Happy New Year!

Christmas was good for me and I hope it was for everyone else as well.  We did not have any money left after the iPhones, so this year my wife and I song each other songs of joy instead.  Only joking, but the iPhones did have an impact on the spending for the second half of the year.  Why does Apple have to come out with such great products?  If there was no Apple I would be a much richer man.  

I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year and hope that everyone gets a chance to use their iPhone to call, text, surf the web, listen to music, watch movies, and show off to friends and relatives.

Merry Christmas

I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! I hope everyone got that iPhone they wanted.

iPhone Faster Than It Has Ever Been

The iPhone is actually faster now after the new firmware update.  Before the update the iPhone ran at 400 mhz and after the update it runs at a whopping 412mhz.  I know what you are thinking, who cares right.  Well no one should actually.  That is really not significant enough to notice anything in my opinion, but it does clue us into another less know fact about the iPhone.  It actually has the ability to run at over 600mhz.  This would make it one of the fastest out there.  It seems that Apple slowed the clock speed down so that the iPhone could conserve more energy and the battery life would be longer.  This seems like a great idea, but don't you think it would be an even better idea to let the user decide what is more important.  Well, then again that is how it works for everything about the iPhone.  Most people would have taken the 3G capability for less battery life.  Most people would probably take the GPS for an extra $50 and less battery life, but Apple does not want the user to decide for this first model.  They wanted everything to work flawlessly even if that means sacrificing a few things that people would love to have on their iPhone.  I love Apple, but sometimes they really make me mad.  This is the best product out there right now in terms of cell phones and yet I still crave more.  I have to start being more content with what I have or I am really going to dig myself a hole with all of these gadgets.

3G Apple iPhone Release Delayed In US

Are you itching to have the next generation of the iPhone and want to know when it will come out?  Looks like AT&T is making a good decision and delaying it or making it look like they are delaying it so that sales for Christmas do not fall. 

This would make perfect sense if you are on the edge and thinking about getting one.  You may have heard that the new one that is 3G will be coming out soon and should wait, but AT&T does not want you to wait.  Should you wait for it to come out next year or get one now?  It is certainly a tough question to ask since it is so expensive, but that is what AT&T and Apple would like for you to do with this news.  Since it is "delayed", you should go ahead and get one now.  Then in January we will probably get an idea of when it will come out.  The truth is I am out of the game.  I love my iPhone just the way that it is and can't afford another anyway.  I think it should tide me over as long as it lasts.  

Good luck to those out there trying to decide whether to get one now or wait for the next one.  That is the price of loving technology; I know because I paid the full 600 when it first hit the shelves.  

Should you Jailbreak or Unlock your iPhone

Recently I have been thinking about my thoughts towards my iPhone since jailbreaking it and have come to some conclusions. I don't like my iPhone as much with crazy third party applications on it. I know this may come as a shock since there are a lot of things that the iPhone lacks, but it is true and I am going to take a little time here and explain why I think that is.

When I first got my iPhone I was extremely happy and loved everything about it. The way that you go through menus and make calls and surf the web are great. All of those things were a completely new experience to me and made the iPhone undoubtedly the best phone that I have ever had. As time went on though, some of those first impressions wore away and started to let me think about the things that I would still like for the iPhone to be able to do. There is the huge lack of 3G that still bothers me and also not having flash on the Safari browser. Those are the two things that have made me mad time and time again. I also would like to use the iPhone to connect my laptop to the internet. The connection is so slow that it would not really be that great, but sometimes I am in a bind and need flash and internet on the go and there is none with the iPhone.

So what do these flaws have to do with anything? Well, even through all of those flaws and many more unmentioned, the iPhone is the best cell phone ever made. I know that is hard to swallow for some, but I am sticking to it. The iPhone has been a pleasure to use and has given me much less stress than any of the other phones I have had including simple old nokias to my most recent T-Mobile MDA. I have never had such a great experience with an electronic device besides my MacBook Pro.

I had decided to jailbreak my iPhone so that I could review some applications that are available for it right now and review a couple of them, but there has been an added amount of stress or clutter associated with it. Firstly, I have to wait to update my iPhone because otherwise I will lose my programs. This is kind of a hassle. Secondly, the programs are buggy at best and are not to the level of Apple quality. This was to be expected, but I really don't need any of the programs that I have on my iPhone and they don't work great so why do I have them at all. I am content with surfing the web, texting, emailing, and taking pictures. The third party applications out there do not really tap into the flaws the iPhone has so they don't really make the iPhone better.

The conclusion is this. I have the money program on my iPhone right now to keep track of my finances for November. Once I am done with that, I will take the jailbreaking off of the iPhone and go back to plain Apple iPhone. You know what though, I will not care a bit. I loved the iPhone just as it was and everything worked great. I want to have that back and no more crashing (did I mention that the iPhone started crashing from time to time only after I did a jailbreak).

So I encourage all of you out there that are thinking about unlocking or jailbreaking your iPhone to simply wait until next year when Apple starts releasing software programs that are actually made to work on the iPhone.

Google Makes Mobile Phone Operating System

Can I say I told you so? This is exactly what I said, so I will not say it again. Here is a post that does a great job telling you what it is all about. I love Google, but sometimes I worry about them taking over the world.

Great Way to Keep Track Of Finances on Your iPhone

I have been using the Money program on the iPhone this month to keep track of my finances. This has been very helpful and easy. Instead of carrying around a lot of receipts and entering them in on my computer later, I just keep track of them on my iPhone as i go and there are no receipts in my wallet.

This program is very simple and has its flaws, but overall it is great. The biggest complaints that are due to the roughed out look of the program. It does not seem like there was a lot of time put into the program once it was working properly. There could be a lot more features and options that would make it an awesome program, but I have not found a program that works better for keeping track of money, so this is the program that I recommend.

Best iPhone Game Available

Lights Off is the best game out for the iPhone. This is arguable of course, but overall I would say that it is just the best made game that I have seen so far. Hopefully some of the other games out there will get updates as the firmware updates and games get messed up. I haven't played too many games on the iPhone, but of the few that I have played, Lights Off is the best.

Lights Off is a very simple game where you try to make all of the lights go out. It seems like a simple task as well, but I have gotten quite frustrated with it at times. The fast reaction of the game is what makes it so good. When you tap the screen the game is very responsive.

I liked Labyrinth as well, but this game just seemed a lot more responsive.

What is the best third party application on the iPhone?

There are lots of third party applications out for the Apple iPhone now, but which one is the best? Obviously it depends on what tyoe of program you are looking for. I am going to do a review of the best applications that I have used on the iPhone so far for a few different categories. Today's review is Customize:

Customize is one of the most basic applications for the iPhone, but it does a great job doing what it is intended to do; allow you to customize your iPhone. The reason I like this application so much is that it is easy to use and allows for tons of customizations. You download customization packages from installer and then you have options when you launch Customize. Everything is laid out very simply and allows you to change all of the icons and sounds. It is almost like the settings that your settings are missing. The only problem I have had with this application is Summerboard interfering. If you do not turn off the dock background for a theme for instance, when you change it in Customize it will not change. Thankfully Summerboard allows you to turn off individual segments of the themes so that you can use Customize on the things that you want to.

If you want an application that allows you some freedom on the iPhone without messing it up too much then Customize is a great place to start.

iPhone Jailbreak Working Great Now

I have been working with the installer and getting all of the applications that I think look interesting downloaded and on my iPhone. Here is a list of some of my favorites so far:

1. VNotes (to take voice notes on your iPhone)
2. Customize (an original name for an original product. Ok, not really, but it does allow you to customize a lot of things like buttons backgrounds and sounds if you are tired of the default.)
3. Money (I am actually going to keep track of my finances this month because of this program)
4. Labyrinth (a fun game that makes good use of the iPhone's Accelerometer)
5. Lights Out (the most popular and solid game on the iPhone right now)
6. ToDo List (simple, but it is kind of cool)

It took me a while to get all of these apps working because they would not work without the OpenSSH program that they don't tell you about. You have to jailbreak your iPhone with jailbreakme.com, then download the summerboard, community resources, OpenSSH, and BSD Subsystem. After you download all of that then you can download other apps and they will work.

Happy Jailbreaking!

