iPhone 4 - No service after traveling out of coverage area.

A few weeks ago I traveled to Montreal Quebec for a weekend. In Canada, most cell phone and data plans only include local coverage to your province, so when you travel outside your province your coverage pretty much dies.

I took my iPhone 4 and as expected, the "No Service" message appeared as soon as I crossed the border between Ontario and Quebec. No big deal, I was prepared and enjoyed my weekend in Montreal very much.

On the way back, I noticed that even after crossing to Ontario, my phone kept saying "No Service". Tried a couple of workarounds like going to airplane mode , rebooting the phone and even reseting the network settings but nothing worked. When I got home I tried a restore from backup, but the issue still was there.  I was only able to fix it after I restored the phone to its factory settings. I unfortunately lost all my information and had to synchronize all my music and contacts afterwards.

Yesterday, my wife got back from a trip to the US and she's having the same problem with her phone. I tried resetting the network settings but it didn't work. I also tried a restore from backup but it didn't work either. I am in the middle of restoring the phone to its factory settings and hopefully this will fix the issue.

I am not sure if this is an issue with the phone itself (I have another iPhone 4 and it works just fine) or if there is something wrong with my sim card.

 Please leave a comment or tweet if you encountered this issue before or if you have any ideas on what should I do next time so I don't loose all my information.

Thanks and see you soon !
CI

Merry Christmas from Google

Well looks like Christmas got a week early. Head to www.google.com and search "let it snow"

Have fun !

CI

Santa and Siri !

Hi there ! A few minutes ago I watched Apple's new ad featuring Santa and Siri ! This is one of the reasons I like Apple so much.

Check it out !

Thanks and see you soon !
CI

My Xbox Live for iPhone

A few days ago Microsoft introduced some very interesting iOS applications. I have wanted to test a Windows Phone for a while and I thought this was the perfect opportunity for me to check it out, without having to spend the money on a new phone.  Since I am an Xbox Live user I decided the first app I wanted to try was "My Xbox Live" for iPhone.

My Xbox Live gives you the opportunity to access your Xbox Live account on the go. The app is divided into three main sections or hubs : Spotlight, Social and Games. The app has a very polished and simplistic look as it tries to replicate Microsoft's very stylish Metro user interface.

Each hub provides a whole lot of information in a very simplistic way. Metro feels very natural (even on the iPhone) and makes information very easy to find. In the Spotlight (Home)  hub a series of videos introduce new games , expansion packs and some tutorials for the new Xbox (console) interface.

Swipe to the left and the Social section is displayed. Here you are greeted with an animated version of your avatar, which I think is really cool. Your avatar even reacts to your touch ! You also get a very nice and complete set of tools with which you can update your avatar's style and features or choose a new avatar altogether. It is so much easier to use to what you get on your Xbox, that you might not even use it there anymore.Also included in this section, there is a list of all  your friends, their status, how long ago they were online and the last game or app (i.e. Netflix) they last used. Finally, you can also review your messages and compose new ones (up to 250 characters) and of course, you get access to the new notifications system called "Beacons".

The final section, Games, is one of my personal favorites. Its main purpose is to keep track of the achievements you already have and the ones you are yet to complete. I have to say, since I installed the app I am now aware of what I need to do in order to get my next achievement. A color icon is displayed for completed achievements and a greyed-out icon for non-completed achievements.This definitely added a whole lot of value to my gaming experience and even got me to play old titles just so I don't see the greyed-out icons next to the achievements I didn't know how to complete before.

I really like what Microsoft did with this application. It provides a lot of information that hardcore gamers like myself really appreciate, but it also keeps it real simple for casual gamers that want to keep in touch with their friends. I have used non-official apps that promised the same features before and I was ok since there was no official version. Now that My Xbox Live is available, I am definitely not going back. With such a beautiful interface and polished style, I have to say Microsoft got my curiosity started and made realize that maybe getting a Windows Phone with its superb Metro user interface, is going to be my next phone. Believe me, for an iOS user that's very hard to accept.

Please let me know your thoughts, comments and suggestions for next reviews.
Remember to follow me on twitter with the handle @tech_ci

Thanks and see you soon !
CI

iPhone and Android app reviews

Hello there ! I am planning to start a new series of posts based on apps.  I am an iOS user, but I have also tried Android phones in the past and I currently own one. I am also planning to get a Windows Phone to try , so perhaps in the future I will be reviewing apps from the Microsoft Marketplace as well. 

Meanwhile I would like to hear your comments and recommendations on what kinds of apps you want me to check out and review. 

Thanks and see you soon ! 

CI

Weather offline !

I was trying to check the weather using the widget included in iOS 5 in the notifications center and encountered the following message.

When I go to the wether app everything seems to be working fine.

Someone else having the same issue?

Twitter account

Please make sure you follow @Tech_CI on Twitter !!  I'll be posting links to new entries on the blog, tech news and more !!

