Looks like Apple are releasing the new iPhone 4S rather than the expected iPhone 5 although it will be featuring the new iOS 5.
iOS5 will be released on Oct 12 so expect Apple servers to be creaking under the downloads!
Tuesday, 4 October 2011
Sunday, 11 September 2011
Unable to Copy Music to iPhone 3GS with iTunes
Are you having problems copying music from your iTunes library to your iPhone?
I've found iTunes to be one of the worst apps that I have ever used and everytime I need to use it to maintain my iPhone 3GS or copy music the whole experience is incredibly frustrating.
It is really refreshing to find an alternative method to copy music to the iPhone that does not include iTunes and is a really well structured and easy to use program.
The software is called Media Monkey and it functions as you would expect iTunes to. If you want to send a song to your iPhone you right click it and choose the option: Send To. Select your iPhone and the music will sync to it.
Simplicity itself and it really begs the question why iTunes is such a struggle to use and so frustrating to experience. Apple are supposed to make the most user friendly software but with my experience of iTunes this hardly seems to be the case.
I work in IT and expect to be able to use most software immediately. iTunes is the only piece of consumer software that I have found that not to be the case.
Media Monkey is free although there are also options to upgrade to premium versions. I highly recommend it and it is definitely worth a look if you are trying to find a way to manage your iPhone or iPod music library without using iTunes.
I've found iTunes to be one of the worst apps that I have ever used and everytime I need to use it to maintain my iPhone 3GS or copy music the whole experience is incredibly frustrating.
It is really refreshing to find an alternative method to copy music to the iPhone that does not include iTunes and is a really well structured and easy to use program.
The software is called Media Monkey and it functions as you would expect iTunes to. If you want to send a song to your iPhone you right click it and choose the option: Send To. Select your iPhone and the music will sync to it.
Simplicity itself and it really begs the question why iTunes is such a struggle to use and so frustrating to experience. Apple are supposed to make the most user friendly software but with my experience of iTunes this hardly seems to be the case.
I work in IT and expect to be able to use most software immediately. iTunes is the only piece of consumer software that I have found that not to be the case.
Media Monkey is free although there are also options to upgrade to premium versions. I highly recommend it and it is definitely worth a look if you are trying to find a way to manage your iPhone or iPod music library without using iTunes.
iPhone Unable to Connect to Windows Vista iTunes library - Firewall Won't Keep Settings
iPhone Unable to Connect to Windows Vista iTunes library - Firewall Won't Keep Settings Error
I've been trying to get my iPhone to connect to my iTunes library on my Windows Vista PC using the iPhone Remote app. Initially the Remote app reports "Remote can't connect to your itunes library. Check network settings" having paused for some time "connecting"
I assumed this was due to the Vista firewall so I followed the instructions on the Apple website to add iTunes as an exception to the Windows firewall. Tried again and the same error message occured. I checked the Windows Firewall again and iTunes was no longer ticked, something had reset the firewall settings and removed the itunes exception.
To confirm that the Windows Vista firewall was causing the problem by blocking access to iTunes from the Remote app on my iPhone via my local wireless network I turned off the Windows Vista firewall. The Remote app connected immediately to the iTunes library showing that it was something in the Windows Vista firewall that was blocking the remote connection between the iPhone 3GS and iTunes.
On further investigation there are additional Windows Vista Firewall settings under Administrative Tools. These allow further configuration of the Windows firewall.
I found that there was an entry under "Incoming Connections" for iTunes that was set to disabled. I enabled this entry and changed the other 2 entries for iTunes under TCP and UDP protocols to be enabled as public profiles.
As soon as these settings were saved the Remote app on my iPhone 3GS was able to connect to the iTunes library.
I've been trying to get my iPhone to connect to my iTunes library on my Windows Vista PC using the iPhone Remote app. Initially the Remote app reports "Remote can't connect to your itunes library. Check network settings" having paused for some time "connecting"
I assumed this was due to the Vista firewall so I followed the instructions on the Apple website to add iTunes as an exception to the Windows firewall. Tried again and the same error message occured. I checked the Windows Firewall again and iTunes was no longer ticked, something had reset the firewall settings and removed the itunes exception.
