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Annoyances: My BlogWorld (Coke) Drinking Game

Posted on October 17, 2009 by jessestay

I’ve spent the last 3 days at BlogWorld Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada, and being the good Mormon I am I’ve pulled out my Coke or Pepsi and I played a little drinking game. Maybe it’s because my Excedrin hasn’t kicked in yet, but I’m quite simply annoyed by several things so if you notice me on a sugar-high while at the conference that’s why. Hopefully you picked your beverage of choice and were able to join me. Here were the rules:

1. “Twitter” – every time I heard the word “Twitter”, I took a sip of my Coke. Let’s face it – this is BlogWorld Expo, not TwitterWorld Expo. I think every single presentation I’ve been to has mentioned Twitter in some way. No blogging. No microblogging. Actually, I’m not even sure I heard the word Facebook at the expo (except by myself in the panel I was on, in which I was quickly flamed for thinking it was a good conversations platform, oh, and Mari Smith’s presentation which was all about Facebook). Come on guys – Twitter is not the entire blogging world – it has its place, but it should complement your blog, not replace it. We should be talking about the fact that people are leaving their blogs and losing the previous quality of blogging and switching to Twitter, not the fact that Twitter is a quality platform replacing blogs. Or, what about the simple concept of “microblogging” – Twitter did not sponsor this conference (nor do they have representation in any form) at all. Why not talk about Laconi.ca, or some of the things Automattic or SixApart are doing int he microblogging space? Why not PubsubHubbub or rssCloud? Drink.

2. “Scoble” – I love Robert to death – check the last few articles on this blog and you’ll probably see quite a few good mentions of him. He’s also a good friend. However I’m sick of him being the only blogger people ever mention here. How about mentioning some of the things up-and-coming bloggers are doing, and how pitching a large group of them can often be a more effective technique in pitching bloggers than pitching TechCrunch or Mashable or Readwrite Web? Robert Scoble’s awesome, but there are so many other things to talk about as well. Drink.

3. “Louis Gray” – Last year it was Robert Scoble. This year it’s Louis Gray. Louis is one of my best friends as you can probably tell from some of my tweets, and our families are good friends with each other. If you’re not following him, you should (as I mentioned earlier here). However, again, let’s stop the fanboyism at these conferences. Yes, these guys have influence, but they’re all normal people like you and me. Maybe it’s deserved, but I’m just tired of hearing the same names in every panel or presentation I attend. Drink.

4. “What party are you going to?” – Every day I’ve been here that’s been the topic of conversation. Yeah, Vegas is fun, but BlogWorld has brought bloggers who had no fun in College to the city and they all-of-the-sudden go into “I’m back in College” mode again. It’s like a 4-day frat-party the week BlogWorld is in town, and I’m tired of attending these parties where all they talk about is Twitter and everyone is drunk or gambling. Is this really fun? Maybe I’m missing out on something. (Oh, and why do we call these “Twitter” parties at “Blog” World???) Drink.

5. “iPhone” – Okay, I’m guilty of this as well, but it’s still driving me crazy. Everyone at this place has an iPhone! I kind of feel bad for the Android or the Pre or the Blackberry phones out there. I’m sure they feel a little left out. And when we go places, it’s all about, “let’s check into FourSquare” or “What Twitter Client are you using on your iPhone?” Maybe I’m just a little out of place as a software developer that thinks the Android is cool (when my contract is up I’ll be getting an Android phone). Drink.

6. “FourSquare” – Yes, my last annoyance. People are obsessed with it here! Who’s Mayor of the Expo? Who’s Mayor of the Hilton? Who’s Mayor of the elevator in the Paris. I’ve tried to keep up but I just can’t! Please stop – you’re making me hyper! Drink.

USAA Shows How Americans Make Software With New iPhone App

Posted on August 28, 2009 by jessestay

I’ve been a proud member of USAA since I was old enough to drive. The organization, originally a car insurance company for members of the military, veterans, and their families, has always offered some of the best customer service on the planet, and unbeatable prices. My automobile insurance has always been through them. I’ve had a mortgage through them, and I do all my personal banking through them. They simply have the best rates and best service around. As the grandchild of a World War II hero, I feel spoiled in this way.

Just a few weeks ago the bank held up to its standard and became one of the first of its kind, in this time where banks are struggling to cut costs and stay afloat, to provide an iPhone app just for its customers. They did not skimp on what you could do with it either!

