During my iPhone firmware update fiasco I had nothing but trouble getting a proper restore of my data. Some – but not all – of the applications would be restored using iTunes 9.

According to a post at Apple Support:

Although iTunes backs up most of your iPhone and iPod touch settings, downloaded applications, your audio, video, and photo content are not included in the backup.

Another post describes what is backed up with each version of the iPhone OS. The following is excerpted specifically regarding applications:

iPhone 1.1

• Application settings, preferences, and data

iPhone 2.0 and later

• App Store Application data (except the Application itself, its tmp and Caches folder)

iPhone 3.0

• Per app preferences allowing use of location services
• In-app purchases

What I’m reading here is that iPhone applications are not backed up in iTunes. This doesn’t explain why some apps get backed/restored while others do not. Nor have I found any backup/restore correspondence if the application was downloaded OTA versus purchased within iTunes.

Fortunately Apple allows you to re-download iPhone applications at no charge but this shouldn’t be necessary if iTunes actually backed them up.

Last week’s release of iPhone software 3.1.2 was intended to fix various bugs notably “sleep coma.” Also available is the latest AT&T Carrier Update 5.6 which provides functionality on AT&T’s mobile network (such as MMS). After a modest sync (for backup) I told iTunes to update my iPhone 3G.

What a mistake that was.

Doing the DFU Disco

My iPhone had been running firmware 3.1.0 without a hitch and MMS worked great.

With the installation of 3.1.2 and the carrier update my phone was rendered useless. The reception meter cycled through “full bars 3G” to “one bar no data” to “no service” then back to “full bars 3G.” As part of the update iTunes restored my latest backup, which as before, was incomplete necessitating re-installation of some apps via the iTunes App Store.

After some research I chose to perform a clean install of 3.1.2 using the DFU Recovery mode. After another incomplete iTunes restore it wasn’t long before the “full/low/no bars” problem presented itself again.

I had to get the iPhone working properly and took another go at DFU with the intent to downgrade from 3.1.2 to 3.1.0. Apple doesn’t allow you to select older iPhone firmware within iTunes so I had to download and install it manually. The restore finished (incompletely again) and I expected to have a phone that could make calls.

Wrong. The “full/low/no bars” problem was still there.

AT&T Carrier Settings

What’s consistent here? Installing AT&T Carrier Update 5.6.

I decided to have one more go at it and performed a clean install of 3.1.2 and told iTunes not to install the latest carrier update. After another eternity waiting for the (incomplete) restore to finish I watched the reception meter: full bars and 3G.

Expecting this to be short-lived I hopped in the car for my commute and make some calls. Four calls and one hour later: the reception was solid.

Right now, in a signal-devoid building, the iPhone is clutching desperately to “two bars and EDGE.”

iTunes Restore Bug?

During my update from 3.0 to 3.1 there was an issue with iTunes not restoring all of my iPhone apps. This continues to be a problem for me but – interestingly – the Restore performed during the DFU Recovery was more complete than the typical Restore feature in iTunes.

Conclusion

Don’t install Carrier Update 5.6 at this time or do so with caution.

Unfortunately there appears no way to remove a carrier update via iTunes; you must use DFU Recovery or be jailbroken. This reminds of the precarious – and unhealthy – co-dependency between a device manufacturer and the mobile carrier.

Apple prides themselves on delivering the best user experience possible and it must infuriate Mr. Jobs that AT&T is the continued point of failure in that goal.

At this moment my iPhone 3G is successfully running firmware version 3.1.2 (7D11) and carrier settings “AT&T 5.5″ which is included in the 3.1.2 package.

I’ve never had reason to perform a Restore operation on my iPhone 3G until the 3.1 software update. For whatever reason the iPhone became sluggish and unresponsive, then operate as normal, and back to slow.

Over the months I’ve heard of people restoring their iPhone to factory defaults and reloading their applications using the Restore function in iTunes. Thinking this was a solid process I went ahead with a Restore.

That’s where my problems began.

iTunes 9

I’m using the new iTunes 9.0 under OS X 10.5.7 which may have who-knows-what bugs. I connected my iPhone, clicked Restore, and instructed iTunes to perform a backup. Some time later the iPhone restarted and asked to be connected to iTunes. I dis-/re-connected the iPhone. iTunes recognized and activated it.

Now it gets interesting.

So Where’s the Restore?

Nothing else happened. My iPhone was devoid of my data but, fortunately, iTunes retained all of the apps and their menu placement. I anticipated being asked to perform a Restore but nothing. So I clicked Sync. Some time later the Sync was finished and my data was copied to my iPhone.

