Month: April 2010

How to Turn Your iPhone Into An iPad Camera

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated January 23, 2016

It's too bad that a great device like the iPad doesn't have a camera. Fortunately, there's an app that will turn your iPhone into an iPad camera. It's not the perfect solution, but it should do the job...

All you need to use your iPhone as a camera for iPad is the Camera for iPad app. After installing the app on your iPad and iPhone, simply launch it on both devices and they will find each other via Bluetooth. Your iPad will then show what your iPhone camera is seeing.

Intuitive controls let you zoom with a pinch or rotate with a swipe. You can just tap the button to take a high resolution photo that is saved onto your iPad.

Camera for iPad isn't just for the iPad! You can connect an iPhone to an iPod Touch, or even connect one iPhone to another, and choose which is the sender and which is the receiver.

Camera for iPad is available from the App Store for $0.99. While I haven't personally tried the app, MichaelB who tipped me on this confirms it works like a charm.

What do you think?

Multitasking 101: Activator

Guest Author ∙ Updated March 27, 2018

>When it comes to multitasking, the Apple line of iDevices falls short. Very short. Apple's claims are more or less valid; multitasking drains the battery. While this may be true in some cases, it doesn't completely hold up to that claim. There are millions of people who jailbreak their devices just so they can multitask.

As of this writing, all generations of the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch cannot multitask applications that are not part of the stock firmware. This means that you cannot download applications from iTunes App Store and minimize it (run it in the background). Have you ever become frustrated that you can't listen to Pandora radio and surf the web with Mobile Safari? Yeah? So have many of us.

Rumors are piling up that Apple will finally allow these 3rd party applications to run in the background. On white paper, this means you can run applications such as Pandora and play games simultaneously at the expense of a generous battery tax. At least the choice would exist. We own the devices after all.

The intriguing part of the iPhone is the fact that there is only one main button. Equally as important is the power button and the volume controls. This opens up new questions as to how to activate backgrounded applications. It's clear that Apple invents but it's also clear that Apple sometimes "borrows" code from the open source projects.

Enter Activator. A free and open source library and Mobile Subtract extension, developed by Ryan Petrich (better known as @rpetrich on Twitter), available to any developer to include with their development projects. That's great for developers. What about the average user?

To the average user, the only catch is Activator is a forbidden fruit and only available for jailbroken devices and only available in the Cydia Store. Anyone using Overboard and/or Snappy is already familiar with the library since Activator is a required library for both applications and is automatically downloaded and installed when either application is installed. It can also be installed as a stand alone application so there is no obligation to install anything else. Just do a search for "Activator" in Cydia and install. Then go to Settings.app and scroll down to your jailbreak settings table and configure your gestures.

Activator installs a handful of gestures, or activation methods, that can be assigned to any application, even applications from the App Store. How cool is that? This allows users to quickly access, or activate, background processes by simply swiping a finger or quickly tapping the home button. Of course, this genius developer also included support for using the volume buttons and the power button.

Assuming all said rumors of multitasking are true, what are your thoughts on handling backgrounded applications? Will Apple develop their own gesture code or "borrow" and close the doors? Activator is there... in all its glory. Free and open. One thing is certain; the current gesture API will need to be updated because one home button cannot do all the work.

Apple to Unveil iPhone OS 4.0 On Thursday

Sébastien Page ∙ April 5, 2010

Engadget got words that Apple announced an iPhone 4.0 event that will be held on Thursday where the company will give a "sneak peak into the future of iPhone OS".

A few months ago, I wrote about 28 features I would like to see in OS 4.0 and I'm pretty sure the big news of the event will be around:

multitasking theming ability to save attachments unified inbox better iPod library management and more...

These are just a few of my predictions. We'll see how much I'm right/wrong. I'll be staying up late here in Vietnam so I can give you a run down of the new OS as soon as it is unveiled.

In the meantime, tell us what you would like to see in iPhone OS 4.0.

iPad Jailbreak Video

Sébastien Page ∙ April 4, 2010

It didn't take too long for the jailbreak community to come up with a jailbreak for the iPad. Last week I told you about Spirit, a jailbreak for iPhone 3.1.3, and today, MuscleNerd confirmed the iPad jailbreak using a variation of Spirit, originally developed by Comex.

