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Apple’s Upcoming Announcement

by Dan

It’s Official! Apple has sent out the invitations to members of the media for their traditional September music announcement. This year many individuals are expecting a new, improved, and cheaper version of the AppleTV. Many are expecting the name to also change and continue the “i” tradition of many of their other devices and be known as iTV.

Apple and Steve Jobs himself have on a number of occasions referred to the AppleTV as a hobby for Apple, iTV is expected to reach the announcement this year as “one more thing”. We can expect that the announcement on September 1st to include updated iPods, new music deals, and even potential bringing the Beatles to the Apple Store I imagine what most consumers and members of the media is more details on how Apple plans to enter the living room in a capacity more than just a Hobby.

iOS 4 Update for the iPad

Apple Special Event Taking Place September 1.pngAn iTV announcement would surely be exciting, but I somehow expect that more than expected parts of the event will focus on the success of the iPad. It is about this time that Apple originally planned on brining iOS 4 to the iPad, and there has been continual discussions about even potential for a slightly smaller version of the device. The success of the iPad maybe what Apple rides into the living room.

Some of the most popular apps include access to streaming television shows from ABCs app, the movies provided by Netflix subscriptions and now the discussion from Verizon and HBO about their desire to bring TV to the iPad. If media organizations are doing everything they can to bring television to the iPad, doesn’t it make sense for Apple to leverage the popularity of the iPad to bring Apple into the living room.

A simple docking setup and configuration would allow you to stream content through the iPad on its way to the television. The TV could also act as an external monitor for the iPad and allow for interaction with iOS games, applications, music and movies. Almost everything that many are hoping for with an iTV could be made available with connection of an iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch especially if a docking station or connection kit was designed to make the process quick and simple.

Check back on September 1st to see what exactly Apple has to announce and if in fact they will be brining more than a Hobbyists effort to the living room.

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Google Mobile Gets Push Notifications

by Shaun

Yesterday Google pushed out a new version of it’s mobile app for the iPhone.  What made it so significant is the fact that they added push notification for Gmail and Google Calendar.  At least that is what Google says it added to the new version.  Personally, I had a hard time getting the push notifications to work as advertised. But more on that in a bit.  Here, I will show you how to set this all up and give you a brief run through of the app.

When you first log into the new Google Mobile App, you will be asked to set up your Google account.  Once you log in you will be asked if you want notifications for your Gmail and your Google Calendar and what times.  Once you set these up you are pretty much good to go.



With the notifications, in theory you should get a popup message as well as a badge on your iPhone home screen.  As you can see above, I was able to get a badge to tell me that I had a new email.  But I didn’t get any pop up message telling me that I had a new email.

When you click on the icon, you are taken to the Google Mobile App. But then when you click on your Gmail, you are then redirected to gmail.com.  This is where I wish Google and Apple would be able to play nice.  Google’s mobile app could be such an amazing app if some how Google and Apple could collaborate together on this.

You can also get notifications for Google Calendar as well.  But again, there were flaws.  When I set up a new event in Google Calendar, I had to make sure I set up an alarm that was a “pop up.  But when I did this, the pop up only showed up on my iPad and not on my iPhone, even though I had set up my Google account on both.

Overall, this is a great idea, but it is definitely not ready.  I will stick with the regular Mail app through Apple and using my method of syncing Google Calendar and iCal together.  Like I mentioned, if Apple and Google could some how play nice, I think they could dominate the mobile tech field.  But I guess when you are as big as they are, it is kind of hard not to want more than the other

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6 Reasons To Jailbreak Your iPhone 4

by Dan

There is no doubt that the iPhone 4 is one of the most impressive smart phones on the market. Its new hardware and improved software make the device a must have for many. But, while many focus on the positives of the iPhone 4, others are disappointed with what you can’t do with the device out of the box. There is a solution to help users get all the functionality out of their iPhone 4 and now that its officially legal, there is only the threat of a voided warranty keeping some from adding features to their iPhone.

To make the decision a bit easier for you, and to help you make the jump to a more “open” iPhone, we’ve provided a small list of features below that allow you to add functionality to your iPhone. If you haven’t already jailbroken your iPhone or updated to version 4.0.2, you’ll need to do so in order to take advantage of the features detailed in this article.

