Happy New Year! I hope you all had a great holiday season and are ready for an awesome 2012!

Since this is the time of year for resolutions, I thought I’d do something a bit different and review an app that can help you if weight loss is one of your goals.

I’ve been using Lose It! off and on for over a year, but I just started over, with a new profile, just before the holidays, and I wanted to talk about the app and some of the mistakes I made in the past. No reason for you to make my mistakes!

First the app. It’s very simple to use. As you’ll see from the following screen shot, the basic idea is to record all your food and exercise for each day.

I’m doing well so far.

You set a weight goal and a weight loss goal per week, and the app automatically calculates how many calories you can eat each day. Exercise adds to each day’s allotment, which obviously will increase how quickly you lose.

2.7 pounds in 2 weeks! It really works.

Entering your food and exercise is really easy.

Note the “Scan barcode” feature. I love that one. It makes adding new foods very fast.

You can also select entire previous meals (like if you usually eat the same thing for breakfast each day).

The food database is excellent, even for restaurants. Even if your favorite restaurant isn’t there, you can almost always find something comparable.

There are even social media-like elements. You can “friend” people to keep you motivated and on track. And if you like badges, there are lots, like the Regular Badge (which I just got) for recording every day for 2 weeks. I’m aiming for the Die Hard badge (recording every day for 52 weeks)!

Don’t Make My Mistakes

What did I do wrong the first time around?

1. Setting too big a goal

I set my goal as the final weight I wanted. It was going to take me too long to get there, and I got frustrated and stopped recording. This time I set an intermediate goal, so it won’t take so long to feel like I’m doing something.

2. Allowing “free” days

Sometimes I would just not record for a day, usually on a special day, like a holiday or anniversary. Of course, those are great days to record because those are also the days you’re likely to slip. For me, free days turned into free weeks or months, which defeated the whole purpose.

3. Getting too hung up on accuracy

The other reason I would give myself “free” days was when I ate something and didn’t know the calorie count. Now I just make my best guess and record anyway. I know my records aren’t completely accurate, but I think that consistency is more important. When I am recording, I make choices. And eat fewer Reeses minis (my favorite candy).

So what do you think? Like the app and the idea? Sign up for a free Lose It! account at http://www.loseit.com/ and invite me to be your friend. We can keep each other on track!

This is mostly on-topic because it’s affecting mobile apps.

There are a couple of patent trolls out there trying to make money off licensing fees for apps in the Apple store.

Kooltool, an India-based company, is just the latest. There have been numerous articles about Lodsys and their letters to Apple developers.

This is ridiculous and only the latest in a series of frivolous lawsuits by patent trolls. A good friend of mine works for a company that has been almost driven out of business by a patent troll. They actually won a lawsuit (in the East Texas district where it’s almost impossible to win), but the troll keeps on coming, kind of like a particularly pernicious zombie.

In many European countries, the loser pays all legal costs, and I think it’s past time for the U.S. to follow their example, at least in patent suits.

Will that limit access to the little guy? Maybe. Right now, the winners in patent lawsuits are the attorneys. Both sides have to cover their own legal costs, and the process becomes a game of financial chicken. Who runs out of money first? In some cases, the trolls’ attorneys work for the troll or work on commission, while the defending company has to pony up for their own legal team. That’s been the case for the company my friend works for.

If the loser had to pay all fees, fewer trolls would sue, and there would be less financial incentive to bring patent suits. I have to think that would lower the costs. Also, with the threat of paying all costs hanging like a sword of Damocles, settlements might be more reasonable.

I do feel for the little guy who has been jilted from licensing fees he truly deserves. But from what I’m seeing in the news, those cases are in the minority. Let’s clean up the big mess and then go back to make it fair for the little guys, who right now are the companies being sued, not the ones bringing the suits.

Remember, the patent system was supposed to encourage innovation. With app developers pulling out or not developing because of the fear of lawsuits, right now I think the system is stifling innovation.

Feel strongly about this issue? Join me in writing your elected officials.

As someone who sometimes blogs about the iPhone, I figured I couldn’t let Tuesday’s announcement go without some response.

Personally, I’m not switching. I’m happy with AT&T. When I’ve needed service, I’ve gotten it with no problems. I don’t drop calls. I’m not a heavy user of cell data downloads, so lag isn’t an issue for me. Most of the time I want to download stuff, I use a WiFi connection.

But I am very happy that Verizon is getting the phone. I still think the iPhone is, overall, the best smart phone. ‘droid phones are getting there, but my “must have” time management app, Pocket Informant, is still unavailable on ‘droid. I have a couple of clients who have ‘droid phones, and the apps for their phones don’t seem as intuitive as the same apps on the iPhone. But maybe that’s just me.

I’m happy because I can encourage my Verizon clients to get iPhones. I’d like T-Mobile and Sprint to get them too for the same reason.

I think competition is good, and AT&T will have to be sharp to keep customers. That’s good for me as a customer.

I saw an article about carriers considering family data plans. This is very exciting. My husband would like an iPhone, but he doesn’t want to pay for a separate data plan, and I don’t blame him. He’s not looking to be a data hog either. We could very happily share. Shared data plans is a logical next step, and I have to think that Verizon getting the iPhone will make this happen faster.

So, I think it’s a good thing, even though I’m not switching carriers. But now I have options, so stay sharp AT&T. I’m more loyal to my iPhone than I am to you.