The "4" Is On The Way

A friend of mine made an order for 2 units of 32 GB Black iPhone 4 via Singapore's Apple Store on July 30 at 5.15 pm. Expected Shipping 3 weeks plus 3 business days for delivery.

• Original Estimated Delivery: Aug 23, 2010 (Monday)
• Original Estimated Ship Date: Aug 25, 2010 (Wednesday)
• Actual Ship: ?
• Actual Delivery: ?

How To: Solve "No Sim Card Installed" Error

Yesterday evening, I suddenly received the above error message. The SIM card was not detected by my iPhone.

Here's the method which I tried:-

1. Rebooting
2. Network Reset
3. Taking out and reinsert SIM
4. Clean the SIM Card
5. Tested on other phones such as Motorola, Dopod, iPhone 3GS, HTC, Nokia (only Dopod works whereas the rest doesn't)
6. Tested other SIMs on my iPhone 3GS and it works (it proves that the iPhone is working fine)

Finally, I get a SIM card replacement from Celcom (given FOC). 4 hours later, the phone was reactivated and working fine!

You Can't Follow Apple App Store

Its interesting to note an article by James Midleton on "App Store Opportunity Overhyped".
He wrote:-

"Despite all the hype around mobile apps, only a minority of consumers download them on a monthly basis. Research released this week based on a survey of more than 25,000 European adults shows that only 4 per cent of all mobile users and 15 per cent of smartphone users download apps at least once per month."

"The exception to this rule, unsurprisingly, is Apple, with 64 per cent of European iPhone users downloading apps on a monthly basis." 

"In this respect, Husson argued that the market opportunity for app stores is somewhat overhyped, and said players should be looking at sources of inspiration other than Apple to provide a unique user experience"

 True enough - Apple have tremendously gained success in their App Store model. Like it or not, the other App Stores have to find the "right formula" in making theirs also a success.

Another article by David Pringle "Apple and Nokia: A tale of two contrasting companies" mentioned:

"The contrast couldn't be greater. Apple's revenues in the quarter ending June 26th were US$15.7 billion, yet it spent only US$464 million on research and development. Nokia's revenues in the quarter ending June 30th were EUR10 billion (US$12.83 billion) and it spent EUR1.48 billion (US$1.9 billion) on R&D - more than four times as much as Apple."

Its worrying to see how Apple grew so fast to overtake the Giant phone maker, Nokia.

The Digital Citizen - WebCiety (Web Society)

1. Remember the days when people meet physically first and later continue to meet in Cyberspace?
2. Remember the time when we watch movies on big screens but today they watch the same movies on a smaller mobile phones display?
3. Remember when TV channels are watched via a TV but now viewed via YouTube?
4. Remember when SMS are in the "in-thing" but now communicate via Instant Messaging or email?
5. Remember when Birthday wishes and Festival Greetings are sent via SMS but now posted on Facebook and Twitter?
6. Remember when digital photos are meant to be private but now are posted on the Net to be shared by all?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

A Myth: Mobile Broadband User

It can be quite deceiving in the actual number of broadband penetration of each country. Certain countries wanted to be seen as a developed nation by declaring a high number of broadband penetration rate. What's the definition of a broadband user? For example, FCC, defined broadband as 768 kb/s download and 200 kb/s upload. If that's the definition, have we achieved this? In an attempt to declare the "number of broadband users", some telcos purposely provide the numbers below:-

1. Migrating to 3G. In the early days of 3G introduction, it has been painfully slow to have users migrated to 3G. 2G subscribers are not willing to pay for the new 3G simcards. Thus, telcos subsidized the 3G simcards by giving out free 3G simcards. 
2. 3G simcard but on 2G phones. But are these truly reflect "broadband" users when their 3G simcards works on the older 2G phones? 
3. 3G simcard on 3G phone. What if they don't even subscribe to 3G data package?
4. 3G simcard on 3G phone and subscribe to 3G data package but the speed is merely below the expected speed of 700 kb/s? Most of the time, when the telco offered them 1.2 Mb/s data package but the actual data throughput is well below 100 kb/s?

