iPhone

One way to email contact info from an iPhone

More of a workaround than a hint, and a pretty obvious one (once I’d thought about it). If you need to email a contact’s details to a friend or colleague, you can take a screen shot of the relevant details, then email the copy in your camera roll to the friend or colleague.

You can’t get all the info on one page, so you might end up with two or three screenshots, but this could be handy if you need to send your Mum the address of your wife’s parents.

Still, for a communication device, you’d have thought Apple would have had a nicer way of doing this, and via SMS, too.

Fix an unread SMS count issue on jailbroken iPhones

A few days ago my iPhone started reporting a bogus unread SMS message, and there was no way to get rid of it — I tried to re-read all SMS (tedious task) to no avail. My iPhone (firmware 2.2) is jailbroken, so I was able to solve the problem in this manner. Open a terminal on the iPhone, either directly with the Terminal app or via ssh from another machine, then enter this command:

$ cd /private/var/mobile/Library/SMS

In this directory you will find the file sms.db; now perform the following commands:

$ sqlite3 sms.db
$ update msg_group set unread_count = 0;
$ .exit
$ reboot

Your iPhone will reboot and the unread SMS count will now be correct. Note: it is better if you sign off from your cellular network before you attempt these steps, in case a new SMS arrives while you are editing the database.

Disable iPhone predictive text for individuals words

I have noticed recently that the iPhone will not try to automatically correct your typing if you capitalize the first letter of the word that you are typing. So if you are typing the name of a road, for instance, it’s worth making the effort to capitalize the initial letter, so it doesn’t get “corrected” later on.

Note, however, that the iPhone will still correct the capitalized first word of a sentence, as it should be capitalized anyway.

Possibly scan documents using iPhone/iPod Touch

Do you have a network-enabled scanner or multifunction printer? (I have an HP Officejet 7410 AIO.) You might find you can use the device’s web interface (try http://1.2.3.4, where 1.2.3.4 is the IP address of your device) to scan documents using the Web interface. Log on with Safari app on your iPhone or iPod Touch (make sure you disable pop-ups in Settings app, as my AIO scans documents into a pop-up and common pop-up blockers do not like this).

When your image is scanned in, hold your finger on the image, and save the image. In a minute, your newly scanned photo/document will be in your camera roll until you can get your device to a computer to offload the image. Just another step closer to having an iPhone/iTouch being a complete computer replacement!

[robg adds: I haven't tested this one.]

Possibly scan documents using iPhone/iPod Touch

Do you have a network-enabled scanner or multifunction printer? (I have an HP Officejet 7410 AIO.) You might find you can use the device’s web interface (try http://1.2.3.4, where 1.2.3.4 is the IP address of your device) to scan documents using the Web interface. Log on with Safari app on your iPhone or iPod Touch (make sure you disable pop-ups in Settings app, as my AIO scans documents into a pop-up and common pop-up blockers do not like this).

When your image is scanned in, hold your finger on the image, and save the image. In a minute, your newly scanned photo/document will be in your camera roll until you can get your device to a computer to offload the image. Just another step closer to having an iPhone/iTouch being a complete computer replacement!

[robg adds: I haven't tested this one.]

Possibly scan documents using iPhone/iPod Touch

Do you have a network-enabled scanner or multifunction printer? (I have an HP Officejet 7410 AIO.) You might find you can use the device’s web interface (try http://1.2.3.4, where 1.2.3.4 is the IP address of your device) to scan documents using the Web interface. Log on with Safari app on your iPhone or iPod Touch (make sure you disable pop-ups in Settings app, as my AIO scans documents into a pop-up and common pop-up blockers do not like this).

When your image is scanned in, hold your finger on the image, and save the image. In a minute, your newly scanned photo/document will be in your camera roll until you can get your device to a computer to offload the image. Just another step closer to having an iPhone/iTouch being a complete computer replacement!

[robg adds: I haven't tested this one.]

Some ways to use the iPhone during winter

The temperatures outside are dropping rapidly, and many of you will find your hands wrapped in thick gloves. And then suddenly, an important phone call drops in. Unless you’ve plugged in your earphones, or connected your Bluetooth headset to the iPhone, it will take quite a long time to get your hands free to slide the button to speak. So how to answer this important call quickly?