Jailbroken Apple iPhone

The reason that I did not jailbreak my iPhone in the past is becoming very apparent. I did it this time in the hopes of being able to review some third party apps. I don't have much to report as far as apps go unfortunately. I jailbroke my iPhone and that was about as easy as I could have imagined, but then I was left with some extra wallpapers and themes that left much to be desired. None of the applications that I have tried to use work. It is possible that I do not know how to do it right, but it seems like a little instruction would be nice. I will get to tv bottom of this as soon as possible. I would really like to be able to review at least a fee applications. There was only one application that worked besides the themes. Navizon worked exactly as I could have imagined it working.

Navizon is supposed to be the closest thing that we have to GPS on the iPhone, but I really hope that they come out with something better soon. I tried it and the first couple of times it was able to locate me pretty accurately. The this time that I tried it it was off by about 10 miles. Can't figure out why it was off by so much , but it was pretty worthless at that point. Also, even if it worked accurately, it is nothing like GPS. True GPS would offer a way to navigate and give directions at a bare minimum. It was kind of a cool app to look at at first, by once the novelty wears off it had nothng to offer.

Hope to have more reviews soon.

Easiest iPhone Jailbreaking Unlock Ever

A great iPhone Jailbreaking option is now available. I decided just to check it out and start using these unlocks to review for those out there that are considering it. I will tell you how it works and help you find the things that I find most useful, and I will try to stay up with all of it.

The first thing you need to know right now is how to unlock or jailbreak your iPhone. There is an extremely easy way to do this now. All you have to do is go to http://jailbreakme.com, select install AppSnapp and it will load on to your iPhone. All you have to do is wait for the screen to say slide to unlock and it is done. Worst thing that could happen is that you would have to do a full restore through iTunes, but it will not get bricked. Enjoy!

I will have updates soon as to what apps I have found most useful.

Mac OS X Leopard For The iPhone

Leopard is coming out this week and it is going to be awesome. Apple has working on this operating system for while now and delayed it a few times, but I am sure it is going to be worth it. Apple's products are always top notch and I have no reason to believe this will be any different. I wonder now how it is going to change the integration of the iPhone with your mac. There could be many new features that make the almost perfect syncing process even better. We will delve more into this after the release of Leopard.

The Apple iPhone version 1.1.1 Hack is Finally Out

The new Installer.app AppTapp Installer 3 is available for the 1.1.1 updated version f the iPhone. If you are looking to have third party software on your iPhone now, then this is where you need to go to find it. I might give it a try just to see how it is working these days, but the real deal is coming early next year when native third party applications for the iPhone are going to begin being released. I think there are so many awesome applications that can come out for the iPhone that we are going to have one great app after another. The question is, are you going to be able to wait that long to have other apps besides what Apple says you can have.

Google's New Cell Phone vs. The iPhone

It has been announced recently that Google is coming out with a cell phone that will go up against the iPhone. I hate to say it for all of yoi google lovers out there, but this is simply a rumor. It is possible that google is in the drawing room on this new phone, but very unlikely. Lets discuss why I feel that this is simply a rumor.

First, the rumor involves google producing an operating system for a samsung phone called a "Gphone" which seems pluasible enough at first glance. Then you let it sink in a little bit and you realize that if Google were to come out with an operating system for a phone, why would it only be on one phone? This would not be like google at all. Google would definitely want to do more than just one phone, they want to take over the whole world. So that leaves us with an operating system. This, I feel is a much more reasonable conclusion.

Google could make an operating system that would go up against PalmOS and Windows Mobile. The more I think about it , the more likely it seems that google would do this. However, google does not have a track record of developing full blown OS. They have mostly just web apps. However, thus would be the next logical step in mobile applications.

So, only time will tell what google will do. What do you think?

Use Your iPhone As An Umbrella

On rainy days, sometimes I think about how nice it would be f I could use my iPhone as an umbrella. There should be a button that you can push to release a 21-inch umbrella for all those times when you are stuck in a bind.

Seriously, there are a few things that I would like to get my iPhone to do that I think would make the iPhone ten times better for me.

1. True GPS. I know that there are companies out there that are trying to figure out how they are going o get GPS to work on the iPhone and that one day there is going to be a good way to have GPS on the iPhone, but I am impatient sometime and I want it now.

2. Flash on Safari. This is actually something that I see as a design flaw. There should definitely be flash installed into the browser so that you can view all of the websites out there that require flash. Apple is supposed to be working on getting this into the browser, but obviously it is not a priority since it has 3 and a half months since the launch of the iPhone.

3. 3G. I know this is a sore subject for most, and Apple has good reasons for not including it, but on the other hand it is what a lot of people want. I would be ok with charging my iPhone twice as much to have the ability to have faster Internet. It is very important to me to have the ability to have fast Internet. They could have just had the feature built in, but turned off by default. This way those out there that really found it useful and were willing to drain the battery a lot faster could use it and those that wanted more battery life could stay away. Oh well, I guess this will be on the next iPhone.

4. I want to use the Bluetooth on the iPhone to unlock things when I come within a certain range of them. Really there are only two things that I would like this to work with. I would like for my car to be able to be unlocked with my iPhone so that I do not have to use my key to get and even maybe if it started the car by just pushing a button. This is a little out of reach I would say, but the technology is out there, just very expensive and hard to find. If I could unlock my house the same way then I would not have to use keys at all. I would just have a couple spare with me just in case, but this would help get all of the clutter out of my pockets.

These are just a few things that I have been thinking about that would be nice if I could get working on the iPhone, but it is very unlikely that I will get any of these things to work. I do not have the time or money to do these things to my iPhone, but I might try to get one or two of them to work.

Do you have any great ideas for things that the iPhone should do?

Apple iPhone Hacked Again After 1.1.1 Update

It has been announced that there has been a major breakthrough in the jail breaking process for the iPhone after the 1.1.1 update. The process is not available to the public yet since is has not gotten all of the kinks worked out of it yet, but it should be very soon.

This means that most of the third party applications should begin to poor in again for a while. This is good for those that have become dependent on the third party apps.

This will likely be a short lived triumph since Apple has shown a lot of intent towards thwarting any third party activity on the iPhone. Nevertheless, hackers are going to be fighting to get the third party apps on the iPhone and that means that if you are willing to stay behind the Apple Software updates, then you can stick with the third party apps while you wait for the hackers to hack the iPhone again.

Don’t get too stressed, it is bad for your health.

The iPhone is Amazing

I have been thinking about my iPhone lately and how much I actually use it. I have never used a device as much as I use my iPhone. Not only that, but I almost never get frustrated with it. This is huge when you compare it to my old T-Mobile MDA.

Lets just take a moment and reflect on what we have our hands on here. There have been many posts before this one talking about the features, additions, hacks, and news. When you boil it all down though, there is one thing that I take away from it all right now. I love the iPhone. Everything about it works flawlessly and seems completely intentional. This shows that Apple has created an amazing device. Sure there are things that could be added and that I would like to have, but when I use my iPhone, it hits me. This is the best phone, iPod, or PDA that I have ever owned. All of those devices that I have purchased in the past simply pale in comparison to the iPhone. So don't forget what you are dealing with here and don't let people talk to you about how the iPhone doesn't do this and the iPhone doesn't do that.

Congratulations Apple, you have done it again!

Third Party Apps Back on iPhone

It looks like there is still a way to get around the new Apple iPhone Software Update and get the AppTap installer back on the iPhone. You can read all of the details at iPhone Atlas. Basically, it is a way to trick your iPhone into using the outdated software update that is likely still on your computer. This is a very interesting attempt at appeasing those that have already switched their iPhones to the new software, but want the third party applications right now.

For me this has been too much hassle to do. It is very cool and I would love to have third party apps back on my iPhone, but it is a very time consuming passion to keep them on there and keep the iPhone up to date. Every time Apple comes out with a new software update, people are scrambling to fix their jailbreaking software and get the third party apps working again. This is going to be a constant battle between Apple and iPhone hackers. Maybe I will have time for this kind of stuff again soon, but not today.

Apple iPhone Update 1.1.1 Is Here!

As you all know already, your iPhone update is now available. This is the big one that we knew was coming and has a lot of updates. I don't want to take the time to list all of the new features out here since it is all accessible and in much better form at the Apple iPhone site. I will however, take some time to talk about a few items that are of interest to me about the update.

Most notably, the sound is supposed to be improved. I have not gotten a chance to test this out yet, but this is an issue that has been plaguing the iPhone since the beginning (ok, maybe that was a little too dramatic). Anyway, it is nice to see that Apple was well aware of the issue and has made an effort to make this better. Thank you Apple!

