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The White House unveils an iPhone, iPod Touch application

By | January 22, 2010, 2:52am PST

Summary: If following President Obama on Twitter, Facebook and whatever else wasn’t enough for you, the White House has published an iPhone app.

If following President Obama on Twitter, Facebook and whatever else wasn’t enough for you, the White House has published an iPhone app.

Available on Apple’s iTunes store now (for free), the White House app streams up-to-date content from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue directly to your iPhone or iPod Touch. Some of that content includes news, briefs, events, and live-streaming coverage of the President and other White House officials. (Apparently the State of the Union next week will be available for streaming from the Apple handheld too.)

The White House has certainly embraced using all sorts of technology to reach constituents. For the iPhone-less out there, the White House will be debuting mobile.WhiteHouse.gov in a few weeks.

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Topics

Apple iPhone, Apple iPod, White House, Apple iPod Touch, Smart Phones, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Rachel King

Rachel King is a staff writer for ZDNet based in San Francisco.

Disclosure

Rachel King

Rachel King has no business relationships, affiliations, investments, or other potential conflicts of interest relating to the content posted in this blog.

Biography

Rachel King

Rachel King is a staff writer for CBS Interactive in San Francisco. Before serving as a contributing editor at ZDNet in New York City for two years, she previously worked for The Business Insider, FastCompany.com, CNN's San Francisco bureau and the U.S. Department of State. Rachel has also written for MainStreet.com, Irish America Magazine and the New York Daily News, among others. Rachel has a B.A. in Mass Communications and History from the University of California, Berkeley and a M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University, where she served as art director for the student magazine, Plated.

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Really? It's Pretentious?
Pete "athynz" Athens 23rd Jan 2010
If I did have an iPhone, I wouldn't be streaming White House updates.

And why not? Is it the content or are you just against streaming content to a mobile device in general?
I think that the iPhone is a pretentious wast of money. We live in a time when being frugal is considered a good thing and in that note I would rather have my Straight Talk phone with unlimited everything for $45 per month than pay $150 per month to AT&T for a flashy phone loaded with unnecessary apps.

WHERE are you getting this $150/m figure anyhow? Looking at AT&T's website the unlimited nation wide talk is 70 bucks, the data plan is 30 bucks, and the unlimited text is 20 bucks so you are 30 bucks over... And that is assuming an unlimited voice and texting plan... My monthly bill for my iPhone is far less, but then again I am on a shared family plan that runs per month less than the unlimited plans I quoted... So in my case I AM being quite frugal. And as for "unnecessary apps"... most of my apps on my iPhone are quite necessary indeed - there is an app I use to track my blood sugar for instance which is very necessary to a diabetic. There is a navigation app (mapquest) that is on my iPhone that is quite necessary when I travel, an online banking app to keep track of my finances, an app that gives medical information in the event I am unable to, an app called Evernote which keeps notes accessible from the iPhone or online, a first aid app, an app I can use to read office docs, an app to read PDFs... the list goes on. They are not "unnecessary"... perhaps that phrasing as well as your entire post is a result of iPhone - or smartphone - envy? And out of all the apps on my iphone - both necessary and "time wasters" the majority of them were FREE... including all but 1 of the apps I listed above... pretty damned frugal, huh? But I guess to you that is still pretentious.

I need unlimited calling because of my work so Straight Talk's unlimited package is necessary and it runs on Verizon's network nationwide which makes it the best value for money.

And the dropped calls don't concern you? In addition to my iPhone I also have a Blackberry Curve that I use for work - which work pays the monthly fee for - that is on the Verizon network and I drop 3-4 calls per day... But that is my experience, your experience may differ...

You find the iPhone to be pretentious, I find your post to be pretentious.
View in thread
0 Votes
+ -
Overkill
SAStarling 22nd Jan 2010
In his first year, President Barack Obama has:

Given 411 speeches, comments and remarks;
Held 42 news conferences;
Given 158 interviews and;
Has traveled to 21 nations.

So how much more "Obama" does a person need? Please.. give me a break.
0 Votes
+ -
It was promised!
veggiedude 22nd Jan 2010
Obama campaigned for transparency, and he has been most heavily
criticized for not living up to that in his first year. This app is the first
step to fulfill that promise. If you think it is overkill, no one is forcing you
to download this app!
0 Votes
+ -
It's almost as though they think...
JohnMcGrew@... 22nd Jan 2010
...they have a problem getting their message out.
0 Votes
+ -
The Art of Deception
Concerned In FL. 22nd Jan 2010
"Some of that content includes news, briefs, events, and live-
streaming coverage of the President and other White House
officials".

