Category Archives: Apple Related

Mar
10
2009

Sending email from iPhone

Setting up O2 SMTP server on the iPhone

For months I have struggled intermittently to send email from my iPhone when not connected to WiFi or a decent signal. This was infuriating me a lot so I decided to see if there was something I could do about it. I thought the easiest way was to set up a SMTP connection to the ISP, this of course being O2 and a quick scan of Google confirms that this would work.

Rather than editing the existing SMTP connection settings you can add a new one by doing the following :

setting1

Tap Settings -> Mail, Contacts, Calendars -> Click on mail account you wish to edit
Scroll down to Outgoing Mail Server and tap SMTP
Tap Add Server

Then enter the following information

Hostname : smtp.o2.co.uk
Username : youro2username@o2.co.uk
Password : youro2password

setting2

Tap Save, now this is the important bit , be patient. It can take a while before it verifies the connection. Once this has finished you need to go back into the setting and turn it on and ensure the other settings are as follows:

SSL : OFF
Authentication : Password
Port : 25

setting3

Now, when you send email it will try your primary SMTP server first and if that fails it will then use your alternative SMTP server. (I have lots of email accounts set up on my iPhone hence there being a lot in the Other SMTP servers.

I hope this helps a few people.

Mar
01
2009

Home Set Up – A rethink!

The way I use my Macs at home is all wrong.

I have the following main machines:

  1. MacBook Pro – used the most
  2. Mac mini – home server
  3. 24″ Aluminium iMac – Home office Mac

The machine I use the most is without doubt the MacBook Pro. I use it at work, home, when away etc…. and it sits on the edge of the sofa, much to the distaste of my wife 😉

Mac miniThe iMac is my home office machine tucked away in the loft where I go to get away from the kids to work 😉

My Mac mini, which sits in the shoe cupboard ;), is controlled by Screen Sharing or via a 7″ touchscreen.

This machine is used to store all our family photos, my iTunes purchases which are also synched to the Apple TV, as an answering machine using Ovolab phlink, and it also monitors my web servers in London using Simon. Oh, it’s also used to sync music and playlists onto the iPod video which sits in a speaker system in the bedroom.

The main issue I have found recently is that I have been buying more and more music on iTunes which are downloaded on the mini but then not easily available to sync onto my iPhone or wanted to print some images from iPhoto. I have been downloading what I want onto the mini then copying over to the iMac or MacBook Pro as an when needed.

So, I have been thinking that I need to re-arrange the way I have the system setup and should use the iMac as the machine which stores all my photo’s (a lot easier to manage the photo events on the larger screen ;)), music, playlists, sync with Apple TV, iPhone and iPod. Then set up an Automator script which backs up the iPhoto and iTunes library folders to the Mac mini and MacBook Pro as and when I make changes.

Thoughts? How do you handle music, photo’s on multiple Macs? Is there software already out there that would handle all this a lot easier?

Edit
I have merged the Mac mini data and the iMac data together and now scheduled a script which will run on a weekly basis to synchronise the iMac Pictures and Music folder to the Mac mini. After the first time this runs, which said it would take 6 hours to back up pictures alone 😮  I will then change it to be daily if it truly does just synchronise. I have a feeling it may start the iPhoto one from scratch each time. Ah well will soon find out 😉

Feb
26
2009

How to add a site to Safari’s Top Sites

I love the Top Sites feature of Safari 4 Beta but what I wanted to do was to arrange this to show my favourite and most visited sites. After arranging the ones in the window and pinning the ones I want at the top I started deleting the ones I did not want there in order to find the ones I do.

I thought there must be a better way so did a search on various sites which led me to this. post on macosxhints.com. You can add sites to Top sites by doing the following :

  1. Create a new window and click on the Top Sites icon if they are not already showing
  2. Click the Edit button
  3. Create a new window and open the site you want
  4. Click and hold on the Favicon / Globe and drag that on top of your Top Sites window

You can also do this by dragging a Bookmark too though it does not seem to work with RSS bookmarks.

Cool eh?

EDIT
It seems that once you quit Safari it loses this information 🙁

Feb
22
2009

iPhone Stand

When working in my home office my iPhone sits in one of two places, my pocket or lying on the desk near my keyboard. My first generation iPhone came with a docking station which still sits in front of my iMac (I use it occasionally for controlling iTunes though primarily used by my son to play games on – must sell it on eBay!)

My Work Space

So I have been on the look out for a stand which fits in my equipment. Those eagle eyed will notice that everything has an aluminium theme which sits in with my iMac and MacBook Pro. (Even the paint on the wall behind my seat is painted metallic and the doors to the eaves are also painted that colour, oh and whilst I am at it the Velux blind is are aluminium ).

Oops, sorry rambling on a bit there. Where was I? Ah yes, I decided not to bother with a new dock for my iPhone 3G but today came across ad for an iPhone holder called Xtand.

picture-5

This looks like it would fit well on my desk and it can rotate, so that the phone can be held vertically or horizontally. Searching on Google the cheapest place I could find it on is Play, priced at a reasonable £17.99, and as an added bonus there is 4% cashback from Quidco!

I have now ordered one and will post some pics when it arrives 🙂

Feb
22
2009

Music as you go?

Picture 4.png

I came across this image on The Unofficial Apple Weblog which was posted way back in 2007. I have never heard of this, nor seen this device before so I had to find out more about it.

It’s called the iCarta, which is described as a Stereo Dock for iPod® with Bath Tissue Holder.

Features :

• 4 Integrated high performance moisture-free speakers deliver exceptional
clarity and high quality sound
• Charges your iPod while playing music
• Audio selector allows you to play iPod shuffle or other Audio device
• Integrated Bath tissue holder that can be easily folded as a stereo dock
• Requires AC Power (AC Adapter included)
• Easy to remove from Wall Mount

Power Requirements:
12V, 1.5A AC adapter
Speakers:
2 x tweeters for highs
2 x woofers for lows

I certainly would not buy one of these, though I guess some people would, such as those with novelty singing toilet seats.

A review of this can be found on iLounge.