Man do I love mobile TV while driving. By mobile TV, I mean loading up Hulu Plus or Netflix on my iPhone. But before I talk about mobile TV, I should mention how I connect audio to my car.

Bluetooth streaming audio

I connect my iPhone to my car’s audio system via a Bluetooth adepter. I use a Scosche MotorMouth II, which does streaming Bluetooth audio to my stereo, as well as adding a handsfree car phone type system for calls and a push button for voice command of iOS.

The system works out pretty well, and I have it connected to power in the car so I never have to take it out to recharge. It just works. The procedure I have to do to use it is, assuming bluetooth is already on the Neocell and let’s say Pandora is already playing, is I start my car. The red light on the MotorMouth lights up, indicating it’s got power. I then push the button on it and that initiates the connection and then audio transfers to the sound system. And then that’s it. Once I turn the car off, since it’s battery powered, the MotorMouth stays connected and the Neocell continues to play audio (although nothing can be heard). I can either just walk away from my car and the iPhone will automatically disconnect from Bluetooth and pause audio, or I can switch the audio source on the iPhone from Bluetooth to speaker to hear music from the Neocell.

Why use Bluetooth streaming audio

I wrote before about how I connected an iPhone dock into my ride. I did this because it’s the most efficient way to physically connect an iPhone into your car. The dock’s line out was connected to my car’s auxiliary audio input of my stereo, as well as the sync cable to the dock connected to a USB-to-DC plug thing. You simply drop your iPhone into the dock and you instantly got sound to your car and power to your iPhone. Bada bing, bada boom.

I Installed Two iPhone Docks In My Ride

So why, then, go with Bluetooth streaming audio if you got’a great, easy solution like this? Well honestly, you don’t gotta’. The dock system rocks. Serious. But the reason why I did it is because, the way iOS docks are designed, when you take your iPhone off the dock, it pauses audio. This became a pain when I’d have Pandora playing in the background and my GPS app Navigon running in the foreground and I’d have to pull the Neocell out of the dock because I wanted to enter text with two hands instead of typing while it’s on the dock or whatever. This would cause the audio to pause. Once I connected it back to the dock, I’d have to resume the audio.

Another problem I found myself in a lot was picking up the Neocell out of the dock to do things like check an email message or reply to an IM from Beejive. Each time I’d do this, the audio would pause. It’s not even like it would stop going through the car’s audio but would keep playing through the Neocell’s speaker. No, it would just stop all together.

This also became a problem when I’ve be driving with someone and they wanted to check something on the Neocell, which of course they’d have to undock it. Whenever I’m driving, the Neocell preforms two extremely important rolls. One is audio entertainment (I NEVER listen to the radio and don’t own one single audio CD) and the other is GPS navigation through Navigon. Both can run and continue to work and do their function because they play their audio in the background, but when someone would pick up the Neocell out of the dock, the audio would no longer be goin’ through the car’s sound system.

Now you understand the beauty of Bluetooth streaming audio. The Neocell can freely be picked up out of the dock and the audio will still continue. This has come in handy so many times. I remember one time when my wife was with me and we needed to get in contact with someone who happened to be in Hawaii… we didn’t know their phone number or even email address, but we noticed them online on Facebook via Beejive so my girl IMed this person and was having an important conversation (she hadn’t gotten Beejive yet on her own iPhone). I had a lot of complicated driving to do and needed to hear the GPS, but this wasn’t a problem because the audio was still being streamed over, including Pandora even though the Neocell was in her hands and not physically connected to anything.

TV and movie audio streaming via Bluetooth

So this brings me back to the original point; how great it is watchin’ TV and movies while drivin’. For the record, when I mean “watching”, unless I’m in non-moving traffic, my eyes are on the road 90% of the time. Most people wouldn’t call that “watching” TV but more like “listening”, and this sorta’ true… but being able to glance at what’s on screen for a half second or so here and there really does give you the scope of what’s going on in the video. Some of you may not think that’s enough time to understand what’s happening, but it’s like people watching TV while surfing the web, you understand what’s goin’ on without havin’ to have your eyes glued to the video.

