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