There are “alternative” ways to interact with your iPhone without having to uncover your fingers. For basic actions such as accepting a phone call or unlocking it to read a text message, you can use either your nose or, for some more precise gestures, your tongue. I know this isn’t the most elegant way to operate your beloved iPhone, but in some cases, it needs to be quick and dirty…

For those of you finding this disgusting, but still don’t want to run around with cold fingers, consider buying some fancy iPhone-enabled Dots Gloves. And for true lover…

Sync multiple iTunes music libraries with one iPhone

I’m a bit of an audiophile, and I like to have all my music in Lossless format. I keep a separate library of Lossless files on an external drive, while my internal drive contains my AAC/MP3 library.

I often want to add a Lossless version of a song to my iPhone, for use in my car or with better headphones. So what I did was copy the iTunes Library file from my AAC/MP3 library into my Lossless iTunes Library folder. The AAC/MP3 Library was synced to my iPhone with ‘Manually Manage Music’ checked.

I then opened the Lossless library by holding Option while opening iTunes. I selected my lossless folder. I then deleted all items from the library with iTunes, careful to make sure not to send the files to the trash. I then added all the music in my Lossless library.

Now I can add music from both libraries to my iPhone without a hitch. In theory you could do this with as many libraries as you wanted, as long as the original library file was synced to your iPhone.

Use a web FTP client to access files from an iPhone

I keep a number of reference documents on a server at work that would be very handy to have access to on my iPhone while at work. The server is Windows 2003, and the iPhone does not provide an easy way to access shared files by ftp or smb. I was thinking about using something like AirSharing, but the files are changing and edited by more than one person, making sync a bit of an issue.

I thought about enabling IIS directory browsing, but this proved too limiting. Eventually, I came across a (free) project called net2FTP, which is a web-based FTP client. Using net2ftp requires that you can host FTP on your file server, and a webserver with PHP (either on the same server, or somewhere else). I installed Filezilla and net2FTP on the server, set up the FTP server to share out the directories I needed, and m…

Empty iPhone Mail app’s trash to regain file space

I have six mail accounts that I check on with my iPhone, and for months, I’ve moved read e-mails to the Trash. What I forgot was that the trash needs to be cleared periodically. I regained a couple of hundred megabytes of space by cleaning all the accounts.

To empty the Trash you must enter each account, then enter the Trash and tap Edit. You are then given the option to Delete All. Select Delete All, then confirm the Delete All. A simple tip, but one that may free up a fair bit of space on your iPhone.

Temporary CAPS Lock for iPhone/iPod touch

Because the iPhone/iPod touch support multi-touch, here’s a simple way to temporarily type in all caps: Hold one finger on Shift, and use another finger to type your word — just as you would with a “real” keyboard.

[robg adds: While this may seem blatantly obvious to those who have adjusted to the world of multi-tap, I took a small survey -- OK, so it was me and the one other iPhone user I could find online at the time -- and discovered that 100% of the respondents hadn't used this method of temporarily typing in caps on their iPhones...so perhaps this will be useful to more than just the two of us.]

Change the iPhone/iPod touch’s Notes font

First, go to Settings » General » Keyboard » International Keyboards, click into the Japanese keyboard, and enable the QWERTY keyboard.

Next, open Notes, and start typing a note. Click the globe icon next to the Space Bar to switch to Japanese, and type a character. When you do, the Notes font will change from Marker Felt to Helvetica. Here’s a demonstration video.

[robg adds: This works, and the note will remain in Helvetica even after closing and reopening Notes. You can even delete the Japanese character you typed -- once the font has changed, it won't change back.]

Join a wireless network with an non-typable password

The WPA password for my employer’s wireless network contains a backtick (`), which is currently not supported by any of my iPhone/iPod Touch keyboards (I’m using the latest firmware at the time of this writing, which is v2.1.1). This prevented me from synchronizing information over-the-air while at work.

The iPhone Configuration Utility, available on Apple’s iPhone enterprise support page, lets you create wireless network configurations and send them to your iPhone or iPod Touch. However, it only contains a field for entering the SSID, not the network password. Thankfully, Apple’s Enterprise Deployment Guide (740KB PDF) references a Password key that we can take advantage of to send the right password to your iPhone or iPod Touch.

This hint will require your iPod or iPhone to have some kind of wireless network access to begin w…

Talk To The Hand: Bluetooth Gloves

Winter is on its way, but how much is one willing to pay in order to stay warm and use their iPhone? Apparently Swany, the producers of g.cell gloves, think people are willing to pay a lot.
For the price of $495 you can get the g.cell gloves, which will keep you warm as well [...]

