Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with iPhone

Great iPhone apps for the busy teacher who's also a housewife

CrazyLemonade — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 18:15:31 -0800

My husband got me an iPhone for Christmas. I'm a part-time highschool teacher and a full-time housewife. Are there any apps that could make those aspects of my life easier? (I'm also a master's student! But I've got that covered.) I've already seen this question and all of the great answers, but I wanted to be more specific about the two things that take up a lot of my time.

Roam, Roam on the range (overseas iphone usage)

cubedweller — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 08:32:14 -0800

I live in the UK and have an unlocked iphone on the O2 network. I'm heading to California for 6 weeks to visit my family. Is there a reasonably simple way I can use my iphone and UK number in the US without paying ridiculous roaming and data charges? I'm much more of a text/data person than voice. I'm open to Google Voice hacks, pay-as-you SIMs, etc. Anything really to ensure I don't get a monster phone bill when I get back.

How can a tourist get an unlimited data plan for his mobile phone in the US?

A Kingdom for a Donkey — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 10:53:20 -0800

How can a tourist get an unlimited data plan for his mobile phone in the US? I'm going to New York and Boston in March. I'd like to get an unlimited 3G data plan and a local phone number for my unlocked (using ultrasn0w) iPhone. I'm guessing I'll use a lot of data (Google Maps and such) and very few calling minutes. AT&T customer support told me that I can get a contract with them and then cancel it when I leave but that's pretty expensive (canceling the contract is something like $170). I'll only be in the US for 9 days, so I'd really prefer something cheaper. Any ideas?

Is there a simple one-click "email a photo" app for iPhone?

joshrholloway — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 18:52:14 -0800

Is there an iPhone app that will take a picture using the camera and then send it to a pre-designated email address in full resolution with one click? Basically, I use my iPhone's camera as a quick "note-taking" device all the time, and I'm trying to avoid the whole process of:

1. Open app, 2. Snap picture, 3. Click the gallery button, 4. Choose the picture, 5. Click the action button, 6. Choose to email the photo, 7. Type my own email address, 8. Hit send.

And even when you do that it doesn't email the photo in full resolution. To do that you have to go through an even longer process. Ideally I'd love for the process to be just:

1. Open app, 2. Snap picture.

Sounds like a really simple thing for someone to create, right? Well, if it's out there, I sure can't find it.

My phone is jailbroken, if that turns out to be a necessity. Thanks!

Help setting up Airport express?

dougiedd — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 17:21:54 -0800

Can someone walk me through the presumably simple task of setting up my Imac and airport express so that it is secure. I basically want to be able to do 2 things: 1) listen to my itunes through my stereo system 2) use my iphone in Wi fi mode so i can skype etc do both as securely as possible , and simultaneously? I am running a Imac with OSX 10.5.8 connected to a cable modem. Apples instructions leave me confused. So i really need step by step instructions if that isnt too much hassle for someone... THanks!

Best carrier for traveler with unlocked iPhone in Vietnam?

jesseendahl — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 14:38:20 -0800

I am going on a trip to Vietnam for three weeks this month and am wondering: what my best bet is in terms of carrier and coverage for a prepaid SIM for my unlocked iPhone 3G? I would like both voice and data (preferably unlimited, or just cheap). Fallback (or only) normal GPRS is fine. In the end, coverage is more important. Some of the areas I will be visiting are:

• Quỳnh Lưu province of Nghệ An (250km south of Hà Nội)
• Huế
• Nha Trang

Thanks in advance!

Jesse

Refurbished = Good or Bad Idea?

TurquoiseZebra — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 08:32:08 -0800

Is getting a refurbished 32 GB iPhone 3GS worth it? My contract is up for renewal and I'd like to get a new iPhone 3GS. I'd like to get the 32 GB 3GS and I'm thinking about getting a refurbished one. It won't come with a full year warranty, just a 90 day warranty. Or should I just suck it up and get a completely new 3GS?

FWIW I already have one iPhone (an 8GB 3G) but it's just time to replace it.

Thanks in advance!

iPhone Nav App?

lore — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 10:54:56 -0800

What's the best iPhone turn-by-turn navigation app? I have an un-jailbroken iPhone that I want to use for turn-by-turn GPS-based navigation. What's the best app for this? Or, alternatively, if you've used only one such app, how happy are you with it?

How to get more money from Uncle Sam

bach — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 21:37:00 -0800

What expense (tax related) iPhone apps are there out there? I have scoured the App Store looking for an expense tracker to record tax-deductible items starting in the new year. Some apps seem like they'd work great, but I'm not wanting to spend several bucks three or four times trying them out. (Those with free or lite versions are already on the phone)

What does the hive mind recommend. I'm not looking to organize by "trip", but more by category...meals, mileage, fuel, etc...

Thanks and I'll take my answer off the air.

