Cody Lee

Cody Lee, iDownloadBlog.com’s longest-serving Editor, joined the site in 2008. He specializes in uncovering the best deals on Apple products, apps, and accessories. With years of experience in technology journalism, Cody helps readers save money while staying informed about the latest trends and updates in the Apple ecosystem. Cody’s history with smartphones goes almost as far back as he does. As the son of a Nokia employee, he was exposed early on to handsets like the N91 and the Communicator. He has since been involved in nearly every aspect of the mobile phone industry. While going to college, he worked at a Nokia factory, building handsets, and later moved on to a sales position at a major wireless carrier.

iPhone 4 Jailbreak: What, Why, and When?

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 23, 2016

What

The act of "jailbreaking" your iOS device simply means enabling otherwise disabled features and gives you the ability to add applications that aren't in Apple's notorious App Store. For example jailbreaking your device prior to iOS 4 was the only way to run multiple applications, like Pandora, at a time.

The jailbreaking community is the largest phone/hacking network on the net with 100s of blogs receiving millions of hits from users looking for the latest news in customizing their iPhone iPod Touch, and now iPad. Saurik, author of Cydia, the most popular alternative to Apple's App Store, reports that Cydia receives over 2 million unique hits per month.

Why

So now that you know what jailbreaking is, let me tell you why the heck you'd want to do it! I know what you're thinking. "Cody I just got the new iPhone 4, it already comes with multitasking, and I have access to 250,000 sweet apps in the App Store, why would I wanna jailbreak my iPhone?" Easy.

Those of us who are still hungry to free our iDevices have many reasons. I myself, as written before, am crazy about SBSettings. It's an application that gives you an unobtrusive, drop down widget menu that enables you to turn airplane/bluetooth/wifi on and off with 1 touch. And because it's only available in Cydia, your device must be jailbroken in order to obtain it.

Other popular applications include Winterboard, an app that enables you to completely customize the look of your iDevice, emulator to play NES games, and MyWi that turns your iPhone into a wireless hotspot.

Unlocking is also a common reason people jailbreak their devices. Unlocking means removing the carrier lock on the phone to enable it to work with a different network. For example, unlocking your iPhone and activating it on T-mobile's network due to coverage or cost reasons.

Of course an iPhone can only be unlocked to a network with the same chip technology, in the States it's GSM. Anyways if you haven't picked up on the theme of the article, your iPhone has to be jailbroken to be unlocked.

There are some cool reasons to jailbreak, but it sounds really complicated. Wrong again! What started off as a complicated, combination of software/hardware hacks, has become almost as easy as plugging your iDevice into your computer, and running a simple application.

Thanks to hackers like The Dev Team and GeoHot, the jailbreaking process has become extremely easy. Although you always run the risk of causing damage to your device, and possibly voiding your warranty, most people jailbreak without problems.

When

Ok, so your sold on jailbreaking your shiny new iPhone 4 like a drunk man on another drink, what do you do now? Well, nothing for the moment. If you are looking to really customize your new iPhone 4 icons and lock screen, and get access to all of the above-mentioned apps, stay tuned.

There is a jailbreak for the iPhone 4 but it hasn't been released to the public yet because it contains some of Apple's proprietary code. But we should not have to wait too long, The Dev Team is usually pretty quick to respond to Apple updates.

If that doesn't satisfy you, George Hotz aka GeoHot was heard talking about an exploitable bootrom that will enable an iPhone 4 jailbreak at a French underground hackers conference. So check back here frequently as we will obviously have full coverage including tutorials and how to guides.

Who out there has an iPhone 4 and can't wait to jailbreak that sucka?

The Speaker Quality of the iPhone 4

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 18, 2019

After sifting through article after article of early iPhone 4 reviews, I still have one large question unanswered. We all know about the new high res display that Apple has touted around, and 3rd party reports have verified its beauty.

But what I'm desperately wondering is if the audio quality has been improved. Speaker phone quality as well as general media volume is very inadequate for such a premier device.

I wondered if maybe I had just been spoiled by my work phone, a Motorola Droid, but in my quest for an answer I actually came across several different forum threads on various Mac and gadget blogs where users have had the same complaints. As a device used to watch and listen to your media and share funny YouTube videos with your friends on the go, headphones are not always readily available.