To confirm that the Windows Vista firewall was causing the problem by blocking access to iTunes from the Remote app on my iPhone via my local wireless network I turned off the Windows Vista firewall. The Remote app connected immediately to the iTunes library showing that it was something in the Windows Vista firewall that was blocking the remote connection between the iPhone 3GS and iTunes.
On further investigation there are additional Windows Vista Firewall settings under Administrative Tools. These allow further configuration of the Windows firewall.
I found that there was an entry under "Incoming Connections" for iTunes that was set to disabled. I enabled this entry and changed the other 2 entries for iTunes under TCP and UDP protocols to be enabled as public profiles.
As soon as these settings were saved the Remote app on my iPhone 3GS was able to connect to the iTunes library.
Friday, 2 September 2011
iPhone - Unable to Delete Email Messages only Archive
As you can see from previous posts I've had a problem when upgrading my iPhone 3GS from firmware 3.1.2 to 4.3.3 which resulted in the phone being stuck in DFU mode and needing to be restored by an iPhone specialist.
My iPhone 3GS is now running iOS 4.3.5 which has a number of major differences to 3.1.2
Although all my apps have restored back onto the phone successfully there are a few features that have caused some confusion!
In particular a default setting in the iPhone email accounts has changed between 3.1.2 and iOS 4 (or 4.3.5) which allows you to delete email messages with either a slide of the finger or clicking the trash icon. In iOS 4 this no longer works for some email accounts and the message that appears is that you can only archive the message not delete it.
There is a setting that appears to be randomly set (some accounts had it others did not) within the Settings on the iPhone. To fix this problem and to allow messages to be deleted not archived on your iPhone you need to do the following:
1) Go to Settings, Mail Contact & Calendar
2) Go to the account that has the problem with archiving
3) Switch the flag "Archive Messages" from On to Off
You will then be able to delete messages from your iPhone inbox. There were some suggestions online that it is necessary to delete the account and recreate it but the option is much simpler than that and does not need any details to be reinput
.
If you need to go the other route and not delete messages from your iPhone but archive them instead then just switch the slider to On from Off.
My iPhone 3GS is now running iOS 4.3.5 which has a number of major differences to 3.1.2
Although all my apps have restored back onto the phone successfully there are a few features that have caused some confusion!
In particular a default setting in the iPhone email accounts has changed between 3.1.2 and iOS 4 (or 4.3.5) which allows you to delete email messages with either a slide of the finger or clicking the trash icon. In iOS 4 this no longer works for some email accounts and the message that appears is that you can only archive the message not delete it.
There is a setting that appears to be randomly set (some accounts had it others did not) within the Settings on the iPhone. To fix this problem and to allow messages to be deleted not archived on your iPhone you need to do the following:
1) Go to Settings, Mail Contact & Calendar
2) Go to the account that has the problem with archiving
3) Switch the flag "Archive Messages" from On to Off
You will then be able to delete messages from your iPhone inbox. There were some suggestions online that it is necessary to delete the account and recreate it but the option is much simpler than that and does not need any details to be reinput
.
If you need to go the other route and not delete messages from your iPhone but archive them instead then just switch the slider to On from Off.
Wednesday, 31 August 2011
Jailbreak iPhone - Crashes after Upgrade from iOS 3.1.2 to 4.3.3 - Stuck in DFU mode
I needed to update my jailbroken iPhone to iOS 4 in order to use a number of apps that insist on this version of firmware in order to run.
My iPhone was running well on iOS 3.1.2 with jailbreak and Cydia. I used Blackra1n to create custom firmware to apply. Unfortunately this failed with various iPhone errors via iTunes and became stuck in a DFU loop.
Iphone error 1601, error 3984, error 1600 and error 28 on iTunes.
I tried various steps to attempt to recover my iPhone from the DFU mode but without success. Whenever plugged into the PC via USB it was detected by iTunes as being in recovery mode and to attempt recovery. This was tried with both the custom firmware (shift and click recover) and finally with the Apple firmware at iOS 4.3.5, none of which were successful.