Even better news is that this jailbreak can also be applied to every platform including the iPhone 3GS and iPod Touch 3G, and potentially to the iPad 3G.

Credit goes where it's due. This iPad jailbreak is a cross-team effort by @chronicdevteam, @comex, @chpwn, and the Dev Team.

If you were on the fence about buying an iPad, this might just be the reason you were looking for.

There is no estimated release date for this jailbreak. My guess is that these smart hackers will wait for iPhone OS 3.2, so Apple doesn't patch the firmware and render this jailbreak useless.

How exciting!

iPhone News You Missed This Week

Sébastien Page ∙ April 4, 2010

This is a summary of all the articles that were published on the blog this week.

So long iPhone screen protectors and thanks for nothing Remotely control your computer from your iPhone with Remote Jr. Spirit: a new jailbreak for 3.1.3 iRemix improves your iPod BlackBreeze: fix iTunes 9.1 and BlackRa1n issues on Windows Meet the new iPhone killer: iPhone HD iPhone user guide How to save your iPhone ECID SHSH WSJ chimes in on iPhone rumors When does your first gen iPhone become obsolete?

My Thoughts On The iPad On Release Day

Guest Author ∙ Updated March 5, 2018

I'm usually up this early for work so it was no sweat for me to get up at 3:00 a.m. and have breakfast with a group of Twitter enthusiasts to get the new Apple iPad. I was one of the few people in the group who was actually not sold on the iPad. I have an iPhone. Why do I need an iPad? I listened to Steve Jobs and watched Apple's series of videos but nothing so far convinced me to buy one. I knew I had to have it in my hands to know if I really could use one. So, I tagged along.

Apple employees were willing to let me try the device even though I told them I had no intention of buying it.

Unfortunately the Wi-Fi at the Apple Store I was at in Hawaii was so flooded I couldn't use apps on the iPad that needed the internet and I couldn't browse Safari. But, there was still plenty to check out.

I immediately wanted to try a racing game and the iPad I was using had Real Racing HD [iTunes link]. I actually didn't like Real Racing on the iPhone and preferred other racing apps like Asphalt 5. I found the learning curve to be tougher. But, on the iPad I quickly learned how to drive well. I didn't even read the instructions so I didn't even use the brakes. Plus, the more recent racing games are notorious for slow loading (especially on the iPhone 3G) but the iPad handled the game with ease.

Another highlight: Pianist Pro [iTunes link]. I know how to play a variety of instruments including the piano. And the iPhone has been almost worthless when it comes to simulating a real instrument. But, Pianist Pro comes pretty darn close to at least a workable toy keyboard. The touchscreen was sensitive enough to handle the chords and arpeggios I threw at it. A drum machine is built-in. There's a dual keyboard mode for playing both the left hand and the right hand notes. The only real drawback to the app is that the white keys will only trigger when hit below the black keys making a chord like A-flat a little harder. Pianists and keyboardists will know what I'm talking about. If that can be fixed, it would be a near-perfect piano app for the iPad.

My favorite new native feature is the ability to use your photos as an animated picture frame when your iPad is locked. It's called Picture Frame. Use it and love it.

I'm definitely a lot more intrigued by the iPad now that I had a chance to have one in my hands. If I do get one, I'm more inclined to use the iPad at home and use my iPhone when I'm out on the road. If I do get an iPad I would rather get the 3G version so when I go on trips I'll always have the internet. Family that I visit in the continental U.S. doesn't have Wi-Fi. I can just activate the unlimited 3G for that month since there is no contract required.

Leave a comment to let us know what you think about the iPad after trying it out.

When Does Your 1st Gen iPhone Become Obsolete?

Guest Author ∙ April 3, 2010

I am still using my beloved 1st generation iPhone. I love it, can’t bear to part with it, and it’s been with me through thick and thin. It still looks like new, complete with unscratched original glass screen.

And I’ve never had any real reason to upgrade it, it’s still functioning the way I need it to and it does everything I ask of it. And with the iPhone 4G on the horizon I really want to wait before upgrading, it just doesn’t seem smart now. So I’ve persevered. Until yesterday…

When the iPhone was released I had a choice between a 4 or 8 GB. I went with the 8. At the time it seemed like a vast amount of space while today with 16 and 32 GB storage it seems small. But I digress. The question is, is it obsolete?

