Sean Walther's Blog

Apple iOS 4: My Review

Everyone has an iOS 4 review, or an iPhone 4 review, why shouldn’t I?

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Tags: 3g, 3gs, Apple, iOS 4, iOS4, iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, Multitasking, review, Steve Jobs

AT&T iPhone: How to fix dropped calls!

Until about two weeks ago I was dropping calls every day.  After trying this fix, I haven’t had a dropped call since.

I don’t know if it’s a problem with my iPhone 3GS, or AT&T — but I know the fix works.

Here’s the fix… on  your iPhone do the following:

1. Settings
2. General
3. Network
4. Turn “Enable 3G’ to OFF

That’s right.  With 3G disabled, I haven’t had a dropped call.  With it enabled, I drop a call on a daily basis (if not more).

Sad it’s come to disabling 3G to be able to have a conversation on my iPhone.

Now every day at about 8am I turn my 3G off (I’m on wifi anyway) and turn it back on when I leave the house later on around 5 or 6.

Tags: 3g, Apple, AT&T, dropped calls, iPhone, iPhone 3GS

Secret iPhone Found, and Returned — Apple officially responds

Gizmodo has been lucky enough to be involved in some Apple iPhone drama.  They have gotten their hands on the soon to be released (this summer) new iPhone (4G?).

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Tags: 3g, Apple, Apple iPhone, camera lense, Gizmodo, iPhone, iPhone 4G, iPhone OS 4, noise cancellation, os 4, Secret iPhone, sim slot

iPhone: An update to the carrier settings? MicroCells?

I just popped my iPhone into the dock to sync, and got the following message:

An update to the carrier settings for your iPhone is available.  Would you like to download it now?

From a little bit of research, it seems to be linked to AT&T’s upcoming 3G MicroCell technology.  

It’s a smart idea, and it looks like they’re charging people for it!  

The only information I can put together about these MicroCells is:

• An AT&T 3G MicroCell acts like a mini cellular tower supporting voice and data
• It uses an existing broadband connection
• Supports up to 10 3G handsets
• Works with any AT&T 3G phone
• Seamless call hand-over
• Uses GPS somehow (probably for the cellular GPS information we take for granted, maybe associated with “e911″ issues, also to verify the network is used where AT&T is licensed to operate — some lines will be blurred here)
• There is an associated fee (comparable offerings by Sprint $99 and $4.99 monthly, Verizon $249 and no monthly fee)
• Unlimited plans will be available

Wow!  This is interesting!

If your gripe was ever “I don’t get service where I live”, then you just pay AT&T to extend their network to your home.  Your cell phone will act like your landline. 

I have to say, I didn’t see this coming, and I believe it’s brilliant.  With so many issues on some 3G phones, just buying this device should eliminate those problems.  Of course, it sucks to have to pay to fix service coverage.  We all know some of us will do it.

This has to be great for some small businesses too.  Setup a MicroCell in your office, pay for a basic cellular plan for your employees, and they can use the cell at the office for free.  

Plus — Apple Stores won’t ever have those embarrassing moments when you unbox your iPhone (do they still do that?) and you have no service in the store!

I’m not sure whether this is for any 3G device in the area, or if it’s specifically for your 3G devices in the area.  Most descriptions say it is secure, and that you can modify these settings.  I’d love to be able to share my 3G service with my neighbor’s phones if I could.  

Wonder if this is going to result in grumbling fro ISPs — now they’re supporting cellular calls.  

Some relevant links:

What is an AT&T 3G MicroCell?

AT&T’s 3G MicroCell to patch iPhone dead zones

AT&T 3G Microcell, a femtocell, coming sooner than we think?

Apple Issues Update Signaling iPhone Compatibility With AT&T’s MicroCell

Tags: 3g, Apple, AT&T, carrier, dead zone, femtocell, iPhone, iPhone 3G, ISP, iTunes, MicroCell

Changes Coming to the iTunes Store: All Songs DRM-Free!

The day will come, by the end of March — where all songs in iTunes will be DRM-Free!

According to an announcement made on Apple.com, Changes Coming to the iTunes Store:

1. All Songs DRM-Free
2. Users Can Download Songs Directly Onto iPhone 3G Over Their 3G Network for the Same Price
3. In April 2009, Songs on iTunes Will be Available at Three Price Points ($0.69, $0.99 and $1.29).

Good news for all of us!

Tags: 3g, Apple, DRM, iPhone, iTunes

Google Android GPhone #2

With all the “hype” around the T-Mobile G1, what did we get?

Certainly not enough.  

Now we are waiting to see what happens with the – Agora.  

The Kogan Agora, powered by the Android Operating System will be the first phone in Australia powered by the Android software.

That’s right, Australia.  Will it get to the states?  It looks cool enough, but what about the specs?

