The iPhone Revolution

[Matthew T]

I've just got an iphone this afternoon. This thread was what prompted me!

I've realised I really need a cover/holder for it though or the screen is going to get scratched to buggery in my pocket.

[Si Hunt]

I think you'll be glad you joined the iPhone revolution Matt! I'm really enjoying mine, and it's so easy to use. You don't even need to charge it up before use!

Si.

[Matthew T]

I did wonder! There doesn't seem to be any real instructions with it but I reckon I've worked most of it out.

[Si Hunt]

When I make a voice recording on my iPhone (using voice reminders), can I get it off the phone and onto the computer so I can use the file? I was hoping I could do a sync and then it would be saved somewhere in the directory structure, but I can't find it.

Si.

[Si Hunt]

I've thought of some apps I need! But I don't think they exist yet, unless the search feature on Apps store isn't very good.

I want an app to tell me the Top 75 singles and albums each week. And one that tells me which singles and albums are coming out over the next few months. And an app that will show me the chart history and peak positions for any artist I search for!

Also surely there's an app to view Digital Spy in an iPhone friendly way? And has no one written a Doctor Who game for the iPhone? Or a decent football manager game?

Si.

[Perry Vale]

I've thought of some apps I need! But I don't think they exist yet, unless the search feature on Apps store isn't very good.

I want an app to tell me the Top 75 singles and albums each week. And one that tells me which singles and albums are coming out over the next few months.

I use this one for the charts, it only does top 40 (albums & singles), and a select amount of what's out that week (10 titles I think), with links to listen/buy each. So not quite what you're looking for....?

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/M...t?id=299152440

[Lissa]

When I make a voice recording on my iPhone (using voice reminders), can I get it off the phone and onto the computer so I can use the file? I was hoping I could do a sync and then it would be saved somewhere in the directory structure, but I can't find it.

Si.

If you're using the Voice Memos application you can send the recordings you make by email. The files are compressed so they shouldn't be too massive.

You can view Digital Spy in iPhone friendly format at http://mobile.digitalspy.co.uk though I don't think the forums work the same way the site does.

[Matthew T]

And an app that will show me the chart history and peak positions for any artist I search for!

This site is essential:

http://www.polyhex.com/music/chartruns/chartruns.php

But how well it works on the iphone I don't know.

[Si Hunt]

Thanks Matt. How are you getting on with yours?

Although the 'zoom in' feature is cool, I found it can get a bit frustrating on 'busy' websites like Facebook and Digital Spy, as there isn't much space to click in so you end up accidentally clicking links. However, many web sites have an App which provides alternative easy access to them with 'iPhone friendly' interfaces. So my tip is to get free Apps for Facebook, Ebay, Twitter etc.

Si.

[Si Hunt]

Does anyone know how you turn off that irritating feature where it 'flips' the screen round into 'widescreen' mode at random moments? The problem is that the 'widescreen' version of the 'song playing' screen (unlike the normal version) doesn't seem to have a 'go back' button. So you'll be listening and it will suddenly flip it to widescreen, so to change song you then have to Hit the home button, go BACK into iPod and THEN select your new song. It's damn annoying.

Si.

[Phillip Culley]

It doesn't always work on mine, but if you hold the iPod vertically then it should flip back to normal view.

It normally flips to the widescreen mode when you hold it at a certain angle - if the accelerometers inside the iPod detect that it's being held horizontally then it automatically switches to the 'widescreen' mode as it figures that's how you're looking at it.

As to a permanent fix, I'm not aware of one - certainly there's nothing in the features that disables it...

[Si Hunt]

That's annoying. Yes, the angle it flips at is about 45 degrees... i.e the exactly the angle you hold it at when looking at and walking along.

I have to say I love my iPhone as an mp3 player and web browser, but it leaves a lot to be desired when texting. I've a feeling that the woman on the phone told me there is a 60 character limit for texts - which sounds a lot but is actually half that of my old phone. And, cunningly, it DOESN'T TELL YOU how many characters you've typed or when you hit the limit it just... charges you twice. Nice. I have to say this has all but destroyed the texting experience for me.

Si.

[Perry Vale]

Not noticed that, but then I don't send huge amounts of texts anyway.

I love my iphone too, but my biggest disappointment with it is O2's coverage. When I visit a friend of mine who lives in North London (Newington Green, near Islington/Hackney etc.), I cannot get any phone coverage. And when I was at Bestival on the Isle Of Wight last weekend, again I could get reception barely anywhere on site. Yet my friend with a jailbroken iphone on Orange got reception seemingly everywhere. And what I realised too late was that my iphone constantly searching for a signal ate up my battery in record time.

If Orange & T-Mobile's merger goes through, their reception as a whole should improve further, so I really hope that O2 does something about it soon!

[Rob McCow]

It's a bit silly that all the mobile companies have to set up their own networks, so that some areas will be good for Orange coverage and some good for O2 etc.

Perhaps BT should take over?

