Advanced Prompting Systems Invents Contact Lens Teleprompter

As of April 1, 2016 TV studios can throw out those clunky teleprompters! Advanced Prompting Systems has invented a Teleprompter that projects images onto a custom made contact lens. 

The image is transmitted wirelessly over wifi, and the user is able to read the text which is controlled manually by a professional operator within a 100 feet radius. 

Each unit is custom made per user and can be ordered up to 48 hours in ahead. APS will begin mass production later this year, but you can preorder as of April 1, 2016. 

Copyright Advanced Prompting Systems (305) 688-0321. All rights reserved. 

All Verizon iPhones starting with the iPhone 5 are unlocked!

All Verizon iPhones starting with the iPhone 5 (that shipped in 2012) are unlocked! This means if you have an old iPhone 5 or later, which was previously purchased to work on Verizon, you can take that phone to another network. 

There are a few exceptions, however. Situations in which this will not work include: Phones which have been reported stolen and which do not have a clean ESN (this can be because the previous owner had a billing dispute with their carrier and canceled service without paying the early termination fee).

Exceptions aside, Verizon iPhones are your best value. Verizon is the ONLY carrier (to date) where you can buy an UNLOCKED iPhone at a subsidized price. 

You can purchase a used Verizon iPhone 5 or later, either online or from a friend and use it on any GSM network, such as AT&T, T-Mobile, Boost, Cricket, Straight Talk and MetroPCS. STAY AWAY FROM SPRINT! Sprint's iPhones will not work on any network other than Sprint and you cannot take a Verizon iPhone to Sprint either. Sprint sucks! They also modify their iPhones to limit functions such as hotspot data sharing. Stay far from Sprint! Save yourself the pain and suffering! Don't even go there. 

USING YOUR VERIZON IPHONE ON METROPCS AND OTHER NETWORKS:

Some networks such as MetroPCS offer rates as low as $30/month. In order for your Verizon iPhone to work on MetroPCS you must take your phone to an authorized MetroPCS store, because the phone has to be provisioned to your account/SIM card (you're also going to the store because you will need a SIM card). Basically what that means is, the IMEI (number in your phone) and the SIM have to be paired in the MetroPCS database, its not plug and play like T-Mobile and AT&T. If your MetroPCS rep tells you "it won't work" (the rep is an idiot) ask to speak with someone with more experience. PLEASE NOTE: You may have to update your iOS and carrier settings through iTunes or via the Internet to get full 4G LTE service. 

When it comes to using your Verizon iPhone with AT&T or T-Mobile, it's plug and play! Insert your SIM card, restart your phone and you're ready to go!

Now, you might be saying to yourself; "This sounds too good to be true! Why would Verizon allow this?"

Well, it isn't because the folks at Verizon are kind hearted people who don't believe in locking phones... They’re doing it because they’re required to by law, specifically Title 47, Part 27, Subpart B, Section 27.16 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Devices that operate in the 700 MHz C block—which Verizon paid $9.4 billion in 2008 to use—the following paragraph applies:

 (e) Handset locking prohibited. No licensee may disable features on handsets it provides to customers, to the extent such features are compliant with the licensee's standards pursuant to paragraph (b)of this section, nor configure handsets it provides to prohibit use of such handsets on other providers' networks.

You can thank Google for this as they fought for open access standard during the 700MHz C block auction. 

Unfortunately, this rule doesn’t apply to AT&T’s use of the B block which is why they are happily selling locked iPhones.

Apple's iOS7 Messages App hogging memory

So you've deleted all unnecessary apps from your iPhone, and you're still low on memory... You've deleted photos and videos, music and other documents/eBooks and no matter what, something is mysteriously eating your memory. Is there a black hole sucking your memory? YES THERE IS!

Is there a conspiracy to make you feel helpless and convince you that you need to upgrade? ABSOLUTELY!