I noticed how bad the speaker quality was when I tried to watch a funny YouTube video with a few co-workers out to lunch one day, and you couldn't hear a word on full volume, and there was very little background noise.

The exact same video on my Motorola Droid however was easy to hear at 2/3 volume. I also enjoy listening to music sometimes without headphones, when I'm playing Madden on my Xbox or watching Sport Center late at night. With my current 3G iPhone, it's just not possible.

So although it certainly wasn't mentioned in Steve Job's keynote, and has yet to be commented on in early iPhone 4 reviews, I still have my fingers crossed that there will be an improvement to the external speaker quality. But judging by the picture of the tiny speaker port above, I shouldn't hold my breath.

Currently, speakerphone is also a joke, whether in the car, or sitting at my desk, it's almost impossible to hear the other caller with any type of background noise. It would be nice to have speaker quality reflecting the technical advances in the rest of the device.

But when attempting to make a lot of advanced technology fit inside such a small, thin casing, something's gotta give right? Chances are the speaker port is kept so small to not intrude on the aesthetics of the phone.

Either way looks like the jury's out on this one until June 24, when the first real hands on reviews will start pouring in. Seems though if you were dreaming of higher quality audio in your new iPhone 4, chances are your going to be disappointed.

White Version of iPhone 4 Not Available at Launch

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 27, 2018

It appears, according to several other gadget blogs, that the black version of the new iPhone will be the only one available on launch day.

The white version will not be offered for another several weeks. In fact macrumors has confirmed that Deutsch Telecom, a German wireless company, will only be carrying the black iPhone as well on launch day.

What does this mean? Well, for a lot people, myself included, this means we might not be participating in the launch day madness if the white iPhone will not be available. Ever since I saw the white iPhone 3G I have been saying to myself that the next iPhone I get will be white!

Now it's not that I'm discriminating against black phones, my current iPhone 3G is black. I think I like the white one because it looks and feels more exclusive, less common than the black one, thus making me look cooler right?

Hah, truth be told I buy Apple products not for the status but because they make everything I like doing easier. In fact, in a few weeks I will be setting up a small media network with airport express', possibly a Mac Mini, in my apartment. I'll keep you posted and will probably detail my experience in an article.

But the real question here is, do I want to join in on the launch day activities and head down to the Apple Store, and be cheered for as I purchase the black iPhone 4? Or do I want to wait weeks, read other hands on reviews with jealousy while I wait for a white iPhone announcement? What are you guys planning to do?

You Will Be Able to Get The iPhone 4 Anywhere

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 18, 2019

So in case you have been hiding in a tiny rabbit hole in fear of nuclear war for the last year, Apple has announced a new iPhone, iPhone 4. And what originally started out as a product you could only get online, in an Apple Store, or in an AT&T Store, can now be purchased from just about anywhere.

It seems that Wal-mart has just added their hyphenated name to the long list of retailers that will carry the iPhone 4 at launch date. Among those names are stores like Radio Shack and Best Buy who have carried Apple products for quite some time, but are still a surprise to most, as participants in the typically chaotic iPhone launch date.

If you're like me you're just glad that hopefully this will absorb some of the lines of customers at the stores, and maybe mean that there will be enough iPhones to go around. I don't know though, since AT&T decided to make everyone and their dog eligible for an iPhone 4 upgrade, there's no telling how crazy this launch day will be.

Will you be waiting in line or will you pre-order online?

Flash on The iPad??

Cody Lee ∙ Updated November 12, 2019

Ok so it's not native yet but we've got another semi-solution for you. For those of you who weren't fans of Smokescreen, comes "Flash in a Pinch" by Artefact. It gives you another option for getting Flash on your iPad.

Love it or hate it, the fact is there is still a lot of content on the internet that is only available in flash. Take HULU for example. I drool just thinking of Hulu's massive library on my iPad's sexy screen. But unfortunately because the entire site is coded in Adobe Flash and that format is not currently supported in the iPad's web browser, this perfect union may never be.

Now that's not to say that in the future Hulu won't re-encode some or all of its library in HTML5 and enable viewing from iPads and other devices. Personally I think they have a paid/subscription app or service on the way for such devices, but that's neither here nor there.

The fact of the matter is they, like many websites, are currently using Adobe and haven't shown any signs of changing. Now I agree with Apple and Mr. Jobs on this one. Adobe Flash is resource heavy (meaning it drains your battery faster), it has a tendency to crash (taking with it the OS that's running it), and it's got serious security problems. If your company, your brand, Apple, is known for being 'simple' and 'just working', why would you want such an unstable platform running on your devices?

