iphone

What seemingly looks like an ordinary iPhone app is actually a webpage displayed in full screen mode through the Safari browser. Working almost exactly like a native app, albeit a bit slower, this secret feature is hidden in firmware 2.1 and could possibly explain how the Breast app works over Safari. Want to try this out for yourself on your iPhone? Here’s how to do it:

1. Go to this Web page using your iPhone.
2. Click on the + icon to add the page to your home screen applications.
3. Go back to the home screen and click on the saved page.

While there are very few web-based applications at the moment, this does open the door for those developers who can’t or don’t want to release their apps via the App Store for whatever reason.

Will this ultimately mean the untimely death of jailbreaking? I don’t think so. Since this feature is built into the iPhone firmware, Apple can simply disable this in future updates. Nevertheless, since firmware 2.2 is yet to be released, app developers can take advantage of this little loop-hole to make their software programs available to all iPhone users across the globe.

There are a lot of iPhone applications and games that take advantage of the iPhone's multi-touch display. But, it's not everyday that we come across a truly unique iPhone game that takes the multi-touch interface to new heights.

Illusion Labs has released a game trailer for their upcoming "Touchgrind" iPhone gaming title. "Touchgrind" caters to multi-touch and skateboard fans alike with their two-finger gaming interface. Using two fingers to control a skateboard, gamers can bust a move on their pint-sized "finger-board" in a virtual skatepark.

Check out the game trailer below!

The game is set to release into the App Store in early to mid November, no word on how much it will cost.  The game is very well written and executed. Posted are a few screenshots of the simple yet addictive game play. Arcade Hockey is a one or two player game. The game allows you to choose the size of the paddles and pucks as well as the version of the game. The versions include Standard, Arcade Deck or Boomerang Style.

The game play is played just as the average air hockey game most people are use to. You control your paddle with the tip of your finger, trying not to let the puck get in your goal. Physics are reported to be spot on, reacting exactly as you would expect it to in real life. Greg Hughes went on to say, "As a former air hockey addict, I can say this game is quite a bit of fun, and there's something to be said for pulling the game out of your pocket and playing a surprisingly accurate and realistic game on the bus, before the movie, while out on a hot date you want to impress with your skillz, or at lunch."

Mobile Safari on the iPhone is great. You can pinch-out/double click to zoom in, pinch-in/double click to zoom out, you can open up to 8 tabs and it also works as a local Word/Excel document and PDF reader. It doesn't hurt that it's one of the fastest mobile browsers available out there, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who wants to try an alternative mobile browsing experience on my iPhone. You know? There should be another browser, at least one, that can be used on the iPhone other than Mobile Safari.

Opera Mini is one of the most popular mobile browsers on handhelds, and it's available for smartphones all over the world, regardless of whether they run on Symbian, Windows Mobile, or even low-end operating systems only capable of running Java-based apps. It's fast, intuitive, and is very easy to install. It easily becomes one of the top contenders for an alternative browser on the iPhone.

Unfortunately, Apple doesn't agree with the many people who say Opera Mini should be on the iPhone. In fact, even though there's already a full-working Opera Mini app for the iPhone, as per Opera CEO Jon Stephenson von Tetzchner's NYTimes interview, Apple won't let it into the app store:

Mr. von Tetzchner said that Opera's engineers have developed a version of Opera Mini that can run on an Apple iPhone, but Apple won't let the company release it because it competes with Apple's own Safari browser.

One could argue that Apple is just protecting its right to successfully milk the cash cow they have built on the iPhone platform, but taking a user's options away before asking them is like playing God (which strangely, is very Apple-like, anyway.) There's no promise that Apple will ever change its mind regarding Opera Mini on the iPhone, but really, the decision is entirely up to them. I used to look forward to using Mobile Firefox on the iPhone, but it looks like it will be a very long time coming if Apple doesn't change its ways.

