iLikeMyiPhone.com

Microsoft’s exciting experiment or is it Microsoft’s Economic Stimulus package?

How many times have you thought ‘Damn! I cannot buy a Wii any time soon!‘ or ‘Well, iPhone 3G is mighty expensive, how do I get an iPhone 2.5G for a decent price?‘ Well, I got both these products at the best price possible - EVER! But how? Thanks to Microsoft’s cash back program. Microsoft really want to capture the market share when it comes to online sales and they came up with Live.com ; a product search for the prospective buyer with a difference. You get a cash back (percentage) with every purchase you initiate via Live.com

What is the deal with eBay then?

Well, recently Live.com started displaying eBay ads with a fancy 35% / 20% / 10% off icons. Wait, 35% is a heck of a deal, isn’t it? So an overpriced Wii ($320 is now $320 - 35% = $208!!). The restriction being that : the item should be bought as a Buy it now item. The maximum you can earn in one transaction being $250. Microsoft pays you the percent discount after a whopping 60 day period! Hey, free cash, right

How it works in a snapshot…

Only applies to Buy It Now items paid for using PayPal. For example, go to http://www.live.com/ (type it into your browser, don’t click the link in this post) and search for a Wii. Check the paid results at the top and right for a link to eBay with the “live search cashback” icon. Click it, find a Buy It Now auction for a Wii (or whatever you want for that matter). Discount should be listed on checkout page.

To master this offer and maximize returns, rush to Slickdeals.net

Only Microsoft? Is eBay offering any free cash?

Yep! eBay randomly chose the lucky few and has been awarding eBay bucks for a spending spree. A snapshot of eBay bucks program (active till August 14th).

If you are invited to join the program, you start earning percentage (2% / 3% / 5% / 6% / 9%) eBay bucks which you can spend on eBay starting August 22nd. Sounds fun, huh?!

Icing on the cake : eBay has this habit of sending coupons from time to time. If all you did was ignore them till now, it is time to get back on track. Go ahead and stack all three offers (eBay bucks + Microsoft Live Cash back + eBay coupons) for a tremendous deal ranging from as low as 20% to 40% off the product Buy it now price!

Wait, I need a sample scenario! Ok, lets explore a live scenario

I just bought a Macbook Pro 2.5GHz, 3years AppleCare with this deal.
$2200 (after bugging the seller to drop the price from $2350 + $36 shipping) : http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI….0231581878
$2200 - (100+250+198) = $1652 (Deal or no Deal?!)
Am excited after the biggest online transaction of my life. Wanted to document the feat
Good luck again!

Payout time Microsoft!

Terms and Conditions

Microsoft Live Cashback

eBay Bucks

written by kiran \\ tags: cashback, Deal, ebay, microsoft live

Call it whining or something else but Apple and ATT cannot really screw many a number of people’s monthly expenses with just a new release, right? Firstly, Steve Jobs makes this statement at WWDC 2008 “iPhone 3G - Twice the Speed, Half the price!”. Seriously : How many cities can you possibly use 3G on ATT? 280 metropolitan cities, what about the rest? Why should they be lured into the same package? $199 is good for such a device but hey, you are screwing the customer with a potential $85 per month, minimum? Ok, so now you call me cheap but I am using a 450 minutes pm plan at $39.99 .

iPhone 2.5G had this amazing $20 unlimited data and 200 SMS package but that’s about it. Check how ATT is messing up with the whole 3G episode. Ok, now you say ATT is the culprit but Apple cannot be left out either. They tie the whole iPhone warranty to the contract. So, I have no ATT service in my area, but they sold me an Apple iPhone online and now for warranty purposes they ask me to get a contract first! If they are touting iPhone as more than just a phone, why wouldnt’ they handle the warranty in a similar manner? Apple gets paid $325 for every iPhone sold, great! ATT gets a ransom with a 2 year contract, great! The commoner suffers an $85 (minimum) payload Yeah, commoner which includes students, jobless Apple fanatics or independent small contractors.

