MobileMe vs Gmail

Apple iPhone - Mobile Me vs Gmail

I have a Mobile Me account and successfully wirelessly synch my contacts and calendar between my Iphone, Outlook and the MobileMe online web site. Of course, MobileMe costs $100 per year.

A friend was suggesting I could do the same thing using Google Apps including Gmail and Google Docs for free.

My question, has anyone in this group used the Google products to achieve the same results I'm experiencing with Mobile Me? If so, please share how you set up your Iphone and Google products.

MobileMe Gmail
Google Mobile Sync using Exchange ActiveSync:

Google Sync: Set Up Your Apple Device for Google Sync

To set up Google Sync on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch device, please follow the steps below.

Requirements and Upload

1. Google Sync is only supported on iPhone OS versions 3.0 and above. You can check your current version by going to Settings > General > About > Version. To upgrade, follow the instructions at http://www.apple.com/iphone/softwareupdate/. Please upgrade to iPhone OS 3.0 before setting up Google Sync.

more detail...http://www.google.com/support/mobile/bin/answer.py?answer=138740&topic=14252

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Will I have the same features with Google as I do with Mobile Me
or will I be giving up something to save $100 per year?

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MobileMe has a ton of features if you use a Mac and/or multiple iOS devices (iPhones, iPods, iPads, etc). As far as the photo sharing, storage, mail, calendar, contacts, etc - all of that can be duplicated with Google (Picasa, GMail, GCal, GContacts, can buy storage at 20GB for $5 per year) - the main thing you will be losing is Find My iPhone/iPod/iPad which can be worth it if you misplace your devices.

Also, Amazon sells discounted MobileMe subscriptions at ~79/year and/or you could always split a 'family' plan from Amazon with 4 other people.

That being said, YES Google can do the basics and do them very well for free and if you don't have a Mac will save you the cost of MMe.

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I wanted to share calendars and contacts between my wife and me. MobileMe worked fine, by logging my wife's phone into my account for the calendar and contacts. Only problem was that I couldn't use the "find my iPhone" feature of MobileMe on her phone since it was logged into my account. So we now share a Google calendar, but from what I understand, we can only share contacts on Google with a "commercial" account ($).

Voicemail password pop up

So got the phone 2nd hand and everytime I hang up from a call the "enter voicemail password"popup pops up. Can I disable this somehow? Went through settings and didnt see anything that might be of assistance. Is that something that the previous owner has to do?

iPhone Voicemail

When this happened to me and my wife, we had to go to AT&T (dial 611) to get them to do whatever they do, then all was back to normal. If you don;t us AT&T, then I really don't know what to do.

By the way, when you need AT&T **OR** Apple assistance with issues, just call 611. Its free too!

Mophie Juice Pack Air

Apple iPhone - Mophie Juice Pack Air: coming to double your iPhone 4 battery.

Mophie Juice Pack for your iPhone 4 will be available as soon as next week for $79.

We even managed to get hands on with a prototype that looked and felt pretty tight considering the fact that it doubles the iPhone's non-removable battery.

mophie juice pack air
The Juice Pack Air features pass-through USB charging and sync with iTunes, an integrated 4 LED charge status, and a standby switch the shuts off the juice turning the appendage into a rather attractive (albeit, heavy with a 1500mAh capacity battery), soft-grip case.

source:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/02/mophie-juice-pack-air-coming-to-double-your-i\
phone-4-battery-ne/

iTunes 10 (with Ping) available for download

Apple iPhone - iTunes 10 (with Ping) mercifully becomes available for download (update: iOS 4 has Ping, too)

It's said..
Sure, they said it would be available immediately, but they lied. Now, the lie has become the truth, and the truth is just a fleeting dream, caught in between worlds we can't hope to understand, let alone grasp. Meaning: go download iTunes 10 with Ping.

iTunes 10
Update: We've added direct download links below. Thanks commenters!

Update 2: A word of warning -- if you activate Ping, it will potentially make all of the nasty reviews you've written available for the world to see. So now they'll know who panned their recording debut and ruined their career.

Update 3: Got an iPhone or iPod touch with iOS 4 on board? Ping may have magically appeared in your iTunes app, ready to help you wax introspective on the go. [Thanks, Kruze]

from: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/01/itunes-10-with-ping-mercifully-becomes-availa\
ble-for-download/

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It goes crazy with podcasts. I clicked "update podcasts" and it started downloading one, even though it turns out I was up to date. When that finished it started over. Moreover, It changed the title on one. Nothing was erased, but it's messed up. I have two full and one partial set of Astronomy Cast now.

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So how would you grade Itunes 10?? Is it worth downloading or stay with 9.2?

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Visual upgrade makes it look "Appley" on a windows system.

Tried to set up that Ping thing, but it requires you to enter your first and last name which will be displayed publicly.

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Technically, you can enter any name you want displayed (John Doe if you like) and once you get past that step you can choose who (if anyone) sees it, etc - very simplified privacy controls).

I love Netflix!!!

apple iphone - I love Netflix!!!

Recently I downloaded the Netflix app and its awesome. I was able to watch The Proposal from my bed and it streamed so well. I started out with 66 percent available battery life and was able to watch the whole movie. By the end it was only down to 42 percent.

I also watch Netflix through the Wii and of course renting movies...I think they are ingenious for coming up with all the various choices.

iphone netflix
I agree!! It's fantastic! I enjoy Netflix on my iPhone and iPad both. I just wish that more movies on DVD were available for instant play; hopefully, they will be in the future.