Halfway around the world, there’s another telecom aside from Rogers who is reaping the rewards of being an exclusive distributor of the 3G iPhone.Softbank Mobile in Japan has experienced improved data usage from their subscribers which can, in part, be associated to Apple’s mobile phone. Despite net profit sliding 11.5%, operating profit rose to ¥180 billion or $1.85 billion.

Thanks to the iPhone, the company managed to pull in more mobile subscribers and because of its dependence on data connectivity, revenue from such services helped in achieving record-high levels in operating profit.

This is a prime example of what the iPhone can bring to a telecom firm. Telecoms should treat the iPhone as a way to lure in more customers by offering it at reasonable price so that they can get more income from data service usage.

Profit from the device itself is only secondary to the added revenue the company will receive from data services that the iPhone greatly relies on. This is what telecom companies should realize if and when they decide to offer the 3G iPhone.

Since Starbucks started offering 2 hours of free AT&T Wi-Fi to its customers a few months back, there hasn't been much free Wi-Fi love for AT&T customers in the United States. But that's about to change, because AT&T has just officially announced the availability of free Wi-Fi for iPhone users in all of its hotspots across the U.S.

FREE AT&T Wi-Fi access is also available at U.S. company-operated Starbucks locations equipped with a hotspot. That should make surfing the Web or using Web-connected iPhone apps a whole lot easier.

AT&T Wi-Fi hotspots are located in the following:

• Airports
• Hotels
• Universities
• Convention Centers
• Sports Centers
• Starbucks locations
• Restaurants
• Bookstores
• Supermarkets

That pretty much covers every place the typical iPhone user could be lurking in. But now, let's make sure this offer is for good, shall we AT&T?

Still wondering whether the iPhone is worth the hassle for wireless providers. A recent report from the iPhone 3G Canadian distributor puts the question at rest. Though Rogers has earlier been criticized for having one of the most expensive iPhone contracts in the globe, it didn’t stop Canadian customers from lining up. Since Rogers made iPhone 3G available, 225,000 have opted for the iPhone translating into 191,000 new clients for the Canadian wireless provider. Lower subscriptions from rivals Bell and Telus were also confirmed.

You know it’s almost impossible in this day and age to please everybody with an all-in-one device, but one happy camper who’s sure delighted with 3G iPhone are the big honchos at Rogers. Thanks to Apple’s second generation mobile phone, the only major GSM telecom provider in Canada was able to net 191,000 new clients which when added to the total number of those who purchased a 3G iPhone will amount to 225,000 customers all in all. Not bad considering that their iPhone data plans aren’t really the most enticing in the world, but hey, if you can lure them in with a fancy looking device that’s been hyped all over town then why not, right?

While Rogers is enjoying their present success with the iPhone, we’re hoping that some competition will soon be available as far as carriers are concerned when both Bell and Telus get their new 3G networks ready for prime time. That is, of course, if they can land a deal with Apple as well or better yet, land an exclusive of their own to rival Roger’s ton of offerings.

Rogers is the only GSM provider in Canada

Looks like the decision to hold onto the original iPhone has finally paid off. OrangeGadgets has just announced that they will be releasing a GPS device, the iGPS360 iPhone/iPod Touch Module.

This device will give GPS functionality to those who have gone without for so long. The iGPS360 will plug into the bottom of your iPhone 2G/iPod Touch making it a bit longer than most would like. The drawback is that your iPhone or iPod Touch must first be jailbroken in order for this to work because Apple has not given the OK for any device to access the OS though the dock connecter.

The device has an on-board back-up battery that will store GPS information allowing for a quick GPS lock-on after the device itself has been switched off. You can also charge both your iPhone/iPod Touch and the GPS device at the same time through a micro USB cable that comes with the GPS device. You can pre-order the iGPS360 right now but act quick, by the looks of things they will only manufacture 1000 units.

Sonos Controller for iPhone

The well-heeled tech enthusiasts among us will be happy to hear that Sonos has released an iPhone application that turns their iPhone or iPhone 3G into a remote control for their Sonos Multi-room Music system. The Sonos Controller for iPhone essentially puts the flexibility and power of your Sonos Music system in the palm of your hand.