The next big item is the ability to have more keyboard functions and mail in widescreen. I wanted the mail client to show in widescreen mode from the beginning. I am not sure why they did not put this in to start with, but at least we have it now.



The new software has yet to be hacked. This means that you need to make sure that you either do not update the software or just do a full restore first. It looks like it may be a while for the new hacks to come out since the hackers are saying that the iPhone firmware is much harder code to read and break. This is Apple's attempt to thwart third party hacking. So far it is working and it could be a while from the sounds of it. I guess the question is how long can you wait for the updated hacks so that you can update the iPhone?



All in all, I have not gotten a chance to put much of the updates to good use, but this is great. I love all of the features that Apple has decided to update the iPhone with and this only means good things to come. Apple is not going to leave us hanging with this product and they are proving to do this right. I have never been as pleased with a cell phone and the support of it before this one. My T-Mobile MDA looked absolutely dumb compared to the iPhone and Apple's constant support and improvement of it. This is why I love Apple.

Connect a Bluetooth Keyboard to iPhone?

I got a great question today about whether they could connect their bluetooth keyboard to the iPhone. I hate to say it, but the answer is no right now. There could in fact be a hack out there somewhere that allows this to work, but it is hard to find if it is.

Why can't the iPhone connect to a bluetooth keyboard? "I thought that the iPhone was bluetooth enabled," you say. Well it is bluetooth enabled. This only means that it has the hardware to handle bluetooth connections however. For bluetooth connections you also have to have a bluetooth profile that matches this. There are many bluetooth profiles out there that allow you to do just about everything wirelessly through bluetooth, but Apple has elected to use only two. These two allow you to connect the iPhone to a bluetooth headset to talk.

Another post talked about the bluetooth headsets being able to be used with the iPhone, but you had to trick it. I am not sure if that works so great and why would you have to trick it every time to get it to work anyway. The point is Apple does not want us to have the ability or freedom to connect things like this right now. Just like the 3G capabilities, we have to add it to the wish list. However, the difference is that Apple could easily add the bluetooth profile necessary to connect a bluetooth keyboard with a simple software update.

Be on the lookout for a hack or Apple bluetooth stack profile update Bendrix; that is your only hope for now.

iPhone Hacks Are In Jeopardy!

Apple announces its plans to attack iPhone hacks that allow the iPhone to work with other carriers. Apple says that if there is any evidence that the iPhone has been hacked then the warranty will be void.

Apple plans to launch the new software this week that will allow wifi iTunes Store and other features that the iTouch currently has.

What does this mean for you? If you have not hacked your iPhone in any way, then this is all good news and you should welcome the new firmware release. If you have hacked the iPhone to run third party software or unlocked the iPhone to use with another carrier you have to be more careful in how you sync your iPhone now. There will likely be new hacks available soon that will allow you to get all of the Apple updates and then unlock the iPhone again so you have three options:

1. Wait to get the Apple firmware update until someone comes out with the new hacks.
2. Go ahead and get the new firmware, but be very careful when doing so. If you want to get the new firmware then you should first restore the iPhone to its original factory settings by connecting it to iTunes and clicking restore.
3. Get rid of hacks entirely and rely on Apple to give you everything you need.

Obviously the choice is yours and there are more options, but these are the ones that I would be considering if I had hacked my iPhone. Maybe I will hack my iPhone again soon, but for now I just don't have the time to keep up with all of the updates and rehacking stuff.

Good Luck!

Apple iPhone Bluetooth Music

Have you ever wanted to listen to your music wirelessly with bluetooth headphones on your iPhone. Well, now it looks like you can do this. The iPhone was not originally intended to have this function, but you can trick the iPhone into having this function if you work on it. All you have to do is sync the bluetooth headset to the iPhon for calls and then go into voicemail and select the audio options while listening to music. This will trick the iPhone into thinking that you are on a call or listening to a message and then the music will come through the headphones.

This is a neat trick that I learned, but it seems a bit childish all of the things that Apple is making unavailable to the end users. I hope that Apple changes this so that it works natively in the future. If the iPhone is going to cost as much as the most expensive phones out there, then it should have something as simple as stereo bluetooth capabilities. Apple, Apple, Apple...

GPS For The iPhone

Finally companies are making an effort to make GPS available on the iPhone. This is not a great option, but it is a start. The program is called Navizon, and it works without having any GPS receiver. I have not tried this program yet as I have taken the installer program of of my iPhone until the next major update so that they can get everything working good again, but there are already user responses to the program.

The program works by using cellular towers and wi-fi to triangulate the position of the iPhone. This is a great idea in theory, but it sounds like this is not very accurate unless you have lots of wi-fi signal all around you. Also, I don't believe that there is any real attempt to make a navigation system out of this program. The application can only tell you where you are, but it will not be able to give directions based on where you are. This is a disappointment for me, but it may be useful to some.

All in all this is a good step in the right direction and hopefully soon we will see a true GPS system for the iPhone with a GPS receiver and full program.

Apple Continues Updates That Make iPhone Mods Hard

Everyone is trying to modify their iPhone to be exactly how they want it to be. I have done this a couple of times and unlocked it to put my own ringtones on it, but it gets tiring with all of these updates that Apple puts out that seem to destroy everything that you have worked so hard to accomplish.

One day I was jailbreaking my iPhone and got everything that I wanted on it. I was very happy and actually was showing it off to people. Then, I needed to sync the iPhone again and foudn that iTunes had made an update and it would cause my jailbreaking to no longer work. I know this is something that Apple feels is necessary to keep mainly their own apps on the iPhone, but it is aggrevating when we have spent so much on a phone so that it would do everything we wanted it to do.

Does anyone else feel like we have paid for the right to do with the iPhone as we please. I love Apple, but sometimes it seems like they are just like those other big retailers that don't look out for individuals.

Keep the dream alive, make the most of your iPhone even if it takes a little more effort.

Apple iPhone To Have An Update

The September update for the iPhone should be here soon, and it could be the big one that we have been waiting for. The iPod Touch has multiple keyboards which are sure to come to the iPhone, and also look out for iTunes Store through Wi-Fi, so that you can spend more money all of the time. Hopefully the new items that we talked about in earlier posts are going to be in this new update.

For other news, I am planning to have an iPhone Made Easy Blog Contest. I will be giving the winner a bluetooth headset that they can use with their iPhone or other cell phone if you are just trying to save enough money to get the iPhone. Stay tuned for the details on how this contest will work. It will involve coming up with tips and tricks for the iPhone and possibly rated by how many diggs you get.

Free iPhone Ringtones Made Easy

There is a free software program now available that makes use of the trick to adding ringtones to the iPhone for free. MakeiPhoneRingtone is an application that can be used to simply add ringtones to your iPhone without unlocking or jailbreaking the iPhone. I believe that this will make it even easier for people to avoid paying for ringtones which they are likely to already own in their music collection.

I have always thought that it was absurd to pay for ringtones, but the longer the tradition of charging for ringtones goes on the more absurd it becomes. Please, I beg you, do not purchase ringtones unless you simply like to waste your money. There are plenty of free ways to get whatever you want on the iPhone.

Apple Will Offer $100 Apple Store Credit For iPhone Price Drop

This is good news for people that were so fanatic about the iPhone that they got it on the first day and now want their $200 back (like me for instance). Steve Jobs has said that Apple is likely to offer $100 in store credit to appease those that have paid $200 more than the current cost of the iPhone only two months earlier. The official announcement has not been made yet, but lets hope for the best. If Apple does in fact issue this offer to those that camped out for the iPhone then it is a prime example for why I recommend Apple products to everyone I know. If they do not, then well, I still love Apple.

What can I say, they have me hook, line, and sinker.

Goodbye 4GB iPhone Make Way For $400 8GB iPhone

So Apple makes me feel a little ripped off today by introducing the $200 price drop in the iPhone. This means that I have paid $400 to have mine and my wife's for two months. This is hard to swallow, but I love the iPhone so I guess that is what early adoptors get. Anyway, this is good news for everyone holding out for the iPhone to drop in price. I am surprised that they dropped the price soon and so much, but this is how it is. It seems like it will be very difficult to sell the iPod Touch at the $300 when you can get the iPhone for $100 more. The iPod classic seems like a much better fit for those that are looking or more of a simple iPod since it costs less than the iPod Touch and holds tens times as much on it.

