Category: Electronics

Posted on

iPhone Special Diagnostic Codes

Thanks to AppleGuy Tom for providing these codes which work on most US AT&T phones and have been tested on the iPhone. Simply type these codes as if you are calling them.

*3001#12345#* -Displays the Field Test Mode, network, cell, GPRS, call, and version information.

This picture shows the information from one of my cell towers. The Rx Level is showing the signal strength from that particular cell. Note that in Field Test Mode the signal meter in the top left corner changes from a 5 bar readout to a number. This is more accurate and can help when placing your antenna for a signal booster, for example.

*#06# -Displays the 15 digit IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) in the middle of the screen. (This number is also printed on the back of the iPhone.)
This number is worth writing down. Your carrier can deactivate the phone with this number so that it will not work if ever lost or stolen, even when using another SIM card.

*#21# Displays ‘forwarding’ state (enabled or disabled) voice call, data, fax, SMS, sync data, Async data, packet access, and pad access forwarding for outgoing calls.

*#30# -Displays ‘Caller ID’ (enabled or disabled).

*#33# -Displays ‘barring’ state (enabled or disabled) voice call, data, fax, SMS, sync data, Async data, packet access, and pad access forwarding for outgoing calls.

*#43# -Displays ‘call waiting’ state (enabled or disabled) voice call, data, fax, SMS, sync data, Async data, packet access, and pad access forwarding for outgoing calls.

*#61# -Displays ‘call forwarding to voicemail’ state (enabled or disabled) [and number forwarded to] of voice call, data, fax, SMS, sync data, Async data, packet access, and pad access forwarding for outgoing calls.

To change the number of seconds before the call forwards to voicemail, retrieve your eleven digit number from *#61# then carefully type *61*numberRetrieved*11*30# -those last two digits are the seconds to ring (Default is 20; Max = 30)

*#62# -Displays ‘call forwarding when unreachable’ state (enabled or disabled) [and number forwarded to] of voice call, data, fax, SMS, sync data, Async data, packet access, and pad access forwarding for outgoing calls.

*#67# -Displays ‘call forwarding when busy’ state (enabled or disabled) [and number forwarded to] of voice call, data, fax, SMS, sync data, Async data, packet access, and pad access forwarding for outgoing calls.

*225# -Requests an SMS message displaying the current monthly balance. (if applicable)

*646# -Requests an SMS message displaying the remaining monthly minutes. (if applicable)

*777# -Requests an SMS message displaying the pre-paid account balance. (if applicable)

Some other AT&T codes currently do NOT work on the iPhone: *#4720# (voice quality reduction codec -to save battery) and  *3370# (better voice quality codec)

Posted on

When to buy Apple Products

You don’t want to buy a product just before it is replaced by a faster version at the same price. That’s why MacRumor’s Buyer’s Guide is useful for Apple products. It currently shows that there are many iPods and computers that are due for revisions soon based on the time since the last revision. This coincides with recent rumors of a September 9th event to announce new products.

This does not predict exactly when a new version will arrive.  Apple could come out with a small bump in the middle of a cycle. But if a revision is long overdue, you should consider waiting unless you need something immediately.

Posted on

Boost Your Cell Phone Coverage

Cell Phone Boost That Works

You might have seen stickers that you put on the back of your phone. They supposedly improve coverage, but they work just about as well as hope. This is better than that. It’s the zBoost Cell Phone Signal Booster.

The zBoost Signal Booster is equipment that you need to install at your home or office (now there is a car model too).  It consists of two parts:

  • Antenna to pick up the signal. It is in 16 inch by 1 inch PVC pipe
  • Booster that you place where you need the signal to go. It is about the size of a router or cable modem.

The antenna and booster are connected by a coaxial cable. There are different zBoost models costing $215-$310 depending on the cell carriers you need boosted. Be sure to get the right model for your needs.

If you read the reviews on Amazon, you will see that most people either love it or hate it. This is based on the individual situation in a particular location. You need to have coverage somewhere so that you have a signal to boost. The ideal location is typically on a roof or a window. Then you put the booster where you need coverage, which is recommended to be at least 25 feet away from the antenna in order to reduce interference.

My Experience

I just installed the zBoost for someone in Arlington, Virginia. It was the dual-band 800 and 1900 MHz XY510 model because they have iPhone 3G’s, which use both bands depending on if they are on AT&T’s Edge or 3G network. Their living room went from no coverage to 5 bars. Be sure to follow the instructions closely and experiment with placement. In my case, changes of 1 foot for the receiving antenna made a difference of 3 bars.

If your home or office has poor cell phone coverage, this could be well worth the investment.

Posted on

Geotagging to arrive on Nikon Compact Camera

Nikon Coolpix P6000

Nikon recently announced their new flagship digital compact camera called the Coolpix P6000.

Expected in September for $500 list, this camera has a 13.5-million-pixel CCD. It can shoot in raw mode, meaning that it does not have to apply any lossy compression at all. It has a feature called d-lighting which fixes otherwise underexposed images caused by excessive backlighting. The P6000 even has an ethernet jack.

Geotagging

But the feature that interests me most is geotagging. The camera has a built-in GPS which allows it to embed the location of the camera in every shot.

Geotagging will allow you to look at a photos of your trip on a map. You will always be able to find out exactly where your pictures were shot.  You can embed the pictures in Google Maps or in Flickr with the location link.  Eventually applications such as iPhoto should be able to sort photos by location instead of just by date taken.

Until now, we needed to go through a complex process if we wanted to add GPS information to photos. Ricoh and some pro cameras have offered this feature as an add-on, but it has never been built into a mainstream camera. Hopefully we will see geotagging in more cameras to come.

Posted on

Digital TV Converter Box Scams

The FCC has ordered all local over-the-air broadcasts be digital by February 17, 2009. Taking advantage of this, scammers are putting up ads and commercials claiming to offer free digital converter boxes. The FTC should shut down these misleading ads. One ad says:

The United States Deptartment of Commerce is preparing everyone for the switch to digital television by authorizing payment coupons for certified brands of these special TV boxes.

But the government process has us all tied up.

That’s why Universal TechTronics is providing these Miracle ClearView TV boxes immediately to the general public for free for everyone who gets the 5yr. warranty.

There are two problems with this. First, the device is only “free” if you don’t consider the mandatory warranty and shipping of $100.

But the main reason this is bogus is that most Americans don’t need to do anything. If you have satellite or cable TV, you are not affected. And if you are one of the rare Americans that uses a rabbit-ear antenna for over-the-air broadcasts, your TV could have a digital tuner built-in if it was purchased recently.

If you do need a digital converter box, it should cost about $60. You can get a $40 coupon from the federal government that lowers your cost to around $20.

For more on the Digital TV Transition, see the FCC site:
http://www.dtv.gov/