CoffeeBreak - A First Look (Video)

CoffeeBreak is the self-proclaimed “ideal complement for the coffee junkie or the frequent traveller.” Though it costs less than a venti caramel macchiato, is it worth its $1.99 price tag? Step inside our first look and decide for yourself.

See all new iPhone/iPod touch apps by category

Just like music and podcasts in the iTunes Store, you can use Browse mode in the iPhone/iPod touch App Store. You’ll find a Browse link in the box at the top right of the App Store home page. Click it, and you’ll see the typical iTunes Store three-pane browser. Click on App Store in the first column, then choose a Category in the second column to see a list of all apps within that category.

Because this view is list-based, without the fancy web interface, it’s much faster (plus you see all entries in one long list, instead of 21 per page). The really nice thing, though, is that you can add your own columns to the list are. Control-click on the list header row, and select Release Date from the pop-up menu. You can then click on the Release Date header, and you’ve got a list of every app within the category, sorted by release date. Repeat the process and add Popularity, and you can sort by popularity instead.

This way you can sort the apps the way you l…

See all new iPhone/iPod touch apps by category

Just like music and podcasts in the iTunes Store, you can use Browse mode in the iPhone/iPod touch App Store. You’ll find a Browse link in the box at the top right of the App Store home page. Click it, and you’ll see the typical iTunes Store three-pane browser. Click on App Store in the first column, then choose a Category in the second column to see a list of all apps within that category.

Because this view is list-based, without the fancy web interface, it’s much faster (plus you see all entries in one long list, instead of 21 per page). The really nice thing, though, is that you can add your own columns to the list are. Control-click on the list header row, and select Release Date from the pop-up menu. You can then click on the Release Date header, and you’ve got a list of every app within the category, sorted by release date. Repeat the process and add Popularity, and you can sort by popularity instead.

This way you can sort the apps the way you l…

What if the iPhone were an iPod?

It drives Turley Muller crazy when analysts fret that the iPod, once Apple’s primary engine of growth — generating roughly 58% of revenue growth in fiscal years 2005 and 2006 — has saturated the market and is now sputtering toward the end of its …

First Look: Mobile Banking on AT&T

Filed under: Odds and ends, Freeware, iPhone, App Store

While a lot of us have had internet banking for years, who would have thought that AT&T would have come up with a mobile banking app that lets you check accounts and pay bills for a number of banks through a single iPhone app?

Mobile Banking on AT&T (click opens iTunes) from Firethorn Holdings, LLC is exactly that — an iPhone app that gives you full control over your money at 50 different banks nationwide. While the majority of the banks listed appear to be in the southeast USA, several nationwide banks including Wachovia, SunTrust, and USAA are participating in the program.

I was pleased to see that my business bank, FirstBank, with brick and mortar banks in Colorado, Arizona, and California, was one of the companies on the AT&T list. You need to sign up through your bank’s secure website, enter your iPhone number, pick a six-digit PIN, then perform an authorization from the device using a code displayed on the website. Once activated, you can see balances, make transfers, and pay ebills.

What’s your favorite iPhone banking app? Or have you moved all of your funds to a coffee can buried in the back yard? Leave a comment!

First Look: Mobile Banking on AT&T originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 04 Nov 2008 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Losing Tony Fadell: The man who made the iPod

Big news for Apple in Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal: The company is losing one of its stars, Tony Fadell.
Tony who?
If Steve Jobs didn’t loom so large in Apple’s public persona — drawing the spotlight at every appearance — a lot fewer people …

Whether You Like It Or Not Steve Jobs… It Was Bound To Happen

Developers from DisplayBoy GmbH have emailed us about their new website designed specifically for the iPhone… and kiddies this site is not for you.
A large crystal clear display and simple functionality – this fulfills the user’s requirements and opens up a world of opportunity to the owners of adult content, thanks to [...]

The Apple analyst who couldn’t shoot straight

What is it with Craig Berger and Apple?
The FBR Capital Markets analyst made headlines Monday with a report that Apple had slashed iPhone production for this quarter — down as much as 40% from the September quarter in which Apple racked up record sal…

Ng:moco’s Young aims to create an early EA for the iPhone

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Software, iPhone, App Store

Touch Arcade has an interview up with Neil Young. Just like you, I was only slightly disappointed to learn that it was the Neil Young formerly of EA who recently formed ng:moco, quickly becoming one of the most high-profile iPhone game houses, not that other one. But only slightly, because also like many of you, I’m looking forward to Rolando and the “over a dozen” other games ng:moco is releasing on the App Store, and I’m interested to see what ng:moco has to say for themselves about the little iPhone game empire they’re building.

