5 Siri-like apps for your Apple iPhone 4, iPod, and iPad (power user tips for iPhone 4S users)

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One of the biggest puzzlers surrounding the release of iOS 5 is the iPhone 4S’s exclusive ability to use Siri, the voice-controlled virtual assistant. At first we had assumed that Siri requires special hardware — the A5 processor and oodles of RAM, perhaps — but it turns out that the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 are virtually identical. Then there’s the fact that Siri, the standalone app that Apple acquired earlier this year, worked just fine on every iOS device, including the iPhone 3GS and 4, and iPod touch. Still, Apple undoubtedly has its reasons, and who are we to question a higher power?
Fortunately, thanks to a thing called the App Store, there are a few Siri alternatives that you can install. By virtue of being apps, rather baked into the OS like Siri, these alternatives won’t be quite as smooth or fast as Apple’s new wunderkind — but they should be more than capable of sending an email or text while driving, or looking up directions while on the move.

Vlingo (Free)

By far the closest comparison to Siri is Vlingo, an app that has its own voice-recognition engine, a powerful cloud-based back end, and almost all of Siri’s functionality, including booking restaurants. The two caveats are that it can’t set reminders (though a new release might fix that), and unlike its Android brother there doesn’t seem to be a voice-activated mode for hands-free in-car mode.
As an added bonus, there’s also a Vlingo app for just about every platform under the sun, including BlackBerry and Nokia phones, and even Windows; but not Mac, unfortunately.

Google Search (Free)

You probably already have it installed, but the Google Search app for iOS includes the same Voice Search feature found on Android devices. As the name suggests, the app only lets you search using your voice, and there’s absolutely no integration with any other services — but it’s a nice stopgap until Safari innately supports voice searching. Just like mobile website, the Google Search app uses your location data to make sure that the results it returns are contextual, too.

Dragon Go! (Free)

Here’s a fun one: Siri herself doesn’t actually manage voice recognition — a module provided by Nuance does that, and then hands your utterances along to Siri once it’s worked out what you’re trying to say. Dragon Go is made by Nuance, and thus it is just as accurate as Siri… but it’s no where near as polished or full-featured.
Dragon Go is basically a voice interface to a bunch of web services, including Wolfram Alpha, Google, Yelp, Google Maps, and so on. It also interfaces with Pandora, Spotify, and Netflix if they’re installed. There’s also Dragon Diction, which is all about dictating messages or longer notes. You can then send your voice-recognized musing via email, Twitter, Facebook, or SMS.

Built-in Voice Control (Free)

If you want to make (almost) hands-free calls in the car, iOS’s built-in Voice Control is your best bet: press and hold the Home button (or the equivalent on your headset), you’ll hear a beep, and then speak your command. If you want to call someone, say “call” or “dial” followed by their name or number, or you can even initiate a FaceTime connection by saying “FaceTime” and then a name and location (iPhone, home, and so on).
Built-in Voice Control can manipulate your music playback, too (but only the iPod app). Use “play” followed by the name of a song, album, playlist or artist — and you can also “what” and “who” to find out what song/artist is currently playing, or “genius” to have your iDevice pick a new, similar song for you.

Voice Camera Pro ($1.99)

Finally we have the only non-free app on the list: Voice Camera Pro, which does exactly what you think, plus a little bit more. First, you can say “camera” to turn the camera on and “shoot” to take a photo, but you can also say “double,” “triple,” and “quad” to take a series of sequential photos.
You can’t avoid the fact that you have to launch the app before you can use it, though — this isn’t going to let you whip your phone out and magically take photos from the lock screen by shouting “TAKE A PHOTO!” Also, it doesn’t seem to have the ability to shoot video, which seems a little weak for an app that costsmoney.

