Taking Photos
One thing we forget is that sometimes the best camera you have is the one you have with you. We don't always need our 1D Mark II or our D3 to capture an event. The iPhone has a pretty good built-in camera. Get the 3GS and it's even better. I use the 3G version. So, I am walking around all the time with a damn good 2MP camera.
In order to take even better photos with my iPhone, I downloaded the Best Camera app (written by Chase Jarvis) and CameraOne (better viewfinder, cool effects, etc) about a week ago. I can tell you that BestCamera is good for applying filter effects after the fact and the CameraOne app really does take a better photo than the default camera app that comes with the iPhone.
Remember to use those (the vivid effect is my favorite with CameraOne - see below) and you may walk away with some interesting images you would normally miss. Here's a candid example from this year's St. Patricks Day Parade in Station Square:
Now, it's not an award winning photo, but at least you're able to capture it.
Connecting Your Laptop to the Internet
Now, this is where I will be giving you a secret you may be unaware of. Regardless of what Apple tells you, you CAN use your iPhone as a wireless router. I have been out, with my camera gear and came across a great photo unexpectedly (see auto accident below). My problem was that, even though I had my laptop with me (always in my gear bag) and my iPhone (never leave home without it), I had no way of transmitting the image to the local editor.
Now, I could have taken the traditional route and did exactly what AT&T told me which was to buy one of their USB devices ($99-$299) and purchase a standalone data plan which would cost approximately $30 every month with a two-year agreement. Not only did I not want to sign a two-year agreement on another line, but I definitely didn't want to spend $30 each month when I may not have a constant use for it. I really only needed a solution for those times when I was not near a computer, nor free WiFi.
So, with my extensive computer background, I began to search for solutions to "unlock" my iPhone. I knew that all the technology was there to use it as a "modem" or a "wireless router" for my laptop. Apple just wasn't going to make it available since they had the other option which was additional revenue for them.
Long story short, I now have my iPhone "unlocked" and an "ad-hoc" network created between it and my laptop. It requires no USB cable and communicates 100% wirelessly. It transmits data completely over the AT&T 3G network and I incur no additional charges since I already have the required unlimited data plan for the iPhone.
Download speeds are about 1.5Mbps (5MB in about 3-5 seconds) and upload speeds about 256Kbps. This is more than adequate for my usage. Email is quick, browsing the web is decent and I really can't tell any tradeoff. I had heard how slow the USB solution from AT&T was, so that was another reason why I avoided it. This connection is so good, I may actually disconnect my Comcast service from my office.
Before I tell you how I did it, let me start by saying that you do this at your own risk. Is it difficult? No. Do you have to go through each step carefully? Yes.
Visit http://iphone.unlock.no/ and purchase their unlocking software (much easier than doing it via script) and include the App Package (this is where you get the app that transforms your iPhone into a wireless router). It costs about $60 and is a one-time investment - well worth it.
Once downloaded, you run the software and it automatically "unlocks", or "jailbreaks" your phone. All this means is that you are no longer held hostage by the App Store and can use the phone on any network by simply changing SIM cards. Great if you travel internationally or feel like using the phone with Verizon, etc.
It will install an app name "Cydia". Launch this app, follwo the instructions to acquire their version of PDANet (easy) and setup an "ad-hoc" network between your laptop and phone. This may sound difficult, but is really isn't. The instructions are very clear and simple. You just have to follow them patiently.
From that point, you're all set. Just fire up the laptop, launch the PDANet app and connect to the new wireless network that is visible. You'll be cruising the web in less than 10 seconds.
The only drawback in my opinion is that you will lose the use of visual voicemail. What this means is you will have to call yoru voicemail instead of simply tapping the message like you're used to. But, with how important mobile access is - it's a small price to pay.
In fact, I am sitting at my desk writing and transmitting this using my iPhone. It is connected to my laptop to conserve battery life via the USB charging cable. I am indoors, and even answered some calls and text messages without the network disconnecting. Instant messenger works beautifully and it has been checking and downloading my email the entire time.
In short - it's a great way to achieve what is supposed to be impossible according to AT&T. Does it void my phone's warranty? I have no idea. There is an uninstall option so I imagine it can be brought back to default settings if needed. Truthfully, I could care less about that.
Oh, and you can still use iTunes - just don't upgrade the firmware on your phone unless you make sure it's okay to do so first.
I hope this helps. It has done the impossible for me. I couldn't help but share this information to any fellow photographer. Transmitting from the field and not incurring additional expense?? Priceless.
