Well, since I haven’t quite figured out how to make money being a gadget nerd, I’m forced to keep my day job. Unfortunately for me, that day job requires that I be up to date on all state-required licenses, and wouldn’t you know it, its time for renewal. So with a week or so before exam date, I’m given study material and some time off.
“I’m screwed,” I thought, staring at the 300 page study guide with intimidation. After about half an hour of highlighting the same sentence over and over, my trusty iPhone came to the rescue. To the App Store! I knew I had come across a flash card application on there that might be just what I needed to keep focused. Sure enough, gWhiz mobile’s gFlash+ [iTunes Link] showed up in my search and better yet, was available for free.
The application is about as simple as it gets. It comes with 3 sample topics, showing off the app’s ability to offer flash cards in standard Q&A form, True or False form, and even multiple choice. After browsing the small catalog of flash card topics, it was obvious I was going to have to make my own. This is also fairly simple, as long as you have some sort of google account (iGoogle, Gmail, documents, etc.) because the program depends upon google documents’ spreadsheet application. Here you put your question in column A, and your answer directly beside it in column B, and this will make up the front and back of your flash card.
After making all your flash cards, you’ll need to download them onto your iPhone. I know it seems like I’m being repetitive but this, too, is extremely simple. From the main menu you choose the ‘download your own data’ option, and after a quick google sign in (you’ll only have to do this once), you’re looking at all downloadable data in your google documents folder. Of course, you’ll select the spreadsheet you just devised, and it’ll take a second to download.
I myself made about 100 flash cards of vocabulary words and definitions. The first card shows up with the word, and after I answer, I touch the card to turn it over and reveal the correct answer. The program does keep track of your progress by allowing you to press a check mark or an x depending on if you got the questions right or not. It is optional for you to have your total correct answers display at the top of the screen.
Over all this program is extremely functional and easy to use, it definitely served its purpose. I can study anywhere, anytime I want. I can do a few vocab words, or the whole 100, it’s fantastic. As an iPhone application, though, it’s held to high standards. The GUI could be dressed up a bit, and if anyone from gWhiz is listening, how about a full screen view, with actual note card backgrounds. And as long as we’re throwing out ideas here, how about voice recognition ability that can tell if you answered correctly or not. Well, for now, let’s just work on making this software more reliable.
Anyone who has read my reviews in the past, knows how much I hate crashing, and this one tended to do it more than I wanted it to. But gFlash+ is nonetheless great at what it does, and it has helped me out tremendously, being able to take my studying with me wherever I go. A note should also be made that this software is also available for blackberry/treo phones, and while not as cool as the 3G, it enables my co workers to download my license exam review from the gWhiz website for their cell phones. Guess who the most popular guy at the office is?
P.S.
Another hi tech studying tip is recording yourself reading material you have to study/remember with a recording app on your iPhone. Now when you go to sleep tonight, pop in your head phones, and put the recording you made earlier on loop. I’m not promising you’ll wake up in the morning with a head full of knowledge, but at least you are increasing your exposure to the material. Thank you, thank you, hold your applause.
Showing posts with label iPhone Guide. Show all posts
Showing posts with label iPhone Guide. Show all posts
Sunday, 21 March 2010
iPhone 2.2 Jailbreak Officially Out!
- GOLDEN RULE: If you have a 3G iPhone and want potential soft unlock in the near future do NOT use QuickPwn, and do not use the official ipsw or the iTunes update process without using PwnageTool.
- Read item 1 again and again.
- At the bottom of this post are the bittorrent files for the latest versions of PwnageTool and QuickPwn.
- These are suitable for the recent 2.2 release.
- Please read all parts of this post before downloading and using these tools.
- The ‘late 2008' MacBook/air/pro line of computers have an issue with DFU mode, it is possible to go from Pwned 2.1 -> 2.2 but going from stock to Pwned does not work, if in any doubt use a different machine.
- Choosing the correct tool is crucial. Be warned!
Baseband 101
The ‘baseband' is the generic name given to the internal components of the iPhone that handle the phone calls and Internet access. This ‘baseband' is a tiny and unique independent computer system that runs inside your iPhone, it is separate to the main system that handles the applications (such as email and google maps) and it talks to the main part of the phone over an internal communications network. Think of it like a cable modem or other peripheral that is attached to your home PC that needs occasional updates. When a software update is released and presented to you within iTunes the baseband is sometimes updated (to fix bugs or add new features). The 2.2 update for the iPhone 3G contains such an update, so running the vanilla updater straight away with iTunes will reprogram and update the baseband. This could be bad for certain people, depending on your ultimate aim.
SIM Free/SP Unlocked/Factory Unlocked iPhone 3G
This applies if you bought your iPhone 3G for $$$$$$$ . This model of iPhone 3G doesn't have an Service Provider lock (aka factory unlocked) and you are able to put any SIM card into the phone and get service. Your phone is already unlocked so you do not need to worry about baseband updates, simply upgrade to 2.2 using iTunes and then use QuickPwn to Pwn and Jailbreak. This will add Cydia and Installer too.