Apple knows what they are doing, and they are gearing up for the holiday season. It is still hard to accept that the iPhone has been cut in price so drastically and with no effort to appease the people who have gone out on a limb for Apple. Its ok though, I will get over it by tomorrow.

Third Party Ringtone App for Apple iPhone

Some people may be a little anxious about hacking their $600 iPhone, but still want to be able to change things on their iPhone. This is why Third Party Applications for the Apple iPhone will start to pop up like this one, iToner.

It is a simple concept to be able to add your own ringtones on to your phone and especially such an expensive one, but Apple does not want people to modify their iPhones, at least not yet. That is why people have been forced to hack the iPhone and make it more customized for individual needs. This can cause issues with functionality and warranties. So iToner comes along and allows you to add your own ringtones to the iPhone without hacking it or jailbreaking it. This is a great idea since some people are very unlikely to get up the nerve to hack their iPhone, but I wish that the software did not come at a price. $15, but I guess it is worth it for someone that wants to have the ability to add their own ringtones to the iPhone safely.

Apple iPhone, is 8GB enough?

I have been on the road this weekend and putting full use to my iPhone. I loaded it up before I left, and I have not had a chance to load it up again. The 8GB storage seems to be a good amount as far as the music goes, but I only have two movies on here and that does not seem to be enough for a 5 day weekend. I will hopefully get to load it up again with my laptop, but I think that the iPhone should have come with at least a 20GB drive. That would have kept me going for quite a bit longer, but then again maybe I just need to prioritize what I sync to the phone.

Anyway, that is just some thoughts from the road. I will be back on Tuesday, and I hope to get one more post before then.

Out of Town

I am out of town this weekend, so the posts may not be as involved, but I am going to try and keep them coming. I am putting the iPhone to the test right now. Here I am writing for my blog, while I listen to the Chili Peppers in the back seat of a Tuarus headed for Kansas City. No big deal with my iPhone, how did I live without it.

I still wish I had the GPS and 3G, but it is hard to complain when this thing is so awesome.

Thanks for reading!

Don't Get Ripped Off with Voice Dialing

AT&T offers a voice dialing service that is available for a monthly fee. This is not a good business proposition in my opinion. You have to ay extra every month to have something that the phone should have had on it anyway.

It makes me mad that Apple did not include this feature on the iPhone, but there is no way that I am going to pay for that. I will wait until Apple either comes out with a software update that makes this happen, a third party app that makes this work, or just wait until the next phone. It really isn't that important anyway in my opinion. Maybe if this feature is something that is really important to you, then you should fork over the five dollars a month, but remember that it does not work off of the contacts on your phone. The contacts have to be stored on a network somewhere else and you have to import them to that system. This will make it a more frustrating experience since you will have to make sure that anyone you add gets added to the database out there.

So this post was a rant, but I guess I felt that it was necessary. I really hate the idea of cellular companies finding more ways to get money out of people when they are providing things that should be free features with the hardware.

I am done for today, thanks for reading.

Another Applicatio Installer Works With Version 1.0.2

Apple keeps updating the iPhone, probably in hopes to stifle the hacks that people have developed to put there 3rd party applications on it. Apple has not been successful yet however. It is still easy to hack the iPhone and put the apps that you want on it. Another application that does that is this Mac OS X application with a GUI. This is a great application to get 3rd party apps on your iPhone with ease.

All you have to do is download the program to you Mac then turn off iTune and iPhoto and hook up your iPhone with the program running. It is as simple as that to get started.

I have tried looking for GPS for the iPhone, but have been unsuccessful. The best way so far seems to be to go to Mologogo and signup for free GPS tracking of a device. Then you have to get a cheap device that can be tracked and use that. Then you go on to Mologogo and sync the device with Mologogo and receive a link to your location. Then you type that url into google maps on your iPhone and you can see where you are currently located.

The problem with this solution is that it is not easy to get directions from where you are and it does not really keep track of where you are going unless you update it. this is a great idea, but it has not gotten me that excited since it is not quite to the point I want it to be and it still costs more than what I am already paying for. $600 for a phone should include GPS. Hopefully Apple has a GPS expansion application and hardware in the works.

Big Update In Store For Apple iPhone

There was another update released recently that has seemingly little or no advances. It will however stop lots of hacks from working, which may interfere with iFuntastic which I talked about in the last post. So, if you want to continue to use iFuntastic or other hacking softwares, then you may want to hold off on updating your iPhone until they get the new version of the hack released. I am sure they will be working quickly on it.

The rumor is (and yes I have to classify this as a rumor) that Apple has a very big update in the works for the iPhone. There lots of things that are missing on the iPhone in terms of software and Apple realizes this. I am not sure if I believe all of the things that I have heard about this, but I am sure that Apple is working on a lot of them. Some of the updates are going to include:

- A file browser to allow transfer of files without iTunes and to use just like a flash drive
- Real Apple applications such as an iPhone version of iWork and iChat
- A mobile version of Spotlight to search for files
- Widescreen keyboard in all applications
- A copy and paste function (honestly Apple, this should have been here already)
- Ability to add email accounts without iTunes
- The ability to share files with others around you just like file sharing on Macs
- Syncing with .Mac accounts (this has already happened which makes me think that the rest may be true)
- Ringtones (this makes me wonder)
- Camera Stabilization feature
- AND Flash Support (What a novel concept)

Again, this is not verified by a good source. I just found this surfing out on the web out there, but most of it makes sense. However, a lot of these things have been in discussion for a while and I wonder why it has not been as definite before. Also, what do they mean by ringtones, does that mean that we are going to get more options for ringtones, the ability to buy more ringtones, or (the one I actually want to have) use our songs for ringtones. The last would make the most sense to me. I think that all of the listed features should be coming to the iPhone, but I just wonder if they are since they were not already included. Maybe Apple just wanted to get the iPhone out there and in people's hands so that they could work on making it better according to what people want. This is a great idea in my opinion. I trust Apple, and even if these things are not coming, I am sure that more great things are coming in the future. It's Apple!

Finally Customize Your Apple iPhone The Way You Want

There is now a great way to customize your iPhone and put the things that you want on it. We have been talking about apps for the iPhone, but they have been web applications rather than applications that run on the iPhone when it is not connected to the Internet. There is a great easy to use application that you can use to do this called iFuntastic. I have used this application a lot already and love it.

The first thing that I did with it was to put some songs in the ring tones section so that I could use the song that I wanted for my ring. Say goodbye to the standard iPhone ring tones (they were good, but I really wanted the freedom to use my own). You have all the drag and drop freedoms you want with this.

The next thing was to change the arrangement of the icons on the iPhone home screen. You can actually arrange them however you would like and hide the ones that you do not want to have on the screen. This is great to clear the screen up or just put often-used apps where it is easy for your finger to hit. I just did some rearranging rather than actually hiding any of the apps.

Then I got rid of AT&T on my network bar. Instead of AT&T it now says iPhone. I know it is not a big deal, but it is just one of those "hah, what do you think about that" kind of things. I still know I am using AT&T, but I can more easily ignore that fact.

All in all this is one of the best things that has happened to the iPhone. The application is very user friendly (however it only works on an Intel Mac) and it just unlocks the iPhone so you can customize it, then locks it back up so that you can sync with iTunes just like normal. This application should keep you going for a while. There are applications that you can put on the iPhone now using iFuntastic, which means there are only more to come.

My next goal is to get GPS working on the iPhone. This is going to be tough, so if there are any ideas, let me know. There is actually one great idea, but I have to try it and I will get it on the blog.

Until next time, have a blast with your iPhone and iFuntastic!

SeeqPod May Tide You Over Until Pandora Works On iPhone

Apple's iPhone lacks one vital key to its internet, FLASH. I am sorry to say this, but it has frustrated me that the iPhone does not have flash. This has caused me not to be able to use Pandora. Pandora has to have flash to work, which is dumb on their part, but never the less I have to live with that. I cannot use Pandora, but SeeqPod has an iPhone application that will actually do similar things as Pandora, but with less "flash". Sorry, the pun was necessary.

SeeqPod is an online application that allows you to search for a band on the internet and find artists that are similar. There are a few things wrong with it, but hopefully they will work on a new version soon. The two major flaws I see are that it does not have a user friendly view for the songs that you find and it lists some of them more than once usually. The other problem is that it does not let you listen to more than one song at a time. This is very frustrating to me. I would love to use this like Pandora on the computer and just skip songs I do not like, but I can't. There is not even the feature to go to the next song after the first one stops playing. I am hoping that this will someday be the answer, but only time will tell.

