Downloading mioTV Singtel BPL Highlights on your iPhone

If you happen to be subscribed to Singtel mio Stadium on your
mobile phone (a great service for its postpaid customers at $5 a
month) then here's a handy tip for you. This is extremely handy if you
wish to watch the clips again, or in places with low reception (such as the subway) or simply show them to your friends later!

You will need a few things before you get started:

• a jailbroken iPhone
• subscription (and therefore access) to Singtel BPL on mobile
• Safari Download Manager (available on Cydia)
• iFile (available on Cydia)
• VLC (available on iTunes)
  

Navigate to Singtel BPL (on your phone)

Click on a highlight link to download it

Safari Download Manager should give you the following options:


Select Download


The download.do file itself is not a recognisable media file and will
not be playable. As such you will need to rename it appropriately.

With iFile navigate to the correct folder (/var/mobile/Media/Downloads by default) and click on
the arrow next to the file to view its properties.


Delete the .do (JAVA servlet file) extension and add .m4v (MPEG-4 Video File) instead.

Click Done and you're good to go!

You can either view the files with iFile's native player or use VLC!

If you wish to easily access the files from VLC for later viewing
simply cut the file (using iFile) and paste it in

/var/mobile/Applications/VLC/Documents

You might have to turn on Application Names in iFile's settings if you
have trouble finding the VLC folder.

NB: I've not tried this with the Safari Download Plugin but it might
still work.

Watching Singtel MobileTV (mio TV) on your PC

I recently received an SMS from Singtel saying that I would get to watch the Football Frenzy channel (shows UEFA Champions League Matches live) for free until October 31st. Excited, I contacted Singtel's customer service to check if it affected my data usage or if I would get charged unknowingly. Once satisfied, I navigated to Singtel IDEAS on my 3GS and found a few options, including one for Entertainment & TV (mio), which then took me to the various options available including Channel News Asia (free), Bloomberg (free), Channel 8 (free) and Football Frenzy (paid).

Since at this point in time Football Frenzy wasn't ready yet (I suspect it will be in a few days for the Champions League kickoff), I tried out the other channels on my iPhone and realised the stream quality was extremely good with minimal lag.

I then wanted to check if the quality was better with WiFi and got this error message when I tried to reload the page:

This site is only available when you use your iPhone3G with SingTel's unrivalled 3G network. It is not available to SingTel Prepaid customers, when using WiFi or the public internet.

This suggested to me that the website requires 2 things to work:

1. Using Singtel 3G network
2. Using an iPhone

Indeed, tethering my iPhone to my PC and navigating to the website gave me the same error as obviously the second check failed. Indeed, if the website could be tricked into thinking an iPhone was accessing the site, this should (at least in theory) work.

From previous knowledge, most websites make use of a user-agent string to detect what application, OS and version the client accessing the site is using. Indeed, if you ever wondered how a website knew what version of Firefox, IE or Safari you were running, this is most likely the check implemented on it. Due to the evolution of the WWW and IE's dominance, several browsers allowed you to fake the user-agent string of another browser. You could therefore fool the website into thinking you were running IE 7 when in fact you were running Firefox 3, and therefore then receive content originally intended for IE 7 users.

Posted below is a workaround I discovered that works and allows you to then play mio on your computer. Note: QuickTime is required as the streams are .mov format

1. Tether your iPhone to your PC via USB or Bluetooth

2. Use Firefox (or any other browser that allows you to switch user-agents)

3. Download the User Agent Switcher add-on for Firefox (or an equivalent if it exists for your browser). This add-on allows you to easily switch between user-agents and already has a profile for iPhone 3G included, although others can easily be added.

4. Navigate to Singtel IDEAS and click on Entertainment & TV

5. You're now watching mio TV on your PC!

If you want to watch the channel in full screen (as the resolution of the content is for the iPhone), run QuickTime and open the URL that is being displayed on your browser.

I'm not quite sure what sort of check Singtel has for the 3G usage, but if it is simply being on Singtel's 3G network (postpaid), then this MIGHT work even for people with any other phone. I am yet to confirm whether this works or not.

Jailbreaking an Unlocked iPhone OS 3.0 on Windows

I waited, like many others (im)patiently for the 3.0 firmware ever since its release date was announced at WWDC. It has been known for a while, that the current iPhone 3G will ALWAYS be jailbreakable, until the hardware is upgraded. As such, if you are as dependent on jailbreaking as me, it was not a question of whether I should upgrade, but rather when.

After hours of following @MuscleNerd and refreshing my tweets ever so often, the time had arrived - Jailbreaking for OS 3.0 had been released with one caveat - only Pwnage had been released, which unfortunately only works on Intel powered Macs, which of course I don't own!

