The Real Mac Genius

This week I have a cool new trick for you that allows use of your Facebook chat in iChat. Using Facebook chat in iChat is neat and handy — especially since Facebook chat enjoys crashing.

To enable Facebook chat in iChat and click on iChat then “Preferences.” Then click on “Accounts” tab, after scroll down to the bottom and click the “+” which will let you create a new account. Choose “Jabber” from the drop-down menu and enter in your username and your Facebook password. You can find your username to use by going to http://www.facebook.com/sitetour/chat.php and going to the bottom near “Connect your Client” and pick which application you would like to use Facebook chat on. The link will help provide the correct information needed to setup Facebook chat. Afterwards near the bottom of the of the Preferences while in account there should be an arrow next to “Service Options” and click the arrow. In the server box type: chat.facebook.com and insert: 5222 as the port number. DO NOT click on “Use SSL”

For more neat tricks, news, reviews, come back daily at The Real Mac Genius.com.

As we prepare to welcome the new birth into the iPhone family-though some lucky pre-orders may have received their devices early like our Review Editor Zander, we ask ourselves, “What will I do with my old iPhone?” Well, there are may alternatives: sell your iPhone or keep the iPhone as a fancy remote or book reader.

Where and How to Sell Your Old iPhone:

Where to sell, there are several online retailers where you can sell your device. To state the obvious, eBay and Craigslists on the list. However, there are sites such as NextWorth witch will pay a certain amount of money given the condition of the phone. Additionally, NextWorth allows selling of your charger or dock connector, but will only pay a lousy $1 for an accessory that retails at $29 at the Apple Store. There is also another option, called SellYourMac, which contains a fairly similar process as NextWorth.

Before selling your device, I would suggest removing your data. There are a few different methods of wiping the data from your iPhone. The first and most common, restoring your iPhone in iTunes. Make sure you create a backup of your iPhone, so you can move the settings onto your new iPhone. After the restore, the iPhone will ask you to “Choose from Backup” or “Setup as New iPhone” at that point, you can eject the iPhone, your data has been removed. The second method, is on the iPhone. On the iPhone, go to Settings, General, Reset, then tap “Erase All Contents and Settings.” This will drain most of your battery, so plug your iPhone into the charger and let it run.

Pimp my iPhone:

Of course, there are always different alternatives to selling your iPhone. Why not put the old iPhone to use, with the multitude of apps in Apple’s App Store, turn your iPhone into a remote. If you have AirTunes-see our guide here, use your iPhone as a remote to control the music by the help of Apple’s Remote app (free). If you happen to be a Comcast customer, use their Comcast app (free) to view the upcoming shows and schedule your DVR. Also, download an application such as Mocha VNC (free or U.S. $5.99) to control your iMac from the kitchen. Air Mouse Pro (U.S. $1.99) proves to be a good option if you want to turn your iPhone into a trackpad to control your Mac. Air Mouse Pro even brings in functionalities of a “real” mouse by allowing the two finger swipe.

With iOS 4, Apple brings iBooks (free). Turn your old iPhone into a dedicated book reader. Additionally, I would think about other applications to add such as Marvel (free), Zinio (free), or even GQ (U.S. $4.99).

These are just a few options, but which ever route you choose to take, someone will enjoy the iPhone!