Backup mobile phone data

I heard 2 cases of phone lost recently. One backup the data, the other one just lost the precious photos on the phone. I always remind my friends:

Backup your data on the mobile phone!

Backup everything
How? The easiest way is backup everything with the desktop software. For iPhone you can sync all the data to iTunes software. I suggest do it everyday, just connect your iPhone to the desktop PC iTunes software, click the sync button. At the same time it will charge your phone.

Even old Nokia phones has Nokia PC Suite, or the later version call Nokia OVI Suite (or Nokia Suite). Sony Ericsson has a PC Suite, as well as Android. I have not used the Android PC Suite before.

I bet most normal users who doesn't know how to backup the mobile phone data, do not use any software that I mention above. I suggest to backup to the Internet cloud, I will show you how.

I just choose to backup contact list and photos as an example.

1. Contact (or address book). Link your contact to the Internet, for example Gmail contact. Android is Google friendly, it should automatically sync to Gmail contact.

iPhone contact to Gmail
Connect to gmail using CardDAV. Google has a support page on how iOS sync gmail contact. Different version of iOS may have some minor different in configuration.

iPhone > Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Add Account... >

Choose any prefer service

Choose an account and follow step by step will do.

Then set Contacts default account to Gmail or the service name you set above (not On My iPhone), so all your new added contact info goes into cloud service and not on local iPhone.

iPhone > Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars >

Set default account to Gmail.

2a. Photos to Dropbox. Most users (include Android and iPhone users) should be able to sync photos to Dropbox. You must have a Dropbox account (free register) and you need to connect your phone to a desktop (or notebook to do that).

(iPhone users can turn on iCloud sync in step 2b. You don't need a PC to do that.)

Once you have installed the Dropbox software, connect the phone to the desktop. A screen will display, just click import will do. Select auto import, so your photos will be sync to Dropbox automatically the next time you connect the phone.

2b. iPhone iOS sync to iCloud. You need iOS 5 or later. iOS will sync your photo stream to iCloud automatically when you connect to Wifi.

iPhone > Settings > iCloud > Photo Stream > (set On)

Once activate, you can check your iCloud photo stream from iPhone > Photos > (Photo Stream button at the bottom)

This is just a very brief guide to back up your phone data. Hope it helps you.

Discover Waze 2012

Waze is a community base turn-by-turn navigation mobile apps, available on both iPhone iOS and Android platform (on few other platform as well) for free.

I have heard of this application for quite sometime. Since I am not driving that frequent recently, I never try out the application. Until I travel to Penang last weekend with some friends, it suddenly came into my mind, why don't I take this opportunity to test the application?

It works. I don't have high expectation to GPS navigation software, especially when it is free. Waze just works for the 2 days driving. My friend is driving, I am just checking is Waze providing the correct navigation instruction or not.

Is fun. Is fun to travel with Waze. Since it is a community base, users on the road report real-time situation on the road like slow traffic, road block, accident etc. Drivers can route to other road to avoid heavy traffic.

Waze link to foursquare to search for target destination name. This is the powerful of community base software that TomTom and Papago can not compete.

There are a lot of other features came with Waze, like driving with group, chat with other driver and etc., which I didn't try out one by one. Too many features just make the users confused. What I need is just a navigation software which are working, and Waze did the job and fit my needs.

For Waze is just a community base application through driving. Is a fun driving with Waze, the only drawback is it will drain your mobile battery if you do not have a car charger for your smartphones.

iPhone alarm fail on the first day of 2011

There are quite a number of users reported that iPhone alarm didn't work on the 1 January 2011. Read the post here and here.

I suppose to wake up early to attend a gathering on the first day of year 2011, I didn't heard the alarm ring. I though I was too tired and miss the alarm, now only I know that the alarm didn't ring at all.

Website says it works if the alarm set as repeated.

Why buying an iPhone

I met people asking why buying iPhone?

Not everyone want iPhone. iPhone is just not for everyone.

Different people buying iPhone for different reasons. Some people likes the big screen, some people like the touch screen, some people like the user interface, some people like iPhone application. Some people buy iPhone simple because it is an iPhone.

If you break it down one by one.

Easy to use interface? Why not Nokia?

Application? Why not Android, Palm or webOS?

Touch screen? How about HTC?

Big screen? Samsung Galaxy S with super AMOLED?

Now is the 4th generation of iPhone, if you still asking why buying an iPhone, then iPhone is just not for you.

