fixed : AirDrop from Mac to iPhone/iPad

Posted on 26-09-2013 by MacManus.nl

Question :

I’ve just installed iOS 7 on my iPhone 5, and since I was reading about AirDrop being one of the new features, I immediately thought of using AirDrop to get this picture I just made onto my iPhone…

But when I turn on AirDrop on both my Mac and my iPhone, they can’t seem to see each other…

Is there any way to get this to work ?

Answer :

No – at least : officially not.

So far, AirDrop is only available on Macs with supported AirPort-cards running MacOSX 10.7 “Lion” or newer and on the iPhone 5 and newer running iOS 7…

Furthermore, AirDrop is only supported Mac-to-Mac or iPhone/iPad-to-iPhone/iPad…

Maybe this situation will change with the introduction of OSX 10.9 “Mavericks”, but for now there is no (official) option to use AirDrop from Mac-to-iPhone/iPad and vice-versa…

But…

There is an alternative that works the same basically : AirDisk Pro

(note : seems like Phone Drive and Phone Drive FREE are exactly the same app as AirDisk Pro, but at a lower price, even free…)

With this AirDrop-alternative, file transfer is very quick …and it’s even more compatible than the official AirDrop : the app can be installed on any iPhone or iPad running iOS 4.3 and the WiFi-connection can be made from any Mac or PC using a web browser…

In short, the app works like this :

– install the app on your iPhone/iPad

get AirDisk Pro
get Phone Drive FREE [stores max. 10 files]
get Phone Drive

– make sure your iPhone/iPad and your Mac/PC are on the same WiFi-network

– run the app

– enter the IP-address (or network name) that the app gives you as a URL in your Mac/PC’s web browser

– drag the file you want to transfer onto the webpage

done !

enjoy 😉

fixed : set IMAP eMail for KPN Planet.nl, Telfort.nl and T-Mobile Online.nl

Posted on 01-09-2013 by MacManus.nl

Question :

I am using a KPN Planet.nl eMail-account on my Mac, my iPad and my iPhone, but when I open (or delete) an eMail on one device, the same eMail will remain unread on my other devices, so I have to redo all actions I do with my eMail on all three devices. That’s a complete waist of time and enormously annoying ! Isn’t there any way to get around this ?

Answer :

Yes there is !

A little background info :

Internet-hosting providers used to give free eMail-hosting with your subscription. In the days that most people only had internet-access from only one computer and one location (home), the POP3-protocol was a good way to handle this and every internet provider therefore offered POP3-eMail services…

…nowadays most people have multiple internet devices and want to access the same eMail-account/mailbox from all those devices. With POP3 that is possible, but it comes with the problem you’re describing…

The best way to get around this problem is to use an IMAP-eMail service (like Gmail) or wait until your local internet-provider also supports IMAP-eMail…

When using an IMAP-eMail service, al your devices will have the same read/unread/deleted-info instantly synced over the internet.

In the Netherlands, internet providers like Wanadoo/Orange/T-Mobile/Online and Tiscali/Telfort have only recently added IMAP-support, but especially KPN Planet Internet (who used to be the no. 1 internet provider in the Netherlands) has always denied IMAP on their eMail-services… until now…

So…

Here’s the settings info you’ll need :

Online.nl (successor to Wanadoo.nl & Orange.nl)

– incoming (IMAP) mailserver : imap.online.nl [port 143 ; needs SSL]

– outgoing (SMTP) mailserver : smtp.online.nl [port 25 ; no SSL & no TLS]

Telfort.nl (including Tiscali.nl)

– incoming (IMAP) mailserver : imap.telfort.nl [port 143 ; possibly no SSL]

– outgoing (SMTP) mailserver : smtp.telfort.nl [port 25 ; no SSL & no TLS]

Planet.nl

– incoming (IMAP) mailserver : imap.kpnmail.nl [port 143 ; seems to need SSL]

– outgoing (SMTP) mailserver : mail.kpnmail.nl [port 25 ; no SSL & no TLS]

And here’s the recommended way to upgrade your mailboxes from POP3 to IMAP :

