Tutorials

Okay, my first comment after using this was OMG!

This is the first, the very FIRST application I have used to fool around with my iPhone that has worked the first time exactly like it claimed to, and exactly like I wanted it too.

My preference in cases like these, messing about with expensive pieces of electronics, is to find “green button” solutions, that is to say solutions where you basically press a button, or chose one option, and what you want to happen just happens. Any advanced settings or other offerings should be hidden in the background and not, as is the case with a lot of amateur (as in the sense of people who are doing something out of love and out of fascination, not lack of skill or ability by any means) developers, having the ugly guts of the situation thrust upon you via infinite option boxes or command line requirements.

AppSnapp is meant, as they say, to:

1. Jailbreak iPhone/iPod Touch on 1.1.1

2. Patch Springboard to load third party apps

3. Activat non-AT&T iPhones automatically, while leaving already activated… more...

Typing on the iPhone takes a while to practice and forever to master but Bloggging is slightly different. The basis is the same in that you need to type your posts but things get a little complicated now and then. Here are some tips to better improve your Blogging.

Get A Good RSS Reader

Finding something worthwhile to Blog can sometimes be a daunting task but when it comes to the iPhone your greatest asset will be speed and your only recourse is an online based solution. This can conflict with your workflow and sacrifices will need to be made that is why I recommend taking a look at Newsgator an online based reader. which I covered on iPhone Matters before. What I also like about Newsgator is the support for syncing across multiple RSS clients whether it is Mac OS X or Windows so you never have to drudge through the same content over and over.

Bookmarklets

Bookmarklets might save you, what 5 seconds if you are on a regular computer but on an iPhone they can compensate for the lack… more...

For my first blog posting, what better way to start than with an article from Tech Republic explaining how to crack open the iPhone! Along with this article shows some really cool, descriptive pictures. An article like this would be especially helpful to those who want to replace the battery at some point or maybe even hack it to use their own carrier’s SIM card. It’s amazing how really small everything is, much like the iPod. This is definitely not for the faint of heart. Proceed with caution. A really interesting read for anyone who’s adventurous, or just wants to see the insides of the iPhone! To check out the article, go here.

It’s not often that you hear about common day gadgets saving our wildlife friends. Luckily my iPhone (but then again any Internet enabled Cell Phone could do this) was handy. A quick Google search gave me step by step instructions on just what I needed to do.

First off this wasn’t some dramatic rescue like you see on Animal Planet, there was no awesome background music or swooshing sounds as I pulled out my iPhone.

When I was riding my bike home I turned a corner and noticed a quiet chirping sound and saw what looked like to be a small potato in the middle of the road. I didn’t think much of it but it did look familiar. I backed up and saw what was making the sound, a fledgling bird. I stopped and rushed to get it out of harm’s way, luckily it was very peaceful street. Trying to scoop it up proved difficult but I eventually had to grab it (gently of course and it didn’t suffer from shock) in my hands and move it over to the sidewalk.

This little dude was… more...

David Chartier, over at TUAW has written up his rather informative tip regarding Safari on the iPhone.

Apparently, if you tap your finger on a link within Safari, but hold your finger there rather than letting go, you’ll get a little pop-up appear informing you the title of the link you’re about to visit plus the URL for that link, so you know where abouts you’re headed. Pretty clever that you can hold your finger there for extra information if you ask me, I’m now starting to wonder if there are other areas of the iPhone where this can be done.

Well spotted David!

No doubt anyone purchasing an iPhone this evening will already be well on their way to an Apple or AT&T store, but when you get back hopefully this video will provide you with a bit of help in activating your brand new toy.

Apple has posted an in depth video on how to activate your iPhone to work with the AT&T network, so when you get back, give it a watch and you’ll be well on your way to making phone calls on the iPhone.

See the video

Note: You may also be interested to know that Apple has posted up a group of videos, called ‘Finger Tips’ that instruct you on how to perform certain tasks on the iPhone, such as changing your ring tone, deleting a message, setting a passcode, resetting the iPhone and even browsing through Cover Flow. Check them out on the iPhone webpage.

Though normal iTunes videos are 640 x 480 and the Apple TV is 720P (1,280 x 720) you’ll once again have to reconvert your content to be optimized for the iPhone’s widescreen display. This is Apple’s second widescreen optimized device which means any content that’s aspect ratio is 4:3 will not scale the entire screen unless you do some serious zooming in. This isn’t the most ideal option because video playback will be grainy and contain artifacts. Here are three options for video conversion/ripping that will get you set up on your iPhone.

Handbrake
Handbrake is one of my favorite Applications to use for video conversion and ripping. Not only are the two combined easily but the user interface is straight forward and can even be used for Apple TV and iPod conversion. Custom profiles can be set with any of the available presets such as Bit Rate, Format and Resolution. For me I like to rip movies in H.264 at 700-768 kbps but your tastes will vary.

Handbrake can be found here

Mac The Ripper
If you’re the type… more...

Alright so some of us already have our launch day attack plans nailed down, memorized better than the back of our hand and maybe have the whole family ready. Nonetheless some of us slacked off and have no idea what is going or how exactly they plan on getting an iPhone. Luckily for you procrastinators (and those with deep wallets) Gadling has compiled a list of “essentials” needed for the iPhone launch and pre-launch day(s).

Of course it’s all over the top and if you do decide to dish out for the recommended gear it’ll serve you long after you buy your iPhone and maybe you can brag about your rigorous travel to the Apple store depicting it a greater task than venturing to Mordoor. It’s all obvious stuff like a tent, inflatable mattress and portable toilet but still can be used for camping out (if you get lost worry not, just Google where you are on your iPhone!) or maybe get out the house now and then into the backyard as the iPhone also has batteries.

There is some cool stuff but the reality is that you’re likely to be hauled off by the police… more...