First, you investigate: 

Go to "Settings" then "General" and find "Usage". Here you will notice that "Messages" is hogging about 3GB worth of memory. Why? It has saved every SMS picture since eternity! Even if you go into your messages and manually delete them, they don't go away. So how do you reclaim your 3GB? You'll need to modify your iTunes backup directory and remove the SMS ATTACHMENTS! It's not for the lazy or technically inept, so be careful...  

Here's how:

First, go to a real computer! Windows or Mac, it doesn't matter, but it needs to have YOUR iTunes account on it. 

 

1. Back up your iPhone in iTunes (twice if possible, on the computer and on iCloud)
2. Find an app called iBackupBot (Google it) and open it on your computer. 
3. Go to your most recent back up. It will have the date and time on it. 
4. Click on Multimedia File Manager and click on the other Multimedia files tab
5. Find: MediaDomain/Library/SMS/Attachments and highlight all of them, then press delete.  You can also click to export to a folder of your choice, if you want to save them that is.  
6. Then go to System Files>MediaDomain>Library>SMS>Attachments
7. Highlight them all and press delete
8. Restore your phone to that backup using iTunes!  

 

 

The space will recovered, your messages are still there but without the attachments!  

 

FYI - I would make two back ups in case the modified one goes bad. 

Predicting Apple's Demise

Apple stock falls to new 57-week low - the lowest it has been since January 2012.

Apple's continued demise is no surprise to me. Everyone knows I'm a big Apple Fan. So when I called their demise following the discontinuation of their 17" MacBook Pro you should know it was time to #SellYourAppleStock.

The continued lack of respect and support for the professionals who made Apple a contender in the computer market will not be tolerated. MORE Examples? 1. Final Cut X--WTF? 2. No thunderbolt upgrade to Mac Pro towers says "fuck you pros!!" Well fuck you Apple--I'm going back to Avid and Adobe.

Right now Apple is pleasing the kids who thinks it just "cool" to own an Apple not the Pros who respect the raw power it wields and knows how to use it.

Originally written in February 2012

How to Unlock Your iPhone WITHOUT Jailbreak

How to Unlock Your iPhone WITHOUT Jailbreaking
For information on how to LEGALLY unlock your iPhone for INTERNATIONAL use, visit my blog:
How to unlock your Verizon or Sprint iPhone 4S

Why "Jailbreak" is bad
First of all, I have never condoned "Jailbreaking".  I think it's risky and limiting.  For most people it's simply annoying not to be able to update your device to the newest version of iOS.  However, the sad truth is that it is far worse than that! A bad jailbreak can cause damage to your device and can lead to security breaches.  When you jailbreak a device, you are removing Apple's restrictions on the iOS and making modifications to the operating system that are not authorized by Apple.  Essentially,  jailbreaking makes iOS devices prone to malware and viruses, and thus makes it vulnerable to hackers.  In most cases jailbreaking causes your device to become unstable and to not function normally. DO NOT JAIL BREAK!

Not all iPhones are locked
It is important to note that most "locked devices" are sold in the USA to customers under contract.  It is not unusual to buy a "Factory Unlocked" iPhone/iPad OUTSIDE the USA.  In some countries locking a device to a specific carrier is illegal, and so Apple makes these devices unlocked and customers are asked to pay full price; this is common practice in Asia and some European countries.

What devices can I unlock?
This blog covers the unlocking of GSM devices... ie: iPhones that use SIM cards. Exclusions to this are: iPhone 4 on Verizon and Sprint or any other CDMA carriers.

• The iPhone 4 & 4S for AT&T is a GSM phone and CAN be unlocked. 

• The iPhone 4S on Sprint and Verizon are CDMA/GSM world phones... this means they use both CDMA and GSM technology--YES you can unlock an iPhone 4S from Sprint and Verizon, but there's a catch... continue reading for more info.

Unlocking the iPhone with a Turbo SIM
My recommendation to anyone with an "AT&T iPhone" who wants to switch to a different carrier (i.e., to T-Mobil, Boost, etc.) is to unlock the iPhone using a Turbo Sim. A Turbo Sim is a thin device with a 9mm by 9mm microprocessor mounted in the top right corner. When properly installed, it is pressed on top of a normal SIM card so that it is still small enough to be inserted into the SIM card slot.