Until we get flash though, I guess we have to use SeeqPod. It is a great Application overall and has helped me find a couple of new bands that I did not know about that I like.

Apple Is Updating iPhones over EDGE or WiFi

It now seems that Apple is actually able to update iPhones or just unlock features for iPhones over the network. Apple has not confirmed this to be true; however certain functions have appeared this way. The send photos to web gallery function was added to many iPhones in this manner. The update was required and you have to have a .Mac account, but then it should just automatically update the iPhone even when it is not plugged into iTunes.

This is big news as far as I am concerned. This means that Apple has complete control over what is on your device. Scary? Well, maybe, but it is also very cool. This means that Apple could have certain things updated on your iPhone immediately if it was necessary when say troubleshooting the device. Apple may be able to notice that a certain update has not been made and unlock it at that time to make it work and you would not have to have it connected to the computer and iTunes.

This could be a great feature in the future, but we will have to see what Apple ends up doing with it.

New iPhone Update Release

There is a new software update available for the iPhone that may help with some audio problems that people have been experiencing. I have not had much trouble with the audio on the iPhone, but it has seemed a little quite when I am in the car. The new update is supposed to have fixed this for many people along with making the iPhone compatible with more devices.

The iPhone has some troubles with iPod devices sometimes. For instance, my wife is not able to use her FM Transmitter/charger for her iPhone because it was not designed for the iPhone. This new update may have fixed it, but am I not sure yet. We will have to see.

As for the flash update that I so desperately want, it was not included in the update. Hopefully another update will come soon with flash. I really don't care if it is slow performance, since I would at least have it. If they made a way to turn off flash, then I do not see any reason not to include it. This way you could use flash to view websites that required it and then turn it off if it becomes troublesome. I would love it for Pandora. Pandora requires flash, but the iPhone does not support it. Other than that, flash is really not that important to me.

Until next time...

Flash For iPhone Internet

There is currently no flash for the internet on the iPhone. This has been a big hassle for me. Ok, it really hasn't hendered me that much, but it has made me think about how much better the iPhone would be with flash. I think the most important thing that the flash feature will bring for me is the ability to use Pandora. I love to listen to music on Pandora and have it find new music that I like, but it requires flash. I am sure there are a lot of sites that require flash that willl not work with the iPhone, but this is the one that really gets to me. I have heard that there will be an update with flash on it soon for the iPhone though.

Can you imagine that you would be able to listen to your own created stations all of the time with Pandora on the iPhone. I will have to get a dock to connect my iPhone to my car so that I can listen to it all of the time. This is going to be great. Be on the look out for the new update, hopefully it is coming soon.

Applications For the iPhone

I have found a slew of great apps for the iPhone. Go to the website www.AppLists.com to see them all for yourself. I have gone through a few of them and love what I see. Some of the apps are games of course and others are weather and stocks and that kind of stuff. For the most part these are apps that make some things that you would normally get on actual webpages easier to look at and interact with. There is a Fandango app that makes the fandango site very iPhonish and makes it a lot easier to read everything and search. That is one of my favorites. Also, I tried out some of the shopping list apps and they work very well. I like the idea od use the iPhone for everything, so everytime I find out another thing that the iPhone can do I get excited. This is great news for all of you that had already spent hours and hours on all of the standard iPhone embedded apps. Enjoy all of these apps!

Bluetooth Headset

Apple has shipped their cool bluetooth headset for the iPhone, but is it worth the hefty price. I guess my answer would have to be no after I spent all of my money on the phone itself, but the headset still looks pretty cool. The major problem that I see with it though is the fact that you have to wear it like you would a normal earbud. I had to get some special stuff to make the earbuds fit in my ear and I don't know if I would want ot do the same for an earpeice that costs over a hundred dollars. I guess time will only tell whether I will fork it over (not anytme soon is for sure).

People seem to like the fact that the charger connects both devices to one dock and displays both charging status. I think this is a very cool idea and makes the fact that they are made for each other much more apparent. Leave it to Apple to desing one of the coolest looking products out there and charge an arm and a leg for it, but hey, the product has always been worth the price in my experience.

Have fun with your new toy!

iPhone should allow Internet connection for computer

The topic for today may not matter to many people, but I certainly have a need for it. Why did apple choose not to let you use the iphone to connect a computer to the internet? This seems like a basic feature that should have been included. When I had a tmobile MDA, I used to use ths feature quite often. It was very helpful when I needed the Internet on the go and did not have any place near by to connect. I can only assume that Apple chose not to include this feature because the Internet would be to slow. I still think that it would have been nice to include this function, especially for $600. Oh well, it was still worth every penny. Technically this feature could be added with a software update though. Only time will tell I guess. In the mean time you should check out the software that is available for the iPhone now. You can connect to AIM and chat online now and they said that it was not going to be able to do that. I think that it was a great move to go with the Internet based apps. This seems to allow a lot of flexiblity for programming and also moves companies in the right direction for the future. Internet apps are going to be very important once the Internet is much more accessible for everyone.

Quick charge for iPhone battery

It has been a while since my last post. I have been so busy having fun with my iphone. The launch of the iphone went well for me, but apparently a few people had a problem getting the phone activated. Now is the time to switch this blog over to tips and advice for the iphone. I have already found out a few things that make the iphone even better, but I will have to save some of those for another post.

The tip for this post is for making the iphone charge faster. I have found that using the phone as much as I do tends to run the battery down quite quickly. There is a good way to get the iphone charged faster. I suggest putting the iphone in airplane mode while you are charging he phone. This shuts off all of the battey draining features of the iphone which allows for a faster charge.

That is the tip for today. Thank you for reading and please check again soon for more great information.

Apple iPhone Reviewed

I have had a couple of days now to try out my new gadget and it is time to let everyone know what it is like. First of all, I jst need to say that I am a sucker for Apple products. I haven't always been, but after I got the Mac Book Pro, I have been sold on everything Apple. I have never been disappointed in anything made by Apple, and that probably means that this review is totally biased. However, I have had experience with other PDAs and Smartphones, and actually have an iPhone in my pocket right now, so I think that gives me the right to review it. I will try to be as unbiased as possible and point at its flaws.

Size and Shape

The size is almost perfect. It fits in my hand wonderfully and has a large screen that is beautiful to say the least. Although the iPhone has a large footprint, it is very thin for a smartphone. I can put it my pocket and not even know it is there, which is a major plus for me. I had the T-Mobile MDA and although it had a smaller footprint (I think) it was about twice as thick as the iPhone if not more. It was thicker than my Mac Book Pro even (well close at least). Anyway, the MDA was thick and the Apple iPhone is thin, that is the point. I love the way that it feels in my hand. I can grip it easily and comfortably, but it seems light in my hand. The rectangular shape is the obvious choice, and it works great here. The Neo 1973 that I have compared the iPhone to in the past has a more rounded shape, and I think that the more squared off shape is an advantage for staying the right way in my pocket. On to more exciting stuff.

Screen

Since the screen is not just the output, but the input as well, I will have to spend a little time in this area. The screen is gorgeous as I have mentioned before, but you really have to see it to believe it. Everything is crystal clear and bright and colorful. This is vastly different from other phones that I have had in the past. Most phones I have had in the past have been hard to read outside and in the direct sunlight. I took it out of my pocket in the brightest sun of the day and used it in direct sunlight. You would think that this would make it hard to read or see, but I hardly noticed that I was outside. It looked as clear as when I am inside, and this made me happier than ever. Widescreen is great for movies. I have had an 80GB Video iPod before and this screen put that one to shame. I don't think that they should even sell those video iPods anymore. They have very out of date screens. So does the touchscreen really work. I thought that it would be sluggish and unresponsive, but I was completely wrong. I have never used a touchscreen before that works so great. I feel one with the iPhone because I can manipulate things on the screen. There is not only no need for a stylus, it actually makes having to have a stylus look stupid. I love the way that it works. I have never had any problems with things not responding on the touchscreen, and that is very important since this is the only way that you can use the phone.

Software

The software on the iPhone is amazing. It is not the full OS X as we already know, but it feels like OS X nevertheless. Everthing is very smooth and fluid. I haven't seen any slow down and I can have browsers, music, and a call all going at once without it crashing. This is something that was simply impossible to do on the MDA. When you transition from one program to another it moves with elegance. I truly thought that the videos that were on the Apple website for a long time were prerendered and made to look like it was easy to use and quick, but that the actual experience would be slower and less fluid. Again, I was totally wrong. The iPhone performs beautifully and never skips a beat.

