iPhone 3G
Background Information
Much like the original iPhone the new "Apple iPhone" is a combination of three products - widescreen iPod with touch controls, a new mobile phone and a breakthrough Internet Communications device.
Features
3G
The 3G wireless technology, the GPS mapping, the support for Microsoft Exchange and the App Store are seen by many to be a radical improvement on the old model. However, the 3G support is flawed, resulting in a massive flood of complaints to Apple, who haven't announced a solution yet.
Calling
Making a phone call on this device is as easy as tapping a number, name or dailing a number.
E-Mail Function
E-mailing on the iPhone is exactly the same as on your computer, the only difference is its all touch screen. its like having a portable E-mail device that you can store in your pocket. The iPhone also has the ability to access email exchange servers.
The E-Mail providors are:
- Microsoft Exchange
- Mobile Me
- Gmail
- Yahoo! Mail
- Aol
- Other
Safari
iPod Function
The new Apple iPhone also includes Safari Internet browser (the most advanced web browser ever on a portable device). With the 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity you can browse the normal Internet very quickly. The iPhone also has Google and Yahoo! search built in. The iPhone also syncs from your PC or Mac.
IPod
With this devices stunning 3.5-Inch widescreen display and Multi - Touch controls the iPhone is one remarkable iPod. You can browse your Music using Cover Flow and watch widescreen video clips with a tap of your finger you can also go straight to itunes and buy new songs.
SMS Messeging
With a chat-style analysis and a clever Multi - Touch keyboard that calculates and suggests words as you type (T9 Dictionary), the iPhone is better and smarter at text messeging than any other smart or touch screen phone.
MMS Messeging
On September 25th AT&T Released MMS functionality to allowing the ability to send and recieve text & video messages to anyone.
GPS
Find your destination by putting it in on your iPhone's GPS and following the directions you are given.
Maps on the iPhone includes:
- To and From Directions
- Traffic Maps
- Satillite,Hybrid,Map Modes
iTunes
Buy Music from any where in the world with this portable built in iTunes. Browse the iTunes store from where you stand using Wi-Fi connection. Choose from more than 6 Million Songs.
iTunes
App Store
Visit the App Store and find Applications for your iPhone under every category, from education to games, buisness to entertainment the iPhone's App Store has Appliction to suit everyone. Most of these Apps have been designed to take advantage of the iPhone's features such as; Multi - Touch, The Accelerometer, Wireless and GPS. You can download them wirelessly and begin using them straight away. Just to top it off some of the Applications are Free as well.
Calendar
The iPhone helps to keeps you organized on the go. Using an easy user interface that allows the user to tap a date, write a note, and set a notification time.
YouTube
Just like on your computers internet the iPhone has YouTube. Accessing YouTube has never been easier, all you have to do is get into the Home screen and tap the T.V. icon. You can watch video clips on YouTube from wherever you stand, it will also load very quickly with 3G or Wi-Fi connection, if you find a video clip you like you can bookmark it and or share it with your friends!
Camera & Photos
Like most modern mobile phones the iPhone has a built in Camera App of 2.0 megapixels. The iPhone is one of the most photo friendly phones ever, the snapshots taken on this phone will automatically sync the pictures with your PC or Mac. The iPhone displays albums with the flick of a finger, it will also automatically post all your taken photos to a MobileMe Gallery.The iPhone's camera lacks zoom capabilities, but there are many apps that enhance taken images.
TIP*: IF YOU PRESS THE SLEEP AND HOME BUTTONS AT THE SAME TIME, THE IPHONE WILL TAKE A SNAPSHOT OF THE CURRENT SCREEN, WORKS WITH ALL APPLICATIONS.
Stocks, Weather & Notes
The Stocks, Weather and Notes are three different Apps.
Stocks If you access the Stocks App it will show you the performance information on any stock you pick, if you tap the 'Y!' button it will take you to Yahoo! finance for more information.
Weather If you need the Weather From anywhere in the world just access the Weather App. With this Application you can add the cities you want and check the Weather for six days in advance, and just like the Weather AppThe if you tap the 'Y!' button it will take you to Yahoo! Weather.
Notes If your a forgettable person this App is for you. With this App you can write Notes to remember things like Birthdays, you can also send Notes to yourself or your friends using the built in E-mailing function.
Networks
The two beginning Networks for the iPhone 3G are 'Vodafone' and 'Optus'. If you buy an iPhone with either Vodafone or Optus you will have to change to a 'Plan' or a 'Cap' (the cost of the Plan/Cap will not matter)
Flaws and Criticisms
Lack of ability to use it as a Flash Drive when connected to a PC.