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sponsored by Dr Mobiles Limited (Location Map)
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Tel: (09) 551-5344, Mob: (021) 117-2222

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Why Dr Mobiles Limited?
> Repair while you wait
> Free insurance calims report
> Free inspection on faulty phones|
> Free 30 minute off-street parking
> 45 mins to fix iPhone 4 scree
> 30 mins to unlock 3G and 3GS
> 25 mins to replace 3G/3GS screen
> 10 mins to unlock iPhone 4

Apple iPhone, iOS 5: Hidden gems and features (iPhone 4 repair, drmobiles.co.nz)

Apple has just released iOS 5. If you have an iPhone 3GS, 4 (or 4S), iPod touch 3rd or 4th generation, or an iPad, simply plug it into your computer, make sure iTunes is updated to version 10.5 (iTunes > Check for Updates), then just select your device on the left hand side and click “Check for Update.”
By this stage, if you regularly frequent technology websites like ExtremeTech, you will already be intimately familiar with the key features that adorn iOS 5: Siri voice-controlled assistant, Notification Center, iMessage, Reminders, deep Twitter integration, access to the camera from the lock screen, and perhaps most importantly PC-free activation; you no longer have to plug an iOS 5 device into iTunes to set it up, and you can also sync via WiFi, too. You will also know all of the ways in which Android 4.0 beats iOS 5, and vice-versa.
All told, though, iOS 5 includes more than 200 new features, many of which you would never notice unless you knew where to look. Fortunately, we moles here in the ExtremeTech bunker have been playing around with beta builds of iOS 5 for months, and we’re more than happy to point out the few hidden gems that we’ve discovered.

Text macros and improved formatting

In Settings > General > Keyboard you can now specify Shortcuts. Shortcuts are simply text macros: you enter a short phrase (btw, omg, etc.) and the iOS 5 input editor (SMSes, emails) will automatically expand those short phrases into full sentences. Whether this will prevent kids from typing in txtspk is another question entirely.
When composing an email, you can select a word or phrase and apply bold, italic, or underline formatting from the pop-up menu.

Safari is faster, tabbed, and more secure

Except for the Notifications Center, the most noticeable change in iOS 5 is a significantly-improved Mobile Safari. You’ve probably heard about Reader and Reading List — own-brand versions of Instapaper — but Safari is faster (rendering- and JavaScript-wise), has a new Private Browsing toggle that works as you’d expect, and on the iPad you can now use tabs!
There’s also an interesting option that forces links to open in the background, which is handy if you’re reading through an article and want to check out the pages it links to later, once you’re finished.
Finally, Mobile Safari is now by far the most HTML5-compatible smartphone browser — though we’d be surprised if the Ice Cream Sandwich stock browser doesn’t at least match it.

More finger-crippling gestures on the iPad

Actually, they’re no where near as bad as the five-finger-pinch-and-flick that OS X Lion uses: with iOS 5 and iPad, a four- or five-finger flick up reveals the multitasking bar. Pinch returns you to the home screen. Swiping left and right switches between apps (at last!)

Improved security

No doubt as a reaction to the odd and iffy security record that smartphones have had over the last year, iOS 5 includes more granular control over which apps can access Location Services (Settings > Location Services), and the General > Restrictions area now lets you set a password for in-app purchases.

Custom alerts and improved accessibility

Also joining the “at long last!” club is custom alerts: you can now pick a different ring, bleep, or tune for new mail, sent mail, tweets, calendar alerts, and more.
In General > Accessibility you can now make the camera’s (rather bright) LED flash when you receive a message, call, or alert — and there’s also a neat feature called Assistive Touch, which lets you create a custom gesture on the screen, and then bond that gesture to an action, such as turning off the screen.

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sponsored by Dr Mobiles Limited (Location Map)
1 Huron Street, Takapuna, North Shore 0622
Tel: (09) 551-5344, Mob: (021) 117-2222

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Why Dr Mobiles Limited?
> Repair while you wait
> Free insurance calims report
> Free inspection on faulty phones|
> Free 30 minute off-street parking
> 45 mins to fix iPhone 4 scree
> 30 mins to unlock 3G and 3GS
> 25 mins to replace 3G/3GS screen
> 10 mins to unlock iPhone 4

Apple iPhone 5 Begins Production as Hardware Details Leaked!

25 October, 2011--China Times reports that the iPhone 5 has entered a trial production phase and will feature a larger screen. Purported iPhone 5 parts have already leaked that seem to match the claim of a four-inch screen. The iPhone 5 itself is expected to have a similar form factor as the current model, with the display reaching all the way to the edge of the device.

The rendering above by Piotrek Photos shows how a larger iPhone 5 screen might compare to the current iPhone 4 display. This news comes as the New York Times has confirmed Apple is working on near-field communication (NFC) technology so that future iPhones can easily make wireless mobile payments at specially equipped cash registers. The NFC hardware would be integrated with the iPhone processor and linked directly to the owner's iTunes account.