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I assume you were streaming over WiFi. We're you on a iPhone 4 or 3GS?

I have used it several times over WiFi on a 3GS, but did not check the battery usage, but it seems ok.

The streaming on the phone has been good, but I have had one instance where the video flickered and went to black, but the same thing has happened to me while streaming over cable to my Mac. I'm guessing the NetFlix servers are getting hammered since the release of the iPhone version of the app.

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I used to use Netflix. How does it mature now? I'm planning to reinstate my subscription, but is there a way to just use netflix for ipad without renting the physical dvd/bd? Sometimes I'm out of the country half a year at a time.

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Don't know if you can receive over the air (wifi 3G) Netflix if overseas. Would guess not.

My opinion, at $9.99+ tax per month the over the air option is a winner without the mailed DVDs. But not all movies, shows, are available via streaming.

In your case, remember Netflix can be started and stopped for any month.Easy.

Also possible, don't sign up for any DVDs to be sent or delete them when it comes time to go overseas and stop your account.

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For what it's worth I am impressed with Hulu Plus which I get on both my iPhone and iPad. The iPad really lends itself to this type of App.

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Go for the $9 plan and don't order and movies. You can not put the plan on hold because you then can not stream movies.

I don't know how well streaming movies overseas will work.

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Yes, and the online only is a cheaper price. When you sign up you'll have the option to pick your plan - and online only is one of them.

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There should be more instant play shows and movies but so far on my iPad, even with just 3G, the shows look nice.

Over 3G I do experience stoppages every now and then but usually it will restart automatically in a few seconds. Still I am very pleased.

Apple’s iPod-athon

Apple iPhone - Additional notes from Apple’s iPod-athon

It is late in the UK, I've put stuff together here and here. There's a few facts which might be of interest to some readers, so I thought I'd take a moment to put them down.

Apple TV
The Apple TV runs an A4 processor

OK, as I expected international audiences lucked out on the Apple TV. We have no on device purchases (so no random podcasts, either), and without access to $0.99 show rentals the product loses a lot of its pitch for international audiences. This is compensated slightly by Apple's move to cut the price and to make set-up of new computers from which to stream content much, much easier you don't need to log in or use code numbers anymore.

A bloke from Apple confirmed the Apple TV is powered by an A4 chip. So while I can see the system doesn't run apps yet (and lack of a drive makes this challenging) I can't see any theoretical reason the device couldn't in future run apps in some way, though perhaps only streamed versions of video games controlled and hosted on an iPad. Well, so I wish, anyway.

I also predict there will be demand in future to separate audio from video streams. This will let people play their audio via the AirPort Express on their huge phat music system while watching the movie on their gazillion-inch Apple-branded TV (did I get ahead of myself there?).

There's no video in the iPod nano

Yeah, you read that right that small screen won't let you watch the tiniest video in the world. And there's no camera also. Never mind thought, it is a really nice little device. And if all you want is music the iPod shuffle is pretty good, too.

The iPod classic

Speaking to my contacts I got no sense that the iPod classic is on its way to the great product graveyard in the sky. I suspect Apple will keep selling them until people stop buying them. I do think a capacity upgrade would be nice, particularly for those who like to use their classic to play lossless audio files. The product isn't an A-lister anymore, but it is respected as a veteran product which opened a new world for AAPL. And it still sells.

Apple v MySpace and Facebook

Apple's new social network for music *as Steve Jobs called it several times* is not just what it says. It is a starting point.

Think about how Apple gets into any new industry. It puts together a simple concept. tests it and makes it popular, then extends it incrementally. This is why I still believe the Apple TV will one day run apps, and also why I believe Apple's taking a new initiative to get into social networking. Particularly now it has iAds and valuable location-based data to use, and is developing understanding of the value of that.

This is a nice and simple beginning. Can't wait to see the Lady GaGa ad for it at some point in future.

Baffle 'em with B.S.

Apple always offers up a few interesting statistics at the beginning of these events. Many of us Mac scribblers gloss over these while we wait for the meat. It is only weeks later that we find we need them and no one has written them down. Here's what we learned in the first few minutes:

Apple retail

- Apple has 300 stores, Covent Garden, London was its 300th store
- Over a million people visit these retail stores some days in every month.
- Apple runs 80,000 one-on-one sessions per week in stores iOS 4
- iOS 4.1 update fixes the Proximity bug
- 120 million iOS devices have shipped since one year ago that's 230,000 iOS devices per day.
- 25,000 iPad apps
- HDR photos are based on algorithmic treatment taken from three images, it pulls out enhanced detail by doing this.
- iOS 4.1 is for iPhone and the iPod touch. Available next week.
- iOS 4.2 comes a little later this year Apple has sold 275 million iPods since 2001. (iPhone is already catching up. I'm sure it must be time for one of those info-graphics, but that's beyond the call at midnight).

I'm sure some of these notes will help somebody. On a lean day, some of these are stories in themselves. (Incidentally, in previous years Apple has hosted a nice little party for Europe's tech hacks. This year it didn't that's fine, but it underlines the new austere age we're in. Sigh).

Additional notes from Apple's iPod-athon

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/9To5Mac-MacAllDay/~3/ENbMxEOeiq8/additional-notes\
-from-apples-ipod-athon

iTunes 10 is live, iPod Classic is dead...

Apple iPhone - iTunes 10 is live, iPod Classic is dead...

Some notes:
- iTunes 10 is live.

- iPod Classic is dead. RIP. It is all streaming anymore anyway. Update: Maybe not. Still, no mention at the event doesn't bode well long term. Think more like we made enough to last a few more months.

