The iTunes Store is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later.

Clever mobile apps by CleverStep hidden behind iTunes issue

Quick error in Apple App Store got in a way of my search for a decent local sport mobile app, but I'm back on the right track again, with help of a friendly chat.

While digging up an ideal mobile app for local sports, I stumbled upon a mention about a modest yet brilliant project by a small startup called CleverStep. I rushed to App Store to find out more. To my surprise and pleasure at the same time, I already had one of their apps downloaded on one of my iPhones. The app is called Jamis Bikes and it is listed under Sports category. "It's getting warmer" - I thought to myself, before my mobile app detective train came to screeching halt, almost derailed.

'Almost' - because instead of being able to pull up details about that app, or downloading the other product of CleverStep's, I got slapped with an error message in iTunes when attempting to pull up my download/purchase history: "The iTunes Store is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later." I gave it some time, tried again later: the same issue.

Apple communities had a couple of hints, but nothing rally eliminated that pop-up. On the other hand, it felt a little better knowing that I wasn't the only one facing the red exclamation icon. I gave the standard troubleshooting routine a try, at no avail. Number of other forum discussions list tricks like:

We could not complete your iTunes Store request.
The iTunes Store is temporarily unavailable.
Please try again later.

• iTunes updates and upgrades
• pointing fingers at specific versions of iTunes
• resetting cache in iTunes

Unfortunately, they didn't help either. Finally, someone just admitted that he contacted support and they "magically" took care of the issue. "Magical" - that was one of Steve Jobs's favorite adjectives while describing his systems. So I  trusted that suggestion; I tried that magical potion and it provided desired remedy rather quickly. He didn't say what he did, he just said I should be ok shortly. Yes, a chat with Apple Support rep, Leonard, put my local sport mobile app research train back in motion again. 

I've got 99 problems, but access to cool mobile apps ain't one of them!

"Can't connect to iTunes Store" toothache

As a jolly owner of iPad 2 I proudly say I use that device for a lot of things. It saves paper, time and is a tremendous shortcut to world of technology online. Recent update to iOS6 was supposed to make it even faster, easier, more productive and not ask me for my Apple ID every time I want to install stuff. Hmmm, I mean that's great, but did anybody ask for that feature? Wouldn't we prefer to be able to display Flash sites or be able to use Silverlight web applications. They're still here to stay, longer than the latest release of Apple's tablet.

Nonetheless, changes related to Apple ID came about, some devices got the Passbook, some didn't. Sometimes it helps, sometimes that Passbook app gets in a way. I must admit I wasted a good bit of time trying to implement a recommendation from an Apple Forum just to later find out, as Dillon suggests in his reply, that Passbook is not available for my iPad (http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/65991/where-is-passbook-for-the-ipad).

So experts  recommend that I work with Passbook to resolve my inability to update apps and buy music from iTunes, while that app is just nowhere to be found on my device. Well, are they experts really? Someone else out there has a wild thought of messing with DHCP setting of my WiFi connection. For those who really desire to geek themselves out, please feel free to read up about DHCP on TechNet (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc781008(v=ws.10).aspx) - I would like to proceed to the bottom of solution to connectivity issues to iTunes.

Settings > Wi-Fi > (pick your network) > DHCP > Type 8.8.8.8 in DNS section.

As weird and unexplained it sounds, it worked. Why 8.8.8.8? What if 8 is my unlucky number? Why did the Quality Assurance team at Apple favored that silly DNS address over my actual DNS address given by my ISP (Internet Service Provider). I don't think we'll find out. The most important thing is that suggestions from a Level 0 newbie on Apple forum, Mrs Iris Terava solved a showstopper in an iPad 2 with iOS6 (https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2474718?start=180&tstart=0).

Thank you Mrs Iris!

To me that's a massive oversight on Apple's end, or was it? What if we speculate a little bit for a moment ... what if iOS 6's pitfalls are just those subtle maneuvers of your dentist who is trying to improve the state of the inside of your mouth by poking at things and seeing how much pain you can actually take. If you moan, he'll say "sorry" and won't pull that move on you again or will increase the dosage of your pain killer. If you play a tough guy during the current visit and not even once signal discomfort, next time will he not numb your gums at all before he starts fixing a cavity? That's extreme and nasty - I know, but what if Apple is testing us to see how much abuse we are willing to take and still camp outside the fancy glass store in New York City to get that new iPhone 6 or 7 and how much more will we be willing to pay for lower and lower quality, less and less helpful apps with more and more imposed feature set/design as well as increased number of issues in public alpha releases.

Spyware vs Viruses

What's worse, spyware or viruses? How to get rid of it? What to use to clean it up? How to attempt preventing outbreaks?

What's your take on spyware?
Here's my (mintol1) view:

http://techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html?forumID=81&threadID=191617&messageID=1978308


Some people have a lot of valuable information to share in that forum. Beware though, some of them are just IT idiots who claim themselves to know it ALL.

I think it is worth while reading throug at least some of those posts.

Enjoy !!