Arts IT Savvy

First app to look at is iiQuota.

iiQuota is used to keep track of your mobile phone usage, remaining credit, data usage.  Even some ISPs are included. The app has some significant benefits over the competition.  Firstly, it is NOT restricted to a single carrier – you don’t have to buy the VirginMobile version, or the Optus version, or the Telstra version etc.  You can use any of the major carriers with the same app.  Another benefit is the app will track multiple accounts, across multiple carriers.

By clicking on an individual name (on the iPhone, not here!), you can bring up more specific, and extended information.  Oh, and the interface (skin) is customisable.

Just followed the simple, and comprehensive instructions on the ITS website for connecting the iPhone to the Monash Wireless network.  Worked beautifully. Straight forward, clear steps and screenshots.

Then tried the instructions for email, and specifically (as ArtsIT are now on Lotus Notes) those instructions. Hmm – not so good.  The syntax for the mail cluster is wrong, and the instructions didn’t result in email anyway.  Strangely, the settings for my pre-lotus notes days were still in my profile on the phone (ie using mail.monash.edu.au) actually worked, even though they probably shouldn’t have, and others have managed to crash the entire (new) mail server by using them, so didn’t want to cause that (and thus trying to get the Lotus Notes settings working).

Am investigating further, and will hopefully have a result soon.  It must be pretty close, given that I was able to access the email through the incorrect channel!

Update – problem seems to be that I had settings from pre-Lotus Notes days.  Deleting that account completely and redoing the settings from scratch got mail working.  However, we are there now, and seem to be all up and running.  Even so, the mail instructions did assume a higher level of familiarity with the device (and where the mail settings are found).  Still, not a problem for the majority of users (so long as the syntax is corrected (has been mentioned to ITS)).

I’ve been running some tests on an iPhone – typical user type applications, and will document my various experiences as they arise.

The first operation to attempt was unlocking the iPhone from an original network so that it could be used on any mobile network (Virginmobile in my case).  Locking a phone to a specific network is not limited to the iPhone – it has been done in the past to other handsets, depending on the deal being offered.

Costs will vary from carrier to carrier, in this case Telstra’s charge to unlock an iPhone is $150.

The process is pretty straightforward, and even better if you don’t follow Telstra’s instructions, and instead get the real steps required.  It can take up to 72 hours (or 3 working days depending on who you are talking to – 3 working days seems more likely, as there is a human step or two in the process (apparently)).

When you are ready to try to see if the unlock request has gone through, you do the following:

With no Sim Card in the iPhone, connect it to your computer and start iTunes.

Click on “Check for Update”

Click on “Restore to Factory Settings”

Re-sync phone to iTunes.  Now the instructions (apparently) require you to turn the phone on and off, but instead iTunes instructed me to insert the new carrier’s Sim Card.  I did this while the phone was still connected, and it did a few things, and reported back that the operation was successful.

Even better – it was.

It then took me through the (basic) operation of setting up a new phone (which simply means it does a synchronisation, and creates a backup).

All in all, a relatively painless operation, once I found out the real steps required.

I’ve been playing around with the device for the afternoon (and evening) so far – and am struggling to find reasons why it is treated with distain in certain circles.  So far it seems a very powerful device, with a very simple user interface.

For owners of an iPod Touch, there is a new update available to bring the operating system into line with the iPhone 2.0

This upgrade allows the use of multiple home pages, and the ability to rearrange desktop icons (and drag and drop them from one Home Page to the next). The other significant advantage of the upgrade is the ability to download other programs across a wide range of categories, with about 10% being free, and many others costing between $1 & $5.

You can spend hours trolling through the hundreds of applications available! They can be searched, and sorted by whether they are free or not, and downloaded directly to the device, and all this done via the iPod Touch / iPhone. (The iPod Touch needing to be in a WiFi area)