- iPod nano is hella small but also loses the camera which was nice on a device that small. Even Steve said people would wear them as a watch, so I get a star. Speaking of Stars, holy cow! Mr. Nano mockup gets a galaxy of stars.

- AppleTV is awesome but maybe the coolest part is the Airport Express Video functionality. Carrying around media on iPads, iPhones and iPods, it will be pretty cool to be able to shoot that right over to the TV.

Renting movies and TV shows does two things. It makes cable obsolete. It also means that TV shows now are a buck a pop or more. If you watch 10 shows (Fox and ABC) a week, that is $40. Not a bad tradeoff at that frequency. $4.99 for first run movies is also OK, but I still like buying BlueRay for the good stuff. Also, what hardware/OS is AppleTV running? At that size, it is a variant of iOS on A4 most likely. At $99, this will no longer be a hobby.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/9To5Mac-MacAllDay/~3/s3_Cx7iJCdY/some-notes-from-\
todays-event

iPhone iTunes
1. ITunes 10 is not live. Site still saying "Coming Soon"

2. Cable is most certainly not obsolete. Several folks in a household and several TVs and its most certainly not going to be 10 shows a week, more like 10 per person. Also my cable includes several movie channels ALSO I can DVR and watch anything , anytime I want, no 48 hour restriction My Cable gives me over 200 channel choices, DVR , several movie channels on a unlimited number of TVs all for less than $100 per month. Apple TV is sorta neat but its certainly not going to replace Cable…(Oh and what about local programming, local news??????)

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It would be cool if the AppleTV would pluck the digital channels out of the air to provide the local channels.

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I assume iTunes 10 is for the new ATV, which doesn't go on sale until the end of the month.

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iTunes 10 is for iOS 4.1, iOS 4.2 (iPad/November), new "Ping" social network, fixes to lots of problems and probably code for ATV but it is out now and installed on all machines and finally fixed the problem of my iPhone taking forever to sync.

iPhone doesn't appear in iTunes

Apple iPhone iTunes - iPhone doesn't appear in iTunes

I have my iTunes library on a very slow old PC, but it still works if I give it time.

Today, however, when I plugged my iPhone into the computer, the iTunes library doesn't show the iPhone.

I am using a 3Gs iPhone, and it has the iPhone 4 operating system on it. in case that is of interest.

I have looked around in iTunes and iPhone help. Haven't figured it out.

Picasa picked up the iPhone and imported the photos from it. So the computer is recognizing the iPhone. Just iTunes isn't

iPhone iTunes
There is a minimum version iTunes that iOS 4 will work with. I can not seem to find that minimum for either the Mac OS or Windows. You said you are using an old PC, what version of iTunes are you using?

If it has worked in the past and you have not updated anything recently then it could be either the cable was not plugged in correctly or some 3rd party cables do not work properly. Have you checked the USB port with another device or cable?

To your earlier question, about slowness. It makes a big difference whether you have a 3G or 3GS. It is generally not recommended to update a 3G, at least not until Apple fixes a few things. If you are having a speed problem with your 3GS you can google for solutions or read back in the archives of this list.

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9.2 or maybe 9.x (9.0 or 9.1 or 9.2 or 9.2.1)

"Square Trade" warranty - Legit? Scam?

Apple iPhone "Square Trade" warranty - Legit? Scam? Difficult to get your phone

Does anyone know how good the "Square Trade" warranty is?

Is it a scam?

Do they make it really difficult to get your phone fixed?

See below for cut-and-paste from an ad:

SquareTrade iPhone 2-Year Warranty for $99.
Unlike AppleCare, SquareTrade's extended warranty also includes drop and spill protection.

iPhone Warranty
I have it on my sons pantech matrix. He's had to have it fixed twice at no cost to me(except for shipping it to the repair facility). I would highly recommend them.

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I have used them for another phone. I also have their warranty on my laptop but haven't had to use it, thank goodness. With the phone I had (a treo), they gave me my full purchase price back because it was an older phone.

They've always been courteous and easy to deal with.

Updating apps using iTunes (Mac)

Apple iPhone Question about updating apps using iTunes (Mac)

Lately when I try to update using iTunes on my Mac, I goto Apps tab, click on the update notice at the bottom of the window.

Normally there are numerous app updates. When I click on 'Update All' it does not want to perform this 'update all' function. Looking through the icons for apps that need updating, I will run across one or two icons that are for apps that I have installed on my iphone or ipad, but there is no button under that icon that designates a means to update that particular app individually.

I am wondering why does this occur? Is this the app in the list of apps that is preventing my ability to 'Update All' apps at once?

To perform updates, I click on the 'update' button under each app separately. This is time-consuming and annoying. Does anyone else ever experience this?

Does anyone have a suggestion how I can get my iTunes update procedure to 'update all' at once back to working correctly?

iPhone apps The app that is left in my iTunes apps update window, is evidently not being distributed in the USA itunes store. It is the Yamaha app that controls my piano. It is probably being distributed now by Yamaha in Japan iTunes store. I don't want to delete it, as I use it all the time, so guess it is a bug that will keep me from updating all my apps with a single click.

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It *would* be nice to have a menu option for "ignore this update"....

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It sure would!

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I checked my Yamaha Disklavier Yahoo Group and looks like a new version may be available for the piano forth-coming. Right now not available in the USA store. So I will continue to update apps individually and hope that the app reappears in the USA store.

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Which iTunes Store country did you purchase it from? Switch to that country in the iTunes Store, enter the username and password you used for that country when prompted. That app will be updated.

