SuperSwitcher is a new jailbreak mod in Cydia that offers extended functionality and settings access to the Fast App Switcher on your iPhone.

Don’t you just hate searching for your favorite app icon in between so many Springboard pages? Wish you could just “bookmark” your favorite apps in the multitasking bar? Now you can with SuperSwitcher!

With SuperSwitcher you can bookmark your 9 favorite apps in the menu above the multitasking bar, and the apps can be set through Settings. But that’s not all! You can also change the system settings right from the menu above the multitasking bar!

• Toggle Bluetooth
• Toggle WiFi
• Change volume and brightness settings
• Respring
• Reboot
• Safe Mode
• Tweet, SMS, Mail or Call anyone on the fly

SuperSwitcher takes your multitasking bar to the next level!

This is a really great mod that adds a lot of value to the Fast App Switcher. You can customize your favorite apps for instant access, control brightness and other settings on-the-fly and then some.

If you run into any trouble you can always jump into our Jailbreak and Unlock forums or post it in the comments!

• $.99 — Cydia Store Link

YouTube Link

If your iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS is having trouble charging, picking up a signal, or has a dead mic or speaker – replacing the dock assembly should remedy any of these problems. It can also solve issues with an unresponsive home button. A DIY dock assembly repair is an easy enough fix if you’ve got the right tools and about thirty minutes to spare.

Disclaimer: As with any repair, TiPb nor PXLFIX can be held responsible for any damage you may do to your device. It’s also worth considering that opening up your device to perform any repair or modification can and will void your Apple warranty. If you don’t feel comfortable opening your device, don’t. Use extreme care and caution when performing a repair on any device.

What replacing a dock assembly fixes

• Microphone
• Dead speaker
• Charging port
• Wifi and 3G antennas
• Unresponsive home button (This problem can be caused by two issues – the dock connector or digitizer assembly. If replacing the dock connector does not correct the issue, try replacing your digitizer assembly.)

What you need for a DIY dock assembly repair

PXLFIX recommends using only quality and genuine parts from a reputable supplier like eTech Parts. They have quality parts, tools, and much more for all your repair needs.

• A sad iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS
• A replacement dock connector assembly (while the repair is very similar for both 3G and 3GS users, the part is different so make sure you order the correct one for your device) – iPhone 3G dock assembly, iPhone 3GS dock assembly
• A #00 Phillips screwdriver
• A suction cup
• A plastic pry tool or spudger
• A SIM removal tool or paperclip

Power off your iPhone

Before performing any repair, always power off your device before removing any screws or parts.

Remove the dock connector screws

Using your #00 Phillips screwdriver, remove the 2 screws located on each side of the dock connector.

Remove the digitizer & LCD assembly

This part can be a bit tricky so please do this with extreme care so you don’t tear any cables during the process. I highly recommend using the suction cup method unless your screen is cracked above the home button for some reason and you can’t get a proper seal with the suction cup.

Suction cup method (recommended):

The easiest way to remove the digitizer assembly is by using a suction cup.

1. Position the suction cup on the screen directly above the home button.
2. Using your other hand, hold down the frame while gently pulling up on the suction cup.
3. The goal is to get the bottom of the digitizer loose. Do not pull directly up. There are 3 cables attached in the top right of your iPhone. You do not want to tear these. Just pull up until the bottom of the assembly pops out.
4. After you have the bottom up you can remove the suction cup.

Spudger/razor blade method (only use this method as a secondary method):

ONLY use this method if your screen is cracked above the home button. If this is the case, you’ll need to use a razor blade or spudger in order to remove it. And while you’re at it, replace that broken screen!

1. Starting in the bottom left hand corner, insert a plastic spudger and gently pry up. Once the first side is starting to pop up, do the same on the bottom right side.
2. Run your pry tool along the bottom of the device in order to pop up the bottom of the assembly. Take special care around the home button area.

Remove the cables that attach the digitizer assembly to the logic board:

Once you have the bottom of your digitizer assembly popped up we can remove the cables attaching it to the logic board.

1. Gently lift up your digitizer enough to have a clear view of the 3 cables in the top right of your iPhone.

2. With your plastic spudger or pry tool, you’ll need to pry up the first two cables that attach the digitizer and LCD. They should be labeled with orange stickers numbered 1 and 2. Simply pop them off the logic board gently.

3. Underneath these cables you’ll see one other labeled as cable 3. This one is a bit trickier as it is clipped down. You’ll need to gently pop up the clasp holding it into the fastener. It is a tiny white clip. Simply pop it upwards and the number 3 cable should then slide right out.

