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My iPhone OS 3.0 upgrade experience turned into something of a disaster: I had been waiting patiently the entire day of the 17th of June for the download to become available. Early on in the day, it seemed as though a download link to the update had been found, but that file turned out to be the 3.0 update file for the iPhone 3GS. Finally, later that evening the update file was made available by Apple. In true herd fashion, I connected my MacBook to the home wireless network, docked the iPhone and rapidly clicked through the prompts as iTunes requested permission to download the new OS and to update the device. The best part of the evening was spent watching the file trickle down the Interwebs, finally finishing off after fifty minutes or so. That should have been the worst of it. Sadly, it wasn’t. Just a few, brief minutes into the device update and I was shown an error message: the update had terminated due to an unknown error. Would I be interested in trying again? Twice more I retried the 3.0 update, each time seeing nothing more than the message that an unknown error had occurred. A reboot and another retry without success.

I managed to restore from a 2.2.1 file I had on my hard drive, forcing iTunes to use that file to rebuild the iPhone and restore my settings. After a long waiting period, the iPhone was at last usable again, though unable to provide copy and paste…

I had a similar experience with the iPod Touch whilst on holiday in December when trying to update the OS of that device. Again, the issue occurred whilst using iTunes on the MacBook. I can’t see the MacBook being the problem. Rather, I’m rather certain that TuneUp may be at fault – though that is unconfirmed. I can only comment on how unreliably TuneUp starts up at times, hides itself behind other windows and sometimes seems not to start up properly at all.

I fixed the iPhone update issue the same way I fixed the iPod Touch update issue: by connecting the device to my Windows PC and running the update from its iTunes software install. No hassle – everything worked seamlessly.

I’ll be quite honest: the 3.0 software update is hardly revolutionary. In fact, I doubt that I have even noticed any difference over the past few days. Copy and paste is something I still need to perform. Odd, that. One would think that such a feature is indispensable, but I seem not to require it too often. Most annoyingly, I’ve found that the iPhone is no longer very good at picking up my wireless network at home. Connecting to that network takes much longer and often, the connection is simply not picked up. For the rest, everything works and the inclusion of a Finder is a godsend. Better than copy and paste any day, I’d say.

And then, there’s tethering. That’s interesting for the way Apple has made it work: seamlessly and elegantly. In fact, tethering is so simple that I found myself trying to figure out what else to configure by the time it was already working. I’m on the MTN network, but the following should work just as well for Vodacom. Open Safari on the iPhone and navigate to the following URL http://wan.to/iphone.

Simply follow the instructions and install the appropriate configuration file for your operator.

Navigate to the Network options under Settings, then General. The Internet Tethering item should be available now.

Tethering works by Bluetooth or USB cable.

I tried it with the USB cable on my Windows 7 system.

Simply enabling the Internet Tethering option establishes the connection: no worrying about modem settings or anything else. The first time this feature is used on a Windows system, the appropriate driver is installed. That’s all there’s to it.

Start browsing on the attached system, then simply turn tethering off when finished.

The more I’m using the iPhone‘s built-in camera, the more I find myself wanting to perform basic image manipulations. The iTunes App Store contains many image manipulation applications, but my favourite one so far is Photogene.

Photogene is very easy to use. The starting point is either a new photo that can be taken with the built-in camera or an existing photo found in the camera roll.

There are many tools to manipulate and enhance the photograph, including cropping and rotating functions. The entry point to each category of image manipulation tool is found by icon in the left-hand margin. The icons are not necessarily a clear description of what function they lead to, so it takes a bit of getting used to and playing around to get to the feature one is looking for.

Photogene also excels at providing filters and colour correction, as well as colour level and exposure corrections. In all cases, the required setting is made by dragging a slider an appropriate distance and previewing the results.

Multiple levels of undo are provided and it is rather easy to revert the image to a previous setting. Slightly whimsical, but still useful is the provision of a number of border and background styles that may be applied to the photograph.

Once manipulated and changed, the image may be saved to the camera roll as a new image.

Photogene is highly useful and entertaining. Being able to crop and rotate images on the iPhone was the primary reason I hunted it out, but I find myself using many of the other features it provides. For USD 2.99, this is an excellent choice in the category of image manipulation on the iPhone.