Controlling music playback with the Sonos Controller for iPhone is as easy as "pick a room, point and flick to pick a song, and then hit play." And, with the ability to group zones and search through music tracks, the Sonos Controller for iPhone makes it easy to control your music throughout your home.

While jailbreaks have consistently been coming out, we have yet to see an iPhone 3G unlock released by the hardworking phones of the iPhone Dev. However, we’ve received word that might give potential iPhone owners who don’t want to be tied down to a particular network some glimmer of hope as the team is nearing completion of an iPhone 3G baseband unlock.

With the inevitable release of this new iPhone hacking software, iPhone users can easily switch to other networks. No word on when it will be released, but we’re hoping it won’t be too long. Besides, even with the availability of the said 3G baseband unlock app, it probably won’t affect the sales of AT&T and others that much since present policy restricts iPhone activation to in-stores only. Nevertheless, this will be great news for those wanting to do more with their iPhone than what their present carrier is capable of giving them.

While the rest of the world goes about their daily business, toiling away at their jobs or studying to make the grade, the iPhone Dev Team has been working away to make the iPhone 3G software unlock solution a reality.

Sure, the iPhone 3G is available in just about every major wireless market in the world, which makes the need for a SIM-unlocked iPhone 3G capable of surfing any GSM network in the world that much less necessary. And, with Apple selling factory-unlocked iPhone 3G's in Hong Kong and Italy, there's definitely no shortage of legitimately unlocked iPhone 3G hardware on market.

Still, for those of us that can't make the trip to Hong Kong or Italy, but still have a need for an unlocked mobile phone when travelling abroad, the iPhone Dev Team is still hacking away at the iPhone 3G's baseband firmware. The baseband firmware is the code that controls a cellphone's cellular radio - in this case, the iPhone 3G's baseband firmware controls the GSM radio and how it connects to available GSM networks.

Over the weekend, the iPhone Dev Team released a new video that highlights the enterprising iPhone-hacking group's breakthroughs in getting an iPhone 3G software unlock solution out to the general public. For those of you that have religiously updated their iPhone 3Gs using only the iPhoen Dev Team's Pwnage Tool in hopes of preserving the older baseband firmware that might one day be successfully unlocked, here's another glimmer of hope!

To be clear, the iPhone Dev Team has gained access to the iPhone 3G baseband and has successfully modified the baseband firmware on the iPhone 3G (albeit failing integrity checks). The video shows the iPhone Dev Team's 3G baseband tool in action. Enjoy!

Google has a released a custom, multitouchy version of Google Earth for the iPhone, and it rocks, turning you into a master of universe that can zoom, twirl and pan all around the world with just a few flicks of your fingers. It also uses the accelerometer, so you can pan and tilt, too. It might just be better than desktop version just because multitouch makes it so damn fun.

Overall, the whole thing works really well. Performance is good, at least over Wi-Fi, though it can get occasionally janky. Google has overlaid areas of interest with Wikipedia and Panoramio links that pop up with info or sweet photos in an in-app browser, in addition to giving it the iPhone-standard "locate me" GPS powers to find stuff around you. It's free, and zipping around mountain ranges with a fingers like a demigod just 'cause you feel like it is awesome-o, so definitely grab it now.

There are a few applications that let you remotely access all of your important documents, but I have only found one that is worth downloading that is free.

Free applications tend to be fun time-wasters, but how many can actually be of much use? Box.net, recently released to the public, joins the growing list of free apps that are incredibly useful and productive.

Having an account set up with box.net will give you online storage space in which you can store Office Docs, PDFs, pictures, and even music and videos. To get started, sign up for an account on their website. The free option gives you 1 GB of online storage space with a max file size of 25 MB, and you can buy additional space; $7.95/month will get you 5 GB of space, and $19.95 rewards you with 15 GB.