“Back in business,” I thought but wait a minute…some apps were completely missing from the iPhone and iTunes:

• System Activity Monitor
• TwitterFon Pro
• PicPosterous
• Prowl

iTunes 9 allowed me to re-download (at no charge) and the apps synced successfully to the iPhone.

This isn’t what I expected from the Restore operation. Perhaps the manual Sync is part of the process but iTunes never suggested it as the next step in the process. What’s more of a concern were the missing applications. Perhaps this is a unique occurrence or a bug in iTunes 9.

After all of this, did the Restore fix the iPhone’s performance problem? I haven’t used the phone yet so it’s too early to tell. Look for a future update.

UPDATE: some (18 to be accurate) of the apps from the Restore aren’t the latest version according to iPhone App Store.

UPDATE: thankfully this process has restored my iPhone 3.1 to what I consider normal performance.

When my Motorola H850 bluetooth headset died I was beside myself with agony for a proper replacement. I had grown quite fond of the boom to turn on/off the device and answer calls; it was a real battery saver. My only complaint with the H850 is volume – it was never loud enough.

Side note: most (if not all) Bluetooth headset reviews fail to mention how loud the earpiece gets. I suppose an actual measure of decibels would be nice, but a statement such as “I could hear very well with my car window down” works for me. Even better, “the earpiece is so loud I can’t keep it at the loudest setting, even in my car driving at highway speeds.”

A trip to Fry’s unearthed the Jabra BT5010. What caught my eye: the familiar boom. Most of the BT5010 reviews were positive so I went with it and thus far, satisfied. To top-line it for you:

• Louder than my H850; I have to lower the volume for most calls but driving in the car requires it to be louder
• Easy to use on/off/pairing button instead of a single function answer/power button
• Sliding boom: easily answer/end calls but this does not control power
• Appearance: while the black body might stand out attached to your ear, it’s not chromed out with giant blinking lights
• Attachment: Jabra uses a twisting ear hook which accommodates use on the left or right ear; the hook keeps the BT5010 secure against your face. You can jog with this thing without fear of it falling off. For maximum comfort you might need to adjust the ear hook but I don’t keep anything attached to my ear for an entire day
• Ear piece: Jabra doesn’t use their popular gels with this model; although the gels provide a custom, and comfortable, fit I find they easily fall off in your pocket or as you jam the whole headset into your ear
• Pocketability: the device is solid, the ear hook is strong, and without ear gels, you can easily pop this into your pocket without fear of breakage
• Charging: a big selling point of the BT5010 compared to other units like the BlueAnt X3 is the miniUSB charging plug; no need to carry “yet another” charger or buy a custom tip for your iGo

The headset has been a solid performer for months although I have a few criticisms:

• Sliding boom is too delicate: if you touch it, even slightly, it will hang up the call. It seems the sensor is near full extension which guards against an accidental acceptance of a phone call, however it means an increase in accidental hang-ups
• Replacement ear hooks: the “Gumby-like” ear hook broke after a couple of months of use. Fortunately a five-pack of replacements is inexpensive the Jabra Store
• Answer delay: when a call is placed there is a solid two second delay before the microphone is activated. The other party might ask another “hello?” or wonder if you’ve hung up on them

These issues aside, the headset has worked well and battery life has not diminished with successive recharging. The BT5010 is not the most svelte headset available but it’s a workhorse.

I’ve been using a debranded Nokia N75 since I switched from T-Mobile to AT&T Wireless. On numerous occasions I want to hurl this device into the depths of Hell while I laugh fiendishly. Don’t get me wrong … Nokia knows how to make a great device like the N95 but they have some real stinkers like the N75.

My firmware version:

V 10.2.055
24-04-07
RM-128

The list of bugs I encounter on a regular basis:

• Bluetooth connection with headset overwhelmed by static: restart BT or reboot phone
• Image Gallery out of memory viewing an image: reboot phone
• Web browser out of memory: reboot phone
• On one phone call, accept another, drop second call, cannot return to first call: need to terminate the call and start over
• Email auto-check stops working: no idea
• Full bars, call drops: no idea
• Terminate one call and rapidly dial another: won’t make the call
• Searching for a contact: the first character takes an eternity to display on the screen and there is no buffering
• Predictive text has an incorrectly spelled word: no idea how to fix

Rebooting the N75 every few days (or every day) takes care of the memory bugs but the others remain. Many times I have considered getting an N95 but Nokia’s track record of software updates is abysmal. My unbranded E61 was testament to this and now my craptastic N75.

I suppose there’s a reason Apple has grabbed more than 25% of the mobile device market in less than a year.