iPhone4idiots » iPhone

iOS 4.1 is Live – Don’t Update if You Want to Keep Jailbreak

hirtme — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:01:55 +0000

So iOS 4.1 went live today. If you are jailbroken and want to keep your jailbreak then DON’T UPDATE. If you could care less about jailbreaking then you should update as this latest firmware actually offers some things you might want. First, if you have a iPhone 3G it is supposed to fix all the slow performance issues your iPhone has had since upgrading to iOS. Second, if you have an iPhone 4 and have had issues with the proximity sensor – it fixes that too. For me the “issues” are putting a call on speaker, hold or mute by accident because the sensor is too sensative. Again, a nice fix if this is a problem for you. Lastly, this firmware launces Game Center which I’m really looking forware to. Game Center is supported on iPod Touch 4th generation, iPod Touch 3rd generation, iPod Touch 2nd generation, iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS only. Sorry for all you iPhone 3G users. Apple is giving you the shaft again. I’m adding a Game Center thread in the Forum. Please post and maybe we can play soon!

Apple Keynote – iOS 4.1 & Much More!

hirtme — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:50:31 +0000

Apple held its annual September Keynote event yesterday and announced a ton of new products and updates. Updates to iOS 4.1, iPod shuffle, iPod Nano, iPod Touch, Apple TV, iTunes 10, Gamecenter and Ping social music network! It was a lot to take in. I’ll give a few thoughts on all this but for me personally this biggest news is iOS 4.1 coming next week. Steve Jobs claims it fixes the bug that makes the iPhone 3G run so slow on iOS 4.0 and higher. This would be huge for many of you if it really works. Time will tell. Apple’s CEO also stated that it fixed the proximity sensor bug with the iPhone 4. Forget the antenna “death grip” press (that was no big deal), but the proximity sensor on iPhone 4’s is messed up and a fix is welcomed news (again assuming it works). Just try and put your iPhone on between your shoulder and face to free up your hands. You are sure to mute, enable speaker or hang up on your call. It’s annoying, but I will not give up my jailbreak to get this fix. I’ll live with it until the next jailbreak is released. For more in iOS 4.1 and all the other stuff. iOS 4.1 introduces HDR (high dynamic range) standard to photos. I’m not a photographer so I don’t know exactly what this means, but I’m sure it will make photos look even better. Also built into iOS 4.1 is Game Center, which is all about multiplayer games. I think this is going to be huge as there is nothing better than talking trash and competing against others in games. If you don’t have friends to play with then Game Center will find them for you! They demoed Project Swords from Epic Games that will be out before the holidays. It looked pretty cool. Again, IMO this is going to be BIG!

There are new iPods coming. A new iPod shuffle is only $49. Man that’s cheap. The new iPod Nanos no longer have a click wheel but now a touchable screen. It’s half the size of the previous version and has a 24 hour battery life. It will sell for $149 for 8GB and $179 for 16GB. The new iPod Touch is what really impressed me. It has the retina display just like the iPhone 4. It also has the front and rear cameras – just like the iPhone 4. Facetime will work on the iPod Touch through email. These will begin shipping next week with prices of $229 for 8GB, $299 for the 32GB version, and $399 for the 64GB. Apple is also revamping Apple TV. The new version is only $99 and 80% smaller. Apple is removing the hard drive and going strictly with a streaming model. Any iOS device will stream to your Apple TV. Apple TV will include streaming of Nexflix and $0.99 rentals for TV shows. I would take a wait and see on this. Apple TV is the only Apple product I have ever purchased and then not really used. I even modified mine to install Boxee and still don’t use it much. Thus, IMO the $99 would be better sent on an iPod.

