This is our first video that we have created on iPhoneMalaysiaBlog.com

Hope all of you like it………..

Looking forward to produce more videos in the future….

cheers,

iPhone Malaysia Bloggers

A few days ago someone has discovered a new hack into the iPhone iOS 4.1 software which enables him to break into your iPhone to make phone calls even if your iPhone has been password locked. There is a special sequence that you will need to follow in order to do this.

All you have to do is as follows:-

1.  Grab a password protected iPhone running on the iOS 4.0 or iOS 4.1

2.  Slide to unlock

3.  Press the “emergency call” button

4.  Key in *** or ###

5.  Hit the call button and immediately press the power(on/off) button immediately after

Voila………. you have just broken into the iPhone.

iPhone Malaysia Bloggers have tested this on both the jailbroken and non-jailbroken iPhones running the iOS 4.1 and found that both can be broken into. We have also tested it out on the iOS 3.13 iPhone 3G and it was alright(meaning it cannot be broken into). On the iOS 3.13 iPhone 3G, the screen just goes blank.

Well this is the bad news………..  :-(

The good news is ……….    :-)

Apple has acknowledged this security flaw and will get it fixed in the iOS 4.2 which will be released in November 2010(not too far away). So, in the meantime, if you are using the iPhone running on the iOS 4.0 or iOS 4.1, please make sure that you do not lose your iPhone even if it is password locked. Some beta users of the iOS 4.2 Beta 3 users have reported that the problem is solved and they do not see the problem in the iOS 4.2 Beta 3 version of the software.

Below is a video on how this is done:-

Although the iPhone comes pre-installed with Maps, it does not have voice navigation which is important for users who wish to have a full fledge GPS navigation solution. TomTom, one of the world’s top GPS maker, has finally released the version 1.5 of the software for iPhone. So, what’s new in the version 1.5 software. Below are some of the features that are available in this release of software:-

1. Navigate-To-Photo functionality: If you have a photo of the place you want to go, just tap on the image and TomTom will take you there. You will no longer need to enter the address to get there. This is one of the key feature of this new release and one that users want. What you see is where you’ll go!

2. New and updated maps: Your new TomTom app comes with the latest and most updated map, ready to navigate.

3. Optimized for iPhone 4: If you own an iPhone 4, Turn-by-turn navigation with TomTom just got even better, with high resolution retina display graphics. Menus are also more responsive, even with limited GPS reception.

The rest of the features remain unchanged and include multi-tasking support (included with the iOS 4), advanced lane guidance (i.e. which lane you should take for an upcoming exit), IQ Routes that take into account current traffic conditions, street name announcements, and so on.

Feature wise, this app is packed with a lot of great stuff. The only disadvantages are the continued use of the TomTom App on the iPhone will suck up battery life. The way around this is to install the car kit which includes the charger and holder for the iPhone device to allow true handsfree operation. In addition to that, the price tag of the app is a whopping US$59.99. At this price, it is probably one of the more expensive app available on the iTunes. Having said that, it is still a convenient choice for iPhone users who do not wish to carry another GPS device with them when they travel.

Below is the video on some of the features of the new TomTom GPS app(version 1.5):-

One of the highly popular and addictive games available on the iPhone is Angry Birds. This iPhone game is developed by Rovio, a developer based in Finland. Since its release to the Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch devices on 10th December 2009, the app has been downloaded/purchased more than 6.6 Million times.

Background of game: A group of evil pigs have stolen the eggs from the birds. These flock of birds are now furious and wants to take revenge as well as to retrieve back their eggs. To prevent these birds from attacking them, the evil pigs have built some structures that are made from various materials ranging from wood, glass and rocks. These pigs are hiding behind these structures. The objective of the game is to eliminate all the evil pigs by launching the birds using a slingshot.

There are different types of birds which have different capabilities in the game. Below are the list of the birds and their abilities:-

• Red birds – basic bird that use their size and momentum to attack.
• Blue birds – can be separated into three smaller birds by touching the screen to add punch into the attack
• Yellow birds – can speed up by touching the screen to dash into their targets with a higher momentum
• Black birds – can explode on command or after hitting with an object
• White birds – can drop egg-shaped bombs onto the structures to damage them as well as the evil pigs
• Green birds – can fly in the opposite direction like a boomerang to knock off the evil pigs
• Big Brother birds – almost like the standard red birds but bigger in size and can cause more damage

You will get stars depending on how many birds that you have used in order to eliminate all the evil pigs, the lesser birds use, the better the star rating. Hence, it provides a challenge to the players to strive for the maximum number of stars i.e. three. This is where it gets addictive as players will repeat the same level over and over again to make it to 3 stars with the highest score.

Below is the trailer of the game:-

Every levels have pre-determined types and number of birds in a sequential order which cannot be changed. The pigs also appear in different sizes and shapes. Some pigs even have helmets which makes them stronger and harder to be eliminated than others. Hence, it requires the player to think and plan strategically before the start of the game in order to maximize the power of the different types of birds.