Finally, even if the telcos are able to provide the speed above 700kb/s download and 200 kb/s upload, how do we ensure that the subscribers are actually truly broadband user?

App Store Strategy - Closed Wall Garden Approach

A couple of years back, many telcos tried the "Wall Garden" approach whereby the telcos have their own branded "portal" or "website" that gave their subscribers the ability to access and download contents such as music, ringtones, wallpapers etc. i-Mode is a typical success story. However, it seems this approach cannot be successfully duplicated in other countries. Why?

1. The phones (unlike today's smartphones) are not ready to download contents like music and applications. They are "meant" to download simple contents such as ringtones and wallpapers which are easy to be duplicated elsewhere. The subscribers can easily cut .mp3 files to be ringtones and also create their own wallpapers using free Utilities.
2. Most portals are being created by major phone manufacturers themselves like Nokia. There are attempts by various music portals to be offered as part of the telcos wall garden portals. These various content providers makes the handling of telco portal a nightmare. The telcos are not in a good positioned to become a content aggregator.

So, how different is today's Mobile Portal? Apple has introduced iTunes Store for many years (since 2003 and later launch App Store in 2008) and their first customers are on fixed Internet. Initially focused on entertainment contents, they have now moved to application contents. When Apple introduced the iPhone in 2007, the whole mobile Internet landscape have immediately changed. Why?

1. Apple have Millions of loyal customers before they launch their 1st smartphone i.e. iPhone and the App Store. They are PC, Mac, iPod and iPod Touch users. All of them require iTunes to sync the music, video and the apps.
2. Even though they have iPhone users, there are still a big percentage of the customer base are using iPod Touch to access the Net. Most of the iPod Touch users are young ones who cannot afford to pay high mobile data charges.
3. Once the young users become a working adult, they are now able to buy a higher end device such as smartphone and also afford to pay for the mobile data charges.
4. Most of the Apps found in the App Store requires a connectivity to Internet.
5. The commercial app is cheap - begins from USD 0.99. Thus, number of downloads is significantly high.
6. Apple Store provides a consistent purchasing experience and maintain a single portal. Thus, a user felt safe to make a purchase knowing the license are well maintained at a centralized server maintained by Apple. In addition, the user themselves can change device or computer and yet don't have to make another purchase.

Review: iPad - After More than 100 Days

In my previous post, "Review: What is it like after 2 months owning an iPad", I think I have changed my usage ways.


Here's some questions which I saw someone posted on the Internet. Let me answer that:-

1. So? Answer: Life has never been better with this new kid on my block... :p
2. So is the battery life ok for you? Answer: The battery life is awesome! It lasts more than 10 hours. In fact, my daily usage rarely require me to recharge the battery and I can leave it overnight.
3. So is it heavy or awkward to hold on to when you are in full couch-potato slouch? Answer: Its not really heavy because I will normally place the iPad on my lap while browsing.
4. So does it get hot in your hands when using it for, say, more than an hour? Answer: None at all. Furthermore, I have a Yoobao Case covering the iPad.
5. So have you tried reading PDF files on it? Answer: Yes - I used either GoodReader, iBook or iAnnotate to read the PDF files.
6. So can you zoom in and out on PDF files? Answer: Definitely!
7. So how is it for reading other eBooks on it? Answer: One word - Awesome!
8. So if you find a video on the internet that you want to download so that you can watch it later, can you do that easily? Answer: Normally, I will either download an .mp4 movies or convert the .avi or any other format to Apple-compatible format (.mp4) and Sync via iTunes. 
9. Likewise, if you find, say, a PDF document or other file on the internet, can you download that directly to the iPad for later viewing? Answer: Yes, we can either download it and Open the PDF file using the PDF reader apps or we can Sync the PDF files via iTunes.
10. So if a friend gave you a USB stick with a cool video or PDF file or pictures on it, how do you get those onto the iPad? Answer: Sync via iTunes
11. So when you play MP3 files, does it play them in order and does it remember the last file played if you turn of the iPad and restart it later? Answer: It will remember the last file played.
12. So how many people have seen you with it and asked about it? Answer: Many - and I have even appeared in a TV Show (TV9)!
13. So would you prefer to have had an Android or Windows-based operating system? Answer: None. I am now a hard-core fan of iPad!