The iphone is now with a local Medway/Chatham broken iphone repair shop to attempt to recover it. I'll post an update and recommendation if the work is a success!
Saturday, 27 August 2011
MyCarCheck App for iPhone - Identifying New Car Spy Shots (Range Rover 2012)
As you may have read in my previous blog post I grabbed spy shots of a disguised Range Rover being tested near Warwick, West Midlands a couple of days ago.
Having loaded the details to my blog I thought I would check the number plate details using the MyCarCheck app for my iPhone. There were 4 different number plates that have been seen on disguised spy shots of the Range Rover 2012 model and surprisingly they all generated information using this app.
All vehicles are registered as Land Rovers which confirms the Range Rover identification. The variants are both petrol and diesel and despite the zebra patterns are registered as both black and brown models. The engines are 3000cc diesel (heavy oil) and 5000cc petrol. The one piece of information that is missing is the model name - LandRover are clearly trying to keep this bit secret still.
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| Range Rover spy shots |
Having loaded the details to my blog I thought I would check the number plate details using the MyCarCheck app for my iPhone. There were 4 different number plates that have been seen on disguised spy shots of the Range Rover 2012 model and surprisingly they all generated information using this app.
 |
| Range Rover VU11DXP spy shots |
All vehicles are registered as Land Rovers which confirms the Range Rover identification. The variants are both petrol and diesel and despite the zebra patterns are registered as both black and brown models. The engines are 3000cc diesel (heavy oil) and 5000cc petrol. The one piece of information that is missing is the model name - LandRover are clearly trying to keep this bit secret still.
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| Range Rover VU11DVM spy shots |
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| What is Range Rover VX10JCO? |
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| Range Rover VU11DXB spy shots |
Friday, 26 August 2011
Wetherspoons iPhone App Review - Perfect way to find your best value breakfast!
I recently downloaded the JD Wetherspoons app to my iPhone. As a fan of the Wetherspoons pubs for their excellent variety of real ales and their great value meals it seemed an ideal way to be able to find a local Wetherspoons when you are out and about.
I was in West Midlands with my kids this week which gave the perfect opportunity to test out the app. We were staying in Travelodge hotels so needed breakfast each morning. First day we defaulted to the Little Chef next door but paid handsomely for the privelege of not needing to drive.
Second day we decided to test out the Wetherspoons iPhone App. Was there a pub open nearby serving breakfast? Sure enough with a good 3G signal on Vodafone the app fired up and located us. Several pubs nearby including one that was on our route for the day so would make sense to drive near.
Followed the SatNav directions, parked in the multistorey car park next door for the princely sum of 50p and walked into Wetherspoons. The children had already made their choices from the menu on the Wetherspoons iPhone App so having chosen our table we were quickly able to place our order. One thing that Wetherspoons do exceptionally well is deliver food to your table quickly and this was no exception. Within a few minutes our breakfasts had arrived at our table. At under £5 a head for full English cooked breakfast with coffees, the Wetherspoons food was amazing value for money and puts Little Chefs price to shame.
The Wetherspoons iPhone App is a great addition to your iPhone and one we will definitely use in future
I was in West Midlands with my kids this week which gave the perfect opportunity to test out the app. We were staying in Travelodge hotels so needed breakfast each morning. First day we defaulted to the Little Chef next door but paid handsomely for the privelege of not needing to drive.
Second day we decided to test out the Wetherspoons iPhone App. Was there a pub open nearby serving breakfast? Sure enough with a good 3G signal on Vodafone the app fired up and located us. Several pubs nearby including one that was on our route for the day so would make sense to drive near.
Followed the SatNav directions, parked in the multistorey car park next door for the princely sum of 50p and walked into Wetherspoons. The children had already made their choices from the menu on the Wetherspoons iPhone App so having chosen our table we were quickly able to place our order. One thing that Wetherspoons do exceptionally well is deliver food to your table quickly and this was no exception. Within a few minutes our breakfasts had arrived at our table. At under £5 a head for full English cooked breakfast with coffees, the Wetherspoons food was amazing value for money and puts Little Chefs price to shame.