Features

The Wi-Fi works like a charm, and conected in a matter of seconds to my home network. It asked my for the password right away and then worked great after that. When you are out of range of the wi-fi then it switches almost unnoticably to the EDGE network. People say that this is not a good thing that it is on the EDGE network and not the 3G, but I beg to differ. When I had the MDA, it had the worst battery life I have ever seen. It would hardly last a day on a charge, but I have only charged the iPhone once since I got it, and it still says that it has close to a full charge. I have been using it like crazy of course. This is why they chose not to go with the 3G network. It is not consistently available like the EDGE and it drains battery life like wi-fi. I am glad that they did not include the 3G even. The one major complaint I have about the iPhone is the lack of GPS. This is something that I really would have liked to have seen in this phone. It has everything else I could want, but it lacks the GPS with a locator so that you can see where you are and how to get where you want to be. However, Google Maps is great. I used it the other day, and it gives turn by turn directions in list format or with the overhead view of the turns and the distance and estimated time. I really wanted GPS, but this can tide my over in the mean time.

Overall

It is an Apple product throughout. It has its flaws, but I am sure that there are good reasons for each thing that was not included on this phone. One major problem was the fact that no wireless network really has a good fast data network. They all claim to and some are better than others, but in the end it is just something that does not exist in America right now. When it does and it works great with optimal coverage, then I am sure that Apple will have a product that will utilize that. Until then, I will be enjoying the best phone that I have ever owned. This is without contest the best phone ever made. If you love Apple products, then this is a no brainer, but even people who know nothing about Apple will love this phone.

I will rate this phone 9.5 out of 10

iPhone is amazing

After a hard days work and blood, sweat, and tears I finally have the iPhone! If anyone tells you that it is not one of the best things ever made, tell them that they are wrong. I feel like I was born for the iPhone; the typing right now is just flowing from my thumbs. I honestly thought that it was going to be much harder to type than this. Who said that the keyboard was going to be hard to use. It is much easier than the T-Mobile MDA (all the correct caps like a champ, sweet). If you were seriously thinking about not getting an iPhone, then you may want to reconsider. This is the most fun that I have had in a long time.

So on with the line and my first impressions of the iPhone. First off, I have to hand it to the best wife in the world for making this posible. My wife got in line at 10:30am. She was ninth in line and her awesome friend was tenth. Oddly enough, we ended up being 12 and 13. I guess some people are a little rude, but have no fear, we got two 8GB iPhones. I was very excited to finally get to the store at 5:30pm. I was just in time for things to get started. There were about 80 people in the line when I got there and there was no gaurantee as to how many iPhones there was going to be. It seemed like there was going to be a lot of phones since ATT did not tell anyone that they were definitely not going to get the phone. Thankfully, the doors finally opened and we got our iPhones. We then quickly went to our car and went home. Now I am sitting at home and using the iPhone to type this post. I have never tried to use a touch screen like this to type, but it is actually quite satisfying.

I will have to make another post later to review the phone, but let's just say that this thing is freaking awesome!

Less Than 24 Hours to iPhone Launch

It is less than a day to the launch. People are in a frenzy and already starting to line up at some stores. I have a store picked out for me and I think I will be able to get an iPhone if I show up tomorrow afternoon. Only time will tell though. There are two things that you need to know about the launch.

The AT+T Stores are only going to let each person have one Apple iPhone. This was said to me as "one body, one iPhone" from a jerk at the AT+T Store. Maybe he is just stressed out, but there is no reason to be rude about something that makes your store a lot more profitable.

The Apple Store is said to be getting a lot more phones and they are supposed to give each person two if they want them. This was said in an interview with Steve Jobs. I assume this is because the Apple Stores are much fewer and farther between and will have more phones, so they seem to think it will not be too bad to allow each person two. I am not sure that many people are going to buy two though. There are talks about selling it on eBay, but if the supplies are enough for the first day to not run out, then I think that Apple is going to be able ot catch up rather quickly and this means low prices on eBay.

We will have to wait and see, but only for another 24 hours.

Apple iPhone Activation and Plans

The plans for the iPhone are surprisingly awesome. Relief washes over me as I reflect on the information that I have just received. All plans will include unlimited data and 200 SMS messages. This is great news since it is not that expensive (well, at least as compared to normal AT+T plans). This is great news for those that were worried about the service cost being through the roof. I will be going with the Family plan with my wife and will get the 1400 minute plan which we already have, without the data, and then add the 1500 SMS messages for $10 a month. That will be $120 a month plus a bunch of taxes and fees. This is actually much less than I was expecting. The next thing to talk about is the activation.

Activation is going to be the best experience that I have ever had with a cell phone from the looks of the video. Instead of standing at an AT+T store and talking to a sales person about the what services I want, I will be able to do it all through iTunes in the comfort of my home. This is the best news that I have had all week. Apple is genius. This will make things so much easier for everyone. No one will have to wait in the store for hours trying to get activated and this also shows the greater possibility that there will be plenty of Apple iPhones on the launch day. We all know that they are going to sell out within 24 hours, but this makes it look like they won't sell out in the first hour. AT+T plans to stay open late and this must mean that they plan on having a lot of people in line and selling a lot of iPhones. Good news for everyone. The next great news is the way that things will sync with the iPhone.

The sync function will be done through iTunes which we already knew, but it looks like it is going to be great. Leave it to Apple to make complex tasks as simple and convenient as possible. Instead of the poor connection problems that I had with the T-Mobile MDA, it looks like syncing the iPhone is going to be a breeze. This is what I have been waiting for in a phone for a long time. Ever since I had to purchase my first cell phone, I thought that there had to be an easier way to get all of this done. The only question is what about the SIM card. There isn't one. You are not going to have a SIM card anymore. This could get interesting since I have a phone with a SIM card now. What will happen to the phone I have now if I try to use it with that SIM card. We will get to the bottom of this, I promise. Go check out the videos, they are great.

Apple iPhone Line Placeholders On Craig's List

If you are woried about getting an Apple iPhone on June 29th, there may be a solution. You can actually hire someone to wait in line for you for up to a day. Some are charging around $250, but it would gaurantee you a place in the line.

I am not sure this is really worth it unless you have lots of money just laying around, but then again you must to by the iPhone in the first place (well that or just be crazy like me). There are a couple more options for those of us that want it soon however.

There have been reports that each coporate AT+T store will have 300 iPhones. There has not been any confirmation of this, but it has been posted out there. Another idea is that AT+T will have a mail order option once the store runs out of iPhones in stock and they are supposed to ship within 3-5 days (unlikely in my opinion). I think most people should be able to get one on launch day that wants one as lnog as they are at the store at 6pm. Only time will tell.

Get ready for the iPhone

I have been preparing for the iPhone since January. I have been trying to save money up for it, but that has failed miserably. I am going to get one anyway of course.

Now I have to get all of my information ready for the iPhone. I have started using the address book on my Mac since it will sync with the iPhone seamlessly. Also, I have started organizing my iTunes and using iCal. I will be using my computer all of the time just like I have been all along, but now it will sync great with my iPhone.

Are you ready for the iPhone? You better get all of your stuff ready now so that when you get it on June 29th, you can use it to its fullest.

Can you get the iPhone on June 29th?

This is the question that I am sure you are asking yourself. I know that this has been the question on my mind lately. I want the iPhone so bad that it hurts, so here are some tips and insights as to the launch day:

1. The iPhone will be on sale at Apple Stores and over 1800 true AT+T or Cingular Stores.
2. The iPhone goes on sale at 6pm on June 29th
3. There are not going to be enough for everyone that wants one (if you hadn't figured that out already)
4. AT+T will close its doors and get ready for the launch at around 4-4:30pm on June 29th so you will have to leave the store to get in line.
5. AT+T stores will be open late to accomodate all of the iPhone customers (a few people believe that this indicates a good supply of iPhones, but others say it is because of how long it takes to get a new phone at Cingular)
6. Some people have mentioned camping out over night while others simply plan to get there at 5pm or 6pm to see if they can get one (the true quesiton is how many people will be waiting, at what time, and how many phones are available)
7. Tons of accessories will be available at launch
8. Both Apple and AT+T have claimed that everyone who wants an iPhoneon launch day should be able to get one by the end of July. What does this really mean is hard to say, but there it is anyway.
9. Steve Jobs himself says that you should go to an AT+T store to get the iPhone as they wil be more prepared, but others say that the Apple stores are always more prepared for a crowd
10. Make sure to wear your sunscreen and drinks lots and lots of water (well, that is what my Mom always said, so why not)

Check back to morrow for more insights and news about the iPhone and its launch.