Locked iPhone 3G – Preserve Baseband
This applies if you have a locked iPhone 3G and you wish to update to 2.2 but preserve the iPhone's current baseband software. Preserving the baseband will give you the maximum chance for any upcoming software unlock. To upgrade your phone to 2.2 and preserve the state of the baseband you need to create a custom .ipsw with PwnageTool. This custom .ipsw will not contain the baseband update but of course will still allow all the cool new stuff from 2.2.
There are plenty of tutorials about this process on the web, but PwnageTool contains intuitive graphics and easy to follow prompts that should have you up and running in no time at all.
Locked iPhone 3G
If you are using your iPhone with one carrier and have no interest in the possibility of an iPhone 3G unlock in the near future then just restore or upgrade to 2.2 using iTunes and use QuickPwn to Jailbreak and add Cydia and Installer.
Locked iPhone 2G (1st Generation)
Restore your iPhone 2G with iTunes then run QuickPwn to do the magic, ‘nuff said.
iPod Touch 1G (Original iPod Touch)
Update to 2.2 with iTunes and run QuickPwn.
iPod Touch 2G (New iPod Touch)
Sorry, no support at this time.
Bittorrent Releases
- PwnageTool 2.2 for Mac OS X is here SHA1 Sum – 97ee6096aaa1967498431bf01c36c18d0e877545
- QuickPwn 2.2 for Mac OS X is here SHA1 Sum – 254b8af0e19870a4660b7b11e3b6f6ae1d6bc66f
- QuickPwn 2.2 for Windows is here SHA1 Sum – ffdbc561224c61ffc2713cb6a6e696b6d429c4ca
I'm gonna be working on a QuickPwn 2.2 Guide and a PwnageTool 2.2 Tutorial and I should post this within hours.
Unlock Your iPhone 2G 2.2 Using QuickPwn
This guide will show you how to use QuickPwn 2.2 to jailbreak and/or unlock your iPhone 2G. This tutorial is for PC users but I assume the steps are the same on a Mac. This tutorial is NOT for iPhone 3G. If you’re only interested in jailbreaking your iPhone (not unlockink), please may read our QuickPwn 2.2 guide.
Before doing anything, I suggest you read this important message from the Dev Team.
Click here to download the MobileInstallation patch for 2.2
Note that you are pwning your iPhone at your own risk… Success is not guaranteed!
Make sure you have downloaded the latest version of iTunes. Update or restore your iPhone to firmware 2.2 using iTunes. Restoring is the preferred way to do it as it won’t waste space on your iPhone. Plug your iPhone and make sure iTunes has detected it. If you’re iPhone is already jailbroken, you may want to remove all the apps that you have downloaded from Cydia. Certain applications such as Winterboard, Categories and more cause trouble. You will be able to reinstall them later.
Create a folder called “QuickPwn” on your desktop. Download your appropriate iPhone 2.2 firmware from here. Also download the QuickPwn 2.2 from here, the bootloader files BL 3.9 and BL 4.6 from here.too. Place these files in the newly created QuickPwn folder on your desktop.
Extract QuickPwn zipped file.
Launch QuickPwn and select your iPhone version.
You will be asked to select your iPhone firmware. Select the firmware you downloaded in Step 1.
If the firmware you selected is valid, QuickPwn will show a green checkmark. Click Continue.
You will then have the opportunity to select Cydia, Installer, custom boot logos and “unlock iPhone”. You have to select Cydia and “unlock iPhone”. You may also choose to install Installer. Click Next.
You will now be asked to select your bootloader files. Click the Browse button and select the 3.9 bootloader from the Pwnage folder on your desktop. Likewise do the same thing for the 4.6 bootloader file. Then click the blue arrow button to continue.
QuickPwn will now ask you to confirm that your iPhone is connected. Click the blue arrow to continue.
QuickPwn will now automatically put your iPhone into recovery mode. Once its in recovery mode you will be prompted to: Hold the Home button for 5 seconds, Hold the Home and Power buttons for 10 seconds, then release the Power button and continuing holding the Home button until your iPhone is in DFU mode. Watch the prompts carefully and follow along.
Once QuickPwn detects your iPhone in DFU mode, it will start the jailbreak process.
Finally, QuickPwn will let you know that pwnage process was completed successfully.
Done!
Let us know how it goes!
Before doing anything, I suggest you read this important message from the Dev Team.
Click here to download the MobileInstallation patch for 2.2
Note that you are pwning your iPhone at your own risk… Success is not guaranteed!
Make sure you have downloaded the latest version of iTunes. Update or restore your iPhone to firmware 2.2 using iTunes. Restoring is the preferred way to do it as it won’t waste space on your iPhone. Plug your iPhone and make sure iTunes has detected it. If you’re iPhone is already jailbroken, you may want to remove all the apps that you have downloaded from Cydia. Certain applications such as Winterboard, Categories and more cause trouble. You will be able to reinstall them later.
Create a folder called “QuickPwn” on your desktop. Download your appropriate iPhone 2.2 firmware from here. Also download the QuickPwn 2.2 from here, the bootloader files BL 3.9 and BL 4.6 from here.too. Place these files in the newly created QuickPwn folder on your desktop.