Web pages constantly reload when moving from window to window or using the back arrow in Safari creating lag and extra data traffic.
Lack of Flash player.
Lack of A2DP bluetooth profile.
Lack of an FTP bluetooth profile.
All official programs are tightly regulated through iTunes unofficial programs must use a jailbroken iPhone.
Creating Ringtones
1. Open Itunes and select a song that you want to turn into a ringtone, Choose a 30-second (or less) portion of the song to make a ringtone from. (Make note of the start & stop times)
2. Right-click the song and select 'Get Info' from the menu.
3. Select The 'Options' tab in the new window that appears.
4. Enter the start & stop times of the 30-second (or less) portion of the song that you chose to be your ringtone.
5. Click 'Ok'
6. Play the song to ensure you selected the correct portion ( Make any necessary changes.)
7. When ready, right-click the song and select 'Create AAC Version' from the menu.
8. A new copy of the song will appear in your iTunes Library. ( Ensure the song is 30-seconds or less)
9. Right click the new song and select 'Show in finder' or 'Show in Explorer'
10. Change the file extension from '.m4a' to '.m4r'
Note: Windows Users may have to go Tool> Folder Options, then click the 'View' tab and uncheck the box titled "Hide extensions for known file types"
11. Drag the .m4r file to your desktop.
12. In your iTunes Library right-click the song and select 'Delete' from the menu. (The song will remain on your desktop)
13. Double Click the song on your desktop and add it to the 'Ringtones' section of the iTunes Program.
14. Connect and Sync your iPhone.
15. Open Settings on your iPhone and select 'Sounds' from the main menu.
16. In the 'Sounds' Page, select the 'Ringtone' Section to view and set your new ringtone.
17. Your New new ringstone will appear under the 'Custom' Category.
18. Select it to set it as your new ringtone.
Note: If your ringtone doesn't immediately appear in the list of ringtones, it may be necessary to reboot your iPhone. To do this,Hold down the power button for 5 seconds and slide to power off. After turning it back on check the list again.
Accessories
There are far fewer accessories for the iPhone than there are for the iPod. The iPhone uses the same 40 pin connector as the iPods, but when most iPod accessories are connected to the iPhone, a message is displayed which indicates the incompatibility of the accessory. See the following categories:
iPhone Firmware 3.0 Beta's Features
New features will be added to the iPhone and iPhone 3G when Apple's new 3.0 firmware releases in the Summer of 2009. With this new release comes the following new features:
- will be standard in iPhone 3.0. Apple claims that there was a scaling issue when they first announced this feature last year, with thousands of developers clamoring to use it, so it had to be delayed. Developers will be able to build message, sound, and badge alerts into their applications.
- iPhone will support -- copy text and pictures, then paste them in any application on the device. If you change your mind about the newly pasted data, just shake to display a menu asking if you wish to undo the paste.
- -- developers will have the ability to charge a fee from within the application for more levels in a game, magazine subscriptions, eBooks, etc. This solves the problem of the 20 ebook readers that only allow you to read one book each.
- -- you'll be able to use MMS on your iPhone 3G (yes, 1st gen iPhones will not get the fortune of using MMS due to the use of a different cell radio). The new Messages application will be taking the place of the SMS app and will allow you to send voice memos and pictures to your friends.
- -- allows iPhone apps the ability to find other iPhone users over WiFi or Bluetooth. This can be using for anything from gaming to sharing data.
- -- app developers can now access third-party accessories attached to the iPhone. This could allow for developers to interface with their own accessories to create a truly unique experience on the device. One of the demonstrated uses was a prototype blood glucose meter for the iPhone, from a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, which is already getting attention from our readers; it's not for sale yet!
- Apple will now be allowingapplications the ability to get GPS coordinates from Core Location and turn that into software that provides directions for iPhone users. However, due to the terms of use with Google maps, developers will be required to license their own maps for this use (meaning that Turn-by-Turn GPS applications will almost certainly be paid apps). This isn't a problem for vendors like TomTom or Telenav, who already have licenses for their map data.
- A option is now available in all iPhone applications, including the infamous Mail.app.
- will allow iPhone users the ability to capture audio and then email it, or send it through the Messages application as a multimedia message.
- System-wide is built right into the home screen. To the left of the first home screen, there is a magnifying glass, so by flicking to the left of the first home screen will show this search app. You can search for anything, including mail, music, and notes. There is no word yet on how this will interface with third-party applications.
- Stereo Bluetooth audio devices are now supported through the use of technology.
(taken from TUAW: http://www.tuaw.com/2009/03/17/iphone-3-0-feature-roundup/)