The best bet to counter the whole 3G episode would be to wait till hackers thwart Apple’s efforts to lock the device. Hello Apple, invest in copy/paste, MMS and other feature rich applications, not anti hacking mechanisms! You will be hacked anyway! And all iPhone 2.5G owners, eBay still rules given the no contract choose any plan options that are available for you. Why sell your device? You get the same features with iPhone 2.0 s/w and you can directly compete with your 3G counterparts! It is now upto the commoner to decide on ATT’s success and their own failure.

MobileMe for $3 every month for a full year? Yes, it is true and is available only on iLikeMyiPhone.com.

image courtesy : Gizmodo.com

written by kiran

How many times had this thought struck your mind - ‘Gosh, I wish I could hide these videos from my family/friends!’ Then comes this - ‘iSteamy is really hot but I don’t want my wife/children to know about this steamy adventure!’

All your questions are now answered, thanks to the developers at HidePod. They have just finished Apple’s unfinished business of protecting your ‘Stuff’! The next time someone (in my case - my professors, family members…) asks your iPhone for a quick look - you can innocently hand it over despite not so innocent stuff hiding back there!

We all know about Poof, an application for hiding your applications but HidePod dives in with password protection feature and even letting you hide the HidePod application behind the regular/normal looking Calculator icon!

I can assure you that it is so difficult for anyone to hack into your protected stuff. I myself had a tough time using the app initially, and you can just imagine how hard it will be for someone to get to the hidden videos/apps - thanks to the added layers of protection (password, and hiding the application itself!).

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Why wait, you definitely stand a chance to win a license.

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written by kiran \\ tags: Hide Media, Hidepod, Privacy

Back with Popular Demand! 4 Available

Hurry, only 0 more account(s) available! SOLD OUT

MobileMe is poised to give a whole new look to .mac with a not so interesting domain .me but the exclusive new features will definitely add to the new iPhone experience (on both 2.5G and 3G), particularly for the average user who cannot afford an ‘Exchange Server hosting Email/Contacts/Calendar’.

Push Email, Push Contacts, Push Calendar are truly revolutionary by minimizing the hassles involved in keeping all the information in sync on your PC/Mac, Mobile Device and Online hub realtime! Yes, realtime is the key here and it is all done in style! Follow this link to learn more about the service.

Not ready to hand over your new email and you still want Gmail/Other mail with ‘Push’ service? Forward the mail to your .Mac email account and there you go, Push Push!

Now for the most exciting part : You can enjoy this brand new service for only $36 for one full year. You will get a whopping 5GB storage space for all your Email/Online Storage and Web Space. There is always an optional storage upgrade option. This is the cheapest alternative to an otherwise expensive $99/year service. I would like to extend this service to 4 user(s) on a ‘first come first served basis’.

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written by kiran \\ tags: .Mac, Deal, me.com, MobileMe

Yeah, they did it with iPhone 1.0 and now with the latest iPhone 3G. They remain the exclusive carrier of the iPhone 3G despite Apple ending revenue sharing agreement with ATT over iPhone to reach the masses, they now want to hop-in on the extra revenue by charging a ransom for 3G network access in a not-so 3G rich America.

As of today (June 9th, ‘08), only 285 metropolitan areas have ATT’s 3G access in the US and they expect $30 for Unlimited 3G data plan ($45 for biz. users), that too without the SMS package. In essence, you will have to pay an extra $240 (approx.) for 3G Data, 200 SMS which makes little sense given their 3G deployment across the nation.

Check for 3G coverage in your area before jumping on the bandwagon. There will always be a not-so-legal alternative soon!

It is no longer an iPhone specific bundle, it is a smartphone bundle! Read the press release from ATT. T-Mobile 3G is in its infancy and ATT is at the peak of their evil-self. Have a quick look at their 3G coverage and decide for yourself. Hackers, start your engines as we badly are in need of an exploit yet again!