Steve Jobs sums it up pretty nicely on Apple's website with Thoughts on Flash. In the above mentioned article, Steve says "When we see Flash performing well on a mobile device, we'll add support." After years of waiting, they obviously haven't been able to please the CEO in the black turtle neck. Or any other cell phone manufacturer for that matter.

Adobe flash support was originally supposed to ship on phones in late 2008, then 2009, 1st and 2nd half. Some Android phones claim flash support, but most of it is "Flash Lite" that gives limited access to a small number of flash web sites. So it looks like we're playing the waiting game.

Either Adobe has to rebuild flash and fix some serious flaws, or websites like HULU may eventually have to turn to open platforms such as HTML5. Or things could stay the exact same and we'll have to tote around ugly 3 GHz Android phones with no battery life if we want a decent flash on the go experience.

Or, you can try out an alternative solution like smoke screen or Flash in a Pinch. Now neither one of these run natively obviously, but they do enable your iPad to access flash contents. Both use very different back end technology, but essentially accomplish the same thing.

If you checked out the link for Flash in Pinch, you might have caught the video of the iPad running Flash in a Pinch to view what else, the HULU site. You then would have noticed how choppy the frame rates were even on fast broadband to wireless connection. This has to do with the fact that flash is not running natively. The video has to be encoded, sent off to remote servers, decoded, sent back to your device in a compatible format. Whew! No wonder it's so choppy.

The group behind the technology of Flash in a Pinch, Artefact, also claim they can do this with Silverlight and other platforms as well that aren't supported in mobile devices, and they are working on improving frame and bit rate during playback.

Either way you slice it, similar solutions were cooked up for viewing flash on the iPhone and just never seemed to pan out. So between that and that painful video I just watched, chances are I won't be using either product to view flash on my iPad.

I will just have to hold on for an official announcements from one of the big dogs. But hats off to developers. These guys never cease to amaze me. The genius and man hours that went into develop something like this is incredible. The ability is obviously there it just needs some tweaking. Thank goodness people like this exist to keep us from living a black and white world.

Steve Jobs A Modern Day Willy Wonka?

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 27, 2018

After Monday's keynote address by one of the most recognized and charismatic people in the industry, I couldn't help but be in awe of Apple's latest creation. It didn't matter that there was no mention of a Verizon iPhone in the works, or that the screen size was gonna stay at a complacent 3.6".

It was all the magic, the way they presented FaceTime and iMovie for the iPhone with HD recording. It was the fact that 9 years ago, this was done in a tiny lecture hall in front of a handful of people when Steve Jobs introduced the first ipod.

Just to think about the type of evolution that has taken place in consumer electronics, mobile phones and media players in particular is mind blowing. And as much as most people hate to admit it, the juggernaut from Cupertino is responsible for a lot of the industries progress. From the iPod to the iPhone and iPod touch, and now more recently the iPad, Apple seems to pick areas in the market where there's not a a dominant leader, and set a standard.

Full touch screen phones were a joke before Apple came in and set a standard, no stylus, no combing the internet for compatible applications. Same can be said for iPad. The tablet industry was made up of heavy, stylus only machines that took up as much space as a regular laptop, so weren't too practical as a notebook substitute.

If you watched the iPad get introduced, one 'buzz' word Steve Jobs kept mentioning was "magic." This was a magic device that completely revolutionized how you could interact with a computer. And even though the naysayers put in their 2 cents, "where's the webcam, where's the usb port, etc." after selling 2 million iPads in the first 60 days, it's safe to say Apple's got another hit on their hands.

And with a slew of tablets scheduled to hit the market later this year, also running mobile phone operating systems (Android, web os anyone?), once again Apple has set a standard in an area that had no definite leader, not to mention, setting the bar awfully high in terms of design and function.

Not only has Apple been a constant leader in the industry, their products have garnered near celebrity-like attention, especially their unreleased ones. As typical before any large Apple event where Steve Jobs is scheduled to keynote, the gadget blogs and mac-focused web sites were swirling with rumors of possible product announcements.

