Sébastien Page

Sebastien is the Founder and Editor in Chief of iDB. Once a BlackBerry user, Sebastien instantly fell in love with the iPhone when it was first announced in 2007. Shortly after, he decided to start sharing his knowledge of the iPhone and its nascent ecosystem, which led to the creation of this blog. Sebastien currently owns 14 iPhones, 4 iPads, a MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, a MacBook Air, 2 Apple Watches, 3 Apple TVs, countless HomePods and AirTags as well as a few pairs of AirPods.

How to Use FaceTime on 3G

Sébastien Page ∙ June 28, 2010

FaceTime was recently introduced by Apple on the new iPhone 4. This new feature is only supposed to work on wifi, which can be quite inconvenient if you feel like having a FaceTime conversation while on the road.

In order to get the following trick to work and allow you to use FaceTime over 3G, you need to have the tethering option activated. If you're in the US, the official tethering plan with AT&T costs an extra $20/month. As soon as the iPhone 4 is jailbroken, I'm sure apps such as MyWi will do the trick.

I haven't tried this myself but Justin, the iDB reader who tipped me on this, assures me it works. Justin tipped me several times before and I trust him about this. These instructions to get FaceTime to work on 3G are for Mac. I'm sure you can do the same with a PC. If you know how, feel free to comment on it.

Step 1: On your iPhone 4, go to Settings > General > Network > Internet Tethering > Connect via USB. In System Preferences on your Mac, go to your Network preferences. A new "iPhone USB" connection should appear in the left pane.

Step 2: Still on your Mac, go to the Sharing preference pane and check the Internet Sharing box to share your USB connection over AirPort.

Step 3: On your iPhone 4, connect to the network you just started sharing. Done!

This basically lets you use your own 3G connection as if it was a "normal" wifi connection.

After that, you can use FaceTime on 3G all you want. Justin says it can be a little slow but it worked pretty well overall.

Try it on and tell us what you think.

How to Downgrade Your iPhone From iOS 4 to 3.1.3

Sébastien Page ∙ June 28, 2010

Every time Apple releases a new firmware, they stop signing the older one, which means you technically can't downgrade to a previous firmware by restoring. Fortunately, if you have your ECID SHSH on file on Saurik's servers, then you might be able to downgrade your iPhone from iOS 4 to 3.1.3 or earlier.

The trick is to make iTunes believe it is requesting a signature from Apple's servers while it will actually be talking to Saurik's servers.

Downgrading from iOS 4 to 3.1.3 does require you saved your SHSH on Saurik's servers. If you haven't, then you can't downgrade.

Downgrade from iPhone iOS 4 to firmware 3.1.3

Step 1 for Windows: Make sure you are logged in with administrator privileges. Launch Notepad and navigate to C:/Windows/System32/drivers/etc. Add the following at the very bottom of the file: 74.208.10.249 gs.apple.com

Now save the file back where you found it.

Step 1 for Mac: In Finder, select Go To Folder, and enter /etc. Search the hosts file and right click on it to open with TextEdit. Add the following at the very bottom of the file: 74.208.10.249 gs.apple.com

Click Save As to save the edited file on your desktop. Name the file hosts, and make sure to uncheck the box that says "if no extension is provide, use .txt".

Now drag and drop this edited file to /etc.

Step 2: Download the firmware you want to downgrade to from here.

Step 3: Put your iPhone in DFU mode. Launch iTunes and plug your iPhone in. Press and hold the home and and sleep button together for 10 seconds. After exactly 10 seconds, release the sleep button while still holding the home button. Keep holding the home button until iTunes tells you it has found an iPhone in recovery mode.

Step 4: Now hold the Option key (Mac only) or Shift key (Windows only) while clicking the Restore button in iTunes. A dialog box will pop up and you’ll be able to choose the firmware you downloaded in step 2.

Step 5: At this point, some of you will be fine. The iPhone will restore without any problem. However, some of you might end up in recovery mode again. It's ok. We just need to kick the iPhone out of recovery mode. To do so, download and launch iReb for Windows or iRecovery (both Mac and Windows).

Welcome back to 3.1.3!

[image Life Hacker]

How to Check Your iPhone Bootrom Version

Sébastien Page ∙ June 28, 2010

The latest version of PwnageTool to jailbreak the iPhone 3GS has a few requirements that depend on your bootrom version. Many people have been asking me how to know what's the bootROM of your iPhone so here are some simple instuctions for both Mac and Windows.

The old bootrom refers to those produced before September 2009, version number 359.3. The new bootrom is version 359.3.2 or later.

