Phones and the relentless march of technology

[Mycroft]

My Father in law has got totally hissed off with his i-phone - eats the battery in a day...can't turn it off completely (eh.....?) and the GPS is always on....... apparently this is common...... any i-phone experts here.....

biggest advice of all would be to hook it up to iTunes and do a software update, make sure its not running an earlier firmware/OS this is free but takes a little time to down load and then install, some of the earlier firmwares were a bit sore on battery.

next is usage! if its never off, mine lasts about a day and a bit (iPhone3G) but with "normal" use ie AS A PHONE it lasts days 3/4/5 dependant on use.

another point is that i live in a fairly remote area where 3G signal is non existent, the GSM radio chip uses next to nothing in terms of battery. but once i go to the city, even with no use on the 3G network the battery seems to drain, its pigging ridiculous.


HOW TOs

to put it into standby immediately press the button on the top right. to switch off COMPLETELY press and hold the TOP RIGHT button and the HOME button on the front, a prompt will appear saying "slide to power off" -simples

to switch off GPS go to SETTINGS -> GENERAL -> Location services, set this to "OFF" and that will switch off GPS.

another tip is to set the screen lock to as short a time as you are comfortable with and set the brightness as low as you can. and switch off auto brightness, as it tends to set the brightness as it pleases and usually a BIT brighter than I like, YMMV though


ALSO try setting the email update fetching to "only when i open MAIL" I think its set to once an hour by default, or even every 5 mins, can't remember, but that would drain the battery especially on 3G

oh and turn off wifi is he doesnt need/use it as it will try and pick up/search for every wifi network/home modem it passes, and going down the street, that could be a LOT, again another drain.

hope some of that helps

 

[Mr Pig]

I just bought one of these ...

The first house of my own had an original one of those in cream, it was lovely. It was mint condition and for some reason had a huge cable added to it, you could take it to anywhere in the house and even into the back garden! It was an old woman who'd lived in the house before me so I guess it was so she could keep it next to her.

BT came out one day and removed it, gave me a crappy push-button job. I was gutted. Never had a phone that sounded as nice as that old one. The digital ones we have now give you ear ache! Progress :0(

 

[Norm]

I just bought one of these ...

We got one, in cream, about 5 years ago. Lovely thing it is too, you can always find it (because it's at the end of a cable) and, the most amazing thing is that, when it rings, you can tell there is a phone ringing. Even from 100m away.

There's even a perverse satisfaction in taking 5 minutes to dial anywhere outside my STD area.

 

[cisamcgu]

I just bought one of these ...

It is lovely, rotary dial, proper bell, nice and heavy..... Every time I answer it I feel like saying <1950's posh accent>"Hello, Crosby 4654"</1950's posh accent>

Oh, and it was only £27 from amazon.co.uk - best £27 I have spent for a long time

 

[tyred]

I just bought one of these ...

It is lovely, rotary dial, proper bell, nice and heavy..... Every time I answer it I feel like saying <1950's posh accent>"Hello, Crosby 4654"</1950's posh accent>

The nice thing about those is the large receiver which is big enough to comfortable wedge between the shoulder and the ear without giving yourself a sore neck.

 

[cisamcgu]

Now I just need one of these

 

[simon_adams_uk]

I reccently bought a Samsung Solid Extreme (http://www.samsungmobile.co.uk/mobile-phones/samsung-solid-extreme?kind=latest) which seems perfect for those of us who don't need lots of bells and whistles. You can phone people, text people, and it has an alarm, memo pad, and calculator.

Oh, and its pretty much indestructible and has an EXTREMELY LOUD ringtone/speaker/microphone volume (ideal for use outdoors in the wind and rain...)

S

 

[Mr Pig]

I reccently bought a Samsung Solid Extreme

LINK

Looks good!

 

[Rhythm Thief]

LINK

Looks good!

Now that looks like a handy piece of kit. You wouldn't have seen that lie down and die after a mere soaking in cider effluent.

 

[classic33]

Had one of these for the last seven years
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ericsson-R250...MobilePhones_MobilePhones?hash=item1c0d12e62b
Dearer now than when I got mine. Also two Nokia 2010's. 30 minutes talktime, 5 hours standby.

 

[661-Pete]

<1950's posh accent>"Hello, Crosby 4654"</1950's posh accent>

Whereas...

...is there anyone out there who answers their mobile with the words:
<not-so-posh-accent>Hello, 07890 123456</not-so-posh-accent>
or whatever? How should one answer one's mobile?

 

[Norm]

"What?"

 

[fossyant]

Mycroft - thanks for the i-phone tips - I'll pass them on.

 

[Mr Pig]

Mycroft - thanks for the i-phone tips - I'll pass them on.

The best tip regarding the iPhone is not to buy one! Nothing to do with the actual phone, I'm sure it's a very clever device, but it's a bit like a BMW car. Everyone who owns one thinks they're great but they just make everyone else you're a tosser! They're only called iPhone because MeMeMePhone was too long.

Really sorry but you'll thank me later ;0)

 

[Piemaster]

I was sent an email a while back that claimed the weight of mobile phone chargers thrown away globally every year was equivalent to the weight of the USS Missouri (around 45,000 tons).
Can't find it at the moment to repost it, but it wouldn't surprise me. All of them using the same socket can only be a good thing.