This year even saw a story unfold that captured the world's attention involving a prototype of Apple's new iPhone 4 design in a tale that save for the lack of murder (yet?), would fit right at home on any one of Jerry Bruckheimer's prime time crime shows.

In fact Steve Jobs himself has grown to celebrity status. He was seen attending the Oscar's this year, where his new magical device was used through out the night to read off winner's of various Academy awards. The iPad continued to make cameo's in TV shows and garner attention up to it's April 3rd launch date.

Much like the iPad, the new iPhone stirred up all kinds of discussion among tech blogs and gadget forums alike. What size camera will they use? Will they finally implement multitasking, the prototype appeared to have a front-facing camera, will video calls finally be a main stay here in the U.S.?

We talked about this thing until we were blue in the face, and why? It's simple. Steve Jobs has become a present day Willy Wonka. We all wait outside his factory in Cupertino, and try to imagine what goes on inside. I myself picture an almost Utopian like society where mythical creatures run about amongst wizards who wave their wands and things like iPads just kind of appear.

Whatever your mental image, chances are, yesterday when Steve Jobs took the stage you were glued to your phone or computer, hanging on every announcement Mr. Jobs made about the new iPhone.

And if you weren't one of the millions who tuned in to Macrumors.live or Boy Genius's coverage of the event, you are at least aware of its existence and probably could tell me when the device will become available.

This phenomenon had not become so evident to me until today visiting my local post office, I overheard a clerk who was well over 60 years old (not profiling, just telling you facts) discussing with another senior citizen the problems Steve Jobs had during his keynote yesterday accessing the internet on the new iPhone due to 500+ wifi devices running. Even when Microsoft and Bill Gates were at their peak of domination, they never produced this much media attention.

Call it "magic", call it innovation, call it whatever you want, but just a few days after the announcement of the new iPhone 4, people are already guessing what the next Apple product to receive a refresh will be. A new mac mini? A revamped Apple TV? A "magic" touch pad device? Apple's ability to make something that appeals to everybody due to sexy design and simplicity is only out done by its own way of capturing our imagination and making us "think different."

In fact this is the one company where someone says "what will they think up next?" and your mind really ventures off into the seemingly impossible because with Willy Wonka and his Cupertino factory, you never know how to answer that question.

Words with Friends!

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 27, 2018

Wow! Free has come a long way in the Apple App Store. Gone are the days where free apps consisted of simple gimmick sound boards and unplayable games. I ran across quite the gem of an app the other day and figured I'd share it with our readers. I typically don't troll the App Store much so excuse me if I am late to the party with this short review of Words with Friends : Free Edition.

I actually was encouraged by a friend of mine to download the application. Without reading anything on the description page I did so and was pleasantly surprised. You see this was an old friend from back home and we used to play board games all the time, mostly Scrabble.

This was actually a near exact replica of the popular word game. Not only that, but after a quick sign up process using my email, I was able to look her up by her email, and within seconds we were playing "scrabble" together, from completely different states.

Not only do you play the game in near real time, you have the option to chat with your opponent (perfect for in game trash talking so you don't have to switch from your game to the sms app to say "VORACIOUSNESS bitch! Yeah it's a real word, 60 points!" Which brings me to my next point that this is certainly not your typical watered down trial version.

My favorite feature had to be the push notifications. They worked like a champ. If I closed the application to do something, and forgot that I was playing, it would beep and remind me that it was my turn, showing the typical push notification icon, on top of the game icon on my springboard.

Overall the game play was enjoyable, only having to wait 30 seconds to a minute between turns if the other player is paying attention, very nice. The interface was very intuitive as it felt like you were playing the board game, not hard to figure out.

The only real set back I ran into was when I tried to download Words with Friends for my iPad. It told me I needed to register the original version on my iPhone before being able to use it on another device. I'm not sure if that meant I needed to purchase the full version or just register my email.

To be honest I didn't mess with it much as I do plan on purchasing the full version in HD for my iPad if I continue to play it as much as I had been. For not costing me anything, this is a pretty sweet app that has definitely found a place on my home screen, how about you?

iPhone 4.0 Beta 4 Things Are Looking Up!

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 27, 2018

Thinking about installing the iPhone 4.0 beta software on your iPhone? Think again! Several weeks ago I made the executive decision to install the new beta software on my precious iPhone. Big mistake! The beta was only in its second stage and nearly unusable on my outdated 3G iPhone model. Not only that but the features that excited me about the new software were non existent. I understand some features will only be for 3GS and later models, but wow.