The Wetherspoons iPhone App is a great addition to your iPhone and one we will definitely use in future
Sunday, 17 July 2011
multizoneav.eu Review - Is it a con? Cheap Canon 60D for £361
Many people are asking about multizoneav.eu and a review of their website that offers electronic goods at unbelievable prices. Remember the saying "if it looks too good to be true then it probably is!"
Firstly multizoneav.eu and multizoneav.net are nothing to do with multizoneav.com which is a legal, legitimate UK company that sells electronic equipment. Their name has been used by overseas scammers to trick you into parting with your cash. Their website offers cameras such as the Canon 5D Mark2 for £865, Canon 60D for £361 or the Nikon D700 DSLR camera for £857. They then show a further 5% discount on these already ficticious prices. Beware - these are not genuine offers and you will never receive these cameras - just lose your money!
So why does a review of multizoneav.eu and multizoneav.net show that it is a scam and a con?
1) The website has only been running for a month (registered June 2011)
2) They do not accept valid forms of electronic payment such as Visa/Mastercard or Paypal and only accept payment types that cannot be traced and are easily laundered.
3) You cannot buy cameras such as the Canon 600D for under 50% of the UK price. This is cheaper than Canon can produce them for.
4) They are passing off as the name of a genuine business in an attempt to trick consumers into buying from them. This is a common scam and has been carried out many times before on different businesses.
5) All feedback forums are having reports of people who have lost money to them
http://www.avforums.com/forums/digital-photography/1483269-multizoneav-eu.html
Firstly multizoneav.eu and multizoneav.net are nothing to do with multizoneav.com which is a legal, legitimate UK company that sells electronic equipment. Their name has been used by overseas scammers to trick you into parting with your cash. Their website offers cameras such as the Canon 5D Mark2 for £865, Canon 60D for £361 or the Nikon D700 DSLR camera for £857. They then show a further 5% discount on these already ficticious prices. Beware - these are not genuine offers and you will never receive these cameras - just lose your money!
So why does a review of multizoneav.eu and multizoneav.net show that it is a scam and a con?
1) The website has only been running for a month (registered June 2011)
2) They do not accept valid forms of electronic payment such as Visa/Mastercard or Paypal and only accept payment types that cannot be traced and are easily laundered.
3) You cannot buy cameras such as the Canon 600D for under 50% of the UK price. This is cheaper than Canon can produce them for.
4) They are passing off as the name of a genuine business in an attempt to trick consumers into buying from them. This is a common scam and has been carried out many times before on different businesses.
5) All feedback forums are having reports of people who have lost money to them
http://www.avforums.com/forums/digital-photography/1483269-multizoneav-eu.html
Wednesday, 13 July 2011
Scam Bargain Price Camera Gear multizoneav.eu
This site is a scam, you can only pay through non safe methods ie CASH. Who would go to a Paypoint location and hand over £400 cash to a company that uses the London immigration offices as its registered place of business on the website.
Do yourselves a favour and remember the golden rule:
If it seems to good to be true....it probably is.
http://blog.photo3.co.uk/2011/07/multizoneaveu-scam-multi-zone-av-scam.html
Do yourselves a favour and remember the golden rule:
If it seems to good to be true....it probably is.
http://blog.photo3.co.uk/2011/07/multizoneaveu-scam-multi-zone-av-scam.html
Friday, 17 June 2011
How do I unlock a Second hand iphone 3GS on Orange Network for Free?
How do I unlock a Second hand iphone 3GS on Orange Network?
As you may have seen from blog posts my iPhone 3GS is with Vodafone UK but doesn't always get the signal I need so I wanted to be able to use alternative SIMs in the iPhone if no signal exists at the location I am at. The same process can be used for any iPhone 3GS on Orange and O2 as well.
There are various websites that offer iPhone 3GS unlocking for around the £20 - £25 mark but I spotted this video on YouTube that allows you to unlock your iPhone 3GS for free.