4. Remove the digitizer & LCD assembly and set it aside.

Remove your SIM card

Using your SIM tool or a paperclip, either works, remove your SIM card and tray from your device.

Unclip cables from the logic board

1. Towards the top left of the logic board, use your pry tool to pop up the two cables labeled 5 and 6.

2. Towards the bottom of the logic board, 3G owners will only see one cable to the left labeled 4. 3GS users will see two cables (one on each side of the dock connector) labeled 4 and 7. 3G users will just pop up the number 4 cable while 3GS owners will need to pop up both the number 4 and 7 cables.

Remove your logic board

1. Remove the 8 screws outlined in the video that hold the logic board in place. One of the screws is under a Do not remove sticker at the bottom right by the dock connector. Obviously you’ll have to remove the sticker to get to it.

2. Make sure you place the screws in an order you will remember. They are different sizes in some instances so you’ll need to make sure you put them back in the correct order.

3. Notice the screw holding the camera in place has a metal bracket underneath it. Just take care not to lose this as you’ll need to put it back during reassembly.

4. Gently pop your camera up with your spudger or pry tool.

5. Insert your pry tool in the space between the dock connector and logic board and gently pry upward to loosen the logic board.
6. Gently grab the bottom of the logic board and slide it out downwards to remove it.

Remove the old dock connector

3G owners

1. Remove the two screws on either side of the bottom of the dock connector.
2. To remove the dock connector gently pull it up and out.
3. Take note of how the brackets for the screws go above the screw holds in the casing. You’ll need to make sure this is how you line up the new dock connector.

3GS owners

1. Remove the two screws on either side of the bottom of the dock connector.
2. Remove the screw underneath the number 4 cable holding the dock connector into the casing.
3. To remove the dock connector gently pull it up and out.
4. Take note of how the brackets for the screws go above the screw holds in the casing. You’ll need to make sure this is how you line up the new dock connector.

And… done!

If you followed all the steps above correctly you should be able to power on your phone and be on your way! Test the dock connector out to make sure it’s fully functional by checking wifi, placing a test call, and attempting to charge it.

Have you done this repair yourself? Let us know how it went! Want to know how to perform another type of iPhone repair or modification? Send me suggestions to ally.kazmucha@imore.com or leave a comment in our brand new Mod and DIY Repair Forum!

For questions or to inquire about mail-in repairs through PXLFIX, please follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook or e-mail us directly! Of course, you can like us and follow us just because you think we’re cool too!

We’re now fully into 2012 and already, we’ve been hearing about some great things to come from Apple. Of course, we’ll have to wait and see what turns out to be true and what turns out to just be rumors but that’s part of the fun. Looking to discuss all things Apple? We’ve got a spot just for you in the TiPb forums, you can register now to get started today:

• iPhone 4S Forum: So.. I did a hard reset and…..
• iPhone 4 Forum: Getting control of auto sync activity
• iCloud Forum Calendars issue With iPhone 4S and iPad2
• iPad 2 Forum Email security in WiFi zones
• Jailbreak and Unlock Forum Positives and Negatives about JailBreaking your iPhone?

If you’re not already a member of the TiPb Forums, register now!

Japanese news site Macotakara reported last week that Apple has supplied Made For iPhone accessory makers with a new authentication chip using Bluetooth 4.0 and the Bluetooth Low Energy protocol, making it easier to setup and authenticate devices for use over the dock connector and Bluetooth with a specific push for fitness and health-related apps.

It was previously speculated that this new authentication system would support Bluetooth for carrying content over AirPlay, but The Verge was able to squash the rumor with a bit of clarification from Apple. Instead, Apple wants more MFI accessory makers to use the new spec in devices like the recently-released Jawbone UP and similar hardware. The process will make it easier for users to configure wireless devices by connecting to WiFi networks and grabbing Bluetooth configuration information, ultimately requiring little effort on the user’s part to get everything up and running.

The Bluetooth Accessory Protocol was introduced in iOS 5, but only around 2 percent of MFI accessory makers are actually utilizing the new stack. Hopefully this new authentication chip will bring wider adoption to less tech-savvy iOS users, but we’ll have to wait until we start seeing supporting hardware pop up in the market.

Source: Macotakara via The Verge

Google is collecting information from Wi-Fi access points from all over the world  to enable it to speed up location services. Unfortunately it is gathering this information and maybe more, without the consent of the owners of the access point.

What’s more, Google is not only gathering data from public Wi-Fi access points but also from home and business users too. If you value your privacy, there is a way to stop Google recording your Wi-Fi access point’s location information. It’s reasonably straight forward to implement.

