Middle East telecoms operators face up to IoT smart city challenges

As investment in the internet of things (IoT) ramps up in the Middle East, the region’s telecoms operators are assessing the impact this will have on their networks.

A number of countries in the region are embarking on a drive to create "smart cities", with government and semi-government entities investigating IoT technologies. Leading the charge are the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, in which spending on smart city IoT use cases is expected to grow 19.3% annually until 2019, according to IDC’s IoT Spending Guide.

Operators in these countries are already taking note of the demands these investments will place on their networks. Paul Black, director of telecoms and media at IDC Middle East, Turkey and Africa, said some of them are looking at how dedicated smart city networks can be used on top of existing infrastructure.

“With smart city communication infrastructure expected to be overlaid on the country's telecom infrastructure, the existing telecom network infrastructure will serve as the foundation for the future smart city projects,” he told Computer Weekly.

Black said regional operators will continue investing in the extension of Wi-Fi hotspots and small cell networks to extend the reach of smart city communication networks.

But some countries in the Middle East, such as Kuwait, struggle with adding services on top of existing networks, simply because existing networks are already stretched. In these cases, fixed-line services are not fully developed, and so are overloaded. To cope with this, services are delivered over mobile networks – but again, these struggle to cope with the demands placed on them.

Even in more developed markets, such as the UAE – in which operators have invested heavily in both access and backhaul networks – there are challenges associated with creating IoT-ready networks.

Read more about smart cities

• Smart city deployments will not get very far, or realise effective socioeconomic benefits, if more attention is not paid to the underlying infrastructure.
• Singapore is the Asean smart city project that stands out, but Thailand and Malaysian initiatives are gaining credit, according to IDC study.
• Cisco unveils 15 products to address the growing complexity of internet of things deployments.

Extracting revenues to invest

According to Marwan Binshakar, vice-president for mobile access network and operations at UAE operator Du, one issue lies in sufficiently monetising mobile broadband use to afford investing in the network. He said these investments need not just cover the ongoing maintenance of the mobile broadband network, but also allow for upgrades that might provide IoT and smart city services in the future.
The need for operators like Du to extract more revenue out of mobile broadband users is pressing, given projected smartphone growth numbers in the UAE.  
“The current forecast for the number of smartphones is to increase 10 times by 2020, compared to 2015. It is clear that the revenue generated by mobile broadband will be the dominant factor,” Binshakar told Computer Weekly.
“Having said that, the biggest challenge will be how to capitalise on such growth in revenue while controlling the capital expenditure needed to expand the network to accommodate such exponential growth.”

Accomodating traffic growth

The growth in mobile data revenue has proved lucrative for the region’s operators, who have seen their traditional telecom businesses stumble. But according to IDC’s Black, mobile data revenue growth has yet to match the investments operators have had to put in to enable the growth in data volumes. As a result, operators are looking for ways to drive greater efficiencies to reduce their costs.

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Binshakar said Du takes a number of approaches to accommodate traffic growth, but each has its own challenge. For example, when it comes to better mobile spectrum management, the main challenge lies in acquiring more spectrum. An alternative strategy is to modernise the network – but this is costly, and operators can only justify investment if they can demonstrate a substantial return.
Finally, small cells can overcome capacity issues in the network. But he said the acquisition of small cells is hardly cost-effective – at least at the moment – despite Black’s assertions that operators will continue to invest in them.
“The challenge is the current cost for those small cells, which still haven’t reached a point that would immediately justify the deployment,” he said.

Returns on smart city investment

Outfits such as Du take the view that investing in smart city and IoT-dedicated networks could lead to alternative revenue streams. Granted, Du will need to address the requirements of the UAE government in its push to create smart cities, but Binshakar said the operator should be able to capitalise on smart city initiatives.

“We are involved in deliberations and actively participating in all these initiatives and present challenges on how to implement the networks with the right cost and efficiency variables,” he said.

“We do not see the introduction of the smart city as a burden or a strain on us, but rather an opportunity for new future revenue streams.”

Du is already making strides when it comes to investing in smart city requirements. In September 2015, it successfully tested its first low-power, wide-area network. That infrastructure can relay data from sensors country-wide. At the time, Du claimed the network’s low energy consumption prolongs sensor battery life by years.

And with the IoT installed based across the Middle East expected to grow significantly until 2020, IDC’s Black said other operators in the region are expected to follow Du’s lead.

“The significance of IoT is already growing fast in the enterprise domain and, with boundaries being pushed to cover smart cities and various consumer IoT use cases, there might be a need for IoT-dedicated networks,” he said.

POST By; http://www.computerweekly.com/

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Mobile innovation shifts to smartphone services

The worldwide slowdown in smartphone sales and shipments is making suppliers pause to reconsider how they innovate, according to Gartner.

With the annual Mobile World Congress show just days away, attention is again turning to a wave of new smartphones to be launched at the fair in Barcelona, but analysts doubt there will be any great leaps forward in capabilities this year.

Speaking to Computer Weekly, Gartner research director Anshul Gupta said that because fewer people are buying high-end smartphones and choosing instead to either sweat their devices for as long as possible or go for a cheap and cheerful replacement, there is less capital available for R&D.

“There are some areas where smartphone manufacturers can ramp up innovation,” said Gupta. “But these are more around services, such as Apple Pay, connected homes, and so on.”

Gupta’s colleague Roberta Cozza said suppliers will begin to offer more and more bundles of sensors and enhanced connectivity standards to support the smartphone’s role as a hub for the internet of things.

“We should also observe the evolution of biometric technologies, which enable authentication as well as more personalised device experiences,” she said. “New biometric technologies will go beyond fingerprint and increasingly include voice, facial recognition and other modes to enable authentication.