1- first, upgrade on your computer (Mac/PC) :

– 1A – in your eMail app’s account preferences, set your POP/POP3-account to inactive (delete the check-mark in front of “enable this account”) ; not entirely deleting this account will enable you to get (really) old eMails back if you might unexpectedly need them in the future

– 1B – add a new eMail account, name it something like “your eMail address” + “IMAP”, and use the mailserver-settings mentioned above ; for the login-name and password, you should use exactly the same as previously used for your POP/POP3-account

– 1C – exit the preferences window by pressing the small red button, and confirm that you want to save these changes

2- only then, upgrade the eMail-settings on your iPhone and iPad :

– 2A – go into “Settings”, then “Mail, Contacts, Calendars”, select the small arrow right next to your previous POP/POP3-mail account, and in the next screen click the red button “Delete Account”

– 2B – then restart your iPhone/iPad by pressing the HOME-button and the ON/OFF-button at the same time until the Apple-logo appears on screen

– 2C – after that, go into “Settings”, then “Mail, Contacts, Calendars” again, and add a new eMail account, name it something like “your eMail address” + “IMAP”, and use the mailserver-settings mentioned above ; for the login-name and password, you should use exactly the same as previously used for your POP/POP3-account

Note that for KPN Planet.nl you will probably end up with the wrong (automatically generated) settings for mail severs, password and login-name since KPN Planet.nl has always chosen to use it’s own, highly unconventional settings… so you will have to manually edit those (again) after the account has been created…

…if your iPhone/iPad keeps trying to record the IMAP-seetings as a POP-account, just try again… (starting at 2A)

That’s it !

Enjoy !

😉

test : affordable iPad styluses compared

Posted on 21-07-2013 by MacManus.nl

Recently I came across a very interesting handwriting-note-taking app for the iPad : Notability

(after reading a lot of reviews and testing a few alternatives myself, I found this was the most useful note-taking app when wanting to use handwriting on an iPad ; the only downside I’ve found so far is it can only export to PDF)

So after I had decided on the app I wanted to use, I had to find an affordable stylus that can be used for handwriting.

The most important selection criteria I needed to test on where :

1- is the stylus responsive and accurate enough for handwriting on an iPad ?

2- does the stylus feel like an actual pen when handwriting on an iPad ?

3- is the price tag affordable, so below € 20, but preferably even below € 10 ?

The 7 styluses I selected are :

• Muvit (T-Mobile) iPhone/iPad Stylus [2-pack]

• AmazonBasics “Executive” Stylus

• Ozaki “iStroke” Stylus+Pen

• Boxwave “EverTouch” Micro-knit tip Stylus

• ButterFox Micro-knit tip Stylus+Pen

• TeckNet “MT-238” Micro-knit tip Stylus+Pen

• NewTrent “Arcadia Clickpen” Micro-knit tip Stylus [2-pack]

The main findings of the test :

– rubber tip styluses (AmazonBasics, Ozaki) perform okay in responsiveness, but are significantly less responsive than the ones with micro-knit tips

– since the ‘capacitive touch’ screens used in iPhones and iPads were meant to be used with a finger and not with a stylus, the styluses will always need to mimic a fingertip… that makes the stylus-tip rather bulky and soft… which is a sharp contrast to what you would expect from a handwriting pen : a pointy and hard tip… so ‘actual pen-like’ responsiveness will always be a (small) bridge to far…

– for handwriting a stylus should feel like an actual pen in your hand, so not too light and with a good weight-balance

So, based on these outcomes my preference is [from BEST to WORST] :

