How to take a Screen Shot with an iPhone.

Taking a screen shot with an iPhone is really easy, Just quickly hit, hold and release the following buttons on the iPhone, it can take a few tries to get it nailed but once you get used to it you'll know for ever more!

Home and Power Button

The screen should flash white to let you know its worked and you will now have a screen shot saved in your photos to do with as you will.

My iPhone home button is broken help!

If your iPhone home button has given up after to many angry home screen returns thanks to Apples Accessibility options with have a quick and easy way to get around this seriously annoying problem and keep your iPhone going till you can get it repaired.

Go to the following.

Settings - General - Accessibility - scroll down and Turn AssistiveTouch on.

You should now see a glowing square with a circle in the middle somewhere on your screen, Tap it!

You now have a Home button on screen as well as shortcuts to other parts of the system.

Speed Up an iPhone with iOS7 installed

The Picture from the Wikipedia Archive has absolutely nothing to do with Apple but as this is our 30th Post I thought I'd mark it with something different!

We have a new article set up on how to improve performance on your iPhone now that you like most of the iOS user base (According to Mr Cook its a pretty high adoption rate!) have updated to version 7 and there is no way back as of yet so maybe these tips will help you out and make iOS7 bearably check the link.

Find it Here. 

Loads more content in the coming weeks as we attempt to get to post 60 before the end of the year. This would be a massive achievement as it took 2 years to get the first 30 in. Thanks every one for all the visits this year and don't forget to check our sponsors! ;)

Setup Call Divert and Call Waiting

Call Diverting lets you redirect incoming calls to another mobile or land line number. Operator costs will most likely apply.

To activate these you need to dial and call them on the phones keypad.

To Divert Unanswered calls ie. When your mobile rings out.  **61*The number you want to divert to #


This will allow you time to answer the call but if you are unavailable will let it go to another phone.
To Deactivate it is ##61#

When the Phone is turned off : **62*The number you want to divert to#
To Deactivate it is ##62#

When you are on another Call: **67*The number you want to divert to#
To Deactivate it is ##67#

To Divert all Call Types it is: **21* The number you want to divert to#
To Deactivate it is ##21#

To Setup Call Waiting again dial the following in to the phones keypad and dial it.
Call Waiting on: *43#
Call Waiting off: #43#
Check Call Waiting Status: *#43#

Phone flashes white when trying to make a Call

If your Android Phone is flashing white then returning to the keypad when you are trying to make a call? This is most likely due to the Application Default Setting on the phone having been set to another application such as Viber.

To stop this and revert the phone back to its original state you need to do the following.

Go to Settings>Applications (Manage Applications is another step in some versions of android) and select the Viber application from the list (It can be another Dialer Application that you have downloaded)

When you are in the Chosen Applications settings you should see Clear Defaults, about half way down. Select this and proceed with the on screen prompts.

Once this is done try to make the call again, before it will let you complete the call it will ask you which application you would like to use. Select your phones default Dialer this will be the one with Dialer Icon you are used to tapping. Make sure you check the "Make Default" Box before continuing.

Turn Mobile Data off on your Smartphone

Are you getting charged daily for something on your phone and your not sure why? Chances are your running a smart phone without a data plan. Bad idea! Carriers love this as it really is money for nothing.

If you see a set of of arrow symbols beside your phones coverage bars with a g or h beside them or anything that looks like its flicking every few seconds this is your indication that the phone is chewing up data and you can get charged for it, even if you think your not using it the device will wander off and check for updates, check mails etc.

So if your one of the few people still running a smart phone and can't be bothered paying for all that "internet stuff" case you only use it on wifi and why would you want the internet when your on the go... turn off your mobile data. you'd really be surprised how often this comes up.

NB: Multimedia Messages will no longer work correctly with this off, You will get a message from your carrier telling you you have a MMS to view and to go to their MMS Portal to view.

iPhone:
To Turn off Mobile Data on the iPhone go to the following and toggle the switch to off.
Settings - General - Cellular and set Cellular Data to Off. You might as well turn off 3G as well, it will improve your battery. (Could improve your coverage also.) iOS7 will make this more accessible.

Android:
The newer versions of Android usually have a On/Off switch in their "Notification Center" (That thing you get when you flick the top of your screen down, you know the one that shows your latest text,mail downloads...)