Having the audio streaming through Bluetooth makes it that much nicer watching a TV show from Hulu Plus or a movie from Netflix. Sometimes I’d find myself looking at an episode of The Office and notice some smudges on the screen. No problem, simply take the iPhone off the dock, rub the screen on my shirt or whatever and place it back… all while keeping my eyes on the road and continuing to listen to the audio.

Another neat thing is that if I had one of my nieces or nephews with me and my girl and let’s say they wanted to play Angry Birds or something while we were on a long trip. Normally, I’d have to say no because GPS navigation is vital. But with Bluetooth streaming and the fact that Navigon can run in the background, no problem. They can use the Neocell in the back while it streams GPS navigation instructions to the car’s audio system.

Mobile TV feels like cheating during traffic

So check it, yesterday I was driving home on an hour long drive and, living in Tampa Bay, there’s a lot of bodies of water around and a lot of bridges to go over. While listening to Pandora in the background with Navigon running in the foreground, I noticed a traffic alert that mentioned a traffic accident on a bridge up ahead. This bridge happened to be the only way into Tampa and this bridge is like 5 miles long. Sure enough, it ended up being bumper to bumper traffic, with traffic moving at like 0-5 miles per hour. Navigon didn’t recalculate a new route due to the traffic because it would be a 20 to 30 minute detour.

I had ice cold AC on me and Pandora pumpin’ through the system. But all this stop and go traffic, defending your lane from *** holes trying to jump in front of you… not fun. So I decided to treat myself and rather than wait until I got home to watch the latest episode of Parks and Recreation, I’d watch it now. So I paused Pandora, loaded up Hulu Plus, accessed my queue and pressed play. Instantly, I was watching TV and loungin’ back into my leather seat, sippin’ on a delicious Pepsi fountain drink in my cup holder and enjoying my car’s automatic climate control system keep me perfectly cool as I sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the middle of a bridge over Tampa Bay.

Honestly, it felt like cheating. Instantly, I was much calmer and more relaxed. “Oh look, this **** head just cut in front of me. Who cares, I got… Hahaha… Crazy good TV goin’ on.” Every once and a while, I’d look around at other people and I’d see the frustration. I surveyed like 10 cars around me and they all were miserable, from the ones driving nasty beater cars to the ones in brand new Mercedes… and yet here i was, havin’ a ball. I realized I’d been in traffic going 0 to 5 miles per hour for the last 15 minutes and it felt like 3 minutes had gone by. It totally felt like I was cheating. Traffic isn’t supposed to be enjoyable.

See, the beauty of this that I didn’t plan on any of this happening. The content I was watching didn’t exist on my phone. I was pulling it from the cloud. People don’t utilize the current potential of technology in the palm of their hand, ya know?

Gansta’ leanin’ video

Here’s one thing that some may see as a glaring flaw though… all video that’s played, well… it plays sideways. Yeah. Since the Neocell is docked in portrait orientation, it plays all video sideways. Honestly, this isn’t a problem for me. It’s hard to explain, but all content just looks normal sideways as it does normal. You immediately adjust to it.

Who needs digital TV and DVD’s

Over on theNeocell.com’s sister web site, AintAGeek.com, I wrote a post about why I pay for and use Internet TV.

Living With Internet TV

That, including the fact that I can wach TV and movies while driving, will keep a crap load’a video content always ready for me at the tips of my fingers. The only thing I gotta’ concern myself with is how much bandwidth I use a month for my iPhone. But honestly, whatever I do use, it’s SO worth it compared to the value I’m gettin’. Rock on.

Peace, JbB

(The WordPress app added some artifacts to some of the images.)

I’ve been using a now-custom TomTom 910 in my gold Lexus SC400. I installed it so that it functions as much as a stock GPS, but much more of course. But it’s been damaged and I’ve repaired it, but it keeps messin’ up and all this junk. So right now I’ve called it… it’s beyond repair.