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I'm having a similar issue, updating directly from the App Store on the iPhone--apps like the Huffington Post sit among the apps to be updated, but during the Update All process, it asks for my password again (once for each one, since there are often two), then says the iTunes store can't be accessed.

Up till now I've just deleted the problem app and reinstalled, but the one that's stuck now is Amazon Kindle and I don't want to have to reload 20 ebooks.

Any other options? Rebooting hasn't helped, and synching from my pc is always a problem because iTunes wants to synch in the wrong direction (that's another discussion).

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I assume that you acquired the app from the Apple iTunes Store in Japan, but are now purchasing and upgrading from the iTunes Store in the US. Or did you purchase it in the US and is just no longer available in the US?

Because of different copyrights and licenses, there are reasons they have to limit by your country which Apps and updates are available. I'm surprised you have been able to keep it on the iPhone. The different licenses only allow them to sell the intellectual properties in certain geographic (and legal) areas.

I have run into the same thing when trying to buy audio books. I could not find it in the US, but managed to buy it with a UK e-ddress. They have since patched that hole in the fence.

If the update will not allow it you to update all, then you will have to update them one at a time. Click on one, give it a second or two and then click on the next. It'll download them and then it installs them.

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Actually I bought the app from the USA store, they just released the update to that app today, guess they pulled it for the update for a few days. Downloading it now. Was able to check on another forum to see that the app was up for update and that others had noticed it pulled temporarily from the app store in the meantime.

Thanks for info on how the licensing for other countries plays out for users.

Yes, that is the method I use to download updates: one by one, but find it so time-consuming when I have 50 to 100 updates at a time. Making sure I update at a more frequent interval now.

Also noticed that I can remove the 'offensive app' from the list of apps that is causing the problem, but choose the option to Keep the files rather than to trash permanently and then update all the others and then move the 'temporarily removed file' back into the apps folder again manually and resync the temporarily moved file.

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Yes, one-zies for 50 -100 would be a pain.

I have removed apps, but have never looked to see how to restore a deleted app that I saved the files.

black out screen

Apple iPhone - black out screen

Help... my Iphone 3Gs dont have any display, its working while ago but after a couple of standby hours its totally black... i tried recharging using my PC just thinking that it has a drained battery but still its not working.

iPhone tutorials
I think it needs to be in charger for couple of minutes

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Suggest charging using the plug in adapter, rather than using the computer to charge. Once it is charged, try rebooting the iphone.

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I did, but still no display. I tried calling my i-Phone using diff number and it rung, but on the other hand my i-phone hasnt any displayed. huhuhu.... it is only a month old

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In which case you should return it for a new one.

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Put the phone under bright light and if you see anything. The brightness is down.

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i never learned that iphone has solar battery too... Mine is working now... battery was just drained...

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There's a good reason you've never heard that: it doesn't...

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how could i reboot by the way?

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This happened to me the other day. Strange. Everything went blank. Try holding the Home and Power button at the same time. And then hold down the Power button.

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I see the battery icon this time.... seems i need to recharge the unit.

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Do you have the battery% indicator on?

Settings-general-usage.

It'll give you an ongoing readout at the top on what your remaining battery % is & serve as a handy reminder about charging.

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actually there is, what happened on my case, my iPhone was totally blackout thats why i dont have any idea whats goin on! But its Ok now, it turned out that my battery was empty which i didnt noticed!

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That's where having the battery% on helps -- it's a fairly constant reminder not to let it run down! since you can *see* when it's getting low, like a gas gauge in your car.

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... finally, i see my home page... thanks so much! For this incident, were suppose not to let the battery drain in all apple unit in order not to experience this kind of problem. I am thinking my iPhone is already damage.

Internet access?

Apple iPhone - Internet Acess?

Someone told me that using a smart phone for internet access uses a lot of bandwidth on a public system and bogs it down if enough people do it at the same time. Anyone know if this is true? Same thing for Skype.

iPhone tutorials
Any device. Too much demand on an insufficient infrastructure will definitely bog it down. Not only mobile phones.

Maybe, the reason behind what that someone who told you said is smart phones make it easier for people to access internet anytime, anywhere. No need for a computer. Therefore, more traffic.

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What they are referring to, putting it back into context is, wireless access to the internet can be overloaded, since there is a limited amount of infrastructure for wireless. The internet is considered to be public, but the wireless access is built by private dollars, once they are granted (in the US) license by the FCC to those frequencies.

I can't tell which one of the liars is telling the truth, since different people are saying that the iPhone uses more bandwidth, and others are starting to say it is Android or the Blackberry.

Remember that the internet was originally built for research, by educational institutions and the military-industrial complex, with no public access. It was intended to speed the exchange of knowledge and research, not gaming, texting and social networking. I know it seems hard to imagine life without the internet or cell phones, but they are recent technology.

It is kind of like the land give aways to build the railroads, only they did not give away the frequencies, they only granted use or licenses. They are more like TV and radio station licenses. Only the government has forgotten that they can tell the providers, that if they want keep the licenses, that they have to play by the governments rules. All they have to say is, "You will charge everyone the same for usage and there no one gets preferential treatment." The license is granted for the greater good of the general public equally.

Them's the rules, play by them, or loose your license. We're starting to learn that you cannot have the regulators in bed with the industry they are supposed to control, or turn a blind eye on them. Just look at the Gulf.

Stepping off my soap box.

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I think , we can reduce of using bandwith with using data compression. For example in Blackberry or Opera Mini, the compress data, so reducing of using bandwith resource.