Battery Life of iPhone Extended

There is some great news out there for all those that were worried about the batery life of the iPhone. I checked the website to make sure this was true, and it is. The battery and screen have been improved to make them longer lasting. Thank you Apple.

In the press release issued Monday morning, Apple said it has updated the battery so the iPhone will feature eight hours of talk time, six hours of Internet use, seven hours of video playback and 24 hours of audio playback, along with 250 hours of standby time, outperforming all existing smartphones in every aspect.

Apple said it also changed the touch screen surface from plastic to optical glass for better scratch resistance and optical clarity. Scratches have always been a problem for the iPod, but they are aware and have taken measures to resolve this issue.

Battery Life
Up to 8 hours Talk Time
Up to 250 hours Standby
Up to 6 hours Internet Use
Up to 7 hours Video Playback
Up to 24 hours Audio playback

Now, if I can just get my hands on one of these things!

AT+T Says More iPhones to Come After First Shipment

Even though it is going to be hard to get your hands on the iPhone on the launch day, AT+T says that you will be able to get one at more of their franchise stores and other stores within two months. This is not very reassuring for me since I want one the day it comes out, but if I have no other choice but to wait then I guess this will have to do.

Business Week also reported that both Apple and AT+T say that everyone the wants an iPhone will be able to get one by the end of July. Ok, great, but that is not soon enough for us gadget freaks. Oh well, at least they are trying. The article that I read also mentioned that the lack of training and planning at the AT+T stores may mazke it a better idea to get one at the Apple stores. Apple employees have apparently been preparing for the iPhone release for three months, and were already much more prepared to handle longs lines and crowd control. This makes me think that it is going to be a good idea to go to the Apple store for the iPhone, but Steve Jobs himself has already said that it would be a better idea to go to AT+T stores. Does this mean that he wants the AT+T stores to look good or bad. From one angle it would seem that he is trying to make it easier on the Apple stores and harder on the AT+T stores, but on the other hand it looks like he is trying to make AT+T get more sales of the iPhone so that they look good. It is hard to say at this point, but I will be heading out to an Apple store to see what I can find out. Until next time...

Do Cingular Employees Know What is Going On?

I went to a Cingular store yesterday and asked a few questions. I wanted to know if my wife could purchase both of the iPhones for us since we were on the same account and willing to pay for both of them. Also, I asked how they were planning on handling the line that is anticipated for the iPhone launch. You would think since you can google iPhone and get millions of hits that Cingular would be getting their employees prepared for the launch. Guess again, the person that I asked did not know much about the iPhone at all. She said that they would not have any plan for the launch until the day before or the day of the launch. I think that this could pose a problem for all of us eager to get our hands on this device. First thing I am told is that the list I was on is no longer valid and my forsight to get on the waiting list for a phone did not matter. This in itself is kind of rude coming from a store that I am planning to spend over $1200 at, plus the ongoing data plan costs for two people.

So, here is the deal, I am going to devote this site to figuring out how to get the iPhone on day one or at least soon after that as possible. I am going to go to some apple and Cingular stores to figure out what their plans are for the launch and how they are going to handle the lines. I want an iPhone as much as anyone out there, and if I am willing to pay so much for one then I believe that I deserve one, and so do you. Check back in regularly to see the updates. I will be giving news and tips on how to get the iPhone on June 29th.

ATT To Close Store 4:30pm June 29th

It has been reported that ATT will actually be closing its stores for about an hour and a half while they get set up for the iPhone release. This seems like an odd move, also there is mention that the iPhones will not be delivered until 4:30pm. I really wonder if this is true. How could Apple be sure that they will be able to deliver that many phones to that many stores at such a specific time. This claim seems bogus to me. I believe that they are going to close the store temporarily, but not that they are receiving their shipments during this time. Who knows though, I have been wrong before.

People are already talking about lining up to get this phone, and this weird launch time may affect everyones ability to actually get an iPhone. Some statistics have come out that say that about 19 million people want an iPhone and would pay that current price for it. I am just hoping this is a larger number than reality and that they don't plan on purchasing it on the first day. There is no way that Apple can provide 19 million phones on the first day or even the first couple of months for that matter. I have heard that up to 3 million may be available on day one, but as low as 10,000. This is a huge gap in number of phones. I am going to make a guess that 3 million is a closer number due to the frenzy that this phone is causing. A lot of people want to get their hands on this phone.

Developers Can Make Programs for iPhone

Apple announces that developers will be able to develop for the new phone. This development will be limited to web apps, but this could be a great move for Apple. This gives Apple the ability to get some third party applications out for the phone while at the same time being able to keep the phone from crashing. The focus is on keeping the phone functioning great.

Developers are not too happy about this though, since they do not get a development kit for the device and will not be able to have apps directly on the device. The apps have to be used through Safari, Apple's awesome web browser. Even critics are slamming Apple for this decision.

The fact remains that Apple knows what they are doing and will make an excellent phone. They are not just hardware manufacturers, they are software developers themselves. This means that you are getting some of the best software out there with the device as it is. I personally will not need third party apps for a while and may never because Apple has the best software out there. Do you really want your phone to freeze or crash every time you are trying to run too many applications at a time. I had a T-Mobile MDA, and it did just that. It would start running slow and then it would just freeze and I would have to turn it off and start it over. It had almost no third party applications on it, but when I put some on it they were buggy and made it crash even more. This is exactly what Apple is trying to avoid.

In conclusion, just show some trust in the company that won't let you down, Apple.

Experts Say Apple Stock Will Soar

Stock market experts say that Apple's stock will soar after the iPhone's release on June 29th. With the stock already reaching all time highs from the hype surrounding the iPhone, some people believe that it is set to fall. Still, with the iPhone being a completly new venture for Apple, their sales are expected to reach an all time high. When Apple releases the iPhone to the public, it has been mentioned that it will have 3 million units available on the first day (lets hope so). Apple has yet to confirm or deny this figure. If the iPhone sells how it is expected to sell, then Apple will forge its way into a new business venture.

Apple joining the Cellular industry means great things for everyone. Not only will this give Apple a huge new source of income, but people who don't even want the iPhone will benefit. All of the other manufacturers of cell phones are trying to compete with Apple's new phone and this will mean more ingenuity and creativity. Better products for everyone. Also, Apple expects to come out with cheaper models of the iPhone by 2009.

Looks like you should buy Apple stock if you have money left over after buying the iPhone.

Apple and ATT remind us about the iPhone

I got news that I signed up for from Apple and ATT. I have included the email that I got from both Apple and ATT. The only difference to the two of them is that Apple did not have the ATT logo at the bottom of the email. These items are very exciting news. It looks like all of the programs that I already use on my mac will sync great with the iPhone. The only problem now is actually getting one.

iPhone arrives on June 29. iPhone features an amazing mobile phone, is the best iPod we've ever created, and puts the Internet in your pocket with desktop-class email, web browsing, searching, and maps. And iPhone makes it all easy to use with its revolutionary multi-touch user interface. iPhone syncs with your PC or Mac just like an iPod, so organizing your content now will help you start calling, texting, emailing, surfing, listening, and watching even faster when you get your iPhone. Here are a few suggestions to help you get ready:

Contacts

Making a call with iPhone is as simple as tapping a name. You won't need to re-enter all your contacts because iPhone syncs with the address book you already use on your computer—Address Book or Entourage on a Mac, or Outlook or Outlook Express on a PC. If you keep your contacts on the web using Yahoo! Address Book, iPhone can sync with them, too. To get ready for iPhone, organize your contacts in one of these applications and make sure they're up to date with the latest phone numbers and email addresses. If you don't have contacts on your computer, don't worry. You can still enter them directly into iPhone.

Calendar

Using its built-in calendar, iPhone lets you check your appointments with the flick of a finger. iPhone uses iTunes to sync with the calendar application you already use on your computer—iCal or Entourage on the Mac, or Outlook on a PC—just like it does with your contacts. If you don't already use one of these applications to manage your appointments, now is a great time to start, so you'll be ready to sync when your iPhone arrives. If you choose not to use a calendar program, that's OK. You'll be able to enter appointments directly into the iPhone calendar.