“I expect immersive experiences, such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) capabilities, to be another key theme in 2016. For example, Samsung Gear VR already uses a smartphone as a portal for VR experiences, and we expect continued development of this more mainstream approach, together with the consumption of 360-degree videos.”

According to Gartner, smartphone sales to end-users totalled 403 million in the final quarter of 2015, up 9.7% on the equivalent period in 2014, the slowest rate of growth since the market’s inception eight years ago. Sales of Apple iPhones actually declined year-on-year.

By Gartner’s reckoning, the top five suppliers in the year-end quarter were: Samsung, which sold 83.4 million units, accounting for 21% of the market; Apple, which sold 71.5 million units; Huawei, which sold 32.1 million units; Lenovo, which sold 20 million units, including Motorola devices; and Xiaomi, which sold 18.2 million units. Other suppliers sold 177.8 million units.

Read more about smartphones

• Apple announces it will open a development centre in one of India’s fastest-growing technology hubs, in the city of Hyderabad.
• A US judge has ordered Apple to help the FBI bypass the auto-erase function on the San Bernardino gunman’s iPhone to find the passcode and access data.
• A report conducted for mobile operator Vodafone indicates the scale of acceptance of flexible and mobile working practices.

Gupta said the market continues to be driven by low-cost smartphones in emerging markets, and aggressive pricing from local brands leading to more consumer upgrades coming from countries such as India, which is in the throes of a major 4G roll-out, and Indonesia.

Even so, said Gupta, 85% of users in the Asia Pacific market are replacing mid-range or entry-level devices with the same category, and margins are further squeezed for suppliers by currency devaluations against the US dollar.

More developed markets, such as Western Europe and North America, may also begin to attract the attention of cheaper, insurgent suppliers in the near future, said Gupta.

“Brands such as Xiaomi are increasingly selling through online channels in Europe, but if they want to put feet on the street, they will face challenges around establishing legal offices, licensing and, in some cases, even copyright law,” he said. “It will take a long time for such players to have offices, established after-sales service and warranties in these markets.”

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Surrey University 5GIC project explores rural not-spots

The University of Surrey’s 5G Innovation Centre (5GIC) has published a new whitepaper exploring issues around universal mobile network coverage and the reach and reliability of future 5G mobile networks in rural and urban not-spots, parts of the country where a strong mobile signal cannot always be guaranteed.

The report, Meeting the challenge of “universal” coverage, reach and reliability in the coming 5G era, identified and explored challenges affecting rural mobile coverage, and suggested a vision of how 5G and existing network technology could work together to deliver appropriate resources to meet demand.

Experts at 5GIC, a government and industry-funded programme based at the University of Surrey’s Guildford campus, worked alongside industry partners at BT, EE, Real Wireless and Telefónica, to produce the research.

“5G will be expected to deliver universal coverage, but in order to do this, we need to not necessarily build a faster or denser network, but a smarter network,” said report author Tim Brown of 5GIC.

“With the advent of 5G, users will want to hear impressive headline speeds, as this is how previous generations such as 4G have been marketed, but in reality, speed is overly focused on the urban user.”

5GIC head Rahim Tafazolli said future network providers would have to give users the impression – if not always the reality – of infinite network capacity by delivering a response to network demand that he described as “always sufficient”.

“This involves building a smart network that can handle basic demands, such as 999 calls from the most remote locations, to the delivery of reliable networks to villages and hamlets in an economically viable manner,” said Tafazolli.

The resulting paper explored several means by which these challenges could be addressed, including redesigned base stations, spectrum resourcing, and even smartphone design. For example, snap-on external antennae could boost signal reception for users.

Read more about 5G

• Network operator AT&T announces plans to test 5G technology to provide wireless connectivity before the end of 2016.
• A report from analysts at 451 Research urges businesses to start preparing their technology for 5G mobile networks ahead of deployment.
• Huawei commits to the pan-European 5G Public Private Partnership (5G-PPP) plan to strengthen five separate 5G research projects.

“Our paper explores seemingly simple answers to these difficult challenges, such as building higher masts to overcome obstructions such as trees and improved quality of the radio in mobile devices,” said Brown. “Where trees are of comparable heights to masts, coverage can be reduced by as much as 70% and this is the source of many of the rural coverage issues we see today.

“However, we must work with the public and authorities to ensure there is a balance between technology and landscape. This can be met with creative design that delivers what mobile users need, while retaining the personality of our countryside. The mobile device is becoming increasingly complex, with more radios and antennas packed into a small space, but there are clear examples of how this compromises coverage.”

Brown made the case for more investment in small cells and personal base stations, which are already seen by many as a key element of future 5G networks, and introduced the concept of ‘meadowcells’ – small cell developments originally intended for urban areas that can be repurposed and adapted to cover hamlets and villages.

The whitepaper sets out the business case for investment in new small cell, ‘metrocell’ and ‘personal base station’ technologies for rural environments. It explores how new ‘meadowcells’ (small cell developments originally intended for dense urban areas) can be adapted to provide small community coverage for hamlets and villages.

“Studies show that just a 9% increase in coverage equates to $1tn increase in worldwide GDP,” said Tafazolli. “These figures show that the business case for combating rural ‘not-spots’ makes sense, and it is now our job to realise these challenges and help to deliver a global 5G standard that will ensure access for all.”

POST By: http://www.computerweekly.com/

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How to Transfer iTunes Music to My iPhone

Upload your favorite music to the iPhone 4's built-in iPod app.

Apple's iPhone 4 has lots of new, flashy features -- but it still plays music. The built-in iPod app lets you sync music, movies, TV shows and podcasts from your iTunes library with your iPhone so you can access your media on the go. iTunes, Apple's digital music management software, lets you categorize your music into playlists or just load individual music files onto your device. 