I dont know about iPhone. Normally iPhone using uncompression data, so it depends on the site we browse.

Strange symbol

Apple iPhone - Strange symbol

On my wife new iPhone 4 she has a symbol at the top that I don't recognize. Its a tiny phone over two small rolls of dots. The top row of dots has more dots in it than the bottom row. What on earth does this symbol mean??

Also her phone doesn't seem to perform as well as mine does. Reception doesn't seem as good. Using identical cases. She keeps blue tooth on.

Would that effect signal reception or strength in any way.

iPhone tutorials
Sounds like TTY was turned on by accident (change Settings > Phone > TTY to Off)

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Thanks, that was it!!!

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My spouse discovered another new symbol.

My spouse launches TomTom and gets directions; a lightning bolt symbol appears when the GPS is located.

Shutting down TomTom does not get rid of that symbol. After TomTom has been closed (which is only used in the car, plugged into a charging cable), once the phone removed from the charging cable, that symbol remains... and we can, literally, watch the battery life drain. (2% every couple of minutes).

Even going into airplane mode doesn't shut off that "lightning bolt" symbol (which we figure has to mean GPS is connected to satellite and tracking). Spouse has to completely turn phone off and do a re-boot.

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I am going to guess you are using some version of iOS 4, and that you are not actually going to the trouble of killing the TomTom process by the method that has been described on this forum (i.e., pressing the Home button quickly twice to bring up the App Switcher, then tap-and-holding an icon in the App-Switching tray until they jiggle, then tapping the "minus" sign for the TomTOm App, then pressing Home again to complete the process).

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that does not sound like the active GPS symbol. GPS is a narrow arrow pointing to about 1 o'clock, usually purple in color with a split rear end. Not to be confused with a active Music Player symbol, which a fat arrow pointing to 3 o,clock, usually white, and looking like "play" on a music or tape player.

If it is for GPS then follow Jim's instructions to turn off background applications.

Navigation apps

Apple iPhone - Navigation apps

I have bought and tried AT&T Navigator, TomTom and Navigon. And just yesterday I finally tried MotionX GPS Drive.

Let me say I have no deleted all other navigation apps and have decided MotionX is the best app!

I just wished I had tried it before shelling out as much as I did for the others.

iPhone Apps
when using your device with motion x ,where do you have it mounted in the vehicle?

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In my hand or a vent mounted holder.

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i tried the vented mounted holders and just dont like them.. I may try a windshield mount

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One thing you have to watch with windshield (& some dashboard) mounts is that even if you take it off when you leave the car it may leave a mark -- and there have been break-ins because of this "clue" that "there may be a gps in there!"

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thieves are lazy and they usually go for the easiest one to get into.

If you walk through any parking lot, you will probably find that up to a third have a windshield or dash mount for a GPS, radar detector, music player or cell phone. And probably a third of those still have the device in the holder or mount.

Yeah, some areas are worse than others, but if they want in, seeing goodies or not, they will get in. And it is always good to pay attention to your surroundings.

So how does this relate to the the subject of this list, the iPhone?

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I have Navigon, and I use Proclip from Proclipusa.com. Sturdier than a vent
holder. :)

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Another vote for ProClip.

Since I never take my iPhone 3GS out of my Griffen Elan case, I went with the rotatable adjustable ProClip holder.

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Exactly what I have. Adjustable and rotate-able so I can watch movies in landscape mode during traffic.

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I'm glad you found one you like, but WHY is it best for you, so we can compare
it to our needs.

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It's more accurate, latest maps, more features, more intuitive, all around netter. But don't just take my word for it. It's way way cheaper than the others too. So get it and try it for yourself.

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I have TomTom, MotionX GPS Drive, MotionX GPS, and G-Map US East.

I prefer TomTom, and consider it the best of these largely because of the interface. If I need a true "breadcrumb trail", I'll use MotionX GPS.

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MotionX GPS Drive does exactly what TomTom does and more. I am not talking about MotionX GPS.

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I've read a number of reviews of MotionX GPS Drive.

Some of the reviews noted that the app depended on 3G service. Does it not use
the sats for location?

With that caveat covered, I'm ready to give it a try.

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I just used MotionX extensively way up in Canada where there was no cell coverage and I was in airplane mode. I uses true satellite GPS

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not intending to doubt your comment or anything, but were you using MotionX GPS Drive, or just MotionX GPS? Also, what was your application?

Were you driving, or hiking? If driving, did the app offer turn by turn voice navigation? In looking in the app store, it appears that MotionX GPS (non-Drive) will do what you say, as far as using internal maps, but it doesn't appear to be geared toward driving. It looks like it is more for hiking and biking. Basically tracking where you've been rather than showing you where to go.

I would like your take on the "non-Drive" app. It may do what we need, who knows.

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I was using just motionX GPS, not the Drive version. I use TomTom for street/turn-by-turn navigation. The motionX GPS does allow you the "cache" maps when you have data coverage. Then it will use those maps when you don't have such coverage. That's what I did in Canada, but I doubt it would be useful for street navigation

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That's why they have the drive version. They are distinctly two different products.

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I have used MotionX GPS Drive for about 6 months now. It is a very nice app. There are a couple of things that are less than desirable about it, in my opinion, however. First is the fact that you are required to purchase (in addition to the price of the app itself) the voice navigation feature (after a complementary month). Otherwise, from my observations, it will not do actual turn by turn navigation. By this, I mean you have to manually step to the next turn, much like the map app included with the iPhone. I could be wrong on this, because I have only tried it once or twice without a voice navigation subscription, but that's what it looked like to me. The cost of the voice navigation is not extremely high ($2.99 per month, or 24.95 per year, as I recall), but the app is fairly crippled without it.