Just a short time to go until the iPhone 3G will be able to perform that wonderful action of copy and paste! Amazing how features other mobile phones have provided since inception are eagerly awaited by geeks and Apple fanboys across the planet. A strange lot, human beings…

I’m waiting too, of course. Here’s a terminal trick from TUAW you can use to see whether or not the firmware file is available:

curl -s -L http://phobos.apple.com/version |\ grep -i restore |\ grep ‘_3.’ | open -f

Not there yet…

…19:49 ZA time and it’s finally made an appearance.

iPhone1,1_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw iPhone1,1_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw iPhone1,1_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw iPhone1,1_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw iPhone1,2_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw iPhone1,2_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw iPhone1,2_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw iPhone2,1_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw iPhone2,1_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw

Now to see how well the hosting servers hold up.

It’s the applications that make a mobile device super useful and absolutely indispensable. Today, an application appeared in the iTunes app store that I was hoping for but never imagined would make an appearance: it’s rather simple, as it provides access only to a listing of TV schedules.

But as a company that is very tight and careful regarding distribution of its program listings, Multichoice for once needs to be congratulated. The iPhone DStv Guide is exactly that: a program guide to all DStv channels on the iPhone. The application is a free download and installs rather quickly – all information is gathered over-the-air.

All channels in the various bouquets are accessible. To save on data transfer times and bandwidth costs, the application displays a listing from which the user may select favourite channels to monitor.

Once ticked and selected, the channel overview screen displays the relevant scheduling information for the current time. Click on a specific channel to view a daily schedule up to seven days in advance.

It’s a really useful application and means I’ll no longer have to struggle trying to navigate the actual DStv website on the iPhone to try and view the schedule information.

Now, MultiChoice: how about opening up your schedule even more by providing media PC users with access to your online program guide?

Or else, I call on an enterprising individual who has the time and patience to use this iPhone app, a protocol analyzer and some coding skills to create a similar application to pull the OPG information directly to a media PC. Just a thought…

In the meantime, you may download the iPhone app from the iTunes app store.

I constantly listen to audio books and podcasts whilst driving. That’s the only way to maintain a bit of sanity. The arrival of the iPhone a few weeks ago urged me to check out some solutions that would offer in-car charging and possibly FM transmission capabilities. Though my primary device for listening to media is still the 32GB iPod Touch, there’s no reason to be device-specific and I went out looking for a suitable gadget that would fit both the iPod and the iPhone.

On that note, just one comment: it is likely that any accessory one purchases for a current iPod generation will cease to provide its full functionality to subsequent product generations. That’s something that irritates me no end, and generally seems to affect charging of the new device. The reason for this is Apple‘s inability to maintain a standard for the pin-outs on the iPod dock connector – when plugging a newer iPod into an older accessory, the “This accessory does not support charging” message is displayed. It’s an obvious ploy to keep manufacturers of accessory products in a cycle of constant evolution with regard to their products, but its a costly exercise for the consumer.

As always when I look for iPod accessories, my attention turned to Griffin. That company makes many sensible and useful products to enhance the iPod experience, though their products are by no means cheap. After a bit of to-ing and fro-ing, I settled on the RoadTrip FM transmitter. The device consists of a short, bendable gooseneck supporting an iPod cradle on one end and a cigarette lighter plug on the other.

For the cradle, a whole collection of iPod adapters is provided, each of which fits neatly and snuggly on top of the connector. A display indicates FM frequencies and various options.

I can attest to the RoadTrip‘s ability to securely hold both the iPod Touch and the heavier iPhone as I travel on a rather bumpy dirt road every day. There is hardly a possibility that the device will fall from the cradle. As with the Logitech Pure-Fi Dream, making out the markings on the black plastic cradle adapters that indicate which iPod each one fits on is rather difficult – the moulded indicator on the adapter is not always easy to make out. Generally, this shouldn’t be an issue if only one device is to be used with the RoadTrip, but I tend to swap the Touch and iPhone every now and then and need to identify the cradle adapter reliably. A minor gripe, but something that manufacturers may want to address by providing a more visible marking. Maybe it’s my eyesight?