Step 1

Turn on your iPhone. If your iPhone is locked with a passcode, enter it to unlock your device.

Step 2

Connect your iPhone to your computer using the USB cable that came with your device. Open iTunes on your computer if it does not open automatically after connecting your iPhone.

Step 3

Click the device icon for your iPhone in the left column of the iTunes application window beneath "Devices." A general overview of the contents of your device will be displayed on the right side of the program window, and you can manage and edit content on your iPhone.

Step 4

Click the "Music" above your iPhone details on the right side of the iTunes program window to access settings for syncing your iTunes library with your iPhone. The capacity bar at the bottom of the window shows you how much space is available for music and other media on your iPhone.

Step 5

Click to check the "Sync Music" box to turn on music syncing. Click to check the "Entire music library" box if you have enough storage space and you want to sync your entire music library, including playlists, with your iPhone. If you want to include music videos and voice memos, click to check the corresponding boxes.

Step 6

Click the "Selected playlists, artists, albums, and*genres" box if you want to choose what music to sync with your iPhone.

Step 7

Select the playlists you want to sync by checking the boxes under the "Playlists" heading. You can also sync your playlists and Genius mixes created by iTunes with your iPhone.

Step 8

Select the artists you want to sync by checking the boxes under the "Artists" heading. Use this option if you want to sync all of the songs by a particular artist with your iPhone.

Step 9

Select the music genres you want to sync by checking the boxes under the "Genres" heading. Syncing a genre will import all of the songs you have categorized in that particular genre with your iPhone.

Step 10

Select individual albums to sync by checking the appropriate boxes under the "Albums" heading. If you previously checked the box to sync an artist, you do not need to sync albums by that artist.

Step 11

Click the "Apply" button to*sync your iPhone and apply changes. Wait until you see the "OK to disconnect" message in the iTunes status window to disconnect your iPhone. Your imported iTunes music is located in the iPod app on your iPhone.

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How to Save Your iPhone Contacts to Your SIM Card

Storing your contacts on your SIM card makes moving between phones simple.

Though iPhones do not support SIM card contact management out of the box, there are iPhone applications that allow you to transfer your contact information from your contacts list to your SIM card. IPhones do have tools that allow you to import your contacts, but the third party applications available allow you to manage your contacts and export them back to your SIM card quickly and easily.

Step 1

Use SIManager to copy all of your iPhone contacts onto your SIM card. SIManager also allows you to copy SHM contacts to the iPhone. It has a simple tap-button interface and shows different colors for your contacts to indicate whether they have been imported, deleted or edited. It works on jailbroken iPhones.

Step 2

Copy your contacts and text messages onto your SIM card using IBE SIM Card Manager. It is available by adding the following source to Installer.app, Cydia or other application managers: http://www.ibegroup.com/products/SIMCardManager.pxl As of March 2011, IBE SIM Card Manager costs $19.95 and works on jailbroken iPhones. It has a user interface that is simple to use and copies contacts and texts without using Outlook or the Mac Address Book.

Step 3

Install Dekart's SIM Manager on your Windows PC to manage the contacts on your SIM card. Export your contacts from your iPhone to Outlook on your Windows PC, remove the SIM card from your iPhone and insert it into a USB smart card logon. Plug the smart card logon into your computer and use the SIM Manager software to export and sync contacts between Outlook and your SIM card. It is available for a fee and does not require you to jailbreak your iPhone. You can download Dekart's Sim Manager for a trial for free (see the link in Resources).

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Help With iPhone Calendar Applications

Updating your iPhone and computer software should eliminate calendar sync issues.

The iPhone's built-in calendar application syncs your events from one or more email accounts that have calendar applications, such as Gmail or MobileMe. You can also download calendar apps with different features to get the date-related information you need on your iPhone, such as class schedules or group calendars.

Setting up Your Calendar

To use the calendar application that comes with your iPhone, you will need to allow it to interact with a calendar attached to your MobileMe email or other email account. Tap the "Settings" icon and select "Email, Contacts, Calendars." Choose the email account that has an associated calendar and enter your username and password if it is not already set up. Once the account is communicating with your iPhone, tap the account name and make sure the switch next to "Calendars" says "On."

Using the Calendar App

Access your calendar by tapping the Calendar icon on your home screen, and then add an event by tapping the plus icon in the upper right corner. Use the buttons at the bottom to chance between month or day view or a simple list of upcoming events. Navigate forward or backward on the calendar using the arrow icons, and then tap the "Today" button to return to the current day's view. Tap the "Calendars" button at the top to view which calendars you have imported to your iPhone and select which ones to view. You cannot add a new calendar through the phone interface if you want multiple calendars. Instead, launch your email account on your computer and use the full computer interface to add a new calendar, following the instructions provided by your email service provider. Once new calendars are added to your account, they will appear on your iPhone as well. If they do not, try switching the calendar off, and then back on, in the iPhone settings.

Troubleshooting

Syncing problems may occur with the Calendar app when your software is not up to date, either on your iPhone or on the computer you use to sync the device. Update your iPhone software to the current version, and then update to the latest version of the operating system for your computer. This does not mean you need to purchase a new operating system; simply visit the Apple or Windows website, depending on your computer type, and make sure you have downloaded any updates for the system version you currently run (Tiger, Leopard or Snow Leopard for Mac and XP, Vista or 7 for Windows). Download the latest version of iTunes and the latest MobileMe Control Panel onto your computer as well. After everything is up to date, re-sync your phone with the computer using a USB cable. Your calendars should work properly after the sync is complete.