UPDATES:

Other Reviews:

• Review: After 1 month using iPad
• Review: What is it like after 2 months owning an iPad?
• Review: iPad - After More than 100 Days
• Review: 13 Reasons iLike iPad - How About You?
• Review: I Am A Student - Is It Worth To Buy an iPad?

Smartphone Myth?

A report by Michael Mace, Principal, Rubicon Consulting, Inc., (Email: mike@rubiconconsulting.com http://www.rubiconconsulting.com) in stated:-

Faced with saturated mobile phone markets, mobile operators and handset vendors in Europe and the US have been searching for new mobile data services that can drive increased average revenue per user (ARPU). But most of those efforts have ended in disappointment. Despite heavy investment, most data ARPU in the US and Europe continues to come from the Short Message Service (SMS) (Pawsey, 2006). The disappointments include:

• Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) was expected to produce heavy browsing of data on mobile devices, but most of the traffic did not materialize.
• Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) was supposed to drive extensive sharing of photographs over wireless connections. Although many users happily acquired subsidized cameraphones, the photos they take generally stay on the phones rather than being sent to others.
• The smartphone was supposed to drive a constellation of new mobile data services and applications. But smartphone sales grew more slowly than initially forecast,i and more importantly, those that were sold have generally not driven the hoped-for rapid growth in average revenue per user (ARPU). Telecom analyst Dean Bubley argues that smartphone shipment data should be heavily discounted because it "includes a huge number of 'closed' operator-customised phones developed on theoretically open OSs (eg DoCoMo FOMA use of Symbian & Linux) which are locked-down for 3rd-party software, plus a vast number of Nokia S60-based devices bought by people who neither know nor care that their device has an open 'smart' OS. The proportion of smartphones bought by individuals who knowingly choose an 'open' & flexible software platform is probably less than 20%." (Bubley, 2006)

1. But this report was written in 2007 when iPhone have not reached maturity. The new Smartphones such as iPhone 3G/3GS/4 have changed the total landscape of mobile internet. Coupled with easy to use GUI and amazing applications, the users now use the device differently from the days of Year 2007.
2. Apple, either knowingly or not have transformed the way we look at the Internet.
3. But then again, Apple is unlike any other Company, its brand was its greatest asset. "What are the great brands? Levi's, Coke, Disney, Nike," Jobs told Time in 1998 " Most people would put Apple in that category. You could spend billions of dollars building a brand not as good as Apple. yet Apple hasn't been doing anything with this incredible asset. What is Apple after all? Apple is about people who think outside the box, people who want to use computers to help them change the world, to help them create things that make a difference and not just to get a job done"
4. With the introduction of iPhone in Jan 2007, iPhone 3G in July 2008, iPhone 3GS in June 2009, iPad in April 2010 and the recent iPhone 4 in June 2010, Apple has tremendously helped the growth of Mobile Internet usage around the world.

DNA of a Broadband Nation

Wikipedia defined DNA as:-

DNA, short for deoxyribonucleic acid, is the molecule that contains the genetic code of organisms. The main role of DNA molecules is the long-term storage of information. DNA is often compared to a set of blueprints, like a recipe or a code.