• Log in to your routers home page; usually this is done via an IP address similar to 192.168.0.1 if you don’t know, consult your router instruction manual
• Once you are logged in, go to the routers Wireless Settings

• Find the name or SSID of your Wi-Fi access point

• Add _nomap to the end o the the SSID

• Make sure to Apply or Save the changes
• That’s it, Google will no longer have your Wi-Fi router in its database.

Source: Google via Android Central

When your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch is not connected to a WiFi network and it sees one, it will ask if you want to join. This is a really handy feature when you want to join it however what about if you don’t? If you are in an area with a lot of networks it can quickly become very irritating, dealing with these pop ups. Well the good news is that you can stop it from happening.

• Start off by selecting Settings
• Then open WiFi
• Scroll down to the bottom of the page
• Flick the toggle switch for Ask to Join Networks to Off

• Start off by selecting Settings
• Then open WiFi
• Select the network you want to join
• Enter any password needed to access that network

DataMan for iPhone is a utility that allows you to monitor your data usage in a few unique ways that a lot of other data utilities don’t. The app not only monitors your network usage, it will also monitors your wifi usage. You can view your usage on a map and it will break out where you are using data and what kind of data you were using. For people who want to save a bit of cash and use a lower data plan, this may be an app you would want to check out.

iTunes Link

When you first launch DataMan, you’ll notice the app is dead simple to navigate through. The layout’s pretty intuitive and easy to use. You can enter your usage period (billing cycle) as well. For me, my usage cycle starts over on the 4th of every month, so I set it to begin on the 4th and end on the 3rd of the following month.

DataMan also allows you to set alerts for different usage levels as well. This way, the app will send you a push notification when you reach certain data usage levels. I also really like the map feature. It will link together all the different places you’ve used data. Not exactly a “needed” feature for most, but it’s certainly neat to see the trends and where you browse the most. The data will not only break up into a total amount, but into how much you’re using each day of the month. As you can see in the screenshot above, it also lets you know how much of that data is downstream and how much is upstream.

Some of my friends or family members are on 200MB plans with the iPhones and like to monitor their usage pretty closely. While AT&T allows you to check your data via text, their numbers are always a day to two days behind. Since DataMan monitors data as you use it, you’ll always know exactly how much data you’ve used in real time.

Pros

• Layout is easy to figure out
• Presents you with more information than most data monitoring applications
• Mapping data usage is a creative way to view your usage

Cons

• Sometimes push notifications don’t always come through, hopefully this is a bug that will be worked out in an update

In a move designed to make even notorious Wi-Fi stripper Verizon seem liberal by comparison, China Mobile’s outstanding demand that Apple strip the iPhone of both Wi-Fi and 3G if they want to sell to the worlds largest carrier just got an uncomfortable shot of “maybe” via Apple Insider:

while there’s no concrete information to suggest Apple would agree to make such concessions, references to “ChinaBrick” discovered in betas of iPhone Software 3.0 leave room for debate.

Also at issue, China Mobile wants control of the regional App Store. Without 3G or Wi-Fi, would there even be a point?

And we’d joked about AT&T…

Back before the iPhone, I was using one of GRC.com‘s long, pseudo-random passwords for my WPA-protected Wi-Fi network. Typing it into iPhone 1.x, even iPhone 2.x was a non-starter, however, so I shrank it down considerably.

Similar security-conscious folks have lamented not only the lack of copy and paste on the iPhone, but especially the lack of “paste-into-password field” to support just those kinds of super-secure strings.

Well, it looks like we might be getting them — along with the previously discussed copy and paste features, in iPhone 3.0.

Whether this makes it or not into the final release version is something only time will tell (because Apple, of course, isn’t saying).

But we want it.

Following up on the MobileMe data merge screenshots… We’d heard mention of this when iPhone 3.0 was introduced, but it’s the first time we’ve actually seen how it actually works. WiFi Settings now includes and option for auto-join, which we’re assuming saves passwords for commercial, web-fronted WiFi services like you’d find at a hotel or coffee shop.

Also, when you log in, you get a special slide-up window with some new controls and an embeded web-view — no more app-jump to Safari.

Very nice!

Again, for more iPhone 3.0, check out our giant walkthrough…

We’d heard rumors about this back when mobile 802.11n WiFi chipsets began to announced, and when the next gen iPhone was said to be “faster“. Now Apple Insider is reporting that:

Wireless radio component specifications contained within the iPhone 3.0 firmware indicate support for a new chip enabling low power 802.11n, which is likely to be exposed in the new iPhone and iPod touch set for release later this year.