Once you sign up, it's time to upload your files and organize them into whatever folders you want. Then feel free to fire up the app on your iPhone or iPod touch to be able to view those folders and files. After you type in your user name and password, you should see a screen similar to the pic below:

As you can see, box.net takes advantage of the simple iPhone UI to make it easy to find and view your files. After selecting a folder you will see the available files:

That's right - in addition to having access to Office documents, you can watch videos, listen to MP3's and also view PDF files. The only files I had an issue using were .wma; I wasn't able to try out every possible type of file, but I used some of the most popular ones. At least we know it will work with most files. Still, not bad for a free app.

When you access a particular file, you are given the opportunity to zoom in and out to your ideal size.

Here I have used a jpeg file as an example.

Another welcome feature box.net offers is the ability to upload files from the camera roll on your iPhone to your online account. This can be very handy if you're nowhere near your computer and would like to sync your iPhone.

The box.net application can be utilized over the 3G connection as well as WiFi.

This will be an app that I continue to use on a regular basis, and love the fact that you can get it for free. However I do recommend buying extra space if you do a lot of business travel, or even if you're just running out of space and would like a place to store extra videos and music.

If you are an iPhone or iPod owner who are always on the go, then you might need the iPhone 3G and iPod Emergency Charger from Brando. It is a compact and lightweight Emergency Charger that can use 2 "AAA" batteries to power the Apple iPod anytime, anywhere, and at the time that you need it most. Just remember that the Emergency Charger is only for emergency use. You cannot replace your A/C power charger to make your iPod 100% charged. If you are interested, you can purchase this gadget for $10.00 at Brando.

We have the brief video comparison of the famous RIM BlackBerry Storm, Bold and Apple iPhone 3G. Watch the video after the jump to get more info.

When we last checked in with Lala, the music service promised usaccess to our local collections from anywhere over the web. Using a unique combination of uploading and matching their collection to yours, you can sync your various libraries and listen to them any place where internet is available. Now they are back with some brand new features, including a vastly expanded catalog, an iPhone app and the unheard of 10-cent song.So how do they get away with it? Well, Lala assumes that you're doing most of your listening over the web—as a result, the songs that cost a dime are only playable through a browser, like Rhapsody in the olden days. If you want the DRM-free MP3 for your portable player (or whatever), you're looking at a more typical 89 to 99-cent sticker price. All songs in the 6 million+ track catalog can be sampled once for free before you commit to purchasing them, and the 10 cents for a web purchase can be credited toward your MP3 purchase, so it's not money lost.If you listen to most of your music sitting at the computer, and have qualms about stealing it, Lala may very well be a good way to go. It's like a soup made up of the best components of other online music services such as iTunes, Rhapsody, Pandora, and Last.fm. The site is appealing, the music recommendation engine is good, and there's some value in there. If you're the type of person who would add just one or two new songs per day to your personal playlist, this kind of a la carte pay system is a lot cheaper and more practical than Rhapsody. You can build up a nice collection for a few dollars a month, and you don't keep paying after you've amassed all the music you need.

Finally, web browsers and internet connectivity is becoming, if not already, the norm in smartphones, I mean "coms", and Lala plans to expand to meet this market. They already have an iPhone app in the approval process, which will play recommended songs and hopefully soon, your web library too. An app that acts like Simplify and Pandora together? It could be a real winner, but we'll reserve judgment till we see it in action.