How to find your bootrom version on Windows

Step 1: Put your iPhone in DFU mode: Launch iTunes and plug your iPhone in. Press and hold the home and and sleep button together for 10 seconds. After exactly 10 seconds, release the sleep button while still holding the home button. Keep holding the home button until iTunes tells you it has found an iPhone in recovery mode.

Step 2: Go to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Device Manager.

Step 3: Double click Universal Serial Bus Controllers, then click the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver item and click the Properties button.

Step 4: Select the Details tab, then select Device Instance Path from the Property dropdown menu. Scroll all the way to the right to locate your bootrom version.

How to find your bootrom version on Mac

Step 2: In the Apple menu at the top left of your screen, select About This Mac, then click More Info on the window that appears.

Step 3: Select USB from the Hardware list on the left, then click to select Apple Mobile Device (DFU Mode) from the USB Device Tree on the main panel.

Step 4: In the detail panel right below the main panel, you should find the Serial Number. Your iBoot version is at the very end of it.

Infographics: History of the iPhone

Sébastien Page ∙ June 28, 2010

This nice infographics was put up together by Mashable. It will give you a brief overview of the history of the iPhone, from its official launch in 2007 to today.

The iPhone 4 is Jailbroken

Sébastien Page ∙ June 27, 2010

Ladies and gentlemen, there is a jailbreak for iPhone 4. iPhone hackers PlanetBeing and Chpwn have managed to get root access (jailbreak) the iPhone 4, by using a variation of the Spirit jailbreak by Comex.

A few hours ago, PlanetBeing posted the following on Twitter:

Think I’m the first one I know about to get a root shell (and SSH) on iPhone 4, using poor @comex’s code (since he has no iPhone 4)

This was later confirmed by MuscleNerd who posted a tweet containing this retina display image of Cydia on an iPhone 4.

And now for the bad news... iPhone hacker p0sixninja confirmed on Twitter that this version of Spirit used to jailbreak the iPhone 4 cannot be released at the time being because it contains parts of Apple's proprietary code, which is obviously illegal.

This bad news was also confirmed by PlanetBeing which insisted on the fact that Spirit is nowhere ready for a release. What does that mean? Well, it means it might take a few more days, maybe weeks, until Spirit can officially be released to jailbreak the iPhone 4.

iPhone News You Missed This Week

Sébastien Page ∙ June 27, 2010

That was a busy week with the release of iOS 4 and the launch of the iPhone 4. In cased you missed any of the festivities, here is a quick recap of what happened this past week:

iOS 4 Confirmed to Be Unlockable Make sure your iPhone is ready for iOS 4 Jailbreakers should stay away from iOS 4 The pros and cons of iOS 4 The speaker quality of the iPhone 4 List of jailbreak apps compatible with iOS 4 iOS 4 now available for download iOS 4 unlock for all basebands available Geohot discovers exploit that will pwn them all Jailbreak iPhone 3G on iOS 4 with RedSn0w The ultimate guide to iOS 4 Poll: did you update to iOS 4? iOS 4 users report problems after updating PwnageTool jailbreak for iOS 4 now available Tutorial: how to jailbreak iPhone iOS 4 with PwnageTool PwnageTool 4.01 update How to make sure you are ready for the iPhone 4 iPhone 4 can be scratched Unboxing my iPhone 4 iPhone 4 reviews White iPhone won't be available until mid July Apple and AT&T may prevent future jailbreaks with OTA updates Three very annoying things on my iPhone 4 iMovie for iPhone 4 Proof the iPhone 4 is not unbreakable The iPhone 4 sucks The most original iPhone skin ever Infographics: the real cost of iPhone 4 ownership Try FaceTime with Apple reps App Store now features an iOS 4 category The iPhone 4: it blends iPhone 4 user guide How to opt out of Apple's targeted iAds Reasons to buy an iPhone 4 Is Apple full of sh*t about the iPhone 4 antenna issue? FaceTime for dummies

FaceTime for Dummies

Sébastien Page ∙ June 26, 2010

FaceTime is a new feature introduced by Apple on the iPhone 4 that allows video calls, face to face from anywhere in the world, as long as you have an active internet connection. While not a breakthrough technology by itself, I think FaceTime will bring video calls to the masses.

I've tested FaceTime several times and I am completely in love with this new iPhone feature. Yesterday I had a 30 minute FaceTime conversation with my cousin in France. The image and sound were crystal clear.

FaceTime is a very simple feature to use but it seems many people have questions about it so let me quickly walk you through it.