Along with faster CPUs, faster GPUs, and faster cellular networking, 802.11n Wifi, anyone think speed isn’t the name of the game Apple’s playing with the next gen iPhone?

Since all current and previous iPhone (and iPod touch) devices have 802.11b/g WiFi, if placed on a faster, wider-range 802.11n network, they typically cause such networks to downgrade to 802.11b/g speeds for compatibility. This means your hyper-fast router will slow down your iMac or MacBook whenever your iPhone hits the network…

…But maybe not for much longer?

Apple Insider reports that the FCC has just been hit with new versions of the Airport Extreme (802.11n Router) and Time Capsule (802.11n Router + HD for Time Machine backup) that handle things a tad more gracefully:

The documents appear to indicate that Apple is adding a combined mode, allowing its AirPort base stations to simultaneously support iPhones and other 802.11b/g devices operating at 2.4 GHz, while also broadcasting 802.11n wide signals in the 5GHz band to maximize throughput for notebooks and devices such as Apple TV. Existing models can only run in one mode or the other, providing either wide compatibility or the highest possible network performance, but not both.

While only the most power-mad of power users will likely ditch their old Airport Extreme or Time Capsule for the latest/greatest, the new features should appeal to iPhone users looking for high-quality routers to round out their setups.

Now who wants one?

The current generation of iPhone, iPod Touch, and pretty much all mobile devices max out at last generation 802.11g WiFi speeds. Could the next generation finally catch up? They’d need something that packed all that speed and range into a pretty tiny chip… Luckily, Engadget says such a chip is already becoming available:

Broadcom has announced its BCM4329, one of the first mobile 802.11n solutions on the block. On top of delivering up to 50Mbps of real-world WiFi throughput on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, the darned thing throws in Bluetooth, an FM receiver, and an FM transmitter, too — in other words, everything but the kitchen sink, where the “kitchen sink” is the cellular radio itself.

Since TiPb is still predicting an iPhone HD for 2009, and 802.11n was part of that prediction (we’ll need it to stream 800×480 video!), we’ll just say it right now: yes please!

Sorry we’re a almost as late at AT&T with this one, folks. (We were busy engineering a TiPbDOS attack over on Stickam, it seems!) But like AT&T, we’ll keep on keeping on… In their case, however, it’s (finally!) making good on the 3G launch-day promise of free WiFi for iPhone users at AT&T hotspots.

According to SMS and email notifications going out, here are the deets:

AT&T knows Wi-Fi is hot, and FREE Wi-Fi is even hotter. Which is why FREE AT&T Wi-Fi access is now available for Apple iPhone at thousands of hotspots nationwide, including Starbucks*. Users can relax and access music, email and web browsing services with their favorite blend in hand from the comfort of their nearest location. For information visit www.att.com/attwifi.

So, if you find yourself at a Starbucks with your Gibson-esque Quinte-Vinte-Latte, let us know how good the side order of WiFi goes with that!

PdaNet has been hailed as the best reason to Jailbreak your iPhone. Why? Because it sets your iPhone up as a WiFi router that you can easily connect to with your laptop. This setup is ideal for a lot of users for a few reason:

1. It’s dead-simple to set up, as it doesn’t require any weird software or modem configuration on your laptop
2. Since the iPhone becomes a simple WiFi router, there are no blocked ports. Unlike NetShare, PdaNet is not a ‘SOCKS proxy,’ so you can use any internet protocol (like iChat or AIM) and not have to worry about whether or not it will work.
3. Although you’d take a big old hit on speed, you could theoretically share your internet connection with several computers.

There is one major caveat you need to be aware of with PdaNet, however. The Terms of Service on the standard AT&T iPhone contract and also on their standard Data Plans do not allow you to tether. Most people simply ignore this and go ahead and tether anyway — being careful not to overdo it to prevent AT&T from hitting them with extra fees or even a cancellation. If that doesn’t worry you, read on for a full how to on getting PdaNet setup to tether to your Laptop!

Step One: JailBreak your iPhone

This might be the most intimidating part of the entire process, but fret not. Jeremy has supplied us with easy-to-follow instructions that will guide you through the entire process. During this process, pay attention to the ‘Customize your firmware” section — you’ll want to make sure you check “Add Cydia” to your firmware, as that’s where PdaNet lives.

