Iphone Zen

iPhone 4 is arriving in the shores of Malaysia...for real!

2010-09-17T07:02:00.000-07:00

I have just received from a reliable source - the Telco company Digi an email below hot from the oven...

First to know. First to own.

Because you signed up to be the first to know, we’re now letting you know how you can be the first in line to own the new iPhone 4.

So, brace yourself – the iPhone 4 is finally on our shores and coming to you next week.

For more information on iPhone 4 plans and where to purchase, visit digi.com.my/iphone4 and everything will be revealed to you.

On the Digi website you get -

Toodledo's ToDo apps is Free!

2010-08-16T16:24:00.000-07:00

One of the most popular apps for your ToDo from Toodledo - is available for free today!

Its a powerful and Task note manager for the iPhone and iPad, flexible to be used in different management styles and interfaces with other popular apps. Its rated 4.5 stars on MacWorld.

Get it now before it sells on normal price again!

iPhone 4 in Malaysia...soon!

2010-08-16T15:21:00.000-07:00

There's been many news abound that Malaysia will have its iPhone4 launched within August 2010. The 2 local telco companies - Maxis and Digi has advertised on the website for customers to register their interests in iPhone4.

Surf over to http://www.maxis.com.my or http://www.digi.com.my

Alternatively, if you are not eagerly waiting for iPhone4 and would be willing to settle for the current model - 3GS, its available at a special price.

But what I found something interesting when I contacted one of the telcos early this week.

iPhone4 will be in Malaysia tentatively only in September 2010.

Lets wait and see!

iPhone 4G on the horizon

2010-04-29T20:24:00.000-07:00

Latest news shows that iPhone 4G will be unveiled in San Francisco on June 7, the usual time that Apple usually launches new products.

It should be coming with iPhone's OS 4.0 onboard and probably as expected a frontal camera for videocalls!

Multitasking is also in the offerings as well.

iPhone OS 4 event, in the extreme near future - April 8th!

2010-04-06T23:05:00.000-07:00

(photo from Engadget.com)

Surprise! Surprise! The new OS 4.0 is arriving soon right after the release of the OS3.1.3 that fixes 5 security flaws. The event is planned for April 8th, 10AM, Pacific Time (LA time), ~1am for Iphone users in Malaysia and Singapore!

We've just had iPad at our door steps, and with this next iPhone generation, hope that it will be a big change and improvement to the current OS. Apparently, there will be 3 different versions.

Plenty of questions are hovering around...

Will we finally access Flash-based websites? Will we finally be getting Multitasking? New and improved "Home" screen? Lets wait and see..

Notable Kit for iPhone : First Aid & CPR (Healthcare)

2010-01-23T23:51:00.000-08:00

What everyone should carry along in their pocket if an actual first aid kit is too big or a manual is too cumbersome : an iPhone, off course!

Haiti, located in the Carribbeans, was recently strucked by a major earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 on January 12, 2010. During these period, a recent story from MSNBC appeared about a man trapped in the earthquake rubbles of the hotel he stayed in for 65 hours.

He was having an iPhone (not the Android phone from Motorola or Google) and a camera with him when the event happened. The American survivor - Dan Woolley claimed that he would have died if not for his iPhone. Using the camera, he illuminated his surroundings to direct himself around.

Thanks to the First Aid iPhone app that he downloaded - Pocket First Aid & CPR, he fashioned a bandage and tourniquet for his leg and to stop the bleeding from his head wound.

The app also warned him not to fall asleep if he felt he was going into shock, so he set his cell phone’s alarm clock to go off every 20 minutes.And then for 65 hours, he waited for whatever fate had in store for him. Woolley attributes his survival and rescue by a French rescue team to divine providence, according to an MSNBC story.

The app cost USD3.99 and for how it has help a customer in real life practical situation, I'd give it a 5/5 as well. Its worth every cent for your very dear life.

2 notable customer reviews -

First by a drdmwest titled Superb (5 star rating)
Excellent and quick. Exactly what you need and nothing more. I'm an M.D. and the references are accurate and up to date.

Second by webguydan titled Lifesaver in Haiti (5 star rating)
Consulted this app, while trapped under Hotel Montana in Haiti earthquake, to treat excessive bleeding and shock. Helped me to stay alive till I was rescued 64 hours later. God saved me, this app was one of the tools He gave me.