You have to activate FaceTime

To do so, go to Settings > FaceTime > On. Depending on your country, it might take a few minutes to actually activate the feature. I suggest you reboot your iPhone after turning FaceTime on.

iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 only

FaceTime is only iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 for the time being. That means that your FaceTime buddy must have an iPhone 4 with FaceTime activated. FaceTime is opened to developers so it is very likely that some applications like Skype will use FaceTime in their apps, thus allowing you to FaceTime from an iPhone 4 to a desktop computer.

Wifi only

While I can only imagine that the jailbreak community will allow FaceTime to work over 3G, FaceTime can only work on wifi for the time being.

FaceTime is free

Because it works on wifi only, there is no cost associated with using FaceTime. No matter what, when, how, and where you use FaceTime it is completely free.

Making a FaceTime call

There are 2 ways you can initiate a FaceTime call.

Call your friend like you normally do. When both of you are on the line, simply hit the FaceTime icon on your iPhone. Your friend will receive an invitation and if he accepts it, it will drop the call and start connecting you both on FaceTime. This is the best way to start a FaceTime conversation as it allows you to check that your buddy is on wifi, thus available for FaceTime. Note that although FaceTime is free, you will have to pay for the call time. Once you hit the FaceTime icon and the call ends, you will stop being charged. If you know for sure your friend is on wifi, go to your contacts, tap your friend's name and tap the FaceTime button. It will ring on the other end of the line and if your friend accepts the FaceTime invitation, it will start connecting you both.

Switch between the front and back camera

The front-facing camera is the one used by default when making a FaceTime call, but you can also use the back camera. Tap the camera icon at the lower right of the screen and you'll activate the camera on the back of your iPhone. You'll then be able to share what's around you. To switch back to the front-facing camera, tap the button at the lower right again.

Use another app without leaving FaceTime

While on a FaceTime call, you may have to go do something in your iPhone. For example, you may need to look up a contact, or check emails, etc... Simply hit the home button during your FaceTime call and you will be taken to your home screen. From there, you can do whatever you want. The FaceTime image will be frozen on the other end of the line but the sound will still works. That means your friend won't see you but you'll still be able to talk to him. When you're done and you want to go back to your FaceTime video chat, simply hit the green bar at the top of your screen.

Mute FaceTime

You can mute yourself during a FaceTime call. Simply tap the "mute" button and your friend won't be able to hear what you're saying although he'll still be able to see you. You will still be able to see and hear what he says. Tap the button again to unmute yourself.

FaceTime in landscape mode

FaceTime doesn't only work in portrait mode. You can turn your iPhone to a 90 degree angle and have your conversation in landscape mode.

Move yourself around

When on a FaceTime call, there is a little window on your screen showing you what your friend sees (usually it's your face!). You can move this little window around by tapping it and moving it to another corner.

Try FaceTime

If you haven't had the occasion to try FaceTime on, you can chat with an Apple rep who will go over the features of FaceTime. Click here for more info about that.

Any other tip you have about FaceTime? If so, please take the time to share it with us.

Is Apple Full of Sh*t About the iPhone 4 Antenna Issue?

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated January 23, 2016

Are you familiar with the iPhone 4 antenna death grip? Basically, when held with the left hand, connecting the two antennas, the signal drops significantly, often cutting off cell signal. It's a big deal as many people reported experiencing this issue, me included.

Someone has been emailing Steve Jobs about this issue, who sent the most moronic email reply of all times:

If you ever experience this on your iPhone 4, avoid gripping it in the lower left corner in a way that covers both sides of the black strip in the metal band, or simply use one of many available cases.

Ok, so you're telling me to hold my iPhone a different way, or, to buy one of your cases? Seriously, is that your official statement? Anyways.

Now there are rumors that Apple might come up with a software upgrade to fix this issue. So why did Steve Jobs sent this moronic reply if it can be fixed with a software update?

As Mongstradamus pointed out to me, someone needs to call out Apple on this. Steve's email clearly makes it seem like it's a hardware issue and a software update wouldn't change a thing.

Is it just me being too skeptical? What do you think?

11 Reasons to Buy an iPhone 4

Sébastien Page ∙ June 26, 2010

A couple days ago I wrote an article explaining why the iPhone 4 sucks. To be fair, I thought I'd write another article to give you several reasons to buy an iPhone 4.

It's beautiful

You know it. It's an absolutely beautiful product. It's clean, shiny, and classy. You can't argue about this.

It's cool

You know it too. Owning an iPhone is the ultimate gadget. You gotta give il all away to Apple's brilliant (evil?) marketing.

FaceTime

Sure the FaceTime concept is not new but it's just plain awesome. I just did a 30 minute FaceTime conversation with my cousin in France. Seriously, have you ever done that on any other phone? No!

230,000+ apps

There are now over 230,000 apps in the App Store and thousands more are added each day. Whatever you want to do, chances are there's an app for that.

