Mobile Phone News

Recently, there are quite a number of interesting app released on Cydia. CallTell is one of them. In brief, CallTell is a hack for jailbroken iPhone that tells who’s calling when you receive a call. The hack simply looks up your contact list on iPhone and speak out the name of caller before your iPhone rings.

What’s more is CallTell also works for text messages. When someone sends a text message, CallTell also enables your iPhone to speak out the name of the sender. You can even instruct CallTell to read out the text message.

How to Install and Use CallTell

CallTell is now available on Cydia for US$1.99. You can just search for “CallTell” in cydia to locate the package. Purchase it and install it by following the on-screen procedures.

Once installed, go to “Settings” -> “CallTell” and enable it. You can also select the appropriate option to enable specific feature such as “Speak SMS Text”. CallTell uses the volume setting of iPod app. So launch the iPod app and turn up the volume.

That’s it. Now, when you get a call, your iPhone will speak out the name of caller before it plays the ringtone.

Do you like CallTell? Feel free to leave us comment and share your thought.

Barcode Hero huh? OK, I said, it actually looks kind of interesting…and different, sort of. And as it turns out, I was right. BH seems to be kind of an experiement in social shopping, and it’s kind of fun for some elusive little reason that I can’t quite put my finger on, but there it is.

The gist of this nifty, and free, app is that whenever you’re out shopping and/or buying you can scan the barcode of your item and let all your Barcode Hero friends know about it and whether you might recommend it or just plain old want the darn thing. And, like on Twitter, you can follow others to keep up with their latest shopping experiences and purchases. Think of it like Facebook’s Visual Bookshelf where you can show off what books you’re reading, or planning on reading only you’re showing off what you’re spending your hard-earned cash on, or just lusting after.

If you can find some folks with similar interests to yours then it’s a great way to find out about new stuff you’ll no doubt love, and stuff you might stay away from. Personally, I’m looking forward to finding some others interested in books to get a steady stream of recommended reading, which BH is perfect for; not to mention music, clothes, cars, or just about anything people spend money on. All this and of course you get to compare prices to see how much the new widget you want costs elsewhere.

But then those crazy folks over at Kima Labs decided to throw in some more fun with the Foursquare-like titles and badges one can accumulate as you scan more and more items. There are dukes and kings and queens, you know the usual stuff. Although, I don’t believe there’s a Ruler of the Universe rank and that kind of saddens me. And given my luck I’ll likely end up with the enviable title of King of Toilet Seat Covers or something.

In the short time I’ve spent with it, I’ve really enjoyed using it, and may have actually found a better deal or two on some things (not toilet seat covers though). The app is free at the App store; you can’t beat that, and who knows, it might actually save you some money and make you a few new friends!.

For those of you awaiting jailbreak solution for iPhone running iOS 4.0.2 or iPad running iOS 3.2.2, the iPhone Dev team has announced that they won’t release any jailbreak tool for these version of iOS.

In mid August, Apple released iOS 4.0.2 for iPhone and iOS 3.2.2 for iPad. There is no new feature come with the update. The primary purpose of the release is to fix a PDF vulnerability and prevent you from jailbreak iPhone/iPad using JailbreakMe.

As I mentioned earlier, please don’t upgrade to iOS 4.0.2 if you need jailbreaking. For certain reason, you have accidentally upgraded to the latest iOS version and are expecting an update of JailbreakMe. You will need to wait for a little bit longer.

The iPhone Dev team has mentioned in its blog that there won’t be a 4.0.2/3.2.2 jailbreak and here is the full explanation:

Now it’s a few weeks later, and Apple has closed the jailbreakme.com hole. They’re shipping devices with FW 4.0.2/3.2.2, impervious to this particular jailbreak. So now, people will begin to ask: will there be a jailbreak for devices that shipped with 4.0.2/3.2.2, out of the box?

No, there won’t be. FW 4.0.2/3.2.2 was *only* released to fix the jailbreakme hole. With FW 4.1 still in its beta stages, it makes no sense to escalate the “cat & mouse” with Apple for FW updates that only fix the jailbreak holes. To quote WOPR, “the only winning move is not to play”.