Below are screenshots of the app and there's an accompanying video on how-to-do-it.

New Apple Tablet and iPhone OS4?

2010-01-18T22:34:00.000-08:00

I took an off road from my usual iPhone app review to share on the speculated arrival of Apple's new toy - the Apple Tablet. Rumours call it the iSlate but we will get more facts on the launch day itself.

Gazzillions of Apple fans around the world has been waiting for its arrival. The spanking new Apple toy is expected to be launched on January 27th and its bound to be a grand affair at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco.

Below is the series of snapshots of invite and a sample tablet as well. Its really advanced...

First the invitation...

Next...open it carefully, and take the tablet out...

Ooops....the tablet actually comes with carbon dust

Darn...I thought it was an OLED, light weight tablet or something. Looks like I've been duped...my hands are messed up

Hmm...looks like something's appearing when I accidentally try to rub the carbon dust off...

What on earth is this...."The future belongs to the few of us willing to get our hands dirty"??

Its just a bluff. :-)

The "invite" snapshots are actually "Dirt Poster" and is a Design and Graphic-Design work made by Roland Reiner Tiangco, a new graduate of a Design School, living in New York. While handling the poster, your hands starts to get dirty, and this dirt allows you to see what’s the poster is all about. Check out also the artist’s Website.

Anyway, the Apple Tablet is on the way and below is a leaked Youtube commercial on it

Its also known an an iPhone on Steroids, you'll be able to put more icons as below

Read this write-up on the coming tablet wars, click the tablet! ->

Lifestyle : AAA Bubblewrap: BubblePop! Lite

2010-01-14T05:23:00.000-08:00

Are you stressed out at work? Frustrated at someone? Waiting anxiously to meet your new date?, then perhaps you can let it go, popping the bubbles on your iPhone with this app.

The popping sounds are quite realistic to an actual piece of bubblewrap pop!

Its offered for free, but you can pay for a full version. The full version comes with a bigger panel, colours, joypad, and modes like classic (when you take a piece of the actual bubblewrap after opening a carton to pop it), Time or Mine.

I tried it out, its cool and its also good for those who are feeling fidgety at some point or nervous.

You can change the sounds too and perhaps surprise someone close to you with a few farts.

I would rate it 1/5 and its rated 2.5/5 on the AppStore.

Click here for the app! ->

The AiPhone (Alternative iPhone)

2009-12-30T07:36:00.000-08:00

Someday we may not need to carry such a device. Have a look at the Youtube video below, a futuristic design in the making...

Some minority report is involved....

Games : N.O.V.A. (First Person Shooter) - Hot off the rollers!

2009-12-21T08:53:00.000-08:00

N.O.V.A is Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance

Join the fight for mankind's survival against the aggressive aliens known as Judgers in this revolutionary sci-fi FPS. With Earth no longer able to sustain life, huge artificial satellites called “near-orbitals” were constructed for people to live on. To protect themselves, the near-orbitals banded together to form N.O.V.A., the Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance. Against his will, retired marine hero Kal Wardin is forcefully returned to active duty to prevent mankind's annihilation. Plunge into an unparalleled gaming experience on iPhone & iPod touch!

Teaser Video Below

NOVA is a hot new game released by Gameloft on Dec 17. If you have played Halo on Xbox and enjoyed every minute of it, this is another similar game play that promises great gaming experience and guaranteed to keep you glued to your iPhone or iPod screens.

I have just started its simulator training to get a hold of the controls (which are quite simple) and it has auto saving feature to keep you moving on to the next levels. The aliens will keep you well engaged and I enjoyed the game play.

As a single player, you have up to 13 levels to go through and an excellent 3D gaming experience in jungle, snow, spaceship, bunker and city scenarios.

You could also enjoy a 2-4 multiplayer gameplay on a wi-fi network. Weapons ranges from an unlimited ammo off a handgun right up to a rocket launcher that will cause heavy damage.

I would give a rating of 5/5 and there's no regrets paying USD7 for it.

Get it over here at the AppStore ->

Warning: You might not want to lift your fingers off the 'sophisticated, futuristic weapons'!

Navigation - Fuel Saver

2009-12-21T08:17:00.000-08:00

This app navigates its user to better driving economics through fuel usage, brake pads, etc

When switching it on, it tracks how fast we are moving, and when we slow down, brake immediately, etc.

