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.