Is the new iPhone 4S worth the upgrade?

Today I became the proud owner of a shiny, new black iPhone 4S with 32 Gb of memory. It does everything they say it will with really great 8 megapixel pictures and auto flash, high definition videos and many new apps. It also includes Siri voice control which is a much enhanced version of previous voice control functions in the iPhone, and that actually works, at least most of the time. I wait eagerly for the day when voice control is as good as it is on Star Trek, but that's a while off yet. 


To think that less than ten years ago, my primary desktop computer had much less memory and power than this small and magic mobile device is amazing. I like Apple devices, and I always have - they have made one or two mistakes along the way, but this new iPhone is terrific, and it is a beautiful piece of engineering! It has all the functions that a business person would want. It also has the creative ability that allows you to make beautiful pictures, videos and sounds, and it has the reliability of the Apple OS and the App Store, which means it you don't tinker with it, you can enjoy a safe and secure mobile environment with little to no fear of viruses and malware.


The dual core processor, which is the much the same as in the iPad2 make for a much faster experience than previous models, so you may wonder, who should upgrade?


If you were like me and had come off contract with an iPhone 3GS after two years, it's a no brainer. My new contract with handset actually costs me $15 less per month, and I could and may sell my 3GS handset if I wished. If you are still on contract with an iPhone 4, and are getting good results, then wait out out your contract unless money is not a issue for you. Some iPhone 4 users have had reception and dropout problems due to the antennae positioning and contact with your fingers. This can mostly be solved by using a case or a bumper, but has also been an issue which the carriers have addressed with new and better towers, and continue to work on.


The iPhone 4S addresses this particular issue with two separate antennae at different ends of the phone, and the signal switches to the best one automatically. I still recommend a case or bumper, as even the new ones still are manufactured with a toughened glass composite back as well as a glass screen, so you really don't want to drop it on a hard surface without protection. There's some great looking cases available either at the Apple Store and or online. I use an Australian supplier in Adelaide who deals in very affordable iPhone accessories, and have found him quite reliable over a long period. Their website is www.tdu.highwire.com and is worth checking out. Postage within Australia is usually free as well.


There were rumours that this year we would have seen the release of the iPhone 5. It now seems very likely that an iPhone 5 will not be released until after mid 2012 and the specs aren't even known as yet, so you all can be sure that this is a significant upgrade, especially for those with a 3GS, and if you want great quality photos and good speed, then I'd recommend it highly!

Charging Your Phone From The Sun!

You can now get a Nomad Solar Phone charger from Mitre 10. Good when you're away from power like camping or hiking. Or maybe when you lose house power for an extended period of time. It either lays out flat, or you can wear it like a backpack while hiking. It seems to have a USB outlet so should work with iPhones,  iPods and other phone brands as well. At $99, it's a real good buy!

Video Email for iPhone

I've been using Eyejot video email on my PC for a long time now to send video emails to friends and colleagues. It's a way to give a personal touch to email that words can't achieve. I was pleased to see that Eyejot has been released for the iPhone and is available at the App Store now.

One of the cooler functions of the iPhone version of Eyejot is that you can store up to 5 video business cards that have your contact details attached to them as text. It seems like a great way to give someone your business card in a way that won't get lost somehow, but will be there in their email.

Haven't tried it yet on the mobile, but am looking forward to using this new technology in the next few days. Apparently  you can make a high quality video with a camcorder and upload it to use in your video business cards.

I've often said that words alone are sometimes insufficient, and pictures and video add a whole new dimension. Now, with programs like this and fast computer bandwidth like ADSL2+, this form of communication is now a reality for most people.

You can download Eyejot from the App Store on your phone or from this link. It does cost $4.49 but that's about the same as a good cup of coffee, so try it out. The PC version is free, but limited to 60 seconds unless you upgrade.

Here's the App Store download link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/eyejot-video-mail/id480595295?mt=8

How to Save Contacts from your iPhone to your PC

Even if you back up your iPhone regularly, it is still very difficult to access your contacts from the PC should your phone be out of action for a while. I found an App called Export Contacts which allows you to export your phone list in PDF format, and your entire contact data file in either Outlook or CSV (Excel readable) formats.


Your contacts are often your business and are so very important, and this a way to ensure that they are always available. Here is the iTunes link to Export Contacts and a screenshot. I highly recommend this app!

Battery Backup for the iPhone

One of the things about the iPhone that is annoying is that you can't change batteries. So what do you do when you're in the field and run out of charge? That has happened to me a couple of times, and led me to search for a battery backup device, and I found one. 


It carries enough charge for a few hours and can extend your iPhone's day by recharging it on the go. First of all you charge the device through a USB cable (pictured). The you disconnect the USB cable and just carry it around in your car/briefcase or whatever suits until needed.


When the day comes that your iPhone battery dies and you're nowhere near power, you plug this battery/charger device into the normal charging slot on the iPhone, and in a minute or so you are able to start using your phone while it is charging. Very handy and less that $14 shipped from Adelaide.