Extract QuickPwn zipped file.
Launch QuickPwn and select your iPhone version.
You will be asked to select your iPhone firmware. Select the firmware you downloaded in Step 1.
If the firmware you selected is valid, QuickPwn will show a green checkmark. Click Continue.
You will then have the opportunity to select Cydia, Installer, custom boot logos and “unlock iPhone”. You have to select Cydia and “unlock iPhone”. You may also choose to install Installer. Click Next.
You will now be asked to select your bootloader files. Click the Browse button and select the 3.9 bootloader from the Pwnage folder on your desktop. Likewise do the same thing for the 4.6 bootloader file. Then click the blue arrow button to continue.
QuickPwn will now ask you to confirm that your iPhone is connected. Click the blue arrow to continue.
QuickPwn will now automatically put your iPhone into recovery mode. Once its in recovery mode you will be prompted to: Hold the Home button for 5 seconds, Hold the Home and Power buttons for 10 seconds, then release the Power button and continuing holding the Home button until your iPhone is in DFU mode. Watch the prompts carefully and follow along.
Once QuickPwn detects your iPhone in DFU mode, it will start the jailbreak process.
Finally, QuickPwn will let you know that pwnage process was completed successfully.
Done!
Let us know how it goes!
Fuzzyshot – Photo Uploading & Sharing
That's where Fuzzyshot Photo Blog [iTunes link] comes in. Although users of Fuzzyshot will definitely benefit, new users can easily create an account right on your iPhone. And the app can do just about anything the web version does. You simply snap your photo, set your post title and comment, select public or private and whether you want your photo geotagged or not. You can also easily e-mail your photo straight from the app.
Browsing other people's Fuzzyshot pictures is also easy in the app. The most recent pictures are featured in your feed (so if you don't want your family's pictures spread across the internet, you should select private) and you can also check out the most viewed and most discussed pictures in the last 24 hours. You also get a unique web address as well as an RSS feed for your photos.
I had never heard of Fuzzyshot before reviewing this app, but it appears that it has a well-established photo blogging community. If you want EASY photo uploading take a look at Fuzzyshot. It's free to download and free to sign up.
Thursday, 18 March 2010
How to Use Tansee iPhone Transfer
It is essential for iPhone users to copy important data from iPhone to computer for backup purposes. Some iTunes users could not copy music files from iPhone to computer directly because iTunes blocks iPhone-to-computer song/video transfer. Luckily, Tansee iPhone Transfer, a very easy-to-use tool, is a full solution to this. With Tansee iPhone Transfer, iPhone users can transfer songs/videos from iPhone to computer easily.
Steps:
Download and install Tansee iPhone Transfer . You also need iTunes version 7.3 or higher installed.
Connect your iPhone to your computer.
Launch Tansee iPhone Transfer, and all the contents of your iPhone including music and videos will be automatically scanned and displayed instantly.
Select the photos to be transferred to your computer. The selected file will marked with red border. You can select photos by click on each one, or just drag a rectangle to select a bundle of photos. You can also select all photos by click right button of your mouse or click “File” to choose.
Click “Copy” button on the bottom right side to set output path and start to transfer songs or videos to your computer.
The trial version will only allow you to select the first 5 songs.
Steps:
Download and install Tansee iPhone Transfer . You also need iTunes version 7.3 or higher installed.
Connect your iPhone to your computer.
Launch Tansee iPhone Transfer, and all the contents of your iPhone including music and videos will be automatically scanned and displayed instantly.
Select the photos to be transferred to your computer. The selected file will marked with red border. You can select photos by click on each one, or just drag a rectangle to select a bundle of photos. You can also select all photos by click right button of your mouse or click “File” to choose.
Click “Copy” button on the bottom right side to set output path and start to transfer songs or videos to your computer.
The trial version will only allow you to select the first 5 songs.
iPhone Countdown App
Open up Xcode and click: File->New Project.
Select: iPhone OS ->Applications-> View-Based Application and name it whatever you would like.
Lets start with the UIView.
Double Click.xib” to launch “Interface Builder”
Click: Tools -> Reveal In Document Window -> View
Click: Tools -> Attributes Inspector
Select the background attribute and set it to Black
Now add a UILabel, it should be as simple as dragging it out of from Tools->Library.
To reference this label in our code we need to change its outlet id.
In the document window “File’s Owner”
Click: Tools->Idenity Inspector
In the inspector click the + under “Class Outlets”
Change myOutlet1 to “countdownLabel”
Change id to UILabel
Click enter to make sure they commit
Now lets generate the code for the controller we just created.
Still in interface builder make sure “File’s Owner” is still selected in the Document Explorer
Click: File->Write Class Files
Make sure you select your active target, which should be the name of your program.