Spread the word !

Cheers and see you soon !
CI

Super simple FaceTime Guide

Hello there ! In my previous post I talked about why I like Skype so much. I definitely use it more than any other option out there, however today I want to talk to you about Apple's FaceTime. As I've mentioned before, I am a Mac and iOS user, so when me and my wife started living together I bought her an iPad and an iPhone 4. Since sometimes I have to travel because of my day job, I thought it would be really useful to have the ability to call her using FaceTime without having to worry about the outrageous roaming charges most Phone companies charge.

Setting up your phone is quite simple. You need to do the following :

1) Go to "Settings"
2) Scroll down to "FaceTime" menu
3) At the top of the screen there is switch. Turn it on (or make sure it is already on)
4) Enter your Apple ID
5) Enter your email address

Great ! Now your phone is ready for FaceTime.

In order to make calls to your friends or family, you will need to follow the next easy steps.

1) From the home screen, go to "Contacts" app
2) At the right top of the screen touch the "+" sign
3) Add your contact's information. Make sure you add their iPhone cell phone number or their FaceTime email address.
4) To make a FaceTime call now you only need to browse and choose the person you want to call.
5) Once you are in the contact information page, touch the FaceTime button.

That's it !! Easy, right ?

Remember, one of the disadvantages of FaceTime is that you must be using a Wifi network for it to work. !!

Hope this simple steps are useful to you !  Please leave a comment with your feedback and your experience trying to configure FaceTime.

Cheers and see you soon !
CI

Skype FTW !!

Hello there ! I would like to tell you a little story about me. When I was 25 years old I got an offer from a company to migrate to the US. Since I thought it would be a really good experience I accepted the offer and two months later I relocated to the city of Seattle, WA. I left my family, my friends and my girlfriend (now my wife) back in my hometown and I started a new chapter in my life.

When I originally got to the US I didn't have cell phone or a fancy laptop with camera, so I decided to buy an external webcam to chat with my girlfriend. I remember the first attempts were not good at all. I was (for whatever reason) trying to use Microsoft Messenger and the connection was pretty bad and seeing up my new webcam turned out to be almost impossible.

After trying several times with no luck, I decided to look for a good alternative and I remembered about Skype. Up until then, I had used Skype only a couple of times, but since I didn't really have anyone to call I kind of forgot about it until I truly needed it.

What a big difference ! The setup was extremely easy and the video call quality was great ! I can say Skype definitely helped me keep in touch with my girlfriend and perhaps it helped us to get married a little over a year after I left.

Nowadays there are several other options you can use to keep close to your love ones. Google Voice, FaceTime and Skype are the ones I have tried so far. I always come back to Skype after a while though, Even if each one of these options provides a very similar service. I think Skype's subscriptions, mobile apps (iPhone, iPad, Android, etc..) and top notch call quality are the best out there.

Cheers and see you soon !
CI

Welcome !

The other day I had a Skype conversation with my oldest brother. He was very excited since he recently got an iPhone 4 and discovered how to make video calls with it. During our conversation I suggested that, instead of using Skype, he should call me next time using Apple's FaceTime. The only problem is he didn't know how to set it up and even after I configured mine I was not able to remember how to do it. I was thinking of telling him to search for it online, but I know my brother doesn't love technology as much as I do. He would rather spend his time doing something else rather than going through the hassle of googling "how to setup FaceTime" and follow some complicated online instructions.

That night, after we hung up, I started to think that I should be able to explain him how to do this in simple, easy to follow steps. I also started thinking about my dad and how wonderful it would be if he could call me on Skype or FaceTime every time he wants to keep touch with me.

Today I want to welcome you to my new technology site. My intention is to create guides, tips and simple tutorials for people that don't care about technology but that would like to use it without any problems. People like my brother and my dad. People that don't enjoy technology because they don't understand it.

As you may have guessed, my next post will be about technology to keep your love one's close. Video conferencing, online phone calls and text messages. If you are like me, living in a foreign country, far away from your family I think you will find my next post very useful.

Cheers and see you soon !
CIG

How to pair Apple Wireless Keyboard with Macbook Pro

Before I decided to start this blog, I thought it would be really cool to get a new keyboard. I have been a Mac user since 2009 so my first choice was to get an Apple wireless keyboard to use with my iMac and my iPad 2 ( and possibly my iPhone 4).

In order to set it up you need to follow the next very easy steps:

1) Click on "System Preference" located in your dock.

2) From the next screen go to "Keyboard"

3)  Check the right-bottom section of the screen and click on "Setup Bluetooth Keyboard"

4) Finally, wait until a number shows up in your screen, type it using your wireless Keyboard and you are done ! 

That's it !! You have successfully setup your (most likely) new Apple Wireless Keyboard with your iMac. 

Cheers and see you soon !

CI