Derek Punsalan - 5THIRTYONE » iphone

AT&T 3G MicroCell, who is doing who a favor?

Derek — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 03:48:02 +0000

Syl and I moved into a loft late last year and have had the worst experience imaginable with our AT&T iPhones. I completely understand that concrete structures aren’t exactly known to amplify carrier signals, but no other carrier (T-Mobile, Verizon or Sprint) suffers nearly as much as AT&T Wireless in the apartment. It’s terrible! In order to complete calls or successfully send a text message, we have to stand next to the window or door. I’ve made it a habit to point my phone towards the city hoping that the phone maintains a newborn strength grip of a single bar of service. Bottom line, this sucks…

When AT&T announced their signal boosting femtocell a.k.a. the 3G MicroCell, I knew it was the answer to our coverage woes. Essentially, the MicroCell is a miniature cellphone tower which increases indoor coverage by utilizing your existing internet (Cable or DSL) connection. The idea sounds awesome until you start to digest the monetary details.

So the current situation looks like this:

$150 – One MicroCell plus taxes so that I can enjoy an iPhone.
$180 / mo. – Two iPhones sharing minutes, unlimited data and unlimited messaging on AT&T’s Family Talk plan.
$60 / mo. – Comcast internet connection which AT&T is going to use to improve our cellphone coverage.

Ok, that’s a decent chunk of money going towards communicating on a cellphone via AT&T Wireless. But it’s hard to let go of the iPhone. I’ve tried.

I’m tired of having poor service. I’m even more tired of friends who come over with their non-AT&T service who are able to use their devices without fuming. I actually walked into an AT&T Wireless Store on the way home from work today with the intention of purchasing a 3G MicroCell. I was so close to pulling the trigger until I asked the sales rep:

What do you think about a customer having to pay $150 for a piece of hardware that piggybacks on a home internet connection to fill AT&T service holes?

The answer that convinced me that today was not a day to give AT&T more money:

We’re actually doing you a huge favor by subsidizing the MicroCell. The actual price of the device is $500. $150 for reliable home service is a great deal.

No AT&T, I would be doing you a favor by staying on as a contract customer and reducing your wireless network load in the area. Wouldn’t it be great if AT&T has some kind of system in place that would provide 3G MicroCell towers to customers in order to maintain quality service?

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Apple iPad, Underwhelmed? Will you buy one?

Derek — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:15:21 +0000

The Apple tablet for the masses is here and it’s called the Apple iPad. I’m sure Apple conducted hours of user research & feedback to decide on the name iPad. Right? I really liked the idea of the tablet being called Canvas though. So what are my initial thoughts?

When will the iPad Pro be announced? You know, the grown up version capable of running professional software like Photoshop?

The truth of the matter is that I will somehow convince myself to buy one. An ideal device for the coffee table, beside your bed, on the toilet (having the iPhone has changed the way I poop), or while travelling. What do you think, will you buy one? Will the first iPad usher in a new era of power tablets to be released by Apple over the next 10 years? Or will Apple keep the iPad line focused on entertainment with no real plans to offer a full OS version?

To find out more about the iPad, check out this exhaustive post on Gizmodo: Apple iPad: Everything you need to know.

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BHEESTIE Bag saves me $200: iPhone 1 vs. Heavy rain 0

Derek — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 18:09:06 +0000

A couple days ago I decided to get some morning snowboarding in before the day started. Unfortunately, the rain which I hoped would subside persisted throughout the entire morning. Two hours later, our group decided it was time to call it quits. Immediately after loading up, I pulled my iPhone out of my ski pants nonchalantly wiping away the few drops of water I saw on the screen. I assumed that the water on the phone was transferred from my wet hands. I tilted the phone up only to see a few drops of water fall from the bottom of the phone. Upon closer inspection, I discovered another drop of water ready to fall – the source being the bottom speaker opening. Now I have a problem.

Not submerged, but any water is bad enough

Although the phone was not completely submerged, enough water had gotten into the handset to cause damage. The screen was dark and the camera lens was fogged along with half of the screen. An Apple Genius wouldn’t need to check the water damage sensors to come to a conclusion – water damage + voided warranty.

Later that day, the Apple Genius Bar rep informed me that I could purchase a refurbished handset for $199. Tempting. But so was the Google Nexus One announced the very same day. Call it coincidence, fate, or maybe a test… I recalled reading success stories of water damaged electronics. I walked out of the store 10 minutes later with plans to bring my out of warranty iPhone back to life.