If the cat & mouse game escalates too quickly, especially during beta FW periods, nobody but Apple benefits. For this reason, there won’t be a 4.0.2/3.2.2 jailbreak specifically during the period where 4.0.2/3.2.2 is the latest public release. At best, some future 4.1x FW jailbreak *may* be compatible with 4.0.2/3.2.2 (but don’t count on that).

That really makes sense. The iOS 4.1 is now under beta testing. It is expected Apple will soon release iOS 4.1 publicly. So, why not focus the jailbreak effort on iOS 4.1?

Let me take this opportunity and highlight the point again. If you need jailbreaking, don’t upgrade to iOS 4.0.2 (for iPhone) and iOS 3.2.2 (for iPad). JailbreakMe can only work up to iOS 4.0.1.

Two weeks ago, Google announced a Chrome extension known as “Chrome to Phone” that enables user to send URL, Google Maps, YouTubes, plain text and even phone numbers from Chrome browser to any Android device. I love this utility but the catch is it is available for Android users only.

I am well expecting a similar Chrome extension will be released soon to support iPhone. Thanks to the Chrome extension developer, Tom Lerendu. He has developed an extension called “Chrome to iPhone” that brings a similar level of functionalities.

“Chrome to iPhone” adds a handy button next to the location bar in Google’s Chrome browser. When you want to send a link from computer to iPhone, you can simply hit the button. The current URL will then automatically send to your iPhone. On iPhone, you can just tap on a “Chrome to iPhone” icon and it will launch Safari to show you the URL that was just sent.

Unlike the official “Chrome to Phone” extension that lets you send different kinds of item (e.g. link, Google Maps, phone number, plain text, etc), the Chrome extension for iPhone can only allow you to send URL. That said, it still offers a very convenient way to share the URL with your iPhone.

The “Chrome to iPhone” extension only works on Google’s Chrome browser. To install the extension, go to Google’s Chrome Extension site using Chrome browser and then hit the “Install” button. After that, follow the on-screen installation procedures to configure it on iPhone.

If you are using Firefox browser and looking for a similar utility, you can take a look at “Firefox Home” for iPhone. The Firefox Home provides access to your Firefox desktop history, bookmarks and open tabs. For details, you can check out the review of Firefox Home.

What do you think about “Chrome to iPhone”? As always, we love to hear your comment about the app.

The iPad is widely regarded as the coolest gadget of this decade. However, critics are quick to point that its biggest flaw is the lack of keyboard. If a recent report from AppleInsider is to be believed, the FCC has recently approved a filing for an integrated Bluetooth 2.0 Keyboard with a multi-functional clamshell case. The product named ”BL-BKB76″ is developed by Shenzhen Paoluy Silicone Technology Co., Ltd. and will go on sale in U.S. in the next few days.

The Clamshell Case is a must-have for users who are more accustomed to the laptop-style configuration, with the screen propped up and a flat keyboard. The case not only protects your iPad, it converts into a laptop. When you don’t need the keyboard, just fold it and it hides comfortably behind your iPad.

I personally like the on-screen keyboard in the iPad. However, a lot of users feel that it’s awkward and uncomfortable, especially when you have to type big documents and create lengthy emails. The iPad is compatible with Bluetooth keyboards and there are several such devices available from various manufacturers. However, the latest offering from Shenzhen Paoluy Silicone Technology Co., Ltd easily beats its predecessors on the usability scale. The device is all set to go on sale in UK under the brand name “KeyCase iPad Folio with Integrated Bluetooth Keyboard” and is priced at ?59.95, or $92.72 U.S.

IMO, the specs of this device are really impressive. 

- Stylish & streamlined protective leather case designed for iPad.
- Built-in Bluetooth 2.0 Silicone Keyboard.
- Quiet keystrokes, dust-proof & spill-proof.
- Durable Leather Style Exterior.
- Magnetic fastening secures case closed.
- Rechargeable battery lasts for approximately 45 hours per charge.
- Bluetooth keyboard charges using standard Apple power cables.
- Auto sleep mode when idle for 10 minutes.
- Easy setup – automatically re-connects when turned on.