• 2.5-inch TFT-LCD flat touch-sensitive screen with 262k QVGA (320 X 240 pixel) resolution
• 5-Way Central Navigation Key
• QWERTY Keyboard
• Bluetooth 2.0
• Built in Mic and Speaker
• Headphone output
• Video: JPEG2, H263, H264, MPEG4, AVI
• HxWxD – 108mm x 64mm x 14.8mm
• Weight: 130g
• 1300 mAh Lithium-ion battery
• Up to 400 minutes Talk Time
• Up to 300 hours Standby Time
• 624 MHz processor
• 256 MB On-board + 128 MB Flash
• microSD card expansion slot
• VERY IMPORTANT: UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz), GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)

Silicon Alley Insider reports on the release as well, Another Google Android GPhone On The Way (GOOG).

Dan Frommer, of Silicon Alley Insider, says that this phone woudl work better with AT&T than T-Mobile, as it doesn’t support the 1700 MHz frequency that T-Mobile uses for 3G.

Tags: 3g, Agora, Android, AT&T, Dan Frommer, G1, GOOG, Google, gPhone, Kogan Agora, phone, Silicon Alley Insider, T-Mobile

AT&T iPhone Tethering to cost $30/month

Macblogz reports, AT&T iPhone Tethering Plan Specifics, No Unlimited Plan?

Read the article, in summary:

• Ralph De La Vega announced an official iPhone tethering plan
• Supposedly, delayed because AT&T is paranoid about how the service will run on their network
• 5GB Data Cap (just like blackberry users)
• Initial connection through iTunes? (might be just initial setup)
• Expected Speeds: GPRS: 30k – dialup speeds / EDGE: 110k – ISDN / 3g: 1000k – slow broadband
• Will be $30 / month, new iPhone plans may roll out including tethering
• Do not pro-rate tethering/bandwidth, it can become a nightmare, instead wait until new billing cycle (not sure how this will work)
• Unlimited bandwidth = AT&T says to get a wireless PC Card
• No ETA on launch

Tags: 3g, AT&T, bandwidth, battery life, iPhone, Ralph De La Vega, Tethering

iPhone 2.2 Screenshots, Podcast Updates, and Tethering

Some new news has been uncovered.  In a post on AppleInsider.com, Sam Oliver writes about the new iPhone 2.2 screenshots.  

The screenshots (shown above) show a new podcast interface to the iTunes store. Additional changes (reported a while ago) include modifications to the categories screen.  The new screen includes larger icons.  Personally, I prefer having the one line, shorter height categories.  You can fit more on the screen.  

As far as tethering on the iPhone — my bones tell me that AT&T is conjuring up another fictional fee to place on the functionality.  When will the time end that we have to pay a company to stop blocking functionality?

Reported in AT&T: Tethering Coming to the iPhone Soon, on Technologizer — the AT&T Mobility President and CEO Ralph De La Vega just told an interviewer, Michael Arrington, that AT&T is working with Apple to let the iPhone server as a tethered wireless modem for laptops.

This disgusts me.  

First of all, there was an app already out there that let us do this.  Apple removed it.  

Second — aren’t we already paying through the nose for our iPhone?  I’m paying AT&T an additional $30 a month, just to use the iPhone.  

If you’re willing, jailbreak your phone, and install PdaNet for iPhone.  

Hey — AT&T — if you don’t want us jailbreaking the phone, try not to eliminate functionality, spend 3.5 months recreating it, and then charging us for it.

Tags: 2.2, 3g, Apple, AT&T, at7t, iPhone, iTunes, pdanet, Podcast, Ralph De La Vega, Tethering

Apple’s controversy regarding stealing ideas from Intelliscreen

Intelliscreen's modifications to the locked screen of the iPhone.

Intelliscreen is an application for jailbroken iPhone’s.  The application modifies the “locked” iPhone screen (normally your background with an unlock slider), and adds information collected from various sources.

After I got my new iPhone 3G, I had the privilege of fearlessly jailbreaking my old iPhone.  I installed the application, it was great.  When you pick up your phone you saw news, weather, and messages all without even unlocking your phone. 

To the right you can see what the Intelliscreen image looks like.  Very useful.

Recently Apple has announced they will be releasing the same functionality legitimately on the iPhone.  This is of course through a patent filing.

Everyone has been saying that Apple was stealing from Intelliscreen.  This coming as everyone is hearing the story about the furniture salesman who “invented” the iPhone (here’s a hint how that’s going, he’s still a furniture salesman).

In recent light, it turns out the filing actually dates back BEFORE the Intelliscreen application came out.  That’s right, the patent dates back to June 2007, whereas the Intelliscreen application didn’t come out until May of 2008.

I think the consumers win out on this one, as Intelliscreen has had time to test the application in a small subset of iPhone users.  Apple will officially release the alterations to the home page.

I hope Intelliscreen doesn’t get left out in the cold, as they made some nice software.

Tags: 3g, Apple, Intelliscreen, iPhone, patent