25 iPhone Power Tips

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25 iPhone Power Tips

Posted 08/28/2007 at 2:14:03pm | by Leslie Ayers and Roman Loyola

5. Beat a Shortcut to Your Fave iPhone Apps

Handy iPhone apps like Leaflets (free) and Applists (free) put most iPhone apps at your fingertips, but if you want to build your own list, just collect the apps you use most into the same bookmarks folder in Safari on your Mac. Then when you sync your iPhone next, in iTunes, be sure to check “Sync Safari bookmarks” on the Info tab, under Web Browser.

6. Take Self-Portraits

Because the iPhone camera’s shutter button is a “soft” (that is, onscreen) button, it’s a bit tricky to take self-portraits with it since you have to turn the phone around so you can no longer see the button. The solution: With the camera feature selected, place your finger on the camera icon and turn the phone around so you’re facing the lens. Smile real pretty and let go of the shutter button. You’ll hear the telltale click - you’ve just taken a self-portrait.

7. Rehang the Wallpaper

If you’re up for a bit o’ iPhone hacking, you can take any image you find anywhere on the Web and turn it into custom wallpaper (see this YouTube video for details: tinyurl.com/2ecfbg).

But there’s a much easier way: Download 320-by-480-pixel images for free from a variety of online sources, saving them all in the same folder on your Mac. In iTunes, with your iPhone docked, select your iPhone, click the Photos tab, select the radio button next to “Sync photos from,” and then from the drop-down list, select “Choose folder.” Browse to the folder you created, then click Apply in the lower-right corner. Finally, on your iPhone, go to Settings > Wallpaper > Photo Library to hang your new wallpaper.

Darth Vader iPhone wallpaper

Darth Vader as iPhone wallpaper, as interpreted by an artist at Gizmodo.com.

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8. Say NO to Magnets

The iPhone has a few enemies. One of the archest (besides tech-loving muggers) is the magnet - especially those that lurk in places you’d least expect them. Like iPhone cases with lids that snap down magnetically, for example. If you can tell an iPhone case uses a magnetic closure of any kind, don’t buy it. We’ve received firsthand reports of iPhone deaths directly attributable to magnets. There’s nothing like killing a $600 device with a $20 piece of pleather.

9. Reveal Secret Features

When Apple released the first firmware update for the iPhone on August 1, it did so with little fanfare, and attributed most of the updates to security fixes. The Wall Street Journal’s Walt Mossberg discovered a few new non-security-related features on his iPhone after the update, including:

> Greater capacity in the Phone module’s Favorites list (was 20, is now 50).

> Ability to automatically blind carbon copy (BCC) yourself on all emails sent, where previously your only option was to CC yourself, which alerted your recipients to what you were up to.

> Compatibility with some car adapters and external speakers originally created for the iPod.

For more iPhone and tech tidbits, visit Walt’s blog at mossblog.allthingsd.com.

10. Ditch the Camera Altogether

If you know you’ll never use the iPhone’s camera, you can remove it altogether. (If you work for or with certain government agencies, your iPhone may actually be contraband on their property because they don’t want you taking any secret photos of the goings-on.) iResQ will remove your iPhone’s camera for $99. Meanwhile, the hands-on folks at iFixit.com have a DIY camera-removal guide (oddly titled “Installing Camera”).

image removing camera

All you need to extract the iPhone’s camera are a few basic tools, including a metal spudger, and a steady hand.

More...

COMMENTS: 19

TAGS: iphone

COMMENTS

Does this article really
Submitted by alex cutter (not verified) on Tue, 2007-08-28 12:56

Does this article really need to be spread over so many pages?

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What's with the two page article spread over 10 pages?
Submitted by Dave (not verified) on Tue, 2007-08-28 16:18

This is plain silly. I use ad block so I may be missing some blink-o-licious ads, but the whole click and reload the whole page 50 zillion times doesn't fool anybody

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Why is there no print version of this article?
Submitted by JimH (not verified) on Wed, 2007-08-29 04:37

How hard could it possibly be to make a "format for printing" version of all these pages? Who wants to keep clicking Next and printing seperate pages?

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Add my voice to the growing chorus asking why so many pages?
Submitted by Hano (not verified) on Wed, 2007-08-29 06:58

Add my voice to the growing chorus asking why so many pages? Who's silly/goofy idea was that? How about a "Print" version so people don't have to cycle through so many pages?

The tips may be great, but who's going to want to cycle through so many to get to them? Very poor presentation.

-- Hano

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Guiltless page-spreading
Submitted by Dan (not verified) on Wed, 2007-08-29 07:59

It's great that you've posted an article of potentially useful iPhone tips. No, I won't load your site eight-plus times (giving you unearned page-views) for one article. I wanted to read this article, but you won't cheat advertising revenue through me. Show more respect for readers and post articles on a single page.

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GSM Buzz at desktop
Submitted by Skookum (not verified) on Wed, 2007-08-29 09:41

Thanks for the aluminum foil idea for isolating the iPhone from the GSM buzz while driving...but what about at the desktop?

I have desktop Harmon Kardon speakers plugged into my Mac, but whenever I put my iPhone into its cradle I have to turn the speakers off, or else I get a godawful buzz. Is there any way to solve that problem?

jta

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RE: GSM Buzz at desktop
Submitted by khansen on Wed, 2007-08-29 10:30

I don't really have a good answer for this one, but you might try asking by submitting that question to ask@maclife.com

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GSM buzz
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 2008-01-21 03:29

Put the phone into aircraft mode?

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You forgot my favorite
Submitted by Pete (not verified) on Thu, 2007-08-30 08:24

You forgot my favorite iphone game, BattleFleet!:
http://www.iphonebattlefleet.com

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TOOOO Manyyyy clickkksss
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 2007-08-30 12:23

Sorry folks. I'm removing your site from my bookmarks. Your article requires just TOOOO Manyyyy clickkksss.

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Looooooooooooooosers
Submitted by Sanjay (not verified) on Thu, 2007-08-30 23:57

Multi-click articles are soooooooooooo amateur. And so is your website. Giv us some credit, okay? Treat us like something other than click providers?

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Great article
Submitted by Brad (not verified) on Sun, 2007-09-02 04:23

I really enjoyed this article, especially the tin-foil trick, I'll definitely remember that one! I was a little disappointed you didn't mention Launchrz as a great source for finding iPhone web apps and managing the links to the ones you like. Many of the apps you mentioned can be found there. Regards!

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Re: How do you update your Ipod
Submitted by fujiyato on Thu, 2008-10-30 22:04

ipod nano video converter supports convert movie to ipod nano so that you can watch your favriout movies on ipod nano at any time.

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are you still selling the item
Submitted by revhall000 on Thu, 2009-04-30 16:12

Dear Seller,

My son birthday is at hand and he surf through and come across your item as his favorite, which he want me to present to him as a birthday gift.but it is unforturnately that i dont have it in my store for now, His currently studying in Africa and I would have like to buy it directly and send it to him but my job won't permit me to do such cos I'm a busy person due to the nature of my job.

I will make an immediate offer of your price in USD and give me the total cost for the item including shipping and handling charges to Africa and if you are to busy to do that i can arrange for pickup so if you are interested in selling this item to me kindly forward to me your PayPal details e-mail address so that i can send out the payment through my PayPal account or Money order immediately.

Regards,

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