There is also a chance that if you hold the Power button to bring up the Power Menu that you have the option to turn Mobile data off there. If however this still is not an option then you will have to dig in to the Setting menu.

Generally if you go to the following menu you will find it.

Settings - Wireless & Networks - Mobile Networks and Uncheck Use Packet Data.

Some of the newer handsets have this stored else where but usually its very obvious to seem being marked as Mobile Data on/off, if however you have another location please leave it in the comments.

You can also check out the Play Store for Mobile data widgets that will let you switch it on and off quickly by putting the setting on your Android home screen so check Play for that.

As a side note if you want to be extra sure your mobile data is off you can delete what is called the APNs from your handset. I'm not going to go in to that method with this post as it dose mean you will have to reset those settings if you ever want to turn it back on and may mean going back to your carrier! but if you really want to go down that road head to your favorite search engine and search "Delete APN from *Your Phone Here*"

Pair Smartphone or iPhone with Bluetooth

Driving on your phone is a big problem, in most countries it's Illegal and to be honest it really is a very stupid idea. Penalty points and fines so if you've got a car Kit your Phone should be Paired up and working with it. If not, Why not?

Now I'm not going to go through every pairing process just give a general over view.

Every Bluetooth kit be it Built-in Car, Car Radio, Removable Standalone or Earpiece will have the correct method to pair off your phone to the Kit included in the Pairing section but here's and overview.

In General all Kits pair off by holding the Power button down on the device until you get a beep, a sequence of flashing lights or constant light. Once it is in Pairing mode you then go to the Bluetooth connection options of your Phone, search for your new Device, select and let the phone Pair off to it.

If it asks for a Pass-code or Password it is usually "0000" or "1234", unless you've got an especially complex kit like BMW,Mercedes, Audi etc. these will either generate their own code and display it to you or have it preset in the car manual. If this isn't available you may have to return to your dealer to retrieve the code. This is however a rare occurrence.

Once the kit is paired off make sure you have the phone set to automatically connect to it or you will have to manually select the kit every time you turn on the Car.

I have seen a lot off issues, mainly with Android phones that even though they have automatic connection on it still will not pair off. The best way to get automatic connection to work is to have your phone's Bluetooth switched on before you start up the car or turn on the kit, This means the signal sent by the kit will be picked up straight away by your phone and it will connect. If you don't do it this way you will find having to hit and hold the call button on the kit to get it to resend the signal then having to go into the Bluetooth menu on the phone to select your device. This is a real Pain!

Finally if you are still having issues connecting make sure you have the latest software for your phone installed older versions of software have been known to cause issues with built in kits, disconnecting, dropping calls and no audio to mention a few.

Power saving options can cause issues with some kits also so if you are still having issues turn your power saving off.

Also if your Bluetooth Device has a "No Sniff Mode" set this to off this may resolve your issues.

Comments and ideas welcome.

Hard Reset Vodafone Smart 3

To Hard Reset the Vodafone Smart 3 you need have the phone off. At the same time hold Volume Up and the Power button to power up the phone.

When it turns on you can release the power button but keep holding the Volume Up you should then get the below screen. Use the Volume keys to select "wipe data/factory reset" and then use the power key to start the process.

Once it is done the Phone should restart with the Android start screen.

If the phone is responsive you can achive the same results with the Menu. The reset option is in

Settings - Back up & Reset - Factory reset.

Galaxy S4 Developer Options

To switch on Developer options for the Galaxy S4 do the following.

Go to Settings, Hit the More tab, Select About device.

Once in there Double Tap Build Number, it will then give you a count down every time you Double tap it until it finally says "No Need, you are already a developer" and your done.

Drop back in to the More tab in settings and you will now see Developer Options.

Secret Nokia Codes

Looking for Nokia Codes? look no futher! well hopefully, we have a new page here dedicated to all the hidden "secret" codes built into your nokia devices This will be an on going archive and  I'm sure its currently incomplete so if you, our viewing public have any more to add to it please add them in the page comments.

Loads of Nokia Codes after the Jump here.

Forgotten your Pattern Lock for Android?

If you've forgotten the pattern to unlock your Android phone, it happens! Can't remember the login information to your Google account or the Kids have screwed you again by trying to make your phone more secure because you know it needs to be so secure no one can get in to it ever again!

