AT&T Offering iPhone 3GS for $9

If you are looking for an iPhone and don’t mind going for the 3GS instead of the iPhone 4, AT&T is the place for you. They are basically giving away refurbished iPhone 3GS’s.

Just earlier this year, AT&T dropped the price of its iPhone 3GS to $49.99, and we thought that was a great deal. Now customers will be able to purchase a refurbished device for a mere $9.

Right now AT&T lists a black 8GB iPhone 3GS on its website for $99 with a two year contract; however, if you go ahead and subtract $90 for a refurbishing discount, you’ve got yourself an iPhone for $9.

It was in January that AT&T dropped the price of the iPhone 3GS, right before they began to offer the iPhone 4. The newer version of the smartphone obviously has some extra features that you won’t find on the 3GS. It offers a front-facing camera, retina display and the FaceTime app, among other things, but when you consider the difference in pricing, who really cares about all of that stuff. If you’re someone that is desperate for those features, you’re going to be looking at spending anywhere between $200 and $300. To me, it just doesn’t seem like it could possibly be worth it.

So what does AT&T mean when they say a “refurbished phone?” It’s not some phone that was destroyed and then put back together, I can tell you that. It is simply a pre-owned phone that was returned during the 30-day trial period that AT&T offers its customers. All of the devices that are returned have then been reset to their original factory settings and have been put through extensive tests before AT&T resells them. They also come standard with a 90-day warranty and a 30-day trial period.

If you’re looking for a good deal on a smartphone and don’t mind dealing with AT&T’s service, this could be the deal for you!

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Netflix App to Soon Come to the iPhone

On Friday, Netflix announced that they are releasing an app for Apple’s new iPad, but it looks like the iPad is not the only device to be receiving attention from Netflix. Netflix Vice President Steve Swasey said via the official Netflix blog, " For those of you asking whether Netflix will be on the iPhone and iPod Touch: We wouldn't invite you to dinner without planning to serve dessert. In other words, we're working on it so stay tuned."

The app that Netflix has developed allows users streaming access to their Instant Queue. This means that you can watch anything from Netflix’s online collection of movies and TV shows anytime that you want. This streaming access is free and unlimited for any Netflix users that have an unlimited Netflix account.

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Solar Powered iPhone Charger

Muzatch is a company that wants to make a difference. They are designing their gadgets in an attempt to make them more energy efficient. They currently have just released the Muzatch MZH-1200 iPhone solar charger. This little compact devise only weighs 9.8 ounces and also has the ability to charge iPods.

Solarologist, founder, and co-CEO of Muzatch, Willie E. Nason, says that, "with the need to move towards a more energy efficient nation, by investing in renewable sources of energy, it was imperative that we seek solar energy not only for our homes and businesses, but our electronic devices as well, and make it affordable."

The company says that the charger will last for over four years of continued daily use, and it will carry out over 2,000 different uses. It has a four LED charging indicator system that lets you know when it’s ready to go.

You can get the charger from Muzatch’s website. It’s list price is $49.95, and you have the choice of five different colors (black, white, blue, silver, and green).

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The New Helix Gaming Grip for Your iPhone

Do you do a lot of gaming on your iPhone? Do you have trouble holding or touching your iPhone just right when your trying to steer your virtual racecar or navigate through an asteroid field? If you do, there is now a solution to your problems.

PosiMotion has developed the new Helix Gaming Grip for your iPhone or iPod Touch. The iPhone was not designed to be utilized like a steering wheel or joystick, so this new gaming grip can really make playing games a whole lot easier. The grip is very easy to use. It has two handles on each side of your device that make it easier to twist and turn your iPhone without risking dropping it.

The Helix Gaming Grip is obviously for those who utilize games on their iPhone or iPod that involve steering, flying, or any other game that requires the twisting and turning of the device.

The gaming grip is designed to fit onto the iPhone 3G, the iPhone 3GS and the second generation iPod Touch. The grip features a swivel clasp that will allow you to fit youyr device in both landscape and portrait mode, in accordance with which game you might be playing. There are also convenient slots in the side and bottom of the grip that allow for cables incase you want to play games while you charge your device.

If you just want to make your iPhone gaming a little bit easier or rid yourself of the risks of dropping your phone, the Helix Gaming Grip is just the thing for you. Now the grip is not available yet, but you can pre-order it and they will ship out this spring. For only $20, gaming can be made much easier on your iPhone or iPod Touch.

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Looking for help with travel and technology? Then call a Tech Travel Agent at 800-736-8772. Or see this link for a Laptop Rental on your next trip.

A Halt To AT&T’s Online iPhone Sales in New York

On Sunday, December 27th, 2009, metro-area New Yorkers were unable to buy their iPhones online from AT&T‘s website. An online customer service representative named Timothy said that this termination of sales was due to the “increased fraudulent activity in the area when ordering the iPhone.” Now according to another online customer service representative named Daphne, “New York is not ready fro the iPhone because the city doesn’t have enough towers.” AT&T’s CEO Ralph de la Vega had admitted previously that the phone company needed to “do better” with their network in New York City, but the company has not come out with as bold a statement as Daphne’s as of yet.

IPhones were still available at AT&T stores in the New York metro area even though they were unavailable online, and Apple’s Web site was fully functional for any New Yorker’s purchasing an iPhone online.

