iWebcamera: Use the iPhone as a webcam

iWebcamera is an application through which we can use our iPhone as Webo WebCam camera when using any of our instant messaging clients such as MSN Live Messenger, Yahoo, Gtalk, Skype or any of that style which usually offer the ability to add your own webcam and our contacts can see us through our image to display.

General characteristics of the application:

• It offers two types of quality, for better performance or better visualization.
• Ability to pause and resume when the image we want.
• Just install the drivers and we can use the iPhone as a webcamin our pc.
• The application has a small help in case you can not do the installation in the PC
• Languages ​​available: German and English
• Compatibility: Windows XP, Windows Seven.

The application iWebcamera this at a price of $ 4.99 and is available on the  apple Store. Drivers for Windows XP can download it from here.

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How to Create iPhone Setting Home Screen Shortcuts

Toggling between the iPhone’s settings is a rather annoying process.  Sure, you could leave the Bluetooth turned on, but in light of the iPhone’s recent battery woes that’s probably not the best idea.  So chances are you’ve been navigating time and time again to the Bluetooth setting within the iPhone’s setting’s menu, which takes 3 steps.  Annoying?  You bet.  Same applies if you want to toggle the WiFi on/off, access your screen’s brightness setting, though that takes one less step, but still frustrating nonetheless.

However, there is a resolve.  Since the iPhone’s architecture is built upon URL strings you can create home screen shortcuts directly to the setting, meaning you can access it with one click.  There are a few ways you can accomplish this feat, but this is the slickest and coolest option we’ve seen to date.  So here’s how to add settings icon shortcuts to your iPhone’s home screen, which include but aren’t limited to WiFi, Sounds, Wallpaper, EQ, Bluetooth and a few more.

1. Head to http://brdrck.me/settings/ on your iOS device.  There the page will load with a variety of iPhone icons.  Each icon represents a shortcut to that setting. To create one, just click on it.

2. Next a page will load with the option to install that shortcut.  Some shortcuts have two icons, such as Airplane, where as others only have one.  Click “Install XXX Shortcut”

 

3. Your iOS device will ask you if you want to Install the Profile.  Click “install”, which will be followed by a pop up.  Click “install now.”

4. If you have a passcode set you’ll be asked to enter that next to complete installation.

5. Once completed you’ll be returned to Safari.  To see the new icon simply click your iOS device’s home button and scroll to the last screen.  There you should see the icon.

6. We suggest that you move whatever shortcuts that you need to toggle on and off with regularity to the first screen.  Bluetooth, WiFi and Airplane Mode are our big three.

7. To remove the icon shortcuts from your Home Screen you can delete them in the same way you’d delete an app.  However, if you want to remove the “profile” all together head to Settings>General>Profiles.  You’ll need to scroll down once in the General menu. Click on each profile and you’ll be presented with a “remove” button in red.

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Rearmed MultiPlayer Assassin's Creed for iPhone

 Ubisoft released a free version of one of the best games that exist today, we refer to Assassin's Creed Rearmed which is available in the Apple store for iPhone, iPhone and iPod touch. This great adventure game video was intended to be enjoyed among several players since it's multiplayer, but you can also access a practice mode where you alone who will be playing.

Some of the features that the Assassin's Creed Rearmed are:

• Real Multiplayer: In this mode can compete against friends and enemies around the world, can play at a time up to 4 players. You can connect via WI-FI or 3G.

•  Train offline: Hone your skills in Practice mode of a player. They can compete against a friend in a 1 on 1 for Bluetooth.assasins_creed_rearmed

• Innovative gameplay: You can be both the murderer and the dam. They must meet other players and kill them before they kill us. Move quietly as a real Murderer, and leverages its environment and the crowds of people to escape from the other players.

• Controls: With a simple touch of a finger can walk, run, kill and stun. This game has a technological revolution that shows a shift from highly optimized scenarios.

• Graphics and scenarios: will tour different places from Venice to San Donato, the Alhambra to Jerusalem. Also enjoyed a highly polished graphics and special effects that will leave you breathless.

• Customization of characters: Personalize with a pile of leaves, boots, belts and armbands his character. Also explore their style of play with a selection of skills that will improve as the game develops.

Assassin's Creed Rearmed is compatible with IOS 4.3 or later, and you can download from here.

