Apple iPhone 3.5mm to 2.5 mm headset adapter -- use conventional earset

Now I can use my favorite Shure earsets with my iPhone

Apple - Support - Discussions - Apple iPhone 3.5mm to 2.5 mm headset ...

I bought two 3.5mm to 2.5mm headset (earset) adapters from 1800mobiles.com part number APLIPHONEHFA2. They work, I can now use my favorite Shure easets with my iPhone 2. They're very slender, so they don't add significant bulk to the earsets. $8 each, white in the picture, black when I got 'em.

If you search on this part number you will find multiple vendors, probably all the same company. 1800mobiles wasn't bad, but they sent me an invalid tracking number and didn't answer customer support emails.

Here's one vendor's description:

Apple iPhone 3.5mm-2.5mm Headset Adapter APLIPHONEHFA2

...for the iPhone 3.5mm recessed stereo audio jack, fits Apple iPhone and Rim 8300 Curve cell phone models by converting the jack to a standard 2.5mm jack for use with any universal headset such as Jabra or Plantroinics or Shure.

* Apple iPhone Adapter fits the recessed Apple iPhone audio jack, since the Apple iPhone headset port is deeper that the outside casing. This Apple iPhone headset adapter is custom designed to makes it easy and convenient for you to connect your standard 2.5 mm mono headsets into the iPhone's recessed headset port.

* Featuring a sleek design which isn't big or bulky, simply plug one end of the adapter into the audio jack of your Apple iPhone, and the other end to your existing 2.5mm headset and you're good to go.

* 2.5 mm to recessed 3.5 mm port Headset Adapter for the Apple iPhone.

* White color cord is 2 inches long.

Now I know they work I'll order a few more. I might look for a cheaper price!

Update 5/19/2010: After about 8 months of use these adapters fell apart. Then for another six months I couldn't find any working replacements. I tried several that failed. The iPhone 3.5 mm plug does not appear to be a standard connection; I wonder if it's patented and connectors need to be licensed. Recently, I found another adapter that works. I've ordered three of them.

Update 7/12/11: I broke one of my Shure headset/earsets and tried the adapter with another. Same model of earset, but on this one the adapter didn't work as well. Studying it, I'm thinking the problem with these adapters is an antenna/radiofrequency problem, not a mere connection problem. Modern phones are a bit of hellish RF environment, and earsets are a form of antenna. Antennae don't like "couplings". If I'm write, this might explain why these adapters have faded away. Maybe they never really work reliably with a high RF phone.

iPhone task manager promises desktop sync

THINGS is a not-yet-shipped desktop OS X task manager with lightweight project management. Things touch is a current iPhone App.

So far, mildly interesting. There's no mention on the web site of data export capabilities, so they probably fail the data freedom test.

The interesting news is that they claim to have a sync solution coming soon, and they give us a workaround for the very nasty data loss (this is Apple, they live to kill data) problem associated with iPhone App updates: Things touch 1.0.1, Syncing, and How to Prevent Data Losses When Updating iPhone Apps.

I wonder how they do the sync -- there's been little mention anywhere of how developers can sync across the conduit. I wonder if they're using some kind of file share sync.

Check your 3G iPhone for cracks

Unclear if it's just the white ones or all of them, but the new phones are cracking:

Cracks 'appearing' in new iPhone 3Gs - The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

...The problem is not the plastic, but that the metal frame is too small for the plastic to lock on without causing the stress fractures.' It's pretty clear Apple has a manufacturing defect on its hands.

For those with cracks, taking it back to the Apple Store (or possibly the mobile phone retailer where you made your original purchase) is your only recourse. Several people have noted here and elsewhere that they've successfully had their handset replaced after a careful inspection....

As an Apple customer, I'm used to this. My MacBook plastic cracked, my iMac display partially delaminated, etc.

I have a 3G iPhone so I'll watch for the cracks. Might be important to get their existence documented early to be in line for a recall solution.