Additional Calendar Apps

The App Store features many specialized calendar apps, including calendars for various cultures, holiday or special event countdowns and planning calendars that offer more or different features compared to the native application. Look for calendar applications that receive high customer satisfaction ratings in the App Store before downloading. If you have trouble or need help with these applications, return to the app's page on the app store and look for the company website on the app page. Enter the site address into a web browser and search for a "Support" section on the site to find help. You can also tap the "Report a problem" button in the App Store if you think your trouble with the calendar results from a programming bug. Follow the onscreen instructions to report your issue with the app.

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How to See All SIM Contacts on an iPhone

A SIM card from another AT&T phone will work in an iPhone.

Subscriber Identity Module or SIM cards are microchips inserted into cell phones on some networks, including AT&T. A SIM card not only identifies your phone to the mobile network, but sometimes saves information, such as contact phone numbers. While the iPhone does not save its contact information to a SIM, it is able to import and then display the information previously saved to a SIM from another phone. Importing SIM contacts from your last phone to the iPhone means that you won't have to manually enter each contact.

Items you will need

* Paper clip

Step 1

Unwind part of a paper clip and insert the end into the hole on the iPhone's SIM card tray. The tray is on the side of iPhone 4 devices and the top of iPhone 3G and 3GS models. Apply pressure until the tray pops open and lay the SIM card from your old phone into the tray. Replace the tray in the phone.

Step 2

Open the "Settings" application on your iPhone's homepage. Tap "Mail, Contacts, Calendars" from the "Settings" menu.

Step 3

Scroll down the page to the "Contacts" section. Tap "Import SIM Contacts." If your iPhone has MobileMe, CardDAV or Microsoft Exchange enabled, select where you would like to contacts to be saved. If you don't have any of these programs, iPhone will save the contacts in your address book.

Step 4

Open the program where you directed the contacts, or the address book, to view the SIM contacts.

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The Memory Use of iPhone Applications

An iPhone may close one app if other apps are using too much memory.

The iPhone is a cell phone manufactured by Apple that plays music, shoots pictures and videos and can connect to the Internet over cell phone data networks and Wi-Fi. The iPhone can also run "apps" or applications. Each application must load in the iPhone's memory before you can use it. If too many memory-intensive apps are running at the same time, one or more of the applications may shut down without warning.

Memory on the iPhone

The iPhone 4 has 512 megabytes of random access memory (RAM), which is where applications load and run. This memory is separate from the phone's storage capacity, which holds music, videos, pictures and apps. The iPhone 4 comes with either 16 or 32 gigabytes of this system memory. Certain apps can consume greater amounts of memory as you use them. For example, the Safari web browser can open up to eight pages at once. If these multiple open pages require a lot of memory, another application, such as music or video playback with the iPod app, may suddenly close down.

Multitasking

The iOS4 operating system allows the iPhone to run multiple applications simultaneously. For example, you can browse the Web with Safari while listening to music with the iPod app. If an app is designed to take advantage of iOS4's multitasking, it usually will hibernate when you are not using it. It only requires enough memory to store its current state, so you can switch back to it quickly from another application.

Close Applications

If you want to fully quit an application instead of just switching to another one, double-click on the "Home" button. This will bring up the four most recently used apps in the task bar at the bottom. Flick the screen left to see more recently used apps. Touch an app's icon until it starts jiggling; a red circle with a white minus sign will appear on it and the other apps in the task bar. Tap the red circle to close that app and free up some memory. If you have eight pages open in Safari, try closing the ones you are no longer interested in browsing.

Monitor Memory Use

You can download applications from Apple's App Store that will tell you how memory is being used by different applications (see Resources). For example, iStat, Free Memory and Memory Status will display statistics about currently running apps, with pie chart views showing the ones hogging the most memory. Some memory monitoring apps also allow you to terminate an application to free up memory and enable other apps to run more efficiently.

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How to Transfer iTunes Movies to an iPhone

Take your film collection on the road with your iPhone.

The iPhone fuses the iconic iPod's music-playing functionality with the ability to make phone calls. It also includes the ability to download and watch movies. As with music, you can configure iTunes to automatically sync movies from your Library to your iPhone, or you can manually manage your video collection by dragging and dropping the movies onto your device.

Adding Video Files 

Step 1

Download iTunes from the Apple website and install it on your computer, if necessary.

Step 2

Click "Movies" in the left-hand "Library" navigation pane.

Step 3

Click the "File" menu, then click "Add File to Library" or "Add Folder to Library." Select either an individual movie file or a folder of movies, then click "Open." iTunes will import the movies.

Automatic Transfer

Step 1

Connect your iPhone to your computer using the USB cable. After a few moments, your computer will recognize your iPhone and the device will appear in the left-hand iTunes panel.

Step 2

Click on your iPhone in the left-hand navigation panel under "Devices." Click the "Movies" tab.

Step 3

Check the boxes next to "Sync Movies" and "Automatically include all movies," then click "Apply." Your movies will transfer to your iPhone.

Manual Transfer

Step 1

Connect your iPhone to your computer using the USB cable. Click on the icon for your iPhone.

Step 2

Click the "Summary" tab, select "Manually manage music and videos" and click "Apply."

Step 3

Click on "Movies" in the iTunes Library. Click on the small arrow to the left of your iPhone's name to expand the device's sub-menu.

Step 4

Click and drag movies from the Movies section of the Library to the Movies section on your iPhone. iTunes will transfer the movies to your iPhone.

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PDA to iPhone Applications

Business people are finding that some of today's smartphones can replace PDAs.