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iPhone 4S vs Galaxy Nexus

The arrival of Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus will bring a whole new era to the Android-based smartphone market, specifically the beginning of the Android 4.0 era that’s been nicknamed Ice Cream Sandwich. It’s been talked about for months as the replacement, or really upgrade, to the current OS system for Androids 2.3.4 Gingerbread, and the Nexus will be the first phone to done the highly anticipated operating system. As the newest phone to come onto the scene of the already oversaturated Android smartphone market within the past three months, the Nexus is pegged to be the “iPhone Killer,” but will it really kill the iPhone 4S’ popularity? Here’s a helpful comparison that might help you decide whether or not to ditch the Apple and head on over to the Android side or stay an everlasting Apple fan.

Size

The iPhone 4S fits some pretty big features into a small package with its latest smartphone that measures in at 115.2 mm x 58.6 mm x 9.3 mm (H x W x D) and weighs only 140 grams. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus sports some heftier dimensions of 135.5 mm X 67.94 mm X 9.47 mm and is only 10 grams heavier than the iPhone at 150 grams.

Winner: Apple’s formula can’t be beat on size as the iPhone 4S is lighter, smaller and thinner than the new Galaxy. While both can be easily maneuvered with one hand, the iPhone’s compact dimensions are a highly desirable quality since it can also easily fit into a small purse, a back pocket and more.

Appearance

The iPhone 4S is sleek thanks to its glossy exterior that was carried over from the last model and still comes in black and white color options. In the looks department, the Galaxy Nexus looks like a grand competitor for the iPhone, but is really more of a coy given its cheap plastic feel. However, it does sport a gentle curve on its body that does give it a bit of style.

Winner: Apple really knows how to dress up its gadgets and the iPhone 4S is no exception with its glossy and sleek exterior. While it’s not always about looks (remember, you can’t judge a book by its cover), sometimes cheap plastic doesn’t always get you a great first impression.

Display

The Galaxy Nexus may be larger than the iPhone 4S, but it’s for a purpose, which is a larger screen that measures 4.65 inches compared to 3.5 inches that Apple place on the latest version of its popular phone. But Apple also added a 640×960 Retina display that sports 330 ppi on the iPhone 4S, while the Nexus has a 1280×720 HD Super AMOLED contoured display (curved glass, really) with 316 ppi.

Winner: While both will provide crisp and sharp images, the iPhone’s 330 ppi seems to still reign higher. 

Operating System

The centerpiece of the Galaxy Nexus is that it will ship with Ice Cream Sandwich or Google’s Android 4.0 that’s supposed to represent a huge leap forward for the highly popular OS system. Said to bring an entirely new look and feel to Android phones with simple layouts, subtle animations and an entirely revamped home screen, web browser, email and everything in between. But this still in the beginning phases and the kinks haven’t been worked out yet (or really seen), leaving the iPhone 4S’ iOS 5 still easier to use. It also has 5 GB of free cloud storage so that you can sync your photos, contacts and more with your other Apple products.  The Nexus has Google’s Gmail and its cloud services, so it’s a win-win situation there.

Winner: Until it’s been tested, the iOS 5 still seems to be easier to use since it’s been proven. But this can always change as more and more Androids upgrade to the new OS.

Processor

Both pack some powerful dual-core processors, so neither smartphones will be slow. The iPhone 4S has Apple’s A5 1 GHz processor, while Samsung’s phone carries a 1.2 GHz from Texas Instruments (the first time Samsung’s used such a processor. It also has 1 GB of RAM, while the iPhone 4S only has 512 MB of RAM.

Winner: Samsung’s 0.2 GHz is a bit more than the iPhone’s and that’s enough to beat it out on this category!

Storage

Both phones feature 16 GB and 32 GB internal storage options, but the iPhone 4S comes with a 64 GB option. Neither come with a SD Card slot.

Winner: The iPhone 4S has that 64 GB option, making it the winner here.

Wireless Connectivity

The iPhone 4S can still only get 3G, while the Galaxy Nexus will sport 4G speeds thanks to its LTE status since it’s debuting on Verizon. So the Nexus will have faster download speeds. They’re both Bluetooth-enabled with Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n.

Winner: The Galaxy Nexus’ LTE status says it all!

