How Do I Make My iPhone Ring Longer? [iPhone Q & A]
Posted by admin in ipod news
I’m going to start an iPhone Q & A series, where I post some of the questions readers send me by email. Today’s question:
Kathy writes:
is there any way to make iPhone ring longer?
Answer:
Even if your iPhone ringtone is 30 seconds long, your iPhone rings for only 20 seconds by default. To get your iPhone to ring for 30 seconds, instead of the standard 20-second ring, follow the steps below:
- Dial *#61# and touch Call.
- Jot down the phone number displayed on the screen. This is where your voicemail calls are directed to (as shown in the screenshot below).
- Dial **61*(THE NUMBER YOU WROTE DOWN)**30# and press Call.
Your iPhone should now ring longer — that is, for the full 30-second duration of your ringtone. To verify that your voicemails are still being sent to the correct place, repeat step 1 and check that the phone number matches.
Got a question? Click to ask me.
7 Ways iPhone CANNOT Replace Your Home Computer
Posted by admin in ipod news
In his post on eWeek titled The iPhone Has Replaced My Home PC, Cameron Sturdevant writes:
Will a generation that has grown up with high-powered smartphones but is confronted with either unemployment or low-wage jobs make a choice between a smartphone with a healthy dose of data plan and cable/DSL-based broadband Internet access?
Cameron claims that he would abandon his PC in favor of his iPhone except for one thing: “Netflix. I am completely addicted to the ‘watch instantly’ feature that allows me to view a movie on-demand.” Is that all?
Yes, the iPhone can replace your home computer for plenty of tasks like email, browsing and multimedia, but there are some things you still need a computer for.
Here are 7 things your computer can do that your iPhone can’t:
- Word processing. Yes, you could type out long documents on your iPhone’s touchscreen keypad, but you would sure lose a lot of time.
- Copy & paste. Besides a few primitive workarounds, you can’t copy & paste on the iPhone, a much-needed feature that’s reason enough not to get rid of your computer.
- Open more than 8 tabs. If you’re like me, you open a lot of tabs when you’re browsing. If you’re doing research, this can be especially helpful for improving productivity. You can’t, however, open more than 8 windows in iPhone’s Safari app. Even if you could, iPhone’s Safari crashes pretty easily, so it’s not very reliable for heavy browsing.
- Undo. Ever hold the backspace key on your iPhone for too long, accidentally erasing a whole paragraph of text? Or have you deleted something unintentionally? Unlike your computer, the iPhone has no Undo function that provides a safety net against these kinds of mistakes.
- Edit multimedia. If you like to edit your photos in Photoshop, or you make movies with Final Cut, then getting rid of your home computer is a bad idea. You can’t edit multimedia on your iPhone.
- Render Flash & Java. Ever go looking for some info on your iPhone, only to realize the website you need is made with Flash or Java and you can’t access it on your iPhone? You need a computer (or another phone) to run Flash and Java.
- Support plugins & add-ons. You can enhance a lot of software to suit your needs with plugins and extensions, like iTunes plugins, Firefox Add-Ons and Greasemonkey scripts. While you can improve your iPhone in general with apps from the App Store, you can’t improve any of iPhone’s apps themselves with plugins.
Yes, the iPhone could be improved to eventually include these features, but for the time being, they are my reasons for not ditching my computer in favor of my iPhone.
What do you think?
Could you see yourself abandoning your home computer and just using your iPhone instead? Let us know in the comments why you think the iPhone could or could not replace your home computer.
Join the iPhone Roast: Win $150 and a Shout Out!
Posted by admin in ipod news
I consider myself a critic of the iPhone among many Apple “fanboys.” Today I want to propose a little competition that will bring together a diversity of opinions other than my own.
You should know, the #1 reason I point out flaws in the iPhone is to get a discussion going on things about the iPhone that desperately need to be changed, so that Apple can pay attention to our feedback and improve a product worth improving.
You could say that’s my mission statement. Look at the huge discussions that have arisen from these two iPhone problems I’ve brought up:
When you join the iPhone roast, you will be participating in a discussion that could have a meaningful impact on the future of the iPhone.