Unfortunately, TA didn’t get a price or a strict release date out of Young for Rolando, but he does say that the game’s shaping up well — he even says creator Simon Oliver “could be the first Miyamoto of the iPhone,” which, even if an exaggeration, is an interesting idea. They also discuss the plan behind ng:moco, a company which, like EA in the earlier days of PC gaming, aims to bring together publishers, designers, and promotion and sales all under one big roof. And the volatile issue of iPhone App pricing comes up, but I agree that the big balance on price always seems to be quality — looking at a system like the Xbox 360’s marketplace, you can justify almost any price for a game, as long as the user has an experience that feels worth what they paid.

And finally, they hit on the iPhone’s competitors, and it sounds like Young thinks Android phones have a ways to go — the difference is not in the hardware (touchscreen, size, and so on), but it’s in the usability and interface, and in those arenas, Young says, Apple still has the edge. Very nice interview with a company that seems destined to play a big part in the iPhone gaming market.

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Ng:moco’s Young aims to create an early EA for the iPhone

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Software, iPhone, App Store

Touch Arcade has an interview up with Neil Young. Just like you, I was only slightly disappointed to learn that it was the Neil Young formerly of EA who recently formed ng:moco, quickly becoming one of the most high-profile iPhone game houses, not that other one. But only slightly, because also like many of you, I’m looking forward to Rolando and the “over a dozen” other games ng:moco is releasing on the App Store, and I’m interested to see what ng:moco has to say for themselves about the little iPhone game empire they’re building.

Unfortunately, TA didn’t get a price or a strict release date out of Young for Rolando, but he does say that the game’s shaping up well — he even says creator Simon Oliver “could be the first Miyamoto of the iPhone,” which, even if an exaggeration, is an interesting idea. They also discuss the plan behind ng:moco, a company which, like EA in the earlier days of PC gaming, aims to bring together publishers, designers, and promotion and sales all under one big roof. And the volatile issue of iPhone App pricing comes up, but I agree that the big balance on price always seems to be quality — looking at a system like the Xbox 360’s marketplace, you can justify almost any price for a game, as long as the user has an experience that feels worth what they paid.

And finally, they hit on the iPhone’s competitors, and it sounds like Young thinks Android phones have a ways to go — the difference is not in the hardware (touchscreen, size, and so on), but it’s in the usability and interface, and in those arenas, Young says, Apple still has the edge. Very nice interview with a company that seems destined to play a big part in the iPhone gaming market.

Ng:moco’s Young aims to create an early EA for the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ziphone author demos iPhone crash to Forbes

Filed under: Security, iPhone, iPod touch

Ziphone creator Piergiorgio Zambrini has discovered a bug with the iPhone that causes the phone to crash when it starts to play a specially-created video. Forbes.com recorded a demonstration.

The bug apparently affects the audio track of the video, which takes down the iPhone operating system. I could not independently verify the bug, because the links to the movie (and the movie file itself) shown to Forbes were no longer available online.

The bug does not permanently damage devices, according to Zambrini. He said he hasn’t yet contacted Apple’s security response team. Forbes.com informed an Apple spokesman about the flaw and is still awaiting an official comment.

Zambrini claims he emailed Steve Jobs personally about the bug; around the same time, he applied for employment at Apple. Apple has not yet responded to his resume. It strikes me that Zambrini is trying to appeal to Apple in the same way that your ex-girlfriend tries to appeal to you by spray painting the front of your house.

In the Forbes.com article, Zambrini now claims his goal “…is not to work for Apple.”

Zambrini created Ziphone, a popular iPhone unlocking tool.

Thanks, Taylor!

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Ziphone author demos iPhone crash to Forbes

Filed under: Security, iPhone, iPod touch

Ziphone creator Piergiorgio Zambrini has discovered a bug with the iPhone that causes the phone to crash when it starts to play a specially-created video. Forbes.com recorded a demonstration.