I’ll say that it’s always better having an actual separate GPS navigation device rather than use something like a smartphone, because if you get a phone call or wanna’ browse the web or check an email, you can’t do that while seeing what street to turn next.

Ok, now that’s outra’ the way… Since the GPS isn’t working and I need to use the Neocell 3GS both for audio (Pandora) and for GPS navigation (Navigon MyRegion East), I decided to install an iPhone 3G / 3GS dock on top of the AC / radio control housing area of the interior.

I did have the dock installed into the center console, hidden away. But if I’m gonna’ use the Neocell as GPS navigation for for a few months, there are two things that are required; being able to see and touch the screen while driving, and the Neocell needs to be directly under the sky for GPS to give an accurate signal (and no, I’m not interested in Tomtom’s crazy expensive GPS iPhone mount kit).

I was using a windshield mount, a really good one. Stylish and everything. In fact, one of the best mounts I’ve ever seen for an iPhone. Ever. But it was still ugly in the Lexus. Two wires running up to it. I had snap the Neocell into the mount, connect the power cable and then the audio cable.

Using a mount is so inconvenient. If I received a call, I had to unplug the audio, the power and unsnap from the dock and then talk. Then, once I’m off the phone, I have to reverse the process. ‘Freak that. A lot of times, I’d just not even answer it’s that much of a pain.

So installing an iPhone dock into the interior would solve the problem of not only the ugliness of a windshield mount, the problem of GPS signal reception, easily connecting and disconnecting, keeping it stock looking and also creating a much better way to dock an iPhone into the Lexus (for things like Pandora) even after I get a permanent GPS installed again. It looks almost like the car came with it it. Almost.

There is one tiny problem, but that fixes a big problem. One reason I do NOT want to use the Neocell as a GPS (or any lithium ion battery device) is that heat damages the life of your battery. Even though I’d never leave my iPhone in the car when I’m not there, when we’re talking about hours of possible exposure to the Florida sun during the summer, magnified by the windshield while driving, that heat can take it’s toll. It’s not the sun itself that damages the battery, but the heat.

So the tiny problem with the placement of the dock? It blocks about 10% the center AC’s vents. The good news is, that 10% of the AC that goes directly at the Neocell. That means it keeps it completely cool (almost cold). That now makes me feel completely comfortable with having any iPhone up there for long periods.

Now, what about stability? Is it stable? Does it ever fall out of the dock or lose its connection with the dock by moving slightly? Not at all. I got the dock secured rock solid and the iPhone is also rock solid in the dock (thank you Apple design team). I tried running over speed bumps at like 25 miles an hour and it wasn’t movin’. I did a doughnut (sports car after all) and it rock steady.

So this is a great, tight, awesome solution. Don’t know why I didn’t think about it before. Well I did, but I wasn’t how I was gonna’ mount it. But I found a great solution without having to modify or damage the interior at all. And painting the dock the tan color (I had to make sure the connector, speaker holes, and back connectors were completely covered before painting) really makes it look like it matches the interior. I was really concerned that the paint would scratch off each time an iPhone would dock in and out (or stain an iPhone), but it doesn’t to my surprise.

In closing… I’m lovin’ it.

Peace, JbB

Here’s how to close multitasking programs (iPhone 3GS & iPhone 4 only) with iOS 4.0. Double click the home button to open the multitasking bar and tap and hold down on an icon until you see the image below. Then tap the red minus.

Here’s something interesting to note (that I suspect people won’t realize for a while). Each of those apps you see there, such as Skype and all third party apps, until they’re updated for multitasking like Pandora is, aren’t really running in the background. They’re like a 12 app history of what you’ve had open, but aren’t really open in the background. That’s a good thing though. But those apps aren’t running in the background and there’s no need to close them because they aren’t really open.

In fact, there shouldn’t be much need to close backgrounding apps either. Most of them that is.

The reason why is because, once you stop their backgrounding function (such as pausing audio), the background API’s stop working.