Secondly, and this is kind of a biggie, the app DOES need a data connection to download maps as you drive. This means you have to be in a coverage area, 3G or Edge. If you are not in a 3G area, you will not be able to place or receive phone calls while the app is using the data connection.

Also, because of this, it eats the battery up faster than the charger can keep up with. In other words, if you are on a long trip (4 hours or more), your battery will be depleted even if the phone is connected to the charger.

..in response to questions, yes it uses the GPS satellite system to determine your location, but it needs the data connection to download the maps to show you where you are. In my case, I really like the app and it's features for most applications, like finding new places around town or relatively close, but I am thinking of looking into the TomTom app or some other navigational app that uses internal maps, after my subscription to the voice navigation runs out.

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You wrote up a very accurate description of the app. I also have TomTom and Navigon and they do not need cell coverage as all the map data is ES on the device but I find they are not up to date and they aren't as accurate.

But MotionX GPS Drive has gotten me to everywhere I needed to go and I always have cell coverage. So this is the best app for me.

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Yes, I will say that the Bing Maps that MotionX uses are the most accurate and up to date that I have seen. It's definitely a good tool to have available.

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I was going to ask about what you meant by more accurate maps, but you seem to have answered it. Yes, an internet map should be more current than a static loaded maps. Is that what you mean by more accurate?

What I find very frustrating with Garmin maps is that they used to be 2 years behind, but currently it seems like they are closer to 4 years behind, but yet they still want to sell you a supposedly updated map each year. I know the restaurant and hotel info will be dated by at least a year, but when it is 4 years old I get mad. That is when I use a internet connection.

Without the map from a cellular connection, you will probably get the same as Maps or MapQuest will give you, a push pin in a grey grid. Or basically, "you are here, wherever the heck that is" and no written or verbal directions, since it does not know where you are in relation to the next turn.

That is why I asked for specifics on what you liked about it. It appears that Jeffery and I travel out of cell coverage areas, and need that loaded map to put behind the marker for where you are, even if the map may be dated.

Different needs for different folks.

I don't like applications that charge for every feature, like paying extra to get turn by turn voice instructions. And I don't like subscriptions, if I don't want to update the old version should still work, especially if you find some of the information is not updated, you can still use all the features of the app for several years. I can get current hotel and restaurant information without having to pay another subscription.

How's the total cost of Motion X GPS Drive for a year compare to the other GPS apps you have purchased?

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There are new roads around here and I don't see it with TomTom and navigon but I do see it with MotionX GPS Drive. The cost including the voice turn by turn is 25 dollars a year versus an investment of 50-80 dollars for TomTom or Navigon.

I don't recall the exact cost anymore.

But I would gladly pay that knowing it is more accurate and much better to use.

The other option with accurateaps is AT&T Navigator which works much like motionX but it costs 9.99 a month or 79 a year.

Wrap text in email

Apple iPhone - Wrap text in email

How do I get my emails to wrap text when I respond to emails. Some just don't wrap right.

iPhone email
It's because they're HTML and you're stuck with whatever margins are defined in the HTML.

You'll never have this problem replying to a plain text email.

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Right. That's what I thought.

I wish there was a setting for force a return on the iPhone.

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Here's where you send the feedback for that!

http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

If they get enough feedback they'll get around to including it.

iPhone 4 Users Manual

AAple - iPhone 4 Users Manual

Can I download the iPhone 4 Users Manual as an app to my iPhone 4 as opposed to going online each time I want to get info from it? Probably a dumb question, but I need to know......

iPhone 4
Not as an app. Just add the PDF to iTunes and make sure you have Books selected for syncing. Use iBooks to read it on the iPhone.

On this subject, does anyone know how to make iBooks wrap lines in PDFs to fit the screen? It's a pain to keep zooming in and out.

Otterbox for iPhone 4

Apple iPhone - Otterbox for iPhone 4

Was curious to see if anyone who got the otterbox for iPhone 4 notices the hole
for the headphones does not at all lineup to the hole on the iPhone ?

iPhone 4
Oh no, don't tell me that. I just got mine Saturday and was so happy that my charger fit without problems that I didn't check out the rest of it.

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Other users please chime in on this one.

I'm considering the Otterbox but will not buy it if there's an issue.

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I have an Otterbox on my iPod Touch and all the holes line up fine. Not seeing yours I can't comment. The iPone 4 is new so there may be teething problems. I like my Defender so much that I would take the chance and make minor adjustments with an x-acto knife if I had to.

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Isn't the secondary microphone, the one that's supposed to measure the ambient noise while you're on the phone, next to the headphone jack? It looks like the hole is lined up with that. I think it's to not block the sound for ambient noise rather than to plug headphones in with the flap closed.

I've noticed closing the flaps is a little more intensive than the 3G/3Gs Otterbox. It takes a little getting used to to get the flaps lined up in the tracks. But the overall design is much sleeker than the bulky 3G/3Gs model.