1. How to Jailbreak an iPhone 3G with a Mac
2. How to Jailbreak an iPhone 3G with a Windows PC
3. How to Jailbreak a 1st Generation iPhone with a Windows PC

After you’ve jailbroken your iPhone, you might consider a quick detour to the Top 5 Must-Have Jailbreak Apps to celebrate your newly Jailbroken iPhone.

Step Two: Set Up Cydia

Once your iPhone is Jailbroken, you’re going to want to install PdaNet. The place you install from is Cydia, which is an application that connects you to tons of jailbroken applications, much like the more-familiar installer.app. However, it’s very likely that Cydia isn’t going to be up-to-date yet when you first start it up, so we’ll need to get that going.

First, start up Cydia and you can go ahead and go through the introductory screens. It will ask you to make some “Essential Upgrades” and you should do that right away. It may also ask you to choose what sort of interface you want, I chose the most basic interface and suggest you do the same.

When the app is finally done with its first-run update stuff, you’re going to want to hit the “Changes” tab at the bottom:

Go ahead and hit the “Upgrade” button in the upper-right of your screen to install everything there. The reason you’re doing this is because PdaNet is hosted by ModMyi.com and you won’t be able to download it until that repository is updated. The short version: go ahead and do those updates.

Step Three: Install PdaNet!

Now that you have Cydia updated, you’re ready to use it to install PdaNet. Go head and tap the Search tab on the lower-right. In the search bar at the top, simply tap in “pdanet” (or just “pda”) to autofilter the list of all apps down to the one we want: PdaNet. Then tap PdaNet in the list.

You’ll see an info screen for PdaNet. Tap the “Install” button in the upper right, then the “confirm” button in the upper right on the next screen, then watch the magic install happen:

Congratulations! You’ve installed PdaNet!

Step Four: Set up an AdHoc WiFi Network

Although PdaNet is a full-on WiFi router, it doesn’t actually set up a WiFi network that your computer can just join. Instead, what you’ll need to do is set up an “Ad Hoc WiFi Network” on your computer and then join that network on your iPhone. What this essentially does is tell your computer to create a WiFi Network and allow computers on that network to share internet connections. Your iPhone will then become one of those ‘computers’ and your laptop will be able to use its network.

This seems a little intimidating, but in truth it’s very simple. The good news is you should only have to do the hard stuff the first time. The second time you want to tether you can just switch to that Ad Hoc network and turn on PdaNet!

One quick note: the PdaNet application has a convenient question mark button on the lower left which is a link to this How To at June Fabrics’ (the maker of PdaNet) website. If you’re setting up a new computer and don’t have access to this guide, that’ll do the trick.

Ok, another quick note: for those who are very security conscious, we should note that the network you’re going to set up will only be able to use WEP encryption for security. WEP encryption is kind of like a door made of paper: it will prevent the casual passerby from entering, but it won’t stop anybody with even a little bit of determination. If you’re concerned that a hacker could be within WiFi range or are otherwise security sensitive, PdaNet is probably not the tethering option for you.

How to set up an Ad Hoc WiFi Network on a PC

First, open up your Control Panel and then “Network Connections”

Now, you need to right-click on your “Wireless Network Connection” and then you’ll select “Properties” in the dropdown.

Now that you’re looking at the properties of your Wireless Connection, you need to switch to the “Wireless Networks” tab.

On this window, there’s an “Add” button there underneath “Preferred networks.” Go ahead an click that. You’re about to create your first Ad Hoc WiFi Network!

The window that appears after you click “Add” is where you’re going to enter all the info for your Ad Hoc Network. Give it a name like “PdaTether”. Set your “Network Authentication” to “Open” and your “Data Encryption” to “WEP.” Then set a “Network Key” to something easy to remember, but not too easy. This is the password for your Ad Hoc Network. We very strongly recommend you set a password, otherwise anybody in the area will not only have access to your internet connection, but also network access to your computer. Not Good.

Next, be sure to click “This is a computer-to-computer (ad hoc) network; wireless access points are not used.” Once you’ve done that, click OK. Congratulations, you have set up your Ad Hoc WiFi Network. Jump down to Step Five.

How to Set Up an Ad Hoc WiFi Network on a Mac

Try not to get too cocky about this, Mac-people, but your instructions are a bit easier than for the PC folks.

Step one, click on the Airport icon in the upper right of your screen and select “Add New network.” On the window that pops up, you simply need to enter a network name, leave the channel on automatic, and then click the box next to “Require Password.”

As the instructions on the window indicate, you should only enter a 5-letter password; we recommend a mix of letters and numbers. As mentioned in the Windows section, we very strongly recommend you set a password, otherwise anybody in the area will not only have access to your internet connection, but also network access to your computer. Not Good. Click OK and then, boom, you have created an Ad Hoc WiFi network!