So we shouldn’t need to worry about closing programs. Most programs that is. Some programs, such as the GPS navigation app from Navigon, don’t have a real “stop” function. They use the GPS and have no reason to stop. That’s a program we’d want to stop by closing it. Even if doesn’t effect performance, it would drain the battery life.

In fact, most things don’t use the CPU of iPhone 3GS’s to its fullest. But that’s the point. To get the most battery life, iPhones don’t use the CPU to it’s fullest. But with multitasking, things change. You can leave a GPS running and still get great performance, but it’ll eat into your battery life.

So that’s why we wanna’ close /stop apps that do a lot of stuff from running in the background if we’re not using them.

Peace, JbB

So, AT&T is changing up it’s wireless data plans for smartphones (which means iPhones). They’re changing them come June 7th, 2010, the same time as the WWDC, when Apple announces the next new iPhone. So here’s what you need to know.

First, and this is important, AT&T is 86ing their unlimited data plan. You can no longer select an unlimited data plan. Now, that doesn’t they’re taking away unlimited data from existing iPhone users. They can’t because it’s grandfather-claused into our contracts. The only way they could take it away from us is if they canceled our contract, which of course they won’t do. So they can’t take unlimited data away from you.

So the way it works is that their data plans have changed and there is no unlimited data plan to choose from anymore. If you choose a new data plan, you can’t go back to unlimited data. The good news is that all plans are cheaper (sorta’) and they finally allow tethering, but it’s not all good news…

New AT&T Mobile Data Plans

$15 DataPlus: 200 MBs a month

So this plan is the cheapest and starting plan. It gives you 200 MBs a month. This doesn’t include text messaging. If you go over the amount, your charged another $15 and receive another 200 MBs.

$25 DataPro: 2 GBs a month

This is the final plan for iPhone users who are going to use data from their phone only. It gives you 2 GBs a month. It doesn’t include text messaging. If you go over the amount, your charged another $25 and receive another 2 GBs.

$45 DataPro plus tethering: 2 GBs a month

You get everything from the DataPro 2 GBs a month plan, but now your also able to tether data from your iPhone. That’s it. You get nothing extra. You hear me? Nothing.

No contract renewal

Do you gotta’ renew your contract? Nope. That’s good news right there. You still can’t turn off a data plan though. You still have to have one if you have an iPhone (boo). But the good news is that for those who don’t need mobile data (after all, wifi rocks), you can switch to the lowest data plan without renewing your contract.

What plan should you choose?

Ok, so remember what I said? They can’t take unlimited data away from you. So should you even switch to a plan to save some money? The answer is: yes. But which plans?

Ok, let’s break it down; how much data do you use? Well check your bill to see. It, at least now, shows how much data you use. Here’s how much data the Neocell 3GS used.

So last month, I used only 235 MBs a month. I can tell you that’s more than the average user. But last month was a little bit light on how much data I use, because I’m getting my GPS repaired in my Lexus so, every time I drive somewhere, I’d load up the Navigon MyRegion GPS navigation app. So that means I wasn’t using Pandora (which I normally always use when I drive), and I suspect my monthly data usage would be somewhere around 300 MBs to 500 MBs.

My girl’s been using her iPhone a lot this month, like more this month than she’s ever used her iPhone in the past. I asked her what her data usage was this month and she said it’s 235 MBs.

The average user should hover slightly under 200 MBs. Being so close to 200 MBs though, my advice is for people to get the 2 GB a month plan. No point to risk paying $15 for 200 MBs and an extra $15 for another 200 MBs, totally $30 a month when you could just spend $25 for 2 GBs and not worry about it.

Do I think 2 GBs is enough for a power iPhone user? ‘Freak yeah! I think the most I’ve ever used was 500 MBs, and that included Pandora everytime I hit the road, surfing while working, Youtube, app downloads, etc. I mean, this one month, we’re talkin’ bein’ on the Neocell 2G (didn’t have the Neocell 3GS yet) like 4-8 hours a day on 2G data that month. It still was only 500 MBs that month. So I honestly can’t see anybody goin’ over 2 GBs a month.