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I just received my Otterbox in the mail and installed it. If you notice, the hole that you are thinking is for the headphone jack is actually for the top microphone (the little small hole next to the headphone jack). In order to access the headphone jack, open the flap that the hole is in. Then you have full access to it. So far, I am very pleased with the Defender overall. The belt clip/holster holds the phone much more securely, with a latch that has to be released in order for the phone to be removed. Looks like it will take a little getting used to to do it swiftly with one hand, but not bad. As far as the case itself, Apple didn't leave much room around the screen for cases to play with, so the rubber bumper on the sides of the screen is pretty thin. I can see that perhaps if one were careless with the amount of "stretch" they used on these areas in the application and removal of the rubber skin, these places could break. Time will tell. Overall, a nice case, though.

3GS Camera Disappeared

Apple iPhone - 3GS Camera Disappeared

My iPhone 3Gs standard camera has disappeared from the main screen. I found it under something named "Utilities" that just appeared there, along with one other app named Sol Luna which tracks moon-sun rises & set.

The camera is hardly a "utility" and I have at least 10 photography apps, none of which found their way to "Utilities"

iPhone pHOTOGRAPHY
I don't know how apps can get into folders unless we put them there. Can't you simply drag it out again (press until the app icons start wobbling)?

"Utilities" is just one of the default iOS folder names.

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If you upgraded your iPhone 3GS to iOS 4, then you may find that when you drag one app on top of another (whether intentionally or accidentally), it will create a folder with those two apps in it, and it will name the folder something relevant. If you dragged the Camera app on top of the Sol Luna app (or vice versa), it's likely that iOS 4 created the Utilities folder for you.

You can always drag it back out of the folder.

iTunes-iPhone-podcasts

Apple iPhone - iTunes-iPhone-podcasts Problem
I listen to many podcasts, most of which I delete soon after I have listened to them. Some, however, I want to keep so that I can listen again some time in the future (such as exercise workout podcasts). To keep my podcast list manageable, I have been changing the media type from "podcast" to "audiobook".

So now these things show up under "books" in the iTunes library. Now I have to figure out how to get them to sync with my iPhone. I don't see anything to select to make them sync. Now, here's the weird part. For one podcast (GetFitPod) about half of the podcasts saved as audiobooks sync with my phone. I can't tell what is different about the ones that sync. No other audiobooks sync, not even the two real audiobooks that I purchased on iTunes (and listened to last year.)

For the iPhone device, under the "Books" tab, the only things showing are a few PDF files. At any rate, I have "all books" checked.

iPhone iTunes Since you either have to chose either to manually or automatically sync. Either turn off the "automatically include" or ...

- change the podcasts back to podcast from audiobook
- change the "automatically include" to all unplayed
- in your library of Podcasts and control click your collection GetFitPod, change them to Marked as Unwatched.

Until Apple makes it possible to select the automatic sync settings by collection rather than all Podcasts, I don't know of another way.

Since I don't normally rate things, I use that to make the ones to keep. Under "podcasts" I have all unplayed selected. (The few podcasts/audiobooks that do sync are marked as played.)

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I do all my syncing of these things through playlists & manually manage the playlists. It's also easier to find an item in a playlist than scrolling through hundreds of podcasts or whatever!

Be sure to check-for-sync any playlists in the various genre tabs (books, tv, podcasts, etc). I don't see a title or playlist-choice in "books" for other than audiobooks (which I have a bunch of, both direct-download & ripped-from-cd).

Things you re-label as audiobook may not be being recognized (coded) as such by iTunes.

It's irrelevant to me if the particular podcast/book/video/whatever has been played -- I do re-listen to some! or for some reason want to keep it handy.

Some are part of serials that I want to keep all-of handy -- but I may re-order the playlist to have the "not done" ones at the top for convenience. :-)

I also re-order my playlists by giving them numbers in front of the titles, so the one(s) I'm currently really using are at the top of the playlist-list on the iThing screen.

When I'm "through" with one, I remove it from the *playlist* not the iTunes library. (I do need to do some library pruning, though....).

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this is what I do with my podcasts......
I create playlists on my computer...and put them there. This worked for me with my nano.... and now my G3

When I sync my g3, it now shows what was listened to or not.....

I create a separate playlist that i sync....and synch only that list..when I'm finished listening to the podcasts, i delete them from there....and it doesn't remove the originals..just from the syncing playlist.

It took a lot of playing around with different option to come up with one that worked for me...good luck!

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Duh! Is my face red?

That is the purpose of playlists, to keep certain items the user wants on the iDevice!

Problem with Ipod on Iphone 3GS

Apple iPhone - Problem with Ipod on Iphone 3GS

My husband has a 3GS and it has been upgraded to the lated OS. Yesterday he tried to open the Ipod on his iphone and it opened for a second and then closed. He turned the phone off for 5 minutes and then turned back on and still no luck with Ipod. Any suggestions?

iPhone iPod
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Try re-syncing it with iTunes again.

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That is what I was going to say plus unsync all the music and launch the iPod. See if he can and if not it might be time for a restore.

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I tried what you said and it worked. Thanks so much.

Can't cut and paste

Apple iPhone- Can't cut and paste

I can no longer cut and paste out of my email. The only thing I changed was I turned off all the "spotlight"settings. I went back and turned them all back on but still can't cut and paste by touching the screen. Any ideas how I can get this back?

iPhone Email
The first thing i would try is re-booting the iPhone ( and pressed and held until the Apple shows, about 10-12 seconds).

Should we update 3G iphones to OS 4 ?

Apple iphone - Should we update 3G iphones to OS 4 ?

I bought an iphone 4. I had been waiting for it so I did not upgrade to the 3GS in the interim. My husband still has his 3g, and I was thinking of giving my old one to my daughter. I have not upgraded either of them to OS 4 as I saw several posts about problems and slow performance. Is that still the case?