You can buy it from Technology Down Under who stock a range of useful iPhone accessories, and who I've found very reliable.


Here's their website: http://www.technologydownunder.com.au/

Pictures and the Concern about Location Data

Its been in the news lately that smartphone pictures contain accurate GPS location data (geotags) which if posted online could cause a danger to you or you family. Here are the facts as I know then, and I have just done a test to verify them.


I took a picture with my iPhone today, and copied it to my desktop. I also emailed it to the same  PC. On both occasions the geotags were present as you can see in the picture below. There has been major concerns about posting online to social media, so I posted the same picture to Facebook, and then downloaded it and looked at the details.


The geotag, (i.e. the location data) was gone, thus rendering the photo safe. I don't know if this the same for other networks, but you can check your own photos by right clicking on them and selecting properties/details. The GPS data will be present near the bottom as per the photo below left.


The safest option, and the one you should use mostly, is to turn geotagging off. On the iPhone this is done by going into your settings/location services and turning it off on the camera function. No other GPS services will be affected. Android users will need to check with their suppliers. The photo below on the right shows how it is done on the iPhone.

Using the iPhone as a Wi-Fi Personal Hotspot

I made a post under the title of Internet Tethering on April 1st. It's in the archives of this blog. It related to using your iPhone as a personal wi-fi hotspot for an iPad or other wi-fi device.

Jason Murray has been testing this for a while, and this is his feedback "I just wanted to say thanks for your info on the personal hotspot within our iPhones !!!  I have an iPad which I was very fortunate to be given, however it was only wi-fi enabled, restricting me to web surfing and checking mail at home.  Now with the ability for my iPhone to act as my own personal wi-fi hub I can take my iPad everywhere, and use my iPhone's Internet connection.  This is a fantastic leap forward, thanks so much for putting it out there and sharing it with us."

So thanks to Jason for this feedback. Obviously, it works well and I encourage more of you to try it. 

Transferring Data from iPhone to Android Phones

Thanks to Geoff Kirkwood for this tip. If you decide to change from an iPhone to an Android based smartphone, or even if you get a second phone that is Android based, how do you transfer all your contacts, data, texts, accounts and even music across?


This link to a video and article should  be quite  helpful in showing you how do so: Transferring data to an Android phone.

Voice Reminders Make Life Easy!

I was recently shown an app called Vocal that allows you to record a voice reminder on your phone and then have that reminder played back at a specified time and date.


If you are like me, you'll often think of something you want to do later, but don't have the time or opportunity to type it into your phone. This is where the app comes in surprisingly handy, as it combines a voice memo function with a calendar, and an alarm. 


I didn't think I'd use it that much, but I do because it's quick, it useful and it's easy.
You can download it from iTunes at this link: Vocal Voice Reminders

Is your iPhone tracking you?

Is your smartphone tracking you? Yes it is, and there has been a lot of news about it last week. Both Android and Apple phones do this, and it is the location services and GPS that actually make them smartphones. You can turn off all or some location services in your settings if concerned.


If you have an iPhone go to Settings/Location Services and you will see the screen below. You can either disable location services entirely, which stops any tracking information being recorded, or you can disable it by app. For instance, if you have it turned off on the camera setting, geotags are not recorded with pictures etc. Click here to watch this story on Good Morning America.

Use Your iPhone as a PA System or FM Transmitter!

I wanted to play my songs and podcasts through my car radio from my iPhone, and found that this FM Transmitter, which is digital, does it much better than any other. Once you set the frequency on the FM Transmitter and match it to your car radio, it works perfectly. It also works with any stereo system with an FM Tuner.

As a nice bonus, you can buy a microphone app for the iPhone (from the App Store) which lets you use your iPhone as a wireless mike for any PA system that accepts FM signals. I use portable CD Player (Boom Box) which has a good volume range, and most people have one of these. 

For anyone who runs small meetings, this is fantastic as you don't have to hire expensive PA equipment from the venue. The small remote works well and I think this is a top product. I’m very happy with it!

Here is the link to buy the FM Transmitter which is less then $15 - FM Transmitter and Remote

This is the iTunes Link to buy the $2 app that lets you use it as a microphone for a PA System  - Apple Microphone App

Are you having reception problems?

A lot of my friends with iPhone 4's are having reception problems. This is caused by two things, one of which can be changed easily. When Apple designed the iPhone 4, it put part of the antennae in the metal strip at the side of the phone. When you hold it with your bare hand, touching this strip weakens the signal. Apple have recognised this problem, and should fix it in the next model.

For those of you with the current model 4, and this doesn't apply to the 3 series, you need a case which in some way covers the metal strip and stops the signal dropping out. I know some people like the design exactly as it is, and may even considerer it a fashion accessory, but you do need a case. There are many terrific designs out there to suit all tastes, available either in stores or on eBay.