How to join the competition
Write a post in your blog explaining what it is about the iPhone that bothers you the MOST. Tell us why the problem is important and why a change needs to be made.
You’ll get bonus points for citing an opinion on Apple iPhone Review, or even better, arguing against one. Either way, your iPhone roast should explain something specific that needs to be changed about the iPhone.
The person who writes the most compelling post (as determined by me when this contest is over on Monday, February 2 at 12 noon, Eastern Standard Time) will win $150 via PayPal AND a congratulatory shout-out with a link on Apple iPhone Review, where your criticisms about the iPhone will be seen by thousands.
To join, simply publish a blog post with a pingback to this post to notify me of your entry in the contest.
Why share your opinion?
Apple listens to our feedback. We know because of the updates they’ve made to the iPhone since it first came out.
Whether you win or not, you will be taking part in a discussion that could easily play a hand in improving the iPhone for all of us.
Are you in?
Click here now to subscribe to Apple iPhone Review for updates on the iPhone roast, plus fresh iPhone insights, accessory reviews and how-to’s.
How to Crop Your iPhone Photos in 5 Seconds or Less
Posted by admin in ipod news
Cropping photos on the iPhone is easier than you think. You can crop photos on your iPhone in a matter of seconds without having to download any apps.
Here’s how:
- Go to the photo you want to crop in the Photos app.
- Pinch to zoom into the photo as much as you’d like.
- Finally, perform a screen capture by simultaneously pressing the on/off button and the Home button.
Your cropped photo will now appear in your photo album.
Pogo Stylus for iPhone: Great for Winter
Posted by admin in ipod news
I thought I’d resurface this Pogo Stylus video review I did about a year ago because I’ve found the stylus to be particularly handy lately, since we’ve had some cold days in Gainesville, Florida where I live.
It can be really frustrating to not be able to use your iPhone with gloves on, so I’ve been carrying my Pogo Stylus around in my pocket. Works like a charm.
Check out my video review of the Pogo Stylus for iPhone.
P.S. Ten One Design now has a couple new products:
- Pogo Sketch, a stylus with a thinner tip and a pocket clip
- SoundClip, a small device that redirects the iPhone speaker sound, supposedly making it more clear and audible
I’ll review the Pogo Sketch and the SoundClip in the near future if I can get my hands on them.
Griffin iTrip AutoPilot: FM Transmitter for iPhone [Review]
Posted by admin in ipod news
I was really excited to receive Griffin’s first iPhone FM transmitter in the mail because up until a few months ago I had no way to listen to my music on the road… except by burning CDs, and who does that anymore?
I first used the Griffin FM transmitter while traveling down from north Florida to Miami, a six-hour drive. I was in the passenger seat so I had a chance to mess around with all the controls and devote my full attention to it.
It’s got some cool features, like
- the ability to charge your iPhone
- playback controls on the plug for pausing or skipping songs
- stereo and mono modes (mono is said to produce a stronger signal)
You can learn more from the iTrip AutoPilot manual (PDF).
Griffin iTrip AutoPilot for iPhone - How it works
Once connected to your car’s power socket, the iTrip’s so-called SmartScan will seek out the 3 clearest radio frequencies and program them into the transmitter’s presets.
All you have to do is choose a frequency on the iTrip and then set your car radio to that same station. From there, Griffin’s FM transmitter will broadcast what your iPhone is playing through your car’s speakers… that is, in theory.
My experience
As it turns out, Griffin’s FM transmitter for iPhone has worked only 1/3 of the time.
I kid you not, I have spent hours fidgeting with stations and looking for a clear signal, often with no luck. At best, the iTrip AutoPilot will play for 10 minutes and then the signal will go fuzzy with static.
I have tested the AutoPilot in Gainesville, in Orlando and in Miami, and it has never been dependable.
The verdict on Griffin’s iTrip AutoPilot
I wish I could, but I can’t recommend Griffin’s iTrip AutoPilot FM transmitter for iPhone.
I delayed posting this review, because I believe Griffin is a good company and I wanted to give the iTrip AutoPilot a fair chance. But after giving it another shot tonight, it is clear that this thing is just plain unpredictable.