Step Five: Connect your iPhone to Your Ad Hoc WiFi Network

Now grab your iPhone and head into Settings, Tap Wi-Fi, and then select your new network. Enter your password and smile a bit: you’re almost done!

Step Six: Open PdaNet

Now hit the home button and open up PdaNet –iIt will check to make sure that your WiFi connection is the right kind, and then once it is, pow, it will “Just Work.” You can tell because PdaNet will switch over to the following screen, which lists connected computers and data transferred.

At this point, we’re going to go ahead and recommend you plug your iPhone in to keep it charged, as you’re really going to be sucking down the battery. As mentioned at the top of the article, be careful you don’t use too much data or you might sent up a red flag at AT&T.

PdaNet does have a feature that allows you to exit out of it to check another app, but beware that it may shut down if you don’t head back to it fairly quickly. I haven’t tried it yet, but I suspect that Backgrounder might allow PdaNet to operate in the background indefinitely.

Step Seven: Turn off PdaNet and Celebrate!

When you’re done, just hit the toggle switch at the bottom of PdaNet and then head back to your computer and switch your network back to what you normally use. Huzzah — you’re now a mobile master!

If this is not bizarre, I don’t know what is. Customers looking to purchase a iPhone 3G in China will soon be able to do so. Just a little catch though, minus the 3G and toss in the omission of WiFi.

China Mobile does not have a 3G network so I understand them asking Apple to disable 3G but going a step further asking to disabling WiFi as well?! That leaves all of the owners of the iPhone 3G (don’t forget to take away that 3G) with a slow 2G data connection. China Mobile might as well sell the iPhone 3G as a very nice paperweight to all of their customers. Exactly why China Mobile would disable WiFi is way beyond me.

Apple ships the iPhone all over the world, so it is highly doubtful that a hardware change would be made simply for China Mobile. So how would these features be disabled? Software… Which means potential customers could still turn to hackers to gain back access to at least WiFi. It would only be a matter of time…

(Via Gizmodo)

Confession: My iPhone 3G/2.x experience has been relatively painless so far. No dropped calls, almost no 3G issues, very few App crashes, no eternal syncs, etc. While Steve Jobs reportedly said I’m in the norm, along with 98% of other iPhone users, you really wouldn’t know that from the intertubes. They’re on fire with dissatisfied users, and reader Anon, commenting on a post, points us to a thread on Apple’s discussion boards that indicates the dissatisfaction may not be ending any time soon.

The latest problem is with the 2.1 firmware — technically the 2.1.1 firmware already shipping, apparently, on the new second generation iPod Touch — and WiFi. Specifically, non-Apple Airport WiFi access points and the WPA security protocol (which should be what everyone is using now, right?)

While some might think this is no big deal, considering the older WEP protocol remains an option, TiPb would remind you that system can be broken in less than a minute these days, rendering it little better than no security at all.

For the record, however, I helped upgrade a 1st gen iPod Touch to 2.1 on Wednesday, and it connected to with no problems whatsoever to a Linksys WiFi router, so this might be one of the increasingly common, more complicated and multi-factor errors Apple’s been encountering (like Vista BSODs with iTunes 8…)

On the iPhone side, does this mean we’ll be getting 2.1.1 tomorrow as well? And will face similar problems? Or is Apple even now rushing an emergency rebuild of 2.1.1 or even 2.1.2 to finally — finally — give the 2%ers some stability?

Here’s the backstory to what you’re looking at, above: Mobile Computing posted up a video showing that the iPhone 3G obliterated the BlackBerry Bold in a download & render test of web browsers (We just covered this, oh, hours ago). Fun stuff, except as our friends at CrackBerry noted (and MC added too) – it wasn’t a fair fight. The Bold probably wasn’t actually using WiFi and also most of the Bolds out there have pre-release ROMS on them, so the finals might be a stitch faster.

So a loyal CB reader pitched in and posted a video of the Bold loading the same page again, but this time actually using WiFi, it came in a little bit faster.

At TiPb, though, we figured it still looked slow. But since the Bold probably had a pre-release OS on it, we figured we’d hobble the iPhone 3G as well. So above, Loyal Moderator Bad Ash pits the BlackBerry Bold on WiFi against the iPhone 3G on EDGE.

Yeah, it’s closer, but we’re still ahead by 4 seconds or so. Tie the iPhone 3G’s WiFi hand behind its back, fine. Tie it’s 3G hand back there too, fine. The iPhone 3G still seems to win out — and we look forward to being able to say that about the final Bold ROM too. Hey — you guys still have (slightly) more reliable push email, so there’s that.

