nineten Blog

Well, i just thought i’d write a little bit about my encounter with upgrading my current iphone to the new version 2.0 software, syncing it with MobileMe and then finally my PC.

It started with Friday the 13th (opps that should be Friday the 11th…) the big launch day of Apple’s iPhone version 2.0 software and the launch of the online MobileMe service.

I eagerly loaded iTunes, clicked on the ‘Update Software’ button and hey presto, the new version 2.0 software started to download. heaven.

Then, iTunes backed up all my Contacts, Photos, text messages, notes, absolutely everything. Wonderful.

I then happily installed the new software.

After some time, the phone said the installation was successful and that it would reboot the iPhone. Great, i thought….until when it rebooted, the phone was in Emergency Phone Calls Only mode.

To say i was nervous at this point was me trying to stay positive.

OK, so i connected it back into iTunes and all it had to do was connect to the iTunes server and download all my stuff. Easy, one would think.

This was not the case.
I tried connecting the iPhone to iTunes all night, all i received was an error message saying it could not connect, please check your network connection (which was 100% fine i might add).
The reason it would not grab my information was because the iTunes server had been overloaded with uses all doing the same thing as myself. Oh dear, Oh dear.

So, i then spent the next 8 hours with a phone that would only ring Emergency Calls. Not happy.
Plus, in the back of my mind, still not sure that I would get all my information back again, because you just never know until its back safely on your iPhone (maybe that’s just me).

So i rang Apple Support and they advised me that all my info was safely held on their servers. Wonderful, a spec of light.

So at 11.43pm Friday night i managed to reconnect to the Apple server and download my Contacts, Photos, text messages, notes, absolutely everything.

The bit the Apple Support chap didn’t get quite right was this… and I’m sure this will catch out a lot of other iPhone users too.

I backed off all my information before the upgrade at work.

I reinstalled at home on my laptop.

This, the chap said, would be fine, as the information is held on the iTunes server.

Well, this wasn’t the case, as when i went to pull all the information back to the phone, it only gave me the option of when i last backed up the iPhone from that laptop, which was over 5 months ago!

So the result was i had my iPhone back to how it was 5 months ago, aaah.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, i synced the iPhone again on Monday morning with my work computer and finally all was well, back to Friday’s backup point.

All was truly well, all my information back and the new version 2.0 software. Yippee.

THEN, i decided to signup to the MobileMe service.
The process was easy, but then when i synced my iPhone with MobileMe (i assumed to put all my contact from the iPhone to MobileMe) it deleted all my Contacts…….AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH.
There is a checkbox you need to check to stop this happening.

So again, back on the phone to Apple Support.
Spoke to a nice chap who talked me through the correct process and finally got my contacts, etc. on MobileMe, the iPhone and my PC at work.

Integrating with MobileMe, for me, was not the easiest, most simply procedure, but i got there eventually. The bits you need to know are hidden away some what.

But to end on a good note, now i have my iPhone, the PC and MobileMe all synced together, it’s awesome. I am truly ‘over the moon’ with the way it’s going so far.

I make a calendar or contact update on any of these three devices and the others all get updated automatically. It’s excellent. And all this for only £59 per year.

So, now all i have to wait for is more iPhone 3G stocks in our local O2 stores and I’ll have to go through it all again…..but hopefully that will be worth it too.

The newly designed nineten website finally goes live!
Well its taken us an age, but hey, client work ALWAYS comes before our own.

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Any comments are welcome.

Apple are set to release several cool new items on July 11th, including the iPhone 3G, the new iPhone 2.0 software update which will include the new apps store and finally the renamed .mac service, branded ‘MobileMe’.

The new iPhone 3G includes, as you’d expect, 3G capabilities, GPS and Microsoft Exchange compatibility, all truely needed additions, but sadly no boost on the camera (probably we’ll see that in the iPhone 3).

The new software update includes the addition of the App Store, whereby iPhone users will be able to download thousands of new programmes and games, some of which will be totally free!

Finally the arrival of MobileMe, an online service which will allow users to store all their contacts, calendar entries, photos and files all in one place, allowing all information to be sync’d with their various devices, such as pc’s, mac’s and iphones. Sounds like the ideal service. I for one, will be signing up on the dot!

Now, its just a case of eagerly awaiting my shiny new iPhone 3G, black or white, still not decided… and then stuffing it full of cool programs and games. Roll on July 11th.

Out of the blue I got an email from Revillos tub-thumper Rocky Rhythm: “Would I like to go to his book launch in Soho?”.

“Of course” I said.

You see five years ago (or maybe longer), Rocky had sent me the original manuscript. Being fairly knowledgeable of the Revillos/Rezillos I had expressed an interest in his book project. In return, Rocky had asked if I would like to give some feedback on the ‘book’ as it was back then - which by all accounts was near completion. It was certainly a lot of A4 paper that dropped through my letterbox one Saturday morning in two hefty bundles.

I must admit there was a little apprehension once I saw the size of the task that I had agreed to. Not to worry though. As as soon as I started reading I was well and truly hooked.

Some of the feedback prompted Rocky to make a slight alteration towards the end. I had forgotten this but he reminded me at the launch.

The book launch itself was real cool. It happened in a tiny club in London’s Denmark Street. Entertainment for the evening was provided by some Revillos and special guests.

Through the haze of Red Stripe and Sailor Jerry rum (don’t ask) I think I saw Eugene from The Rezillos too. Strange that when someone wears wraparound shades most of the time, and then removes them, they kind of look only semi-familiar. Oh, and was that Eddie Tenpole wandering about… and a Pork Duke or two. David Vanian from The Damned was going to make it but I think something happened regarding the impending Damned tour that needed sorting. Good to see Jed again anyway, The Damned’s reliable merch girl.

Blimey, did I really just put Damned and reliable in the same sentence…

There was another unexpected familiar face at this little venue in Soho. Live agent Steve Toxin. Good to catch up with Steve who I’d not seen since the days of UK Subs.

The book’s fab. It’s a very entertaining read of life in a rock and roll band. The dreams and the reality only fleetingly meet, despite minor hit records and Top Of The Pops.

Hopefully he’ll sell a few. Not that he needs the money or anything. As the book will testify, he has a ‘proper’ job now and is perfectly content with being a ‘has-been’.

You’ll have to read the book for that one.

Here’s a clip of The Revillos from Top Of The Pops. There is a story behind this which is explained in the book. (There’s a couple actually… poor Felix!) Basically this is the first and only take but the band were told there would be a second, hence the not quite 100% miming - that’s the official explanation anyway!

Now go and get yourself a copy of The Rhythm Method.