Facts :

iPhone 1.0 8GB :: $399 + $39.99 + $20 Data Plan (Incl 200 SMS) = $1840 for 2 Years

iPhone 3G :: $199 + $39.99 + $30 + Optional SMS Package $5 (min) = $2000 for 2 Year

You ending up paying more with 3G iPhone. Steve’s ‘more affordable’ formula goes wrong here

It is advised that you follow this quick guide to get the iPhone for FREE. Ask a reseller for new ATT contract if needed and bargain for a discount. They will go for it happily unlike ATT.

It is rumored that 3G iPhone is not available for purchase online and can only be activated with a new 2 year contract (existing users - extend your contract for 2 years)! Apple takes a back seat capitalizing on this engineering marvel while carriers plunge forward to have the biggest pie. All in all, only July 2008 will tell how compatible is iPhone 3G on the consumer’s pockets!

Stay tuned for a way out to thwart ATT of their evil interests!

p.s : The views expressed here are mine alone supported by cold hard facts. Please post a comment if you feel this article can be improved/changed/taken down (ATT not allowed)!

written by kiran

Just sift through some quick info about the new 3G iPhone here. Now you are all set for the next part :

Buy a 16GB iPhone 2.0 given the faster data speeds and the obvious amount of data downloaded. Don’t say you were not warned! If you want to stick to the legal mobile provider, best bet is to sign a new contract, get a free ATT phone - sell it off eBay and then use the money to buy an iPhone (you end up getting it for free, right?)!!

Best bet for free phones would be Blackberry Pearl, ATT Tilt or any Smartphone for that matter. If you are nearing your contract upgrade time, bargain for a free phone and then immediately buy the iPhone 2.0, as simple as that. Make sure you pre-order your iPhone from Apple.com given the shortage in stock for the first few weeks.

Come back for more offers/deals for making this awesome iPhone deal the cheapest possible!

Source : Apple.com

written by kiran \\ tags: iPhone 3G Deals

Quick Updates :

3G, GPS, Better Battery Life, Thinner, Same size Screen, No Copy / Paste Support Yet, iPhone 2.0 Firmware released Early July (11th Supposedly).

Best part : Affordability. $199 (8GB) and $299 (16GB) - Technology can never be more affordable! July 11th - Lines and lines and lines as usual! No news of ATT contracts, hence the same old story of Jailbreaking/Unlocking might persist here as well. Too bad all those who forked out $499 for a 16GB might end up losing some BIG bucks given the $299 pricepoint for its elder brother.

MobileMe announced for $99 / 14 months, good for the on-the-go user, may be left out for a casual user.

AppStore featured amazing 3D games and some free Apps, so all is well for now. Apple Stocks are riding high, can’t wait one full month for the 3G iPhone to be released.

Predictions : 32GB 3G iPhone in Jan 2009, Unlocking Possible given the not so stringent ATT contracts, eBay iPhone Sales plummet (not a prediction, its a fact!).

Courtesy : Engadget, UStream

written by kiran \\ tags: 199, 299, Cheaper, GPS, iPhone 3G

Yay, the much awaited June 9th (one of the hottest days this summer - 96 F) finally takes its toll where Apple is prepping to launch some amazingly  interesting technology this afternoon, be it Mac Touch, iPhone 3G, revised Macbook/ Pro, scrapping out Macbook air (kiddin’!), or a completely different product!

iPhone 2.0 at a subsidized price ($200) means true brand loyalty (ATT) : Only real ATT users are entitled for the huge discount, Apple might sell the unlocked iPhones directly from their site at normal prices which might well put a hold on eBay iPhones!

Let us all hope apps/games from AppStore are reasonably priced since it can end up being pretty pricey at the end of the day with all those apps. All the jailbreak exploits are touted to be carefully sealed with iPhone 2.0, hence it might be a while to really enjoy those Jailbreak apps from the enthusiastic community. Pwnage 1.2 is reportedly gearing up to support iPhone 2.0 firmware. 3G iPhone support is not realistic at this point but all you unlocked iPhone 1.0 owners can still enjoy the benefits of Apple’s latest iPhone f/w offering.

