Hidden TV out features discovered in iPhone firmware 2.2 SDK
November 27th, 2008 by iPhoneTechZone
ArsTechnica managed to discover an unpublished programming framework that allows third-party applications to be viewed on external devices such as a tv. This framework is known as MPTVOutWindow, which sends video out through the dock connector to an external screen.
This video out feature is primarily meant to send out movies, however this framework will allow applications to be viewed on something other than the iphone.
iPhone developer Erica Sadun, discovered that the touch input on the iphone is disabled when connected to an external device, which prevents the iphone from acting as a regular controller, but it still recognizes accelerometer input.
Moreover, Erica also discovered that the programming call appears to be designed for landscape mode rather than portrait. Although all these limitations, developers eagerly wrote basic codes and plan to explore the MPTVOutWindow function in the near future.
A video is available to see what this function is able to do:
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Most Common Problems with iPhone Firmware 2.2
November 23rd, 2008 by iPhoneTechZone
6 Serious Problems with iPhone 2.2 OS, The iPhone 2.2 OS update came out yesterday and users are rushing to download the update to activate additional features Google Maps Street View, voice call and email enhancements, and a refreshed iPhone Safari UI. But, it seems to be a bad news for the early updaters. iPhone Atlas have reported several problems such as problems with broken third-party applications to internet connection issues and some bugs. Let me list the problems
1. App Store is too slow
Users have reported that the app store is loading really slow after the update. If it’s sever side problem i hope Apple with take care of it soon.
2. Distance Unit Error in Google Maps
Google Maps are displaying kilometers instead miles for a wide set of countries. To solve this problem for the time-being change your country to USA, but users outside america see this as a nuisance.
3. Internet Connection Trouble
Users complaining that they are not allowed to connect to the internet over their cellular networks. This issue can be resolved by switching from 3G to EDGE (or, for carriers other than AT&T, the appropriate GPRS network).
4. Problems with E-mail Deletion
I have the same trouble with my current OS to delete mail from accounts like Gmail and AOL. Users have reported similar problems in deleting AOL mails. You can manually fix this issue. Goto Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > (Your account name) > Advanced > Deleted Mailbox, then setting for the “On My iPhone” Trash for a POP account, or “On the Server” for an IMAP account.
5. Third-Party Applications broken
This is bad news for power users, i use my iPhone mainly considering the apps in them. Some 3rd applications will not function properly like before under the new iPhone OS 2.2 due to API changes and other alterations. These include a number of applications that use CoreAudio. These applications will generally need to be updated by their developers. However, you can try uninstalling then reinstalling applications for problems that do not involve API or other strict compatibility problems.
6. “SIM card not inserted” or “PIN Lock”
Not this again, it happened to me twice. This error is really irritating. Users are recieving errors that the SIM card is not inserted, or that a PIN lock is in place when none should exist. You can solve the SIM issue by removing the SIM card, then connect to your computer and restore. Then iTunes will reload the software, and followed by that you can re-insert the SIM card and attempt synchronization with iTunes.
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iPhone Firmware 2.2 Released on November 20th
November 21st, 2008 by iPhoneTechZone
Apple has just released its 2.2 iPhone firmware. To update your iPhone, Launch iTunes > Connect your iPhone > and click “Check Update”. Download 2.2 firmware.
WARNING - UNLOCKED AND/OR JAILBROKEN IPHONES USERS : DO NOT UPGRADE
So what is new in Firmware 2.2?
- Google Streets view in maps feature: This is incredibly cool. I’m not a major user of the street views online, but having it on the phone is really nifty- and kinda creepy. I looked up my grandmother’s address, and it pulled up just fine complete with a 360 degree view of her neighborhood. Just seemed… yeesh.
- Google Search relocated in Safari browser: Others are calling this an excellent adjustment to save screen real estate in the browser. I say… meh. I mean, it’s nice and all. Just not a huge change like others are saying.
- Podcast Over-the-air Download capability in iTunes: Okay, this one’s really nifty. They’ve finally added podcast downloads over wifi on the iPhone, and I love it. Now, if I want to get the latest episode of a favorite podcast and I’m not at home to get it, I can do so from my phone. Very convenient, very cool. I’ll be using this one.
Full List of Featured Updates:
- Enhancements to Maps
- Google Street View
- public transit and walking diretions
- display address of dropped pins
- share location via email
- Enhancements to Mail
- resolved isolated issues with scheduled fetching of email
- improved formatting of wide HTML email
- Improved stability and performance of Safari
- Podcasts are now available for download in iTunes application (over Wi-Fi and cellular)
- Decrease in call set-up failures and call drops
- Improved sound quality of visual voicemail messages
- Pressing the Home button from any Home screen takes you to the first Home screen
- Preferences to turn on/off auto-correction in Keyboard settings
- 2.2 fixes the issue with broken App Store links in Mobile Safari
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Richard|Solo 1800: External 1800 mAh Battery pack for iPhone
November 11th, 2008 by iPhoneTechZone
The iPhone is truly the first smartphone to have impressed me but one thing it fell short on is it’s battery life. Heavy users just can’t get enough charge to last the day making external battery packs one of the most sough after accessories for the iPhone.