Securely fasten the correct adapter on top of the cradle, plug the device into the cigarette lighter socket and adjust. I recently had my iPhone on the RoadTrip, Bluetooth enabled and taking handsfree phone calls via the Garmin nuvi whilst checking that cool little blue blip on Google Maps update my location. It’s almost a car computer…

The RoadTrip features an FM transmitter with a three frequency memory. My frequency of choice in the greater Johannesburg area is still 88.7 and the RoadTrip provides clear, crisp sound without interference to my car’s radio. The RoadTrip does include SmartScan technology which is supposed to determine the best three frequencies for use by the car radio and presets these automatically on the unit. I wasn’t convinced by its findings and stuck to my manual setting. The device in the cradle is charged automatically.

There’s no need to fumble around with the buttons on the iPod or worse still, with the touch interface of the iPhone: the RoadTrip has three hardware buttons that provide rudimentary control over the audio stream: play, pause and skip to next track.

I can’t fault the RoadTrip, other than for its purchase price which is in the region of ZAR 850, a lot of money for an iPod accessory. The gooseneck is solid and stays in position, the cradle holds the iPod very firmly and I consider the sound quality to be as good as is possible for something relying on FM transmission. With an iPhone or iPod Touch in the cradle, you can surf the web, check out Tweetie or email and play a game or two, all the whilst listening to your selected audio. Don’t forget that you’re piloting a car, one of the most dangerous weapons mankind has ever produced, though!

If you’re in the market for a charger/FM transmitter that supports a slew of older iPod models, the RoadTrip may be worth a look.

As with any device, mobile or otherwise, the more applications are available the more useful that device becomes. That was my experience with Windows Mobile for which a wealth of applications could be purchased and downloaded and the same is true for the iPhone.

I spend a fair bit of time every week or so to check out what’s new in the iTunes App Store. For reference purposes I had downloaded a freeware currency converter. It suited my purposes well but was obviously limited to currency conversions. When the need came about to quickly convert some measurements, I decided to check out the collection of unit converters available for the iPhone. I spent a little time looking around and then settled on Convertbot, a really excellent conversion utility that provides a huge assortment of units as well as a rather unique interface.

It works like this: select the appropriate unit category by turning the selection wheel. At first, the icons on the wheel may be difficult to decipher, but after one or two tries they make sense. Once selected, the chosen units within that category may be converted. To change currencies is a simple matter of selecting the currency shown at the bottom half of the wheel and then selecting a new one, for example.

It’s all very intuitive and the large OK button in the middle cannot be missed. The movement of the wheel is accompanied by some rather appropriate sound effects. The usual functions are provided: invert the conversion or simply select a new unit to change the conversion to that. Currencies are updated at regular intervals using WiFi or 3G. Under the hood, the developers have provided quite an assortment of unit categories, and selecting the most appropriate or most-oft used ones is very simple. First, select the category,

then the units within that category

If you’re looking for a conversion application that does it all, Convertbot should be part of your consideration. Though the interface with the selection wheel and the sound effects may put some users off, I find the application a delight to use. At USD 1.99, the application is well worth it. iTunes Store link here. There’s also a mini application available free of charge to try out before committing to the full app.

And sometimes of electric sheep. The Logitech Pure-Fi Dream is a rather fancy bedside alarm clock that includes an AM and FM radio as well as a docking station for an iPod. The iPhone keeps its charge for most of the day, but like the Nokia E90 won’t last too long when not provided with overnight power. So, one has the option of the boring, supplied AC power adapter to recharge the iPhone on the bedside table or opt for a more expensive, but certainly more useful docking solution. The Pure-Fi Dream is one of many docking solutions available for iPods and the iPhone and provides a variety of decent features in addition to the obvious ability to charge the docked device.

The shape is interesting, and the ambient orange lighting pleasant on the eye. The lighting dims and brightens based on available light and isn’t obtrusive when it’s time for shut-eye. The wrap-around stereo speaker deliver decent sound – more than enough to wake from a pleasant slumber and ample to make the iPod, integrated tuner or AUX device heard on the patio.

As with all dock-related iPod accessories, a slew of plastic inserts is provided. As usual, the moulded numbering on the inserts or adapters makes them difficult to identify, but Logitech have opted for a simple numbering scheme that needs to be matched to the user guide to determine which iPod requires which adapter. The adapter slots into the cradle above the LCD display and securely holds the iPod.