Technology is always evolving and in recent years iPhones have replaced PDAs as a "must have" do-it-all device. If you're switching from a PDA to an iPhone you know that it's not hassle free. First there's the learning curve of getting to know your iPhone's interface and second there's the challenge of getting data from your PDA to the iPhone. Since others have been in your shoes, there are applications to solve the second problem.

IDrive Lite

If you have a BlackBerry or Android powered PDA you can easily move your data to the iPhone with IDrive Lite. IDrive Lite is a free web-based service that interacts with its own application when you download and install it on your BlackBerry, Android PDA or iPhone. You can use this application to backup your data to 5GBs of personal storage or to manage, restore and transfer data between devices. The transfer function is available through IDrive Lite's "Restore from other device(s)" button on the main screen.

Toodledo

Toodledo's web-based service was originally designed as a free way for people to manage their lives online. It has all the time and task management tools you would expect from a PIM (Personal Information Manager) but it also imports and exports data. Since it imports iCal, CSV, XML and text files, you can save your data from a Palm PDA as a CSV file and upload it to Toodledo. From there you can open Toodledo on your iPhone and download the data to it. Toodledo also has an application for your iPhone that you can run when you don't have an Internet connection.

DesktopMirror

Live PIM offers a DesktopMirror suite of ten synchronization applications that cover almost every possible file transfer need you might have. The suite sells for $49.95 and it really makes file transfers easy. If you have a Palm PDA your data is already synchronized with Palm desktop and you can use DesktopMirror to synchronize your Palm desktop data with Google and download the data from Google to your iPhone. It's an easy process that starts with one click.

CompanionLink

CompanionLink also uses Google to transfer data between PDAs and iPhones and they have an Express version for $69.95 and a Professional version for $129.95. You can synchronize tasks, calendars and contacts between your computer and your Google Apps, Gmail and standard Google accounts and CompanionLink supports a wide range of devices including Android phones and PDAs, iPhones, iPads, BlackBerrys, the Palm webOS and Windows Mobile devices. It also works with Outlook, Sage ACT!, Lotus Notes, Palm Desktop, GroupWise, Salesforce CRM, and Time & Chaos.

References

* Tech Yard: How To Backup and Restore PhoneBook In Your iPhone

* Toodledo: Product Details

* Soft Archive: LivePIM DesktopMirror for Outlook and Palm Desktop

* TechTarget: CompanionLink Announces Outlook Sync with Google

Resources

* Forever Geeks: Import Contacts from Palm Desktop to iPhone

* Contacts Palm 2 iPhone: Migrate Contacts from Palm Treo to iPhone

* AOL Inc: StyleTap Finally Brings Palm OS to Your iPhone

About the Author

Dan Eash began writing professionally in 1989, with articles in LaHabra's "Daily Star Progress" and the "Fullerton College Magazine." Since then, he's created scripts for doctor and dentist offices and published manuals, help files and a training video. His freelance efforts also include a book. Eash has a Fullerton College Associate of Arts in music/recording production and a Nova Institute multimedia production certificate.

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How to Put 2.0 iPhone Applications on an iPhone

Download applications directly to your iPhone.

The 2G iPhone contains applications specifically for the iPhone, which can be downloaded from the App Store on the phone. In order to use the App Store you must first have an iTunes account with a credit card or PayPal linked to the account. Depending on the size of the application it may be beneficial to turn on your iPhone's Wi-Fi before downloading the application, as it will cut down on the app's download time.

Items you will need

* iPhone OS 2.0 or later

* iTunes account

Step 1

Press the "Home" button on your iPhone, and tap the "Settings" button on your home screen.

Step 2

Tap the "Wi-Fi" tab and slide your finger across the switch so that it reads "ON." Tap the network you wish to join and type in the password. Tap the "Join" button in the lower-right corner.

Step 3

Press the "Home" button, and tap the "App Store" icon on the home screen.

Step 4

Tap the "Search" button at the bottom of the screen to find applications by name, or tap the "Categories" button to search by a specific category.

Step 5

Tap the name of the application, and tap the "FREE" or "$0.99" button, followed by tapping the "INSTALL" or "BUY NOW" button.

Step 6

Enter your iTunes account password, and tap the "OK" button to start the download and installation process.

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What are Some Good Apps for the iPhone?

A wide variety of available applications make the iPhone a highly useful device.

iPhones are multimedia and Internet-equipped smartphones designed and manufactured by Apple. The touchscreen-controlled device is capable of downloading and running software applications -- known as "apps" -- from the iTunes App Store. With more than 300,000 games and applications readily available from the App Store, the iPhone's functionality can be substantially increased at little cost.

Remote Desktop

Remote desktop services allow you to view and operate your computer from a remote location with access provided through a secure Internet connection. A variety of remote desktop apps offered for the iPhone include such features as full keyboard support, access to multiple monitors, and use of all mouse functions. "Ignition" is an iPhone app that's compatible with LogMeIn, an Internet remote desktop service. "TeamViewer" is similar to LogMeIn, while apps such as JumiMouse and Air Mouse Pro turn the iPhone into a remote-control device that works in conjunction with a desktop computer.

Messaging

Instant messaging apps aim to replace standard cell phone SMS text messaging on the iPhone, and typically include free worldwide delivery. These text-based chat services include features such as group conversations, the ability to send photos and audio clips directly through the messenger system, and broadcasting of the iPhone's current GPS location. Apps such as WhatsApp Messenger and Kik Messenger offer a notification system that notifies you when your message is delivered and when it's been read by the recipient. Skype, Pushme and MSN Live Messenger Pro provide access to their Internet messaging services through dedicated iPhone apps.