It also uses the device's built-in GPS but somehow I think its not that effective and tried tracking it on my car dashboard a couple of times. It created a minor issue since its dependent on GPS when I travelled through a short tunnel.

I was not impressed by its features and I rate it 1/5 stars. Currently, its offered for free and if you need to do some fuel saving, you can get it and try it out. Please leave a comment at this blog, if it helps you out and perhaps it will do good for other users.

Get the app here ->

Appvent - a re-visit

2009-12-09T07:19:00.000-08:00

Are you getting, installing and playing the games that are offered free, daily and new ones?

So far....
Day
1. 33rd Command
2. Tridefense
3. Snorkelling
4. Totemo
5. Samurai : Way of the Warrior
6. Smackbots
7. Polyhedra
8. Ickle Count
9. Wheeler's Treasure!

We will revisit again soon!

Games - PapiMissile

2009-12-09T06:30:00.000-08:00

PapiMissile from Sunflat is a straightforward and easy to figure out how it works. At the moment its offered for free and if you do a search for Papi, there's a lot more apps that is offered for free. My cousin enjoys fiddling around with it as it doesn't take too much thinking.

The goal of the game is to slide Mr. Papi towards the falling enemy missiles. Once all the bases are destroyed, game is over. From time to time, another new base will hover in like a flying saucer, but watch out for the missiles....as it will hit you while you're trying to get that new base to land safely.

I will give a rating of 1/5 stars. Its not able to hold my interest too long though it has cute icons.

Christmas comes early on AppStore

2009-12-02T20:45:00.001-08:00

Guess what! Its joyous celebration...for more free apps....

Christmas comes early to the AppStore and yesterday - a popular app - 33rd Division was offered for free. Today's fantastic free offer for Day 2 is TriDefense...

Click on the pic to bring you there. Keep your eyes peeled on the daily offers right through till Christmas day!

Thanks to Blacksmithgames.com. Have an enjoyable time, installing these apps.

Its Black Friday in US - 1Password app

2009-11-28T05:15:00.000-08:00

Lo and behold there are plenty of fantastic iPhone apps available for free or discounted till month end or this weekend.

Due to Thanksgiving and Black Friday, you could get great apps like 1Password for free.

But you need to download (limited time offer and have it installed by Dec 1, 09 or else you will need to pay USD7.99 for it.

This is a special edition with close to 1 million users worldwide and it received 4.5 mice on MacWorld and a CNet Editor's choice early this year.

••• Recommended in Apple's "Apps for Getting Things Done" Guide •••
••• Winner of the First Annual AppAwards in Best Secret Keeping App category •••

"Keep it secret, keep it safe."
— Apple's Guide to Apps for Getting Things Done

"From the 50,000 or so downloadable apps that Apple offers for its iPhone and iPod touch, we choose ten that are worth the time and money."
— Times' Ten of the Best iPhone Apps (2nd Pick)

"Four out of five stars"
— iPhone Alley

Back from Bricked

2009-11-22T01:49:00.000-08:00

I had a serious issue with my spanking new iPhone 3GS of 2+ months old. It was a jailbroken unit that went WALD on me.

Now you might be wondering, what on earth is WALD? Its known as the White Apple Logo of Death, its equivalent to the BSOD (Blue screen of Death) which you get on a Windows desktop if something goes screwy with the OS.

The WALD came upon me, due to a software update and somehow my iPhone ended up brick-ing.

It was a sad week as I went through some major hassle sending it to a non-authorised phone vendor store (unknowingly was part of a gangster circle), tried to cheat me into paying RM400+ for repairs. He was never given permission to open up the casing to inspect the internal hardware and did it without my consent.

Later after some squabbles, complaints to the local mall management and a good, effective action from my personal lawyer (my lovely wife), I got back my iPhone in one piece again and in good condition. I successfully, (I was impressed) managed to restore my iPhone contents (even recent calls, videos, pics, notes and etc) till the very day it got brick-ed.

Lesson Learnt : Never ever bring it over to a phone store that you are not familiar with. If its under warranty, take it back to the source (even if its already jailbroken).

Never get overly obsessive with your iPhone, in wanting to fix it quick, you lose proper decision making by giving it to unfamiliar store.

Always surf the web first, plenty of alternative options to consider.

More on Jailbreak

2009-11-01T01:06:00.000-07:00

Today is almost a week that I have been using a Jail-broken Iphone. Its simply fantastic.