Although Apple is working on NFC technology it's not clear whether or not the feature will make its way onto the iPhone 5. The company could be saving this functionality for a future model iPhone, as there are many different versions of the e-wallet concept currently entering the market. Competing Android phones are already getting into the act, with the Samsung Nexus S already equipped with NFC.

Other highlights of the iPhone 5 design include the switch to a metal back, much like the original iPhone. Apple could completely redesign the iPhone 5 with a curved aluminum back, to bring it more in line with the iPad 2 and recent iPod touch designs. More recent information points to a next generation device much more similar to the iPhone 4, except replacing the back glass panel with metal. A redesigned antenna would be integrated into the smartphone to help prevent the reception issues that were cited by Consumer Reports when they refused to recommend the iPhone 4.

According to China Times, the iPhone 5 is on track for a summer 2011 release. This contradicts some reports that the iPhone 5 could be delayed until September. Apple typically updates the iPhone every year in late June to early July. Plenty of time left for more rumors, leaks and speculation before an official Apple announcement.
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This post is uploaded via Apple iPhone 4,

sponsored by Dr Mobiles Limited (Location Map)
1 Huron Street, Takapuna, North Shore 0622
Tel: (09) 551-5344, Mob: (021) 117-2222

Web - FaceBook - Localist - Posterous - Twitter - Blogger - Flickr - Email 

Why Dr Mobiles Limited?
> Repair while you wait
> Free insurance calims report
> Free inspection on faulty phones|
> Free 30 minute off-street parking
> 45 mins to fix iPhone 4 scree
> 30 mins to unlock 3G and 3GS
> 25 mins to replace 3G/3GS screen
> 10 mins to unlock iPhone 4

Handy tips for Apple iPhone 4 Users: How to make your iPhone battery last longer

Recently, when standing in a field at Glastonbury, the idea came to us – was it really possible to make your iPhone battery last for several days? Well yes it is, as long as you completely strip down the power-sucking features and follow a few simple tips. Keep an eye on how long your iPhone typically lasts by going to Settings > General > Usage.

And, although this is not completely a power-saving tip, before you leave it's always best to make sure you have the latest software installed: Apple is always working on little fixes to improve your iPhone's power savings.

1. Keep it cool
Seriously. Don't put your phone in the sun. Don't leave it in a hot pocket. Battery life is lowered by heat and you should store your iPhone in temperatures less than 35 degrees centigrade – below 95F. As close to room temperature as possible is best for use.

2. Don't use power-sucking apps you don't need to 
Minimise your app use, especially if it's a game, stuff that sucks data (hello, Facebook) or uses GPS. Not only does some of the fun stuff suck power, it can also stop the auto-lock coming on.

3. Turn off 3G
So there we were, in our field, with little data coverage (thanks O2). So what did we do? Turn off data, that's what. If you haven't got it, there's no point in wasting juice looking for it. Settings > General > Network and slide Enable 3G to Off.

4. No to EQ
Who'd have thunk, but equalising your iPod playback can drain your battery pack. Settings > iPod > EQ is where to turn it off.

5. Don't fetch
Set the common apps to only fetch data when you want them to. Set Mail, Contacts and Calendars to only fetch data Manually. BE WARNED - if you have MobileMe, it's dangerous to set the auto-check to Manual, since the much-vaunted Find My iPhone won't work.

6. Don't make long calls
Or don't make any calls. Sounds like the stupid filler tip, but if you do make calls (and you probably do, as that's almost certainly what you're conserving battery for), just keep 'em short.

7. Lock it up
iPhone not in use? Make sure you lock the screen and set the auto-lock to a minute in case you leave it unlocked.

8. Don't use the GPS
Minimise use of it (such as in Maps or turn-by-turn sat-nav) and disable it: Settings > General > Location Services. If you're lost, ignore this advice.

9. Turn it off when you don't need it
Sleeping? With all your mates anyway? Then turn your phone off. Bit pointless if it's for 10 minutes, but if it's hours, it will add up.

10. Disable Wi-Fi
Nowhere near a wireless network? Go to Settings and slide Wi-Fi- to off. However, if you are going to be doing a fair amount of data browsing and you are near a wireless network, it will be better for your battery to use this than the thirsty cellular signal.

11. Turn off Bluetooth
Likewise, make sure Bluetooth is off. And keep it there unless you use accessories: Settings > General > Bluetooth and slide Bluetooth to Off.