Lastly, iTunes 10 is now available. It will include Ping which they are calling a social music media tool. Like Facebook meets iTunes. Not sure what to think about that, but I suspect it will not be something you use nearly as much as Facebook or Twitter. Well that is the majority of what was covered today. The consumer will decide which items will be a hit and which will disappear like the original Apple TV. I’m most excited about Game Center. I will use that next week on my old iPhone 3G and let you know how it goes. As for the iPhone 4 – iOS 4.1 will have to wait as keeping the jailbreak is the most important thing. Oh, sorry the site was down yesterday, but I’m at the mercy of my webhost. Thanks for your patience. Let me know your thoughts on all this Apple news.

iPhone4idiots App Review – Dr. Seuss Gertrude McFuzz

hirtme — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:49:22 +0000

With each storybook app I read from Oceanhouse Media, I realize this San Diego based company is in a zone. All their apps are similar, but then the quality is so high that is a good thing. Dr. Seuss, Gertrude McFuzz, $1.99, is a little less colorful than most other storybooks, but has a better moral. Basically, be happy with the way you are and how you look.Like almost all Oceanhouse Media storybooks, this app is for iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. The book is the story of a little bird named Gertrude McFuzz who is self-conscious because she only has one pathetic tail feature. At the beginning its black and white to make her seem all the more homely. Wanting to be prettier she starts adding colorfull tail features until she has so many she can’t even fly due to the weight. Like all Oceanhouse Media apps there are three modes – read to me, read it myself and auto play. Words pop-up and are spoken when pictures are tapped and the audio and video quality is very professional. The story isn’t quite as long as some others but is a few dollars less expensive as well. For my other children’s storybooks reviews.

Netflix Finally Here for iPhone and iPod Touch

hirtme — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 20:46:57 +0000

Netflix released app verison 1.1 today that finally supports streaming to your iPhone or iPod Touch! What’s better is that it works great over 3G just like on the iPad. The new version requires firmware 3.1.3 or higher. Why ATT is allowing this on their stressed network I’m not sure, but having streamed over an hour of video today over 3G I have to say its working great. Apparantly it uses some technology to switch between wifi and 3G connections, but I just turned wifi off to see how well it works over 3G. I highly encourage any Netflix subscribers to download this app. Now if you don’t have a Netflix account (like me as $8.99 per month is just too much) they have a one month free trial so you can check it out. If you are not on an unlimited data plan be very careful as streaming video uses a ton of Megabytes. The selection of movies is nice although you won’t find anything recent (like its gotta be at least 6 months old). There is a decent TV shows section as well (Dexter, Weeds, Futurama), but again you are only going to get previous seasons. While watching your video if you get interrupted by a phone call or text the app doesn’t really background. When the call ends the Netflix app launches again and takes you to Home screen where you have the option to resume. I’ve read a complaint or two about this, but I don’t think its a big deal as it takes less than five seconds for the video to start streaming again. This is a move that might save Netflix, but with redbox out there I really think they are going to have to cut their monthly price in half to compete. With iTunes likely to start offering $0.99 purchases sometime within the year Netflix must adjust their business model or go the way of Blockbuster. This is a good step. What do you think??

iPhone4idiots App Review – WeeMee Avatar Creator

hirtme — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 20:03:26 +0000

WeeWorld’s WeeMee Avatar Creator, $0.99, is a simple yet robust app that quickly lets you create avatars. Once saved you can then easily add them to your profile in Twitter, Facebook or assign them to the contacts in your iPhone. There are over 300 items to help create your avatar: 44 hairstyles, 92 clothing items, 26 eyeware choices, 78 accessories (food items and tech stuff) and 15 backgrounds. There is a built in address book where you can assign avatars to appear when your contacts call your iPhone. Creating my first avatar took less than five minutes. What do you think? I like the iPhone in my left hand although a beer might be more appropriate in my right. Not sure why that isn’t an accessory option other than maybe WeeWorld or Apple wants it kid friendly. When you choose hair or clothing items there is a paintbucket that appears allowing you to adjust the color. Yes, I admit I have more grey than my avatar is showing. I guess I’m just vain. Once you are done creating the avatar you save it to the gallery where you can then upload it or return and add to it at a later date. I assume WeeWorld will continue to add more items and backgounds in future updates.