Word Processing

Because the iPhone provides a QWERTY keyboard via its touchscreen, it's suitably equipped to perform word-processing tasks on-the-go. Many apps are available that can facilitate the creation and editing of documents, spreadsheets and presentations. Documents To Go and Quickoffice Connect offer full compatibility with Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and include two-way desktop synchronization of files. Services such as Google Docs and GlideOS allow access to online Office files directly through the iPhone's web browser.

Multimedia

The iPhone can play several audio and video formats through its built-in iPod app. These formats are limited to MP3 and AAC for audio, and MP4 files for video. These are the native formats for any multimedia content downloaded from iTunes. Third-party apps such as OPlayer and AVPlayer allow the iPhone to use a much wider range of digital audio and video files, including AVI, WMV, FLAC, MPG, OGG and many others. These alternative file formats can still be synchronized with a computer through the iTunes files sharing facility.

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Can I Put Multiple iTunes Accounts on My iPhone?

As long as your computer is authorized, you can sync it with your iPhone.

The iPhone supports countless useful apps, and one of the best known is iTunes. This app works in tandem with your computer's iTunes program and with your iTunes account. Although it isn't exactly possible to put multiple iTunes accounts on your iPhone, you can sync media from multiple accounts to one iPhone, which is almost the same thing.

iTunes on the iPhone

The iTunes app is integrated closely with the iPhone, allowing you to quickly and easily access your music, videos and account information. You can purchase and download media onto your phone using the 3G network or wireless networks. If you have media on a computer with iTunes, you can sync it by connecting the iPhone to the computer with a USB cord. The iTunes Store integrates seamlessly with Apple products, and if you have an iTunes account, Apple has streamlined the process of accessing and using it on the iPhone.

Multiple iTunes Accounts

When different people buy music or movies in iTunes, usually each person is the only one who can sync that content up with an iPhone. This protects the copyright holder from misuse of their media. However, there are plenty of cases when people want to access other people's media for perfectly innocent reasons, such as family members who want to share music with each other. Apple does have an option for syncing media from different accounts onto a single Apple device, such as the iPhone. Technically, you can't put multiple iTunes accounts on your iPhone, but Apple's additional syncing options result in the same effect: You have content from different accounts on one iPhone.

Authorized Computers

The system for syncing multiple iTunes accounts to one iPhone involves authorizing computers with iTunes. When you authorize a computer, you're listing it as a system indefinitely associated with your account, meaning you can listen to your content on that computer, burn up to seven CDs of that content and sync to an unlimited number of iPods or iPhones. You can only authorize five computers, but if you reach that limit, you can always "deauthorize" computers. All you have to do to authorize a computer is click the "Store" menu at the top of iTunes, click "Sign In" and provide your user name and password, then click "Store" again and finally select "Authorize This Computer." Then you can sync your media with an iPhone, and anyone else who authorizes his account with that computer can sync his content with that same iPhone.

iTunes Multiple Account Access on an iPhone

Another option for accessing different accounts on an iPhone is to simply log out the current account and log into another account. The current account is either the account last logged into or the account last synced with iTunes on a computer. If you want to change accounts, just select "Settings" from the Home screen, then "Store" and then "Sign Out." When the sign-out process has completed, just click the new "Sign In" button and supply the user name and password to access that second iTunes account. This will not give you access to that account's media, however; you have to sync that from a computer.

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Top Ten iPhone Apps

The iPhone 4 hit stores in February 2011.

With more than 350,000 applications available for download from iTunes, iPhone users will agree that the best apps are the ones you pay for. As of March 2011, and based on sales, the following are the top 10 paid apps, according to the Apple iTunes Store's App Store. It probably won't come as a surprise that all but one 10 of the best-selling apps are games.

No. 1 - Tiny Wings

Tiny Wings was released in February 2011 and takes up 10.5 MB of disk space. The object of this game is to use hills to jump and slide and to flap your wings in the attempt to fly.

No. 2 - Angry Birds

The object of Angry Birds is to seek revenge on the green pigs that stole the birds' eggs by using destructive powers against the porkers' fortresses. Packed with 225 levels, this app is sure to test your logic, skill and brute force.

No. 3 - Camera+

The Camera+ app is designed to enhance the iPhone's built-in camera by improving zoom capability, smoothing out blurry shots and streamlining the picture-taking process. A variety of features make this app extremely user friendly, including scene modes, flash and dozens of effects.

No. 4 - Fruit Ninja

With a swipe of your finger, Fruit Ninja allows you to slash and splatter fruit like a true Ninja warrior. With three modes, this app will challenge your fruit-slashing journey that, if not careful, will come to a grinding halt by strategically place bombs.

No. 5 - Where's Waldo?? The Fantastic Journey

The classic search game has found its way to the iPhone with Where's Waldo? The Fantastic Journey. In this game, players comb a virtual globe in search of the red-and-white striped shirt Waldo and his friends.

No. 6 - Cut the Rope

In Cut the Rope, a creature named Om Nom has arrived in a mysterious package and its up to you to keep up with his constant desire for candy. This puzzle game challenges players with tricky levels of play and real-life physics.

No. 7 - Words With Friends

Words With Friends is a Scrabble-like game that challenges players to build points by building words. This app is the only of the top 10 that costs more than 99 cents, selling for $2.99.<$2Fdiv>

No. 8 - Angry Birds Seasons

Centered around a Valentine's Day theme, Angry Birds Seasons challenges players to seek out and destroy the green pigs who have yet to learn not to steal the birds' eggs. Featuring 85 levels, this app has Facebook and Twitter integration.

No. 9 - Apache Overkill

Apache Overkill is designed to appeal to those who take pleasure in blasting choppers, tanks and jets to smithereens. In addition to 99 levels of play, this app allows players to become even more destructive by boosting firepower.

No. 10 - Doodle Jump - BE WARNED: Insanely Addictive!