Now we need to wire up the Label in Interface Builder to the UILabel in the class file
Reopen Interface Builder
Select the Label in the View or in Document Window
Click: Tools -> Connection Inspector
Move your mouse cursor over the empty circle to the right of text “New Referencing Outlet” (the circle will change to a Plus(+))
Mouse Click then drag the Plus (+) to “File’s Owner” in Document Window
When you release select countdownLabel in the popup list
Click: File -> Save then close Interface Builder
Creating the timer
In xCode open
InController.h add the line -(void)updateLabel; right before the line @end
InController.c add the lines
-(void)updateLabel {
}
right before the line @end
InDelegate.h add the field “NSTimer *timer;” and the method signature “-(void) onTimer;”
InDelegate.m
Start the timer in “applicationDidFinishLaunching”
Add the method onTimer that will update the label in the view controller
Invalidate the timer in the method “applicationWillTerminate”
release the timer in dealloc
Updating the label
OpenController.c
Add a font in method “viewDidLoad”
Add code to get current time and update label in our new “updateLabel” method.
Build & Go!
Select: iPhone OS ->Applications-> View-Based Application and name it whatever you would like.
Lets start with the UIView.
Double Click
Click: Tools -> Reveal In Document Window -> View
Click: Tools -> Attributes Inspector
Select the background attribute and set it to Black
Now add a UILabel, it should be as simple as dragging it out of from Tools->Library.
To reference this label in our code we need to change its outlet id.
In the document window “File’s Owner”
Click: Tools->Idenity Inspector
In the inspector click the + under “Class Outlets”
Change myOutlet1 to “countdownLabel”
Change id to UILabel
Click enter to make sure they commit
Now lets generate the code for the controller we just created.
Still in interface builder make sure “File’s Owner” is still selected in the Document Explorer
Click: File->Write Class Files
Make sure you select your active target, which should be the name of your program.
Now we need to wire up the Label in Interface Builder to the UILabel in the class file
Reopen Interface Builder
Select the Label in the View or in Document Window
Click: Tools -> Connection Inspector
Move your mouse cursor over the empty circle to the right of text “New Referencing Outlet” (the circle will change to a Plus(+))
Mouse Click then drag the Plus (+) to “File’s Owner” in Document Window
When you release select countdownLabel in the popup list
Click: File -> Save then close Interface Builder
Creating the timer
In xCode open
In
In
-(void)updateLabel {
}
right before the line @end
In
In
Start the timer in “applicationDidFinishLaunching”
Add the method onTimer that will update the label in the view controller
Invalidate the timer in the method “applicationWillTerminate”
release the timer in dealloc
Updating the label
Open
Add a font in method “viewDidLoad”
Add code to get current time and update label in our new “updateLabel” method.
Build & Go!
QuickPWN 2.2.1 Guide & Tutorial
This guide will show you how to use QuickPWN to jailbreak your iPhone firmware 2.2.1. Please read carefully all the steps and warnings before attempting to use QuickPWN to jailbreak your iPhone. The following tutorial is for PC users.
Before doing anything, I suggest you read this important message from the Dev Team.
GOLDEN RULE: If you have a 3G iPhone running 2.2 firmware and you want to keep your ability to use yellowns0w (or the option to use it in the future) do NOT use QuickPwn, and do not use the official ipsw or the iTunes update process without using PwnageTool.
Yellowsn0w will NOT work with the baseband version (02.30.03) that is present in the recent 2.2.1 update – you will need to create a custom ipsw that will allow you to update safely without affecting the baseband.
Please read all parts of this post before downloading and using these tools.
Read items 1, 2 and 3 again and again.
At the bottom of this post are the bittorrent files for the latest versions of PwnageTool and QuickPwn.
These apps are suitable for the recent 2.2.1 release.
The Yellowsn0w version has been updated to 0.9.7. Yellowsn0w is available from Cydia or Installer - this version allows compatibility with pwned 2.2.1 system (not baseband) - again – remember 0.9.7 yellowsn0w DOES NOT WORK WITH 2.2.1 (02.30.03) directly - you need to be running a ‘pwned’ version of 2.2.1 which doesn’t upgrade the baseband.
Users of OS X 10.5.6 will be unable to use DFU mode correctly, please see the note towards the end of this post to easily fix this issue.
What does that mean? It means that you can only use this method if you don’t care about unlocking your iPhone in the future with YellowSn0w. If you’re a “legit” AT&T iPhone user and you have no interest in unlocking your iPhone in the future, then this is for you.
On the other hand, if you’re not a “legit” user or if you do want to be able to unlock your iPhone in the future using YellowSn0w, then this is NOT for you. If that’s the case, you will have to jailbreak your iPhone using PwnageTool, which will preserve your baseband. I will do my best to provide you a PwnageTool tutorial asap!
This being said, this QuickPWN guide will help you jailbreak your iPod Touch, iPhone 2G, and iPhone 3G. There is no jailbreak available yet for iPod Touch 2G!
MAKE SURE YOU READ EVERYTHING BEFORE STARTING TO USE QUICKPWN. THERE IS NO ROOM FOR FREESTYLE!!! YOU ARE USING QUICKPWN AT YOUR OWN RISKS!
That was sort of my disclaimer as I am tired of people messing up their iPhones and holding me responsible for it. So again, you’re using QuickPWN at your own risks. If you have any issue during the process, please leave a comment.
Everything you need to download is in the iPhone Downloads section of the site.