Camera and Video

The iPhone 4S packs a 8 MP rear camera and is capable of 1080p video. It can also produce high quality images in medium to low lighting with its f/2.4 aperture and features face detection and image stabilization The Nexus only has a 5 MP rear camera and boasts Panorama photos, zero shutter lag, and “silly faces” (think Apple’s Photo Booth software on the Mac and iPad).

Winner: The iPhone 4s’ camera is the clear winner here.

Battery Life

 

The Nexus sports a standard li-ion 1850mAh battery that has up to 270 hours of stand-by time and up to about 18 hours of talk time. The iPhone 4s claims 8 hours of talk time on 3G or 14 hours on 2G.  They say it will standby for up to 200 hours, will playback video for 10 hours and you can surf the web for up to 6 hours on 3G and 9 on Wi-Fi thanks to a 1432mAh battery. But remember that 4G is a battery drainer, so expect a lot less from the better connectivity.

Winner: Since the Nexus has a 1850mAh battery vs the iPhone’s 1432mAh one, we gotta give it to Samsung’s newest smartphone.

Carriers

Verizon will be the first to carry the Galaxy Nexus while the iPhone 4S is already available on Verizon, AT&T and Sprint.

Winner: More customers can enjoy an iPhone since it’s on more carriers.

Extras

The Galaxy Nexus come equipped with Android Beam, which allows you to share contacts, web pages, videos, directions and more just by touching two NFC-enabled Android phones back to back. The phone also introduces a new way to unlock your phone with its Face Unlock. The facial recognition feature lets you turn on your phone with your smile. On the other hand, the iPhone 4S features Siri, the “smart assistant” that helps make life a bit easier thanks to its useful information and quirky sayings.

Winner: The Android Beam is pretty cool and beats Siri for now, given Google is probably working on their own voice app comparable to Siri.

Price

The iPhone 4S is priced according to its GBs, with the 64 one the most expensive. So The 16 GB is $199, the 32 GB is $299 and the 64 GB is $399. Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus is said to debut at $199.99 and will require a two-year contract with Verizon.

Winner: Since the iPhone 4S is price according to its storage, the price differences makes it more affordable for those with varying incomes.

Overall Winner

One of the best Androids on the market, definitely. An iPhone killer, not this time. Sorry Samsung, looks like your Galaxy Nexus didn’t exact have the gusto to take out the iPhone (at least not yet, anyways). While it may sport some very impressive abilities and be the beginning of a new generation of Android phone, it still didn’t make the cut standing up against the highly popular iPhone 4S.

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iPhone Lens Dial

The iPhone 4s’ camera is top notch, at least for a smartphone.  However, there are some pretty obvious drawbacks, such as the tiny lens that doesn’t offer more than one field of view.  Unless of course you have the iPhone Lens Dial.

Unlike the olloclip, which slips on and off the corner of the iPhone, this lens getup adheres to Apple’s handset using an aluminum case that wraps both the front and back.  It sports three lenses: Wide Angle, Fisheye, and Telephoto.  The first two lenses really need no explanation, where as you should probably know that the telephoto lens provides a 1.5x optical zoom over the standard iPhone lens.  To access each lens, you simply rotate the dial where upon they’ll lock into place covering the iPhone’s standard lens.

By now you’ve probably noticed that there are some drawbacks to this lens system.  First off, it’s expensive costing $249.99.  Second, the case adds a ton of bulk to the iPhone and nearly triples the weight of the iPhone despite it being crafted from aircraft grade aluminum.

Source :

photojojo.com

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How to Use iTunes Match

When Steve Jobs introduced iTunes ten years ago, it changed the world. But not without having to drag the record labels kicking and screaming to it. But a decade later, the music industry has been reborn and downloads are common place. And, as Steve Jobs predicted, people who want their music “ala carte,” are more than happy to pay for it. But they also want to be able to use the music they buy with all their devices. And that’s how iTunes Match was born.  For $24.99 a year, iTunes Match allows users to store their music in the cloud and access it from up to 10 different devices. So, finally, not only can music fans finally just buy the songs they like, they can listen to them anywhere on just about any platform. And it couldn’t be easier to set up. Here’s what you need …

1. Be up to date

First, make sure you have the latest version of iTunes (vs. 10.5.1). It should automatically ask for your approval to update it when you go into iTunes, but if not, then PC users can select About iTunes from the help menu that then Check for Updates. If you’re a Mac user, go directly to Check for Updates from the iTunes menu. Download and install.
This is also a good opportunity to make sure you have all the songs in your iTunes library you want to match initially. You can always add later, but remember that iTunes will store purchased song from the iTunes Store for free in the Cloud, but ripped songs will count against your iCloud storage allotment.