What so good about FaceTime?

I don't think FaceTime (on iPhone 4) is going to work very well in Malaysia here, on a slow internet network. Not everyone need or like FaceTime, for those who need video call, you already using Skype.

So what so greet about FaceTime? Zero configuration. The FaceTime only work over WiFi now, to activate FaceTime, first you need to call through the mobile network. Once FaceTime has been activated through booth parties, you can direct call through FaceTime without initiate with the mobile network.

With FaceTime, Apple will have their own virtual mobile network, over WiFi (or WiMax, LTE). Imagine if LTE (4G network) was included in iPhone 5, and LTE is available near you, you can make calls to your friend without going through the local mobile network.

Check the youtube video, how FaceTime works.

Maxis iPhone 4 Mid Valley Gradens collection

I just received a call from a friend. Still waiting at Mid Valley to collect his iPhone 4 from Maxis since this afternoon. My friend has watched 2 movies and still not up to his turn yet. Maxis added another 50 counters to serve the crowd, still have to wait for another few hours. Expected to collect his iPhone around 9pm tonight.

I heard that last night, there is a long queue from one floor to another floor, waiting for their iPhone 4. These are register users, for those who has not register through the Maxis website, is not your turn yet. I heard there are people queue until 5am this morning to collect the iPhone.


Check flickr photos from here and here, youtube video.

The iPhone 4 launch event at Malaysia

I would say that the iPhone 4 launch event is another successful marketing campaign from Apple. Is already 3rd year after the first iPhone released, the 4th version of iPhone launch still catching attention for most people. Not just in Malaysia, in Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan which launch iPhone 4 earlier.

For iPhone lover, you might not want to miss the iPhone 4 launch event at Malaysia. Maxis has a mid-night iPhone 4 launching event on this Friday morning (Thursday night) at Mid Valley. I am not sure it is open to the public or not, you can register from the Maxis website, you can choose to join their day time event.

DiGi has a roadshow at 1Utama shopping mall started from today (23rd September) till Sunday (24th September). There is a DiGi iPhone 4 Carnival at Quill 9, Petaling Jaya, near Sin Chew Jit-Po HQ and PJ Section 14, on 25-26 September 10am-10pm.

Price and package. Maxis rate is here. Digi says as low as RM58 per month, detail pricing will be announced 6pm today. There is a leak iPhone 4 pricing from DiGi here.

This will gave you some ideas on how the 2 telcos going to charge you. The iPhone 4 16G version is RM2290, 32G RM2690 (RM400 more). DiGi has $200 rebate on the phone, and other rebate on the iPhone package, depends on the package you choose. Maxis rebate direct on the phone, so iPhone 4 from Maxis will be cheaper. The iPhone 4 prices from Maxis is depends on the package as well. You might need to compare the package content for Maxis and DiGi to make up your last decision, eg. the free call time and internet data quota.

There are some people saying that getting iPhone 4 from Singapore is much cheaper (SGD888 without contract). But I look at the price above, is worth getting the iPhone 4 and package in Malaysia.

Latest surprise could come at last minutes, just check their website for the latest announcement.

Malaysia Radio Station on iPhone

Browse through the iPhone App Store few days back and found 2 Malaysia radio broadcast station application.

FM 98.8

MY FM 101.8

For those who are in Malaysia, just turn on the radio will do. For those who working or staying outside of Malaysia by still miss the radio broadcast Malaysia, these 2 application are just nice.

MY FM application seems to have better connection quality and more radio station to choose.

iPhone 4 start selling at Taiwan on Friday

iPhone 4 start selling at Taiwan today, available on all 3 Taiwan mobile telco, may be I should say yesterday night.

Chunghwa Telecom has an midnight event for the launching of iPhone 4. You can take a look at the pictures here.

Pictures and news for Fareastone(遠傳), on youtube, other news here and here.

I heard that only first batch of 45 thousand iPhones allocated for Taiwan, but pre-orders are over 200k.

When is Malaysia's turn?

iOS 4.1 upgrade

Finally iOS 4.1 is out last week (9 September on Asia time) and I have upgraded. I have been waiting for this, hope it may have improved in performance on iPod Touch 2G.

iOS 4.1 need iTunes 10, and too bad that iTunes 10 says it only installed on Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard or above. That means it doesn't work on my iBook G3 (v2.2) which is running Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger. I have to do the upgrade on another machine.

iOS 4.1 try to solve a few problems and have some improvements like proximity problem, HDR (High Dynamic Range) photo... and security patches, my concert is the old iOS 4.0.x sluggish performance on iPhone 3G and iPod Touch 2G.