BHEESTIE Bag brings my iPhone back to life

Bummed, I started spreading the word to contacts via email that I would be unreachable via phone. Within minutes I received a link to the BHEESTIE Bag. A few minutes later, I found this review by CNET who willingly tossed a working MP3 player into a fountain for testing. I was sold and immediately went out to purchase a bag.

Our company started because of a need – we were tired of replacing many a wet cellphone, iPod®, camera, etc. Now we bring this innovation to you.
BHEESTIE Bag® is the original product used to remove moisture from personal electronics. Our company’s goal is to bring you a product to help maintain & maybe even revive your wet cellphone, iPod®, camera, etc. Which saves you money and decreases wasteful dumping of electronics.

So did BHEESTIE work? Yes. 24 hours later my iPhone is back in my pocket. The little fish food looking pellets did their work absorbing moisture. The fogged camera lens and screens are completely dry and the phone hasn’t shut off without warning. Unfortunately, the water sensors are triggered and the phone is now out of warranty but the phone is fully functional saving me from having to spend $200 for a refurbished iPhone.

I learned my lesson from this whole ordeal. Waterproof ski pants are not completely waterproof if water can get through zippers and the iPhone is going in a Ziploc. Have you had any accidents involving your favorite electronics with any types of liquid? Were you able to salvage / save the electronic or lose it completely?

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Matte UI elements for the iPhone

Derek — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:30:35 +0000

Jaillbroken iPhones only. Check out this UI theme which swaps out he gloss for something much sleeker.

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3 Enhancements worth Jailbreaking your iPhone for

Derek — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:28:29 +0000

Every four months or so, I get the urge to do one of two things:

If the iPhone is running an official OS build from Apple, I jailbreak it citing reasons of (a) flexibility, (b) customization, and (c) access to enhancements Apple either blocks from the App Store or blocks developers from offering users.
If the iPhone is running an unofficial build (jailbroken), I restore it citing reasons of (a) poor battery life, (b) application incompatibility, (c) instability, or (d) having to wait for the green light to upgrade safely.

Three weeks ago I restarted the cycle, downloaded a copy of PwnageTool, and 15 minutes later found some real gems inside Cydia (the App Store for jailbroken iPhones). For those who have returned to the non-jailbroken side since the early iPhone OS releases, Cydia has matured considerably now offering free and paid for apps which I believe has lead to quality releases. Great developers should be rewarded right?

It didn’t take long for me to find some really useful iPhone OS add-ons. Enhancements which I know I would miss when I return to an official iPhone OS build.

01. Move over Apple copy ‘n paste for Action Menu Plus

Expanding on the copy ‘n paste functionality baked into iPhone OS, Action Menu Plus Pack ($2.99 in Cydia) by Ryan Petrich offers a handful of new actions to the popup tooltip menu. Highlighted features include:

History: Action Menu maintains a history of items copied to your clipboard.
Lookup: Highlight a word or phrase in an email, note, or web page and lookup definitions, similar words, Wikipedia entry, or translations.
Tweet: Copies selected text for Tweeting in your native Twitter client – Tweetie, Tweedeck, and more supported.
Favorites: Maintain a custom list of frequently pasted clips accessible from any application. Customized inside the Settings.app.

Although having access to clipboard history is incredibly useful, the best feature is the ability to create and maintain a list of clipboard Favorites – great for saving frequently used signatures or other longer chunks of text.

02. SpotSMS, Spotlight extension for SMS / MMS

The iPhone Spotlight search offers quick access to applications, emails, calendar events, contacts, media, and notes. Thanks to SpotSMS (free in Cydia), you can add text messages to the list of indexed items. You can tweak SpotSMS settings to search both sent and / or received messages, specify after which character to begin searching, and the ordering of search results.

This Spotlight extension adds much needed functionality – especially for those who send and receive hundreds, if not thousands of messages in a single month.

03. QuickReply to messages without leaving your current screen

I’ve tried a few applications which promised quick replies to text messages but none performed reliability like QuickReply for SMS ($2.99 in Cydia) by Gaurav Khanna. No matter what application you’re running, QuickReply offers four options inside of the new message notification:

Close: Standard behavior which closes the message notification.
View: Standard behavior which opens the messaging app.
Call: Optional action to replace the View button. Upon receiving a new message, you now have the option to immediately dial the number associated with the message.
Reply: Overlays the screen (or the application you are currently using) with a messaging dialog + keyboard. Compose your reply, press send, and resume without ever leaving your current app or opening the messaging application.

