Diversion First on Social Networking, then : How to Internet Tether Your Iphone 4 to Windows 7

Diversion from the "Real Topic" first: Social Networking Thoughts


Interesting, many of the cell phone plans are now starting to include "Unlimited Social Networking" - in this instance, for Rogers Canada, they mean zero data is used against your data plan when you browse or use the phone app to "Update status, send messages, connect with friends and share photos using Facebook ™, Twitter ™, MySpace ™, Bebo ™, Flickr ™, Photobucket ™ or LinkedIn ™. This is actually a very nice idea, since it has been definitely proven that Social Media is NOT a fad that is going to fizzle out. If anything , it's going to grow and evolve and merge with new technologies on the horizon. Just look at how the concept of "Facetime" - aka video calling face-to-face on the iPhone has attracted people to just even consider switching specifically to the Iphone 4. 

Naturally, you may still be wondering... so what is the big deal with "Social Networking" anyway?  After you watch this video, then you will immediately see the impact it has had already on  YOUR life.




How about the news that car company Daimler has launched a car-sharing project that incorporates live online and quasi-Twitter technology? It has been called "high tech hitch hiking" . Here's another one, also car-related: a group of university students are developing a "caravan tracker", where groups of vehicles travelling together are equipped to share information with each other, such as fuel economy competition, landmark chatting, route sharing. Read about the this type and more, of social networking of cars here. So how about this (my out-of-the-blue idea): having on-board GPS, wireless cell/data connectivity on your camera or cell phone camera- with "Unlimited Social Networking" feature of course such that when you take a picture, your pictures will not only be uploaded to your Twitter space and/or Facebook photos, but the camera will recognize faces for auto-tagging, and also it will let your Facebook friends and Twitter followers know where the picture was taken?




 
Hmm, I just asked my teen daughter if she had any idea about marrying social media with technology. She just shrugged her shoulders, and she exclaimed, "I still think the telephone is best social networking tool!" And THAT, MY FRIENDS, IS STILL THE TRUTH, lol !


The Real Topic: Another type of Networking: Iphone 4 Tethered to Laptop- Windows 7


\Ok, actually, what I wanted to write about also in this article was how I just learned to tether my Iphone 4 (OS 4.0.2) , NOT jailbroken, to my Windows 7 laptop computer. This is very handy to know when you are somewhere out about town where there is no open WiFi connection and you are in dire need to access a website in full screen to get information for that next meeting, without dealing with the little screen keys of the Iphone. For example, I had tethered my Iphone to my laptop, so I could use my laptop to update my blog at http://yagottaknowthis.blogspot.com with this article!! Fortunately, there is a way to use your Iphone 4's data plan to surf the net with your laptop. A warning for you though, make sure your Iphone 4 has a good allowance of data plan if you are going to do this tethering often.


1st Step : Iphone 4: Settings, General, Network, Internet Tethering: ON, select for Bluetooth on also 

2: On you Iphone 4: go to Settings, General, turn Bluetooth: ON (if not already turned on). Bluetooth will trigger to show as discoverable, looking to pair with another device, eg. your laptop! 

3. On your Windows 7 laptop: Click on the circled Windows logo on left corner, choose Devices and Printers, Add a Device. This is when Windows will start to look to pair itself too with all available hard-wired and wired/ ie. Bluetooth connections. It will find your Iphone in 20secs to 1 minute, or so.

4. When Windows finds your Iphone, right-button-mouse-click on the graphic picture or text of your iphone (see picture), and then choose "Connect using... Access Point".

You will soon see a "... Tethering" blue band across the top of your Iphone.


 
Now go forth armed with this knowledge to do this. even if just for the fun of it. 

Eric
Business Solutions Specialist

Little Significant Observations - Travel Tips in Manila, Cities in Philippines

I recently came back from the Philippines, where I attended my uncle's funeral activities.
During my almost-two-weeks there, I took public transportation for the first time. Usually, I'd have a personal driver take me around.

Some observations for you if you're there for personal or "business trip" reasons:

- how to take or ride the jeepney around town. Btw, jeepney's look like the over-extended trucks with a low metal canopy behind. They have two length-wise benches for seating. It's hard to describe, so here's a picture.  You hop in, squeeze yourself some sitting space on the bench. Then you fish out your 12pesos or whatever payment, and you say "bayad" (sounds like "buy ahhd") .  You give it to another passenger who is sitting at arms length away from you , towards the front of the jeepney. That passenger will then pass on your coins to the front, and so on, until it reaches the driver and/or his assistant. It works!

- another mode of transportation: the "FX" taxi . It's an airconditioned SUV type , a lot more comfortable than a jeepney.  However, you still share the ride. These fx taxis are usually located in a group at "the terminal". You buy a ticket at a booth or desk nearby after you announce to the attendant where you are going. Then you present your ticket to the driver.  By the way, the similar ride to the fx taxi is "the van". It's not a "suv" fx, but "a van". I myself was almost tricked into spending more time and more money on a tricycle ride when I asked a motorcycle / tricycle driver where I can find the fx to go to a particular place. He said he will take me there, 5 minutes. Then a passerby who overheard our conversation said no, just walk 50 meters to get "the van" to the same place.  I looked at the motorcycle driver, who shrugged his shoulders and said , "well, an FX is different from a van".  I later found out that the process of paying to board an FX or "a van" was the same. Get more tips here. Picture included.

- then, there's the "tricycle" transportation. It's a motorcycle with an attachment for passenger(s) to sit beside. Well, actually, you CAN put more than just one passenger here. In fact, I've seen as many as 5 people on one! To ride one, you hop in, tell them where you're going, and you pay after you arrive. It will usually be around 10 pesos, maybe more. The drawbacks: you get to breathe in the exhaust fumes of your ride and other vehicles nearby at your positioned level of seating. It can get very loud. You are subject to the elements, especially rain if there is no plastic screen placed in front of you between the driver and the cart you are sitting in. View a tricycle here.