On Monday afternoon, online AT&T iPhone sales were once again a go. AT&T released no statement as to why there was a halt in sales, but the stories grew even more. Some claimed that there were network congestion problem, while other AT&T representatives stated that, “We periodically modify our promotions and distribution channels.”

No one really knows what was going on but the important thing is that anyone in the New York metro area is now able to purchase their iPhone through AT&T once again.

Navigon Offers Money Saving GPS Application

I recently wrote a blog review about the iPhone 3g S and I mentioned many of the pros and cons. In todays economy it is important to do your homework with technology to make sure that you are not only getting a good deal and are aware of the services attatched; for example the GPS application on the iPhone 3g and 3gs. AT&T offers it’s own navigation software subscription at 9.99 a month but until Aug 15th Navigon is offering their new GPS application for $69.99.

Navigon taking advantage of the waiting time for TomTom to keep their promise to deliver a GPS application for the new iPhones Navigon beat them to the punch with a 1.29GB. Mobile navigator program contains comprehensive NAVTEQ maps of North America and it loads from the phone and not online, and even though it does take up a chunk of your phone’s storage it is a money saver because there are no reoccurring charges.

Navigon's app includes Reality View Pro, Lane Assistant Pro, Speed Assistant and Day & Night Mode. You can establish a Home address, setup favorite addresses, access nearby POIs and get from point A to point B via voice guided, turn-by-turn directions. The app can also utilize the iPhone's accelerometer, switching from horizontal to vertical mode as soon as you flip the phone. Multitouch zooming also works.

Navicon’s app works really well but every new technology has its pros and cons so we have mentioned the good… now its time for the bad. I would have to say the biggest con would have to be there are no real-time traffic updates. Other things to mention are you do need to have your car charger because the program does run the battery down rather quickly. Also, without the support of some background applications every phone call you receive will take your nav offline and exits you from your route.

Overheating iPhones

In response to the reports of iPhones overheating, whether these reports are true or not, Apple has disclosed that the iPhone 3G and 3G S have been equipped with a temperature warning screen.

Although these reports are most likely small in number, Apple still wishes to appease their consumers. It has been reported that some iPhones were so overheated that they changed from their original white color to a pinkish tone.

As a precaution, Apple has issued a warning that to most average iPhone customers should be pretty obvious. Users are advised to make sure there iPhone is not in an environment that exceeds 113 degrees Fahrenheit, including their car. Apple also warns consumers that applications such as playing music or utilizing the GPS systems feature in direct sunlight could increase the possibilities of overheating.

Using the iPhone in an environment where the temperature is over 95 degrees Fahrenheit can trigger the phone’s temperature warning. Apple warns that in this condition of high or low temperature problems, the iPhone’s battery life may be temporarily shortened or the device could possibly temporarily quit functioning properly.

On the flip side, Apple also stated that the iPhone 3G or 3G S should not be kept anywhere where the temperature could drop below -4 degrees Fahrenheit and should not be utilized in a temperature below 0 degrees Fahrenheit.

If the iPhone is exposed to either of these extreme conditions, the temperature warning screen will most likely appear and the iPhone could experience a variety of problems. The phone could stop charging, the display may be dim, or you could experience problems with a weak signal.

With extreme heat this summer in various areas of the country, iPhone owners should take precautions so that nothing happens to their phone. Apple says that if you do experience an overheating problem, you should let your iPhone cool down before utilizing it again. So the moral of the story is to simply be smart. Don’t abandon your iPhone in any extreme temperature situations and you and your phone will be just fine.

Apple Appeases iPhone 3G S Customers Experiencing Activation Issues

So it seems that some customers that have just recently bought their newly released iPhone 3G S are still currently experiencing delays concerning the activation of their new smartphone, but Apple isn’t looking to have disgruntled customers and has found a way to make it up to the iPhone consumers.

These issues that that those who purchased the iPhone 3G S have experienced started the moment the iPhone was introduced to the public on Friday. Customers affected by this activation problem were notified by Apple, via e-mail on Sunday, that they might experience further delay for up to 48 hours due to the issues with the system and the high amount of iPhone activations.

Apple hopes to appease these customers by offering a $30 iTunes store credit. The email that they sent out stated:

Dear Apple Customer,

Thank you for your recent Apple Store order. We appreciate your patience and apologize for the inconvenience caused by the delay in your iPhone activation.

We are still resolving the issue that was encountered while activating your iPhone with AT&T. Unfortunately, due to system issues and continued high activation volumes, this could take us up to an additional 48 hours to complete.

On Monday, you'll receive an email from Apple with an iTunes Store credit in the amount of $30. We hope you will enjoy this gift and accept our sincere apologies for the inconvenience this delay has caused.

Thank you for choosing Apple.

Sincerely,

Apple Online Store Team

Similar problems were experienced with the launch of the iPhone last July. When customers tried to accomplish the required in-store activation procedure, AT&T activation servers overloaded and eventually completely crashed. Apple was forced to abandon the in-store activation process and allow customers to activate their new iPhones at home on their own.

Hopefully these issues with the iPhone 3G S will be solved quickly and for all their trouble customers will receive their much deserved $30 to spend at iTunes for their patient waiting.