Once again, jailbreaking to the rescue!
This is only a small thing, but it reinforces for me why jailbreaking an iOS device allows you so much more flexibility in using your gadget.
iOS 4.2 for iPad has been out for 3 days. One small gripe is that Apple – in their wisdom and wish for unity across their range of devices – has decided to change the orientation lock on the iPad into a mute switch. I know this makes it operate in the same way as the iPhone, but I don’t use my iPad in the same way as my iPhone. The orientation lock makes sense – and if you want to mute an iPad quickly, you can just hold the volume decrease button, and volume will drop to zero immediately.
But 3 days later, we have a solution. There’s a jailbreak for iOS 4.2.1, and Nicolas Haunold has today released a simple tweak through Cydia called NoMute, which changes the function of the mute switch under iOS 4.2 back to being an orientation switch.
A small, simple thing that demonstrates why people need to be legally allowed to hack their gadgets – to make them work in the way that they want.
Undeleting iPhone photos, or anything else
I’m starting to post more stuff that I come across that I think will be interesting to All About iPhone’s readers, such as this. If you happen to delete photos – or any other data – on your iPhone that you want to recover, then you can try this method:
http://modmyi.com/forums/file-mods/237321-how-iphone-data-recovery.html
It works because data on the iPhone’s disk (as with any other computer) is still present until it gets overwritten. When you “delete” a photo, only the reference to that photo file is actually removed. You can then use a photo recovery tool, as with any other disk. Personally, I’ve always found PhotoRescue to be superb at recovering photos.
This method does require an iPhone that has been jailbroken prior to you deleting the data you want to recover. But because you get a disk image of your entire phone, you could recover any data from it, as long as it hasn’t already been overwritten, and you know where to look.
Confused about unlocking your iPhone?
This one is for jailbreakers only:
If you’re trying to unofficially unlock your iPhone, there are lots of guides around. I’d recommend the unlocking tutorials at iClarified, in particular. But it can be confusing.
I like sites that cut through the cruft, and I’ve just found out about Can I Unlock My iPhone?
It’s up-to-date with current jailbreak and unlock developments, and gives you a simple answer, based on your iOS device and firmware.
If you’re looking for an official unlock from your UK mobile phone network, then I’ve previously written about that (but it needs to updated for iPhone 4).
Tethering your iPad on the sly with TetherMe and iTether
Every couple of weeks, I’m out and about with my iPad and iPhone. Anyone here like mobile data? Thought so.
I have a wifi-only iPad, and I’m too cheap to pay for a MiFi*. Besides which, I’m already paying Vodafone for 1GB of Internet usage through my iPhone contract. But with both a jailbroken iPhone and a jailbroken iPad, I can keep the cost down by using two handy apps: TetherMe and iTether.
I’ve written up a little setup guide, plus my thoughts on how it works in practice.
Is the iPhone platform really fragmenting?
In “Welcome to fragmentation-land Apple“, Ben Smith of The Really Mobile Project has commented on a consequence of the iPhone OS 4.0 announcement. Ben points out that your favourite fruit-logo’d mobile maker will not be providing the oldest iPods and iPhones with the latest operating system. So for the first time we’ll have some iPhones running 3.x firmware, and some running the 4.x release. Oh, and don’t forget iPads will be thrown into the mix.
I want to have a look at this in more detail, and see what it means for both developers and users. Is fragmentation of the iPhone platform all that bad?
App Review: Orbit
This isn’t so much an app review as an excursion into the hinterland of the unfinished iPhone user interface. There are always tweaks – and sometimes wholesale changes – to be made to an operating system’s interface. But on mobile devices these changes face higher scrutiny, as there are usually more constraints on the end-user being able to install workarounds to better suit their preferences. This is especially true on the iPhone and iPod Touch.
So this is a look at an app that provides a different way of navigating your iPhone, borrowing from Exposé and Spaces on the Mac’s OS X. But, because it radically changes the method of switching between pages of apps, you won’t find it in the App Store. This one is jailbreak only.
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There used to be an app for that
The App Store: An incredibly successful market for developers to sell their wares, undermined by the shop owner’s inconsistent and unpredictable rules about what can be sold.
Once again, Apple has done the customer a dis-service. You may have heard about the removal of GV Mobile and VoiceCentral apps from the App Store, and the blocking of the official Google Voice application. These are apps that allow you to interact with a Google Voice account (currently US-only), which gives you one number for multiple phones, and is really providing new innovations in voice telephony. The reasons Apple gave (duplication of features, user confusion) are not credible, especially as the apps have been selling for months. It seems that AT&T have exerted some presuure to have these apps removed, fearing that their cash cows of long-distance calling and SMS would be hit.
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iPhone 3G to 3G S on O2 – upgrades and insurance
Have you heard? 
There’s been a bit of discontent about O2’s attitude towards existing iPhone 3G customers who would like to upgrade to the new iPhone 3G S, which is due to be released in the UK on Friday.
There is no special upgrade deal available (unlike AT&T users). When the iPhone 3G came out last year, existing iPhone customers on O2 with original (2G) iPhone were allowed to break their contracts and upgrade to the new device. No such joy this time.
So how can existing O2 customers get an iPhone 3G S now?
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iPhone OS 3.0 – how was it for you?
The dust has settled, mostly. Apple have made their big iPhone OS 3.0 announcement – covered very well by posts at Intomobile and iPhone, Therefore I Blog. The video podcast of the announcement has been released. And those who have installed it are rapidly finding more than Apple was prepared to demonstrate on Tuesday – internet tethering, finding your lost iPhone, better podcast scrubbing, uploading video. iLounge has a great gallery of screenshots.
Personally, I’m glad some of the frustrating omissions from iPhone OS are being filled (MMS, handling vCards, cut ‘n’ paste). It’s basic stuff but it makes a difference when it’s not present. But aside from filling in the blanks, what did Apple really announce on Tuesday?
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Changing the colour/color* on your iPhone calendars
Here’s some instructions on how to change the colours within iPhone’s calendars.
Since iPhone OS 2.0 was released, I’ve been slightly frustrated that the calendar colours on the iPhone are not the same colours used for the same calendars in iCal. For Windows users, I understand the same problem arises with Outlook calendar colours. Colours on the iPhone seemed to be assigned at random.
It’s only a small thing, but it’s slight mental disconnect. Such inconsistencies detract from the overall experience of a polished device.
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