1. TeckNet “MT-238” Micro-knit tip Stylus+Pen

2. ButterFox Micro-knit tip Stylus+Pen

3. Boxwave “EverTouch” Micro-knit tip Stylus

4. NewTrent “Arcadia Clickpen” Micro-knit tip Stylus [2-pack]

5. AmazonBasics “Executive” Stylus

6. Ozaki “iStroke” Stylus+Pen

7. Muvit (T-Mobile) iPhone/iPad Stylus [2-pack]

My ‘best buy’ is the TeckNet, with the ButterFox as a very close runner-up, with both of them priced at about € 8 max. I prefer the length of the TeckNet over the marginally better responsiveness of the ButterFox. Like the two test-winners, the Boxwave and the NewTrent both have micro-knit tips also, and even though I really like the idea of the NewTrent’s retractable tip, I would prefer the Boxwave since the NewTrent stylus feels very awkwardly unbalanced in your hand when writing… The AmazonBasics stylus is just plain okay but when handwriting not as responsive as the styluses with micro-knit tips. The Ozaki‘s performance is equal to the AmazonBasics, but the price-difference was 4 times higher, which made the Ozaki “little value for money”… The Muvit stylus is a disaster to write with, it sticks to the screen like chewing gum and it’s way too light & short to feel comfortable ; you’re better of using your index finger for writing…

So…

Happy note-taking !

Enjoy !

fixed : official unlock for iPhone SIM-lock

Posted on 08-07-2013 by MacManus.nl

Question :

I just got a new iPhone, and I want to give my old iPhone to my child, but I just found out it’s SIM-locked… is there any official way to get it SIM-unlocked ?

Answer :

Today, you can get your iPhone’s SIM-lock removed at nearly every ‘White Label’-telecom shop, but that will break your Apple-warranty.

But… Depending on your mobile telecom-provider and the country you live in, you can usually have your SIM-lock taken off your iPhone after 1 or 2 years of use. The official procedure is like this :

1- first, contact your mobile telecom-provider and have them send a SIM-unlock request to Apple ; Apple will then make a SIM-unlock available in iTunes personalized to your iTunes-account (usually within about 48 hours)

2- when you get confirmation that your SIM-unlock is ready in iTunes, do this :

— completely shut down your iPhone

— take out your old SIM-card, put the new one in (make sure the new one is from a different provider, else use a SIM-card from a different provider for the SIM-unlocking only), and switch your iPhone back on

— during startup, swipe the “Unlock” switch, and type the PIN that goes with the new/temporary SIM-card when asked

— make sure your Mac is connected to the internet, then startup iTunes and connect your iPhone to your Mac using the USB-cable

— if iTunes tries to sync or update your iPhone, cancel the sync and/or update

— only then, leave your iPhone connected to iTunes for at least 30 minutes

— then disconnect your iPhone, leave iTunes running, and reconnect your iPhone using the USB-cable

— if you are asked to update your iPhone settings for your new mobile telecom-provider, click “yes” and wait for the update to finish

— then, wait for the “Congratulations, your iPhone is now SIM-lock free”-message (or something similar) to appear on your Mac

— if your iPhone asked for your PIN, type the one that goes with the new/temporary SIM-card

— on your iPhone, check if the new mobile telecom-provider’s name is now listed top-left on your iPhone’s screen ; if it does, you’ve unlocked your iPhone (if not, disconnect and reconnect your iPhone from your Mac and try again)

That’s it !

Enjoy !

fixed : setting up WiFi-printing for the Samsung CLP-365W

Posted on 15-04-2013 by MacManus.nl

Question :

I just bought a Samsung CLP-365W color laser printer and I am very happy with it. Setting it up for use over USB and Ethernet was easy. But since it is a wireless network-printer, I would like to use is as such. Even with the enclosed “Wireless Network Quick Guide” I have still no success in setting it up after several tries…

Do you have any idea how to set the CLP-365W up for wireless networking from my Mac ?

Answer :

Yes !

…and you are completely right : all instructions provided by Samsung are incomplete…

…and the setup-process is not always smooth and hassle-free…

So… here’s how to do it :

1- download the Wireless Setting app for OSX from the Samsung website :

http://www.samsung.com/us/support/owners/product/CLP-365W/XAC#

on that page, go to “Manuals & Downloads”, then to “Software” and click on the “ZIP”-button of the Easy Wireless Setup (Software) for Mac OS

2- install the Wireless Setting app on your Mac (it’s a drag&drop-installation)

Note : since the app’s name is just very generically “Wireless Setting” and doesn’t include any reference to Samsung, I suggest you put it in a folder labelled “Samsung” (you might already have one, if so put it there) inside the Applications folder

