Jailbreaking iPhone OS 3.0.1: Pick redsn0w, avoid purplera1n

We have recently seen Apple offer an update, the first since 3.0 and as always OS updates poses an interesting game of wait and see for those who have jailbroken and or unlocked their iPhone.

Typically, once an update is released, we (those who have jailbroken) hate to wait to update our iPhones until the Dev Team or George Hotz released an update to their software.

Well, the iPhone OS 3.0.1 update comes with a little bit of good news - those tools are already available.

According to a few recent postings;
From the Dev-Team:

“You can re-use redsn0w v0.8 we released a few weeks ago to jailbreak today’s 3.0.1 update. Just let iTunes update or restore you to official 3.0.1 then run redsn0w. The only “trick” is that when redsn0w asks you to identify the IPSW used, point it at the 3.0 IPSW instead of the 3.0.1 one. After the jailbreak, reinstall ultrasn0w 0.9 if you need the unlock.”

From George Hotz:

“3.0.1 isn’t supported by ra1n, idk why. i recommend redsn0w.”

Basically, it looks like you need to choose the sn0w instead of the ra1n if you are running 3.0.1.

Iphone OS 3.1 beta

More iPhone OS 3.1 beta improvements discovered

Apple's iPhone OS 3.1 beta 3 introduces new features that are subtle, but interesting. Our readers have discovered a handful of these and passed them along to us. Check them out below.

• A counter for tethered data appears alongside cellular data usage in the network settings.

Tether metering, but still no AT&T tethering.

• A new, improved security feature for pass-locked phones prompts for a PIN the first time an iPhone is attached to a new computer for syncing. The phone won't connect without the PIN being entered first. iTunes already had this feature, but the protective measure now works in more apps, including PhoneView.

Improved security for pass-locked iPhones.

• Copy and paste for videos has been improved, allowing you to capture and share bigger files. The limit now appears to be 15MB for photos and videos, according to WhenWillApple, which posted the below video demo of this cut-and-paste feature:

Some smaller additions to iPhone OS 3.1 beta include:

• Live HTTP streaming has failover support that allows the content provider to make available multiple playlists in a queue, so that if one fails to load properly you can easily switch over to another.
• Third-party applications are supported by Bluetooth audio recording.
• New iPhone SDK APIs allow developers access to the iPhone camera, which has started people talking about augmented-reality apps.

If you've seen and used this latest update, please tell us in the comments about any other discoveries you've found.

Bluetooth Enabled Multiplayer Iphone Game

The iPhone/iPod 3.0 OS allows third-party applications to utilize the device’s Bluetooth capabilities for two-player games. The first (and only) application I had that supported this in an update was Flight Control, and since then, whenever my wife and I are on a train, we occupy our time playing this.

The huge advantage of multiplayer Bluetooth compared with Wi-Fi is that you just need the two devices, no Wi-Fi access points or Internet connectivity is required. This is truly awesome, although as we cry, “Arrrgh sooo close!” loudly on public transport we can get some strange looks. We’ve loved playing Flight Control, but I thought that by now there must be a good number of other Bluetooth-enabled games. So I’ve searched the App Store and found the following games are the only ones that support multiplayer gameplay over Bluetooth. This list will hopefully grow soon with more complex quality titles.

Flight Control — 99 cents

Direct planes so they can land without crashing into each other. Each player controls different colors and needs to send the other player’s colors off screen to the other player’s device.

F.A.S.T – Fleet Air Superiority Training — $1.99

For great graphics and a true dog-fighting two-player experience.

Bomberman Touch 2 – Volcano Party — $2.99

Play the classic Bomberman game against a friend in either head-to-head mode, or co-operative mode.

Attack From the Dead — 99 cents

Play with a friend in zombie killing, co-operative mode action.

iSamurai Bluetooth — 99 cents

Swing your phone around like a samurai sword and have a sword fight with a friend.

Showdown Poker — 99 cents

Play poker against a friend.

Showdown Quickdraw — Free

Have a Wild West-style gun-slinging match with a friend.

Tank War – Bluetooth Battle — 99 cents

Battle a friend with tanks in a bitter neon colored war.

