iPhone Tip: The Trouble with Doubles (When Syncing Contacts)

You sync Contacts with the Exchange Server at work, but also with your Contacts folder on your PC — which may be already synced to Exchange. This results in duplicates of every contact. It can also happen with MobileMe if you sync with MobileMe from your iPhone and also use iTunes to sync with your Mac or PC — especially if you set up MobileMe first.

Learn the details of fixing dupes when syncing Contacts on your iPhone in “iPhone Tip: The Trouble with Doubles (When Syncing Contacts)” in my blog, Bove’s Blips.

It’s Only Tunes and Videos (But I Like It)

Today’s “It’s Only Rock and Roll” press event held by Apple (best of the live coverage here) held no real surprises other than the triumphant return of Steve Jobs to the stage. Rumors and insider reports had already clued us into the album-package feature of the iTunes Store, better apps management in iTunes 9, and the video camera for the iPod nano. What’s missing are the video camera for the iPod touch, and Blu-Ray support for iTunes. And, of course, the Beatles.

For the complete story, see my entry It’s Only Tunes and Videos (But I Like It) on my blog Bove’s Blips.

Come Together Over Me: Apple, Beatles, and iTunes

Sept. 9, 2009 (09/09/2009) will be both Beatles Day and iTunes/iPod Day as Apple rolls out new features for iPods (including cameras), a new version of iTunes (with support for Blu-ray DVDs), and, according to rumors, an album format for the iTunes Store that takes full advantage of the Beatles’ album graphics, lyrics, and liner notes. On the same day, Apple Corps (label for the Beatles) and Harmonix Music Systems (owned by MTV) will introduce The Beatles: Rock Band game for the XBox 360, Playstation 3, and Wii.

For the complete story, see my entry Apple and Beatles Come Together Over iTunes on my blog Bove’s Blips.

Find My iPhone – Will Someone Remotely Wipe Yours?

The Find My iPhone feature of MobileMe is cool, but how easy is it for someone to use it in a malicious way to remotely wipe your iPhone? As easy as getting your MobileMe password.

Fortunately if you are within reach of the computer you synced it with, you can restore your personal information and settings, as well as your content, by connecting the iPhone to your computer and restoring it from a previous backup using iTunes. Such an attack on your iPhone would therefore merely be a nuisance. But if you’re traveling without your computer, it could be a damn nuisance. You might want to disable the feature if you have enemies… but then, you won’t be able to find your iPhone if you lose it.

Find out more about what you can do with the Find My iPhone feature in “Find it and Wipe – But Can Find My iPhone be used Maliciously?” in my blog, Bove’s Blips.

In the Hour of Not Quite Rain-iPhone at the Brink

Or maybe you prefer that other Buffalo Springfield song, “Expecting to Fly”….

What certainly will fly — off the shelves — will be a lower-priced iPhone, rumored to be announced next week. What would truly stand the iPhone even more apart from the Palm Pre, Blackberry models, and Google Android smartphones would be video recording and videoconferencing.

As Microsoft grapples with search and Bing, the real battle over the platform that will capture the best developers have to give is between the Apple iPhone and Google Android. While RIM holds a higher share with its Blackberry models, the true momentum of innovation is occurring mostly on these two platforms. Palm has to spring up on its own, without the developer base it had a decade ago. Apple has all the momentum, most of the developers, and an extraordinary base of patented technology, while the rest of the industry is playing catch-up.

See my report, “Expecting to Fly – iPhone before the Start of the Apple WWDC” in my blog, Bove’s Blips.