NiVleK

Two months I have been busy. Very busy. To the extent that I hardly have time for this part of my blog.

And this made me much more frustrated. I spent almost half a day trying to remove this.......

The ikee iphone worm as they call it. This guy will haunt you everywhere. In your lockscreen and whenever you need to make a call or receive one.

I tried many ways to remove it, googled around. For me this standard way didnt really work...

Steps to remove the Ikee virus (variant A, B, C & D)

1. If you haven’t already installed mobile terminal via Cydia, do so.
2. Reboot your iPhone.
3. Run mobile terminal, and at the prompt, type su.
4. The default password is alpine (unless you’ve already changed it).
5. Type in the following commands one line at a time, end press return after each line.
   You may get messages such as No such file or directory – but that’s fine, different variants may leave behind different files.

   rm /bin/poc-bbot
   rm /bin/sshpass
   rm /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.ikey.bbot.plist
   rm /var/lock/bbot.lock
   rm /var/log/youcanbeclosertogod.jpg
   rm /var/mobile/Library/LockBackground.jpg
   rm /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.saurik.Cydia.Startup.plist
   rm /usr/libexec/cydia/startup
   rm /usr/libexec/cydia/startup-helper
   rm /usr/libexec/cydia/startup.so

6. When you’re done, reboot your iPhone.

I was met with obstacles. Running the mobile terminal on iphone didnt remove quite a few files here. What made things worst was that I delete Cydia in my frustration and could not SSH to my iPhone. "apt-get install cydia" didnt work too. I ended up rejailbreaking the iphone in an attempt to get Cydia back. Luckily it worked.

On my mac, I cyberducked into my iPhone through SSH and saw that those file that I could not remove in mobile terminal is still there! Trashed it and rebooted.

IT WORKED!!!! Finally I am free of the ghost!!!

Steps to change your iPhone root password (and minimize being hacked)

1. Start mobile terminal (download and install via Cydia if you haven’t done so yet).
2. Type su.
3. Enter alpine as the password.
4. At the prompt, type passwd.
5. Enter your new root password. DO NOT FORGET THIS!
6. Enter the same password again.
7. You should now be secure from viruses that use the default password to hack into your phone.

And you know what is even more ridiculous????

The virus creator did not get into any trouble with the law and bagged a job as an iPhone developer!!!

WTF~!

Loading mentions Retweet

Just received the second set of iPhone 3gs 32gb but now in white! Now we are rocking black or white! Yeah!

Regards,
Kelvin Ang
 
Sent from my iPhone 3GS

Loading mentions Retweet

I just did a brief compilation of all prices for the latest iPhone 3GS from the following shops.

1) Mobile Square
2) Why Mobile
3) Itech Mobile
4) SG Mobile

I am in no way affiliated to these shops...just putting the prices up for information.

I am so glad that I did not wait for the no contract prices to be up and then get the iPhone. The pricing is ridiculous!!!

       

Click here to download:

Latest_No_Contract_Prices_of_i.zip (62 KB)

Loading mentions Retweet

Viewpoint from a Windows Mobile user for many years.......

Synchroisation

First thing I did, install the dreaded iTunes onto my laptop for syncing data. I backed up my HTC Touch HD contacts the last time to the laptop and started the sync from Outlook Calendar, Contacts and Notes to the iPhone.

+ Works great. Seems like all of the fields for contacts in the outlook was retained.
+ No hassle and customization required. Similar to Windows Mobile Device sync.
+ Calendar graphical appeal looks better in iPhone. (Actually almost everything looks better in iPhone than on Windows Mobile)

- How to sync iPhone to two computers? I have a home laptop and a office desktop that I always use my Winmo phone to keep sync.
- No USB Mass storage settings? (Edit: Seems like I can access from my laptop. To be check from another computer without iTunes.)

Installation of applications, "Apps"

Next, I filled in my credit card details for the iTunes stores to prepare for any purchase that I might and will be making in the near future.

+ Simple process!! Just click "Add" and it is downloaded into your computer. Then "Sync" to install the app to the iPhone. Much user friendly than Winmo devices which will prompt you to install where, blah blah blah.
+ Prices ranging from 0.99 to 8.99 ( have not seen higher than this yet). Cheap! Some of my Winmo apps cause me 20 over bucks.

- No customization of Apps location!!! I cannot shift the icon to wherever I like in order to arrange them the way I like it. It seems to me that the applications are arranging in a manner according to the date you install them. Why cant Apple just let users create like a folder "Utilites" or "Games" and then let organization freaks to dump related apps into the folders. EDIT 12/07/09: Now I know how to reorganise the icons around...ok....

