howto

iPhone voice dialing (sort of) for $5 a month

The iPhone lacks a built-in voice dialing mechanism. However, it does offer easy access to AT&T's $5-per-month VoiceDial ("VoiceConnect") function, which is accessible by tapping "Settings," then "Phone," then "AT&T Services," and finally "Voice Connect," or by simply dialing *08 on the keypad.

The service, unfortunately, requires that you set up a remotely stored address book (it can't dial the numbers stored on your phone). You can, however, import contacts from Yahoo!, Outlook, and other email programs. It stores up to 2000 contacts.

VoiceDial … Read more

Rouxbe helps you to be a better chef

Rouxbe provides both seasoned foodies and clueless cooks with top-notch, how-to recipe videos. Product reviews, chef profiles and other articles are coming soon.

Both the content and images in Rouxbe's ad-free videos are terrific. You can download them for an iPod or at HD-quality to a hard drive. You can rate, bookmark, and print each recipe. Click on an exotic tool or condiment, and Rouxbe explains it and provides the option to make a purchase on Amazon. Nice touches include letting you control the volume separately for narrative instruction and music. The videos aren't personality-driven, unlike so many … Read more

Re-hacking the iPhone after update 1.0.2

As previously mentioned, installing the iPhone software/firmware update 1.0.2 will erase any previously established hack and eliminate any third-party binary applications. If you want to re-hack your iPhone after the 1.0.2 software update, there are two options:

Option #1: Use Installer.app single-command choose firmware 1.0.1

Use this previously mentioned method, which utilizes the Installer.app single-command, on an iPhone updated software/firmware version 1.0.2. When you are prompted to select a firmware version, just pick 1.0.1 (even though your iPhone is actually running version 1.0.2). The … Read more

First Look: Take a peek at SpywareBlaster

There's a reason why SpywareBlaster made last year's list of best free security and spyware programs. The free spyware prevention utility blocks ActiveX controls, tracking cookies, and ads on Internet Explorer and blocks cookies and ads on Firefox. Take a look at the program's features in the video below, and check out other First Look videos on popular software products.

Upload Facebook photos from your iPhone

pxPipe.com is a new photo uploading service for the iPhone with the primary purpose of allowing users to upload photos directly from the device to their Facebook accounts -- a functionality omission in Facbook's otherwise superb iPhone-optimized site, detailed last week.

We gave the service a quick test run, and it work fairly well if a bit awkwardly at first. After signing up at pxPipe.com, you're prompted to login to your Facebook account. After that, a special email adddress (@pxpipe.com) will be created. Any photos emailed to this account will show up in your Facebook … Read more

Clean your Internet tracks with Ad-Aware 2007

The free spyware-removal software Ad-Aware 2007 helps protect your system from browser hijackers, data miners, and other malware, but it can also wipe your Web surfing tracks for Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Opera with just one click. Rich DeMuro shows you how it's done.

Disabling the iPhone's EDGE/GPRS data access

For various reasons, you may want to disable the iPhone's EDGE/GPRS data network access on a temporary basis. For instance, if you have an international data plan and are traveling overseas but only want to use WiFi instead of paying international data charges, or if you are on a prepaid plan and don't want to incur data charges.An iPhone Atlas reader with the username "amztselos" found out exactly how to do this, and here are his steps, slightly modified: Call the International Group at ATT (800) 335-4685: amztselos says "They may tell you … Read more

Dealing with a cracked iPhone screen: Repair, other options

The iPhone's screen is durable, but not invincible. An awkward fall, too much pressure and other unnatural impact can cause cracks in the optical glass that render the device unusable. When you're done cursing your buttery fingers and have traversed the stages of guilt, denial and acceptance, here are some productive means for dealing with a broken touchscreen:

Repair/replacement from Apple: $200-$250 The iPhone is covered under a standard limited one-year Apple warranty for manufacturer's defects, but is not eligible for AT&T's wireless phone insurance, which (for a $5 monthly fee) will … Read more

Video playlists for the iPhone: So close, yet so far away

Unfortunately, the iPhone lacks a good, conspicuous method for creating video playlists for items that have been downloaded from other sources or converted by the user. We've found a method that almost works. It gives you a fully customizable playlist for all stored videos, but the video portion doesn't actually play. You get a static image from the video, and playback of the audio. Nonetheless, we're publishing the steps in the hopes that one of our readers can find a working solution. If you've found a way, please let us know.

Add the desired videos to … Read more

Getting the "Send to Web Gallery" button on the iPhone work

The "Send to Web Gallery" function added to iPhones over the past several days has caused some confusion. The button links with new .Mac iPhone integration functionality that allows photos to be sent directly from the iPhone to the new "Web Gallery" function (which offers an app-like interface to photos stored online). The same Web Gallery can be directly accessed in an iPhone-optimized fashion.

For some, the button didn't appear, despite having a valid .Mac account enabled on their phone per Apple's instruction. For the users who did start to see the button, it … Read more