What about iPhone 1.0 owners :

Fear not, iPhone 2.0 software is readily downloadable starting 1PM June 9th, hence you can take advantage of all the enhanced features though 3G, GPS and some other minor hardware changes will be left out for good. How many of you are going to subscribe for the expensive 3G plan anyways? Not to mention the real deployment of GPS on your iPhone. Are you seriously planning to use GPS on your iPhone for travel directions? So, lets not give up, cherish your iPhone 1.0 and gift it to your grand children one day, they will love it, trust me

written by kiran \\ tags: 3G, AppStore, ATT, GPS, iPhone 2.0

I am forced to write an article on this issue given the number of occurrences. You might as well bargain for a 3G iPhone in return!

The following write-up applies to an iPhone which has mal/dis-functioning home button, iPhone sync/charging USB pin and some other similar situations.

Hey, hardware failures are taken care of by Apple, why do I care? What if you jailbroke your iPhone and you are now unable to get rid of the most favorite installer.app icon which Apple Geniuses are fond of since they can deny service outright if they find that the iPhone OS is tampered with.

If your iPhone is not damaged at all, then your best bet would be to restore your iPhone to the latest software and approach an Apple specialist. If you are denied service since you didn’t register with an ATT sim, try registering with ATT Prepaid as described here .

If you Unlocked your iPhone, install BootNeuter.app from installer (Make sure community sources are installed from installer.app) and make sure Neuter, FakeBlank, Unlock are all ‘OFF’. Now hit the Flash button at the top right corner and wait for it complete the operation. There you go, a virgin iPhone waiting for the next few steps!

If your iPhone’s Home button acts naughty or/and the iPhone is not detected by iTunes due to a possible USB pin connector damage, your best bet would be to :

• Uninstall all the applications installed using installer.app
• Make sure BSD Subsystem and OpenSSH are still hanging in there (they are vital apps for the next few steps!)
• Make sure your iPhone and PC/Mac is connected to a WiFi access point. Noted down the IP address from (iPhone) Settings -> WiFi -> Click on the Access Point -> Jot down the IP Address
• Go to Settings -> General ->Set Auto-Lock to ‘never’
• SSH into your iPhone using your favorite FTP tool be it FUGU (Mac), CuteFTP (Windows) or the like using the IP from the above step with username as ‘root’ and password ‘alpine’ (for 1.1.3,1.1.4 iPhone, ‘dottie’ otherwise) and leave all other fields blank
• Now go through the screenshots attached for the applications we are looking for. They can be found at ‘/Applications’ (the top most level/directory - essentially ‘/’

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• Now locate installer.app and double click (open) it and delete all the files barring directories (folders) due to a permissions issue. Now delete all the files in the sub folders as well.
• Now rename the sub-folder(s) to something generic or a web app like name (homepage.app) and rename installer.app to Websearch.app or something like that just ot be on the safe side.
• The installer icon should be gone for good thereby enabling you a shiny new iPhone!

Please note that these are some of my experiences which never failed, your mileage may vary!

Note : When in an Apple store, look for Apple Geniuses/techs of the opposite sex, it might sound silly but trust me it works! Depends on how well you tackle them!

written by kiran \\ tags: Apple genius, delete installer.app, fugu, jailbreak, Warranty

After an overwhelming response to a similar 8GB iPhone deal, here comes a 16er - bigger storage, better functionality! This bid is just toc over my hosting fee, it starts at an unbelievable 99 cents on eBay. I didn’t advertise this anywhere, hence better chances for the readers here at iLikeMyiPhone! The 16GB iPhone is a brand new refurb waiting to be unboxed and utilized to the fullest! Have a look at all the applications you want me to install and unlock.

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I can still ship you an unopened box and guide you on how to unlock and install the applications. I have a 100% rating on eBay and loads of experience in the iPhone hacking scene! Click here to grab it

written by kiran