1. On your desktop, create a folder called Pwnage. In this folder save a copy of the 2.2.1 firmware (make sure you use the appropriate firmware!) as well as QuickPWN 2.2.1.
2. Unzip QuickPWN.
3. Make sure you have the very latest version of iTunes. It is extremely important!! If you don’t have the latest iTunes, download nad install it. After the install, make sure to restart your computer. This is a very important step!
4. Plug your iPhone to your computer and wait for iTunes to detect it. Now you have 2 options. You can either update to 2.2.1 or restore your iPhone to 2.2.1. I always prefer restoring as you will start with a fresh and clean firmware and it will not create wasted space on your iPhone. As an alternative to restoring, you may want to read my post about upgrading a jailbroken iPhone. It’s your choice but again, I recommend restoring. To restore, simply hit SHIFT + Restore. A window will pop up asking you to choose what firmware you want to use to restore. Use the firmware 2.2.1 you downloaded in step 1.
5. After restoring (or updating), launch QuickPWN. QuickPWN should recognize your device automatically.
6. Click “Browse” to select the firmware 2.2.1 you downloaded in step 1.
7. QuickPWN will display a green checkmark if the firmware is correct. In this case, click the blue arrow to continue. If it’s not, it means that you have downloaded the wrong firmware.
8. Now QuickPWN will let you install Cydia, Installer, and custom boot logos. Note that you HAVE TO install Cydia but Installer and custom boot logos are optional. So make sure you select at least Cydia, then click the blue arrow to continue.
9. QuickPWN will now ask you to “please make sure your device is connected via USB before continuing”. Click the blue arrow to continue.
10. This is the most important step! QuickPwn will now automatically put your iPhone into recovery mode. Once it is in recovery mode you will be prompted to:
Hold the Home button for 5 seconds,
Hold the Home and Power buttons for 10 seconds,
Then release the Power button while continuing holding the Home button until your iPhone is in DFU mode.
Watch the prompts carefully and follow along!
11. If you did this correctly, QuickPWN will detect your iPhone in recovery mode and will ask you to “wait while your iPhone is prepared for jailbreaking”.
12. As a final step, QuickPWN will tell you that “the pwnage process appears to have completed successfully. Please wait for your device to reboot in its newly modified state”.
13. Voila!
Before doing anything, I suggest you read this important message from the Dev Team.
GOLDEN RULE: If you have a 3G iPhone running 2.2 firmware and you want to keep your ability to use yellowns0w (or the option to use it in the future) do NOT use QuickPwn, and do not use the official ipsw or the iTunes update process without using PwnageTool.
Yellowsn0w will NOT work with the baseband version (02.30.03) that is present in the recent 2.2.1 update – you will need to create a custom ipsw that will allow you to update safely without affecting the baseband.
Please read all parts of this post before downloading and using these tools.
Read items 1, 2 and 3 again and again.
At the bottom of this post are the bittorrent files for the latest versions of PwnageTool and QuickPwn.
These apps are suitable for the recent 2.2.1 release.
The Yellowsn0w version has been updated to 0.9.7. Yellowsn0w is available from Cydia or Installer - this version allows compatibility with pwned 2.2.1 system (not baseband) - again – remember 0.9.7 yellowsn0w DOES NOT WORK WITH 2.2.1 (02.30.03) directly - you need to be running a ‘pwned’ version of 2.2.1 which doesn’t upgrade the baseband.
Users of OS X 10.5.6 will be unable to use DFU mode correctly, please see the note towards the end of this post to easily fix this issue.
What does that mean? It means that you can only use this method if you don’t care about unlocking your iPhone in the future with YellowSn0w. If you’re a “legit” AT&T iPhone user and you have no interest in unlocking your iPhone in the future, then this is for you.
On the other hand, if you’re not a “legit” user or if you do want to be able to unlock your iPhone in the future using YellowSn0w, then this is NOT for you. If that’s the case, you will have to jailbreak your iPhone using PwnageTool, which will preserve your baseband. I will do my best to provide you a PwnageTool tutorial asap!
This being said, this QuickPWN guide will help you jailbreak your iPod Touch, iPhone 2G, and iPhone 3G. There is no jailbreak available yet for iPod Touch 2G!
MAKE SURE YOU READ EVERYTHING BEFORE STARTING TO USE QUICKPWN. THERE IS NO ROOM FOR FREESTYLE!!! YOU ARE USING QUICKPWN AT YOUR OWN RISKS!
That was sort of my disclaimer as I am tired of people messing up their iPhones and holding me responsible for it. So again, you’re using QuickPWN at your own risks. If you have any issue during the process, please leave a comment.
Everything you need to download is in the iPhone Downloads section of the site.
1. On your desktop, create a folder called Pwnage. In this folder save a copy of the 2.2.1 firmware (make sure you use the appropriate firmware!) as well as QuickPWN 2.2.1.
2. Unzip QuickPWN.
3. Make sure you have the very latest version of iTunes. It is extremely important!! If you don’t have the latest iTunes, download nad install it. After the install, make sure to restart your computer. This is a very important step!