Simple Banking

The usefulness of the app starts with the banking. I now have an instant ATM, right in my pocket where I can transfer funds, check my bank account balances, pay bills and more all with the touch of a button. If it would only spit out cash!

Check Scanning and Deposit via the iPhone

The coolest feature, a feature long-since available on USAA’s website, is the ability to take pictures of your checks and deposit them right there on the spot. When I get a check, depositing the check is as simple as snapping a picture of both sides of the check with my iPhone’s camera, entering the total, and hitting submit! Now there’s never any risk of having a check returned, as you can verify it’s legit right there on the spot! Never has depositing money ever been so easy.

Accident Checklist

Ever get in an accident and not sure what to do? USAA’s iPhone app gives you an accident checklist you can pull out of your pocket if you’re ever in an automobile accident, telling you what to do, step-by-step. In addition, they provide the ability to store notes for your accident, and even pictures using your iPhones camera.

ATM Locator

Even though the iPhone doesn’t dispense cash, you have nothing to worry. With USAA’s iPhone app you can, with a click of a button, know exactly where the nearest ATM is to you. Clicking a button to use the iPhone’s GPS and notify it of your position pinpoints where the nearest ATM is and how to get to it. You can even call the owning bank if you need directions. And don’t forget – USAA members never have to pay ATM fees because the bank reimburses them!

Trading

The app also allows members to trade within their investment accounts with the company. Selecting the account you can handle all your investments and trade right on the spot.

I’ve always been proud to be a USAA member because it makes me feel American. Not only does it remind me of the service my Grandfather gave to this country years ago, but it reminds me that America is about competition, helping one another out, and innovation. USAA has made me proud to be an American with this application. I only wish my other banks could be so American.

If you’re a former member of the military, member of the military, dependant of military, or dependant of another USAA member, let me know in the comments and I’d be happy to share how you too can join and get these great benefits. Or, just tell me your story about being American and we can all celebrate your service together!

Don’t "Feed" the Regator App – it Finds News for You

Posted on August 19, 2009 by jessestay

Recently at a speaking engagement I took part in I was asked by one of the audience members, “How do I find good blogs to follow if I don’t want to worry about an RSS reader?” It was a valid question, as someone like my Mom, who is very careful adopting new technology, may not want to spend the time learning to find and add new feeds to some sort of “RSS Reader” she is already very scared of. I immediately thought of websites like Guy Kawasaki’s Alltop to refer people to when they don’t want to worry about RSS. I was recently introduced to another website along those lines, Regator, which today launched an iPhone app for helping you, your friends, or even my Mom discover new news, no RSS Reader necessary!

The Regator iPhone app is quite simply a categorized index of thousands of human-selected blogs at your fingertips. It starts with a list of the most popular blog posts at a given time, giving you a very useful little slider to filter out blog posts in the popular posts by category, similar to what the Facebook iPhone app uses for filtering friend lists.

Or, you can look at all the newest posts by category. For instance, if I select the technology category filter, the first post that comes up is an article by Ubergizmo about MSI touchscreen netbooks, posted just 1 minute ago. If I select the post, I can read the blog post right there, in the app, without ever having to switch to a browser. I can then opt to share that post via e-mail, Twitter, or Facebook in just a few points of my finger. (just don’t get bit!)

There is a trends feature, similar to Twitter trends, but for the blogs indexed on Regator. The trends at the time of this post were “iPhone”, “App Store”, “iPod Touch”, among others, signaling there must be something going on in Apple news currently. Touching “iPod Touch” reveals multiple articles on rumors of a new iPod Touch coming up on September 9th. I can click through to each of them. The cool thing is I can also filter the trends by category as well, so I can only show Technology trends, for instance.

If I ever just want to browse articles, something my Mom might want to do, there is a directory selection, giving you a filtered directory of all the indexed blogs, by category. I like to flick through, and randomly put my finger down to see what comes up – serves as a fun way to discover new blogs.

Of course, if you don’t care about categorization, and just want to find the news you’re looking for, they provide search throughout the entire iPhone app. Just type in the term you want (I searched for “socialtoo“), and sure enough you get an entire list of blog posts on the topic you just searched for. It’s fast, too!