I use my iPhone as the primary source of music in my car. The majority of what I listen to is on there and I’m not a radio person so it’s always CDs or iPod. Plus I paid extra for the built in dock & Bose sound specifically for that reason. So I go to sync my phone and for the first time I see the dreaded message “Unable to sync iPhone because not enough space is available for iTunes library”.

What? Have I reached the end of the proverbial rainbow? So, I fiddle with iTunes for at least an hour. Deleting duplicate songs, getting rid of junk I never listen to, etc. Try again… no dice. I’m full. And it hits me, has my beloved 1st gen become obsolete?

I’m wondering if any of you readers have ever filled your iPhone to capacity, and if so, with what? For me the answer is as follows: 1476 songs, 87 apps, 127 contacts, 347 pictures, thousands (I haven’t counted) of undeleted text messages, an above average amount of saved calendar info.

So for me, that’s what it took to fill the 8 GB to capacity. At that point it was too full to take the sync which was about another 340 songs. Granted, I’m close, but even after cleaning up my iTunes account it’s not going to happen. And I could delete some apps & texts I suppose, but it’s the music that’s the storage hog.

So I am wondering, since everyones usage is different (hence the name “I” phone) what did it take for you to fill yours? Are you at capacity? Are you close? And will you modify your use, or upgrade?

Wall Street Journal Chimes in on iPhone Rumors

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 4, 2018

The iPhone rumors and speculation seem to go hand in hand. Even the iPhone itself was a rumor for years before it came into production. Now, If you sift through all the tech blogs like me every morning, you know that Apple is likely to announce an update to the iPhone this summer and there's definitely no shortage on speculation. Will it have a front facing camera? Will they up the megapixels of the camera to compete with the 5MP Android handsets? As far as the software goes, will it support multitasking, will it have a universal inbox?

Perhaps the most consistent rumor is that Apple is working on a CDMA iPhone that would allow it to work on the U.S. powerhouses Sprint and Verizon, significantly increasing Apple's market in the United States. But the response has always been "With Sprint just getting it's 4G network going and Verizon launching it's LTE network later this year, why wouldn't Apple wait for those 2 technologies to mature before manufacturing a batch of CDMA phones that would have obsolete technology within the next 2 years."

Both LTE and 4G are just fancy names for the next generation of cell phone networks. Think blazing fast download speeds, Verizon posted an average 5-12MBPS with bursts of up to 50MBPS download speeds in initial live LTE tests. I don't care who you are, that's lightning.

But none the less CDMA iPhone rumors seem to always regain life, this time it's the Wall Street Journal throwing in their 2 cents:

Verizon also is upgrading its network to a higher-speed technology, so Apple has said it believed CDMA was a short-term technology. Apple later changed its mind as it realized Verizon's upgrade would take longer than expected, said people familiar with the situation.

Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi estimates Verizon could help Apple nearly double the number of iPhone users in the U.S.

So if you popped over there and read the entire article, you kinda get the idea that this is more than just your run of the mill rumor. I for one would not complain, living in a region where neither T-Mobile nor AT&T get very good reception but Verizon blankets the area. Only time will tell what the boys over in Cupertino are cooking up.

I have to admit my fingers are crossed for a larger screen (my work phone is a Motorola Droid and the 4 inch screen makes my iPhone's look tiny), 5 megapixel camera with flash ( 720p video? now I know I'm dreaming) and how about thinner with a faster processor and multitasking! Whew! Sadly Apple has proven time and time again that they add features and updates to products in small increments to lower the chance for hardware/software errors, so most of my list is not feasible.

But with Apple's iPad pre sales exceeding expectations, rumors already flying about the next iPhone, and their stock at an all time high of $233 per share, I'd say old Steve-O knows what he's doing.

What do you think?

How to Save Your iPhone ECID SHSH

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated March 27, 2018

Every time a new iPhone firmware comes out, many of us accidentally update their device to the latest OS, making it impossible to jailbreak/unlock, or even downgrade to an earlier version.

In order to have a shot at downgrading your iPhone, you must have your ECID SHSH on file on Saurik's server, just in case Apple stops signing the older firmware version, just like it did a few weeks ago with 3.1.2.