Ok, so I haven't covered the LRT or overhead rapid transit train. I never took it. But I'll let you know when I do!

Cheers!

Eric C
Business Solutions Specialist

Stanley Park Bicycle Tire BlowOut! Desmond Niles Mobile Bicycle Repair

My Sunday bicycle ride with my two daughters was going well - early summer morning ride, cool, beautiful scenery at Stanley Park, Vancouver, BC- its awesome bicycle path at the seawall. Then, at the totem park area, one of my daughters' front bicycle tire became flat.

Yeah, it was a bit of a downer, but we took it all in stride. This was a good opportunity to slow it down even more, and we took out the grapes, strawberries, and bottled water. We had a small picnic in this gorgeous part of Stanley Park, with the buildings in the background, and the famous greenery of Stanley Park on either side of us.

I took out my trusty Iphone 4, surfed the internet and Googled "mobile Vancouver bicycle repair". One of the top search results was a third-party directory site that listed "Desmond" with his phone number . Remember, this was a Sunday. Desmond answered, explained it would take him between 45 to 60 minutes to get here. Perfect!

What I didn't know was that Desmond's mobile bicycle repair service was really a mobile shop. He arrived with his bicycle and and pack of tools on the back of his pedal-powered bike. He had cycled from Victoria Drive near S.E Marine Drive area, which is about 14 km !!

Upon closer inspection, Desmond discovered that there was hole on the inner tube at the bottom of the valve stem. Ouch! He explained that this was not going to be an easy patch-up repair, which he would normally do. He would have to purchase an inner tube from a nearby bicycle shop. So I said sure. But then he revealed that he forgot to bring cash nor his credit card to buy this. And I also explained that I had just remembered I forget to bring cash, but yes, I did bring my debit bank card . So, my daughter and I walked with him for 20 minutes to bicycle shop, and then we returned to the totem pole area of Stanley Park.

It was a very quick repair by Desmond. I took this opportunity to learn more about Desmond and his mobile bicycle repair service in Vancouver. His history: he was a bicycle courier in London (his native city is Gloucestershire), came to Canada in 1998. He has 2 very young children. In Vancouver he was a glass/ window installer, having worked on highrise buildings in Vancouver, ie. Shangri-La. But really, as he explained, his passion was in everything bicycle, and he had wanted to get away from the corporate game and working for someone else. Desmond also explained that he feels very fulfilled in seeing that complete transformation from broken-to-fixed. As well, he enjoys being a part of the process in that he receives and appreciates the many thanks (and their referrals) from the many different people he meets.

Desmond Niles is a super friendly person, very personable and highly skilled at what he does: bicycle repairs.

Desmond's contact details: Call 604 565 6039
Email : nilesdesmond@gmail.com


Eric C
Business Solutions Specialist

Katrina Amurao, Neil Bellosillo, and " The Team ", Realtors in Vancouver, Surrey, Delta, Burnaby areas

I and my realtives have had the great pleasure of connecting with Katrina Amurao and her husband Neil Bellosillo, realtors in Greater Vancouver Lower Mainland (including Surrey, Delta and areas).

They are very informative, are patient and understanding to our house buying and selling needs.

Neil and Katrina have been providing us with professionally developed and highly researched reports about real estate activity within our area- I mean really detailed reports to view on the web, specific to our Vancouver neighbourhood in recent time periods, including average house prices, number and specific houses that sold over as well as under the asking price, number of days on the market, etc. And Neil Bellosillo's reports have been timely as he emails them to us, with the pictures and details of potential houses to buy according to our specific parameters we gave.

They have been very patient with us, understanding our personal situations and experiences when it comes to our buying and selling decisions... so no worries or "guilt" there.

As well, Katrina and Neil, twice a year, they rent out a whole movie theatre complex of 3 or 4 theatres, and they invite clients and their friends for free to watch a newly released movie. A donation in the form of non-perishable food items is requested by the movie-goers, and it all goes to the Surrey Food Bank. Katrina and the team also provide drinks, coffee and snacks!

We highly recommend them!

Here are Katrina Amurao's and Neil Bellosillo's contact information.

Iphone 4 - the Fuss, the Fun, the Funkiness

By Eric C.
Business Solutions Specialist

I've been around to the various shopping malls in Vancouver and Burnaby, observing the long line-ups at the Apple Store's as well as the crowds at the smaller wireless phone dealers that would carry the new Iphone 4.  The smaller ones like "Wireless Wave" (owned and operated by GlenTel) - I have a friend there Sophia Kong at the Brentwood Mall location (tel: 604-298-5208) - they have been constantly answering the question, "Do you have the Iphone 4" . Their answer for the last week has been, "No.... we're out of stock."  The next famous question: "What's with the antenna problem?"  The answer, "well, that can be fixed with the free bumper case, or with any case for that matter."

My question today during my visit was, "Can you tell me about the unlocked / locked situation with the IPhone 4 in Canada?"  They said that yes, all the IPhone 4's are shipped the Canadian outlets as unlocked, but once you go into a contract with one of the carriers, they become locked.  Upon my further investigation, I learned that the unlocked version, no contract, was around $700-850, and with a 3-yr contract, locked, the IPhone 4 was $175 .

Then my question, to myself was, is there a way to unlock the IPhone 4?

I found an article at http://www.livecrickett20.com/2010/08/08/the-ways-to-unlockjailbreak-the-ios4-and-the-iphone-44g/  .

So there you go. According to the author of the article at the above livecrickett20.com link, there are many ways, apparently, to unlock a IPhone 4.

If only I can now get my hands on one!


Eric C
Business Solutions Specialist