As such, I realised that a PC owner could restore to an already jailbroken custom IPSW (firmware) created on a Mac, but not without its own share of issues. After several hours of a non-functional phone, these are the instructions for jailbreaking your iPhone on Windows without QuickPWN or redsn0w:

Software Required:

1. iTunes 8.1.1 found at http://www.oldapps.com/itunes.php
2. iTunes 8.2 from www.apple.com/iTunes
3. Custom Jailbroken 3.0 IPSW: Torrent
4. QuickPWN RC-3 found at http://www.quickpwn.com/2008/09/download-quickpwn-rc3.html
5. Quick PWN 225-2 found at http://quickpwn2-2-1.googlecode.com/files/QuickPwn-225-2.zip
6. Official 2.0.2 IPSW found at http://appldnld.apple.com.edgesuite.net/content.info.apple.com/iPhone/061-5241.20080818.t5Fv3/iPhone1,2_2.0.2_5C1_Restore.ipsw
7. Official 2.2.1 IPSW found at http://appldnld.apple.com.edgesuite.net/content.info.apple.com/iPhone/061-5828.20090127.aQLi8/iPhone1,2_2.2.1_5H11_Restore.ipsw

If you have an iPhone 3G 2.2.1 Jailbroken, these are the steps you should take:

1. Open iTunes 8.2
2. Backup iPhone data
3. Hit Shift+Restore and select the custom IPSW you downloaded earlier
4. Restore iPhone data
5. You should have a jailbroken iPhone 3G with OS 3.0

If you are already running the stock 3.0 OS, the steps are a bit more complicated because iTunes 8.2 will NOT let you restore to the custom IPSW or downgrade to 2.2.1. These are the instructions:

1. If you have installed 3.0 already, this assumes you are running iTunes 8.2
2. Close iTunes 8.2
3. Run QuickPWN RC-3 to install the official 2.0.2 IPSW on the iPhone.
4. When the iPhone screen turns white (while the exploit is being uploaded), disconnect your iPhone - the screen will remain white.
5. Close QuickPWN RC-3
6. Open iTunes 8.2 and Shift+Restore to the official 2.2.1 IPSW
7. You will probably get Error 1013 This is fine for now. QuickPWN 225-2 should fix that.
8. Uninstall iTunes 8.2 and install iTunes 8.1.1 Alternatively, use another computer with iTunes 8.1.1 already installed. This is because QuickPWN 225-2 does not work with iTunes 8.2
9. Close iTunes 8.1 and run QuickPWN 225-2
10. Follow the RESET steps at the beginning, this should fix ERROR 1013.
11. Jailbreak your iPhone 3G 2.2.1 using QuickPWN 225-2
12. Uninstall iTunes 8.1.1 and install iTunes 8.2
13. Shift+Restore to 3.0 Jailbroken Custom IPSW
14. Voila, you should have a Jailbroken iPhone 3G running 3.0!

It has come to the author's note, that the Dev-Team has already released redsn0w, which allows you to jailbreak with relative ease. If you are unsure, it is best to use this tool, than the method above. The method was used because redsn0w or QuickPWN had not been released by the Dev-Team yet.

Simplify Media - Remotely Accessing Your Music Library On Your iPhone

Remotely accessing your music library is definitely a feature I didn't know I needed until I found out it were possible! One of the biggest selling points of the iPhone is in fact its music playing capabilities since it is essentially an iPod Touch with extras. However it definitely lacks in the storage department with even 16GB not cutting it to encompass most people's music libraries (hell even my iRiver which is almost 5 years old has 20GB)!

Personally, I hate having to fire up iTunes to sync my iPhone (almost as much as I hate a lowercase i in front of everything Apple) because of the need of physically using the cable. I use Appstore (read: Installous) for all the apps that I need (well not really) given that I have 30GB of data that I have not much clue of how to make use of.

Perhaps one of the main uses of iTunes (and the only reason it's on my PC) is to put songs on the iPhone. However I'm too lazy to do this everytime I add a new album or song to my library. This is where accessing your music library remotely solves all these problems at once.

Simplify Media is essentially a music streaming app, which you install on your computer (Windows, Mac, Linux) and set up a free account to either share your iTunes, Windows Media Player or WinAmp library and access it via an app for the iPhone or iPod Touch called Simplify Music 2.

This is quite nifty because unlike a few other apps that allow remote streaming, this one works on WiFi, EDGE/GPRS and 3G! It has a built-in search feature and the interface on the iPhone is quite similar to the iPod app itself. As an added bonus it has album cover, artist info as well as lyrics!