After tested for a few days on iPod Touch 2G, the sluggish problem still exist, may be not that often as before.

Another thing that I want to complain iTunes on Mac. iTunes came with few new features like iBooks, video playback... I can give up all those features, but I still need to update my iPod Touch (or iPhone) and iTunes is the only software to do it.

I expect to upgrade my iPod Touch using iTunes, be it iTunes version 9 or 10, as long as not limited to latest OS platform or latest hardware. May be iTunes should provide a lite version with limited features, since there are people complain on bloated iTunes, hope to have a slimming down iTunes.

3GS users no rush for iPhone 4 yet

If you are having an iPhone 3GS, is no rush to get an iPhone 4 yet. The reasons are just simple, I bet you still have contract with the telco which came with 3GS.
The iPhone 4 A4 cpu is using the ARM cortex A8 core cpu, which is same with the iPhone 3GS. Sure iPhone 4 may improve performance in graphic display and power management.
The iPhone 4 is only available officially in 2 Asia countries (Hong Kong and Singapore), and coming soon and available in other Asian countries, but who know when? Some telco like Singtel already sold out its iPhone 4.
No rush to get an iPhone 4 if you are using 3GS now. If you need battery life improvement, get iPhone 4. If you are iPhone die hard fan, then you must get an iPhone 4.

Facebook Places, Gowalla and Foursquare

What is the next big thing? Location base service and application is one of those, like Gowalla, or the newly announced Facebook Places.

Gowalla is a location base community website. When I first heard of Gowalla is when I meet DC about 2 months ago. DC show me the Gowalla iPhone application. What Gowalla do is, when you come to a new spot (or new places), you take a picture of it, put some comment, check in, the website will record that you have been here before.

This type of location base application is not new, there are dozens (or may be hundreds) or similar application available. But LBS application on iPhone is new, LBS on Facebook is new.

Foursquare is like Gowalla, you can check-in a place with foursquare, find your friends nearby. Foursquare came with something call tips, the idea is not new, but how they do it is good.

Tips gave you some ideas what you can do nearby. A good example is restaurant tips, gave you some ideas what to eat for meal. Tips are share by the community, you can drop your tips at check-in point.

Both Gowalla and Foursquare not just community, they make community into a game as well, a live game. You collect points and badge by check-in new place or spot. LBS technology has become more matured with online map service and more GPS mobile smart phones like iPhone. Gowalla and Foursquare are just the beginning, I am expecting more LBS application and games in the future.

Apple iPhone 4 Friday Press Conference

Yes, is about iPhone antennagate. Apple has a press conference about the iPhone 4 antenna issue. Seems like the complains on the Internet has put a lot of pressure on Apple and Steve Jobs.

Steve Jobs spend some time to explain, the iPhone 4 antenna is not a specific or unique smartphone issue, it only affected a very small number of users, BUT Apple cares about everyone of their customers, so they look into the problems and provide some solutions.

I am more interested on what Apple offer for the iPhone 4 antenna issue:

Apple gives free bumper for iPhone 4.

1. iOS 4.0.1. New OS patched, fix the signal bar display algorithm. Current signal bar display method may not shown the actual signal strength.

2. Free bumper case. A free bumper case to be given out to every iPhone 4 customer (wow!). Refund for those who already bought a bumper.

3. Refund. If customers are still not happy with it, they can ask for refund.

This is a good PR, Apple has shown their great concern on their users and customers.

Apple call press conference on Friday

Apple going to have a press conference this Friday, most likely will be related to the iPhone 4 antenna and signal issue.

Some people suggested that Apple should recall iPhone 4, some said shouldn't. I think they should have an option for disappointed customers, with terms and conditions. I think most people will not return their iPhone 4, even given the choice.

iPhone 4 has sold out 1.7 millions in first 3 days. I don't care about the exact figures and how it was calculated. The message here is Apple sold out a lot of its new iPhone 4.

I agree the idea that iPhone is more for fun. The person who saying it actually means, iPhone is more for surfing Internet, playing games, to show off, or any other purposes. I doesn't mean iPhone can not be used for business.

For customer facing iPhone 4 antenna issues, Apple should gave the customer a solution, or return it back and get other phones. For me all other phones have issues here and there.