Setting up Mail Accounts

One of the most important function I need in my phone. Ability to access, read and compose emails with relative ease. Did some fiddling around to get the settings correct.

+ As simple as setting up accounts in Winmo.
+ iPhone already has built in settings for some webmail and MS Exchange users. Setting up Gmail is as simple as keying in your username and password.
+ Built in "Always BCC myself". This is great for POP/IMAP users that want to have a copy of the mail sent from iPhone on their desktop too.

- Where is the "Do not download attachment" setting?!?!? With my attachments coming to 100MB daily, I cannot afford to download all attachments. To be check and confirm.
- Lack of advanced settings such as limiting the data cap for each mail that you receive.
- Lack of fetch settings. Only every 15mins, 30mins, hourly or manually.

- EDIT: Checked and confirmed. Only Exchange server mails will not download big attachments. Small attachments and inline images still get downloaded though. For POP users, iPhone will download EVERYTHING!!! This is stone age once again.

Reading of Emails

+ Multi touch zooming made it easier to zoom to the correct size I want.

- Text do not seem to be able to auto flow and reorganise the words after i zoom in or zoom out.

Text Input

Whilst setting up the email account, I felt the text input is not so "user friendly"....and decided to try inputing some long paragraphs on the iPhone.

+ Relatively Big QWERTY keyboard. Auto rotating works well.

- No predictive typing. iPhone do not auto suggest words to be inserted whilst composing a message.
- Poor auto correction. The auto correction seems also absent in the iPhone.
- I am pampered by TouchPal Version 4. The qwerty keyboard there was excellent. I need not switch tabs just to input numbers of symbols. One simple swipe on the keyboard will input the respective number or symbol assigned.
- Lack of other keyboards to choose. For example, T9 text input.
- Capacitive screen needs some getting used to since I am fond of using my fingernails to poke at the screen.
- Have difficulty trying to activate the copy and paste on selected text. This should improve with practice.

Internet Tethering

Very important feature for me since I am on Mobile Broadband with 1GB data but capped at a reasonable price from M1. Singtel is still greedy and doesnt have any cap for their data usage. I looked around and was shocked that I cannot find the option. Googled around for the reason and only know that the tethering is only current available for Singtel users. M1/Starhub users have to do some configuration to enable the settings.

Finally found a post in HWZ forums that teaches you how to do it.. I quoted the instructions here. For the post go to here
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Delete all profile(s) that you have installed from previous mobileconfigs. You can find them at the bottom of the Settings/General. Skip this step if you have none installed.
2. Goto Settings/General/Network/Cellular Data Network and click Reset Settings. You may want to copy the mms settings down first.
3. Restart the iPhone
4. Connect iPhone and backup your iPhone. After backup, disconnect your iPhone.
5. Follow the instructions here on how to enable carrier bundle support. For Mac Users. For Windows Users.
6. After enabling carrier bundle support, proceed to download the custom ipcc file from the list below
7. Connect your iPhone and start iTunes.
8. Option+Check for Update (Mac) or Shift+Check for Update (Win) and select the ipcc file to update.
9. This will take a very short while. After updating, You will see that shwapint as the APN for cellular data and shmms as the APN for MMS plus MMS settings. No need to change anything.
10. Restart your iPhone and try it out.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

+ Internet Tethering available for iPhone 3G and 3GS
+ Same user friendliness. Just plug it, select the option and while you are doing internet tethering, your screen will glow blue on top.

- Need to configure it myself!!!!


Just some features and comments from things that I have played around....will update again when I have more....

Loading mentions Retweet

Yesterday was a crazy silly fun but tiring day. It has been ages since I ever queued for 4.5 hours. And for what? For a small black box with the iPhone 3GS.

Was it worth it? Probably yes. For the fun of it. Well, Singaporeans are well known for their passion in queuing anyway. ^_^

Will I do it again? Most probably not. An online order took last than 10mins with all credit card details and my other iPhone for wifey is ready to be delivered the coming Tuesday?

So why did I queue it for? I also dunno. There is only one perk to be at the launch event. A free $30 voucher for you to get your iPhone accessories.

Frankly, Singtel did a great job at the launch event. We were there around 1600hrs, and the original plan was also to get my brother here as a walk in so that we can get two sets at one go. But whilst waiting for my wife to do her stuff, I was waiting in apple shop and I notice a message posted to apple.com.sg that they are no longer accepting walk in. Hmmmm... that hot? I thought the crazy queue will only be for the first day.

