Saturday, July 21, 2007

iPhone Downloads - 10 Tips on Finding the Best iPhone Download Site

The iPhone is finally here! As a result, many free download sites have popped up that allow for downloading copyrighted material. It is best to avoid these sites as I am sure you do not want the authorities knocking on your door.

However, there are iPhone download membership sites that provide an excellent alternative to itunes. The problem is determining which of these iPhone sites provides the best service. Here are some tips to help.

1. Per iPhone Download Fee vs. One-Time Fee

Many iPhone sites will offer free membership, but then charge you for each file you download, 99 cents or $1.99. If you love your music as much as me, this can get expensive very quickly. Sites that charge a one-time fee are the way to go. You will save a lot of money in the long run.

2. iPhone Music Download Variety

It is true what they say: Variety is the spice of life. You probably want to find an iPhone download site that offers files from all genres of music.

3. File Selection for Movies, TV, and other Media

Having access to a lot of files is perhaps the most important thing to look for if you want to get your money's worth! Fortunately, most iPhone download sites have overwhelmingly large databases, in the range of 100,000,000 files. (That is one-hundred million files!) Also, make sure the site you are looking at offers music, movies, tv shows, games, and software, not just music. Remember, we are trying to get the most for our money!

4. Website Interface

This is an important feature because the easier a website is to navigate, the easier it will be for you to find what you are looking for. Although you cannot see the member's area until you sign-up, you can get a good idea just by browsing around the non-member's area of the site.

5. Free iPhone Software for File Compatibility

A quality iPhone download site should provide you with free software to help you in downloading those movies and mp3s. They should also provide free converting software for files that need to be converted to play on the iphone.

6. Fast iPhone Download Speeds

Does the site offer fast download speeds? Some sites with small servers will put a limit on download speeds in order to allow more people to connect. Look for sites that do not have any such limits.

7. Safety of Files

When downloading anything off the internet, there is always a risk of the files being infected with spyware, adware, or viruses. The best iPod download sites will screen all their files before you download them. Additionally, you may want to have adware scanning software on your computer before you sign up. This is a great back-up just in case any corrupted files slip through the cracks.

8. Reputation

Does the iPhone download site have a good reputation? You can judge this by the credentials they list on their site and through various iPhone related forums.

9. 24/7 Customer Support

Customer Support is a very important thing. The best iPhone download sites will have an extensive FAQ (frequently asked questions) section that covers most common questions. However, don't hesitate to contact a site with a question to determine how long it takes them to respond and in what manner. They should respond to your inquiry within 24 hours. If not, you may want to consider another service.

10. Secure Payment Processing

This usually is not a problem, as most online merchants accept payments through Paypal, Clickbank, or another trusted source. With these companies, you do not have to worry about anyone reading or accessing your personal information.

by: Chris Prato

IPhone Cell Cases – Protect Your Baby From Harm

The Apple iPhone was introduced into the world, at least to the US, on June 29th 2007. Thousands of people clamored to be the first to get their hands on an iPhone and from most accounts, they are very proud of their new acquisitions. Though Apple provided the basic accessories required to use the iPhone, like most special things, it came into the world naked. So after investing $500 to $600 on an iPhone it only makes prudent sense to invest a few extra dollars in an iPhone case to protect it.

Initial product stress tests of the Apple iPhone have been quite impressive. Apple wisely switched to optical grade glass for the innovative touch screen of the iPhone and it is almost impossible to scratch it. Even with a key. This, however, doesn’t mean it should be left unprotected and the rest of the iPhone is still prone to dings and scratches.

The solution to protecting your new iPhone is actually quite simple, though all the talk about skins, cases, wallets, and screen protectors can be a little bewildering. Don’t worry, below are the options available for protecting your iPhone and the good news is that they typically cost much less than your monthly bill with AT&T.

Types of iPhone Cases:

*iPhone Skins -- a skin is just a cover that completely wraps around your iPhone with cutouts to allow you access to the touch screen, main navigation button, as well as the side buttons, charger, and camera. iPhone skins are made from silicone, which is a flexible, yet rugged type of plastic. The benefit of a skin, is that it will protect the surfaces of your iPhone from nicks and scratches and even offer some protection if dropped. However, don’t rely on a silicone skin to offer you complete protection against drops.

IPhone skins come in clear silicone as well as several popular colors ranging from feminine pink to stealth black. Some iPhone skins also come with a screen protector and neck strap, but be sure to check the product details to make certain.

*Phone Cases and Wallets -- a step up in style and convenience is an iPhone case or wallet. Many of these cases also include a belt clip so you can keep your iPhone at the ready. Unlike cell phone holsters, a case or wallet fully protects your iPhone when not in use. Cases and wallets typically come in both leather and canvas varieties and in a wide range of styles. Chose the type that best suits your usage and expresses your personal style. You may even want several cases to match different clothing and occasions!