So, if you get a chance, and have an iPhone, go take a swim with the ‘Gator – Regator that is. It’s a great source of news right in your pocket.

The app is available for free in the iTunes store, or via this link.

Never Lose Your Remote Again With i.TV’s Remote Control Framework

Posted on August 17, 2009 by jessestay

When the iPhone was first released, one of the strongest draws that convinced me towards purchasing an iPhone was a cool little app that enabled me to control iTunes, straight from my iPhone. The “Remote” app, provided by Apple, essentially took one more remote out of my hands and all my music, whether on the iPhone or off, was right there, in my hands wherever I went. Today i.TV has taken that concept and with the help of the new iPhone 3.0 firmware, applied it towards their strength, TV and Movies. Today they announced a new remote control framework, allowing TV and device manufacturers to allow individuals to control their home entertainment devices from the iPhone, straight over WiFi, bluetooth, or the iPhone’s own built-in connector.

Your Own Universal Remote in Your Pocket

As devices like GPS get ready to make their way onto the iPhone, the iPhone is quickly becoming a single, all-in-one device users can take anywhere, and simply plug in to the situation they are taking part in. i.TV has realized this and applied it to the TV watching experience. Today, they announced when the software is released in the app store, that it will launch immediately with a built-in TiVo remote control. You simply register your TiVo, and for any show you want to control, you’ll no longer be searching for the remote. Just pull out your iPhone and play, pause, fastforward, rewind, and even schedule recordings, straight from the comfort of the same device you take phone calls from.

i.TV has built an entire framework around this concept, and is hoping other device manufacturers will also embrace it. I, for one am hoping for a Windows Media Center plugin I can simply control my home media center experience from. Maybe an Xbox controller that I can control my TV watching remotely?

iTunes Integration and New Design and Layout

In addition to the Remote Control framework, i.TV has completely redesigned their application to a much smoother, and faster application flow. The buttons are now easier to push, it is much easier to control your watching and viewing experience, schedule shows, add to your Netflix queue, or just see what’s on at your local Movie theater (and preview the movie before you see it!). In addition to that, they have finally integrated iTunes into the experience, allowing you to purchase and download relevant iTunes movie and TV shows, and even soundtracks and music straight from the app itself.

With a single app, i.TV has provided you everything you ever needed to know about the movies and TV shows you are watching, also allowing you to control and react to the experience as you’re watching or preparing to watch a show. I can just see the Movie theaters cringing at all the i.TV users checking their phones as they watch movies now. No worries though, because you can purchase your tickets, straight from i.TV too!

Push Notifications

Alongside the rest, i.TV is finally releasing Push Notification alerts for upcoming shows. Now, when your favorite show is about to play, even if you don’t have means to record it, you’ll never miss a show, as your remote, er, iPhone, will notify you when the show is about to happen. Simply schedule the show, set the alert, and catch each show you never wanted to miss! Previously this was only available via e-mail.

Wants

As a loyal i.TV user there are still a few annoyances that have not yet been embraced. Knowing the team I am sure they are being worked on. The number one missing feature I would love to see is despite the “i” in i.TV, i.TV still lacks social network integration. I can currently send myself reminders via e-mail, or even share with friends via e-mail, but i.TV has seemed to have missed the easiest sharing tool of all, and that is social networks. Facebook has provided simple libraries to integrate Facebook Connect into any application (it takes just minutes to set up), and Twitter integration and sharing also is a fairly simple feature to implement (a matter of simply sending to a simple link in a browser window, no API needed). I hope these are features we can expect to see soon – I’d like to share the TV shows I’m watching with my real friends, and not have to spam them via e-mail. Or maybe I could post a review and have it appear on Twitter or Facebook. These are very simple updates.

In addition, the registration process is still a little too complicated. Currently, to register, you have to type your e-mail address twice, and provide a username. I would suggest one or the other, or even better yet, just integrate Facebook Connect or Twitter OAuth as your registration means and get rid of the registration altogether. Regardless, once you’re registered, there is little mess or pain beyond that, so perhaps it is only a personal annoyance.

i.TV Keeps Getting Better

Regardless of my own annoyances, i.TV is still the best TV Guide app for the iPhone, hands down. Every release they continue to blow away the competition and keep getting better at it! As devices like the TiVo begin to embrace the iPhone as a remote control device using universal frameworks like i.TV’s, I’m sure other manufacturers will want to get out of the stone age and incorporate their own products as well. My hope is that we’ll see this very soon as i.TV seems far from losing any momentum in this race. While I don’t have a TiVo (I’m a loyal Windows Media Center user), I’m looking forward to seeing what the future holds, and will continue checking i.TV for reminders and updates to the TV shows I watch, hoping my own device manufacturers also hop on (ahem, Microsoft???). i.TV continues to be one of the best apps in the app store, and when the 2.0 version is released, you should definitely give it a try – it’s free!