Another noteworthy feature has to be the ability to invite up to 30 people (who can use Simplify Media which is free) to access your library no matter where they are. It then pops up as a shared library in iTunes, WMP or WinAmp (based on their specified preferences). This means you can also access other people's libraries on your iPhone too!

Check out a video of the app on the iPhone as well as the desktop version for Windows, Mac and Linux:

The Hype about Skype on iPhone (and How to Get The Most of It)

If you haven't heard yet, Skype has recently been released on the iPhone!

So what's the big deal? Indeed numerous handsets such as a few Nokias have had it for a while and it has been possible for a while to use Skype on the iPhone itself via a few apps such as Truphone and Fring, which allow you to connect to other instant messaging services as well.

However, the app which I've been trying for most of today definitely deserves to be on the must have app list. You can do pretty much almost anything you can do on Skype from your PC such as chat, add and search for contacts and even make both SkypeOut and free Skype-to-Skype calls (albeit for a few annoying restrictions, which I shall get to talking about a bit later in this post).

The interface is a lot quicker, more responsive, and a lot cleaner than any other app that you can use to connect to Skype with.

Unfortunately, due to Apple guidelines, with the default app, you can only make calls when you are connected to Wifi but you can still sign in, chat and see who's online from regular EDGE/GPRS/3G.

Another annoying nag, is the fact that it is not possible to run apps in the background, which means you HAVE to be on the Skype screen to be able to send and receive messages and calls. Indeed, you have to either know when people are going to skype you or leave it running all the time, which sort of detracts from the whole point of it.

Nevertheless, this tutorial will help you get past MOST of the aforementioned annoyances:

1. You need a jailbroken phone for this. So there's no point continuing if your phone isn't jailbroken yet! Infact this is probably a great reason to jailbreak if you haven't done so already!

2. Install Skype from the Appstore or download the IPA from elsewhere.
3. Install MobileSubstrate from Cydia. Please note, existing MobileSubstrate users require an update to 0.9.2805-1 which was released today. For more information on the compatibility issues, read this.
4. Install VoIPover3G from Cydia - this tricks any app that is configured into thinking that it is using WiFi when in fact it is using 3G/EDGE/GPRS and therefore overcome the need of a WiFi connection to make calls!
5. Edit this file either via Terminal or SSH (easier and preferred method): "VoIPover3G.plist" located in /Library/MobileSubstrate/DynamicLibraries/ Add the following string to configure Skype "skype.com.skype" (NB all should be in lowercase. You will probably have to add a comma to separate the previous entry - just follow the layout)
6. Install Backgrounder from Cydia. Configure the app to have Skype as an Auto-Enabled Application. This will basically keep Skype running in the background when you hit the Home button, not unlike Skype being minimised to your System Tray! You will also hear your phone ring if someone skypes you - highly recommended!
7. If you have IntelliScreen installed, under Performance - Select App Launch Boost and make sure VoIPover3G and Backgrounder are "On"
8. Sign in and enjoy an always-on solution for Skype that you can make and receive calls from no matter what connection you have! (NB: Data charges might apply!)

I've made and received a few test calls for a noticeable length (>20 mins) and the call quality is nothing short of amazing on 3G, with a quite unnoticeable lag! As at this moment, you can't make a conference call from the app, but you can definitely take part in one, if someone else initiates it. This has been tested as well, with great results on 3G!

Connecting to NUS VPN via iPhone

Today whilst I was at K-Gourmet Cafe, I felt like connecting remotely to my XPS from my iPhone. The iPhone natively of course doesn't support RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) and as such one needs to install an app that allows you to do so. I personally use Jaadu RDP for this purpose though there are quite a few out there.

Since my computer lies on the NUS domain, the app works, but ONLY over WiFi which initially was fine for me until today, as for some weird reason there isn't a hotspot at K-Gourmet!

Since I have a data plan with SingTel I wanted to figure out a way to connect to the comp over 3G. In order to be connect I first had to be on NUSNET by some means or another. I tried the obvious route of WebVPN, with not much hope (because of the Java requirement), and unsurprisingly it authenticated me, but didn't do much else!

I was always aware that the iPhone had VPN settings (with CISCO IPSec - which is what NUS used to use before WebVPN). I tried searching for the settings but couldn't come across anything substantial and with a LOT of trial and error, I finally had success!

So below, I shall post the settings for anyone who wishes to connect to NUS VPN from outside NUS using an iPhone:

1. Make sure the iPhone can connect to the internet via WiFi or 3G
2. Go to Settings-->General-->Network
3. Click on VPN
4. Choose "Add VPN Configuration"
5. Click on the IPSec tab
6. Enter the following settings:
• Description: NUS VPN (or anything else you want to name the profile)
• Server: 137.132.3.181 (this is for connecting from outside NUS)
• Account: u0XXXXXX (your NUSNET ID)
• Password: Leave blank (you will be prompted when you connect)
• Group Name: inside-nus
• Secret: inside-nus
7. Hit "Save" on the top right corner
8. Connect to VPN.

