the price.) The fanciest technology I own is this ten year old desktop computer I'm using right now.
Waitaminnitt.... I own a fancy digital SLR camera, but that's because the magazine I work for bought it for me. I guess they got tired of scanning my slides. And a cheap shirt-pocket digital for casual use. But to the Playa I bring a ten-dollar disposable film camera, in case I come across something I absolutely want a record of.

[FIGJAM]

I'll have a camera to take pics of "Millipoding" camp!

[maladroit]

I don't own a cell phone. Had one for a year or two some years back and found it nothing but an expensive nuisance. (Would be nice to have one in the car for emergency, but not at the price.)

All cell phone networks are required to let through a 911 call regardless of whether the phone is a subscriber or not. Any phone, as long as it works and is able to work on the current cell networks, can be used for an emergency. If you don't keep one on your person, it's a good idea to keep an old phone charged in your car for an emergency. You can probably pick up an old Nokia for free.