Email

iPhone is the first phone to come with a desktop-class email application. So now your phone can display rich HTML email with graphics and photos alongside the text. iPhone will even fetch your latest email every time you open the application and automatically retrieve your email on a set schedule, just like a computer does. iPhone works with the most popular email systems—including Yahoo! Mail, Gmail, AOL, and .Mac Mail. If you're not already using one of these services, now would be a great time to get an account. iTunes will make email setup on iPhone a breeze by automatically syncing the settings from email accounts stored in Mail on a Mac or Outlook on a PC. Don't worry if you're not on one of these email services; iPhone also works with almost any industry-standard POP3 and IMAP email system.

Pictures

iPhone has a 2-megapixel camera and a gorgeous 3.5-inch display, so it's a great way to enjoy and show off your digital photos. iPhone uses iTunes to sync your photos from iPhoto on a Mac or Adobe Photoshop Elements, Adobe Photoshop Album, or any picture folder on a PC. You can carry thousands of photos on iPhone, but you can start by creating an album or two with 50 to 100 of your favorite photos, so that when you first sync your iPhone, you'll be ready to quickly show off some of your best shots.

Music and Videos

iPhone is the best iPod ever. Its beautiful, 3.5-inch widescreen display allows you to easily enjoy the music, TV shows, and movies you have in your iTunes library. If you already use iTunes, you can start getting ready for iPhone by creating a playlist of a few hundred of your favorite songs. If you don't have iTunes, now is a good time to download it and start a music and video library. That way, when you sync your iPhone with iTunes, you'll be able to take your favorite music, as well as a few of your TV shows and movies, with you wherever you go.

iTunes

To set up your iPhone, you'll need an account with Apple's iTunes Store. If you already have an iTunes account, make sure you know your account name and password. If you don't have an account, you should set one up now to save time later. To set up an account, launch iTunes, select the iTunes Store, and click the Sign In button in the upper right corner of iTunes. Sign in and you're ready to go.

AT&T gets ready for crowds for iPhone

This is amazing news to me. AT&T is reported to actually be hiring people for crowd control. Wow! This is 100% their fault for not having the wait lists like they had promised. I assure you though that this is not a mistake.

AT&T is doing this for a reason. They know that this will increase the hype around the iPhone just as well as Apple does. People don't seem to notice that this is how it is done these days. If you don't produce enough of the product for the demand, then people will go crazy over it and this creates more of a buzz. When a video game system does not sell out within the first week of it being released, then people wonder if it is really worth it. I can't believe this is happening with a cell phone, but I am part of the problem.

I want the phone so bad that I will likely camp out for one. Pathetic even. Oh well, got to have the Apple. Good luck getting yours.

iPhone Manual Posted on the Internet

This supposed manual may in fact exist and be real and accurate, but nothing that has been mentioned has changed my mind about getting one. The iPhone will work great, and will have the features that I want. People argue that it should have MS messaging and outlook on it. What! Why would anyone want an apple product that uses Microsoft software. If you want to use mail on the phone, then get an Apple. They have their own email program that works great.

The fact remains that the phone will not have everything that everyone wants (no phone ever will). Get over it. With that said, this will be the best working and most innovative phone ever made and that is enough for me and then some. There are going to be people that like the phone and people that hate the phone. For instance, the RAZR is supposed to be great, but my wife had one and it broke constantly and we had to sell it because it bothered her so much with turning itself off all of the time. All of the phones that I have ever had have been very buggy and have lots of features that I did not like. One of the best phones that I have ever had was the T-Mobile MDA. It had most everything I wanted, but the interface was terrible. It was hard to work with and it was clunky and crashed all of the time (Windows!!).

Well I have ranted and raved, but lets put the specs listed below for people to reference.

- No one-touch dialing (two touches at a minimum)
- Vibrate mode is included
- Voice dialing is not mentioned as a feature, though it's not specifically excluded either
- Users can have a voice conversation whilst browsing the web "when WiFi access is available"
- iPhone users will not be able to conduct IM conversations with instant messaging users
- Emailing videos and pictures are a go, MMS is not supported
- MEdia Mail won't be used for ringtone and answertone downloads
- MEdia Net, MobiTV, and Cellular Video are (unsurprisingly) not available for the iPhone
- iTunes will sync iPhone with the Address Book on Macs or Outlook/Outlook Expess on PCs
- No GPS or TeleNav support, sorry Google hopefuls

iPhone Versus Neo 1973

Can OpenMoko and the Neo 1973 compete with Apple in the Smartphone business? This is one of the only promising contenders that I have seen so far. It sure doesn't look as good, but it has a few features that make it very interesting and worth a look. OpenMoko is going where people who want to develop for this phone Neo 1973 can send programs to. The Neo 1973 is as unlocked as a phone can get and even more so than any phone today. Instead of this phone being limited to what the cellular provider or the cell phone manufacturer wants it to do, you will be able to program the phone to do just about anything you want it to do. This would make it very customizable, which would be a great thing for a phone. I have always wanted to choose the features that were what I needed and get rid of the rest so that they did not bog the phone down and make it do things that I didn't want it to do, such as "pocket calls" or "pocket pictures." I have had phones that do both of these things. One phone I had would take a picture while it was in my pocket because it had the picture button on the side of the phone and if it was presed long enough it would activate the camera. Then I would open up my phone and find 20 pictures of blackness. Very annoying. Another phone I had would make pocket calls even after I locked it, because the way it locked was easily unlocked in my pocket. These things would be fixable if you had a phone that you could choose how it locked and when or where it locked.

There are only two complaints I really have about this phone though. First, it is ugly and does not look like it will be nearly as easy to use as the iPhone because the screen is depressed. This will make input harder. Second, how will the phone run as far as stability. I think that giving it access to just about any program woud make it crash more (like a windows Smartphone). This is an area where Apple is promising to deliver. It is supposed to be very easy to use and not crash. Only 22 days and we will be able to find out for ourselves. See you in line.

AT&T/Cingular Gets Rid of iPhone Wait List

AT&T/Cingular issued the big upset today. I heard word of this being the case, but did not really believe it until I got the call. Today Cingular called and told me that even though my name was on a list that I would have to wait in line just like anyone else out there for the chance to maybe get an iPhone. Why did they have a list and then take it away. It made me look like the picture in this post. I am frustrated. I can only hope that the iPhone will not draw a crowd like the PS3 did. When I wanted to get a PS3 there was a line for a week. Unfortunately I still have a job and a life so camping out for a PS3 was just not an option. I cannot wait for an iPhone though. So I called the Cingular store and asked about how this was possible. I was told that AT&T had decided that no store could have a waiting list because in the past employees have hidden hardware to give to customers that they wanted to give them to or maybe just friends. This is a travesty. Well, I would say get your name on a list so that you don't miss out on the best phone ever made, but I guess all I can say is get in line.

iPhone Scares other cell phone manufacturers

Although cell phone manufacturers are saying that they are not too worried about the iPhone, all of the phones coming out speak for themselves. Samsung, RIMM, Motorola, LG, Nokia, and others are sweating bullets trying to make "iPhone killers." They are wasting their time. Apple always takes the time necessary to make a quality product. This is the key factor to their success. Sure Apple has made mistakes just like any company out there, but they work much harder than most companies to bring quality to the table and it shows.

All the other manufacturers out there are trying to ship out phones that just have good specs. They are missing the mark by a long shot. If they think that they can just whip up some awesome phone real quick they are fooling themselves. I have never had a phone that actually seemed like time was spent trying to make it function properly. It has always been about the camera, storage, internet, thinness, and other secondary concerns. They have failed in the most important goal of all, how efficient and effective the device is as a phone. All companies talk about is how many new features they have and how thin they are. That isn't the point.

Lets get honest, we don't know how great the iPhone is going to be. It could fail to deliver what it has promised, but I believe that it will deliver exactly what it promises. It will be feature rich, thin, and have a camera, storage, and internet functionality, but most importantly it will be easy to use and save you time and energy with simplifying your life. No other manufacturer out there is promising anything like this when it comes to a cell phone and that is why the iPhone is making such a big impact. I can't wait to simplify my life.

Apple iPhone Comes Out June 29th

It looks like Apple has locked down a June 29th release date for the iPhone. They already have three ads in place at the Apple website http://www.apple.com/iphone/ads/. They look amazing; I can't wait to get my hands on that phone. The competitors are scrambling. Get your name on that list so you can get one.