I just received word that my free iPhone 4 case has been shipped. I went with the GRIFFIN REVEAL case as I thought it would give the phone a bit more protection. Anyone else getting their notifications?
Update:
Case has arrived.
Well, I happens to the best of us sometimes. I flashed a WRT54G router with DD-WRT firmware and all appeared to be fine. Except when I attempted to make a client bridge to my other router using DD-WRT and after a reboot guess what? Kaput…the router would not connect to the computers lan connector. All lights on the router were on except for DMZ. I assumed that this router was going to make a nice black and blue paper weight.
So as stubborn as I am I decided to make some last ditch attempts to resolve my issues and revive my router. I have read many things online and some people have had some magical resolutions which revived their router. Some say they were able to short pins 15-16 on the flash chip and clear the nvram. I must say this is dangerous and can completely damage your board. If you smash the pins you can damage the flash chip and then you can call it over. It is suggested that you use the jtag method. Why? Because it has a higher success rate. If your afraid of soldering have an experienced friend assist you. Or play around with it your self. What do you have to lose it’s already not functioning the most you can do is make it work.
But I must say that the best solution has to be the jtag solution. On eBay I went looking for a serial cable that would help me connect to my dead router. Buying the parts and trying to make the cable my self would have been a fun project but I lacked the time needed for that.
Once all my tools arrived I needed to open up the router and locate the jtag port so that I can solder the 12 pin header to the board. The jtag ports are located on the left hand side of the board (If your looking at the 5th picture in the gallery). But before I could do this I would need to desolder the area making sure to have clean connections. Once this has been cleaned up I was able to insert the pins and solder the pins to the back of the board. I used some radio shack brand desoldering braid. Not very good at picking up solder even while very hot but still got the job done. I would recommend not using this type.
Ok. That takes care of the hardware issues but does it work? Well not at first. I needed to check a few of my solder points and ensure I have done a good job before the software would recognize my work. I had a solder blob which I needed to clean up. Only then I was able to probe the router using jtag3 executable program. Another issue was finding a computer with a parallel port. Im glad I still had an old computer around which was at my disposal. After a successful probe I backed up my cfe and cleared the nvram and erased the kernel. I issued only three commands. Like magic the lights turned off and then back on again with only one flashing light. I knew this was a good sign so I pinged the router and success it worked.
So finally I gathered my ddwrt firmware and uploaded it via tftp. Finally I was able revive this dead router that anyone would have tossed in the trash. Some side notes the Mac addresses are not correct they were automatically assigned. This can pose an issue for future networking projects where correct values are needed. As for my particular use I am satisfied with using it as a repeated bridge. When compared to my pcie wifi card I notice some speed improvements. I have a rosewell which has also been flashed with ddwrt firmware and for the value performed exactly as advertised. However these linksys routers have a reputation for excellence and I can agree as to why. The speed of the linksys was significantly better than the rosewell.
Instructional Video Coming Soon.
As you are most likely aware Apple has recently come under a bit of controversy for its new iPhone 4. More importantly for its reception issue woes. The question at hand is whether or not the new antenna array is actually the cause for the poor signal strength indication. If the phone is held in ones left hand it apparently covers a portion of the antenna which in turn causes a block in the receiver. Even more interesting is the fact that the human touch interferes with the frequency that is being received from the cellular tower. If one can not hold the phone how can they use it. I put this very notion to the test and will try to help add some clarity to this whole mess and hopefully there can be a resolution.
From doing this test last night I have come to the conclusion that it is not easy to reproduce a dropped call scenario ever time you hold the phone in what I like to call the “NO-NO Zone”. When the phone is held in this area it is clear that there is some type of effect on the signal bar indicator when touched with a bare hand. Whether or not this has an actual impact on call and data quality will have to be tested by a third party which is not Apple. I have had issues while on a call and using 3G data at the same time where the call is dropped. In addition I have also noticed while attempting to send a text message the progress bar will not complete until I let go of the NO-NO Zone.
Apple has been very nonchalant about this whole matter, limiting it to a miscalculation in the way that the bars are being displayed as opposed to a more serious confession that there is a hardware issue that needs to be corrected. Apple also states that they will release a software upgrade which will correct this miscalculation and hopefully improve the signal degradation “illusion”. Ironically Apple’s own stylish cases do nothing for actual protection of the phone but rather only hides that when the phone is held the signal bars lessen. If you cover the antenna then that is the solution, either that or replace my hands (The latter I am not inclined to do).
If this was a known issue and Apple willingly created a cover/bumper which specifically addresses the issue and then charges the customer $29.99 + Tax is extortion and should not be allowed to happen. What should happen is that all customers who purchased a bumper should be given a credit, and all iPhone 4 bumpers should be given away for new iPhone 4 customers for free (Until corrected). This is a better solution then allowing everyone to replace their iPhone 4 units for a new model, that will be too much cost for Apple to eat.
This thread will be updated.
If you have been running into some issues updating your custom iOS 4 firmware using pwnage tool in restore mode then there is a simple solution. Instead of putting your phone in DFU mode just do a normal restore directly from itunes while the phone is still on. While holding down the Shift/or Option (Mac) key click restore. This will allow you to search for your custom firmware and restore. Once its complete you will have your phone on the new iOS 4. Remember not to place your phone in DFU mode. Pwnage tool is a tool created only for the mac. But once the firmware is created it can be used on a PC for restoring purposes.
Imagine the new possibilities the new Xbox 360 Kinect will have on the future of games. Yes the wii was first to do this but Microsoft has taken it to an entirely new level of interactivity. It is almost as though they have launched a new system. So a friend and I were discussing how would sports games be changed with the Kinect and more specifically how would a game of Madden be played?