1. Like any human body which have different DNA, each Nation's Broadband Strategy also comprised of their own DNA.
2. In a Broadband World - the DNA stands for "Device, Network and Application". All these 3 elements are intertwined and closely knit between each other. We have seen in many implementations when a telco focused mainly either one or two elements, the end result will not be very encouraging.
3. For example, a telco believe choosing the best data network will bring customers and revenue - and thus, they chose either WiMAX or HSDPA to offer broadband services. But the growth are minimal. So, what's wrong with this approach?
4. There are times, the telcos offer their service packages with subsidized mobile phones. Additionally, they created new bill plans that include attractive free SMSes. None of this really drive the mobile data growth significantly. The data ARPU remained below 20%.
5. NTT DoCoMo's iMode is a good example how DNA works - They gave the users multiple choices of smartphones which have access to Internet. Their high speed network and thousand of applications offer a new Net experience to the users. The Japanese prefer emails compared to SMS. This approach drives their mobile data ARPU into new heights.
6. However, when it was attempted to duplicate the same approach in countries outside Japan, this strategy does not not work. Why?

How To: use your computer in closed clamshell (display closed) mode with an external display

Full article HERE.

Take note: When I did this, my MBP can become quite warm too.

If you are using a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse on a Bluetooth enabled Apple portable:

1. Make sure the computer is plugged in to an outlet using the AC power adapter.
2. Verify that Bluetooth is turned on by using the Bluetooth pane of System Preferences or the Bluetooth menu icon.
3. Pair your Bluetooth keyboard or mouse with the computer. For step-by-step instructions, see this article forkeyboard pairing or see this article for mouse pairing.
4. In System Preferences, be sure that the Allow Bluetooth devices to wake this computer option is selected.
5. With the computer turned on connect the Apple portable (using the appropriate Apple adapter if necessary) to the appropriate port on the external display or projector and turn the display or projector on.
6. Once your computer's Desktop appears on the external display, close the computer's lid.
7. Once it's closed, wake the computer up by either clicking your Bluetooth mouse button or by pressing a key on your Bluetooth keyboard.

You should now be able to use your Apple portable as you normally would, using your Bluetooth keyboard and mouse.
To disconnect your Apple portable from the display after use:

When you're finished using your Apple portable in closed-lid mode, the internal display will not function when you open the lid until you have properly disconnected the external display. To properly disconnect the external display, put the computer to sleep and disconnect the display cable from the computer. Open the lid and the computer will reactivate the internal display.

Some DVI displays, including Apple's aluminum-framed DVI displays, can be unplugged without putting the computer to sleep. If you aren't sure whether your display supports this feature, put your computer to sleep before unplugging the display.

The iPhone 4 Antenna Song

On July 16, Apple made a press Conference --> Live iPhone 4 press event coverage


And there's a new song regarding the iPhone 4 antenna problems.
"If you don’t want an iPhone 4 don’t buy it! If you bought one and you don’t like it, bring it back!”

“This is life in the smartphone world. Phones aren’t perfect.”

“Samsung’s Omnia 2 — it’s got four bars to start. None of this is standardizes by the way. Manufacturers come up with their own ways to show bars.” It went from five to one bar by holding it tightly. “We could have gone on and on, but most smartphones behave exactly the same way.”

“Five bars to one bar. You can imagine that’s a popular way to grip that phone. Next: the HTC Droid Eris.” Shows the bars dropping from 4 to zero bars.

“We did our own testing — let me show you an example of some other smartphones. First, BB Bold 9700, perhaps the most popular business smartphone.” Video showing the bars — they drop from four or five to one. “Pretty much identical to the videos on the web about the iPhone 4.”

IPad 3.2.1 Update Will Kill Spirit

IH8sn0w warned today on his Twitter...
"WARNING: 3.2.1 for the iPad is out. It KiLLS the Spirit Exploit. 4.0.1 is out too (not for the iPad though)"

7/16/10 2:49 AM

Although the update will solve some of the iPad stability issues such as WiFi, it will also kill your Spirit Jailbreak!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Do Not Use Spirit with iTunes 9.2

Today, I mistakenly tried to JB an iPad 3.2 with iTunes 9.2 and true enough it does not work!


Then, I noticed the following statement at Spirit website.

What's Spirit?