Thanks to Will for the video!

I got to my local Rogers (corporate owned) store way early, and was immediately nervous upon seeing tons of cars. They were filled with senior citizens — strange iPhone demographic, I thought. When the doors to the mall opened at 7am, the seniors raced in. Near jog, no joke. I thought I’d end up behind a ton of angry, eager iPhone golden oldies, but a funny thing happened: they raced right on past Rogers. Turns out they jog/power walk/amble about there every morning. Who knew?

One week later, and how are things now? I just got my first bill (wow, that was faster than 3G!). $30/6GB data, $35 Mega My 5, $15 Visual Voice Mail Value Pack, $35 activation fee, plus crazy Canadian taxes. $124. (Plus the initial $299 for the 16GB handset…)

But what else is going on in my home and native land? Read on to find out!

Its been quite a ride (just check out all the coverage here). But the fun hasn’t stopped for Canadians. Sure, some independent stores were refusing to process anything but new accounts for launch week, Rogers the 16GB units disappeared almost instantly — at least after the Customer Central software came out of crash mode some time around noon, and just in time for iTunes’ servers to go down. But sales were brisk all around. Rogers claims they very nearly sold out, moving “tens of thousands” of the iPhone 3G. And while confided to greater metropolitan areas, 3G speeds are proving to be decent. That’s the good news.

The bad news? Not everyone was getting 3G from the outset — or any network connection at all. I literally stood next to someone at a Rogers store who was getting zero connection, while I was blazing away on 3G. While some thought the Rogers cell network had gone down under a flood of new iPhone’s eat up the bandwidth, the some are/some aren’t nature of the problem makes the situation at launch unclear.

Also, the WiFi shenanigans continue, of course. While in line, the Rogers reps (who were all great, kept up their senses of humor through the outages, but were misinformed by HQ) were telling people if they didn’t sign for iPhone plans, Rogers would charge for WiFi use. And it didn’t end there. If the commenters here at TiPb are too be believed, people calling in to remove their data plans are still being told that if they have the data removed, they won’t be able to use WiFi either:

called Fido tonight (owned by Rogers; also sells iPhones in Canada) and asked if I could get just voice, turn data off and was told yes. I asked, what if I want to use wifi when my data service is turned off? They said “you won’t be able to. You will need to call us back and have us turn it back on.” The rep looked things up, left and checked, and repeated this claim a total of three times.

Personally, I rocked an original iPhone 2G on Rogers for nearly a year with no data plan (EDGE settings removed to spare myself the usury-like $0.03/kb surcharge) and WiFi worked just splendidly, thank you.

But no one outside of Rogers/Fide can make any guarantees. Absent anything resembling communication from Rogers, and despite no rational explanation from technologists of how Rogers could, never mind if they would, prevent WiFi access (or even charge for it as some Rogers reps have maintained), customers remain concerned — and less tech-savvy customers may just panic and end up getting bamboozled.

Using an iPhone in Canada? How’s your experience going so far?

UPDATE: More confusion! Stylemonkey in the comments below says Rogers claims not to be doing this when he called in over the phone. However, I spoke to a couple more Rogers reps and they’re still insisting they’re being told Rogers will bill for WiFi use, perplexingly by using the EMEI number of you phone. While they say Rogers can’t tell data usage this way, they can tell WiFi is being used, and will bill based on time. Ridiculous? Sounds like it. But what’s even more ridiculous is Rogers telling this to (some of?) their stores and people in the field. Crazy!

ORIGINAL POST:

So I was waiting in line at a Rogers store yesterday when the staff came out and said that if we didn’t take the Rogers’ iPhone specific plans, anytime we used WiFi it would be counted towards our custom plans (like the newly announced $30/6GB promo). They said that even though the iPhone would show WiFi, it would still count down (crazy fast) 3G data, and we’d only find out come bill time when charges came in. One of them said they were waiting on clarification from Rogers. Another said this was what Apple wanted and implemented. (Yeah, I know… I’m just repeating the comments).

We didn’t run the story then because we couldn’t get any confirmation of the rumor, but now other reports of people being told the same thing at different Rogers stores has turned up.

Read on for more!

The staff seemed a bit confused between WiFi Hotspots (which the iPhone-specific plans grant free access to) and WiFi via private routers (home/work/etc.), so this sounds to me like something Rogers just completely mixed up in communicating the details.

