Obama uses iPhone to gain support

US Democratic candidate Barack Obama is set to turn the iPhone into a political recruiting tool with an application aimed at getting the vote out. The software has a “Call Friends” option to help organise contacts in swing states. A note about the software on Mr Obama’s blog said: “This tool is designed to help you become more directly involved in our campaign to change the country.” The free application was developed by volunteers in less than three weeks. “This really has the potential to help the campaign,” said Jason Grigsby, one of the project leaders. In a recent blog entry the campaign wrote: “With only 33 days left, it’s more important than ever to call your friends and family to make sure they are registered and voting for Barack.”
The blog also said that it hoped the “Call Friends” feature would “generate thousands of additional personal contacts” - that would then be turned into votes. Other features include making notes on which friends have been called, who they are supporting, and if they need a reminder on election day. The website said the total amount of calls the application made were tallied but no information left the phone, so the privacy of friends and users were protected. The application also passes on up-to-date news from the campaign, plus video, photos and talking points to help convince friends to vote for the candidate. Senator Obama has proved a fan of technology in his campaign and made headlines when he announced his choice of Joe Biden for vice-president via a text message.