Too many iPhone apps

lukemeister — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 21:34:28 -0800

How can I pick which iPhone apps appear on the 11 'home' screens? I have an iPhone 3gs, running iPhone 3.1.2. I have about 20 more apps installed than will fit on the 11 screens. I know that rearranging apps in iTunes 9.0.2 is supposed to be possible, but nothing happens when I try to drag the icons in the Applications tab in iTunes. Thanks!

iPhone without a SIM card vs. iPod Touch

hotdiggitydog — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 10:58:33 -0800

I'm being offered an iPhone for the same price as an iPod Touch, which I've been planning to get; which one should I get? What's the difference? Also, I may be switching from AT&T to T-Mobile soon; if I do, will I be able to use the unlocked iPhone without incurring charges for the internet like AT&T does automatically? Part 1: What kind of differences are there between an iPhone without a SIM card in it and an iPod Touch? Is there any significant difference between the two or should I just go with the iPod Touch?

Part 2: I don't want to put my SIM card in the iPhone because I have AT&T and I hear they automatically charge you for a data plan; if I switch to T-Mobile, can I use the unlocked iPhone without incurring extra charges? What features would I not be able to use?

Does this exist for iPhone? If not, port it plskthxbye

nevercalm — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 09:17:53 -0800

Is this game made for the iPhone? I swear I saw it in an Apple ad.

Why does my iPhone phone home when off?

m1ndsurfer — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 02:34:37 -0800

Why (and what) is my iPhone transmitting while switched off? My (Australian bought, legitimately carrier-unlocked, T-Mobile-SIM'd) iPhone 3GS is switched off (hold down top button, swipe red switch on screen) but connected to wall power and sitting on top of a poorly shielded computer speaker. Almost exactly at 5:00am it uttered the characteristic "dit dit de-dit dit de-dit dit de-dit" of a GSM phone chatting to a cell tower. I switched it off ffs, the GSM radio shouldn't be active! What is it sending to the tower and why? I was at a pub the other day with some friends who were spouting conspiracy-theory baloney about how the CIA/FBI/NSA/USDA can track us and listen to our conversations via our iPhones. "Pshaw", I said, "while technically feasible to remotely install an app which starts an iPhone's mic recording and transmits back to a Three Letter Agency with the screen ostensibly off, Steve Jobs has got better things to do with his engineers' time and would tell the TLA to go jump unless it was law in which case I would have heard about it. You tinfoil-hat nutters!"

But then they told me to turn my iPhone off and see if it still transmits once every three hours or so. I've just done the experiment and lo and behold it does. What's going on? Do I need to be paranoid or is there a benign explanation?

I want to get an iPhone, but how do I travel across carriers?

Knigel — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 12:47:58 -0800

Hello, I'm wanting to get iPhone (or use my Blackberry Worldphone) in Korea and other countries; however, I do not know the best way to do this. From my understanding I would likely have to buy an unlocked phone and then get hooked up with a carrier on a pay-as-I-go plan or something? What do most nomads do for phones besides things like Skype?

Google Offline for iPod Touch

rossination — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 00:58:02 -0800

On the iPod touch, how do mail and calendars work when you are not connected to wifi? I'm thinking of getting an iPod touch but I have a few important questions first.

I have a Gmail account and several Google Calendars that I would want to be able to view on my iPod touch. I understand that Google has native iPhone versions of these pages, so I can view them in mobile Safari (and I also know I also have the option of syncing my mail via IMAP). But what happens when I'm not connected to wifi? Can I see my old emails? Can I set up my device to "download", say, the past 2 months of email and all my current calendars? I can think of a lot of situations where I'd want to refer to an email that I had previously gotten (say, double-check the address of the place I need to be at) but I'm not able to get online with my device.

I feel like this is a simple question but I haven't been able to find answers yet. Any help is appreciated!

iPhone battery charging questions

hokie409 — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 17:40:24 -0800

How does my iPhone battery charge? I'd like to understand how my iPhone and its battery work better. I have the 3G but it's jailbroken so I can see the battery percentage. I'm interested in some things I've noticed. I looked at some of the posts but I'm more interested in how it works than maximizing the battery life.

Queston- One does not appear to be able to simply plug in an iPhone with a dead battery. It must charge to around 5% before it'll turn on. Why is that?

Question- Can someone confirm that the iPhone charges less quickly when on vs. plugged in but off? For example, when you have a low battery and are leaving in 30 minutes does it make more sense to turn it off? Same question for leaving the iPhone on but turning off options like wifi, 3G, etc?
(Both of these questions are different from what I've noticed with laptop batteries for example. )

Question- Some phones have an option to not check email during certain hours. I don't believe there is that feature on the iPhone (exchange mail or gmail in my case). When I am not plugging in my phone overnight is there an option or app (jailbroken or not) that'll automatically stop checking mail or even turn off the phone to save battery and noise from like 1AM until 7 AM?