4. Plug your iPhone to your computer and wait for iTunes to detect it. Now you have 2 options. You can either update to 2.2.1 or restore your iPhone to 2.2.1. I always prefer restoring as you will start with a fresh and clean firmware and it will not create wasted space on your iPhone. As an alternative to restoring, you may want to read my post about upgrading a jailbroken iPhone. It’s your choice but again, I recommend restoring. To restore, simply hit SHIFT + Restore. A window will pop up asking you to choose what firmware you want to use to restore. Use the firmware 2.2.1 you downloaded in step 1.
5. After restoring (or updating), launch QuickPWN. QuickPWN should recognize your device automatically.
6. Click “Browse” to select the firmware 2.2.1 you downloaded in step 1.
7. QuickPWN will display a green checkmark if the firmware is correct. In this case, click the blue arrow to continue. If it’s not, it means that you have downloaded the wrong firmware.
8. Now QuickPWN will let you install Cydia, Installer, and custom boot logos. Note that you HAVE TO install Cydia but Installer and custom boot logos are optional. So make sure you select at least Cydia, then click the blue arrow to continue.
9. QuickPWN will now ask you to “please make sure your device is connected via USB before continuing”. Click the blue arrow to continue.
10. This is the most important step! QuickPwn will now automatically put your iPhone into recovery mode. Once it is in recovery mode you will be prompted to:
Hold the Home button for 5 seconds,
Hold the Home and Power buttons for 10 seconds,
Then release the Power button while continuing holding the Home button until your iPhone is in DFU mode.
Watch the prompts carefully and follow along!
11. If you did this correctly, QuickPWN will detect your iPhone in recovery mode and will ask you to “wait while your iPhone is prepared for jailbreaking”.
12. As a final step, QuickPWN will tell you that “the pwnage process appears to have completed successfully. Please wait for your device to reboot in its newly modified state”.
13. Voila!
The numbers of the iPhone firmware followup
Confirmed: if you're a developer who's only compiling for the latest iPhone firmware, you are locking potential customers out from your App Store products. Ars looks at a one-week and 90-day breakdown of iPhone use by firmware platform.
Which SDK should you compile for? 2.2.1? 2.2? Choosing an active SDK version can affect both your target audience and possible App Store sales. We recently wrote about SDK choices, noting that building for 2.2.1 (the latest version, as of this writing) might cut out users who had yet to upgrade from the 2.2 firmware.
Ars readers responded both in comments and e-mail, asking whether delaying the firmware upgrades were typical of iPhone users or whether they indicated the relatively small audience of jailbreakers, who purposefully held off on upgrades. To answer this question, we turned to a few experts on the subject.
Michael Burford of Headlight Software has created more than a dozen App Store products. Headlight, which uses its own internal advertising solutions, is able to capture firmware specs from the platforms it publishes to. Burford was kind enough to share with us a one-week snapshot for approximately 20,000 unique IP addresses. These addresses represent about half (49.75 ercent) of iPhone units, with the remaining units being iPod touches of various vintages. The numbers he collected offer a short-term look at which platforms are using which firmware releases.
Data courtesy of Headlight Software
Admittedly this data is a little skewed in that it shows per-use, not per-platform information. At the same time, it provides valuable insights about the distribution of firmware. Take a look at these numbers: by compiling to 2.2 (approximately 92.10 percent of use) rather than 2.2.1 (65.49 percent of use), you may increase your potential sales by nearly 50 percent above the expected 2.2.1 installations. That's staggering.
To get another view of the information, I contacted Eric Litman of Medialets . Medialets is an analytics and ad platform that provides solutions for native mobile applications, working with over 700 iPhone developers to provide analytics, and in some cases rich media ads, into their apps. Litman was kind enough to task one of his engineers to find out how the firmware installations broke down over a longer time frame. Bill Hatch assembled a 60 day overview, representing over 12 million devices, offering a firmware-specific report.
Data courtesy of Medialets
Looking at this 60-day snapshot offers valuable information that augments the one-week picture. Recall that firmware 2.2 was released on November 21, 2008 and that 2.2.1 debuted on January 27, 2009—approximately 45 days ago. All the numbers you see in this table reflect data that was collected from a month and a half after the iPhone had already moved into 2.2 firmware.
You cannot look at these numbers and not realize that adoption delays will affect the way you sell applications. During January and February of 2009, a third of iPhone and iPod users continued using firmware 2.1. Software compiled for and deployed solely to 2.2 or later, let alone 2.2.1, could not be installed on these units until the user upgraded.
What can we conclude from these numbers? I think it's obvious that user-delayed upgrades are a real phenomenon that affects the entire user base, and not just a niche phenomenon of the jailbreak community. As with any consumer device, users are not going to automatically upgrade their units even though iTunes offers one of the cleanest and easiest upgrade solutions for users. So, here are a couple of suggestions to take away with you:
First, after doing as much bug evaluation and testing as possible, consider compiling for as much backward-compatibility as possible without sacrificing stability in order to maximize your potential customer base. The lower the firmware release number you compile for, the greater the chances you'll be able to run on any given iPhone or iPod touch.
Second, make any minimum firmware requirements clear in your App Store marketing materials. Don't let users buy your application and then be aggravated when they cannot install it on their device. Recent purchasers of Ego and Oregon Trail have been surprised, and not in a good way, by discovering that these applications are 2.2.1-only releases.