Attack – Wireless Bluetooth Space Battle — 99 cents

If you don’t like tanks, maybe you prefer to fight in spaceships instead. Battle head-to-head.

Tic-Tac-Touch: FS5 — Free

It’s Tic-Tac-Toe; what else is there to say?

Touch4 FS5 — Free

Remember playing Connect 4 from your childhood? Relive the experience.

Briscola — $1.99

Play the Italian card game “Briscola” against a friend.

Heads Up Poker 3G — Free

This is another multiplayer Poker game.

SG Mahjong — 99 cents

This lets you play Mahjong against up to four people at once.

Scopa — $3.99

Play the Italian card game “Scopa” against a friend.

ShapeShape — 99 cents

In a game that looks like a cheap knock-off of Rolando, two-player mode lets you race against a friend to finish a level, as well as allowing you to share custom levels made with the level editor.

Pong – iPhone Edition — 99 cents

There couldn’t be a more simple game than pong, the first computer game ever made.

Checkers Lite — Free

The classic game of checkers. Everyone knows checkers.

Combat On Palm — Free

Two player head to head space combat action.

Trivia Wars — 99 cents

Challenge a friend to a trivia content.

Mancala Lite — Free

Play the game of Mancala against friends.

Reversi Lite — Free

Play the age-old game of Reversi (also known as Othello) against a friend.

iPunchOut Boxing — 99 cents

Have boxing battles against a friend by holding onto your device tightly and swinging your fists around.

Speed Lite — Free

Play the card game of Speed against a friend.

Cheap Tactics — 99 cents

Challenge a friend to this simple strategy RPG game.

BattleFrogs — 99 cents

Similar to Battleships, but with frogs on lily pads. Guess where a friend has placed their frogs by throwing rocks.

Bluetooth Hot Potato — 99 cents

Pass the hot potato to other players before it burns up.

No doubt that despite my searching efforts I may have missed a game — or perhaps one has just been released. Let us know your favorite Bluetooth multiplayer game in the comments.

15 iPhone hacks and tricks

source: ismashphone

Some people might say that the iPhone has everything you could possibly want from a smart phone. While it's sure got a lot to offer, modern society always has us wanting more. We're not unsatisfied with the iPhone (it's truly a miraculous device), but we like adding a little something extra. The truth is, there's some things that you just can't do without a little iPhone hack. And then there's things that Apple or AT&T just don't want you to do.

This list has 15 iPhone hacks and tricks that will give you that extra functionality so you can truly optimize your iPhone. These modifications should certainly enhance your mobile experience and simply make your life easier.

We have tested all of these iPhone hacks, and they all work.

1. How to get Push Gmail on your iPhone

While the new iPhone OS 3.0 has push notifications, it failed to include a push version of Gmail. So, while true push Gmail for the iPhone is yet to exist, there is a very, very good work around that uses an iPhone app called Prowl.

Currently, the iPhone uses fetch, as opposed to push, which means that emails aren't forwarded to your phone until your phone goes lookin' for them. While the difference isn't huge, Push gets you your emails in real time. You also save battery, because now your iPhone doesn't have to use resources to go checking for emails - they're just automatically forwarded by a server.

So how do you get push Gmail?

It's simple. There is an application in the iTunes App Store called Prowl - Growl Client (link opens iTunes) and it allows your iPhone to connect with the famous Growl (follow link to download) program. Growl is a simple program that has one funtion - to notify you. It alerts you of whatever you tell it to. It can alert you when something is finished downloading, when you get an IM, when someone mentions you on twitter, when you get a new email, and more.

So with Prowl, a $3 iPhone application, every notification from Growl gets pushed right to your iPhone. That means when you get a new email, you'll be notified by Growl on your computer, and by Prowl on your iPhone. Simply download Growl and set it up to notify you of new emails on Gmail. It's not true push, but it's pretty damn close...and it accomplishes the same exact thing.

Note: Prowl only works with Growl on Macs as of now. There is a Growl client for Windows, but it doesn't work with Prowl yet. It will in the next update, so just hang on Windows users.