What’s the deal with tethering?

We finally got access to tethering, but it’s pretty… I don’t know, crappy. Here’s one thing that you need to know. You can’t use tethering (officially) with your existing unlimited data plan. If you go to AT&T and be like “Yo, hook me up with tethering!” they won’t just “add” it to your data plan. They’ll cancel (for good) your unlimited data plan and switch you to the “Datapro with tethering” plan. So that’s cleared up now.

But tethering, well… it’s a sucky ass plan. Here’s the deal; 2 GBs of data is more than good enough for iPhone users, even the most hardcore users (yo). But that’s for our iPhones, and we’re fine with that. But we can’t afford (data-wise) to share that data with a laptop. Using the same pool of data for a laptop is risky business. Now if AT&T allowed us to have tethering for no extra cost, shoot, I’d be sayin’ “yippy!”… but it ain’t like that. They want to CHARGE us $20 extra for… for what? Nothing! We get no extra data. None. Zip. Ziltch.

Bull ****. That’s what I call it. It’s wrong that they’re doing this. I can’t really give you much advice as whether or not you should get it. It’s up to you. Tethering is an amazing thing depending on what you need it for. I will say this… you can turn it on for your account for one month and turn it off without renewing your contract, so that’s the only good thing about it I can see.

My thoughts?

I think AT&T is preparing for the day when the iPhone is available  on another carrier. They’re trying to make their service plans more attractive. I think they need to do more when that day comes, because their plans are still pretty high… not compared to Verizon (now), but definitely compared to T-mobile and Sprint.

Peace, JbB

Guess where I am? I’m at ‘freakin’ Ikea, baby! This place has gotta’ be my fav store. But gettin’ here was a *****. Let me explain…

Got some bad news… the Tomtom GPS unit in my Lexus died. Yep… after about three years of faithful service, she died. I had warning she was going… she started not playin’ nice with the dock mount in the Lexus, trying to shut down every five seconds (losing power connection) and also was giving crazy audio static and feedback with music and also voice. But yesterday she finally died… woke herself out of sleep, rebooted… then never woke up again.

So, until I get another Tomtom Go 910 and copy over the hacked software I created to a new unit, I’ve got no GPS navigation. That means I’ll have to rely on the Neocell for all navigation. And keep on mind the Neocell is a 2G iPhone, which means no GPS… only general cell phone location positioning.

So far navigating with the Neocell hasn’t been as bad as it’s been before. Used it yesterday to navigate around (I had a co-pilot to tell me what directions the Neocell gave). Today I had to find Ikea by myself. The cell tower locationing has been pretty acturate for most areas, being within only about three blocks of my position. Nice.

What I do when I need to navigate is I search the location on Maps. Then I go to directions, and as I always want directions from my current location, I simply touch route. Then I touch start. Usually I’ll have to advance a few steps to get on the street I actually need. Once I’m at the area I wanna’ be at, I reset the trip meter on the dash so that, when directions tell me I need to go 0.8 miles or 7.6 miles, the dash keeps track of that or me so I know exactly when I need to look for my street or exit… and when I need to have my iPhone out.

If I happen to take a wrong turn or who knows what… It’s not too hard getting my way back. I simply just do a new search again for where I want to go starting from my new location.

There’s times when this can get messed up. Yesterday, I went in the wrong direction that I was meant to go on the highway. I rerouted my path, but Maps thought I was on a side street next to the highway, instead of on it. So it planned a completely different path for me, avoiding the highway all together. So I had to wing it.

It’s been workin’ well enough, but I can’t wait to get GPS navigation back. If you have a 3G iPhone, I recommend getting a GPS navigation app, like the Tomtom app (although it costs $99). Any one of you out there have to use Maps like I’m usin’?

Peace, J

I let someone borrow the Lexus for the night, which has GPS navigation… but I got a phone call that I had to come out to then to somewhere I’ve never been, and the location’s hard to find… and it’s at night. Normally I’d be like “Na, I won’t be able to find it without GPS…” but I decided to say yes and try to see if Google Maps and the Neocell’s non-GPS location could help me. Maybe using GPS turn-by-turn navigation isn’t needed.