How to Save Your ECID SHSH

Note that this is only valid for iPhone 3GS and iPod Touch 2G/3G. iPhone 3G owners are not concerned as they can downgrade the firmware (not the baseband).

The Easy Way

If like me you are lucky and you launch Cydia and see that "this device has SHSHs on file for iPhone OS: 3.0, 3.1, 3.1.2, 3.1.3", then you don't have anything to do. I have these 4 SHSHs on file but it's ok if you only have the latest SHSH on file. At the time I am writing this, the latest firmware is 3.1.3 so to date, you should make sure you have at least the SHSH for 3.1.3.

The Other Easy Way

If you don't see this message then don't worry, just scroll down a bit on Cydia's homepage and look for the "make my life easier" button. Simply tap on it and your ECID SHSH will be automatically saved on Saurik's server. Close Cydia and launch it again. You should now have a message at the top saying your SHSH is on file.

You're good to go now! But remember that anytime a new firmware is available, do not update right away. Just wait until a new jailbreak is available.

Meet the new iPhone Killer: iPhone HD

Guest Author ∙ Updated March 27, 2018

Rumors about the new iPhone are mounting as June quickly approaches us. June is the month Apple traditionally hosts the annual Worldwide Developer Conference in which announcements of release dates for gadgets and software is made. This year is a little different as rumors mount about iPhone going to Verizon later this year, ending the choke hold AT&T has had with the iPhone.

Business Insider reports that iPhone HD, as it's currently dubbed, is slated to have twice the resolution of current iPhones checking in at 960 x 640 (compared to the current 480 x 320), a 1GHz processor and a front facing camera. There has also been mounting rumors that Apple will finally permit 3rd developers to hook into the multitasking API allowing 3rd party applications to run in the background.

Other sites have posted claims that iPhone HD will be a few millimeters longer. This may or may not be true but it is possible since the iPhone is purported to be developed for Verizon and Sprint, both use CDMA networks which may be a larger cellular chip.

Thus far, iPhone HD sounds great and it looks like it's already on it's way to killing current iPhones. But why, exactly, is the device dubbed "HD"? Is the screen high definition? If so, will high definition really make a difference on such a small screen? Or does the device output video in high definition? I'm inclined to believe the rumor caters the latter. There's simply no point in making a screen that small output in high definition resolution. But then again, I could be wrong. What are your thoughts on the new iPhone and this high definition rumor?

iPhone User Guide

Sébastien Page ∙ April 1, 2010

The other day as I was trying to figure out how to add songs being played on the iPod to my on-the-go playlist, I landed on Apple's website.

As I was already bitching at Apple for not even bothering creating a mobile version of their website, I was positively surprised to see that they actually had an iPhone User Guide formatted for the iPhone.

I wasn't aware of this iPhone User Guide and even though it didn't solve my problem, I found it pretty interesting to browse for a while (I actually learned a new trick).

You can access the mobile version of the user guide by going to http://help.apple.com/iphone/.

I might be a little late on that one but if you haven't been there yet, it might be worth to go check it out. Now that I think about it, doesn't this iPhone User Guide comes with the stock Safari bookmarks of the iPhone?

BlackBreeze: How to Fix iTunes 9.1 and BlackRa1n Issues on Windows

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated January 23, 2016

With the release of iTunes 9.1, those of you on a Windows machine and an iPhone jailbroken with BlackRa1n RC3 might experience syncing issues. Fortunately, iH8Sn0w, the developer of Sn0wBreeze and F0recast has released a tool called BlackBreeze to fix this.

How to fix syncing issues between iTunes 9.1 and iPhone jailbroken with BlackRa1n RC3:

Step 1: Create a new folder on your desktop and download BlackRa1n.exe and BlackBreeze to it.

Step 2: Launch BlackBreeze and click on Fix my Ra1n! and select the BlackRa1n.exe file you downloaded in step 1.

Step 3: BlackBreeze will patch BlackRa1n and place a file called blackra1n-fixed.exe on your desktop.

Step 4: Execute blackra1n-fixed.exe to boot your tethered iPhone. Once done, you should be able to sync your jailbroken iPhone with iTunes 9.1 on Windows without any problem.

Thanks PhilT for the tip and the tutorial!