Neither my husband or my daughter will be multitasking much so I don't know if it matters.

iPhone iOS
3gs should not have any problems.

I personally have the 3gs and have upgraded with no problems after I having to reset it. In fact I am getting more battery life out of it now.

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I can't speak for others, but my 3G became as slow as molasses in winter after the upgrade. Fortunately, Apple replaced the phone for other reasons, and the replacement 3G had 3.02 in it. I have NOT upgraded to iOS4 and don't plan to unless and until I get an iPhone 4.

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My 3g (or is it a 3gs, can't remember!) has also been as slow as molasses after the upgrade to iOS4. yuck!

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if your 3g has old baseband then revert back. ios 4.0.1 is very bad, slow and killing.

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4.1 which 'fixes' the problem according to yesterday's keynote will be out next week.

Upgrading to 4.02

Apple iPhone - Upgrading to 4.02

I have had numerous problems with syncing and upgrading my iPhone 3GS.
I have 'cured' the syncing issues by shutting off my wireless and disabling my antivirus and firewall. When I do this the sync goes quickly, no freezes or hangups. No problems at all.

My question is - can I just download the upgrade then shutdown my wireless and then try upgrading my phone. Or does the upgrade process require an active Internet connection to complete.

I have tried previous upgrades without shutting down my antivirus etc. And have bricked the phone each time. I have to go to the apple store to have the phone reflashed. There has to be a conflict somewhere. If I need an active connection I will probably be proactive as I did for Ios 4 and have the genius upgrade the phone and then restore from backup.

iPhone Syncing
You should be able to configure the firewall and antivirus to permit iTunes to work properly. However, you can download the update and then install it locally.

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I am going to try configuring AFTER I do the upgrade. I have gotten so frustrated with my sync issues it is relaxing to just turn it all off and zip through the process ;-).

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What antivirus are you using? I assume you are using a PC, what version of Windows are you using?

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I guess I missed something, What's new in iOS4.0.2?

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4.0.2 plugs the PDF exploit used by jailbreakme.com

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It is also waaaayyyyyyyy faster on a 3G than any 4.x before it!

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"waaaayyyyyyyy faster"? Is it "safe" to upgrade the 3G now? What are other 3G and 4.02 users opinion?

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I upgraded mine and it is slow as h*ll

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Did you reset it into Recovery Mode before upgrading?

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no

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My 3G is still S-L-O-W . . . . .

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Mine too.

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I wish apple came with option get back to 3.1.2 without any issues.

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I agree this is not difficult but it's not happening for me. I'm on baseband 5.13.04.

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is it not advisable to upgrade to 4.0.2?

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Unless there is some reason you can not upgrade, 4.02 is necessary - it fixes a huge security hole.

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okay, im about to upgrade now...

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I didn't try or want to upgrade, I actually want to downgrade my phone to 3.1.2. With 4.0.1 it's too sluggish.

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actually, i havent notice any development or changes after the upgrade of 4.0.2, only the additional wallpaper after the installation of 4.0

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Is 4.0.2 faster than 4.0.1 on 3G?

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Yes.

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Probably no difference. 4.0.2 only patched the Adobe hole.

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4.0.2, 4.0.1 and 4.0.0 were safe.

4.0.1 and 4.0.0 were just slow as a wet weekend when trying to operate them.

4.0.2 seems to have fixed the problem, and is working as fast as 3.1.3.

But then, because my data is all backed up on MobileMe, it was easy for me to reset the phone to "Recovery Mode" and start from scratch with 4.0.2.

That seems to make all the difference.

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Never had a problem on my 3G still runs fast

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I am using AVG for antivirus and zonealarm for my firewall. I think I have zonealarm configured ok. I have to research making exceptions for AVG. Since I have turned them off when syncing it has been speedy with no hangups. In the past the computer would freeze so solidly I had to power off using the on off switch!!

I have a Dell laptop with 32 bit Vista ultimate. ( I am still debating on trying the upgrade without the antivirus - with so many past problems I am running scared)

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My 3G is much faster since upgrading to 4.02. I had trouble upgrading at first, but after I turned off my McAffee the upgrade went smoothly. I even think the phone starts up a lot faster.

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your's is the second mention of anti-virus software getting in the way for a Windows user trying to update his iPhone. I wonder what in the Apple updates is triggering something in the AV.

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Had major problems this morning after this update and adding a few more apps. iPhone 3GS kept rebooting to the apple, when it would stop on home page with slider would reboot again. Then it finally let me access my icons on home pages and nothing would show up in mail, settings or a search was not doable.

I messed with my firewall settings yesterday and this may have caused the problem today.

First attempt to just restore the phone came back with a message saying unable to restore this phone. Great! I kept persisting according to the instructions in the Apple support docs:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1808

http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1275

nothing ... finally switched cables out and it has been restored and now backing up from my last backup. Hope that works! as I just didn't want to reenter all my stuff again. Will see what happens.

Skype Calls

Apple iPhone - Skype Calls

Is there a cost per call to use Skype to call Europe?

iPhone Skype
not if it is skype to skype - it is free. If not, then it will vary from country to country. You may want to check their website out at skype.com

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You're right, Skype to Skype is free.

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If I remember correctly....you "buy" credits with skype. They eat out of that credit for your calls. I do believe that skype to skype is free.

There should be no iphone charge since I think it only works on wifi.

I use skype all the time. My $10.00 goes a loooooooong way.

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Thanks for the information. I was thinking Skype to Skype, which is free on my computer, and I'm glad to hear it is also free on Iphone.