Granted, I have a feeling FM transmitters are generally erratic and unreliable. But for $100, Griffin’s iTrip AutoPilot for iPhone is simply not a risk worth taking.
Google Reader for iPhone [Things That Rock]
Posted by admin in ipod news
I thought I’d take a few minutes to sing the praises of an Internet service I use on my iPhone all the time — Google Reader.
What is Google Reader?
Google reader is an RSS feed reader. It’s a free service you can use to view all your blog subscriptions in one place. To sign up, go to http://reader.google.com.
Then you need to add subscriptions. It’s so easy. I’ll guide you through it using my blog as an example.
- Log in and click “Add subscription” on the left-hand sidebar. Enter the feed address: http://feeds.feedburner.com/AppleiPhoneReview
That’s it. You’re now subscribed and you can read all the articles I’ve ever written, plus all new ones at the moment they’re posted, by clicking “Apple iPhone Review” in your subscriptions list.
Do this with every blog you read and Google Reader becomes addictive.
Google Reader for iPhone
Google has worked tirelessly on Google Reader for the iPhone. I found the original mobile version of Google Reader useful, and the new one is even better.
With Google Reader on your iPhone you can literally carry all your blog subscriptions in your pocket. Try it. Get a Google Reader account and follow today’s Presidential Inauguration by subscribing to Google News.
Do you use Google Reader on your iPhone, or some other RSS feed reader?
NEW: Browse Apple iPhone Review Without the Ads!
Posted by admin in ipod news
As a thank you to my regular readers, I’m now offering the option to browse the site without all the ad clutter.
Simply sign up for a username, and once logged in the ads will disappear automatically!
As always, the feed will remain ad-free for all-readers, so subscribe to my feed if you haven’t already.
Sent from an iPhone: First Photo of Hudson River Plane Crash
Posted by admin in ipod news
An incredible instance of citizen reporting:
Janis Krums, a traveler on a New York river ferry, used his iPhone to snap and distribute via Twitter this photo, the first one taken of the Hudson River plane crash on January 15:
It’s amazing to see how the iPhone changes the way news is spread. I was inspired by this to sign up for a Twitter account. I also downloaded Twitfire from the App Store, which lets you quickly snap a photo and post it to Twitter or TwitPic, like Janis did on the river.
3 iPhone Copy & Paste Solutions
Posted by admin in ipod news
iPhone’s missing copy & paste feature has been a complaint of many since I posted my first list of 25 things wrong with the iPhone nearly two years ago.
There’s no doubt Apple has improved the iPhone since it first debuted, but they have yet to acknowledge how critical a feature copy & paste is.
For the time being, there are a few workarounds for getting semi-effective copy & paste functionality on the iPhone:
-
pastebud.
Pastebud lets you copy & paste between the iPhone’s Mail and Safari apps.
Let’s say you want to send a passage from a news article to someone. You would simply access the pastebud Copy bookmarklet, highlight the text you want to copy, and choose whether to send the text to a) Mail or b) Google if you’re searching for a particular phrase.
It’s by no means ideal but it’s a workaround that will let you copy & paste in certain situations.
Watch a video below of pastebud in action, or click here to install pastebud.
-
iCopy.
iCopy is also a bookmarklet with a bit more functionality than pastebud because it lets you copy URLs in addition to text.
This is super helpful because a lot of times URLs are way too long and complicated to memorize and type out.
Here’s a video of iCopy in use:
-
MagicPad.
MagicPad is a more versatile Notes application that lets you copy & paste text between notes.
It’s not a remarkable app other than that it shows you how copy & paste could work on an iPhone.
Check it out:
Click to download MagicPad from the App Store for $3.99.
Personally, I most wish the iPhone had copy & paste when I want to share a link, like when I’m looking at a website and want to post it to my Facebook feed. Or when I want to quote something from a website in an email.
iCopy and pastebud are helpful for these tasks, but they’re a hassle to use and nowhere near as seamless as an official iPhone copy & paste feature would be.
What do you need copy & paste for on your iPhone? Let us know in the comments.