What you could try is download the 5 icon dock

Which essentially adds an additional icon of your choice to the dock (Look at 1.)

On 2., you can see that you can also convert to a 5 column springboard. Springboard is the application that manages the screen and arranges the icon in a matrix like format.

You need to install two items as pictured here on the right.

1. The Five Icon Dock

and

2. The Five-Column SpringBoard.

Its pretty easy to install and it'll take about 10-20 minutes at most

Enjoy your new found features!

Jailbreak on Iphone 3GS

2009-10-23T10:21:00.000-07:00

I have got some other postings to do from my last one about Hong Kong but am excited to share on my successful jailbreak on the iPhone 3GS. My device is running on firmware 3.12

An iPhone OS Hacker - GeoHot has released the new utility this weekend. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Hotz)

Windows users can use this tool to jailbreak iPhone OS 3.1.2 on all iPhone and iPod Touch models regardless of their hardware generation. Using the application is simple. You just plug in your iPhone or iPod Touch using the standard USB sync cable and follow the instructions below.

Standard disclaimer : Do it at your own risk

Just ensure that your iPhone's USB sync cable is not plugged via a USB Hub device as it will not work. The screen on your iPhone will turn blank but without any response.

Make sure you are on an OFFICIAL Apple stock 3.1, 3.1.1 or 3.1.2 firmware

I have my iPhone OS upgraded from 3.1 to the latest version 3.1.2 before I did the jailbreak. This you can do it via iTunes.

You should have a PC running XP, Vista or Windows 7. Download the jailbreaking tool - Blackra1n application by clicking on the windows icon from http://www.blackra1n.com

Once you get the application downloaded, if your OS is Windows 7, you may need to run the application in XP Compatibility mode by right mouse click on the app, select properties tab. This is to avoid any potential issues later.

Double click on the blackra1n app, and click on the single button "Make it ra1n".

It will take awhile barely one minute and you will get the following dialogs below and the picture of the guy that is on the blackra1n website on your iPhone device.

Then your iPhone will be rebooted. Presto! You'll have blackra1n icon and you can install Cydia.

Congratulations!

Running blackra1n, you will get option as below...

But be forewarned about installing Icy as its a buggy version (extract from http://thebigboss.org/2009/10/22/blackra1n-icy-warning/)

Standard disclaimers apply : Do it at your own perils/risks.

A useful FAQ for your reference : http://www.ipodtouchfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=254257

Getting around Hong Kong on the MTR

2009-10-23T09:56:00.000-07:00

While staying in Hong Kong and Kowloon, I got around the city on the MTR (or the Metro), together with its local travel smartcard (The Octopuscard) and a handy MTR route map on my iPhone - The Hong Kong Metro MTR Free Edition.

Its proven quite handy to help me pinpoint where I am, and with free wi-fi almost around major areas (thanks to the free egov wifi and at some locations - also provided by their local bank - HSBC), I could pinpoint my location and get around easily.

Only thing is you cannot enlarge or reduce the route map photo, so you'll need to finger move it around the iPhone screen.

Its a simple guide that also provides transit charges from one point to another. You could get all the way from Hong Kong Disneyland (which I did), right all the way to say - Hung Hom, or their one of their popular stops like Tsim Sha Tsui.

No regrets in downloading this app at all which is also free. I'll rate it 3.5/5 for its simplicity and guide.

Helpful links below
http://www.mtr.com.hk/eng/homepage/cust_index.html
http://www.octopuscards.com/enindex.jsp

Cool app - Hong Kong 720 degrees

2009-10-20T07:31:00.001-07:00

The HK Tourism Board's app is a cool packaged app and its easy to use the interface.

When you start the application, it offers you a breakdown of 4 different tours - Must See, Green, Heritage and City Life.

There's also Videos (promotional tourism videos that you can get on TV or from Youtube as well)

The last item on the page is all About Hong Kong - statistically speaking.

The application showcases all of the current Hong Kong Attractions from the popular site - The Peak right to the Giant Buddha on the Lantau Island. On top of it, the thing that impresses me about the app, is that when you click on Location in any of the attractions, it kick starts the Map on your Iphone. Make sure you are close to a wi-fi spot or enable your data roaming.

You could also see the local transport metro symbols on the map so it eases your way around the country.