2. How to enable tethering now (prior to AT&T allowing it)

1. Install iPhone 3.0:

Get On With iPhone 3.0: Download and Install Now

2. Go to http://tr.im/oS1h on your iPhone's Safari browser

Go here for the rest of the guide.

This process only takes minutes and does not require jailbreaking. You will be able to tether very easily, via Bluetooth or via USB. It works perfectly.

WARNINGS:

• AT&T could be charging you. Nobody knows.
• Do this at your own risk.

3. How to sync your iPhone with multiple computers

Apple only allows you to sync your iPhone with one iTunes library at a time. When you attempt to sync your iPhone to another computer, you get the following message.

There is an easy way to "trick" iTunes. All you need to do is switch the "Library Persistent ID".

Read "How to sync your iPhone with multiple computers" for the full step-by-step process.

4. How to enable Emoji icons on iPhone 3.0

[image via iphonedownloadblog.com]

1. Install Spell Number from the iTunes App Store (it's free)

2. Launch the app

3. Type 91929394.59

4. Press the Home button

5. Go to Settings > General > Keyboards

6. Select Emoji under Japanese

7. Delete the app (if you want) because the emoji icons will still be there

5. How to turn off the iPhone's accelerometer

Have you ever tried reading something on your iPhone while laying in bed? Well then you've certainly gotten annoyed at the accelerometer, which flips the image from portrait to landscape with the slightest turn. Reading on the iPhone while laying down is no easy task, and you'll be distracted by constantly having to position the phone a specific way to keep it from flipping. That's why it would be great to have the option to simply turn off the accelerometer for a while.

Here's how you do it:

1. Jailbreak your iPhone (follow the link for instructions).

2. Go to Cydia.

3. Search for Boss Prefs.

4. Install it.

5. Go back to Cydia and search for Rotation Inhibitor.

6. Install it.

7. To toggle rotation on and off, simply open up Boss Prefs, and you'll now see a Rotation option in there.

Note: There is one problem with this app: you can only lock your screen in portrait mode, not landscape. Also, it will crash springboard on iPhone 3GS

6. How to add a 5th row of numbers on your QWERTY keyboard

This hack is extremely useful and I use it constantly. It adds an extra row of numbers to your iPhone's keyboard so you don't have to swap back and forth between the "ABC" and "123" modes. Tapping shift changes only the top row, and turns the 0-9 into "!@#$%^&*()". It makes the letters just a tad smaller, but using landscape mode will solve that issue.

To get it:

1. Jailbreak your iPhone (Go here for simple instructions.)

2. Go to Cydia

3. Search and download 5-Row QWERTY

Note: work only on iPhone 2.2.1 developer has no update for 3.0 at this time.

7. How to quickly move apps between pages

One of the most irritating experiences for an iPhone user is moving an application from one page to another. With the average iPhone user having more than 6 pages of apps, dragging an app from the last page to the first is a pain that usually takes several tries.

A lot of people fail to realize that ALL apps are movable, even the 4 on your iPhones silver dock at the bottom of the screen. Let's say you want to move an app from the first page to the last page, or vice versa. Instead of having to drag it to the side of each individual page, messing up the order of other apps, simply place it in that silver dock. Then, scroll to the last page, and drag it in. Just remember to put the original app back in it's place.

8. How to get Hulu TV shows on your iPhone for offline watching

1. Go here and download Hulu Video Downloader

2. Copy and paste the URL to any Hulu video

3. Choose a file format (.flv or .avi)

4. Use any video converter program to convert it to an iPhone friendly format

4. Put the video in iTunes, and sync it up!

Hulu Video Downloader does not allow you to instantly convert the Hulu video to an iPhone friendly format unless you upgrade to the pro version of Hulu Video Downloader, which costs money. So simply download it in .avi or .flv and convert it on your own.

Note: Only for Windows.