How does the Turbo SIM work?
The main function of the Turbo SIM is to spoof the IMSI number and authentication key supplied by the SIM card, to the network. This "spoof" allows an otherwise "locked" phone to be used on any mobile network with which they are technically compatible.

Where do I get a Turbo SIM?
The most common places to buy a Turbo Sim are on eBay or Amazon. Turbo SIM's are made for a variety of different devices. You should read the details and description of the card before you buy and check with the dealer to make sure it is for YOUR particular device.  Turbo SIM's are available for the iPhone 3G S, iPhone 4 (GSM/AT&T), iPhone 4S, and will no doubt be available for iPhone 5 and iOS6 very soon.  A Turbo SIM can range in price, but the average price is around US$10 each.

PLEASE NOTE:  Turbo SIM's tend to be iOS specific, as seen here (the picture below is taken from eBay and is iOS5 specific).  It is important to DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE YOU BUY.  Not all Turbo SIM's are created equally and not all dealers will be honest!

Which Turbo SIM should I buy?
My personal choice when choosing a Turbo SIM was the "R-SIM V".  These Turbo SIM's come in different versions for different devices.  I believe the latest version for the iPhone 4S is the R-SIM V (version 5), however I am NOT ENDORSING or promoting any particular brand.  I am simply a blogger who is giving friendly advice based on personal experience. As stated above, please DO YOUR RESEARCH, read the item descriptions and ask questions before you buy!  THE TYPE OF TURBO SIM YOU WILL NEED will depend on two factors:  The carrier your phone is locked to, for example: (AT&T, VERIZON, SPRINT etc.), and it will also depend on what model iPhone you have!

The reason I prefer the R-SIM, is because it can AUTOMATICALLY unlock the iPhone.  Some Turbo SIM's require you to Jailbreak the phone, which in my opinion is pointless!

Personal Experience
My first experience was with an AT&T iPhone 4S running iOS5.  I used a "R-SIM V" that I bought off eBay. I got installation instructions from the dealer which lead me to THIS WEBSITE.  After following the instructions, I was able to use the AT&T iPhone with a T-Mobil SIM card.

My second task was not so easy. With the success of the AT&T iPhone 4S, I boldly took on the challenge of unlocking a Verizon iPhone 4S running iOS5.1... When I contacted the dealer about this, he told me that the R-SIM V was indeed compatible with the Verizon CDMA/GSM phone, but that I would have to "Jailbreak" it to work. "That's ridiculous!",  I thought. Why bother?  Later that month I went to Guatemala on vacation, but before leaving I asked Verizon to turn on the "international" feature on my plan and "unlock my phone for international travel".  Once I had my iPhone 4S unlocked, it was smooth sailing after that.  I purchased a local SIM card in Guatemala and the phone worked perfectly.  However, when I returned to the USA, to my surprise the phone did not switch back to Verizon.  Instead it said "AT&T" on top. At this point it all made sense! I didn't need to Jailbreak my phone to work with the Turbo SIM after all! Later that week I tested my theory.  When I installed an R-SIM V card in my now "internationally unlocked" iPhone 4S it worked! So there you have it... I didn't need to Jailbreak the phone after all!

Basking in my success, I told my friends about this, and they too asked me to help unlock their phones using my "International SIM Card".... The reason for this was because the Verizon and Sprint versions of the iPhone are programmed to pick up the "country code" of the SIM inside it...  When we ask Sprint or Verizon to "unlock" our phones for "international" use, they assume it's for legitimate travel, and it therefore requires an "international" SIM card to accomplish this.

For more information on how to LEGALLY unlock your Verizon/Sprint iPhone 4S for international use, read my blog: How to unlock your Verizon or Sprint iPhone 4S

How to unlock your Verizon or Sprint iPhone 4S

How to unlock your Verizon or Sprint iPhone 4S
(For International Travel)

For information on how to unlock your iPhone for USA/Domestic use Click HERE.