Richard|Solo has come with a updated version of their battery pack previously called Smart Backup Battery for iPhone and now renamed Richard|Solo 1800. Now coming with a beefed up 1800 mAh capacity this should add 50% more charge than with the previous model.
This kit also comes with a 110-240 volt AC Wall charger, dual-USB car charger and a retractable USB cable. Truly versatile you can charge either just simply plug it in the the wall, in your car, on your computer and can charge them both at the same time.
Features Overview
- Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and all other iPod devices except shuffle (Note: If your iPod touch or iPod nano has the earphone jack right next to the battery connector, you can not use the earphone jack while you are charging the iPod.) Works great with the 3G iPhone.
- Gives you more than double the battery time
- Small and lightweight for pocket, purse or briefcase
- High-quality plastic case is light and durable
- Snaps on to iPhone / iPod instantly — no bulky cable
- Latching mechanism securely attaches to iPhone
- Included support brace to provide solid feel in the hand. Works perfectly with our Contour Case.
- Ultra-bright LED white flashlight built-in, with lock switch
- Red laser pointer built-in, with lock switch
- Fits easily to any iPhone case (without support brace in use)
- Environmentally sensitive packaging
- Begins to charge your Apple device immediately
- Complete kit includes USB retractable charging cable, dual USB port car charger, and USA AC adapter [110-240V] wall charger (works with any international plug adapter s)
- USB retractable cable connects Smart Backup Battery directly to computer’s USB port, car charger, or AC wall adapter for convenient charging
- Charge the Smart Backup Battery and iPhone / iPod together [the iPhone / iPod will charge first and then the backup battery — the next morning both are completely charged]
- Lithium-ion technology does not develop “memory” so you can charge often
- Smart, automatic on/off charging technology protects the battery from overcharging
- Advanced circuitry keeps battery cool to touch
- Blue, green, red LEDs indicate charging status
- 90-day warranty from RichardSolo.com
Technical Specifications
- 1800mAh polymerized lithium-ion battery
- Richard Solo Battery itself is charged to 100% in about 5 hours or less
- Output: DC 5V +/- 0.25V
- Output current: 500mA
- Battery weighs: 2.3 oz. [67.6 gm]
- Battery measures: 2″ x 7/16″ x 4 3/8″ [5.3 x 1.3 x 11.2 cm]
- Extended cable measures: 29″ [73 cm]
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iPhone 2.2 Firmware Beta 1 Seeded to Select Developers
September 25th, 2008 by iPhoneTechZone
Rumors go that Apple has seeded The iPhone Firware 2.2 Beta 1 already to developers. The build is being seeded so far only for “compatibility testing” and we don’t know yet of any new features or changes in this build. One Rumor says a tweak was that Mobile Safari browser got a bit of a refresh, where the Google search bar go a push into the title bar.
Hopefully on top of this it will include background push notifications built-in that we’ve all been waiting for.
On this MacRumors.com has pointed a post on their forum where a user has received a response from Steve Jobs on the whereabouts of push notifications:
From: Steve JobsSubject: Re: iPhone push notifications
Date: September 24, 2008 08:36:05 PM PDT
To: MeWe’re running a bit late. We want to get it 100% right the first time.
Steve
Sent from my iPhone
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Is iPhone firmware 2.1 Playing Tricks with Battery and Wifi Indicators?
September 15th, 2008 by iPhoneTechZone
As you all know by now The iPhone 2.1 firmware update is out! Two of the most talked about enhancements are the enhanced battery life and the enhanced signal boost. However some have cast doubts on the effectiveness and the credibility of Apple’s latest claims. Did Apple really put an effort to improve these problems? Or did Apple just cosmetically tweak the indicators, making battery and signal seem longer and stronger than they really are?
Battery Indicator
Many have claimed that the battery indicator goes from near 100% to under 10% in just minutes. I have experience the same phenomenon as well. It was a thrill to see the battery stays at near 100% after 2 hours of continuous heavy mobile Safari use. However at about 6 hours after a full charge, the battery indicator suddenly showed that battery level is less than 10%! This has been reported by many other people. Some have suggested to completely let the battery drain off and then give it a full charge to solve this problem. This phenomenon may have also give people a false idea that the iPhone really does improve battery life by quite a bit as suggested by polls. However there are many people who reported the 2.1 iphone software update actually made their battery drain faster. Of course there are many people who also stated the firmware boosted battery.
Wireless Signal Indicator
Apple has stated in their release that the new firmware update “improved accuracy of the 3G signal strength display.” The question is, did Apple add any enhancements to get better reception or did they simply enhance the signal bar cosmetically? Many people have reported that their signal bar went up 2-3 bars after the update. If solving the reception problem is as simple as adding more bars, changing the 3G, EDGE icons to blue, shouldn’t all carriers learn from this?