9. How to use Skype and SlingPlayer over 3G

While SlingPlayer and Skype are both incredible applications, the fact that they are limited to WiFi is a bummer for both developers and iPhone users. Developers - who spent much time developing these apps for the iPhone - certainly had not planned to be limited to WiFi. This limitation exists for a logical reason: AT&T doesn't want these apps to suck the 3G network dry. iPhone users, who are ready to dish out money for these apps, lose the true value of these apps: their mobility (WiFi's not everywhere...and if you're in a hot spot, might as well use your laptop).

Good news! There's a way to hack the iPhone in order to use SlingPlayer Mobile, Skype, and Fring's VoIP over 3G.

The following simple process essentially tricks your iPhone into believing you're using WiFi, even when you're not.

1. Jailbreak your iPhone You have no reason to be scared. Jailbreaking your device is easy, safe, and well worth it.

2. Launch Cydia from the SpringBoard

3. Go to "Manage"

4. Search "Tricker ThreeG"

5. Install the application.

6. Press "Confirm"

7. Use SlingPlayer, Skype, or Fring

That's it! You're free, no longer barred by AT&T's 3G greed.

10. How to stop app crashes

1. Reboot iPhone

Just like your computer, sometimes you just need a plain ole restart. Shut down your iPhone, wait 30 seconds, and power it back up. You'll be surprised how often this works.

2. Delete and Re-Install

Press and hold on the application, and tap the "X" to delete it. Connect your iPhone to iTunes, and resync to get the application back.

3. Restore your iPhone

NOTE: MAKE SURE YOU DO A BACKUP FIRST. Restoring your iPhone wipes all the data, and then rewrites whatever you backed up. This could take some time. If restoring your iPhone doesn't make the application work, give up and wait for an update with bug fixes.

4. Reduce your Number of Apps

Sometimes your iPhone is just overwhelmed. Go through your device, and get rid of all the junk apps you never use.

11. How to add an extension to a contact's phone number

Rather than listening to the whole "If you know that extension of the party you're trying to reach, enter it now" speach every single time, there's a way to have your iPhone automatically dial the extension along with the phone number.

1. Click on the contact.

2. Click on Edit.

3. Press on the number. Then, press "+ * #" in the bottom left corner.

4. Press "pause", which inputs a comma. After the comma enter the extension.

12. How to add words to your iPhone's dictionary

1. Open Safari

2. Tap the Google search bar in the top right corner

3. Type the word you want to add and click search

For example, if you work for a company called "SAF", but the iPhone always corrects it to "Sad", just search for "SAF" on Google one time, and next time you type in "SAF" it won't be corrected.

That's it. There are other methods, such as adding the word as a name in your Contacts, but that takes more work and clutters your contacts.

13. How to disable auto-correct and auto-capitalize

1. Go to Settings

2. Go to General

3. Go to Keyboard

As you can see, you can toggle Auto-Correction on/off. You can also disable auto-capitalization, enable caps lock, disable the "." shortcut, or change the number of international keyboards.

(The "." shortcut refers to double tapping the space bar to insert a period followed by a space.)

14. How To Redirect A Call To Voicemail

Very often people call you, and very often you don't want to answer. A great way to stop the ringing of the phone and not hang up on the person is to send the call directly to voicemail. This is an extremely simple and easy iPhone trick.

How do you do it?

Double click the Sleep/Wake button on the top right of your iPhone.

If you are using headphones, simply double click the microphone button. The only downside to this trick is, well, listening to people's voicemails.

15. Easy way to stop iPhone auto-correct by typing "z"

Let's say your typing a note or text message in another language, but typing in English. Or let's say your using a lot of techincal jargon and the iPhone tries to correct every other word you type. Going up with your thumb and pressing the little red "X" next to the correction word to make it go away is a pain in the neck. We're lazy, and we wanna keep our thumbs on the keyboard and on the keyboard only while typing a message!

That being said, you could go into settings and turn off the auto-correct option entirely (as shown above), but that will keep the iPhone from correcting words that you may actually want to correct. So use this very simple trick:

At the end of a weird word you're certain the iPhone will try to correct, simply type the letter "z". Yes, z as in zebra. The auto correction will go away immediately. Now just hit backspace to delete the z, and move along. It seems like a process, but it is MUCH more convenient than pressing the little red X in the correction bubble. Just try it.