Stable and incredibly useful. QuickReply settings also offers the option to double tap message notifications on the lock screen for replies without unlocking or opening the messaging app.

Extra: Teehan+Lax Lock Screen coming soon

Recently announced lock screen project by Teehan+Lax and Jay Freeman (man behind Cydia App Store). More reason to consider jailbreaking your iPhone.

Running a Jailbroken handset?

What are some of your favorite apps or utilities? Have you ever had a bad experience with Jailbreaking software? Did you notice decreased performance or instability after jailbreaking your handset?

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Tokyo photography tips for iPhone users

Derek — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:50:40 +0000

"The iPhone has a single-focus lens with no zoom, and this simplicity keeps me devoted to only composition and the perfect photo opp, [...]"

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Gmail IMAP vs. Push, sanity more important than Push?

Derek — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:29:00 +0000

UPDATE: Thanks to reader comments, I discovered that this mini-rant concerning Gmail Push was due to my handset being unable to sync properly. Formatting the phone and following the Google Sync setup instructions agin resulted in a properly synced phone. Thanks Camron.

iPhone toting Gmail users with a knack for pulling out their phone to check for the latest emails raved when Google announced Gmail Push. What’s not to like? Instant notification of unread emails on your iPhone without looking like "that guy" pulling out the phone to refresh in the middle of dinner. Exactly what you wanted right?

As soon as the setup info went live, I enabled Google Sync, flipped the Email toggle and waited. Minutes later, 5 unread email notifications ~~popped up~~ (exaggerated, more like audible notification alerts). Twenty minutes later, another 7. A short time later, even more emails.

Browsing the web, playing a game, or reading a Kindle book. There it was, yet another Push notification from Gmail.

What had I done? I realized that Gmail Push suddenly became the service I wished for and hated all at the same time. I mean, how could I focus on beating my personal best score in Orbital (iTunes) or Chain Rxn (iTunes) ~~if the screen was routinely hijacked by Push notifications~~?

Understandably, the average internet user receives a manageable set of emails on a daily basis but I’ve moved everything online [which means all sorts of notifications]. Filters can only go so far and a lot of info lands in the inbox (despite the option of selecting which labels can Push alerts). A barrage of Push notifications wasn’t the only nuisance. I discovered another trade-off enabling Gmail Push.

Addicted to IMAP

In order to understand why IMAP is so slick, you’ll need to understand the difference between POP and IMAP. For a good walkthrough on the differences between the two, check out this the Official Gmail Blog.

The benefits of accessing your email via IMAP could not be any clearer. So you go on, accessing and reading your email from your fancy iPhone via IMAP. Then Google announces Push. You jump for joy and follow the setup instructions to add the Google service as an Exchange Server. Guess what, if you didn’t delete your existing IMAP Gmail account, you now have TWO Gmail accounts on your phone.

Gmail #1 syncs your unread / read and deleted email with your inbox. Downside, emails are fetched automatically at set intervals OR manually fetched on refresh.

Gmail #2 pushes new messages alerts to your device but has zero sync capabilities. Those 30 emails marked as read you had in your inbox a few minutes ago aren’t showing up in your iPhone inbox. Confused, you back out of the inbox and climb back up the Mail tree and are reminded of your two different accounts.

What do you? Do you continue accessing Gmail IMAP and leave Gmail Push enabled for a hybrid overkill system to satisfy your email addiction? Or, do you disable Push, marvel at the convenience of IMAP access and wait for Apple to put a little more attention into managing Push notifications?

Somewhere in the middle: Gmail IMAP + Boxcar

So you want the convenience of IMAP but the instant gratification of Push notifications at the same time? Try the Gmail IMAP + Boxcar (iTunes) combo. Boxcar is the best choice for Push notifications from services too slow to deliver their own solution(s) without having to rely on Exchange.

With Boxcar, I can fine tune Push notifications from both a personal and work Gmail account, change sound settings, and keep my Exchange account open and unused.

How can Apple make Push notifications better?

Apple’s lack of fine grain control over Push events can easily drive a iPhone user mad. Your Push options are either on or off. You can toggle sounds, alerts, and badges off, but what’s the point of Push with those limited notifications disabled?

Why can’t standard iPhone users enjoy the same useful utilities available for jailbroken handsets? Don’t actually answer that. There’s a great utility which adds a icon to the iPhone menubar for new notifications. What changes to the Push notification settings would you like to see in order to make Push a little more to your liking?