Now, where did I put my remote?

How to Push Sync Calendars and Contacts to Your iPhone Using Gmail

Posted on June 27, 2009 by jessestay

My friend, Phil Burns, recently wrote a very rare blog post citing a discussion this morning at the monthly Utah CTO breakfast, hosted by another friend of mine, Phil Windley (former CTO of Utah). Burns stated his concerns with the “anti-Microsoft people” (which I am not, nor am I anti-Apple or anti-Linux) and the fact that they were complaining about how hard it was to automatically sync all your contacts, calendar, and mail on their phones from services such as Gmail and other 3rd-party services. Burns’ (I’ll call him by his last name here so as not to confuse him with Phil Windley) point was that he already gets this service on his Windows-based phone and laptop through Exchange. Valid point. However, I think those at the breakfast were uneducated on the matter that Gmail now supports Exchange sync and push services to the iPhone. Push sync of all contacts and calendar events are completely possible using Google services on the iPhone. I don’t blame those complaining though, since the documents explaining how to do it are extremely hard to find via Google’s own search. I thought I’d explain how to set that up here:

What you’ll need

First of all, the only things you’ll need are a Gmail account, a Google Calendar account, and an iPhone. That’s it. You’ll also need to have the 2.2.1 or above iPhone firmware since that is when they started supporting Exchange (at least I believe that’s the reason). For push e-mail, a Mobile Me account will be needed, but Google is set to enable that in the future as well.

Calendar and Contacts Set up

To set up push sync of your Google contacts and calendar events to your phone, simply go to your iPhone settings, select “Mail, Contacts and Calendars”, and then select “Add Account”. Here’s the trick though – instead of selecting “Gmail”, you’ll need to select “Exchange”.

On the following screen you’ll be asked for several fields – enter your gmail e-mail address in the “e-mail” field. Leave “domain” blank. Your “username” is your gmail e-mail address – the full address with @gmail.com or @googlemail.com, prefixed by your username. Then enter your Google account password in the “password” field.

On the following screen you’ll be asked to verify the certificate – choose “Accept”.

Then, on the next screen you’ll see the same screen again, but there will be a “Server” field. Enter “m.google.com” for the domain and select “Next.

On the following screen you’ll have the option to turn on mail, contacts, and/or calendars. Turn contacts and calendars on, leave mail off. As you select each option you’ll have the opportunity to delete your current iPhone contacts and just start fresh with your Google contacts and calendars or leave them there and add your Google contacts/calendar on top of it all. Hit “Done” when you’re ready.

You’re done! Now when you go to your Calendar app you can update the calendar, it auto-updates Google calendars, and you get updates immediately as they come from Google calendar itself. Your Gmail contacts work the same way. Now you can sync all your contacts’ phone numbers, addresses, and other data from your computer to your iPhone, and have those immediately update Google with the new data, giving you a complete Google address book (and no need for Plaxo!). Add to that Google Voice, which just started handing out invites to new users today, you’ve got a pretty powerful, real-time contact and calendaring system right on your phone!

What about e-mail?

E-mail currently does not work via push yet for Gmail and the iPhone. However, I’ve found the IMAP-based setup that the Gmail options in the phone give are quite fast and pretty close to real-time. Be sure to set that up, and turn off the contacts and calendar for Gmail on that particular setting when you do, since you’re already retrieving those through the Exchange connector.

One other option you could always do is to get a Mobile Me account just for the e-mail and iPhone location services (Apple will notify you where your iPhone is at all times, let you send a message to the phone, or even completely erase it if you tell them to). Then you could forward all your Gmail mail to Mobile Me through your Gmail forward settings, and retrieve it that way. With the proper set up and filters, your mail will continue to archive in Gmail while letting you get mail real-time via push through Mobile Me. I think for mail IMAP is generally sufficient though.