Heading on to Comcenter, we saw the dreaded scenario. Rows and rows of people queuing. The staff also did mentioned that the estimated queue time is 4 hours.

First, we were tagged into groups of 20 - 30 and then we went to the first zone. Waited for probably about 45 mins doing nothing but watching repeated videos of the new iphone features.

Then we were ushered to the second zone. The "App"perience zone 1. Popular app downloads and dozens of apple iphone 3gs display set were for testing and quite a number of staff standing by for questions.

Onto zone 2, we were introduced to the miotv + live tv exclusive for singtel users only. Free live TV for those on iFlexi plans till 10th October 2009. Too bad for me. I am a loyal M1 supporter though I am pretty upset that they did not manage to get the rights to distribute iPhone here.

Then we are out in the open again. By then, about 1.5hours has passed. Greeted by the not so welcoming screen of the queue, the couple in front of us left the group.

This wait shows that Singtel is actually very serious in marketing the phone and judging from the queue it is a success. Bottles of mineral water were provided to everyone, tidbits such as Chessels were also given out FREE. That is quite some cost that they will incur. When we were close to the buying area, cheesecakes cut into "Apps" shape were given out. Also FOC. The disappointing is that the young punks that Singtel temporaily hire do not understand the meaning of professionalism. The guy in front of me was asking how long more to go and the young gal replied, "You dun need to be so urgent what.... wait a fews days can get already mah...dun need come here to queue."

So finally at 2030hrs, we got the iPhone after some nonsense from the support staff, Sharon. To be fair, our pre-order booking was for a White 32GB iPhone and I asked for a change to Black 32GB iPhone.

She said, "Sorry, becauses it is limited stock and we are only doing pre-orders, all our stock are also accounted for individual customers. We do not allow customers to change their model after doing the pre-order."

My blood almost boiled. What nonsense is this?!

"You have to entertain walk in customers right? There will be a similar event tomorrow and walk in customers will be allowed. (at least for the earlier part of the day) So I do not believe that you do not have enough stock." I glared at her as I spoke.

"Let me check." She said.

5 minutes after she said it is ok to change, the counter behind me asked, "Mister, which color would you like? Black or White?"

So what the hell. 65 counters of chaos.

Anyhow, we were greeted by heavy downpour when we get out. And again, Singtel provided umbrellas FOC to all customers. The guy that gave us an umbrella said, "If you want to come back you can return me, if not just keep it." Of course I keep it la! Heavy rain le!!!!

Last stop to the accessories area, I decided on a hard case + an anti glare screen. Total: $6.90 due to $30 voucher from Singtel.

Feels great. But not too great since we have aching feet and hungry stomachs to feed.

Loading mentions Retweet

It's getting late! Just finish with some basic setup for my shiny new black iPhone 3gs 32gb.

   

Click here to download:

First_post_from_my_iPhone.zip (1900 KB)

Sent from my iPhone

Loading mentions Retweet

Yeah! Reaching the iPhone buying area. That will mean I queued for a total of 4 hours.

Change of plan! Decided to get the black one now instead and I will use it first. Then the white one will be for wifey. :)

Loading mentions Retweet

Now at singtel comcenter at the moment. See the crazy queue on the attachment. I think I have been here since about 1615hrs and I am still quite far from the queue. I can't believe that I actually will spend so much time to just queue for a iPhone.

Anyway I have decided and place an order for another 32gb iPhone to be delivered this coming Tuesday. Thanks bro! Hehe

Loading mentions Retweet

I guess it is about time that Apple/Singtel releases the new iphone to the local market. Thankfully, it is not that long a wait and the pricing looks better than previously. I will probably be getting one set for my wifey to play. Hopefully she likes it. It is going to be a little hassle though, since she needs to terminate her contact for M1 line and resubscribe to the iFlexi plan from Singtel. I am a loyal M1 supporter but it irks me that M1 is not aggressive enough to bring in EXCLUSIVE phone models to the local shores.

I will most probably be waiting for the release of HTC new Android device, HTC Hero and see the reviews. But, I cant deny the temptation iphone is emitting.....

PS: Just for the kicks, iphone now has over 13,000 games in the App store!! WHOA. Link

   

Click here to download:

Iphone_3GS_pricing_finally_out.zip (239 KB)

Loading mentions Retweet