I believe that this device is going to be a huge hit. After all, who doesn’t need the irresistible dual combo of a protective case and a keyboard for the iPad? Do you want a keyboard for your iPad? If so, do you like this case? Please share your opinion by leaving a comment below this post.

You may already know how to close multitasking apps (a.k.a. background apps) on iPhone running iOS 4.

Presently, you can only close multitasking app one at a time. Some of you wonder if iPhone offers a way to close all background apps simply by a single tap.

There is no such app on App Store. But if you are using a jaiilbroken iPhone, there is a hack called “Remove Background”, which is an add-on for SBSettings. With the hack, you can simply launch SBSettings and tap “RemoveBG” button to close all apps running in background.

By killing the background apps, you can free up a certain amount of memory. The “Remove Background” is a free hack available via Cydia. To use the hack, you need to first install SBSettings. For usage of SBSettings, you can further check out our earlier post.

If you are struggling with the growing number of background apps and want to close them all at once, go ahead to download SBSettings and install the “Remove Background” hack.

Google on Monday announced its plans to launch Google Goggles for iPhone by the end of this year. Talking at the Hot Chips conference at Stanford University, David Petrou, a project lead of Google Goggles, confirmed that an iPhone app is under development and is pending Apple’s approval. Google Goggles is already available as built-in app on Android and a large number of iPhone users have requested Google to release an iOS version of the app.

Those of you who’re not familiar with Google Goggles should read this. It’s a cool app that lets you take a picture of something and then submit it to Google as a search query. Google Goggles will return fairly accurate results within a matter of seconds from a database of 1 billion stored images. The app is especially handy for travelers in foreign countries as it provides the ability to translate text on the fly.

The company believes that Google Goggles has the potential to be the next “Universal visual search tool”. Keeping that in mind, Google recently purchased Pink in order to improve the service. The company says it has the technology to recognize faces as well but it has chosen not to do so amidst privacy concerns.

IMO, Google Goggles is amongst the most advanced augmented reality products of recent times and it can be used to promote an altogether new generation of mobile apps. Since a majority of iPhone users are ‘data frenzy’, Google has every reason to believe that the product is bound to be a huge hit on the iOS platform.

The best part about Google Goggles strategy is the evolving open programming interface for third-party apps that could use it as a single-purpose tool. Given the love-hate relationship between Apple and Google, it will be interesting to see if the former allows Google Goggles on the iTunes App Store.

As a Google admirer and a staunch iPhone loyalist, I hope that Google Goggles comes to iOS sooner than later.

The recent release of Facebook 3.2, that adds the new “Places” feature, is quite buggy. From my experience, I failed to upload photos to my Facebook account. Some users using jailbroken iPhones also encountered login issue when signing into the application.

Earlier, Facebook developers already acknowledged the login issue on jailbroken iPhone and promised a fix will be available soon. Just a few days, here comes with Facebook 3.2.2 that fixes the login issue.

According to the release note of Facebook app, the latest release is entirely for fixing the login issue. However, after upgrading the app on my jailbroken iPhone 4, I found the photo upload issue is also resolved.

So if you experience any of the following issue after upgrading to Facebook 3.2, upgrade to the latest version.

• You get the “Unable to Load This Page” error message when launching the application.
• You get the “Login Failed – Unable to Connect to Facebook” error when logging into the application.
• You can’t upload photos to your Facebook account. It just stuck in the middle of the upload process.

To upgrade the app, go to App Store on your iPhone. Or you can click this direct iTunes link to upgrade it.

Spell check is a minor but very handy feature that comes with the iOS 4 update. Probably this is the very first time you know about this feature as it is a relatively minor feature compared with those imminent ones (such as multitasking).

The spell check is a system wide feature added in iOS 4 for both iPhone and iPod touch. In other words, you can use spell checking in most iPhone apps (such as Mail, Notes). Like Microsoft Word or Gmail, word that is considered as misspelled is underlined in red. You can tap on the word and iPhone will popup the suggested replacement. By tapping on the suggested word, the misspelled word will be replaced with the correct one.