Yes, there are certainly trade-offs when choosing a distribution SDK. Our earlier talked about bug issues and stability. However, there's also something to be said for increasing compatibility, especially with numbers as compelling as the ones shown here.
How to Downgrade Your iPhone 3.0 OS
Lots of us have been using the iPhone 3.0 beta full-time. Now we're rolling back, because it is decidedly NOT ready.
Now, we're not saying we're surprised, or angry, or anything. It's beta software, and beta software is by definition not ready for everyday use. But in the pursuit of the latest and greatest thing, we all have learned that a little bit of inconsistency or crashiness is often a fair price to pay for being on the cutting edge.
Not so in iPhone 3.0. It's slow as hell, locks up on everything from launching an app to entering a phone number on the numeric keypad, sucks down battery life like an alcoholic who just found his first bottle of MD 20/20 in days, and so on. Add to that a lack of support for MMS as of yet and no apps to take advantage of the background notifications, and you have a fairly useless upgrade, right now. So let's roll it back.
Note: Your iPhone 3.0 OS backups (your phone settings, unsynched photos, text messages, etc) will not be compatible with 2.2.1 once you go back down. So make sure you have a backup from the 2.2.1 days to restore from, or else you'll be starting from scratch.
iPhone EDGE
If you're running OS X 10.5.6, you'll need to do the USB DFU fix outlined in our jailbreaking guide before proceeding.
1. With your phone plugged in, put it into DFU mode by holding both the power and home buttons for 10 seconds, then releasing power and continuing to hold down home until iTunes recognizes a phone in “recovery mode.”
2. Download the 2.2.1 firmware .ipsw file from Apple. Hold down option (Mac) or shift (Windows) and click on restore. Choose the stock iPhone 2.2.1 file you just downloaded.
3. Let it do its thing, and you should be in business. Restore your backup should you have one, and proceed to jailbreaking if you want to.
iPhone 3G
On the iPhone 3G, the 3.0 software flashes the baseband (the chip that controls voice and data network traffic), which confuses iTunes when you try to downgrade. So you have to jump through a few more hoops to downgrade your 3G, but it's still easy enough.
1. Follow the first two steps above for iPhone EDGE, only using the iPhone 3G 2.2.1 firmware package of course. Again, OS X 10.5.6 users will have to do the USB driver switcheroo detailed above.
2. When it's done restoring, you'll get an error message that looks like this:
As long as it's a four-digit error number like 10xx, don't worry, that's just iTunes telling you it's confused by the updated baseband on your phone. Everything will work fine, but unfortunately your phone will be stuck in restore mode until you jailbreak it, which is what we're doing next.
3. For Mac (Windows users skip to step: Download a utility called iRecovery . This tool forces your phone to reboot out of restore mode, which is necessary for the QuickPwn jailbreak software to recognize it.
4. Go to the terminal and change to the iRecovery directory, wherever it is on your system, and type these two commands:
chmod 755 libusb-0.1.4.dylib
chmod 755 iRecovery
5. Next, copy the “libusb-0.1.4.dylib” file to the /usr/local/lib directory on your machine (you'll have to shift-command-G to go to this folder in Finder).
6. And finally, with your iPhone plugged in, go back to Terminal and type:
./iRecovery -s
You'll get a prompt, where you should then type “fsboot” (no quotes) and hit enter. If nothing happens after 10-15 seconds, type it again and hit enter again. Your phone should boot.
7. Download QuickPwn and jailbreak your phone. Restore your 2.2.1 backup in iTunes, and you should be in business.
8. For Windows : After you restore to 2.2.1, you can skip straight to running QuickPwn to get your phone up and running.
And that's it. Enjoy an iPhone free of horrible slow-downs until summertime.
Tuesday, 16 March 2010
Google Keeps Supporting The iPhone
In addition to Google Maps, which already comes with the iPhone, you can download Google Earth [iTunes link] from the App Store for free. When I first opened up the app, I immediately drew a comparison with the Earthscape [iTunes link] app which is also free. Both apps use a 3-D rendered landscape. Google Earth for the iPhone includes Wikipedia entries and photos from Panoramio. You can set it to see your longitude and latitude as well as the altitude at which you are virtually viewing the globe.
Unlike the desktop version of Google Earth, the iPhone app has no street overlay. Boo. So, basically it is a big 3-D globe with Wikipedia entries and Panoramio photos. Boo. I'm disappointed to say the least. Especially so since Earthscape has gotten quite good over many updates and has built up a photo community. Right now, you cannot take pictures within the Google Earth application.
Google Earth also has some bugs. Near my house, there is a weird 3-D wall along my street which doesn't exist in real life (see picture, right). Looks like a bad render to me. Unfortunately, it doesn't go away. Boo.
Google Earth does have some interesting features that even Earthscape doesn't have. To see Google Earth in 3-D, you tilt your iPhone. It has a Google Street View effect, although you can only tilt up and down. Also, clicking the compass in the upper right corner makes the top of your screen north.