The first step is to install the jailbreak software if you have not already jailbroken your phone. I use This gives lots of other benefits as well as being able to unlock the iPhone 3GS for free. I still use iOS 3.2 which is much more stable and can be easily jailbroken but does not work with apps that need iOS 4.
I used redsnow to jailbreak iOS 3.1.3 on my iPhone 3GS.
Once you have jailbroken your iPhone 3GS then you can load the ultrasn0w package which then unlocks the iPhone. Using Cydia add the URL
http://repo666.ultrasn0w.com
Once rebooted your iphone will be unlocked for free!
I've just tried it with my iPhone 3GS locked to Vodafone UK and it now works with SIMs from 3 and Orange so I can now use my iPhone 3GS on any network for free.
As you may have seen from blog posts my iPhone 3GS is with Vodafone UK but doesn't always get the signal I need so I wanted to be able to use alternative SIMs in the iPhone if no signal exists at the location I am at. The same process can be used for any iPhone 3GS on Orange and O2 as well.
There are various websites that offer iPhone 3GS unlocking for around the £20 - £25 mark but I spotted this video on YouTube that allows you to unlock your iPhone 3GS for free.
The first step is to install the jailbreak software if you have not already jailbroken your phone. I use This gives lots of other benefits as well as being able to unlock the iPhone 3GS for free. I still use iOS 3.2 which is much more stable and can be easily jailbroken but does not work with apps that need iOS 4.
I used redsnow to jailbreak iOS 3.1.3 on my iPhone 3GS.
Once you have jailbroken your iPhone 3GS then you can load the ultrasn0w package which then unlocks the iPhone. Using Cydia add the URL
http://repo666.ultrasn0w.com
Once rebooted your iphone will be unlocked for free!
I've just tried it with my iPhone 3GS locked to Vodafone UK and it now works with SIMs from 3 and Orange so I can now use my iPhone 3GS on any network for free.
Friday, 27 May 2011
Mobile Mast locator:How to find Locations of Mobile Phone masts in your area
Mobile Mast locator: how to find mobile phone masts in your town or neighbourhood
If you are concerned about mobile phone masts in your area then check on the locations that are already in place including opposite Parkwood school in the centre of the Parkwood residential area. An additional mast will have no impact on any radiation levels based on the number that already are constructed.
You can check the locations of mobile masts in Rainham or any other town using this website http://www.sitefinder.ofcom.org.uk/search
If you are concerned about mobile phone masts in your area then check on the locations that are already in place including opposite Parkwood school in the centre of the Parkwood residential area. An additional mast will have no impact on any radiation levels based on the number that already are constructed.
You can check the locations of mobile masts in Rainham or any other town using this website http://www.sitefinder.ofcom.org.uk/search
Thursday, 28 April 2011
Loading Photos to iPhone without iTunes
For a company like Apple that prides itself on the software and products it designs, iTunes seems to be a complete opposite in comparison to everything else it sells. It is the most un-user friendly, unintuitive and inflexible mainstream software I have ever used.
When on holiday I needed to load some photos to my iPhone to show friends. No way to do that in iTunes without wiping all the existing photos from your phone - unless you are at the PC that has sync'd with the phone before.
So if you need to load photos to your phone one way is to use the Dropbox software. This will load the photos to the cloud but also sync them to you phone and allow you to view them. All without needing to touch the disaster that is iTunes.
When on holiday I needed to load some photos to my iPhone to show friends. No way to do that in iTunes without wiping all the existing photos from your phone - unless you are at the PC that has sync'd with the phone before.
So if you need to load photos to your phone one way is to use the Dropbox software. This will load the photos to the cloud but also sync them to you phone and allow you to view them. All without needing to touch the disaster that is iTunes.
Wednesday, 2 March 2011
Dropbox for iPhone App
As an update to my recent post about Dropbox I have now found that there is a Dropbox app available for both the iPhone and Blackberry.
It means that I can have documents and photos from my desktop immediately available on my phone where I have 3G/Wifi internet available. There is also an option to save files locally on the iPhone.
It means that I can have documents and photos from my desktop immediately available on my phone where I have 3G/Wifi internet available. There is also an option to save files locally on the iPhone.
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