Points are scored for each pig that is eliminated as well as for the extent of damages done to the structures. Players can receive up to three stars for each completed level, depending on the points scored.

Since its successful debut on the iPhone, the developer has also launched it on other smartphone platforms and is also attracting a huge following too.

It is currently available on the iTunes Store at a promotion price of US$0.99. If you would like to test it out first before purchasing the full version, the lite version of Angry Birds is available for free downloads.

Conclusion: All in all, i think this is a fantastic and highly addictive game. It gets the iPhone Malaysia Bloggers’ thumbsup. The graphics, sound and the many levels and variations to the game makes it very interesting and addictive.

Just found an iPhone video that has gone viral in Youtube attracting more than 2.7 million views since October 14 2010. Wow, that is an amazing number of views in less than 2 weeks?!? So, what is so great about this video that has made it gone viral in Youtube.

Let’s check it out……
It was created by a band called the “Atomic Tom”. In the video, they performed their song “Take Me Out” using only iPhones loaded with instruments Apps.  At the start of the video, they have claimed that they have lost their musical instruments and needed to improvise by using the iPhones as their musical instruments. They later confessed in an interview with ABC News that their musical instruments were not stolen and they actually have battery-powered amplifiers under their seats to boost up the sound from their iPhones.

Below is the video that has gone viral in Youtube:-

Well, a lot of people from Youtube commented that they are very talented……………  The iPhone Malaysia Bloggers think that they are not too bad but there are equally good ones from Malaysia like the Penang iBand. Malaysia Boleh! Penang Boleh!

Check out some of the videos produced by Malaysia’s very own iBand below:-

Penang iBand performed “Love Story” by Taylor Swift

Penang iBand performed “Kiss Goodbye” by Wang Leehom

Really keeps me wondering what is the real difference between the videos by Atomic Tom vs Penang iBand. Both has got talent but one has gone viral in Youtube but not the other. If you know the answer, do let me know by providing your comments below.

The race for smartphone market dominance continues to get more heated as the entire smartphone market grew by a whopping 78% annually to 77 Million units. In the Q3 2010, Apple has finally surpassed Research in Motion by shipping 15.4 Million units of iPhones globally compared to RIM’s 12.3 Million Blackberries, the Researchers at Strategic Analytics reported yesterday. With the 78% growth rate, the smartphone market is certainly on a major upswing. The top spot in the smartphone market still belongs to Nokia who is the top dog with 26.5 Million units shipped globally in the same quarter.

There may be more bad news coming to RIM as more and more corporates are slowly beginning to accept the iPhone as a corporate phone(a market that was dominated by RIM previously).

This Q3 2010 results may be skewed a little to Apple’s favour because of the launch of its iPhone 4. Since RIM has recently launched its Blackbery Torch, let’s see if they are able to wrestle back the 2nd spot from Apple in the coming 4th quarter.  :-)

Since the announcement of the Malaysian Budget 2011 by our Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak last Friday, many people have been asking if we will be expecting any price drops in the price for the iPhone 4.

So, let’s investigate on what has our PM said and if there will be any drop in the price of the iPhone 4 due to the Budget 2011……..

“ordinary mobile phones are subject to 10 per cent sales tax but mobile phones with various applications such as Internet and personal digital assistant (PDA) are exempted from sales tax,” said Najib. “For the purpose of streamlining tax treatment, the government proposes that sales tax be exempted on all types of mobile phones.”

What this means is that, in the past(before the budget 2011 announcement), PDAs or smart phones are already exempted from sales tax. The additional sales tax exemption on ordinary mobile phones are given to be consistent with the tax treatment on Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). Since the iPhone 4 is classified more as a PDA than an ordinary phone, it would have been exempted from sales tax anyway.

As such, the budget 2011 announcement will likely have no effect at all on the price packages for iPhone 4 offered by Maxis and DiGi.

Any price drops(if any) on the iPhone 4 will likely be due to the competition between the 2 telcos(Maxis and Digi) to gain a bigger market share and not because of the Budget 2011 announcement.

We have spent sometime to analyze both the iPhone 4 plans provided by Digi as well as Maxis. The plans offered by both telcos are considered very close and each has their own advantages as well as disadvantages. Let’s dissect the plans further to uncover which iPhone 4 plan is more suitable for your use. For comparison purpose, we will only be looking at the iDigi88 vs iValue1 and iDigi138 vs iValue2. Also, for the 24 months contract plans only as Digi does not have any 12 months contract plans for the iPhone 4.

Below is the table of the comparison of the Digi vs Maxis iPhone 4 plans:-

From the table above, you will notice that the Digi’s iPhone 4 plans have a slightly lower cost of ownership(over 24 months period) compared to the Maxis’ plans. In addition to that, if you are on direct debit, Digi is offering an additional RM5 off its monthly subscription which is another RM120 off over the 24 months period.

Let’s go thru the advantages of each of the plans individually…….

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