iPhone Alley - Tips and Tricks

Downgrade From 2.0 Beta and Restore Full Functionality

Michael Johnston — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:12:28 -0400

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.

Take Screenshots In Firmware 2.0 Beta

Edward Kirk — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 21:33:47 -0400

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.

Add International Domain Extensions To .com Key

Edward Kirk — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 21:06:50 -0400

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.

Update & Improve Current Location Accuracy In Maps

Michael Johnston — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:51:45 -0400

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.

Use AppleScript To Stop iPhoto From Auto-Launching

Edward Kirk — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:21:04 -0500

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.