• Spirit is an untethered jailbreak for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch on certain firmware versions.
• Spirit is not a carrier unlock.
• If you currently are using a tethered jailbreak, you have to restore to use Spirit. Do not upgrade if you use an unlock on an iPhone 3G or 3GS. (You can, however, restore to 3.1.2 if you have SHSH blobs for that version.)
  
  
  • (If you mistakenly ran Spirit despite using a tethered jailbreak, try these instructions.)

Requirements

• Any iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch on firmware 3.1.2, 3.1.3, or 3.2.
• An activated device: one not stuck on the Connect to iTunes or Emergency Call screen.
• Any version of iTunes 9 earlier than 9.2
• Syncing with iTunes before trying this is highly recommended.

How-To: Jailbreak 3Gs New Bootrom 4.0 (tutorial) HD

This a very thorough tutorial for 3Gs New Boot Pwned on 4.0 w/ sn0wbreeze

This is a tethered jailbreak!!! You will need iBooty to reboot you device if you power off!
List/Links from iH8sn0ws tutorial:  http://ih8sn0wforums.com/viewtopic.ph...
**Things that you'll need**
*3Gs New Bootrom **This tut does apply to IPT, but I dont own one**
* 3.1.2 already installed or 3.1.2 installed via SHSH blobs. -- Broken blackra1n'd devices will work. (Especially if Spirit messed you up!).
* Payload Pwner-r6:http://www.mediafire.com/?ndznjyjkwjz
* *sn0wbreeze V1.7:
* *iBooty V1.5: http://www.mediafire.com/?mmnjti0midn
** 3.1.2/4.0 firmware downloaded:http://www.felixbruns.de/iPod/firmware/
** iTunes 9.2 Installed:

If you following this tutorial, youre device should be pwned in no time.

How-To: Pwning 4.0 on New Bootrom 3G[S] w/3.1.2 SHSH Blobs

iH8sn0w wrote this today --> HERE

**BEFORE PROCEEDING, ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE YOUR PHONE BACKED UP!**
-------
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

* An iPhone 3G[S] -- new bootrom
* 3.1.2 SHSH blobs.
* difrnt's iBSS grabber
* Payload Pwner-r2 for the 3GS.
* sn0wbreeze V1.6.2
* iBooty
* LibUSB (64-Bit users read carefully!!!)
* 3.1.2/4.0 3GS firmware downloaded.
-------


Please read the rest --> HERE.

New Accessories for my iPad

Bought yesterday and today two accessories for my iPad.


The first one is the Carbon Fibre which protects the back of the iPad. After 20% discount the price is about RM 72.00. Bought during the Epi Centre Mac Discovery Fair in Pavillion.







Its quite easy to stick the Carbon Fibre to the iPad. We only need to apply carefully around the edges of the Apple Logo. I started from the Apple Logo outwards.






The second accessory is the 4-way privacy filter. I saw this kind of filter in Japan but the price is quite exhorbitant i.e. RM 300++.
The one shown below is about RM 183.20 after 20% discount (Originally RM 229). I need to pay another extra RM 10 to ask for their services to apply on my iPad.
The "old" screen protector need to be remove. I asked the customer service guy to keep the old screen protector back on the plastic so that I can re-use it back (if required one day).












At a certain angle you will not be able to see it clearly. That's the reason for privacy filter.






- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

How To Downgrade iOS 4 : iPhone 3GS

Downgrade 3GS to 3.1.2 on a Mac Downgrade 3GS to 3.1.2 on Windows 3.1.2 Firmware (Official Apple Links) Download iPhone OS 3.1.2 for iPhone 2G  Download iPhone OS 3.1.2 for iPhone 3G  Download iPhone OS 3.1.2 for iPhone 3GS 3.1.3 Firmware (Official Apple Links) - Only use these if you do not have 3.1.2 on file. Download iPhone 3.1.3 firmware for iPhone 2G  Download iPhone 3.1.3 firmware for iPhone 3G  Download iPhone 3.1.3 firmware for iPhone 3GS Utilities iReb for Windows (Mac Soon) iRecovery (Mac & windows)