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