It's the behind closed doors shenanigans and secret deals
that aren't openly disclaimed that really matter, not the ready
for prime time PR BS.

True transparency means full disclosure.
0 Votes
+ -
True transparency = full disclosure.
Concerned In FL. 22nd Jan 2010
I don't trust that any of the people in Washington have my best interest
at heart.
0 Votes
+ -
Then move to... a place without a government
Michael Alan Goff 23rd Jan 2010
All of them are essentially the same.
0 Votes
+ -
No wonder he sucks .....
wackoae 22nd Jan 2010
I honestly can't believe that any president would waste his time on Tweeter. Even if it is just an aid pretending to be him, it is using tax payer money to just boost his ego and need for attention.

A good president would spend his time working for the people .... not gossiping on Tweeter to feed his ego.
0 Votes
+ -
You're a fool
Michael Alan Goff 23rd Jan 2010
How is spending 15-20 seconds every so often to
type out a message wasting time that could be
spent doing... well, I can't think of much that
could be done in the time it takes to write a
tweet.

He could even do that during meals, during a
car ride, or other such things that wouldn't
waste the taxpayers' money. Or you can hop on
the "Hate Obama" bandwagon to make yourself
look cool.
0 Votes
+ -
iPhone is pretentious
Pat Ustice 23rd Jan 2010
If I did have an iPhone, I wouldn't be streaming White House updates. I think that the iPhone is a pretentious wast of money. We live in a time when being frugal is considered a good thing and in that note I would rather have my Straight Talk phone with unlimited everything for $45 per month than pay $150 per month to AT&T for a flashy phone loaded with unnecessary apps. I need unlimited calling because of my work so Straight Talk's unlimited package is necessary and it runs on Verizon's network nationwide which makes it the best value for money.
0 Votes
+ -
all in the eye of the beholder
Michael Alan Goff 23rd Jan 2010
The fact that YOU don't need an iPhone doesn't
make it an overall waste of money. Some people
might find great use in it, it might be worth it
TO THEM.
0 Votes
+ -
Really? It's Pretentious?
Pete "athynz" Athens 23rd Jan 2010
If I did have an iPhone, I wouldn't be streaming White House updates.

And why not? Is it the content or are you just against streaming content to a mobile device in general?
I think that the iPhone is a pretentious wast of money. We live in a time when being frugal is considered a good thing and in that note I would rather have my Straight Talk phone with unlimited everything for $45 per month than pay $150 per month to AT&T for a flashy phone loaded with unnecessary apps.

WHERE are you getting this $150/m figure anyhow? Looking at AT&T's website the unlimited nation wide talk is 70 bucks, the data plan is 30 bucks, and the unlimited text is 20 bucks so you are 30 bucks over... And that is assuming an unlimited voice and texting plan... My monthly bill for my iPhone is far less, but then again I am on a shared family plan that runs per month less than the unlimited plans I quoted... So in my case I AM being quite frugal. And as for "unnecessary apps"... most of my apps on my iPhone are quite necessary indeed - there is an app I use to track my blood sugar for instance which is very necessary to a diabetic. There is a navigation app (mapquest) that is on my iPhone that is quite necessary when I travel, an online banking app to keep track of my finances, an app that gives medical information in the event I am unable to, an app called Evernote which keeps notes accessible from the iPhone or online, a first aid app, an app I can use to read office docs, an app to read PDFs... the list goes on. They are not "unnecessary"... perhaps that phrasing as well as your entire post is a result of iPhone - or smartphone - envy? And out of all the apps on my iphone - both necessary and "time wasters" the majority of them were FREE... including all but 1 of the apps I listed above... pretty damned frugal, huh? But I guess to you that is still pretentious.

I need unlimited calling because of my work so Straight Talk's unlimited package is necessary and it runs on Verizon's network nationwide which makes it the best value for money.

And the dropped calls don't concern you? In addition to my iPhone I also have a Blackberry Curve that I use for work - which work pays the monthly fee for - that is on the Verizon network and I drop 3-4 calls per day... But that is my experience, your experience may differ...

You find the iPhone to be pretentious, I find your post to be pretentious.
0 Votes
+ -
www.iphone-everything.com
graffist448 23rd Jan 2010
the first poster has a really bad outlook on life.
I think that that app is such an EASY way to control the
minds of the masses. Simple wording things a certain way
and consistenly using certain themes can prime an desired
outcome in attitude and induce desired actions. Its what
marketers and sales people do all teh time only this time
the gov aint selling us something..

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