I'm not sure what the value of a phone swap is, if it's a real manufacturing defect the new one will have the same problem.

Google Mobile and local search

I sometimes complain about the use of video in place of written description, but this screencase is superb: Use Google Mobile for the iPhone for Quick Local Lookups.

There's a link to an earlier Google Mobile review that describes the service in more detail.

Superb stuff. Now if Google Mobile would only allow me to switch between my gmail and Google App personae ...

My iPhone is pretty much a gPhone at the moment -- I use Gmail IMAP with iPhone mail.app, Google Maps, and Google Mobile (fantastic). I'm very much hoping Google will introduce a gCal solution for the iPhone -- the current calendar view is a limited read-only list of appointments. I've just about given up on MobileMe.

Microsoft Access 2007 reliability issues and suggested workarounds

The following TechRepublic list was written for Access 2007. My impression is that Access 2003 is becoming less reliable over time, probably due to security fixes that aren’t fully tested on 2003. Even so, I think 2007 may have more corruption problems, though presumably Microsoft will eventually fix them.

10 ways to prevent Access database corruption | 10 Things | TechRepublic.com

#1: Split your database …

#3: Don’t use memo fields

Avoid using memo fields if possible. They often, indirectly, cause corruption….  If you need memo fields, keep them in separate tables and create a one-to-one relationship to the parent table(s). Even better, move memo tables to a separate backend database file and name the file accordingly, to indicate its purpose.

#4: Don’t store picture files

Usually, you shouldn’t store picture files in a database. If you must, treat them the same way you would a memo field (see #3)…

#5: Create temporary tables to speed up queries

If you run complex or nested queries (where one query pulls data from others that hit still others), Access may write a lot of temporary data that you never see. Most often, this happens when a query that works with a small amount of data performs slowly, putting stress on the JET engine. If Access chokes during this process, you can end up with a corrupt backend file.

To prevent this problem, write some of the temporary data to temporary tables. There’s no universal method to recommend. Analyze the specifics and run some tests to find the best solution. However, sometimes the use of just one temporary table can minimize the chance of corruption and speed up the queries by a factor of 10 or more.

#6: Be careful with wireless networks (WiFi) (and other less reliable network connections)

Access 2003 does not support views, I think they would help with #5.

The list of “risky” behaviors is an indictment of Microsoft’s software quality. Memo fields, for example, are very useful! I never used to see problems with nested queries in 2003, but I have recently.

My personal favorite is #1 on the list. I store data that isn’t going to be changed in a read-only file (set read-only file attribute).

My Palm to iPhone migration challenge -- summarized

Google Docs - Palm migration is a spreadsheet that captures in a glance how very hard the Palm to iPhone migration is. There's a feed for change notification.

I'm omitted Palm apps that are readily replaced. Obviously the media, communication and entertainment capabilities of an iPhone spank the Palm.

On the other hand, those capabilities are not nearly as essential to me as the core "PDA"/"PIM" (personal digital assistant, personal information management) capabilities of the original PalmPilot -- and the database I use to extend those capabilities.

Of the 10 core functions I have identified migration strategies for exactly 3 of them.

Suggestions are most welcome, but I need suggestions that allow me to migrate my data as needed. Data lock is not acceptable for this material.

PS. I now wonder if some of the missing functionality is tied up in software patent issues.

Update 8/3/08: Why the Palm Centro may incent Apple to address Palm to iPhone conversion.

A missing iPhone app: Passcode lock now!

I'd gladly pay a dollar for a "Passcode Lock now!" iphone App.

The iPhone provides Passcode auto-lock. That's fine, but it's dangerous to enter a passcode while driving. So I set the interval pretty long -- to about an hour.

An hour is fairly long. I'd like the option to passcode lock the iPhone on demand. Tapping on an app would be just the thing.

Of course I've no idea whether the API allows software activation of the Passcode lock. I can imagine that might be abused ...