PALO ALTO, Calif., October 21, 2008 – Lala is unveiling the first and only free service to instantly provide anywhere Web access to an existing MP3 music library such as iTunes. Replacing the outdated approach of uploading MP3 files from a PC, Lala introduces a licensed technology to instantly match songs from consumers' personal music library with the Web-based catalog on lala.com.Adding new music to a collection is easier and less expensive than ever. Sample any full song or complete album for free. Add songs to a Web collection for only 10 cents, and buy DRM-free MP3 downloads for as low as an additional 79 cents."We live our lives in a browser, whether it's emailing, watching television shows or using Facebook" said Geoff Ralston, CEO of Lala. "When I launched Yahoo! Mail few thought hundreds of millions would depend on Web email. My music belongs online in the same way. Will there be anything without a browser in 5 years?"Microsoft Explorer, FireFox, and Safari browsers on both Windows and Mac OS are supported.Major and Independent Labels SupportAll four major labels including EMI Music, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group and publishers have licensed Lala with partnership agreements to stream and sell music online.And unlike ad-supported music sites, Lala has garnered support from over 170,000 independent labels and distributors."We thank Lala for their support of A2IM and the independent music community and congratulate them on the launch of their new service which includes tens of thousands of independent artists, labels, aggregators and distributors," said Rich Bengloff, President of The American Association For Independent Music (A2IM). "As the primary advocacy group for the independent music community, we also applaud Lala for recognizing the value of independent labels and artists to their business and providing inclusion to the independent community in their launch."The Most Affordable Music on the Web Lala offers consumers the easiest, most affordable way to buy music on the Web. Lala's catalog includes over 6 million songs which users can play once for free before buying. For as little as 10 cents, users can buy a Websong, a new product that gives users the ability to play as often as they choose from their web collection. The Websong fee can be applied towards the purchase of the DRM-free MP3 version of the same track. MP3s are priced from 89 cents or 79 cents with a prior web song purchase. Unique Features of lala.com · Completely advertising free service · First and only fully licensed service for free Web hosting of a personal music library · Instant matching of MP3s and iTunes Fairplay songs to the Web without uploading · Fully featured web-application in a browser with speedy look-ahead search, drag and drop playlist creation, and instant, continuous music streaming · 6 million and growing song catalog · Free sampling of the entire catalog as songs or albums· Websongs available for purchase at 10 cents or less · DRM-free MP3s for additional price of 79 cents · Support of popular Web browsers including Windows Explorer, Firefox, and Safari · Support for both Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac OS · Catalog of all four major labels and publishers · Catalog of 170,000 independent labels

For the longest time it was taboo to even talk about VoIP on the iPhone, because Apple simply would not permit it. As luck would have it, there is now a legitimate and free way for you to conduct such activities if you deem necessary, and it can all be done with an app called fring.

fring isn't new to the mobile VoIP industry. In fact, it's been around longer than the iPhone itself. And now, iPhone users can exploit its features fully, with the expense of just a few minutes of downloading their app from the iPhone App Store.

About fring for iPhone

According to the fring app's About page, it's already on version 1.0.1.4. What ever happened to version 1.0, I'm not that sure. But the current iteration rocks, by any proportion.

The basics

The first time you fire up the fring app on your iPhone, you'll be welcomed by a clean Account Setup page. This is where you'll be entering your user details, and if you don't have a Fring User ID yet, you can register one from here.

Upon logging in, you'll be brought to your fring account's address book, called Buddy List, which initially only contains contact info for "fring test call."

There's a page for settings, of course, as well as Call/Activity History, Dialer (which shows a numeric keypad), and "More" for other options.

Usage

As you may have guessed, "fring test call" will enable you to initiate a test call to fring's servers and get intimate with one of their recordings. Basically, it asks you to speak into your iPhone after a beep, and then plays what you just said back to you to ensure that everything is working just fine.

You might notice that there's also an entry for "twitter" on my buddy list here. Well, it's because aside from fring's VoIP service itself, you can also log in to your other IM accounts and certain VoIP services via the fring app's Add-ons page.

Another good thing that fring for iPhone lets users have is the option to dial local calls directly from inside the app itself. As you can see here, there's a note reminding users that unlike VoIP calls, which are basically free, calls made over cellular are charged from their accounts or prepaid balances.

As far as call quality goes, I've found that it more or less depends on the quality of the headphones you use with your iPhone (if you're using headphones, that is). And with the built-in mic and earpiece, call quality was terrific, provided that you were on a stable Internet connection.

Final Words

VoIP was and always will be one of the most wanted features on the Apple iPhone, and it certainly took a long time coming. But fortunately for users who are looking to cut costs by making phone calls over the Internet, fring "nailed" it with the very first release of their iPhone app. fring no doubt has plans to further improve their iPhone app, but as it is, it's one of the most useful that's ever been released.