Controlled Testing Needed
With so many claims of Apple not really fixing the battery life and wireless signal in the 2.1 firmware update. We really need a good controlled experiment to test battery life and wireless signal reception. Give us 10 NEW iPhone 3G’s (Or iPhone 3G with new battery). Have people surf websites heavy content until the battery is completely drained so we can test for true battery life (also measure Safari’s crash rate).
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iPhone firmware 2.1 update comes with a lot of bug fixes
September 12th, 2008 by iPhoneTechZone
Apple have released iPhone firmware v2.1, announced by Steve Jobs earlier this week and the company’s promised cure for dropped calls, poor battery life and slow iTunes backups. It also includes improved email reliability for both POP and Exchange users, faster third-party application installs, improved SMS performance and speedier contacts searching.
There’s also a re-fettled 3G signal strength display, promising more accuracy, and the security option to wipe the iPhone’s data after ten incorrect passcode attempts. Genius playlist creation has also been added, Apple’s new “intelligent” system that can analyze your tracks and suggest similar music from both your own library and from the iTunes store.
You can download the new firmware by connecting your iPhone, loading iTunes and choosing “Check for update”. The new firmware will automatically download and install. We’re downloading it now, let us know how you get on with your own iPhone.
Update includes:
- Decrease in call set-up failures and dropped calls
- Significantly better battery life for most users
- Dramatically reduced time to backup to iTunes
- Improved email reliability, notably fetching email from POP and Exchange accounts
- Faster installation of 3rd party applications
- Fixed bugs causing hangs and crashes for users with lots of third party applications
- Improved performance in text messaging
- Faster loading and searching of contacts
- Improved accuracy of the 3G signal strength display
- Repeat alert up to two additional times for incoming text messages
- Option to wipe data after ten failed passcode attempts
- Genius playlist creation
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B&W Zeppelin iPod/iPhone dock speakers
September 2nd, 2008 by iPhoneTechZone
An old name in audio is using an old method of air travel as inspiration for new sound system - the Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) Zeppelin iPod dock.
State-of-the-art design meets audiophile quality audio, but that design does have a practical quality, offering surround sound from its 360° speaker. The iPod hooks up via a separate support arm, which also features a unique spring-loaded mounting system for compatibility with all iPods. There’s also connectivity for other MP3 players and a total output of 150W.
Find out more from the John Lewis website
For more of the same with a contemporary twist, check out our newly-launched Switched On Set website
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OpenSSH on the Go with TouchTerm v2.0 for the iPhone
August 25th, 2008 by iPhoneTechZone
As someone who travels often I am a true believer in moving as many functions as possible to my iPhone, although at times I think the results can be somewhat clunky and I quickly realize somethings just were not meant to run on a small mobile device there are times that apps just seem to fit. TouchTerm v2.0 is one of those, great SSH functionality on the go.
The new version is much more “mature” than the earlier version and as such it now has a nominal cost, completely justified.
From the developers:
TouchTerm 1.0 was first-to-market with a streamlined tool responding to the widespread demand for SSH on the iPhone; and now, we’ve taken all of the customer feedback and used it to create the first complete, polished, and mature SSH client on the App Store.
TouchTerm 2.0 includes:
Complete server, connection, and password management
RSA/DSA Key-based authentication, and public key distribution via e-mail
VT100 terminal emulation including boldface and reversed text and full special-key support (Control, Esc, Tab, backquote, and arrow keys). Run any command-line or screen-based console application. An unlimited terminal output buffer, which allows standard scrolling and zooming back through previous command output and easy visualization of large results or files
Rock-solid SSH implemenation based on OpenSSL and OpenSSH
Efficient screen rendering and buffering, which means: no lag in screen-based programs like top, vi, and emacs; view and scroll through large amounts of output data with ease; and, no crashing on output-intensive commands.
Several text entry options to maximize efficiency for command-line processing and file editing. Easily switch between entry and display modes to fit the needs of whatever tools you are using at the moment
Landscape mode support and configurable font size and color
A cross-session saved command history
A polished, intuitive, iPhone-standard interface
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iPhone Firmware 2.0.2 Better than 2.0.1 on 3G performance
August 19th, 2008 by iPhoneTechZone
In a rather quick update cycle, Apple has released the 2.0.2 firmware upgrade of iPhone and iPod Touch. The update is available exclusively through iTunes and weighs in at a stout 248MB from start to finish. Apple has not released identifiable issues with this release (as is their policy), but it’s probably safe to assume that this update will strive to fix the “2% connectivity issue” that far more than 2% of iPhone 3G customers are experiencing. Hopefully these fixes will improve connectivity and transition from EDGE to 3G networks.
Finally, here are a few notes on the release:
- No new settings appear to have been included.
- Some users report faster browsing, though this may be due to cleared cache.
- Typing lag may be reduced.
- Apps don’t require updates; NetShare still works.
- Transition from music list to Coverflow has changed.
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