I don't own any iPhone and I have no plan to get an iPhone 4 yet. If I have an iPhone, I will not regret of owning it. Just my personal opinion.

iPhone is everywhere in Singapore

iPhone is everywhere in Singapore. Even in Malaysia, more and more people is getting an iPhone, "Everyone is getting an iPhone, so do I".

iPhone is not perfect, but no doubt iPhone is very good smart phone. iPhone is not expensive when you compare it with other high end smart phone.

With new iPhone 4 introduced by Steven Jobs. Mobile network operators should expect to sell more iPhone. Since iPhone 4 is not yet available in Singapore and Malaysia, the telcos further lower down the price for iPhone 3G and 3GS to warm up for iPhone 4.

First is Digi, slash price for iPhone package. Follow by Maxis, lower down prices for iPhone 3GS. If you are a heavy user, willing to signup a 24 months contract, you will get very good deal.

The promotion is till end of July because we expect iPhone 4 will be available in August.

RM90 for iPhone 3GS looks like a good promotion.

iValue Plans	iValue 1 RM100/mth		iValue 2 RM155/mth		iValue 3 RM250/mth
Contract period	24 months	12 months	24 months	12 months	24 months
iPhone 3GS 32GB (RRP RM2990)	RM1990 RM1790	RM2090	RM1690 RM1290	RM2190	RM1090 RM490
iPhone 3GS 16GB (RRP RM2490)	RM1590 RM1390	RM1790	RM1290 RM890	RM1790	RM690 RM90
iPhone 3G 8GB (RRP RM1990)	RM990	RM1390	RM590	RM1390	RM490

I predicted that iPhone 4 will be selling around SGD 1,000 (one thousand Singapore dollar) without contract in Singapore. For Malaysia is about RM 1,700 to RM 2,500 (Malaysia dollar) with contract.

Will you pay for iPhone 3GS now? Or wait for few months, top up another few hundreds to get an iPhone 4? An iPhone 4 which came with a brand new design, better hardware and software, like camera with better photo quality, FaceTime video call, high resolution retina display, and the new Apple A4 CPU which should be supported for another few years time.

Is really a tough decision for the telcos who selling iPhones now. When to start selling iPhone 4? Pricing for iPhone 4?

Digi cut iPhone package price

Digi has just lower down their iPhone package price, as low as RM60 per month. Digi claimed they are the most affordable iPhone package, you can check the information here.

New Digi iPhone package, as low as 60 per month.

If you compare Digi iPhone 138 (which cost RM90 now) with Maxis iPhone iValue 1 (RM100), Digi plan looks much cheaper and more attractive. Maxis iPhone iValue came with 333 minutes free call, 100 SMS (Maxis to Maxis), 500Mb data. Digi iPhone 138 offer 450 minutes, 400 sms and 3G data.

If you are not heavy user, you can choose Digi iPhone 88 for RM60 only. Digi has unlimited access to Internet, just drop to a lower bandwidth when data access quota reached, so you will never exceed your budget. Maxis has a choice of 12 or 24 months. Digi only came with 24 months plan, which I think is too long, because there is an new iPhone release every year. I believe Maxis will adjust their iPhone package sooner or later.

If you ask me which package for me now? May be I will choose Digi iPhone 138, it cost 90 per month, and choose the iPhone 3G 8G for RM290. Since iPhone 4 is not available locally now, I just trade some functionality for pice, I just need to surf Internet and install a few applications. I will install the latest iOS 4, it might be slower a bit, but hp it will last for a year or two.

There are different package for different need. There must be a package which suits you, be it Digi or Maxis. Two years contract is really a bit too long for me.

iPhone World Cup App 2010

Unbelievable, Brazil 1:2 lost to Netherlands in today quater-finals match, FIFA World Cup at South Africa.

In year 2006 FIFA World Cup, I have blog how to get match result from here and here. Some website may not even exist after 4 years time.

If you are lazy, you can just search the result from google search:

Google FIFA World Cup 2010 result.

Steve Jobs told you, users don't search for information, users use iPhone application to get information. Maxis has an FIFA World Cup 2010 application available for download for free.

Maxis World Cup 2010 iPhone app.

The information may not updated in real-time, and they should pay more attention on design the user interface on a limited display. It is a free iPhone app that worth to take a look at it.