Man was I wrong… I mean, the cell tower only location features (2G iPhones don’t have GPS) did ok for long distances… I can tell it would work perfectly fine for driving long distances from city to city or state to state. But for finding complex things in a city or town, it’s little more than you following Mapquest “paper” directions and seeing your location based on a mile or so.

That was my real experience using Google Maps as a GPS subsitute. I’ll take it over static, text and image only directions… but it’s so not the same as GPS navigation. But at least if I’m ever without GPS navigation, I can wing it with Google Maps, even if I may make a few wrong turns.

Peace, J

Ya know TomTom’s comin’? Yep… itp’s comin’ to the iPhone 3G S. It won’t be out for the iPhone 2G or 3G, only the 3G S. The reason why? Well the iPhone 3G S is much faster, it also has 16gb and 32gb hard drive options… more power and more space for a GPS application, but I know for a fact 2G and 3G iPhone’s can run GPS software because I used to have the TomTom program on my pocket pc. The reason they’re waiting is for the digital compass that’s in the iPhone 3G S.

But here’s the funny thing… freakin’ GPS devices themselves don’t have digital compasses. My custom-built TomTom installed in the center console of my Lexus doesn’t have a compass. It knows what direction it’s facing once you start moving. But when it first gets a GPS target lock, it has no clue what direction it’s facing until the car moves some. And that’s no problem.

So why is this a problem with iPhones?Why do they need a digital compass? Well they don’t, they can work without one. But there’s a few reasons why iPhones are coming with a compass. It all has to do with interactivity. Just like the accelorometer, the compass will be used for app developers to come up with exciting, creative uses, such as video games, to let you look around in a virtual world, ect. That’s why they added it in there, and not for GPS navigation apps. But that compass will help apps TomTom’s because I doubt the GPS in iPhones is as good as normal car GPS’s.

But this is one of the reasons I’ll be upgrading to an iPhone 3G S at some point. This system’s so good it rivals most GPS systems out there. It’s not better than my TomTom GPS system, so I won’t be using it when I drive my Lexus… But it’ll be amazing to have that because anytime I’m not in my own car, or I let someone borrow my car, I don’t gotta’ freak out about not havin’ a GPS system with me.

Right now things are a little better… I don’t have GPS built into my 2G iPhone, but I do have unlimited mobile Internet so if I’m out somewhere without my GPS, I can at least plan my route with Google Maps… and I can update my location and, although it’s not exact like GPS is, I can see how close I’m gettin’ to a turn or if I’ve past it. Or those times I’m walkin’ somewhere downtown, I can figure out where I am and plan a path back to the parking garage or whatever. And I can do the same thing if I’m riding with someone else in their car and they don’t have GPS.

But, having the iPhone 3G S and the TomTom app would make it so that I had a TomTom GPS built right into my iPhone. And, in fact, it’ll have more updated maps than other dedicated systems out there I’m sure, there’ll be many times people who have GPS systems built into their cars will want someone to use their TomTom GPS app instead. I bet they’ll also include traffic updates, something I don’t have on my GPS… until iPhones can start doing teathering through Bluetooth that is (and if T-mobile supports it).

Peace, J

Well, the info has been released on what most of the major things will be comin’ out for the new iPhone 3.0 OS (set to come out this summer). There were hopes that Apple would introduce “teathered” Internet, as I mentioned the post before.

Well the bad news, for people like me, is that’s not gonna’ happen. Yeah, sorta’ sucks that I won’t be able to use the NeoCell to share its Edge Internet with my TomTom GPS so that I can get traffic updates. I’d go with a traffic antenna for my GPS, but, just like the NeoCell, I’ve hacked it too, turnin’ my model of GPS into the latest model (savin’ hundreds), so a traffic antenna may not work. That’s why I’m pushin’ to get the NeoCell to feed the Lexus data rather than an antenna.

Peace, J