iPhone

WinX HD Video Converter for Mac Giveaway

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WinX HD Video Converter for Mac Icon

Today was the third Sunday of June, which means it was father’s day around the world. I made sure to contact my father and wish him a happy father’s day and let him know that he is appreciated. Sophia from WinX contacted me again and let me know that they are promoting their new converter software by giving it away on father’s day. Just by looking at the specs, this video converter can just about convert any file (it even supports Blu-ray .mts, m2ts files) to any output including preconfigured outputs for media devices (iPhone, iPad, Sony PS3,  Xbox 360, Zune HD, Blackberry, etc). It has the a similar interface as their other software, so if you have used any of their software it should be familiar. I think the Icon is really snazzy and reflects well with OS X’s great icon design. I would suggest that the interface be made more Mac like as reminds me of boilsoft applications on Windows. I know this application will come in handy because I do a lot of converting, especially when devices don’t support specific HD containers such as MKV.

To take advantage of this offer (which ends July 1, 2010) Visit the WinX HD Video Converter for Mac Giveaway page.

WinX HD Video Converter for Mac Screenshot
Click on image for full size

How to use an iPhone as a wireless adapter

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When I moved into my new apartment this month I noticed that the phone line outlet was on on opposite side of the apartment relative to my computer. Since I was using a Cat5 cable to connect before it would not be a viable solution in the new apartment. I ordered an Airport Extreme card for my Mac Pro, but in the meantime I had no method to connect to my wireless network. I did some googling and found that there is a way to use your iPhone as a wireless adapter. The software is called WSID and requires a jailbroken iPhone as well as some ssh knowhow. There is a readme file with instructions so if you can follow them then go for it. This little hack works well and kept me connected to the internet while I waited for my Airport Extreme card to arrive. Below is the link to the file, which is tiny by the way (13.5kb).

Download

App of the day – Scanner 911

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Scanner911

I have not bought an app from the App Store in a while, so a couple of days ago I felt like looking at what new apps were available. I found Scanner 911 in the most popular apps, and read the description. What does it do? It lets you listen in on Police, Fire, and EMS radio channels in USA and Canada. It only costs 99 cents and is quite entertaining and impressive. You can purchase it on the iTunes App Store.

App of the day – RBC Finder

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RbcFinder

Today I started another segment called App of the day, it is similar to my photo of the day. However it is of an iPhone or computer application. Today the app of the day is RBC Finder. This iPhone app uses GPS technology in the iPhone to locate the nearest RBC ATM. The result is more money in your pocket instead of being charged Interac and bank fees. There are versions for other large banking institutions in Canada (eg. BMO FInder). With this app I have found ATMs in places I never would have thought, and save money. Remember every penny counts!

How to get a refund from the iPhone App Store

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app_store

A couple of days ago I needed to transfer a large file and did not have a usb key handy. So I remembered that I liked an app called Datacase in the App Store. I bought it and started using it. However it did not work well on iPhone OS 3.1. So I bought another application as well. I felt that I should be eligible for a refund, how can you not keep your app maintained? I searched google for “How to get a refund app store” and found this link. Since this is not my work I felt it was appropriate to link to the original post as well as post the (Mona’s) directions.

These are the steps I followed to request a refund:

  1. Open iTunes
  2. Log on to your account
  3. Go to purchase history
  4. Report a problem
  5. Fill out form with reason for refund (nicely)
  6. Wait

I did that and got a confirmation email (it’s always great to know your request is in). After a day or two I got a nice email from Mike at the App Store. It said that all sales are final however, they would refund me this one time. I felt so relieved and happy. Thanks Mona for your directions, and Apple for being able to honor my request.

Photo of the day

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Programming yay!

So today I got a package. It was not the package I was hoping for but nonetheless it was a good one. Amazon is fast at delivery. I only ordered these books two days ago, and it was shipped yesterday from Mississauga. Anyways whenever I have free time now, I’ll try to start reading through these books. I’ll start with Programming in Objective-C 2.0 because its the foundation of cocoa! For some reason though I feel that Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X will be a fun read!

Objective-C and Cocoa here I come!

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I’ve been wanting to learn how to program for OS X and the iPhone, so today I ordered two books from amazon. The first is Programming in Objective-C 2.0 (2nd Edition) (Developer’s Library) by Stephen Kochan which the language used by Cocoa.The second book is Cocoa(R) Programming for Mac(R) OS X (3rd Edition) by Aaron Hillegass. So hopefully in the next couple of months I will be learning how to program on OS X, and who knows maybe one day you will be using an app I created!

Avoid long distance charges with skype

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For a while now I have been avoiding long distance charges from Rogers, Fido by using skype. In the states I think there are no long distance for calling another number in the states. However there are for calling Canada and other countries. This tutorial will teach you how to escape these fees by using skype to call numbers in the US, Canada and other countries. Firstly you have to be located in the US or Canada (Trace IP).

1. Go to Skype Subscriptions and buy whichever subscription is appropriate for you.

2.If you want the caller id to display your cellphone number Set it up in Skype Settings

3.To use this on your cellphone you will need a data plan or wifi(does not use much data though). Download iSkoot(Blackberry,Nokia, Windows Mobile) or Fring for iPhone

4. Setup your phone with your skype account, and your number.

5.Whenever you want to make a long distance call, just open the skype application you chose on your phone and dial it from there and save money!