I couldn't activate my camera most of the time, it would power cycle every time I launched the web browser, and half the time I couldn't tell if the phone was charging or not. Now before you fill the comments section with ridiculous "that's why they call it beta" remarks, I knew that. I just had that "gotta have it now" mentality that I know a lot of our readers can sympathize with as I have read the "help! i upgraded to 3.1.3 and lost my jailbreak" comment more than once throughout our site.

Not only was my phone unusable, but I couldn't revert back to an earlier version either. I didn't do any kind of baseband umbrella so of course, my baseband could not be downgraded.

Well, after version 3 of the 4.0 software was released and I installed it, I saw a lot of improvements on the above mentioned bugs. Now that version 4 is out, they are almost non existent. The best part of this version is that they finally made available the 'folders' feature.

The best implementation of a 'folder' system I think I've seen on a mobile device. A folder is created simply by dragging one icon on top of another, and you are instantly offered the chance to edit the name of the folder. I'm definitely excited to see what the next beta will reveal as we are still weeks away from any official announcement on a consumer-ready iPhone 4.0 download at WWDC in June.

iPhone + Verizon Really Coming in June?

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 27, 2018

While we, here at the blog, don't typically chime in on the endless next-gen iPhone rumors, I felt compelled to do so on this particular piece of gossip. Talk about an Apple iPhone on the nation's largest network dates back to, well, the origination of the iPhone.

In fact, legend has it that Apple had originally approached 'Big Red', with the iPhone, exclusivity and all, and they turned it down. Now why exactly a cell phone carrier would want to turn down the opportunity to add 4% of their competition's customers to their network is up for speculation. Reported reasons have ranged from Apple's phones not having a removable battery to the lengthy warranty process for malfunctioning devices.

Fast forward to 2009. The iPhone had sold in record numbers, but Verizon definitely didn't go home and eat Ben and Jerry's and watch chick flicks. With a struggling smart phone line up consisting of aging Blackberrys and Windows mobile devices, they struck up a friendship with search engine and now mobile giant Google. Interesting.

Interesting because today they now carry 5 Android handsets with more promised later this year, as well as confirmed reports that the two are collaborating on a tablet device. Throwing an iPhone and other Apple products (iPad?) into the mix will be like putting a scorpion and brown recluse in a glass jar together and watching them fight. Giving customers freedom of choice between the 2 would produce interesting results.

Another fact to consider is that we have all seen the photos of at least a prototype of the next iPhone and the device appears to have a front facing camera. Before you go and dismiss this as a 'for self portraits' kind of camera, better check your tech blogs a little closer, tons of developers and home brewers have already discovered tons of evidence in the code of the new iPhone 4.0 software pointing to video chat.

Nationwide video calling would be pretty sketchy on a 3G network, no matter how fast or reliable. But Verizon is definitely making noise with its LTE network it plans on rolling out in a handful of markets later this year. Still sounds like we are a year or 2 away from it being anywhere close to nationwide, would Apple waste time making a CDMA handset available this summer with LTE on the horizon? I suppose theres a possibility of a dual band 3G/LTE iPhone.

But none the less all of my skepticism get sidetracked by all the latest gossip that streams through my RSS Feed reader. CrunchGear is reporting that they have received tips that an advertising agency is working on an advertising campaign for Verizon and new iPhone HD. Not to mention numerous Verizon Wireless employees reporting that they are blocking out vacation dates around Father's Day weekend but their not saying why.

If you're asking yourself "Cody, what do I make of all of this information?" You're asking the wrong person, I'm about as on the fence on this one as they come. Unless you've been hiding under rock for the last year, you are aware that AT&T has been reporting customer complaints in all of its larger markets for dropped calls, no service, and slow data speeds.

They have been long since criticized for their older network infrastructure not being able to handle the millions of new iPhone customers they have added. You should also know that the original 5 year contract AT&T and Apple signed in 2007 has been publicly reported to have been renegotiated to expire this summer, June 2010 to be exact.

Putting their phones in front of an industry leading 90,000,000 wireless customers would seemingly be a smart business move for Apple. But only time will tell, and the clock couldn't possibly tick any slowly on our count down to Apple's June event. In the meantime, post some comments, I will try to put any updates I find on this topic in the comments section!