That should be it, you should now be prompted to enter you credentials and then get a message welcoming you to NUS VPN!

NB: For the server: vpn.nus.edu.sg should work as well, but I've not tried it.

Must Have iPhone Apps

These are my must have iPhone apps in no particular order. Most of them require your iPhone to be jailbroken, so make sure you have a jailbroken iPhone 3G 2.2. Since this assumes your iPhone is already jailbroken, Cydia and Installer won't feature in the list :P. Here's the list in no particular order:

1. OpenSSH (Cydia) - a must have if you wish to connect to the filesystem of your iPhone from your computer - the default root password is "alpine".
2. Facebook (App Store) - Yes, we're all Facebook whores - this app works way better than the mobile browser version.
3. mxTube (Cydia) - This allows you to save your YouTube videos for playing later, as well as choosing what quality (whether on WiFi or EDGE). Much better than the default player..
4. Shazam (App Store) - Place your iPhone near a speaker or TV or radio, and this will identify what song is playing! It will also provide YouTube links to a video (if available)!
5. Installous (Cydia) - This app is well an App Store replacement (of sorts). It accesses Appulo.us and allows you to install packages from Appulo.us. The repository needs to be added into Cydia first. (Visit Hackulous for more info)
6. SwirlyMMS (Cydia) - This app brings that which should've already been on the iPhone - MMS! Works as advertised and is actually not that bad!
7. BeejiveIm (App Store) - This app brings all your instant messaging to the iPhone - AIM/MobileMe, GTalk, ICQ, Jabber, MSN, Myspace and Yahoo as well! Easy to use and supports landscape!
8. iRealSMS (Cydia) - This app makes SMS on the iPhone what it should've been from the beginning. It supports landscape, forwarding sms, sending contact details, as well as searching through your messages. The latest version has Quick Reply, which lets you reply to an SMS without closing your current app!
9. siax (Cydia) - This app is great for VOIP, supporting SIP and IAX. (Works fine with Nonoh :D)

10. Now Playing (App Store) - This app shows you what is playing, which cinema it's playing at, and at what time! Complete with reviews and trailers and RT scores!

11. iPhysics (App Store) - This game engine for the iPhone gives you endless amount of fun with its 2D engine. Make your own game or play one of the included ones! (I think you can download addons as well.)

12. Winterboard (Cydia) - I almost forgot to mention this! This allows you to fully customise your iPhone's Springboard and download pre-designed themes as well!

Jailbreaking iPhone 2.2

Firstly, if you're still on an outdated firmware, go to iTunes right now and update to the latest firmware 2.2 (5G77).

Next, "jailbreak" your iPhone! If you're wondering what "jailbreaking" is, well essentially it is allowing your iPhone to install 3rd Party applications that you can't get through the App Store, due to various reasons.

Jailbreaking allows you to access the file system on your iPhone, send/receive MMS, improved SMS features, change themes, and also install Linux if you so wish.

To jailbreak, the easiest and most painless way is to go to QuickPWN and download the QuickPWN 2.2 for Windows or Mac.

You get the option of installing Installer and Cydia (both of which I recommend) which allow you to install applications. Installer and Cydia are in essence very similar to Synaptic for Ubuntu.

If you do have problems with jailbreaking you can always restore your iPhone from iTunes. Remember it's never a bad idea to backup your iPhone through iTunes before undertaking this procedure!

iPhone3G

Well, a few weeks ago I finally did that which I myself would have considered blasphemous a few years back..bought an Apple product....yep, I bought an iPhone 3G with a new contract on Singtel.

Well now that I finally got my hands on it, I've been examining and "tinkering" with the iPhone in almost every way imaginable (short of taking it apart).

Over the next few weeks I'm going to be putting down tricks and tips - some commonly documented, others not so much so!

First, I must say straight out of the box the iPhone is crippled - with several key elements missing such as only 2 out of 35 profiles of Bluetooth supported - most noticeably DUN (The ability to use your iPhone as a modem to connect to the internet), A2DP (listen to music over Bluetooth stereo) and FTP (the ability to transfer files over Blueooth).

This by far isn't the only shortcoming of the so-called revolutionary phone; but that's not what my articles are going to be about. Anyone can read that online and make a decision for themselves. These articles are going to be about how to overcome some/most/all of these shortcomings.

Stay tuned!