Facebook Places – Major Change to iPhone’s Biggest App

hirtme — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 14:15:35 +0000

Last night Facebook released version 3.2 update for the iPhone. Open the App Store and you will see it available for Update. There are a number of big changes the elephant of which is Facebook Places which you’ll see right in the middle of the Home page after you Update the app. Places lets you see where your friends are and what they are up to. Sounds like Foursquare you say, we’ll it should as Facebook has partnered with Foursquare and Gowalla for this ambitious change. Like Foursquare you can check-in to places so your friends can see where you are in realtime. Curious if any of your friends are at a big sporting event, concert or airport? Well, Facebook Places will answer this question. A less publicized new feature is you can now see all recipients of inbox messages. Think of it as the cc line of an email. Facebook never had that ability in Messages until now. Thus, you can see if you are the only one receiving a message or if it was sent to two or two thousand of your friends. Be careful, a reply will go out to everyone, not just the sender. I’m sure people will make that mistake a lot! For more on Facebook Places and how to opt out so your friends can’t check you in and let everyone know where you are – That’s right. Through its photo tagging feature your friends can check you in places and let everyone know where you are. This can be a problem if you told your boss you were sick and instead are in Las Vegas. This is an interesting privacy issue that I’m sure many will complain about. The solution is simple. Just goto your Privacy settings and click the “customize settings” link. Scroll down to “Things others share” and disable “Friends can check me into Places”. Also the first time someone checks you in somewhere you will get an email notification. So don’t freak out if you get that email. Just remember its a feature you can easily turn off. So what’s the point of all this?? Well, mobile plus location is future and Facebook wants in on it. Most people might like to be able to see where there loved ones have checked in during the day. For businesses, however, this could be huge. Slow day at the restaurant. Send out a 50% off coupon to everyone within a five mile radius if they come within in the next hour. Yes its small now, but when a hundred million people are using a feature like this everyone is going to want in on it. I have to give a shout out and say, “Nice Job Facebook, releasing the app before it was ready.” As you can see here on the right it’s not yet working in Nashville and many other areas of the country but it will be soon I’m sure. So if its working in your area of the USA let me know what you think. My guess is Nashville will be one of the last regions to go live.

iPhone4idiots Accessory Review – Nutshell Case

hirtme — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:52:34 +0000

Full disclosure, Nutshell was kind enough to send me the two cases you see pictured here. I’m very grateful as the majority of other iPhone accessory companies are wankers who don’t even respond to my emails. This New Zealand based company makes a quality product, but you should expect nothing less from the only country not to lose a game at the 2010 World Cup! Yes, I’m a soccer nerd and that’s a great trivia question. Both cases are New Zealand leather lined with ultrasuede and backed by a screen shield. The cases can be used for any iPhone or iPod Touch as both my 3G with American Flag skin and iPhone 4 fit snuggly into the case. These are hard core cases that protect your iDevice from everything other than water. A testimonial on their website is from a motorcycle rider who crashed and slid 30 feet across pavement. The case not only protected his cell phone, but a critical part of his anatomy as well! At first, I thought this was a case you’d want to use in your purse or in situations where you’re not going to be using your iPhone a ton. I thought it would cause me to miss a few calls as it takes a little longer to pull out. However, having used it for two weeks now I have to say I was wrong. Getting it out of the case only takes a second! Some might prefer cases that fit around your iPhone where you can still talk, browse or charge it while its in the case. These cases, however, don’t offer the tank like protection of a Nutshell. For someone like me who drops his iPhone on a weekly basis this is a must. You can choose a belt loop or industrial strength steel clip for carrying. Sizes vary to support iPhone 4’s with or without bumpers. My favorite part is the magnet flap that flips over to close the case easily. Other case options include a pen loop and elastic sided front for holding memory cards, earbuds, driver’s license or whatever else you may want. Depending on how many options you choose a Nutshell iPhone 4 belt case is going to cost about $60. Nutshell also makes cases for other cell phones, digital cameras, iPads, tablets, GPS devices and more. All their cases come with a two year warranty. We are giving away the case pictured on the left on our Facebook page. Leave a comment on the 10,000th member post to enter.