Gmail IMAP vs. Push, where do you stand?

Which method do you prefer for accessing Gmail from your mobile device – IMAP, Push, or mobile version of Gmail? How about Push notifications, have they improved or taken away from your mobile experience?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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MobileMe subscriber? Make sure to enable Find My iPhone

Derek — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:41:04 +0000

Just a friendly reminder. If you are a MobileMe subscriber and have upgraded to the latest 3.0 iPhone OS, make sure to enable Find My iPhone on the device.

Here’s a real life scenario to understand just how useful the service could have been. This morning Syl and I carpooled into work. Four hours after dropping her off, I receive a call from a unknown number. It’s Syl calling from work and she has no idea where her phone is. Immediately, I think of Find My iPhone and log into MobileMe. Shock and horror: Find My iPhone is not enabled.

If the service had been enabled on the handset, I could have had a good idea whether a) Syl had simply forgotten the phone at home, or b) left home with the phone – which had accidently fallen out of her bag. It’s an interesting technology. Not entirely accurate, but a useful approximation of where the phone might be.

I’m kicking myself right now because the feature is disabled. I plugged her phone in, upgraded the handset to 3.0, enabled OTA contact syncing, but neglected to dig down a few more menus to enable Find My iPhone. I logged into at&t wireless to check call history and discovered last call activity was 8:50 PM (previous evening). I’m hoping the phone is simply at home somewhere. Assuming the phone is somewhere at home, I pushed a reminder to enable Find My iPhone. If it’s not at home, it’s probably a goner.

Need more proof on how useful the feature can be? Check out this story about pursuing the handset in real-time using MobileMe. Don’t have MobileMe yet? Purchase it through Amazon and kick a little something back my way.

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Hi Apple, the Genius Bar knows, so… 3.0.1 Update soon?

Derek — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:02:16 +0000

The iPhone 3GS is a great upgrade from the original iPhone 3G. The processor bump, memory boost, and 3.2 megapixel camera with tap-to-zoom & video recording have made me fall in love with the iPhone all over again. If you’re contemplating or have made the jump from the iPhone 2G, the comparison between the two shows a definite performance difference. However, a bug has slipped by undetected by the quality inspection…

The sound bytes you might hear

Your handset is screaming for attention, albeit at a frequency you may not ever hear. It’s been a few days since I took home my shiny iPhone 3GS and had it not been for an early post over on Boy Genius Report, I would have continued thinking that Apple had outdone the last iPhone – problem free. Unfortunately, a flaw was found. A flaw that neither sight or touch could detect.

Lock your screen using the sleep button, send an SMS message, send a email, receive a calendar alert, or hear any OS related sounds. Depending on ambient noise levels or how well your ears can hear, your delicate eardrums may detect a high frequency note lasting roughly 3-4 seconds at the tail end of system sound file(s).

During the day, this high frequency isn’t an issue. At night while I lay in bed sending off a few emails or text messages, the sound is much more noticeable. It’s one of those things that if you weren’t aware of it to begin with, you would never notice. But now that you know it exists, you’re always listening for it. Or at least that’s the problem I have now.

Genius Bar associate(s) acknowledge sloppy sound files

Based on the discussion on the Apple Support boards and a handful of other posts on the net, I had a small sliver of hope that the issue was hardware related. Thinking this, I dropped my info into the Apple Concierge station locking in some time with the geniuses behind the Genius Bar.

After explaining the audio conundrum, my phone was taken to the back for a little "quiet" alone time – away from the hoardes of people snatching up MacBook Pro’s or iMac’s. What economy woes? Five minutes later: "Yes I hear it. I tested a few other 3GS phones back there and they all do the same".

So no handset replacement. Not a big deal. At least the Genius Bar representative tested [multiple phones] and confirmed that 3GS handsets have a problem. The conclusion – sloppy audio files. Hopefully Apple will release an update in the near future or announce that the first production batch of phones are a little sour. I was told the solution was to keep the phone on vibrate (which works) or ignore it. Decisions decisions. Keep the phone on silent? Or live with a tiny little voice screaming?

Can you hear the ‘eeeeeee’?

The sound is there. The question is can you hear it? Cast your vote then spread the word.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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12 bugs found with the new iPhone 3GS

Derek — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 04:13:35 +0000

A humorous lighthearted assessment of the minor updates found in Apple’s latest iPhone incarnation – 3GS.