This morning my iPhone stopped dialing voicemail. I’m not sure why it is, but it displays a message saying “Cannot Connect to Voicemail”. A quick Google search found the solution:

Use the iPhone to dial:
*5005*86*[voicemail number]# and hit the call button

Where [voicemail number] will be the local calling number for your voicemail system. For Toronto on Rogers Wireless, the numbers are:
(416) 274-2817
(416) 901-6245
(416) 357-3229
(416) 358-1549

There’s a new feature in the weather app: hourly forecasts. The weather app has always been very basic, so this addition is a nice upgrade. Most people will use third party apps like The Weather Network. However, it is the native weather app that powers the weather forecasts in the new notification bar so it’s worth getting to know the original app.

To access the hourly weather, just slide your finger down the daily forecast – it will reveal the hourly forecast above it.

The iPhone OS has gone through five major revisions – each one comes with more and more features. However, the simplified interface that made the iPhone so successful also means that it’s sometimes hard to get to the more advanced features unless you know what you are looking for. iOS 5 includes some completely hidden features that you may not know about. This will be the first in a series of tips that show off some of the newer or hidden features in iOS 5.

You can now access the camera app quickly from your lock screen. Press the home button twice when your phone is locked, and you will see a “camera” button appear near the lock slider. Pressing this button brings you immediately to the camera app. No need to unlock the phone, find the camera app, and press the button.

Remember, you can now use the “volume up” button on the side of the phone to take a picture.

You may have noticed that the iPod controls also show up when you double-click the home button – allowing you to play/stop/forward/reverse through the current playlist. Great for when you’re on the go.

In my ongoing series about who is providing good exchange rate for Canadians, it’s time to re-recognize Apple. Their pricing have already been recognized earlier, however the newest iPhone is actually cheaper in Canada than in the USA. Given that the Canadian dollar is currently below par, the iPhone prices of $649, $749 and $849 for the 16, 32 and 64GB iPhone 4S are the same as their US Dollar prices.

This contrasts the iPhone 4 Canadian launch prices, which were $659 and $779‎ for the 16/32GB versions.

Eating out in Toronto? There is a new app that shows restaurants near your area and their ratings from the Food/Health Safety folks of the City. Both iPhone and Android versions available.

PS: this is my 1000th blog post :)

Onkyo posted on a press release that it intends to create an iPhone app that will control their latest receivers. Undoubtably this will be launched at the CES show. They stated it will work with the latest “8″ series receivers launched in 2010.

With the Canadian dollar back within a  hair of par, it’s time to look at what companies are doing a good job at letting Canadians buy with their newfound purchasing power.

One of the best companies in terms of pricing parity is Apple. Their laptops are within a hair of the USA price. Cheaper items like iPads have a 10% premium but still within a reasonable amount. The Apple TV pushes the limit at 20% premium – almost a “bad exchange”.

MacBook Pro 15

• USA: $1799
• Canada: $1849 (3% premium)

iPad

• USA: $499
• Canada: $549 (10% premium)

Apple TV

USA: $99

Canada: $119 (20% premium)

With so many new users getting the iPhone 4, many might not know the “secret” to getting push gmail on the iPhone. Unfortunately, if you set up your gmail account using the standard “gmail” settings on the iPhone your email will not be pushed to you. You have to follow these instructions from Google, which make use of the “Exchange Sync” features of gmail.

This video describes the new features of the iPhone 4. I want one!

Video calling
High resolution display
HD video recording
Backlit camera sensor
LED Flash
Gyroscope

This weekend I was fascinated with the coverage of the next iPhone. Many pictures and videos were produced of a product that many are feeling is a misplaced prototype of the iPhone that will be launched in June. What’s amazing is not so much the iPhone itself, but the story about the coverage, the “exclusives” and the inevitable backlash from Apple that this all happened. First it was the Engadget exclusive pictures, and a confirmation that the iPhone was in a previous leak picture of the iPad. Then Gizmodo launched a full review of the product – they had it in their hands (albeit disabled from Apple). Finally tonight Gizmodo spilled the beans on how they came to get the device (leaving out the crucial detail if they paid for the phone or not).

It’s a soap opera.

UPDATE: Apple has asked for it back – meaning they claim ownership of the device – meaning it’s real.

UPDATE 2: David Letterman posted this to his “Excuses of the Guy Who Lost His iPhone Prototype.”

• 10. “Couldn’t call Apple for help because I lost my iPhone.”
• 9. “I’m more of a Kindle guy.”
• 8. “You mean besides being drunk out of my mind?”
• 7. “Distraught Kate Gosselin kicked off Dancing with the Stars”
• 6. “Thought there was an app that would whisk it back to my house.”
• 5. “It must have fallen out of my iPants.”
• 4. “Volcanic Ash! Run!”
• 3. “Let’s Just Blame Goldman Sachs.”
• 2. “At least I didn’t lose my finger like that iPad guy.”
• 1. “It didn’t work, anyway—it uses AT&T.”