Thanks.

How to use the full version of Google Translate from an iPhone

greenmagnet — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 08:15:49 -0800

How can I use the normal web version of Google Translate from my iPhone? It's automatically redirecting me to their iPhone-optimized version, which doesn't have all the options I need. The two things that make it completely useless for me are that, as far as I can tell:

1. Not all languages are supported (Hebrew is the one I need); and
2. Translating a full page by pasting its URL isn't supported.

Which would be fine with me, if I could just use their normal non-iPhone-optimized site, but it automatically redirects me to the iPhone version, which is really annoying me.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions...and apologies if this is a stupid question; I'm an iPhone newbie. :)

Best audio/communication solution for snowsports helmet?

Señor Pantalones — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:45:09 -0800

Best ski/snowboard helmet w/audio (mic preferred) integration? Current system of wearing iphone mic'ed buds (attached to a pocketed iphone) under a Bern helmet is nonoptimal. Too many moving parts, fumbling around to find things, etc.

Options:
1. bluetooth audio helmet (giro omen, burton red)
2. wired audio helmet (boeri vortex, poc receptor bug, burton red etc.)
3. DIY (find a good helmet, attach dedicated iphone mic'ed buds to it)

Any reviews/recommendations/experiences? Price is not as significant as ease of use and functionality of the setup. I'd like to be listening to music all day and have the ability to answer calls.

I don't always want to listen to music in the snow, but sometimes I do, and I need an ideal system for it.

What's the best cable for my original iPhone, if I'm using it for live music?

ejfox — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:03:24 -0800

I want to play some iPhone music apps live on stage with my band. I'd like to plug my iPhone into an amp. However, I have the iPhone 2G (The original) which doesn't have a normal headphone-out. This output is going bad, anyway. Is there a cable to get sound from the dock connector so I could feed it to the amp? If you play music live with an iPhone (especially the original) how do you do it? Also, have you encountered any problems? Any tips/tricks?

Also any music creation app recommendations would be nice.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Most protective cases and accessories for iPhone 3GS?

shivohum — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 09:17:41 -0800

I'm a clutz, so my iPhone needs protection. What are the best cases for shielding an Iphone 3GS from drops and spills? Do I need other accessories, too, like screen protectors - and if so which ones?

Multiplayer iPhone games?

Tu13es — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 05:13:44 -0800

What are some multiplayer iPhone games that don't require players to be actively using their phone to play? I just discovered Words With Friends (and Chess With Friends) and love it because I don't need to be actively using my phone at all times to play it. If you haven't played them, they're basically Scrabble (or Chess) games where you open the app, play your move, then wait until your opponent makes their move. Perfect for when I'm at work and can only use my phone occasionally.

Games that are only multiplayer over wifi or bluetooth are out. Bonus points for games that are free, but I'd consider paid ones as well. Bonus points for apps with Push notifications when it's your turn too.

iPhone challenged

madred — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:27:24 -0800

My home computer bit the dust and I want to transfer everything on my iphone onto my laptop. Can I do this? More specifically, how can I transfer everything, not just purchases?

The iPhone vs. the Droid?

sandra194 — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 19:25:53 -0800

Are you considering the iPhone or the Droid? Which one did you get and how did you decide? I am already a Verizon customer; also my sister has an iPhone and is willing to add me to her plan if I choose the iPhone.

Must have iPhone apps?

WinnipegDragon — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 18:39:05 -0800

I'm joining the iPhone crowd. What are your must-have apps and games? I just picked up my 16GB iPhone 3GS. Being in Canada our data plans suck, so I only have unlimited data for two months, so I'd like to get my apps sorted out in that time. 1GB/mo after that only.

So what apps should I get?

(p.s. If I configure my iPhone to use my WiFi, will it use that instead of the 3G when possible, thus preserving my 1GB of data?)

How can I fix an aborted iPhone restore?

Captain Cardanthian! — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 23:01:20 -0800

Restored my iPhone to factory settings (after backing it up) in an attempt to fix an app updating issue. Now I can't restore all my previous stuff because iTunes says "the backup session failed." Please help. My (non-jailbroken) iPhone 3GS backed up normally in its previous sync, and the restore was going smoothly until I got to the "set up your phone" step and chose to restore from backup. It got up to the point of actually starting to put things back on my phone after the preliminary set-up kind of thing, then there was a problem: It said the restore had failed because the phone had been unplugged. (I didn't unplug it, but I may have jostled the cord.) I then started over with trying to restore from the backup and, after a few minutes, got the error message saying it couldn't be restored because the backup session failed. Another attempt (and another) got the same error. I am super freaking out here. How can I get my iPhone back the way it was? If I can't get it back, what do I do now? Can I get anything back? My contacts should still be on my SIM card, right?