3- now, first make sure there is no connection from your Mac to the CLP-365W, so pull out the ethernet-cable to disconnect from your network, choose “Turn Wi-Fi Off” from the AirPort-menu in the top Menu-bar of your Desktop (the pie-shaped radiation icon) and pull out the USB-cable that might connect your CLP-365W to your Mac

4- open the Wireless Setting app

5- click “Next >” in the window that opens

6- turn the printer on, and when the printer is ready, click “Next >”

7- select “Using a USB cable”, and click “Next >”

Note : even though there is an option named “Using a direct wireless connection”, that will NOT work… too bad… neither manually connecting to the “Portthru” WiFi-network, nor pressing the “WPS” button on the CLP-365W will help…

8- connect the CLP-365W to your Mac using a USB-printer cable

9- now turn on AirPort/WiFi on your Mac, and make sure your Mac is connected to the AirPort/WiFi-network that you want the CLP-365W to connect to also (to do so go to the pie-shaped icon in the top-Menu bar of your desktop)

10- then click “Next >” and you will first see a screen indicating the search for a connection between the Mac and the CLP-365W, and after that a new screen called “Wireless Network Search”

Note : if this doesn’t work, disconnect all cables from the CLP-365W, and also take out the power cable for at least 30 seconds, then put the power cable back in and redo from step 3

11- the name of your wireless AirPort/WiFi-network will now appear in the list of SSIDs, select it and click “Next >” (if it is not listed, try clicking “Refresh”, if that doesn’t help, redo from step 3)

12- in the next screen type your AiPort/WiFi-password and click “Next >” (if you get an error, just retry)

13- in the next screen you can enable Wi-Fi Direct, which enables your iPhones, iPads and Android-devices to easily connect to your CLP-365W

the iOS app needed can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store :

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/samsung-mobile-print/id429611283?mt=8

14- in the next screen click “Add printer” and the “Print & Scan” System Preferences panel will open ; in the “Add” window, select the one with the “Bonjour” indication (so NOT the “USB” one), adjust the “Name:” if you like and click “Add”

15- click “OK” in the pulldown window regarding additional settings, and your CLP-365W will now appear in your list of printers

Note : if you get an error that your System does not have the drivers needed installed, first do a “Repair Disk Permissions” of your OSX-partition in the “Disk Utilities”-app and make sure you have all updates of OSX installed and just try again… only if that doesn’t work you’ll need to reinstall the printer-driver

16- do not forget to close the Wireless Settings app by clicking “Finish” and disconnect your

…and that’s it !

you can now use your CLP-365W from your Mac wirelessly

Enjoy !

fixed : 5V 4A car adapter for Samsung Optical SmartHub SE-208BW

Posted on 06-03-2013 by MacManus.nl

Question :

I have a Samsung Optical SmartHub SE-208BW (all-in-one : WiFi-DVD player, media streamer, WiFi-router and DVD+R burner), and since it is capable of streaming DVDs and HardDisk content to my iPhone/iPad using the Samsung SmartHub iOS-app, I thought it would be a great idea to use it in my car also.

However, if I power it using the USB-cable that comes with the SmartHub, it is limited to not act as a WiFi-device. So… I need a ‘dedicated’ car-adapter for it…

But… the power needed is 5V and 4A minimum… that’s a really rare combination… and Samsung does not sell any car adapters for the SmartHub, neither do they have any recommendation on a good solution…

What options do I have ?

Answer :

The Samsung Optical SmartHub SE-208BW is a rather unique piece of equipment. Combined with an iPhone/iPad and the SmartHub-app, it is a really versatile solution …if you keep in mind that it still has some little flaws…

If you ask Samsung how to power the Samsung Optical SmartHub SE-208BW in your car, they will recommend using a cigarette-lighter-to-220V-transformer…

…that’s a stupid ‘solution’, since transforming from 12V to 220V and back to 5V is both a complete waste of energy resources and it will drain your car battery…

So… after elaborate search and testing, I’ve found a ‘real’ car adapter solution for the SmartHub ; you should create a car-adapter yourself consisting of these three parts :

1- a USB to 5V DC Barrel H power cable like this one :

USB to 5V DC Barrel H power cable

2- a USB Y-connection cable (2x USB-male to 1x USB-female) like this one :

USB Y-connection able

3- a 5V 4.2A dual-USB car adapter ; at this moment, there is only one product like this that actually works :

5V 4.2A dual-USB car adapter

If you join these 3 parts together into, you’ll have exactly the car adapter you need for the Samsung Optical SmartHub SE-208BW.