The bug apparently affects the audio track of the video, which takes down the iPhone operating system. I could not independently verify the bug, because the links to the movie (and the movie file itself) shown to Forbes were no longer available online.

The bug does not permanently damage devices, according to Zambrini. He said he hasn’t yet contacted Apple’s security response team. Forbes.com informed an Apple spokesman about the flaw and is still awaiting an official comment.

Zambrini claims he emailed Steve Jobs personally about the bug; around the same time, he applied for employment at Apple. Apple has not yet responded to his resume. It strikes me that Zambrini is trying to appeal to Apple in the same way that your ex-girlfriend tries to appeal to you by spray painting the front of your house.

In the Forbes.com article, Zambrini now claims his goal “…is not to work for Apple.”

Zambrini created Ziphone, a popular iPhone unlocking tool.

Thanks, Taylor!

Ziphone author demos iPhone crash to Forbes originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Glyph rocks on iPhone; GTS World Racing gets two-player mode

Filed under: Gaming, Software, Found Footage, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

Handmark has released one new game for the iPhone and iPod touch, and updated one of their existing titles.

The new game is Glyph, a game in the jewel-matching genre that has been a hit on PCs and other handheld platforms. The game has more than 200 levels across 2 different modes. In the Quest mode, you are trying to break through layers of rock by matching like-colored stones to make the glyphs visible. In Action mode, you touch groups of stones to clear them as they come up from the bottom of the screen. Your task is to try to keep the stones from making it all the way to the top of the screen. There’s beautiful music playing in the background, although you can choose your own soundtrack from your music.

Glyph is available now in the App Store (click opens iTunes) at an introductory price of US$1.99 — the regular price will be US$4.99.

In other news, Handmark has announced an update to GTS World Racing that provides a two-player mode so you can race against friends over Wi-Fi. The update is available for free through the App Store.

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Glyph rocks on iPhone; GTS World Racing gets two-player mode

Filed under: Gaming, Software, Found Footage, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

Handmark has released one new game for the iPhone and iPod touch, and updated one of their existing titles.

The new game is Glyph, a game in the jewel-matching genre that has been a hit on PCs and other handheld platforms. The game has more than 200 levels across 2 different modes. In the Quest mode, you are trying to break through layers of rock by matching like-colored stones to make the glyphs visible. In Action mode, you touch groups of stones to clear them as they come up from the bottom of the screen. Your task is to try to keep the stones from making it all the way to the top of the screen. There’s beautiful music playing in the background, although you can choose your own soundtrack from your music.

Glyph is available now in the App Store (click opens iTunes) at an introductory price of US$1.99 — the regular price will be US$4.99.

In other news, Handmark has announced an update to GTS World Racing that provides a two-player mode so you can race against friends over Wi-Fi. The update is available for free through the App Store.

Glyph rocks on iPhone; GTS World Racing gets two-player mode originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Russian President Medvedev pictured with MacBook Pro

Filed under: Odds and ends, Macbook Pro

The Kremlin has released photos of Russian President Dimitry Medvedev holding a meeting with his aides and what appears to be a new MacBook Pro.

The president also recently addressed the nation in a video blog post, where his MacBook Pro was seen in a similar meeting. The logo had been removed from the video early on, but is visible around the 1:20 mark. Other videos on the Kremlin’s website show Medvedev with a variety of computers.

Medvedev has previously been photographed using an iPhone, though some speculated it was a black-market acquisition. At the time the photo was taken, the iPhone was not yet available for sale in Russia.

This follows in the footsteps of other high-profile world leaders using Apple products, including former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt’s switch to a Mac last month.

Thanks, Andrei!

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Russian President Medvedev pictured with MacBook Pro

Filed under: Odds and ends, Macbook Pro

The Kremlin has released photos of Russian President Dimitry Medvedev holding a meeting with his aides and what appears to be a new MacBook Pro.

The president also recently addressed the nation in a video blog post, where his MacBook Pro was seen in a similar meeting. The logo had been removed from the video early on, but is visible around the 1:20 mark. Other videos on the Kremlin’s website show Medvedev with a variety of computers.

Medvedev has previously been photographed using an iPhone, though some speculated it was a black-market acquisition. At the time the photo was taken, the iPhone was not yet available for sale in Russia.

This follows in the footsteps of other high-profile world leaders using Apple products, including former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt’s switch to a Mac last month.

Thanks, Andrei!

Russian President Medvedev pictured with MacBook Pro originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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