It’s Your iPhone, Do You Use Protection?

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 27, 2018

No, we're not about to have an awkward talk about the birds and the bees. In noticing the many scuffs and scratches on the back of my beloved iPhone, I remember thinking I probably should have used protection.

Don't get me wrong, I tried to be a good iPhone owner. I use screen protectors regularly, and have tried to keep it in a case, several times in fact. The conclusions I have come to are as such: the decent looking silicon cases I tried didn't add too much bulk to the phone, but would stretch out and attract tons of lint and dust, so would be useless after just weeks of usage. The thicker plastic cases I tried that were 2 pieces that snapped together, were constantly coming undone, so they were more of a headache than anything.

I've dropped my iPhone a few times, without a case on it, and you can definitely tell it's been through a lot. In my opinion Apple should go to rubber or matte backs, but at least they're not that aluminum back of the earlier models.

It'll be interesting to see what Apple has in store for the next model of the iPhone, especially after seeing the technology they have in the iPad. Until then though I need to keep my current iPhone 3G safe from any horrible mishaps. What do you guys think, do you use protection for your iPod Touch or iPhone, and if so, and good recommendations for a lightweight, durable case that stays put?

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?

Remotely Control Your Mac or PC with Remote Jr.

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 27, 2018

I think I'm with Angi on this one. I generally don't pay for apps. But, if I really need an application because it performs certain tasks, and I can't find anything in the free section, I have to buy it. Remote Jr. by Pratik Kumar is definitely one of those applications.

I'm one of those nerds that is constantly trying to find a way to incorporate my iPhone into my everyday life, thus eliminating other remotes and devices. Like when my MacBook is connected to my TV, instead of having an actual wireless keyboard and mouse, I use my iPhone with an app like Logitech's Touch Mouse App.

This proved to be very handy as I could sit quite a distance from my TV and MacBook and pull up webpages, search movies on YouTube, and click through photos. I even had applications that would control my iTunes and the front row applications on my MacBook.

These were all great, but I discovered that what I really wanted was the ability to see the screen of my desktop on my iPhone, as I was controlling it. Just imagine all the possibilities (I say that with a joker-like grin with my hands in a Mr. Burns 'excellent' pose).

After sifting through Apple's App Store I didn't see a whole lot of options. As I started to filter out applications by options (desktop view, mac OS X compatible, etc...) it really just came down to Remote Jr.

After reading that the application also offered the ability to connect to a laptop or desktop over the internet I had no problem dropping the $7.99. The fact that it included a built in front row remote mode was also an added bonus.

But the real value is in the fact that it doesn't have to be on the same network as the computer you are trying to connect to. In general most remote control apps require that you be on the same wireless network as the connecting device, Remote Jr. apparently didn't get that memo.

I had to try this out. From my wireless network at work, I was able to see my MacBook that I left open at home. Without having to mess with the settings, I pressed on my MacBook's icon (that I had setup that morning), and within seconds I was connected to my MacBook at home. I was able to pull up pictures and type a to do list for when I got home.

The coolest thing was probably, right as I was leaving work, I set a playlist up in itunes to start playing. Not just any playlist, but a list of awesome songs that I would love to come home to. Sure enough, after a quick 10 minute commute, I opened my front door to "Welcome to the Jungle" by The Guns and Roses. Que 5 minute air guitar solo, "nunna nunna knees! knees! knees!"

So back to the application. It really seemed to impress more around every corner. Initial setup is a breeze. You run remote helper on your client mac or PC, and you open Remote Jr. on your iPhone. No entering in long and confusing IP addresses, no constant clicking "find" or "search", like all of us have come to expect with apple products, it just worked.

The front row mode on the phone performed like a champ, I was able to watch DVD's browse pictures, and of course play music, all from any room in my house.

Now, for some people, especially those who plan on doing a lot of typing, they may want to go with a full size wireless keyboard. The tiny keyboard on the iPhone screen won't meet everyone's needs. There is also some lag when switching from front row remote to live desktop and other modes, so if that is going to bug you, stay away. But for my needs, this app was perfect.

If you're looking for a way to control your computer from across the living room or across town, at $7.99 Remote Jr. is perfect for you too. Especially if you are a Mac user, this might be your best option for a desktop view capable remote application (and if you know of a better one, link it in the comments, we'll check it out).

Any question or comment, please feel free to ask.