On top of it, the package has a 720 angle view that you can tilt, zoom or pan the location. It gives you an idea of what the location offers before you get over there.

On top of it, this app is provided as a free download. I give a 4 star rating for its simplicity and brilliant approach to tourism.

My recent trip to Hong Kong

2009-10-20T06:40:00.001-07:00

I took a recent trip to Hong Kong, and I like to share a few apps that I used during my trip.

The most disappointing app that I paid my USD0.99 was the Offline iMapsPro-Hong Kong from BrightHouse Labs.

I was hoping that I could fully utilize its offline features and reduce my dependency on internet data roaming, as it would be costly.

After enlarging a couple of times, the screen just kind of slows down. As it goes into detail, a lot of things are missing and it was practically useless to me.

I expected more of it as it carried the word "Pro" behind the word Maps.

At the end, I had to resort to the local maps offered by the hotels. It ain't too bad to carry those hard copy maps around though, and if it was overly used, you could always get another one.

The other alternative is to use the free wi-fi services that is sporadically offered to the public, especially around government vicinity. The wi-fi services are pretty fast too.

I would prefer not to give any rating to this app. I would treat it as not useful at all.

Games : Tightwire from iBrightStudios

2009-10-08T06:07:00.000-07:00

Wwooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaa....

Life is a balancing act and its a long fall down....

This is a funny game, which will keep you smiling as you try and balance a very fat guy on a tightwire line from one building to another. The accelerometer function works great in this game.

When I first saw the icon, I thought it was a guy that was poked with a stake but actually, its a guy who fell to his imminent 'death' on the road.

The picture on the right is our daredevil guy in the yellow circle balancing his way (btw, the circle was enhanced, to point out the guy).

Controls are simple, just tilt in front to move forward, tilt to left or right to get the guy balancing and walking on the wire.

Check out the video below...

I'd give a rating of 3.5/5 for this game....and you might want to get the full blown version one at USD0.99.

Finance (Budgeting) - Spend

2009-10-08T05:43:00.000-07:00

This Iphone App is from Adamcode.com. There's 2 version a lite one for free and a full blown one priced @ USD0.99.

The lite version is limited to 5 budgets and you could use it right away. It was easy to figure out which buttons to press and I like the simplistic approach. Even my daughter could figure out after some taps about the screen.

This app also provides a CSV export that you could manipulate with Excel later. The data entry portion to enter the expenses takes up the whole Iphone screen, so its easily to key in without glasses.

At the bottom of the screen, there is a kind of a status bar that changes with different status whenever you tap (look at Tap Here).

Status are provided in 2 liners i.e. Total Available, Total Spent, Total Budgeted. This app would be good for those (like a close friend) of mine who prefers straightforward, simplistic budgets.

I personally need a more comprehensive budget so this app is not for me. I would give it a rating of 2.5/5.

Games : TapDefense (Free)

2009-10-06T08:21:00.000-07:00

TapDefense is a tower defense game for the iPhone and iPod Touch. In this game you're protecting the gates of Heaven from wave after wave of demons from Hell that are trying to cross the gate.

At the start, you can give your iPhone a little shake, and it'll randomly pick out a game play for you.

The enemies do not roam freely, they follow a specific path laid out between the gates of Heaven and Hell. You'll need to figure out how best to place your towers and weapons as you get the Boss (a tougher enemy) coming out alternatively.

Once you're ready for the attack, simply press play. There are three standard towers to start off with and three advanced towers that you can research as you continue to protect the gates of Heaven.

These towers each do different things and can help with your strategy if you think about placement before just randomly building them. You'll need to think long term too, as
this game offers 42 levels of game play and seven different enemy types for you to defeat, earning you more gold to build an even better defense.

If you enjoy tower defense games, this one is definitively worth checking out. Its simil ar to Fieldrunners (retails at USD2.99) while you can get this one for free with adverts.

Its an enjoyable game for any Iphone or Ipod Touch users and I rate it 4/5.

A new in-flight entertainment from AirAsia?

2009-10-06T07:12:00.001-07:00

I wonder if this new device may be offered on long haul AirAsia flights.

Look out for the launch...if you really, really can't wait, you can get your own unit at Seatbuddy . Its ingenious and you can use it with your brand new Iphone in many places, wherever you can find a place to hook it up.

If you have noticed the advert closely....you need to get your own Iphone device too....the Seatbuddy is only one part of the entire entertainment kit.