Hopefully, most of my complaints will be addressed in future updates. In the meantime, go ahead and download BOTH Google Earth and Earthscape and let us know which app you like better.
Tuesday, 9 March 2010
Top 10 Tips to Help Conserve iPhone Battery Life
So, you have that shiny new iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS, and you've enjoyed playing with all of the really cool new features. You now have it all spec'd out with the killer apps that makes your life easier (and perhaps more fun), and you feel confident with the pocket power you now possess.
But somehow along the way your pocket power is, well, running out of power. Yes, your iPhone has now introduced you to the Kryptonite of the iPhone (and all mobile devices for that matter) – iDrain. The iPhone, thanks to its expanded capabilities, gets used more – and this additional use over a standard cell phone leads to faster battery depletion.
But fear not. There are steps to take that will prolong the run time for your iPhone, allowing you to have your cake and look it up on the web too. While some power saving tips are common sense (don't browse the web and/or talk all day long), some things could easily be overlooked. So, as a service to our readers, we present a list of tips to help the road warrior in all of us get the most out of an iPhone charge.
1. Turn down the screen brightness. The iPhone has a nice, bright screen, but driving that backlight takes battery power. I usually keep mine at around 25% brightness, but you can easily experiment with the settings to see what works best for you, To adjust the screen brightness, go to settings/brightness and slide the control down to a setting that is acceptable
2. Adjust your poll time to check for email less frequently. The amount of time to wait before checking for new email is adjustable, and the less often you check, the less power you will use in the process. The iPhone offers settings of 15 minutes, 30 minutes, Hourly, and Manually. I usually set it for 30 minutes, with the knowledge that I can also always pull up the email client and manually check whenever it is convenient for me. However, you can set it for what works for you. It might be good to note that a longer polling period cuts down on potentially distracting email notifications as well as saving power from the notifications themselves (especially from the vibration alert). To adjust this setting, go to settings/mail and adjust the fetch time. Now, if you use a push email service, this will not be an option for you. But it has been reported that push services end up using more power, since they keep a connection open. This may be a tradeoff for the end user to decide.
3. Turn off the WiFi. Sure, it makes browsing faster to be connected to a good WiFi data source, but it uses more power in the process. Not only that, but leaving the WiFi on continues to burn through power even when you are not actively connected to a source. My advice – turn off the radio until you are in a location that has a fast WiFi connection and plan to use it for a bit. Otherwise you are writing a tiny power check every few minutes, and cashing them out hits your battery fairly hard. To adjust, go to settings/Wi-Fi and select off.
4. Turn on Auto-Lock for the screen. The iPhone has a beautiful screen, but if you don't have Auto-Lock on it will be happy to keep that screen shining brightly until you manually turn it off. Not only is this not battery friendly, but it could lead to unexpected calls to Timbuktu thanks to a little accidental screen contact. You can adjust how long the phone will wait before Auto-locking, but the shorter the duration the greater the battery savings (and potentially the more secure the iPhone is, especially if you select an easy to remember but quick to type passcode while you are at it). To adjust this, go to settings/general and select a value for Auto-Lock.
5. Turn off the Equalizer. If you listen to music a lot, this one may be helpful. By turning off the equalizer you can save power over the entire listening session, and depending on the type of music you listen to this could be beneficial over time… Apple has suggested this for the iPod for some time now. To adjust this, go to settings/iPod and turn off the EQ.
6. Pack more juice. Just because you are on the road does not mean that you can't have a backup power source for your iPhone. Several third party solutions are available that give you an easily pocketable power up to keep you running. For example, the 3GJuice gives you an additional 1800 mAh battery that will charge up your phone to 100% in relatively short time.
7. Take advantage of the commute time. Keep a mobile charger in the car, and plug up the phone when out for lunch or getting to a meeting location. Make it very convenient, and the action soon becomes habit, giving you a battery boost when you get to your destination. The same thing goes for keeping an extra USB cable handy when you are working – most devices now have USB ports, and installing iTunes is not required to charge the iPhone from a port.
8. Kill the vibrate. A vibration alert requires a physical process to drive it, and as you would expect this takes a chunk of power to make it happen. You can save some power by being judicious with its use. You can find this (strangely enough) at settings/sound.
9. Turn off Bluetooth. Let's be honest, Bluetooth is great when it is in use. Wireless headsets are sweet, no doubt about it. But that connection requires an active radio to be on and listening for the headset to connect in and that requires power. By turning off the Bluetooth radio when not in use for extended periods of time you can save a little juice. This can be found at settings/general/bluetooth.
10. Update the phone often. Apple engineers are always working hard to tweak their flagship product to provide the best user experience, and these tweaks come to us through updates via iTunes. (For example, the latest 3.x update is already in beta and expected out soon.) So, if you typically do not sync via a desktop iTunes make it a point to do it on occasion and check for a new iPhone update – you may save power by doing so.
By following these tips and using a little control in the iPhone usage, you should find that getting through a typical day (or two) without a dead battery is not difficult at all. The most important thing to remember is that you are on a limited amount of power reserve when using any mobile device, and weighing your usage goes a long ways to having your device handy and charged when you need it most.
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