Being the quarterback would be simple and fun to implement but once the ball has been passed to another teammate would the controls be switched over? It would be the most logical that who ever is the last to hold the ball will now be controlled. Ok, well that seems to work well with offense but how about defense. Will the camera angle switch over so that now you can see the quarterbacks face while you rush him. That would be awesome wouldn’t it? Who will you choose to be on defense and how will you choose them will be the issue. Lets assume the QB gets the pass off while you are in defense, if the camera rotates back to default it might make a player dizzy in addition to that how will you choose a player to tackle. It looks like Microsoft and developers have some challenges ahead of them regarding what type of games the kinect will be able to handle.
We all know the Xbox 360 as a hardcore gamers console so if the kinect will only allow casual games then the hardcore gamers will feel a little abandoned. Perhaps this is there plan to broaden the spectrum of games the xbox is known for. If you asked me its pretty much a 1st person shooter console. The vast majority of the games are in this genre, so in my opinion a new set of games is a much needed refresh. I am excited to see what types of innovative games we will see from Microsoft in the coming year.
While it looks like every single other drive has gotten or is getting a version of iXtreme’s LT firmware it appears as though good old hitachi drive owners will have to wait a little while longer. Either they will remain dead last to receive the coveted firmware or not receive it at all. When work first began on these firmwares it was mentioned that all drives would be getting LT, as mentioned on TeamJungle’s twitter page
iXtreme LT in dev (for all drives) – minimal patching, all aspects of fw indistinguishable from orig No ETA!
7 Months later it would seem as though Hitachi has yet to even give word if its still being worked on. My opinion, move on to the other consoles where LT is supported and don’t get your hopes up for a Hitachi LT. Maybe by the end of the year.
Apple today just announced that iBooks will be made available for the iPhone with its 4.0 software update. But what does this mean exactly for Apple? For those who wanted to buy an iPad for the ebook reading experience now might be a bit hesitant. If you are an iPhone user, you apparently already own an ebook reader. Yes, kindle for the iPhone has been out for sometime now. However when Apple introduces an application it almost legitimizes the purpose and process for the users. What is the message that apple is sending out.
With this latest action they are saying the iPhone is indeed everything the iPad is in a smaller form factor. Everything you can do I can do but on a smaller screen. Apple should have added unique features to the iPad, instead it created a ubiquitous apple product. Why create something new when you have something that’s a gold mine already. All of my arguments for getting an iPad are even less clear then the day before. The iPad wont augment the things I do on a daily basis. Neither will it augment the things the iPhone can do. The best thing about the iPad is the luxurious 9.7 inch screen. Which is ideal for reading. But what is the iPad a productivity device, an e-book reader, entertainment center. In fact it is all of the above. But because of its size [all of the above] is limited to only use on certain occasions. As opposed to the iPhone that I have on me at all times.
The line between these devices have now been blurred. Apple has created something that is so great they cant even top it. The iPhone literally is a computer in my pocket. The netbook replacement that can make phone calls in addition to having a camera (Which iPad is missing). It is no wonder why they have sold 50 million of these units to date. Did Apple inadvertently kill its own product. After the magical, mystical experience fades away what are you left with when the magic trick is over.
If you have had to search the internet just to figure out how to submit a ticket for Gizmo5 then I apologies now. But you are in the right place. Gizmo5 offers some great services but do not expect support when things do not work according to plan. It is like a secret process just trying to get some assistance. Hopefully the information below will help.
Submitting a ticket is done from logging in to your account and clicking on your account information (as you normally would). On the bottom you can click on the submit ticket button where you can then send your query. But don’t think you can view your ticket again this way, you have to now log into another place to follow up on your ticket. 99% of the time people who submit tickets have their tickets closed because they do not know how to follow up on it after its been submitted.
To follow up on a ticket you must first log in here if you do not have your password for submitting tickets then use the forgot password link above. Not its not the same password that you normally use to log in.
Once you are logged in you can view tickets you have submitted and reply to them this will finally allow you to get your issue “resolved”. This should not be this difficult to get some help. Google you wanted to buy them now you have to clean up the mess.
If you missed out last time on the Best Buy proscan deal you should not pass up the chance to get in on this deal from amazon.com DEAL. This is a newer class of TV and perhaps they worked out on any possible buzzing sounds in this model of TV. But overall it should be a great deal. Not as good as the best buy for the fact that you cant just go and pick it up but you can still order one.
With all the things wrong, or that have been complained about the iPad, the community can most likely be able to fix or come up with work arounds. This can be done by the same people who have come up with solutions for the iphone and ipod touch. It is clear that apple just wanted to make a glorified ebook reader. But in their efforts to do so they ended up making it too powerful to be just this. It wants to be much more. So hopefully Apple can see these complaints and make changes soon. Rival the Kindle DX? Yeah I would rather buy this than that because it does more for almost the same amount of money.
Multitasking.
Backgrounder has been doing this job for a long time now. Now with more battery to play with you can have applications running in the background for longer than before. But less than 10 hours.
Camera.
I’m certain that a camera add on can be made. This can attach to the docking port to allow video conferencing capabilities. We know that Fring was waiting on apple to make a front facing camera. There latest update makes use of the iphone camera. So we know its definitely possible.
Hulu?
The Lack of flash makes this option not possible. Hulu would make this a killer device. Perhaps they do not want the network to be clogged with people streaming video. But face it this is the time we are living in. The demand is needed therefore the business should adjust to it. Not the other way around. What ever happened to supply vs demand. If Hulu re-encodes there video much like youtube has done then im sure this will sell more device. It could be that apple only wishes for people to use their store to buy tv shows. But why buy them when I can just see them for free on my TV or Computer.
BTStack.
This hack made it possible to use a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard. Why not use that instead of an ugly docking station. Keep selling us things that we already own or we can re purpose things we already own in a more useful manner.
What do you think?
