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Google Wave on the iPhone

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Netflix – Movies, TV Shows, And More On Your iPhone

by Dan

It didn’t take Netflix long to bring the solid app that has become so popular on the iPad to Apple’s other mobile devices. Today, Netflix announced their iPhone and iPod Touch app as it was made available on Apple’s App Store.

Like the iPad app, iPhone & iPod owners will be able to stream movies and tv shows from the Netflix Streaming library to their mobile devices. The app itself is free, but you’ll have to have a Netflix subscription to be able to watch the videos. It wasn’t that long ago that Netflix first became available on the Mac, and now its available on Apple’s popular mobile devices.

This recent Netflix push and popularity on Apple’s device makes many believe that Netflix maybe a partner or part of the media announcement coming from Apple HQ on September 1st. An update to the AppleTV that included capabilities from Netflix streaming library would be a valuable addition. Personally, I hope any TV related announcement include Netflix streaming functionality.

We’ve discussed in the past how Apple’s miss on AppleTV was a big gain for Xbox 360 owners. A major part of this had to do with the fact that the Xbox 360 also included the ability to stream video from Netflix. I can’t see Apple successfully entering the living room without Netflix.

The current version of Netflix already has over 1,700 reviews with a 3 and a half our of 4 star rating. It seems that the App itself is as useful as the version that is extremely popular on the iPad. Netflix is also offering a Free trial of their services for iPhone users. Download the app, install and configure, and sign-up for a Netflix account to see how useful the app is.

Netflix, which originally started as just an over the mail rental service has quickly been at the front of the digital distribution of video efforts. They’ve done an excellent job, and I expect them to continue to push forward.

If you haven’t already checked out the Netflix App for your iPhone, iPod, or IPad, now is the time.

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Retrieving Missing Voicemail Messages on Your iPhone

by Shaun

How many times has someone ever told you “Hey, did you get my message?”  And you respond “What message?”  And they say “The message I sent you 2 days ago.”  If you are like me, I never got the message.  Whether this is AT&T’s fault or Apple’s fault, I really don’t care.  I just hate when I don’t get a voicemail and people think I didn’t respond to them and that I am ignoring them.  Well, this post is all about getting those voice mails back onto your iPhone.

How To Restore Messages to Visual Voicemail on your iPhone

To retrieve visual voicemail message on your phone you’ll need to follow these steps:

  1. First, hit the “Settings” icon, and then the “general” tab on your iPhone

  2. Next, scroll all the way down to the bottom and hit the “reset” key

  3. After this you will see a menu of things that you can reset.  You are going to want to click on the “Reset Network Settings”.  You will then be asked if this is really what you want to do and you hit it again to reset your network and allow it to retrieve missing voicemail messages.

    4. The steps listed above will now restart your iPhone and from here you should now see all of your visual voicemails, including those that you did not original receive.  If for some reason this does not work, repeat all the steps, but instead of hitting “Reset Network Settings”, choose “Reset All Settings.”  This should get it to work.  

    If for some reason the extra step listed above also doesn’t work, then you may want to go ahead and either call AT&T or Apple to see if there is something wrong with your iPhone. There could be a problem with the phone or the software that could be interfering with the way that the device receives notices of voicemails. However, hopefully with the steps described above you’ll be able to retrieve the messages left for you and you won’t be “accidentally” blowing off your friends, family members, and co-workers.

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Disable iAds on your iOS 4 Device

by Shaun

When Apple introduced the new iOS 4 one of the big things that was introduced was iAds.  These were going to be sweet looking ads from within apps.  The ads were not going to take you out of the app, but run inside of the app.  It was the future of advertising for app developers.  When the new OS came out, you didn’t see many iAds, but now they are starting to crop up more and more.

Personally, I really don’t mind the ads.  Some of them are done well, some of them could use some work.  But, for me, if it means that a developer puts iAd’s into their app so they can make their app free, I am all for it.  At the same time, I do know there are people who don’t like ads period and don’t want them.  Well, this quick tip is all about disabling iAds, to a degree.

What you have to do is grab your iOS 4 device like an iPhone, iPod Touch, and soon an iPad and go to the following address http://oo.apple.com.  Again, this will only work on an iOS 4 device, so if you try this on your computer, it will not work.  Another thing to keep in mind is that when you are taken to this site, it will automatically opt you out.  So if you don’t want to be opted out, then don’t go to the address.  When you do go to the address, you should see something like the picture below.

Now, you have to be careful here and read the fine print on the site.  Apple says that you have opted out, but you have not necessarily opted out of iAds all together.  Apple wouldn’t be that dumb.  You will just now see less ads that are relevant to your interests.  If you want to do this for all your iOS devices, you have to do it individually on each device.

So why do this?  Well, a couple of reasons.  One, if you don’t like ads, then this will lessen them.  Two, Apple collects information off your device to help tailor the ads according to your interests.  If you don’t want Apple snooping around too much then this would be a good thing to do.

What do you think?  Are you planning on opting out?

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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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