*iPhone Screen Protectors -- an iPhone screen protector typically is a piece of very thin silicone with an adhesive backing that covers the entire front of the iPhone. Like a skin, it also has a circular cutout to expose the main navigation button at the bottom of the iPhone. A skin can then be placed over the screen protector. Not all iPhone screen protectors are created equal though. The better ones have dust resistant and anti-glare properties. Many iPhone skins and cases already come with a screen protector so you typically don’t need to purchase one separately.

An Apple iPhone is a truly innovative technology product that is a joy to own. Their owners have every right to be proud and can be forgiven, at least for now, for showing them off every chance they get. And you can tell a truly proud and worthy Apple iPhone owner by how they have chosen to dress up and protect their “baby”.

by: Rich Rojas

iPhone Tips and Tricks: How to Get the Most Out Of Your iPhone Experience

All of us folks who are lucky enough to already have an iPhone know how much fun they can be just to play around with. Playing with my iPhone a lot myself, I have discovered some cool tips and tricks that you may find useful.

1. If you tap once at the very top of the screen when you are on the internet, it will take you back to the top of the window rather than having to scroll all the way back up. A nice time saving feature.

2. If you set the font to the smallest size, you can read more in the internet window. An advantage of this is that when you want to click a link, you can pinch (expand) that area and the link will come up very large, making it much easier to click.

3. Rather than posting the full address of internet sites in bookmarks, you can post the equivalent RSS address instead into Apple's RSS reader and save that as your bookmark. This way you can quickly see if there's anything interesting on your favorite site rather than downloading the whole homepage.

4. If you are writing something and the iPhone flags a word as misspelled that you know is not misspelled, cancel the correction 3 times and the word will be put into the dictionary. If you write a lot, this feature is quite useful!

5. The magnifying glass is a nice iPhone tool when you are typing an email or any other text. If you tap once and hold, a magnifying glass will pop up showing you a zoomed in view of your words and cursor. You can now easily place the cursor wherever you want. This makes editing your writing very easy.

6. You can move icons around, but not on the home screen. You have to go to the ipod section. Go to iPod > More > Edit. Now you can drag your icons all around. This can also be done in the phone section.

7. To reset your iphone, hold down the right button and the "home" front button for about 6 seconds. To power it back on, push the top button. This is different than a regular shutdown, which can be done easily by holding the sleep/wake button for 6 seconds.

8. If you get a lot of spam e-mail or other unwanted e-mail, pay attention to this time saving feature. Add a link to Yahoo mail in Safari bookmarks. From there you can check 'delete all' to remove all unwanted e-mails. This is much easier than deleting hundreds of spam e-mails one at a time.

I hope you found these iphone tips helpful. If you have an iPhone and have been wondering how best to fill it up with music and movies, check out Top iPhone Downloads for the latest reviews of iPhone download sites.

by: CJ Prato

The New Apple iPhone - Blessing or Curse?

In just a single weekend, Apple Inc. managed to sell over 500,000 units of its new Apple iPhone. The anticipation was huge, and while there were a few minor glitches - mostly resolved now - the general consensus is that they were worth waiting for.

The advance of this micro-technology in the form of cell phones, mp3 players, PDA's etc., is creating an amazing dependency on pocket-sized devices, and not just for the techies: stay-at- home-moms, children, even retired grandparents are jumping into the new trend with joyful - and addictive - abandon. We've come a long way, baby!

With all this advancement, however, there is still this minor niggle in the back of my brain that is forced to ask, "but is it really safe?" The verdict is still out on this one, with no one so far able to categorically say that this huge increase in brain and eye cancer is NOT related to cell-phone use; that this little hand-held device and the cell phone towers that power it are NOT causing an increase in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and that these are NOT the issue behind increased infertility, new learning disorders, mysterious illnesses, or even confused bees that can no longer find the hives they've just left.

This new technology behind the Apple iPhone will probably have little or no affect on the retired grandparents as the length of exposure is relatively short. However, young children who are growing up with this micro-technological dependency may well be exposing themselves to some very unpleasant risks. Professor Sir William Stewart, the chairman of the Radiation Protection Division of the Health Protection Agency, said: "I don't think we can put our hands on our hearts and say mobile phones are safe. If there are risks - and we think there may be risks - the people who are going to be most affected are children, and the younger the child, the greater the danger."

The cell-phone companies are assuring us that it's all very safe, to the point where they are now gearing their marketing to younger and younger generations of children, yet they are still putting clauses in their contracts absolving them of any responsibility should there really be issues. And there is also the fact that over sixty people in the medical profession world-wide believe the link between cell-phone use (and other forms of electromagnetic smog) and "mysterious illness" is a big enough risk that they have created the "Freiburger Appeal" requesting that certain precautions be put in place to protect ourselves as much as possible from the effects of the "new pollution" of these EMF's.

Personally, I love the convenience of these new gadgets and can't wait for the day when I, too, can afford the latest model of the Apple iPhone to replace my much used and much loved iPod. However, I hope that by that time someone has come along with the courage and funds to get to the bottom of the question of safety so that the only concern I'll have on that day is finding the time to listen to all the great stuff on my new device.

by: Darlene Hull

A closer look at the iPhone

At I-Phone Online, you will find great resources, articles, links and more about iPhone technology.