If you are still in good standing with your current service provider ie: AT&T, Verizon or Sprint and you are about to upgrade to the newest iPhone, unlocking your old iPhone before you upgrade is by far the smartest thing you can do!

Unlocking your old iPhone, be it a 3G S, an AT&T iPhone 4 or a iPhone 4S (any carrier) increases the resale value of your phone! "Jailbreaking" your phone out of necessity is often inconvenient, but it may surprise you to know that it is often unnecessary! In Europe and Asia the practice of "locking" a phone to a specific carrier is usually "illegal" and hence, buying a fancy smart phone outside the USA is often quite pricey. So why do carriers lock phones? To get you hooked on that contract obviously!

The secret to getting your phone unlocked LEGALLY and permanently is to be in good standing with your service provider. Once your iPhone is unlocked it will be forever unlocked, even if you update the software or fall out of favor with your service provider.

Before we begin with the unlocking instructions, I would first like to point out that not all cellphone providers will treat you equally good, and many tech support reps are just plain ignorant! If you get a stupid rep who tells you they "can't unlock your phone"  or that you should "jail break it" hang up and call back till you get a more cooperative rep. They ARE obligated to unlock your phone for "legitimate reasons". Know that this is your right as a paying customer in good standing and don't be intimidated.

(Verizon/Sprint)

Step: 1

The first step is to call your service provider and inform them that you will be "traveling internationally" and that you need to UNLOCK YOUR PHONE so that you can use a SIM CARD over GSM while traveling. Please note that if you have a Verizon or Sprint iPhone 4, YOU CANNOT DO THIS! Only the Sprint/Verizon iPhone 4S has this capability. The rep will punch a few keys and your iPhone will be unlocked, however, don't go celebrating yet. Ask the rep for details or more instructions to be safe, your iPhone will not be truly unlocked UNTIL you sync it with iTunes. Once that is complete and you have assurance from your rep that your iPhone is indeed unlocked, Sync your iPhone immediately with iTunes and BACK IT UP! To be safe back up all your data on your computer AND on the iCloud! 

Step 2:

When you are confident that your data has been saved, TURN OFF YOUR PHONE, then get a paper clip and stick it in the pin hole that houses the SIM card (right side of iPhone 4S). If nothing happens stick it in harder. Eventually the tray will be release and you will see your SIM Card inside. Remove the SIM Card and replace it with another SIM Card.... BE PREPARED FOR THIS STEP PLEASE... you will need an international SIM Card (not Verizon or Sprint). Purchase the SIM card before you pull the tray!

Step 3:

Insert the SIM Card inside the tray and close the tray. Plug your iPhone into computer and Sync it with iTunes. Congrats your phone is unlocked!

PLEASE NOTE: Sprint and Verizon usually provide unlock codes for the iPhone as requested by a customer if the customer is in good standing with their accounts for a minimum 90-day period.


(AT&T)

Unlocking your AT&T iPhone is also possible. For many AT&T customers this use to be a frustrating process, but earlier this year, and in a bold move, Apple compelled AT&T to unlock an older iPhone model to be used when traveling internationally. As reported, the customer had asked AT&T to unlock his iPhone 3GS and was told they couldn't and believe it or not, the AT&T rep even suggested that the customer "jailbreak" the phone. Frustrated, the customer reached out to Apple CEO Tim Cook. According to the customer, Cook himself did not respond to him personally, but Cook’s office worked with AT&T to see to it that his iPhone was unlocked and then followed up after the unlocking was completed to ensure the process went smoothly.

It is believed that the main reason Apple intervened in this particular incident is because the carrier had initially informed the customer to jailbreak his phone to SIM unlock the device, rather than issue a method for legally unlocking the device without jailbreak.  Apple has been fighting a battle against jailbreaking, and the company did not want its partners to encourage or reward such behavior.

AT&T has since instituted an similar unlocking policy to aid customers who are traveling internationally and need to unlock their devices. Contact AT&T for more information.