2. Lay down the plastic

Once iTunes is updated, then open and look under the “Store” category. Your second choice will be iTunes Match. Once you click on that, iTunes will give you one last spiel (including reminding you will have millions of songs with which to match, and listen to at 256kbps) and then ask you to subscribe for $24.99. Click on the button and iTunes will ask you to login into your Apple account, where upon the charge will go onto your stored credit card.

3. Scanning commences

Once you’ve finalized paying for your iTunes Match subscription, iTunes will begin to scan your library and match it with the higher 256kbsp versions in the cloud. Any songs you may have that iTunes cannot match will then be uploaded along with matching artwork. Once this three step process is finished, you can then proceed to adding up to 10 iOS devices or computers to your iTunes Match list.

4. Add your computer

To add your computer to your iTunes Match list, go back to the iTunes Match option under Store and iTunes will depict a splash screen with a blue radial button which says “Add this computer.” Select it and your computer, iTunes Match will repeat the process of scanning, matching and uploading any available songs. Only do one library at a time, since iTunes Match will not allow for simultaneous matching. Once matched, your computer is ready to listen. Songs that have been matched will have a familiar cloud and arrow head. Click on the Cloud and you can download those songs to enjoy.

5.  Add Your Mobile Devices

Now it’s time to add your mobile iOS devices (i.e. iPhone, iPad or iPod). But before you take the plunge, make sure you’ve backed up your device to iTunes (before you match would be ideal). The reason is that when you match your iOS device, it will replace your music library with the matched library. This is a good thing as iTunes will be replacing them with higher quality 256kbps versions.

Next, access Settings in your iOS device and then Music. There will be a new menu item at the very top for iTunes Match. You’ll want to turn that on. Then, Match will request your Apple ID password. Once entered, select Enable. The your iOS device will proceed to match your music found on your device.

Once matched, there will now be another item in your Settings menu … Music screen: Show All Music. When you enable, all the songs that iTunes has matched will be shown in your iOS library. They will be the songs with the little cloud icon to the right. When you choose the song to play, iTunes will download it to your device to play and the cloud will disappear. If you leave the Show All Music option off, you won’t see any of the songs from the cloud in your library. Each song in the cloud will be listed with a cloud/arrow head and you can select as many songs as you would like to queue up and download. And here’s a neat thing, the song will play as it downloads.

6. Wrap Up

And that’s it. Now you have access to all your songs in the Cloud. But understand that while iTunes has access to millions of songs in it’s master library, not everything is up there. So if you have an eclectic ear, or love to listen to obscure and older artists, you may have to wait a short interim until iTunes acquires those songs. But that’s the price for being eclectic, isn’t it?


Source :
gadgetreview.com

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iPhone 4S vs HTC Rezound

It seems that the plot thickens in the race for smartphone superiority with the entrance of a new challenger, the HTC Rezound. With some pretty stiff competition in the marketplace, the Rezound boasts some pretty cool capabilities and specs, but how does it measure up amongst Apple’s still popular iPhone 4S, who entered the market strong with its release last month, but still disappointed many when it wasn’t the highly anticipated (and rumored) iPhone 5? Here’s how these smartphone titans size up amongst each other!

Size

The iPhone is the smaller and lighter of the two, weighing in at 140 grams and measuring 115.2 mm x 58.6 mm x 9.3 mm (h x w x d), while the Rezound is 164 grams and 129 mm x 65.5 mm 13.65 mm (h x w x d). However, keep in mind that the Rezound boasts a bigger screen, which means a larger overall form factor and generally speaking more weight. But since this category largely relates to portability, the iPhone wins without question.

Winner: The iPhone is tiny and fits easier into pockets, purses and tight places. It’s also thinner and lighter.

Appearance

The iPhone 4S is practically a split-image of the iPhone 4S, with its black and white color options and sleek, glossy exterior. The iPhone is looking as sophisticated as always with its minimalist exterior. The Rezound seems to share this with the iPhone, supporting minimal button/port placement and a black exterior. However, where the iPhone is sleek on both sides, the Rezound features a sleek top and some soft-touch plastic on the battery cover. While soft to the touch, it does make one worry less about scratches to both sides and makes it more grippable. But some can also see this as cheap, preferring the exterior of the iPhone 4S because of its sleekness.