You don't have to listen what Steve Jobs told you. You just have more choices now, web or application.

iPhone 4 came with iOS 4 and iBooks

You may not find a lot of books available on Apple iBooks store, but there are some free books available, like Winnie the Pooh and Wuthering Heights.

iBooks - Wuthering Heights.

The iBooks application already available at App store, but it doesn't work with iPhone OS 3.x or earlier. There might be someone who told you that you have to get an iPhone 4 to have iBooks, but it is not true. You can upgrade the OS to iOS 4 if you are using iPhone 3G or 3GS, I already tried that, is easy.

For sure if you get an iPhone 4, it already came with iOS 4, and you can just download iBooks. It just sounds much easier for some people.

So, enjoy your iBooks on iOS 4.

iOS 4 upgrade and iBooks application

iBooks application is available on App Store for iPhone (and iPod Touch).

iBooks - Winnie the Pooh, on iPhone iOS4

To install the free iBooks application, update iPhone/iPod to iOS 4. iOS 4 is available for free download as well.

To update iOS 4, need iTunes 9.2. Here is my problem, on my old PowerPC G3, I was not able to update iTunes to 9.2 through system software update.

Luckily I was able to download it from Apple support manually, and install on the iBook G3, even it stated that some of the functions need G4 CPU.

The iOS 4 update process is easy (as usual), just click the update button, iTunes will do it all for you.

After update to iOS 4, having problem restoring the data from iTunes for the first time. I just turn off (totally, by holding the on/off button for few seconds) the device, switch on again (with the cable connecting to the PC/Mac), everything just work fine.

What new in iOS 4?

iPhone Multi-tasking (some people comment that is not true multitasking.
Camera improvement.
Folder
Change background picture.
Location privacy improvement.
iBooks application.

and 100 more improvements as mentioned by Apple website.

Is it worth updating to iOS 4? Many of the major features eg. multi-tasking don't work on iPod Touch 2G. I don't really need some of the new features. I enjoy the improvement on the location feature, the iBooks application. I get back the WiFi notification icon which was missing after I updated to version 3.1.3.

Just update to iOS 4.

iPhone 4 unveiled at WWDC 10

Apple Steve Jobs unveiled 4th generation iPhone, the iPhone 4 at Apple WWDC 10 (World Wide Developers Conference 2010) at San Francisco. Is just name as iPhone 4, not iPhone HD as some rumors spread. iPhone 4 support HD video record, not the full HD 1080p but 720p.

Apple iPhone 4
Originally uploaded by BasBoerman

The new iPhone 4 thickness is just 9.3mm, very slim. Apple change the appearance, no more curve metal cover at the back, but 2 piece of glass at the back and front, rectangle in shape, which provide more space in this slim body. The metal side also act as a antenna. It comes with black and white color.

iPhone 4 support quad band, which include HSPDA up to 7.2Mbps download speed. The iPhone 4 powered by Apple own A4 chip, normally Apple never reveal what type of chip was use in their portable device including iPod and iPhone. This A4 chip claimed to be very power efficient, provide 300 hours of standby time, or 7 hours 3G talk time. These are just official figures, just for a reference. I rather wait till other users review on the battery life.

iPhone 4 use microSIM, as the iPad does. I don't prefer micro-SIM, till it was matured and well support by the mobile network operator. Steve Jobs says the use of micro-SIM will squeeze more space for other parts, but I don't find any other mobile phone that support micro-SIM yet.

Apple introduce Retina Display on iPhone 4, it double the resolution on iPhone, up to 960x640 pixel on a 3.5 inch display. Picture and text will looks better on Retina Display (but much darker), the best part is it still backward compatible with those old application. According to Jobs, with little modification on the application, the effect will be stunning on the Retina Display.

Side track: Steve Jobs encounter network problem with iPhone 4 demo, accessing to NY Times website, later found out it was interfered by too many WiFi devices (should be those portable WiFi station) on the event.

Apple iPhone's display is one of the best in smartphone market, with the new Retina Display, new slim design and other new features like multi-threaded iPhone OS 4 (now call iOS 4), 720p video recording, iMovie video editing software, FaceTime video calls, gyroscope motion sensing for gaming and etc., iPhone 4 left other smartphone competitors far behind.

iPhone 4 only available on 24th June 2010, pre-order start 15th. What about the pricing? USD $199 for 16G iPhone 4, I believe the price came with a contract, but is a very attractive price. iPhone 3GS 8G version will further down to USD $99. I expect Apple sales boost for the next six months time.