12. Push off
Not many apps use push notifications, but in the future this will have more of an effect on your iPhone's battery life as more start to. Settings > Notifications and slide Notifications to Off – only visible if you have relevant apps installed. Apple says this won't stop the apps receiving data when the app is actually open though, so be careful, unless you've disabled data in other ways. Equally you need to turn off push mail (MobileMe, Microsoft Exchange). Go to Settings Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Fetch New Data and slide Push to Off.

13. Turn it downRefrain from employing the speaker for music playback and turn down the volume - louder playback can make a difference, even with the headphones. Set the phone to silent on the side.

14. Dim your screen
Turn off auto-brightness and whack the brightness down as low as possible. Especially effective for many of us, as it's the supreme brightness that's one of the things that makes the iPhone screen look terrific, so it's usually very bright as a default.

15. Go airplane
If you've got very little coverage, you can't make calls anyway. If you're going to be in a coverage lowspot for a little while, turn on Airplane Mode. It makes a serious difference, since your handset won't be continuously searching for a network signal. This is one of the biggest drains of battery life on any handset.

This post is sponsored by: Dr Mobiles Limited
1 Huron Street, Takapuna, North Shore 0622Tel: (09) 551-5344 and Mob: (021) 264-0000
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> No inspection fee at all!

> 1 hour iPhone 4 repair

> Repair while you wait

> Free 30 min parking

> Free loan phone

Apple iPhone Repair: Some hidden codes used by professional Apple iPhone 4 Repair Experts. www.drmobiles.co.nz, 095515344

Here are some more secret iPhone codes for you to enjoy. After realizing that the *3001#12345#* was a familiar Nokia code, I decided to spend some time googling for other phone codes that might work on the iPhone. These (mostly) do. Feel free to add your own to the comments.
**WARNING***
The information is for reading fun and academic research purpsoe only.  Use it at your OWN RISK and do not blame the author of this blog should anything goes wrong with your iPhone!  So do be kindly advice.  These codes with tested in the USA but some works in New Zealand
*3001#12345#* and tap Call. Enter Field Mode.
Field mode reveals many of the inner settings of your iPhone, specifically up-to-date network and cell information.
*#06# Displays your IMEI. No need to tap Call.
IMEI is the unique identifier for your cell phone hardware. Together with your SIM information it identifies you to the provider network.
*777# and tap Call. Account balance for prepaid iPhone.
*225# and tap Call. Bill Balance. (Postpaid only)
*646# and tap Call. Check minutes. (Postpaid only)
These three are pretty self explanatory.
*#21# and tap Call. Setting interrogation for call forwards.
Discover the settings for your call forwarding. You'll see whether you have voice, data, fax, sms, sync, async, packet access, and pad access call forwarding enabled or disabled.
*#30# and tap Call. Calling line presentation check.
This displays whether you have enabled or disabled the presentation of the calling line, presumably the number of the party placing the call.
*#76# and tap Call. Check whether the connected line presentation is enabled or not.
State whether the connected line presentation is enabled or disabled. Presumably similar to the calling line presentation.
*#43# and tap Call. Determine if call waiting is enabled.
Displays call waiting status for voice, data, fax, sms, sync data, async data, packet access and pad access. Each item is either enabled or disabled.
*#61# and tap Call. Check the number for unanswered calls.
Show the number for voice call forwarding when a call is unanswered. Also show the options for data, fax, sms, sync, async, packet access and pad access.
*#62# and tap Call. Check the number for call forwarding if no service is available.
Just like the previous, except for no-service rather than no-answer situations.
*#67# and tap Call. Check the number for call forwarding when the iPhone is busy.
And again, but for when the iPhone is busy.
*#33# and tap Call. Check for call control bars.
Check all the usual suspects (voice, data, fax, sms, etc) to see whether barring is enabled or disabled for outgoing.

This post is sponsored by: Dr Mobiles Limited

1 Huron Street, Takapuna, North Shore 0622Tel: (09) 551-5344 and Mob: (021) 264-0000
Web - FaceBook - Localist - Posterous - Twitter - Blogger - Flicker  - Map - Email Uploaded via Apple iPhone 4!

Why Dr Mobiles Limited?

The only professional repair centre who DOES NOT charge inspection fees on faulty phones.
> No inspection fee at all!

> 1 hour iPhone 4 repair

> Repair while you wait

> Free 30 min parking

> Free loan phone