iPhone4idiots Accessory Review – Mophie Juice Pack Air

hirtme — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 18:28:05 +0000

If you aren’t lucky enough to have an iPhone 4 yet then depending on your usage you might be draining your iPhone’s battery everyday. This is where the Mophie Juice Pack Air comes in handy. I got it for my trip to South Africa as I didn’t want to risk not having my iPhone available for calls, pictures, video or internet (Facebook and Twitter especially). What’s great about this product is not only does it give you extra battery life but it also acts as a case for your iPhone 3G or 3GS. You can get a Mophie Juice Pack Air in black, purple or white. The Mophie Juice Pack Air has two parts as you can see in the picture to the left. The larger lower section contains the battery and where the iPhone docks into the “case” and the upper segment which covers the top of your iPhone. You just slide your iPhone down onto the dock and then slide the top part over until it snaps into place. Once in the “case” your iPhone has a heavier more solid feel. Not the best for keeping in your pocket, but if you drop the device the Juice Pack will provide your iPhone with decent protection. Mophie recommends removing any skins before inserting your iPhone, but as you can see in the picture on the right my iPhone 3G with American flag Ottoskin fit in fine. According to Mophie the Juice Pack Air provides up to 270 hours of standby time, 4.5 hours of talk time running on the 3G network and 9 hours on the 2G network, 20 hours of audio playback, 6 hours or video playback and 4. hours of Internet access. These times are in addition to the iPhone’s native battery life. Charging the Mophie Juice Pack Air took approximately 3-4 hours via a USB port connection. So if you are draining your battery everyday by 7 or 8 PM, this is a solution you may want to consider. The Mophie Juice Pack air retails for $79.95, but you can probably find it a little cheaper. Since I have an iPhone 4 now, I’ll be giving mine away on our Facebook page next week so keep an eye out!

Saurik Fixes “hole” for Jailbreakers & Those Apple Won’t

hirtme — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 19:30:36 +0000

So Apple released firmware 4.0.2 yesterday to patch the hole that comex used for jailbreakme.com. It had something to do with PDF files letting you write code to the iPhone. Thus, if someone wanted to spread a virus they could use the same “hole” unless it was fixed. In about 24 hours Saurik (the hippy genius behind Cydia) has written a patch for jailbreakers that does the same thing. Thus, you don’t have to worry about any virus every using this same vulnerability. Just open Cydia and search for and install PDF Patch (CVE-2010-1797). Don’t worry, it preserves your jailbreak and its free. What’s even better is that it works on all iPods, iPhones and iPads. Apple’s patch ignored 1st generation iPods and iPhones. Now while I can’t understand why people are holding onto these old devices the fact that Apple wouldn’t fix them as well is just poor customer service. They want you to buy new iPhones and iPods so badly they left older devices open to hacking. While I think this isn’t too likely, its better to be safe than sorry.Bottom line, if you have a jailbroken iPod, iPad or iPhone install this patch.

iPhone4idiots App Review – MyWi – #1 Reason to Jailbreak

hirtme — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 17:12:04 +0000

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OK, the title is a little misleading, but for many this is absolutely true. MyWi, $19.99, turns your jailbroken iPhone into a wireless router. The app works with all jailbroken iPhones (3G/3GS/4) and iPad on 3.1.2 or later firmware. You can get MyWi by downloading the RockApp in Cydia. Now the wifi speeds through your iPhone’s 3G connection vary greatly, but they are certainly fast enough to use (I always get at least 100kB/s). To learn more about MyWi, see a video demonstration and enter contest to win one of eight free bumpers. Once you setup your iPhone as a wifi hotspot there is no limit to how many devices that can connect to it. However, there is a WEP password you can (and should) set so other’s don’t jump on your network and start using your data. While I’m on an unlimited plan many of you probably have data caps you can’t go over without paying more. I haven’t noticed any battery drain, but part of that may be due to the vastly superior iPhone 4 battery. I just can’t drain it in a day no matter what I do. So while this is expensive for an app it can easily pay for itself very quickly. Do you really need a 3G iPad (as opposed to wifi only) if you can just use your iPhone for that purpose? Do you pay for internet connections at Starbucks or airports? Do you ever lose your internet connection at home or work? Ever take a trip somewhere and wish you had an internet connection whether in the car or at your hotel or rental? Yes, this is a great reason to jailbreak and like every other awesome jailbroken app, one Apple will one day offer to everyone. Watch the video review below for a speedtest comparison to Comcast cable. Also, I’m giving away eight iPhone bumpers to the first eight people that leave a comment on this video and put “bumper” at the end of their comment. Make sure you are a subscriber as well. Just leave a comment and the color you want. I’ll do my best but there are 4 yellow, two clear, one red and one hot pink. Send me a PM on YouTube with where you want me to ship your bumper.