In Doodle Jump - BE WARNED: Insanely Addictive!, players guide Doodle across a sheet of paper, avoiding black holes, picking up various items and destroying enemies along the way. This app contains eight levels of play and allows scores to be submitted to Facebook and Twitter.

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iPhone Apps to Track Personal Medical Information

You can use iPhone apps to promote fitness.

The iPhone is an excellent tool for fitness. You can use iPhone apps to find out about the best workouts for various muscle groups, learn yoga poses, track your runs or bike rides or support and track weight loss. The iPhone has many useful apps that can help you start and maintain a fitness plan. 

iFitness

Fitness apps such as the popular iFitness list exercises by muscle group, including abdominals, arms, back and chest. If you choose abdominals, for example, iFitness shows you various exercises you can do, whether crunches on a fitness ball or bicycle kicks done on a mat. You can add custom exercises or add exercises to a workout list. You can also find routines including an abdominal defining program and a weight loss program. You can log your workouts and also monitor your weight and body measurements.

Yoga Apps

For beginners, get Yoga at Home: Learn Beginner Yoga. With that app, you can watch videos of the basic yoga poses. 101 Yoga Poses is a another great reference. Yoga STRETCH features a virtual yoga teacher who demonstrates how to do poses. The Yoga Journal iPractice app offers 15 yoga routines with audio or text instructions. Office Yoga gives you some yoga stretches you can do at your desk.

Running Apps

iMapMyRun lets you track your running pace, distance and route using GPS. You can see your friends' runs as well, which can be very motivating. iMapMyRide tracks your bicycle ride and its duration, distance, speed, pace and elevation. You can record your workout history.

Weight Loss

An app such as Lose It! lets you easily track your weight. You can track calories and exercise and set goals.

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Top Camera iPhone Apps

iPhone camera apps allow you to apply cool effects to your photos.

Apple's iPhone 4 comes with two five-megapixel cameras for taking photos, recording videos and having video chats via Face Time. While Apple's Camera app allow you to make certain adjustments to your photos, such as using HDR or a flash, third-party camera and photography apps allow you to add extra features to your camera and apply effects to your photos. You can find a wide variety of both free and paid camera and photography apps on the iTunes Store.

Hipstamatic

As of February, 2011, Hipstamatic is the number one paid photography app available for download on the iTunes Store. Hipstamatic is modeled after the Kodak Instamatic, which was an easy to use film camera manufactured during the 1960s, and is designed to give iPhone photos an analog feel. Hipstamatic features interchangeable lenses, film packs and even colored flash gels, some of which must be purchased for extra. Hipstamatic allows you to use the maximum resolution of your iPhone's camera and even hosts contests on its website.

Camera+

Camera+ is a paid iPhone photography app that offers extensive features for taking and editing photos. Camera+ features a zoom extender, stabilizer and timer for taking pictures. For editing pictures, Camera+ features a lightbox system that allows you to choose multiple photos to edit effect choices such as lighting effects, borders, color effects, retro effects and analog effects. Camera+ also allows you to rotate and crop your photos.

Instagram

As of February, 2011, Instagram is the number one free photography app available for download on the iTunes Store. You must create an account with Instagram, which also provides an online photo sharing service, to use the app but it is free to register. Instagram features filters, styles and effects to give your iPhone photos an instant film, retro style. Instagram allows you to find your friends on Facebook and Twitter and to follow photo streams of other people using the app. Instagram allows allow you to post your Instagram iPhone photos to Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Posterous, Tumblr and Foursquare.

Adobe Photoshop Express

Adobe Photoshop is one of the most well known photo-editing applications for professionals. The iPhone version, Adobe Photoshop Express, offers some of the features of Photoshop without needing the technical knowledge to use the app. Adobe Photoshop Express allows you to make changes to brightness and contrast, color balance, hue and saturation. Adobe Photoshop Express allows features filters that you can apply to your photos for various effects. Adobe Photoshop Express is available for free download from the iTunes Store.

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The Difference Between Smart Phones & PDAs

Smartphones combine cell phone and PDA benefits.

A Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) is a handheld electronic device used to access the Internet, send email and organize information. These devices were popular in the 1990s, with the most prominent example being the Palm Pilot. In 2000, Microsoft's Pocket PC overtook the Palm Pilot. Smartphones first appeared in 1993 with the IBM Simon, an unwieldy behemoth that cost $900! Smartphones continued to develop through the early 2000s with the advent of the Palm Treo and the Blackberry, but the introduction of the Apple iPhone in 2007 began the true era of smart phone usage.

PDAs

Traditionally PDAs do not have phone services. They are used mainly for storage, organization and creation of word processing and spreadsheet data. PDAs usually require a stylus. Many devices have Internet access and the ability to send and receive email, in addition to up to 64 MB Ram. Bluetooth is also on-board, as is a music player. No contracts are necessary since Internet access is solely through WiFi connectivity. PDAs are not manufactured extensively, but those that are still available such as the HP iPAQ 111 bill themselves as a companion to the cell phone.

Smartphones

Cellphones were firrt used only to send and receive phone calls. The smartphone became a one-device solution to the cell phone and the PDA. They do not require a stylus; some like Apple's iPhone offer a touch screen keyboard, while others like the HTC Evo feature a full miniature QWERTY keyboard. Smartphones usually have built-in cameras, some with video capability, and music players. Most smartphones are controlled by swiping your fingers across the screen. Smartphones have both wireless and cellular access, so a contract with a carrier is required for full use. Bluetooth and GPS functions are also included on smartphones. A recent trend, starting with the iPhone and continuing with the Android is the widespread use of apps.