You do not always need to tap on the misspelled word in order to popup the suggestions. Say, you have typed “Wating “. As the word is detected as misspelled, iPhone will automatically show the recommended replacement when you hit the backspace button.

The spell check also comes with a handy “Replace” function. Sometimes, the word is correctly spelt. However, you may want to have other choices of word. You can double-tap on any word and tap on “Replace…” in the popup. The Replace function will suggest other words for replacement.

The spell check feature is only available on iOS 4 or up. If you want to use the feature, go ahead to upgrade your iPhone OS.

Note: For iPhone 3G user, iOS 4 is not recommended. Some users have reported that they experienced a significant slowdown after upgrading to iOS 4. For details, you can check out this post.

Daily Tracker from CVZ Productions is like a Swiss Army knife of productivity apps. This thing does a little bit of everything; though you can’t actually stab anyone with it, I don’t want you to think that detracts from its value or anything.

It’s fairly safe to assume that I have become somewhat obsessed with to-do and/or productivity apps lately. Back in July I reviewed Taskly which quickly became, and remains my favorite to-do app, so you may be wondering why I’m even looking at Daily Tracker, it being simply more of the same boring old tool that most usually ends up reminding you, not of what you need to get done, but just how much you suck in getting anything done at all. That’s a valid question, and the answer is simple; Daily Tracker isn’t just a to-do app.

With Daily Tracker you can track almost anything you can think of. Miles jogged, books read, exercise, hours studied, really, the possibilities are nigh endless. It’s kind of like a replicator from Star Trek, you tell the app what you want to do and it let’s you set it up with ease. Ok, that may be a weak comparison, you can’t just tell Daily Tracker you want some hot tea and wait for it to materialize on your desk, although now that I mention it I haven’t actually tried that…

Daily Tracker is a to-do list, personal organizer, journal, spending tracker, and time clock all rolled into one app. And you can even keep track of all your favorite RSS feeds with it, though I feel this function is a little clunky; not nearly as smooth as with a dedicated feed reader, but hey you can’t be great at everything can you? The app comes with several built in trackers like a Sleep Tracker to help you monitor your sleeping habits, which I didn’t care for because it bascially requires you to just set a Daily Tracker timer just before you go to bed and stop it when you wake up. I made  a new Sleep Tracker for myself where I just input the hours and minutes I slept the night before and any relevant notes. For instance, I awoke at exactly 3:45am this morning for no apparent reason and was unable to go back to sleep for a solid hour or so; I hate it when that happens, but now with Daily Tracker I can keep an eye on it and see if any patterns pop up.

The to-do list itself is actually kind of bland and simple. There are no bells and whistles here. Sorting by, or even assigning priority to a task is missing which is a shame, but I’m OK with that because, oddly enough, I probably wouldn’t use Daily Tracker for my to-do listing anyway. This minimalist to-do function might, however, appeal to many who are tired of overly complex GTD-style systems.

Daily Tracker has the potential to replace several apps with its versatility and customizability, and that is its appeal. It supports adding voice notes, maps, and pictures to notes, but I will say that it is kind of fussy to do these things on the fly as opposed to the quick, one-two punch action of capturing a hurried voice note with, say, Evernote. I know, I know, Daily Tracker is not Evernote, it’s more actually.

I stand by my earlier Swiss Army knife analogy for Daily Tracker. When you buy a Swiss Army knife you look at it, bristling with all its nifty little concealed…things, and you probably say to yourself that you’re never going to use even half of those tools. But, carry that knife with you for a while and you might begin to notice that you actually rely on it more than you thought. That’s how I feel about Daily Tracker; it might not excel at any one of the many things it does, but it does so many things it manages to make itself pretty dang useful.

I guess all that usefulness doesn’t come cheap; Daily Tracker is available from the App Store for a cringe-inducing $9.99. You can download a fully functional Lite version to try it out before you take that leap. The lite version limits you to a certain amount of daily entries, but other than that you get all of Daily Tracker’s functions. From there you’ll have to decide for yourself whether that versatility is worth the cost.