Jailbreak

If you can't find an app in the App Store, you will most likely find it in Cydia, the app store for jailbreak apps. I love my iPhone and I sure love my jailbreak. Check out all these cool jailbreak apps for iPhone. At the time I am writing this there is no jailbreak for the iPhone 4 yet but it should be released in the next few days.

5 MP camera + LED Flash + front-facing camera

Me and many others have been talking smack about the camera of the iPhone for the last 3 years. No more complaining now with the nice 5MP camera. Coupled with the LED flash and the front-facing camera, the iPhone can now match the "basic" features that all the other smartphones already have.

HD video recording

You can now record high definition 720p videos at 30fps. Not too bad, huh?

The screen

With the iPhone 4, Apple introduced a new Retina Display screen that boasts 4 times more pixels than the previous iPhone. The result: a crystal clear screen that can perfectly render the sharpest details.

It's fast

With the new A4 processor and twice the RAM of the iPhone 3GS, the new iPhone 4 is fast fast fast.

Gyroscope

Along with 4 other sensors, (light, proximity, accelerometer, and compass), the gyroscope will bring the Wii experience to the iPhone. Expect some great games that will take full advantage of this new feature soon.

Price

If you're a new AT&T customer, the iPhone is not that expensive. Starting at $199 for the 16GB, it will go up to $299 for the 32GB version with a 2-year contract.

Can you think of any other reason to buy an iPhone 4? If so, please let us know by leaving a comment.

How to Opt Out of iPhone Targeted iAds

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated February 22, 2017

One of the big features of iOS 4 is iAd, a new advertising platform created by Apple, supposedly so developers can make more money and keep their app prices on the cheap.

Like anyone who enters the ad business, Apple had to update their privacy policy, which you agreed to by installing iOS 4.

Gizmodo were the first this morning to bring light on this part of Apple's privacy policy:

To provide location-based services on Apple products, Apple and our partners and licensees may collect, use, and share precise location data, including the real-time geographic location of your Apple computer or device. This location data is collected anonymously in a form that does not personally identify you and is used by Apple and our partners and licensees to provide and improve location-based products and services. For example, we may share geographic location with application providers when you opt in to their location services.

Unfortunately there is no way to opt out of this tracking. No matter what, Apple will still track what you do and where you. Yes, that sucks!

However, you can opt out of Apple's targeted ads by navigating to https://oo.apple.com/ from your iOS device and voila. I guess Apple could have made this more obvious.

iOS 4.01 to Come on Monday to Fix the iPhone 4 Antenna Issue

Sébastien Page ∙ June 25, 2010

By now you probably have heard of the death grip of the iPhone 4 antenna that causes reception issues on the new device. Apparently, the problem is more of a software issue that might be fixed this monday with a software update to iOS 4.01.

It took me a day to realize I had the same issue as thousands of new iPhone owners had reported. When I hold my iPhone a certain way, I lose a few bars of reception. Sometimes, it goes as far as completely dropping the signal.

Apple issued a somewhat official and idiotic statement via an email sent by Steve Jobs himself to an unhappy customer. Steve Jobs recommended we hold the iPhone in a different way or that we should buy a Bumper case, which avoids the issue. Krapps wrote a funny article about it should you want to learn more.

iPhone 3GS owners who have upgraded to iOS 4 have a similar issue, which might prove that the problem comes from the software and not from the hardware.

According to Apple Insider, a fix is in the works and should ship on Monday:

Readers report that Apple's tech support forums originally confirmed that a iOS 4.0.1 software fix addressing the issue would ship early next week (as early as Monday), before the comments were subsequently taken down along with all the other related discussion about the matter.

The fix is expected to address a issue in iOS 4 related to radio frequency calibration of the baseband. Readers who saw the original forum discussions say that the issue is believed to occur when switching frequencies; because the lag is allegedly not calibrated correctly, it results in the device reporting "no service" rather than switching to the frequency with the best signal to noise ratio.

I just hope Apple will not "hide" this issue with a software update but will actually fix it. Thoughts?

iPhone 4 User Guide

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated September 21, 2011

Just got a new iPhone 4 and you're not sure how to use it? That's why Apple created an iPhone 4 user guide. From setting up your email to adding contacts, this 244 page PDF will walk you through every single step of the iPhone set up.

Obviously this iPhone 4 user guide was not designed for people who already own an iPhone but I'm sure it will help first-time iPhone owners.

You can download the iPhone 4 user guide in PDF from here, or just go to help.apple.com/iphone/ from your iPhone.

If you have a specific question about the use of your iPhone, please DO NOT ask it here. Instead, go to our forums where other users will be able to help you.