Apps

Third-party applications (apps) are one of the main factors that set the smartphone and the PDA apart. Apps are available for such diverse functions as finance, reference, productivity, music, games and social networking. These apps give smartphones many more uses than were available on even the most sophisticated PDAs.

The Future

Smartphone pundits predict a bright future for the product. Some of the forecasts include the smartphone replacing credit cards, ATMs and even money itself. In Japan, smartphones operate a number of other devices such as vending machines and commuter and subway train admittance. Smartphones are truly the evolutionary successor to the PDA.

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Phones That Are Comparable to the iPhone

Several smart phones on the market today provide many of the same functions as Apple's iPhone.

The release of the iPhone skyrocketed the popularity of smart phones for everyday consumers. Despite its trendy status in consumer culture, however, the iPhone is not the only powerful touch-screen smart phone on the market. Because of Apple's initial exclusive deal with AT&T, other service providers and cell phone manufacturers relied on alternative operating systems (namely BlackBerry and Android) to compete with Apple's popularity. As a result, there are a number of worthwhile smart phones available in addition to the iPhone.

BlackBerry Storm

The BlackBerry Storm is one of the manufacturer's only phones with a completely touch-based interface. The Storm uses a virtual keyboard with SurePress technology for all of your typing needs. The phone also houses a 3.2 megapixel camera for photos along with a built-in flash. With additional media cards, the user can expand the device's minimum 128 MB memory to two GB. The phone can play most audio and video files and it is enabled for access to BlackBerry's App World, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and 3G networks from a variety of service providers.

Motorola Atrix 4G

Like the iPhone, the Atrix utilizes a touch-based interface with no external keyboard. Internally, the phone runs a 1GHz dual core processor, while operating on the Android 2.0 platform. Android supports Flash-enabled Web pages (unlike the iPhone's operating system). The home screen can run several widgets for quick access to social networking notifications, contacts and text messages. A high-capacity hard drive (up to 16 GB) allows ample space for music and a variety of Android apps as well as any photos or recordings taken with the phone's five-megapixel HD video camera. The Atrix, which also carries a front and rear facing Webcam, can also be directly connected to a widescreen docking station with the Webtop application.

Samsung Focus

Running the Windows mobile operating system, the Samsung Focus also incorporates strictly touch-based operation on its four-inch screen. The smart phone features a five megapixel HD video camera with a built-in flash. Memory starts at a base capacity of 8 GB, but it can be expanded with media SD cards up to 32 GB for your music and app storage. The Focus supports Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. The Windows Phone 7 operating system uses a heavily widget-based interface with access to its own apps developed specifically for Windows Mobile users.

HTC EVO Sprint 4G

With a touch-screen interface, access to the 4G network and HDMI support for its on-board, eight megapixel HD camcorder, the HTC EVO is at the forefront of modern smart phone technology. The phone is equipped with an 8 GB microSD card for memory, but that can be swapped out for a card with a higher capacity. In addition to the main camera, a front-facing 1.3 megapixel Webcam allows the user to stream video while operating the phone. The EVO supports the Android 2.1 operating system, which enables access to a huge app store with resources to customize and enhance the functionality of the device.

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The Best Way to Transfer Photos to an iPhone

The iPhone can play music, videos and photo slideshows.

You can transfer all of your digital photos from your computer hard drive to your iPhone for mobile viewing and sharing. Once transferred, access the photos through the "Photos" app on the iPhone. The iPhone organizes photos by folder, just as they are on your computer hard drive. You can swipe through them one by one or view them as an automatic slideshow. Use iTunes, which comes included with your iPhone, to transfer photos.

Step 1

Open iTunes. Click "File," then select either "Add File to Library" or "Add Folder to Library," depending on your needs. Navigate to the individual photo or folder of photos you want to transfer to your iPhone and click "Open" to import the photos. Repeat this process until you have added all desired photos to your iTunes library.

Step 2

Connect your iPhone to your computer using the USB connector cable that came with the iPhone. Wait for iTunes to register the presence of your iPhone.

Step 3

Click the name of your iPhone in the left-hand menu column in iTunes to open the iPhone view. Click the "Photos" tab. Check the "Sync Photos" checkbox.

Step 4

Click "All Folders" to transfer all the photos in iTunes to your iPhone. To transfer only certain photos, click the "Selected Folders" option then check the boxes next to the folders you want to transfer to your iPhone in the "Folders" section.

Step 5

Click "Apply" and wait for iTunes to transfer the selected photos to your iPhone before disconnecting the USB cable.

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How to Transfer iPhone Apps Between iPhones

Access five computers and unlimited devices on an iTunes account.

One feature of iTunes that many iPhone owners aren't aware of is the option to share a single account between multiple devices and computers. By logging into the same iTunes account on two different iPhones, all purchased digital content, such as games, applications and music, can be added to all other devices on the account free of charge.

Items you will need

* iTunes

* iTunes account

* iPhone USB cable

Step 1

Download and install the latest version of iTunes (see Resources).

Step 2

Launch iTunes on the computer and click the "Store" menu heading, followed by "Sign In."

Step 3

Enter the account username and password used by one of the iPhones to log into iTunes. This ensures that both the iPhone and iTunes are linked to the previously purchased content you wish to share.

Step 4

Connect the iPhone to the computer using its USB cable, and click the "Sync" button in iTunes. All the content currently stored on the iPhone is transferred to the iTunes library on the computer.

Step 5

Launch the "Settings" application on the other iPhone and tap the "Store" button. Enter the same username and password used when logging into iTunes.

Step 6

Connect the second iPhone to the computer using the USB cable, and click the "Sync" button in iTunes. The content from the first iPhone is now synchronized with the second iPhone at no extra cost.

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