Backgrounder updated, 2.2 features return on 3.0

Backgrounder (everyone’s favorite Jailbreak app) has been updated to restore some features lost after the iPhone 3.0 update. These most visible change is icons badges to indicate an app’s status in the background.

While this is useful, I’d love to see a setting to disable badges for Apple native apps like Phone and Mail. Since these apps always run in the background, they are permanently stamped with Backgrounder’s admittedly ugly badge. Also returning is the Always Enabled application list in the Backgrounder preferences.

This gives you a simple way to select which applications should be automatically backgrounded every time you start them. It is great to not have to remember to enable backgrounding every time you launch an app. The process of terminating an app is still the same, hold the home button until you see “Backgrounding Disabled.”

Unrestricting iPhone Data Use – The Moral Conundrum

Apple imposes limitations on data use over 3G. No Skype. You cannot download anything over 10MB in iTunes. Can’t get an app over 10mb either. I understand AT&T is concerned about the reliability of their network, afraid of millions of iPhone users streaming movies and pulling down speed. However, no such limitations are imposed on other handsets. Blackberrys and WinMo phones are free to do as they please.

So why the difference? It’s easy to consume lots of data with an iPhone. With nine million on the AT&T network, they fear a complete meltdown if everyone used lots of bandwidth at once. The AT&T phone network, like every network, is designed with a certain “maximum capacity” in mind. It just couldn’t support every user at once. The data network is no different. If all iPhone users consumed every byte of their 5 gigabyte monthly limit, the network would have to pass 43 petabytes each month.

If we make the (erroneous) assumption that all this traffic is spread evenly over all geographic locations and hours of the day, every single tower would have to spit out a constant 16 Mbps stream, 24 hours a day. In the real world we know that towers will experience significantly higher traffic in densely populated areas and especially during peak hours. That’s not even accounting for handling calls at the same time.

Of course, AT&T knows that not everyone will use that much data. In fact, the average iPhone user only consumes 400MB of data per month, or about 1/12th their allotment. Users of other smartphones only use 30-40MB per month, or 1/24th of their 5GB plan.

And now- The Moral Conundrum: If you are paying for 5 gigs of data, shouldn’t you be able to consume all of those 5 gigs any way you want?
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Jailbreak Central – 3G Unrestrictor

In this episode of Jailbreak Central, learn how to remove the 10MB limits and VOIP blocks on 3G.

In prior incarnations, 3G Unrestrictor was known by the less memorable name voipover3G. The purpose of the original app was to enable the use of VOIP applications like Skype or Fring on the 3G network. Apple mandates that VOIP apps only work on a wifi connection, probably to appease the byte mongers at AT&T. Of course, the bandwidth available on a 3G or even EDGE connection is enough to support a VOIP call. Voipover3G, first released for iPhone 2.2 software, tricked applications like Skype, Fring and Truphone into believing they were on a wifi network. There was even a preference file advanced users could edit to trick more applications. The problem was, it barely worked. Few other applications could be tricked successfully and keeping Skype tricked was a moving target.

The release of the iPhone 3.0 Software Update eventually brought with it an updated 3G tricker in the Cydia store called 3G Unrestrictor.
As you can see in the screenshot above, 3G Unrestrictor gives you an easy interface to toggle which apps are tricked. After a simple install from Cydia (and a payment of $2.00) you can simply use the list of apps to check off the ones you want to work on 3G. Skype, which was difficult to force onto 3G in the past, works flawlessly when using 3G Unrestrictor. Combine this technique with Backgrounder (which I talked about in an earlier post) and you have an always-on Skype connection which will ring when your friends can call. Just tap on Skype when you hear the ring and accept the call. It couldn’t be easier.

Even cooler, 3G Unrestrictor allows you to download podcasts and apps of any size. This is perfect for that moment in the airport where you realize you forgot to sync your iPhone and have no new podcasts to listen to on the flight, or when you really need to get that huge Worms update but are nowhere near WiFi.

If all you only want to use Skype on 3G, to make cheap international calls or save some cell minutes, the original voipover3G is still available, and better yet, it’s free. You can find them both in Cydia, but I fully recommend dropping the 2 bucks for 3G Unrestrictor. To read more or check if the app you want to unrestrict is compatible (most are), visit the developer’s site here.

My 13″ Macbook Pro Case

Today was a big day.