So there you have it – push contacts and calendaring for your iPhone, through Gmail. It’s completely possible, and 100% supported by Google and Microsoft (I’m told they purchased Exchange licenses just for this). Soon I’ll have to share how I’m doing the same thing natively on my Mac.

AT&T: They Knoweth Not the Right Hand From the Left #ATTFAIL

Posted on June 27, 2009 by jessestay

For those that know(eth) me, I am an avid iPhone user. I wasn’t always a fan, and in fact publicly wrote a post on why I wasn’t going to get an iPhone. It lured me in though, and I’ve even moved from an unlocked, contract-free T-Mobile plan to the horrid service AT&T provides in order to get full 3G speeds. I even renewed that plan just last week as I got a new iPhone 3G S. However, today, as they were charging Adam Savage (of Mythbusters fame) $11,000 for his cell phone bill (I had no idea about that whole “movement” until later after I got home), they crossed the line for me as well. Here’s the story:

3 days ago, after successfully selling my phone on Ebay and purchasing a new one under the standard upgrade plan for the same price, we decided to do the same for my wife’s iPhone 3G. The idea was supposed to be we sell it on Ebay, get the money, and use the money from the sale to purchase a new one at the same price as we sold the old one for – that’s just how much they’re selling for (I didn’t make the rules)! We purchased the phone in September of 2008, still in the limits AT&T set to qualify for iPhone standard upgrade pricing (the lower pricing option). At the same time, I’m paying over $200 to AT&T each month with a family plan between myself and her, and an additional USB data plan on top of it all. It would seem plenty of my money is going towards AT&T, and I thought we would qualify – after all my own phone qualified just fine.

So I went to the http://apple.com/iphone/buy site to authorize my wife’s phone and verify it did qualify for the standard upgrade pricing, and to my surprise, it said she didn’t, and she wouldn’t until May 6, 2010! I was blown away, considering AT&T might want to keep her around and right around the time she can finally leave is the time she has to wait to get her new iPhone. This is especially considering the amount of money I am paying AT&T each month to get her plan.

So I called AT&T to find out what was going on. The lady on the phone was really nice (I even sent out a Tweet about how great AT&T service actually was), and while she tried to explain why my wife wouldn’t qualify, she quickly realized my wife actually did qualify. She put me on hold several times, I’m assuming asking others what was going on, and finally she got permission to call the store and let them know I qualified for the new phone. I had her call the Gateway Apple Store in Salt Lake City, Utah (my state of residence), and she put me on hold to call them. When she came back, she said they had let her know all would be fine if I came in, and to just leave detailed notes on my behalf to explain the situation. She left very detailed notes, and said I would be just fine getting my wife’s new phone under the new plan. I took this as AT&T’s approval to get the phone under the lower, standard upgrade price plan.

So excited, we put my wife’s 3G phone up for bid on Ebay on a 3-day auction. The phone easily sold in 3 days for $300 (which is low compared to other phones selling right now), and we were finally ready to get her new phone. I quickly transferred money around and headed off to the Apple store, excited to get my wife what I’ve been experiencing over the past week.

After a 30 minute drive to the Apple Store, and even feeling a little sick, I was ready and excited to get my phone. I get into the store, it is packed as usual, and I look around, and not surprisingly I noticed there was a line for the iPhone. I stood in line for about 20 minutes (a breeze compared to the opening day when I got mine), and finally get to talk to an Apple rep to get my new phone. I tell him my story, and to my surprise, he responds with “We can’t do anything – we’re stuck with what AT&T tells us on the apple.com/iphone/buy site.” I explained what the AT&T rep had told me and he said his hands were tied. He suggested I go to the AT&T store, just about a block away in the same Mall.

So, still feeling sick, and rather disappointed, I headed over to the AT&T store. I got there, and waited for about another 30 minutes while AT&T reps helped other customers, some that came in after me. Finally one of them noticed me waiting, and asked if he could help. I told him my story and he looked up my account. I still have no clue if he even cared to look at the notes for my account, but he was definitely persistent that there was nothing he could do for me. He even went to the extent of stating that the AT&T customer service reps on the phone are “often wrong” and they “get that all the time”. I neglected to mention to him that this particular rep even contacted the Apple Store about it, and seemed to infer that she “does that all the time” as well – I should have. This guy in the AT&T store even said he had complained to his boss about the same issues with some friends of his and couldn’t do anything about it.