Winner: It really comes down to personal preference on this one, so it’s a tie. Having a sleek exterior like the iPhone 4S has both good and bad traits. Sure it looks great, but it’s easier to scratch and the appearance of fingerprints can by annoying without a cover. The Rezound sports a soft-touch plastic back, which eliminates the aforementioned nuisances.  But they both are sleek and let’s be honest, you know you’re going to probably get a cover for either, so really, does it matter?

Display

Given that the Rezound is larger than the iPhone 4S it might be bad in the size department, but it’s a major plus in terms of display. The iPhone 4S has a 3.5-inch 640×960 Retina display, while the Rezound has a 4.3-inch 1280×720 Super LCD HD screen. Where the iPhone boasts that it features the highest pixel density and resolution despite having a small display, the Rezound can now take that claim away since it beats the iPhone 4S with a 12-point difference with its 342 ppi against the iPhone’s 330 ppi, so the Rezound has a higher pixel density.

Winner: The Rezound’s 342 ppi knocks out the iPhone’s 330 ppi and does so with a larger display, making for a quite amazing viewing.

Operating System

It’s another Android vs OS challenge. The Rezound sports Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread with an HTC Sense 3.5 skin (but can upgrade to 4.0).  The iPhone runs iOS 5.0, Apple’s latest and greatest operating system. The HTC Sense 3.5 has come along way and features stuff you won’t find anywhere else on Android-based phones. When Ice Cream Sandwich becomes available next year, expect a significant upgrade to the Android platform in terms of features. But many find apple’s iOS to be easier to use and its 5.0 version is definitely the most advanced yet. And let’s not forget that iOS 5 includes 5GB of free cloud storage allowing you to sync your photos, contacts and more.

Winner: Since the iPhone 4S’ iOS 5.0 is easier to use and includes 5GB of free iCloud storage, Apple takes this one.

Processor

Both feature a dual-core processor but the Rezound’s 1.5 GHz Qualcomm MSM8660 processor beats the iPhone’s 4S by 0.5 GHz. The Rezound also has more 1 GB of RAM besting the iPhone 4S’ by 512 MB.

Winner: Ummmm, the numbers don’t lie.  The Reszound’s chip is 50% faster, thus providing faster browsing speeds and multitasking compared to what the iPhone 4S offers.

Storage

The iPhone 4S comes in three options: 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB with no extra SD cards allowing you more. So as you go up in storage, you go up in price, too. For the Rezound, it comes with 16 GB of internal memory, but you can get a microSD card to provide you up to 32 GB of additional space.

Winner: Sorry Rezound, but the 64 GB option can’t be beat for many who like to have the biggest storage capacity available for all their apps, games, files and stuff. That built-in storage capacity plus that iCould service provided really can’t be beat.

Wireless Connectivity

So the Rezound is capable of true 4G speeds thanks to its LTE status, where as the iPhone 4S is technically 3G only. They’re both Bluetooth-enabled, though the iPhone boasts version 4.0, and the Rezound V3.0. The iPhone 4S is a world phone so it can work anywhere you go and has Wi-Fi a/b/g/n.  The Rezound isn’t a world phone and is capable of  two frequencies(850/1900 MHz) and single-band LTE (700MHz) with the same Wi-Fi capabilities as the iPhone 4S.

Winner: 4G speeds on the Rezound make it the definite winner.

Camera and Video

So this is a tough one.  Both smartphones include an 8 megapixel camera and can capture 1080p video.  While we have yet to test out the Rezound, we do know that the iPhone 4s takes stunning photos and video for a handset device.  But based on numbers alone, the Rezound does have two up on the iPhone 4s, which is a larger, 2mp front facing camera and a bigger f-stop of 2.2.

Winner: We’re gonna go on numbers alone on this one since we haven’t had a chance to get a hands on with both handsets.  So the Rezound is the winner in this bout.