I committed to buying a laptop sleeve. The battle came down to memory foam vs. neoprene for protection and I finally bought the Isis Dei 13″ Memory Foam MacBook Sleeve. Memory Foam? From the Isis Dei website:

Made from the stuff NASA engineers created in the 90’s, memory foam is a high-tech, super shock-absorbant, polyurethane material. Our memory foam sleeves are covered in a knit, polyester fabric and have zippers ¾ around the sides so you can use your laptop while it is sitting in your Isis Cover. In relationship to its bulk, memory foam provides perhaps the best shock protection for your laptop.

The choice was between the Isis Dei and the Case Logic Reversible Neoprene Sleeve
. While the Case Logic is appealing for its style and snug fit, it has a one major flaw. The top flap is cute, but makes it impossible to slip your laptop in without pulling the sleeve all the way out of your bag. It also prevents you from safely inserting your laptop while, say, sitting at a table or standing. With normal zippered sleeve, you:

1. Unzip to open the sleeve
2. Place laptop down inside open sleeve
3. Zip closed

In this way the laptop never leaves the safety of whatever it is sitting on. The Case Logic sleeve, in contrast, requires a different type of insertion. I found myself holding the sleeve up in the air with one hand, using my fingers to hold the flap open, and bringing my laptop over in my other hand. I would then grab the corner of the laptop with the hand holding the sleeve (sock puppet style) while i transfered my second hand to the other corner, where it stretched out the sleeve and let the laptop drop down.
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Jailbreak Central – Backgrounder

Scenario: You are listening to streaming music with an app like Pandora when you get a text message. You click reply and go to the Messaging App. But what happened to the music?

The problem lies in how the iPhone OS handles processes (applications). In the default behavior, pressing the Home button closes an application and exits the process. Hence, Pandora can’t play music while you switch applications. There are only a few exemptions to this rule. The iPod app, for example, can continue to play music in the background while you use other apps.

While Apple stubbornly refuses to allow 3rd party applications to run on the background, developer gaizin blesses us with a solution.

His app Backgrounder allows you to send an application to the background without quitting the process. Background Pandora and stream music while you browse the web, get directions in Maps, send texts, anything. Background your favorite twitter app and get live updates. Better yet, background Skype so your friends can ring you for free at any time!

My favorite use for Backgrounder is to send Fstream, my favorite free audio streaming client, to the background so that i can listen while following directions from Maps in my car.

iPhone Activation: Hope You Didn’t Plan to Use Your Phone Today

Well, we hope that all of you happy iPhone owners out there didn’t try to restore your iPhones today, because if you did, you won’t be using it for the next couple of hours.

After restoring my iPhone today (I was advised to do so by a Genius in order to try and fix a faulty battery meter) iTunes was not able to re-activate my phone with AT&T since “iPhone activations are not currently available due to scheduled AT&T system maintenance.”

The text continues to explain: “We apologize for the inconvenience this causes. To activate your iPhone, please connect it again after 3pm EST Sunday.”

Excuse me, but are you kidding me? For years we’ve been making fun of Microsoft and its rigorous activation policies for Windows and now we’ve become a victim of it ourselves?

Activation in itself always presents an annoyance, but the least AT&T and Apple could do is to make sure that customers don’t ever need to spend hours without a working phone. Activation should NEVER be down for maintenance. A backup has to be in place. Alternatively, the iTunes store should maybe check BEFORE restoring your iPhone if activation is available or not. Afterwards it really doesn’t help much any more.

Either way, this sucks. Bad Apple. Bad AT&T. You’ve really screwed this one up.

Thank you for cutting me out from the world.

Congratulation iPhone Owners

I just wanted to congratulate all of you happy iphone owners out there. You did well. We hope you like your little friend as much as we do.

Enjoy!

Ps: of course this entry was written from my iphone. Typing isnt all that bad.

Waiting In Vegas

Here comes an update from TAP correspondent Armen Katchiguian, who’s holding down the line in Sin City:

According to Armen, his line is one of the heavyweights, with a herd fat sweaty nerds 300-400 strong. The store manager has made an appearance stating “I don’t think the people here will go home disappointed,” indicating a large iPhone shipment waiting inside!

Also of note, Armen reports a man offering up to $2,000 dollars for a spot near the front of the line! Expect a detailed report of this later.

iPhones Arriving in Southern California

I wonder what could be in those FedEx boxes… iPhones maybe?

iPhone Waiting Line Live Stream Up!

See us and a collection of other streams on our Round-Up Page! And don’t forget to go to our live chat!

Update 11:27pm: We’ve added two more live streams to our page, ZOOOMR TV and SHOOBY on Justin.tv

Got a stream we aren’t covering? Let us know in the comments!