1. Tether – Your iPhone Keeps You Connected

After you’ve jailbroken your iPhone, you’ll be able to easily add new applications through services like Cydia or Rock. After you’ve installed these applications you’ll be able to use them to download for trials or purchase apps like Tether. Tether does just what it says, it allows you to tether your 3G internet connection on your iPhone to your computer so you can browse the web where ever you go.

It is true that you can enable this feature through AT&T without jailbreaking your iPhone, but for much less than the price of what AT&T would charge you each month, you can tether your iPhone for as long as you keep your iPhone Jailbroken. The App is simple to use and your Mac knows just what to do when its connected to your computer via a USB cable. The price of this app alone and its great functionality is worth a jailbreak to many iPhone owners.

2. MyWi – Turn Your iPhone Into a WiFi HotSpot

If you’re looking for the features of Tether, but want to share that connection with multiple computers where ever you go, then MyWi is just the app for you. After installation and a few configuration steps, you’ll be able to quickly turn your iPhone into a mobile WiFi Hotspot that shares your 3G connection. I found myself extremely thankful for this app during my last vacation to the beach.

iPhone-WiFi-Hotspot.png

After a short thunderstorm knocked out the internet at our beach house, we were able to quickly connect to the internet through the MyWi app on my jailbroken iPhone. This feature has been one that has really encouraged me to keep my phone jailbroken. I’m not sure why its not part of AT&T tethering options.

3. Enhanced Interface & Services

Another benefit of jailbreaking your phone is adding interface gestures. With various apps available through Cydia and Rock you can add functionality like swiping the top status bar to quickly display important settings and options like turning on and off wifi, bluetooth, 3G, and other functionality on the phone. iOS 4 added a lot to the mobile interface with folders and multiprocessing features, but it missed out on the opportunity to take advantage of additional possibilities.

4. Emulators & Games

With a jailbroken iPhone, your phone can quickly become a Nintendo Entertainment System, a SNES, Sega Gensis, and many other classic gaming platforms. Combine your phone with a Wii remote and you’ll have an enjoyable entertainment system with classic games from your childhood in your pocket. There is a lot to say about the ability to play Mario Kart, or Zelda while you wait in line for movie tickets, a concert, or a sporting event.

5. My3G – Trick Your iPhone Apps

We’re not completely sure if its due to potential poor user experience or AT&Ts network, but there are a number of applications that don’t have complete functionality when you’re connected to the internet through 3G. That all changes with My3G that is available on your jailbroken iPhone. My3G makes it so your apps think you’re on a wifi network when you’re not. Thus you’ll be able to use features like facetime when you’re on 3G and not connected to a Wireless network.

If you want a completely functional phone no matter how you’re connected to the internet, then a jailbroken iPhone and My3G is just what you need.

6. IntelliScreen – Enhance Your Lock Screen

Another feature that many iPhone owners wish came standard on their iOS device is the ability for more information on your Lock Screen. With IntelliScreen, you can enhance your lock screen and add widgets like the weather, calendar events, unread email messages, and a complete list of the last SMS messages you’ve received.

You can enjoy all of these information services without sliding to unlock your phone. But be careful, you’d hate for your emails to be read by people that may happen to pick up your phone and check things out without your knowing.

iPhoto.png

Conclusion

Above are just a few reasons you may want to jailbreak your iPhone 4. If you haven’t upgraded to iOS 4.0.2 and you’d like to enable the features described above then jailbreak the phone and get started. Don’t worry, you can always restore your jailbroken iPhone to factory settings.

iOS 4.0.2 users will have to wait until the next jailbreak options becomes available. It shouldn’t be too long before the hacker community finds a way to open up your version of your iPhone.

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Utilizing Multiple Accounts in Google

by Shaun

If there was one thing that I was annoyed by when it came to using Google services it was the fact that if I had more than one google account, it was a pain in the butt to switch accounts and stay in a certain account.  I absolutely hated it.  Until now, there was no really easy way to deal with this.  Just a couple of weeks ago Google finally has given users the option of having multiple account sign-in.  Here is a tutorial on how to do this.

The first thing you are going to want to do is go to your Google Accounts Page on Safari, Google Chrome for Mac, or Firefox.  Here you should log in, if you are not already automatically logged in.  One thing to note here before we go any further is that you cannot sign in to multiple Google Apps accounts, only regular Google accounts.  For example, I have a Google Apps account through my work, but I cannot sign in to that account at the same time I am in my personal Gmail account.  This would be a nice feature to have and I hope Google adds this later on in the future.

