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

The new Neocell 3GS. What can I say about it, but “andale, andale, ariba!!” Yeah baby. The speed of my new 32GB 3GS iPhone is so amazing. You have no idea how amazingly fast the speed is. Let’s start by comparing the speed of 2G / 3G.

We’ll take the old Neocell for example. Being jailbroken with OS 3.0, I couldn’t run Pandora in the background for very long without it crashing (closing in the background from running out of memory). And we’re talking about doing simple things, like typing in the WordPress app. In short, running a program in the background such as Pandora would crash in about two minutes or less… and if it didn’t crash, it’d make the system so sluggish while running something in the background it wasn’t even worth it.

Now we compare the same settings and systems for the Neocell 3GS. I’ve been running Pandora in the background 70% of the time I use the Neocell (including driving places) and Pandora hasn’t crashed once. Not one single time. I’ve even ran it in the backgound of some intensive applications. I’ve been running Pandora in the background while the Tomtom car navigation app runs with zero lag, as well as in the background to some video games, such as Geodefense. You heard me right… not once crash or even lag since I got the Neocell 3GS.

I can’t believe the speed this baby’s got. It’s amazing. Now, for those of you who have a 3GS and are jailbroken, don’t be temped to go out and load it up with all this jailbroken garbage like Winterboard of SBSettings (you heard me right). Having a 3GS is like upgrading from a truck to a sports car. Don’t go loading up that sports car with a trailer full of wood. That sports car will still be faster hauling wood than your truck was, but it’ll no longer be as fast as a sports car. Don’t go loading up your 3GS with jailbroken garbage, or you will make it no faster (even slower) than a non-jailbroken 2G or 3G iPhone.

Peace, J

So here’s my take on the Boxee remote app. For those of you that don’t know, Boxee is an open source media center app. I’m fact, it’s THE media center app out there to use if you have a media center. I guess for those of you who don’t know what a media center is, a media center is a computer that is used to serve up media… and mostly all media centers are done through TVs, like mine. I snapped a pic of mine.

So Boxee is the most popular media center app. There’s the Windows application called “Media Center”, which is a media center program. And I happen to have the latest version of it with Windows 7 (still not released yet), and if your not getting cable, satilite, fios or digital tv into your house, then there’s no reason to use Windows’ Media Center, but instead, use Boxee and Hulu desktop (a seperate “media center” type program, used strickly for Hulu). All of my entertainment, my “tv”, comes from the net and I don’t pay for any TV services in my house.

So back to the point of the Boxee remote app. What this is, is a free app that turns your iPhone into a remote control for Boxee. It works via your wifi connection and requires ZERO setup. I’m for real, all you gotta’ do load up Boxee, load up the Boxee app (making sure your iPhone and PC / MAC is connected to your wifi). That’s all. It’s really simple.

The app itself is great. I LOVE the gesture mode. It functions really well. I don’t think iPhones should be used for something like a remote, but if you don’t have one and are usin’ Boxee, this app’s bad ass.

It’s really responsive and just plan works. If you have Boxee, even if you have a remote, I recommend getting it… it can also be a great way to mess with somebody who’s watchin’ something on Boxee. In fact, considering it works over wifi, you can actually control it from another room or from outside and mess with the person watchin’ it. It’s pretty funny, especially if you don’t tell them you have the app.

Peace, J