As far as I understand the technology, if the 3G icon goes off and the WiFi radio icon comes on, the HSPA stops negotiating the data connections and the 801.11g radio takes over.

3G stays on for voice, but there should be no way for Rogers (or any carrier) to count data via WiFi and subtract it from your 3G bucket even if they wanted to.

One anonymous Rogers insider has stated this to be the case (that WiFi doesn’t eat your 3G bucket). Obvious, maybe, but it’s also obviously turning into a concern for people who’ve been told this, may not be engineers, and want some peace of mind.

Of course, the real peace of mind will come when first bills arrive, WiFi data drain free!

Overall, what with Rogers’ Sales Central online system crashing, Apple’s iTunes authentication servers crashing, and the general crazy in the air, the lack of direction from Rogers HQ is inexcusable, especially in making sure all stores, reps, and employees were well informed, operating under unified policies (i.e. not letting non-Corporate owned stores exclude everyone but new activations), and had the tools and accessibility they needed, rather than having to call home only to find their lifelines claiming “sorry, we haven’t been trained about the iPhone).

NOTE: There are unrelated reports of people who are having trouble keeping WiFi signals (they connect for a moment only to have the iPhone switch back to 3G), which probably shouldn’t be confused with the above.

Were you at Rogers’ launch? Did you hear anything about WiFi charges? Having WiFi problems? Please let us know!

A VoIP company called iCall has developed a program for the iPhone that enables seamless switching of calls from GSM to WiFi. Meaning: iCall will prompt you to switch your phone calls, mid-call, to WiFi so you don’t waste your minutes. Meaning: It’s Free! Though the desktop version of iCall is only available for Windows (Mac Support is on the way) this will probably be one of the more useful VoIP clients for the iPhone.

People who are familiar with T-Mobile’s use of UMA and HotSpot@Home technology will tell you that calls over Wi-Fi are not only free (with the right plan), but often times even better. Using VoIP instead of your minutes would help ease the drain for plenty of users who are always near WiFi and potentially offer international travelers free calls back home.

Currently, iCall is in private beta but plans for a public release very soon. In fact, you won’t even have to jailbreak for this app because the folks over at iCall are confident it’ll be a part of the App Store. 

ReadVia

Okay, so technically Apple isn’t patenting “Spidey Sense” (TM Marvel Comics, of course), but a system to warn users of impending dropped signals, be they cellular or WiFi.

So, by way of example, if I called Steve Jobs to tell him I snapped a pick of the iPhone 3.0 prototype, and Rogers’ service began to cut out, I’d get a notification (sound, alert dialog, or vibe) warning me I was going to lose the signal, and on his end, El Jobso would likewise be alerted.

If my device happened to have an accelerometer and GPS (hello, iPhone 3G!), location, velocity, etc. could be weighed into the alert equation. So, if I was driving away from Cupertino at a hurried rate, spy shots in hand, the iPhone could factor that into calculating how long it would be until I lost signal.

In a second filing, Apple is also working on a way to find lost, Blue Tooth equipped devices, from currently equipped gear like headsets, to tiny BT enabled chips placed on anything from your keys to your kids.

Again, using different data sets like signal strength, the iPhone could figure out which direction and at what distance the missing item (or small human) is located, using helpful cues like volume and frequency of alerts to re-create the classic game of “cold… warm… warmer… hot… on FIRE!”

Check the read link for all the official diagrams and verbiage.

Read

“The iPhone Wi-Fi offer that was scheduled to launch today has been canceled. Nothing has been announced by the company to our customers and will not impact existing customers. Additional communication will be provided if the status of the project changes.”

Read

Let’s do some catching up. First, iPhone users had free AT&T Wi-Fi at their hotspots. Then we lost it. Then it popped back up. Then it disappeared. And now we’re going to get it…eventually? If and when they do decide to officially give free Wi-Fi to iPhone users (June, perhaps?), I will be the first to commend them.

Now Boingo, in a newsletter to customers, goes and announces free Wi-Fi for iPhone users, albeit with an asterisk. That asterisk being: watch a 15 second advertisement for 15 minutes of free wi-fi in selected airports. Boingo is also encroaching on AT&T territory by offering Wi-Fi services at Starbucks locations. This piece of news isn’t as cheery for iPhone users because well, we have to pay.

Since there are around a gazillion Starbucks around the country, I’m sure Boingo Wi-Fi and AT&T Wi-Fi would work just fine. But would AT&T work out a roaming-esque deal with Boingo to provide free Wi-Fi for their iPhone customers at Boingo-specific locations?

Now THAT would be customer service (since it is AT&T, I guess we can rule that out).