Needless to say I went home very disappointed, wasting a few hours of my day for something I was told over the phone was completely possible. Not to mention the fact that I had now sold my wife’s old iPhone, contract still in hand, and nothing to replace it with. I’m furious!

So what’s going on? Who do I believe? It would seem that some at AT&T feel they have the authority to say what is and isn’t authorized. However, when you get to the people that can actually sell the phones, that flexibility is all of the sudden gone, and the customer service has disappeared. Often I would think it should be the other way around but this is AT&T after all – just search for their issues on Twitter. (not to mention I just noticed they charged me a Poison Control surcharge – FOR MY USB DATA PLAN) It would appear that AT&T has become so big that the customer has been caught in a tug-o-war with their own employees, a very sad situation.

As for what to do? Well, I’m going to have to risk my years-long reputation on Ebay and take back the auction someone was anxiously hoping they had won, not because I changed my mind, but because AT&T won’t let me. I will forever blame AT&T if my reputation is adversely affected from this. At the same time when my wife can finally upgrade her phone, you better believe we’re switching to a new service – AT&T has shut the door on themselves on this one.

AT&T has the opportunity to make this right, and they should for not just those with a voice – they need to fix their customer service process. Get people on Twitter and Facebook and FriendFeed and start learning the issues people are having. Search the blogosphere. Then, fix those problems internally. Give everyone the customer interfaces flexibility to bend the rules occasionally. Make the customer right again – the customer should be AT&T’s most valuable asset. I don’t feel like that right now. Heck, I feel like a piece of dirty laundry they just hung out to dry.

#ATTFAIL

My New iPhone 3G S, My Review, and Trip to Fox 13 News

Posted on June 23, 2009 by jessestay

3 days ago I got up at 3:30am, packed up my truck with things like sleeping bags, camping chairs, and goodies to snack on and drink, and headed off to the Gateway Apple Store in Salt Lake City, Utah to get my new iPhone 3G S. About 3 hours of waiting in 50-60 degree weather later (too cold for me!) I had my new 32 GB iPhone 3G S. Just a day before I sold my previous iPhone on Ebay for $307, and that will go to the proud new owner, Unlocked and Jailbroken with the new 3.0 firmware tomorrow morning. I documented the entire process on Qik, which you can watch here. Fox 13 (KSTU) News here in Salt Lake City also picked up my stream and shared it with viewers – you can watch their coverage of it here.

Shortly afterwards, my friend, Kirk Yuhnke, an Anchor and Reporter for Fox 13 News texted me and asked if I could show it off in a segment today. I obliged and this morning got to take my first venture into live broadcast TV, showing off my new iPhone 3G. Kirk let me come back-“stage” with him and we hung out in his office waiting for our turn, and I showed off the iPhone in preparation for our segment. Then it was our turn, and it went by too fast! I admit if it weren’t for the video playback it would all be a blur! I shot the following behind-the-scenes videos (shot entirely on the iPhone) of my trip to Fox13 Studios, on my new YouTube channel:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs1jiS24bJc&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_profilepage&fs=1]

iPhone Dev Team Gives You the Key to Other Networks

Posted on June 23, 2009 by jessestay

The iPhone Dev Team has done it again. Just last week I reported that you could now Jailbreak any iPhone to the new 3.0 iPhone firmware, meaning things like easy tethering, live streaming through Qik.com, and more. Tonight, the iPhone Dev Team has taken that one step further by completely unlocking any iPhone before the iPhone 3G S to work on any GSM cell phone network.

Set up is easy. Start by Jailbreaking your iPhone using redsn0w or the Pwnage Tool. Then, in Cydia or Icy, add the repository, repo666.ultrasn0w.com. Then search for “ultrasn0w”. Install it, reboot, and your phone will now work with any GSM network! It is reported that due to T-Mobile USA’s network compatibility, 3G speeds will not work on the phone, so it’s encouraged that users disable 3G before installing Ultrasn0w that might be on that network.