The easiest way to get back in is to factory reset your phone! I know you didn't want to hear it but there it is. The good news I guess is that the vast majority of your information should be stored on your Sim and external storage ie. Your memory Card.

To Factory Reset the phone without access to the menu its a simple case of using the phones hardware buttons, that is say the volume, selection keys or power key.

For most phones this is to hold Volume Up the Home key and Power Key with the phone off and when it starts up you will be greeted with the factory reset menu, then use the volume keys to Navigate to wipe/factory reset and use the Home key to select. give it a second it should say complete on the screen then navigate to reboot/restart and when its back on you should have the phone setup wizard waiting for you to add your settings like it was a brand new phone.

We have a collection here but drop a comment and we'll come back to you with the correct key combination. Alternately you can search for "*your phone make* hard reset" on Google and it will bring up the most likely options!

I know We've covered this before but I just wanted to make a more direct approach to a single problem 

Free Galaxy S3/S3 Mini and Note 2 Unlock

So with the reveal of the New Samsung Galaxy S4 not far off now I thought it time to be all nostalgic and go back to the Galaxy S3 and re-publish the free unlock method.

This is well versed around the net now and we take no credit for it (Source) but as the site dose focus on unlocking from time to time I'm going to add it to our archive!

Before you start Make sure your phone is running Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) and that it is already carrier locked (duh) also please note this method only works on certain variants for the Galaxy S3/Note2 and Mini3 not all and finally please note we take no responsibility for bricking your galaxy so don't cry to us if you mess up, this is at your own risk people! 

1. Open the Dialer and type in *#197328640#

2. Main Menu -> [1] UMTS -> [1] Debug Screen -> [8] Phone Control -> [6] Network Lock -> Options  [3]Perso SHA256 OFF Now wait 30 seconds

3. Hit the Menu button and select Back and you should now be in the Network Lock

4. Choose NW Lock NV Data INITIALLIZ and again wait but for a Minute this time

5. Reboot the phone

Bare in mind there is no acknowledgement that the phone is now unlocked so the only way to know is to try another carrier sim. And that the Time waiting is key so don't rush it.

All Credit to Owl47 over at XDA Developers and you can read the original Here with loads of follow up information.

Connect Mobile Broadband and Windows 8

If your Dongle is not working with Windows 8 but it installs correctly and looks like it connects but just dose not do anything else when you try to open Internet explorer for example then try this work around first.

I must apologize as I currently do not have a Windows 8 Machine at hand to put a graphical representation of this up for you so this is put up for those that know there way around a computer.

Simply put go in to the Control Panel and then select the Network icon and setup a new Dial up Network connection, When doing this select your Mobile Broadband Modem and leave Username and Password fields blank when it asks for a Phone number use *99# save it up and it should automatically connect first time to test your connection.

This can now be used to connect your MBB device using the right pop-out menu you should see the Network Connect options popup when you click the Computer Monitor icon on the bottom of that side bar.

For a more detailed look at MBB in Windows 8 try Microsoft's own site. Here

Your providers I'm sure are working on new software to be 100% compatible with Windows 8 and they may already have it on their sites so check your providers technical support download sections.

Irish Text Message Centre Settings (SMSC Ireland)

When you send a text message in any country it is first sent to a Message Centre before being forwarded on to your destination number ie. your Friends and Family.

If you change your Phones network provider, purchase a sim free phone or mistakenly delete the message centre number you will get errors when you try to send your SMS, This is usually due to an incorrect message centre number. There can be other causes but it better to check this first then to be on Hold waiting for Customer Care or in a Shop!

So below I have a list of the Irish Network Centre Numbers for you. In most cases you will find this setting in Text Message Settings under Message Centre Number you just need to edit this to your chosen network.

The + is important so hold the Zero key on your handset until the + Symbol comes up, on some handsets you might have the quickly push 0 twice.

Vodafone Message Centre: +35387699989

Meteor Message Centre: +353857000000

O2 Message Centre: +353868002000

3 Message Centre: +353830000800

eMobile Message Centre: +353857000000 

Tesco Message Centre: +353894300000

Postfone Message Centre: +353876999940

48 Message Centre: +353894300000