The second problem is caused by some carriers who are having network and/or software problems. The easy solution is to change carriers, but if you're locked into a contract, this isn't that easy. If you're having real problems, you may be able to get out of your contract. Contact you carrier firstly, then if that doesn't help contact the telecommunications ombudsman, and finally you may wish to take legal advice. Nobody should have to put up with poor reception and these are your current options.

How to check a broken remote control with your camera phone.

We all have remote controls for TV's, DVD's and other electronic devices. Most work on infra-red and send an invisible signal from the remote control to the device to change channels etc. If the remote control stops working, the first thing to do is to change the batteries. Most times, that's all it is.

But what if changing the batteries doesn't work? How do you test it? The first thing to check is that the infra-red signal is actually being sent. Now you can't see this with the naked eye, but the camera in the iPhone and I would suggest most other smartphones has electronics in it's sensor that will pick up that signal visibly by pressing any buttons on the remote while viewing it through the camera.

I've made a little video that explains it easier than words, and it's a good way to see if the remote is not working at all before you take it in for repair. Sometimes, as was the case with mine, it will stick at the on position. In either case, provided your have installed fresh batteries, you'll be able to check the working status of your remote. Thanks to the techs at Clive Anthony's for teaching me this trick.

iPhone 5 Release Date

A reader asked what the new iPhone 5 would be like and when it was due for release.

The tech specs of the iPhone 5 are a closely guarded secret, but I do know that it will be fixing the antennae issues of the Model 4. They have caused a lot of problems. I don’t think it will be revolutionary, but I can tell you that it will have a faster processor, possibly a metal back incorporating the antennae, and even an increased screen size to 3.7” which may be achieved using edge-to-edge construction so that the overall phone size stays the same.

Best information is  that It’s due for release in September, so hold off till then. Some journos are speculating at a July release which is possible. Whatever happens, my personal suggestion is not to get an iPhone 4 if your contract runs out, most of my friends have all experienced too many reception hassles with it. I personally am glad I stuck with the 3GS model and will wait for the Model 5.

Reports also suggest that we most likely won’t see NFC (near field communication) support on the iPhone until 2012, by which time Jupiter Research projects a NFC Mobile Payments volume exceeding $30bn annually. NFC is the technology that lets you use a phone to swipe a terminal in a store and make small credit card payments. It will be interesting to see if Apple does go ahead and incorporate NFC after all. The picture below is a mock-up of how it would work.  It is already incorporated in the latest credit cards from Vis and MasterCard.

If you must buy an iPhone 4, make sure you get a case. This stops you from touching the metal antennae on the side and improves reception and lessens call dropouts. Given that the back of the iPhone 4 is made of heavy duty special glass, this makes good sense from a protection point of view anyway.

Internet Tethering

Just had a question from Jason Murray who asked why Internet Tethering (using the iPhone as a modem on a laptop) didn't work anymore, and hadn't since an operating system update a few days ago.

The answer is that it's still very much available, but the option is now called a Personal Hotspot, and when you turn this option on, it not only connects to the internet, but lets several devices share the connection. It's a nice new feature and if you have upgraded your iPhone to OS 4.3 you find it under Settings, as in the picture below, and you just need to select the Personal Hotspot option and turn it on. It supports both USB and Bluetooth connections.

Another thing to check in some areas is your data roaming settings.

Bluetooth Wireless Speakerphone

Your can use your iPhone for conference calls when there are a few people around the table, and a one or two people are at a remote location by using the iPhone conference call feature to connect to the people at the remote location. You could use the inbuilt speakerphone function of the iPhone, but in that situation it is limited in volume.

This Uniden wireless speakerphone connect via Bluetooth to your iPhone and can be heard quite well, so is a very workable solution. The picture of the one below is a Uniden that I picked up this morning at the bargain price of $30, but even if you don't have access to that sort of deal, these Bluetooth Speakerphones are available from Wow and similar electronics stores or online and work very well. The Model number is Uniden BTSC1300. They have a standby time of several hundred hours and a talk time of up to 20 hours between recharges.

Bond University Campus, Qld

I took this picture with my phone. It's a 3GS model with 3MP camera. Just shows that you don't need massive megapixels to get a good quality picture.

Car Navigation with a iPhone

If you want to use your iPhone as a GPS in your car, you normally have to buy expensive apps. I found a FREE open source app that works in most countries including Australia, NZ and USA. It has a proper map display, all the usual options and SPOKEN directions, and it really works! You just need a dashboard holder for your phone to see the display and remain legal, but they are available off Ebay for around $5. The name of the app is 'Navfree' and you just have to enter that as a search term in the Itunes App Store and install the right version for your country. I've tested it, and have attached a screen grab from my iPhone that I took when I was parked. This is good working software that is a great alternative to an expensive dedicated GPS. You can also use it when you are walking around which could be handy when visiting a new city.

Website with App information: http://www.navmii.com/navfree/