[Si Hunt]

Here's a question, and I'd appreciate some advice if anyone has any:

If Mr Rayner gets an iPhone, can we create two different iTunes folders on the same computer so he can have his favourite tunes in a different folder? i.e he won't get all my songs uploading to his player every time he plugs it in

Will each phone know which folder to sync to?

OR is it best to keep one iTunes folder and can we choose a different subset of the songs to sync to each player?

How does one go about things if there are two iPhones in the household and one computer?

In theory.

Si.

[Phillip Culley]

It's probably best to have two playlists set up for each of you, and fill them up with whichever songs you want.

Then when you plug in your iPhone, select it in iTunes and select the music tab. It should give you the option to sync to a particular playlist (as opposed to syncing to the entire library), and you can then tell it to sync to your specific playlist.

[Lissa]

As long as you activate the phones using the same computer you shouldn't have any problems - that will ensure each phone has a unique name.

I've got an iPhone and an iPod Touch synced on the same PC - it lets you specify which playlists, apps, podcasts etc you want on each device.

As has been said above, playlists are the way to go for music - limit each sync to a selection of playlists and you'll be fine.

[Perry Vale]

On the subject of sharing music libraries, I'd like to strongly recommend this app, Simplify Music 2

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/M...t?id=284941330

It's been around for a while, but this is a version 2.0 that's recently come out. Although £3.49, it's one of the best purchases I've made. It allows you to stream your entire music library on the go, as long as your pc is turned on of course and you have a mobile connection). It also allows you to 'share' libraries with up to 30 friends & family. No longer am I restricted by the size of storage of my iPod!


And also just to post some other iPhone news, Orange & Vodafone have announced signing a deal finally to distribute them too, ending O2's exclusivity.

http://www.bitterwallet.com/vodafone...k-theirs/18992

[Si Hunt]

As long as you activate the phones using the same computer you shouldn't have any problems - that will ensure each phone has a unique name.

I've got an iPhone and an iPod Touch synced on the same PC - it lets you specify which playlists, apps, podcasts etc you want on each device.

As has been said above, playlists are the way to go for music - limit each sync to a
selection of playlists and you'll be fine.

Thanks Lissa, also Steve and Phillip. Now all we need to do is persaude him to buy one!

Si.

[Si Hunt]

The 'restore' I had to do this morning after the latest iPhone update crashed my phone seems to have lead to my computer "no longer being authorized". All I had to do was click to authorize it again, but apparently this means now "2 out of the possible 5" computers have been authorized for my player, despite me only ever using it on one. So God knows what I do if 3 more updates make me restore again.

Si.

[Perry Vale]

Another app recommendation........Joost.

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/M...295977505&mt=8

You may have heard of Joost as a website, that stream free tv. Well this free app does just that, only over Wi-fi though. Not Joost's whole 'catalogue', but a large selection of titles.

Last night via it I watched the first episode of Camberwick Green, and also Peep Show (the first two series are available). Other things of interest on there that I noticed....Shameless (first two series), Flash Gordon (Buster Crabbe), Trumpton, Laurel & Hardy, Bob Hope films (Road To Bali etc.), Charlie Chaplin, Transformers (the cartoon), Derren Brown, plus many other types of show (animation, enetertainment news).

Oh, and it's also got one of my favourite movies of all time....Carnival Of Souls.

[Perry Vale]

Watch Freeview "live" telly on your iPhone

Now!!!

It's coming soon as an app, awaiting Apple approval apparently (wow, don't think I've ever used 7 consecutive words in a sentence all starting with 'a'!! ). Full story in link below.....

http://www.bitterwallet.com/live-uk-...r-iphone/19606

But for the moment, TVCatchup have set up a beta site with 11 freeview channels you can watch via the iPhone's Safari browser right now. Apparently it will work over 3g, but wi-fi is best option....point the browser to.....

http://iphone.tvcatchup.com/

Simples!

Let's hope they don't charge too much for it when launched properly.

[Perry Vale]

Playing around with my iPhone today, I decided to finally check out the mail function to look at my googlemail, and of course, it's very easy to use and fast (like everything on it!).

However, I can't find a way to log out of my mail account on the phone? Does anyone know if I can do this, or is my mail account now ALWAYS open on it?

[Lissa]

Are you doing it in the Mail app or in Safari? In Mail you can always disable or delete your Googlemail settings if you really want to. If you're just in Safari then I'm wondering why you don't use Mail. You can protect your iPhone with a PIN so unauthorised people won't be able to see your account. Or you can delete cookies which should log you out of things in Safari.

I had a quick play with Google's new (possibly) Exchange functionality which lets you get push email and wirelessly syncs iPhone Calendar and Google Calendar. I don't know if it works properly yet - life got in the way and I had to go.

[Perry Vale]

I was using the mail app. My brain wasn't awake earlier when I posted, and I just realised in the bath (a very minor eureka moment) that I might be able to change it in 'Settings' and sure enough I could. I still haven't set up a pin/passcode for the phone, even though I know I should.....

Thanks Lissa.