As of today, any iPhone previous to the 3G S no longer requires a contract on any service, and has full access to copy and paste, search, voice memos, and more, in addition to all the great tools a Jailbreak can provide. The unlock and Jailbreak does not yet work on the 3G S, and it is rumored that it may take awhile due to the new chipset on the new device. If you run into issues with your unlock, report them on the iPhone Dev Team blog, or here and I’ll be sure and report anything major.

iPhone Dev Team Sets iPhone 3.0 Free

Posted on June 20, 2009 by jessestay

Jealous that all your 3G S friends have video AND cut and paste on their iPhones? Envy no more. Just earlier today as those of us were out braving the Apple Store lines to get our new iPhones, the iPhone Dev Team released a new version of their iPhone Jailbreaking tool, Pwnage Tool that works with all iPhone versions except the 3G S. The tool works with the 3.0 software, and will enable your 3G and younger phones (even first generations) to run tools such as Qik, and give free tethering just by installing it.

Previously, limits to the iPhone Baseband prevented any versions of the iPhone above 1.2.1 from being Jailbroken. This prevented many important bugs from being updated, and most importantly, as of Wednesday kept users from accessing the copy and paste, voice memos, search functionality, and more that the 3.0 software update provided. Now, all traditional 3G and younger phones can have full access to that functionality.

The iPhone Dev Team is still working on finalizing updates to their replacement for “yellowsn0w”, which allowed the iPhone 1.2.1 software and younger to also be unlocked for all GSM carriers to use. The replacement is called “ultrasn0w”, and is supposed to unlock all released iPhone versions, including those after 1.2.1 which yellowsn0w would not work with. Put in laymans terms, when ultrasn0w is released, you will be able to use any iPhone, on any version of the iPhone software, on any supporting GSM carrier. The iPhone Dev team is supposed to be just around the corner from releasing the unlock tool which enables ultrasn0w for use on other Cell Phone networks. They have suggested you wait to Jailbreak your iPhone if you intend to unlock it as well under the 3.0 update.

The 3G S may still be far off from an unlock or Jailbreak. It is my understanding that Apple has introduced a chipset that makes this “impossible”, or very difficult at a minimum. So if you want streaming video and much more customization without the speed, along with the ability to switch contracts to any provider at any time, you may want to hold onto that old iPhone for a little longer.

1 Prediction Down, 7 to Go – Facebook Launches Connect for the iPhone

Posted on March 14, 2009 by jessestay

Beginning of February I announced my 8 late predictions that I thought would happen in 2009. One of those, which I actually mentioned originally last year, was that Facebook would launch a developer platform for the iPhone. Such a prediction was hinted at last year by Facebook, was supposed to launch end of last year, and it would appear that this morning it came true. As of this morning, Facebook announced they are releasing Facebook Connect for the iPhone, and announced several of the first apps using it.

The platform integrates with the iPhone XCode platform and provides libraries that make integration of Facebook into any iPhone app easy. (Here’s where I get geeky, so beware) Per the documentation, the basics are that developers simply include the libraries in this manner:

#import “FBConnect/FBConnect.h”

Following that, the basic component of the app is the session object. To create a session object, you just need to provide code similar to this:

session = [FBSession sessionForApplication:myApiKey secret:myApiSecret delegate:self];

Following that, you’ll want a basic login button you can provide to users that authenticates the user and connects with the session object. To display the login button, use code like this:

FBLoginButton* button = [[[FBLoginButton alloc] init] autorelease];
[self.view addSubview:button];

Once the user is logged in, the session object should have the session key from Facebook, and you can make normal Facebook API calls from there. From there, you can get the session key and the session secret and send them back to your servers for processing, or make simple calls back to Facebook directly from the iPhone app using the provided libraries. Facebook provides this sample code as an example on how to do it from the iPhone:

– (void)getUserName {
NSString* fql = @”select name from user where uid == 1234″;
NSDictionary* params = [NSDictionary dictionaryWithObject:fql forKey:@”query”];
[[FBRequest requestWithDelegate:self] call:@”facebook.fql.query” params:params];
}

– (void)request:(FBRequest*)request didLoad:(id)result {
NSArray* users = result;
NSDictionary* user = [users objectAtIndex:0];
NSString* name = [user objectForKey:@”name”];
NSLog(@”Query returned %@”, name);
}

It would appear that 2009 is right on track, and I can’t wait to see what more Facebook has in store for us with the recent launch of their new design, new focuses, and more. This alone may be enough to get me even further into iPhone app development as the iPhone finally has the potential to become much more “Social”.