Once you have signed into your Google accounts, you are going to want to click on “Edit” next to the “Multiple Sign-in”.


On your account, it will automatically be switched to “off” instead of mine being “on”.  You will then be taken to a page to setup your multiple sign in.  Here you will have to turn multiple sign-in’s “on” and check that you agree to the stipulations that Google puts forth about not being able to always access all of Google services while you have the multiple sign-in on.

Once this is done, you now sign into a different account.  All you have to do is click on the arrow that is next to your current email address on the top right corner and sign in as a different user.  Once this is done, you will now be able to easily switch back and forth between each sign-in without having to log in all the time.

This is a welcome addition to Google.  I don’t know how many people have multiple accounts, but nonetheless it is a nice feature to have.  What would be cool to see is if you could some how merge multiple accounts at some point, kind of like what you can do on the iPhone with multiple email accounts all in one place.  Let me know if you have any questions.

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Get the Most Out of Your Magic Trackpad

by Dan

It is no secret, Apple believes in touch interfaces. Its almost as if they were inspired by the computer interfaces shown in the movie Minority Report in 2002. Since the success of their iPhone touch interface Apple has introduced more and more touch devices, improved gesture techniques and options on their notebook computers and most recently the Magic Trackpad.

The trackpad of course is believed by Apple to be a viable replacement for the mouse interface. I’m guessing that the Magic Trackpad is part of Apple’s long term plan to prepare users for an operating system on their Macs that combines the best features and functionalities of iOS and OS X. It is true that the trackpad is increasing in capabilities and improving its usability but I’m still a bit doubtful on the ability to replace a tool like the mouse that has been such a central part of the computer experience.

Apple doesn’t seem to be helping their case either. Unlike most Apple products, the installation process for the Magic Trackpad was a bit more complicated. But I must admit that once you have the device installed it is a delight to use. It combines the easy to use trackpad of the Apple Notebooks with a larger surface area that makes it easy to use on the large screen iMacs. As always, the features of the MagicTrackpad is what makes it a great device and what makes it a critical part of the long term Apple strategy.

Magic Trackpad Gestures

The Magic Trackpad’s Gestures are designed to make it easier to interact with files and applications that you’re working with. The trackpad currently supports 12 main gestures.

  1. Point – This gesture is what allows users to navigate around their desktop. It will be interesting to see if Apple incorporates this gesture at some point into the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.
  2. Click – The gesture allows you to select or interact with an object on your screen
  3. Double Click – Some applications require additional input from the user for interaction. Tapping twice on the Magic Trackpad acts as a double click on the mouse
  4. Right Click – Its been years since Apple only supported 1 button mouse input, but many still believe that “right click” doesn’t exist in the Mac environment. To Right Click on the Magic Trackpad tap the screen with two fingers at once
  5. Click & Drag – To click and drag a window or object around your desktop, tap and hold the trackpad and slide your finger around the pad to drag it around the screen
  6. Two Finger Scroll – One of my favorite features of Apple’s trackpad. To scroll up and down a browser window, through files in Finder or other areas, touch the trackpad with two fingers and slide them up and down, left and right
  7. Rotate – To rotate an image clockwise or counter-clockwise, simple tap two fingers on the trackpad and twist them like you were hands moving on a clock.
  8. Pinch & Zoom – To zoom into or out from an image or object, touch the fingers to a trackpad and either pinch or spread your fingers in an application that supports the input
  9. Screen Zoom – To zoom into a part of your screen, press control and then slide up or down with two fingers on the trackpad
  10. Pageback and Pageforward – Some applications like Safari and iPhoto allow you to quickly jump to the previous page or image. Touch three fingers to the trackpad and swipe left or right.
  11. Switch Applications – To switch between open applications, touch four fingers to the trackpad and swipe left or right
  12. Activate Expose – To enable the expose feature of OS X on your Magic Trackpad, touch four fingers to the trackpad and swipe up and down

The features are a great start for a touch interface interaction with OS X. It will be great to see what other gestures Apple or other developers will be able to come up with for the Magic Trackpad.

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Mac Help

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