Battery Life

This bout is moving target since it largely depends on how you use your phone.  Also, keep in mind that 4G is a huge battery suck when compared to 3G, but at the end of the day we have to look purely at specs.  The iPhone 4s claims 8 hours of talk time on 3G or 14 hours on 2G.  They say it will standby for up to 200 hours, will playback video for 10 hours and you can surf the web for up to 6 hours on 3G and 9 on WiFi.  The Rezound however claims a standby time of 261 hours, besting the iPhone 4s by 61 hours and 404 minutes of “usage.”

Winner:  Again, without real world testing we can only gauge this one objectively, and since the Rezound sports a 1620mah battery vs iPhone’s 1432mAh battery, we gotta give it to the Rezound. Furthermore, the Rezound’s battery is user replaceable.

Carriers

The iPhone 4S is available on Sprint, AT&T and Verizon.  The Rezound will be the first smartphone to hit the U.S. market with a true 720ppi screen on Verizon. But since it’s on Verizon, it will compete with not only the iPhone, but with the new Galaxy Nexus and Droid RAZR.

Winner: For those who aren’t part of Verizon can’t get the Rezound unless they break their contract with one of the other carriers or are on a month-to-month plan, making the iPhone 4S the winner here since has more carrier offerings.

Extras

The iPhone 4S come with Siri, which is a pretty advanced and unique voice activated system that’s witty and useful. It’s what’s really making the iPhone 4S as popular as it has become since it first dropped. But the Rezound has some extra goodies, too, boasting some awesome sound quality thanks to optimized hardware that has Beats by Dr. Dre (software AND some expensive ass headphones that are free with the phone). This is great for music lovers who really want to have amazing sound when listening to music from their phone.

Winner: We gotta give it to the Rezound.  Nothing beats (pun not intended) a pair of quality headphones included in the deal and chances are Google will roll out a comparable voice app very soon.

Price

The Rezound will set you back $300 bucks, while the iPhone 4S varies in price, making it a bit more flexible. The 16 GB is $199, the 32 GB is $299 (about the same as the 16 GB Rezound without the extra microSD card) and the 64 GB is $399 (but this all depends on contract status and goes higher when you’re not eligible for an upgrade).

Winner: The iPhone’s price flexibility is still pretty cool, making it available to those at different income levels, while the Rezound is $300 off the bat. This makes the iPhone 4S the winner here.

Overall Winner

Sorry Apple, it seems your iPhone 4S has some stiff competition with the HTC Rezound that boats a number of impressive capabilities like its display, processor, camera and video, price and more. It seems to be the Android that could really cause a dent in Apple’s iPhone 4S sales and popularity. While once a Mac lover always a Mac lover, those who want the latest and greatest will definitely want to top for the Rezound that has a better overall package.

4:55 PM | 1 comments | Read More

Unlocked iPhone 4s Now Available

Hey everybody, you can now get an UNLOCKED iPhone 4s.  What’s that mean to you?  Well, if you’re in a contract, or simply don’t want to be tied to a specific carrier for 2-years, you can purchase an iPhone 4s, the latest and greatest iPhone at full price and slip any compatible SIM into its slot (that’s what she said).

Currently, Apple’s website is showing a ship time of one to two week and both the white and black models, in every capacity, are available.  The 16GB costs $649, the 32GB $749 and the 64GB $849.  We’d recommend that you opt for the smallest size and invest in Spotify or some other streaming music service.  However, if you like to carry a crap load of videos, photos and music, than you can ignore our advice and get whatever freaking model you desire.  But, despite the iPhone 4s being a world phone, the unlocked model will ONLY WORK on GSM networks in the US, such as T-Mobile or AT&T.  So you can forget about Verizon and Sprint, which use CDMA tech.

12:19 AM | 1 comments | Read More

HOW TO JAILBREAK IOS 5

Apple’s position was always that “jailbreaking” – the process by which users can get core control over their iPhone and install unapproved apps and services – is an illegal act that shouldn’t be allowed. Then the chief officer of the Library of Congress chimed in and state that it was purely legal and that users can do whatever they want with an iPhone once they buy it. So Apple begrudgingly accepted that decision and merely said that jailbreaking your phone “could” void your warranty. And understand this. If you choose to embark on this fun little hacking of your iPhone, you need to realize that we do not warranty, endorse or indemnify you against any calamity that may befall you. Like Apple, if you jailbreak your phone, you are on your own with the consequences. Understood? So now that the legal issues are out of the way, the question comes how, and if, one should jailbreak their phone? Here’s a few tips:

“It is also important to note that unauthorized modification of the iOS is a violation of the iPhone end-user license agreement and because of this, Apple may deny service for an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch that has installed any unauthorized software.”

