You don’t need the latest unibody MacBook or feature packed smartphone to liveblog like a pro. Updating your readers from the field’s just as easy with the mobile you already have in your pocket. Read on to find out how you can turn your blower into a liveblogging machine on the cheap.
Use any phone
ScribbleLive, which we use for our own liveblogs, lets you to update a liveblog by sending in emails so you can give fresh information to your readers through even the simplest mobile phone. The one already in your pocket is more than capable.
The service is easily embedded into your own blog too. Follow our instructions to see how, then simply create the event in ScribbleLive, and scope out the unique e-mail address to send your updates to under the “Post To This Event” section on the right hand side.
Of course, you’ll need to make sure your mobile tariff includes internet access too. All you need is a SIM card on a data tariff to put in your phone, and you can liveblog from anywhere. Vodafone’s got you covered there, with a £20 per month deal packing 900 minutes to all UK mobiles and UK landlines (starting 01,02,03), bundled texts and data too, giving you scope to liveblog all you like.
Use your phone’s camera
There’s no need to fork out for an expensive camera to send pictures to the web: your phone’s snapper can shoot and upload to a liveblog automatically.
If you’re using a basic handset, send pictures as e-mail attachments to ScribbleLive in the same way as you did text updates. The service will re-size them automatically, and drop them into your liveblog as soon as they’re received.
If you’re using a smartphone, you can use more advanced posting methods. ShoZu for Nokia smartphones and the iPhone chucks snaps to the Flickr as soon as you take a shot, and iTookThisOnMyPhone does the same for Android, BlackBerry and Windows Mobile phones too. You can embed your live Flickr galleries straight into your site with WordPress widget add-ons, or connect your Flickr account to a ScribbleLive liveblogging event and embed it into a post on your site instead.
However you get pictures from your phone to a liveblog, Vodafone’s unlimited data packages make sure you’re never left with a meaty bill at the end of the month, and using Vodafone’s 3G connection it’s ultra fast too.
Tweet your updates with Twitter
If you can’t get online with your phone, you can still liveblog without spending a fortune with Twitter on Vodafone. The network lets you send SMS messages to the social network for all your followers to see. Each tweet costs just 12p, and you can add your username under Twitter in ScribbleLive, so all your updates flow into the right page on your blog.
Alternatively, you can use a WordPress widget to suck Twitter updates straight onto your blog’s homepage, letting all your readers know there’s an event going down. This way, you can liveblog at much as you like, and count the cost as you go. Vodafone’s cheapest SIM only deals start at just a tenner a month.
Use any laptop
No matter how small, big, old or new your laptop is, you can use it to liveblog from anywhere using Vodafone’s 3G mobile broadband dongles. They’re quick to set up and connect, and a bargain too. You’ll get a free dongle when signing up for a 12 month SIM only deal for £15 per month or more, or a new 24 month phone tariff over £30. It’s pay as you go, so there are no hidden fees, and it even comes with a month of data included, free.
The bottom line
With options from Vodafone to fit every price bracket, you really don’t have to spend an extra penny to liveblog on the move. Twittering or e-mailing on the go costs a pittance when using Vodafone’s latest SIM only deals, while dongles for laptops start at just £15, with the stick itself completely free. Give it a go today, and start building your web celebrity status!
