Tips and Tricks

So let's see, which one of you ignored our warnings and decided to upgrade their phones to the 2.0 beta? If you did, you've likely ended up at a pink activation screen with no way to activate. This is because your phone hasn't been authorized for the beta. If you're stuck, you can downgrade your iPhone back to 1.1.4 and use it once again.

Those of you working with the new 2.0 firmware beta might find this interesting. As some of you may remember, a while ago it was discovered how to take screenshots of the 1.1.4 firmware using a built-in key combination created by Apple, but this hasn't worked in the 2.0 firmware. Luckily a new combination has been found.

Apple's inclusion of a [.com] button on the iPhone's virtual keyboard has proved to be a big time saver when typing out URLs, but what about international sites that don't use the ".com" extension? You probably know about the trick where you hold down a button to bring up a menu with alternatives for the key. Mac OS X Hints explains how to enable doing that with regional domains on the [.com] key.

Apple has posted a support article which links to Skyhook Wireless' wireless access point submission page. The form allows users to submit the location of nearby wireless routers, so long as the router's MAC address is known. Because Skyhook uses wireless access points to determine a user's location, the more access point information they have, the more accurate the location feature becomes.

One of the nice things about using a Mac is that things tend to be more conventient, like when you plug in a digital camera and iPhoto starts up automatically. However, in the case of the iPhone, having iTunes and iPhoto start automatically every time you connect your iPhone can be more annoying than helpful. 37Signals has step-by-step instructions on how to set up an AppleScript that will stop that from happening.

It looks like some of you iPhone users have been having problems with an iPhone that refuses to play audio through the built-in speaker, despite no known hardware irregularities. A cure for a "muted iPhone" has been found.

Some iPhone owners that have converted to 1.1.3 have been experiencing some issues with Bluetooth devices suddenly becoming incompatible, such as Garmin GPS units, integrated Bluetoooth car systems, etc. A fix for the problem has recently been found, though it's less than ideal.

While trying to find a way to get an iPhone or iPod touch to load a backup set, Erica Sadun has found a way to sync the unit with a simple command-line utility. The command causes your computer to reload and sync the iPhone.

If you've been an iPhone owner for any significant amount of time you have likely had friends or family ask to grope your shiny new toy. While most of us don't necessarily mind letting others play with the iPod, YouTube, or Safari, allowing them access to Mail and your Text Messages is another story. Luckily almost any item on the home screen can be hidden with a simple double tap. Read on for the how-to.

When I talk to people about getting an iPhone, the number one reason for waiting is usually due to having a contract with another carrier. Sure, the iPhone is shiny, but who really wants to pay $175 to get out of a contract? Reader David sent in a tip to aide individuals facing this dilemma. If you're locked into a contract you can easily get rid of it by using a cellular plan trading site.