1. Should you?

The first step in jailbreaking your phone is to ask yourself if you should? The only real reason to jailbreak is to install an app that isn’t available on the iTunes App Store. But recently, someone has accomplished porting SIRI to a jailbroken iPhone 4, and 3S. With Apple having no immediately plans to offer SIRI onto older generation phones, there may be a good reason other than Apps to jailbreak the phone. There used to be that tethering was a good reason, but now most carriers offer tethering at a price. So, unless you’re trying to avoid a monthly charge – which could end up on your bill if you jailbreak anyway, the real question is, it it worth it?

2. Consider the Risk

While most of the danger in jailbreaking your phone has largely been eliminated, there is still a chance that attempting a jailbreak will end up rendering your phone non-operational (bricking it). And Apple has stated that jailbreaking your phone does void the warranty. So you’re on your own should something go wrong. But even if the worst case scenario happens and your phone does get into a bricked state, there are ways to bring it back to operational function.

Mostly, though, many have reported that their worst case scenario was some apps don’t really work right after the jailbreak, and you will certainly not be able to update your phone with new software from Apple while it is in jailbroken condition. However, with a simple hard reset, your phone is back into it’s sand-boxed condition, and then you will be able to upgrade it with any software updates. Just don’t try and update it without resetting and wiping out the jailbreak.

3. Back up your phone

Before you do anything. BACKUP. Not only to iTunes, but also to the cloud. That way should anything back happen, your data, songs, and apps are safely backed up. Also, back up to iCloud. This is fairly simple by going to Settings>iCloud>Storage and Backup>Backup now.

4. Choose your poison

There are several ways to jailbreak an iPhone. Perhaps the easiest is to go tojailbreakme.come from your mobile Safari browser. Jailbreak Me is the simplest way to jailbreak an iPhone with just a simple step. Tap on the Free button under Cydia and then tap on the Install button, this should jailbreak your iOS device and install Cydia (as seen in the screenshot below) just like installing an iOS app from the App Store. It is as easy as that.

Another option is to go with an app called REDSNOW and follow these simple steps:

1.  This jailbreak will require you to connect your iPhone to your PC and then install RedSnow to your PC.
2.Then you run RedSnow on your PC and click on “patch.” This will patch your iPhone to accept the Cydia Store app. You can also add multi gesture functionality and a few other features.
3. Then you will follow the direction to go into DFU reset mode (top button for 3 seconds, then home button) and reboot your phone.
4. RedSnow will then use a utility called LimeRain to jailbreak your phone and install Cydia. Do not touch it at this time.
5. Once done, you need to exit and turn off your device.
6. Then, in the RedSnow desktop utility, select “just boot” and turn on your device by entering into DFU mode again according to instructions. Once that’s done, the iPhone is jailbroken and will reboot.

There are others including BlackRain, GreenPoisOn, PwnageTool and SnowBreeze and each has it’s own directions on how to jailbreak. The best thing to do is to spend some time over at the iPhone Development Team Blog for more information on each.

5. Understand your limitations

As I mentioned previously, with a jailbroken iPhone, you cannot just update your phone anytime Apple release and update. To do that, you have to reformat and reset your iPhone back to it’s factory condition. But the iPhone is also more open to exploits and attacks when jailbroken. Granted, it’s largely theoretical, but it can happen. You can guard against this somewhat by changing the root iPhone password. Root Click on the Password How-To button in Cydia to learn how. But if you forget the new password, you’re stuck.

Also, you’re battery life could suffer from unapproved apps that aren’t well tested and can leach power from unclosed services. Additionally, those apps may be unstable which could cause your iPhone/iPad/iPod to reboot or crash.

And depending on what phone/OS you have, a jailbreak may not be possible, at least in the short term. But time is on your side and sooner or later, even the most recent update gets Jailbroken. And then you have to go through the process all over again.

6. Wrapping up

So, after all that you have to ask yourself the first question again … is it worth it? Frankly, I don’t think so. Unless you have a very limited need to jailbreak, there really isn’t anything that Apple has addressed with an update or a new app (and there are over a half million now). In the end, jailbreaking may be a fun exercise, but one that will largely give you a pyrrhic victory over Cupertino.

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