Two alarms may be set, each with its own alarm time (obviously) and sound source. A playlist may be selected and played, or any preset radio station. When the alarm sounds, a simple wave of the hand over the Pure-Fi Dream is sufficient to activate snooze mode. It’s generally better just to get out of bed when the first alarm sounds…

A basic graphic equalizer display is available, though only treble and bass may be set. One thing that annoys me slightly is the inability of the built-in RDS tuner to display station identification information. That should work, according to the manual…

The remote control unit is another feature bound to encourage laziness. Why bother attempting a stretch to wave at the Pure-Fi Dream to switch to snooze mode? Simply haul the remote from under the pillow, point in the general direction of the noise and click the Off button. Problem solved!

The remote provides all necessary functions, including setting the alarm times and sound settings, as well as selecting a preset radion station. The unit is AC powered, with a rather large power adapter that assists reception of AM and FM radion signals. You’re sure to awake on time even if Eskom decides to cut the power: a 9V battery in the unit keeps the clock running.

The Logitech Pure-Fi Dream is a very decent bedside alarm unit, with two alarms and full support for an iPod. With the exception of the RDS information not displaying, I’m quite happy with this gadget. And the wife likes it too

I’m not a huge gamer and rarely spend a lot of time immersing myself into any particular genre or title. But there are certain classics that I really enjoyed and I was overjoyed to see a port of Wolfenstein 3D being made available for the iPod Touch.

The game costs USD 4.99 on the App Store and includes the original adventure with all six episodes and almost 60 levels of action. Of all the games I ever played this is one I not only finished more than once, but kept coming back to.

I’m happy to say that the iPod Touch port looks exactly like I remember the PC version. Controlling the action is possible in one of two ways, by either using a configurable button arrangement for turning, walking and shooting, or by employing the motion sensor on the iPod Touch.

The use of the motion sensor takes a bit of getting used to, but works remarkably well after a couple of attempts – I kept straying to the left and running into a wall, but eventually learned to compensate by leaning more to the right…

For fans, John Carmack goes into a bit more detail regarding the coding and port of the iPhone version of the game, as well as offering the source code as a free download. You can get to that here. That’s certain to be of interest to developers of games on any platform, I would imagine. Best of all, he hints at a release of Doom for the iPhone in the not-too distant future. Now there’s another of my favourites I’d download the moment it is released!

Wolfenstein 3D for the iPhone is tons of fun and well worth the 5 bucks. I’m very impressed with the in-game soundtrack and have found myself humming the Wolf-tune every now and then…

My 32GB iPod Touch is being used daily for a variety of tasks and to run various applications. So much so that I’m keen to get an iPhone – just want to make sure Apple doesn’t release something new in June…

The SwitchEasy ThumbTacks are a rather innovative and space-saving solution for anyone wanting to record external noise using an iPod Touch or new generation Nano. The device is absolutely miniscule, consisting of little more than a small microphone and a 3.5mm audio connector.

For USD 13, the price is right – the only prerequisite is that the very latest firmware be loaded on a new generation Nano or Touch.

The iTunes App Store has plenty of software to take advantage of the functionality the ThumbTack provides.The only thing to worry about is that the ThumbTack is so small, it can easily be lost once removed. Great for recording podcasts or possibly for students intent on recording lectures.

I think, I’ll give one a try…

Today, Apple presented a new version of their iPhone operating system.

iPhone software 3.0. Here’s what it will be able to offer when it’s released sometime in June for existing iPhones and iPod Touch devices:

• In-app purchasing of content via the existing iTunes Store infrastructure
• peer to peer interaction
• support for various accessories and protocols for interaction among applications
• maps with support for turn by turn directions, though Apple cannot provide any map content – this will need to be loaded and purchased by the user
• better Bluetooth support, including stereo headphones, though no support for keyboards and the like
• push notifications, using the server infrastructure announced many moons ago
• cut/copy/paste (at last!), as well as text selection
• landscape orientation for the new calendar
• messaging, including MMS support
• voice memos
• calendar with support for CalDAV
• a new Stock app
• Search across a variety of content
• Spotlight, available in most applications

A new SDK that supports an additional 1000 API‘s will be available soon. A beta of the new SDK should be ready for download in the next day or so. Though not revolutionary, the update to the OS is criticial to ensure the iPhone supports those features users of other devices have been used to for quite some time.

I think the time is ripe to consider a switch to the iPhone, though I’d still be worried that a brand new device is unveiled in June…