Enjoy !

info : streaming just one DVD to 2 iPads at the same time

Posted on 28-02-2013 by MacManus.nl

Question :

I would like to watch a DVD on my iPad (without having to convert the DVD), but… as I have 2 children, I would even prefer to enable them to both have their own iPad/iPhone and watch the same DVD.

Is there any solution to do so ?

Answer :

This can be done by steaming a DVD to your iPhone/iPad. There are several options to do so, but one of the most interesting ones I’ve found requires a WiFi DVD player.

The smallest WiFi DVD player I’ve found is the Samsung Optical SmartHub SE-208BW :

Samsung Optical SmartHub SE-208BW

(The SE-208BW has several intended uses, it can be a WiFi-router, or a DVD-burner for netbooks, or a wireless DVD streamer, media streamer or 1-click back-up for iOS or Android devices, for instance…)

To use it with an iOS (or Android) device like an iPhone or iPad, you will also need the FREE SmartHub app :

https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/mobile-smarthub/id483986474?mt=8

– plug the SE-208BW into the wall power

– open the DVD-tray by pressing the small button on the front

– put in a movie-DVD

– close the DVD-tray

– on your iPhone/iPad, go to Settings, then in Wi-Fi, find the SE-208BW’s WiFi-network and connect to it (note : the name and password of the WiFi-network are indicated on the bottom of the SE-208BW, the name of the WiFi-network will be something like “208BWxxxx”)

– open the SmartHub-app (*)

– if you get a “Turn on WiFi first” connection error (or if the two rings in the WiFi-icon top-right are not chained), just exit the app, go to Settings and reconnect to the SmartHub’s WiFi-network

– then click on the green rectangle marked “DVD Player”

– now the “DVD Server List” opens ; the screen will be mainly black at first and then show the “Smart Hub Server”

– then open the SmartHub-app on your second iPhone/iPad also, click the green “DVD Player” rectangle, and wait for the “Smart Hub Server” to appear in the “DVD Server List”

– then click “OK” on both the first and the second iPhone/iPad, and the DVD will start on both iDevices

…that’s it : you are now watching the DVD movie on both iPhones/iPads

note : even though you are watching one-and-the-same DVD on two ‘screens’ at the same time, they are NOT synchronous, so it’s best these things in mind :

– use headphones on both iPhones/iPads

– you have to pause the movie on each ‘screen’ (iPhone/iPad) separately

– using the FastForward and/or Reverse options during playback of a movie on both ‘screens’ will usually cause interference (like frame-scipping, unexpected halts or viewing quality decrease) on the other ‘screen’

(*) if you need to do any additional set-up on the SE-208BW you can do so from within the iOS-app

NOTE :

streaming only one DVD to 2 iPhones/iPads at the same time using the Samsung SmartHub tends to work okay, but chances you’ll see ‘halts to cache’ are rather high… so do not expect as flawless movie-viewing as you can get with a ‘regular’ (non-streaming, but wired) DVD-player

FYI :

I have found only one car adapter for the Optical SmartHub. More info can be found here :

5V 4A car adapter for Samsung Optical SmartHub SE-208BW

MacManus.nl

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Tag Archives: iPhone

fixed : AirDrop from Mac to iPhone/iPad

fixed : set IMAP eMail for KPN Planet.nl, Telfort.nl and T-Mobile Online.nl

test : affordable iPad styluses compared

fixed : official unlock for iPhone SIM-lock

fixed : setting up WiFi-printing for the Samsung CLP-365W

fixed : 5V 4A car adapter for Samsung Optical SmartHub SE-208BW

info : streaming just one DVD to 2 iPads at the same time

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