Like the Rubik's Cube? Own an iPhone or iPod Touch? You'll love Cubix, which perfectly uses iPhone/iPod Touch's capacitive touchscreen to bring all the joy of playing with Rubik's Cube to your shiny device… A short demo video of Cubix in action is just a click away. It's really cool!

Remember those good, old days when creating an iPhone ringtone was as easy as renaming a song in your iTunes library to a “.m4r” extension and then syncing it back with your iPhone? No? Well, trust us when we say that iPhone ringtones were never easier (or free-er) to create.

That is, until iTunes 8. With the release of iTunes 8 - which brought with it Genius Playlists - creating iPhone ringtones has once again become a painless process. iTunes 8 allows the user to customize a particular song’s start- and end-time, paving the way for an iPhone ringtone creation “hack” that requires nothing more than iTunes itself.

Keep in mind that iTunes will allow you to create a ringtone from a song downloaded through the iTunes Music Store, but those ringtones come with fees… and no one likes fees. Follow this guide to create free iPhone ringtones for free using nothing more than iTunes.

To create simple, free iPhone ringtones from your iTunes library, follow these steps:
* Note: This process works with MP3, ACC, and AIFF files.
* Note: Only DRM-free songs can be used with this ringtone creation process.
o Any song downloaded from iTunes Music Store will have DRM (Digital Rights Management), so don’t use those songs.
o Any song ripped from a CD or downloaded from DRM-free sources (P2P, Amazon, your friend) will work just fine.

1. Fire up iTunes 8
2. Find the song you’d like to turn in to a ringtone
Select the song you want to use as your iPhone ringtone

Select the song you want to use as your iPhone ringtone
3. Right click on the song
* Select “Get Info”
4. Hit the “Options” tab
5. Check both the “Start Time” and “End Time” boxes

Customize the start and end times for your ringtone clip

Customize the start and end times for your ringtone clip
6. Specify what time interval you’d like to use as your ringtone clip
7. Click “OK”
* Make sure the song you want is still highlighted
8. Click on “Advanced” in your menu bar
9. Select “Create AAC Version” or “Create Apple Lossless Version”

You want to create a duplicate song file with the customized playing time

You want to create a duplicate song file with the customized playing time
10. A duplicate copy of your song will appear in iTunes - this new song will have the same filename but shorter “Time”
* Go back to the original song and uncheck those “Start Time” and “End Time” boxes

See the duplicate song underneath the original song?

See the duplicate song underneath the original song?
11. Drag the duplicate song to your Desktop

Duplicate song file on Desktop

Duplicate song file on Desktop
12. Once the duplicate song is copied to your Desktop, delete the duplicate file in iTunes

Select the song you want to use as your iPhone ringtone

Notice that the duplicate song file is gone - deleted
13. On your Desktop, rename the file with the “.m4r” file extension - Use the new extension
* This turns your song file into an iPhone ringtone file

Use the new filename extension

Use the new filename extension

The .m4r file is now a ringtone file

The .m4r file is now a ringtone file
14. Your “songname.m4a” file should now be named “songname.m4r”
15. Drag the newly renamed .m4r (songname.m4r) file back into iTunes
16. Drag the file over the “Library” column and release when “Library” becomes highlighted
* You have to delete the duplicate song file (Step 12) otherwise iTunes won’t import your new .m4r file
17. You should see your new ringtone under “Ringtones” in iTunes
18. Sync your iPhone to get jiggy with your new iPhone ringtones!

Although Apple launched the much awaited iPhone 2.1 software update complete with changelog, some of the new additions weren't mentioned officially. Users have, nonetheless, discovered many of them and have even compiled new lists of changes, together with screenshots.

MacRumors is proud to report that two of its readers have been able to confirm many more additional features (in iPhone firmware 2.1) than reported by Apple. For instance, forum user justinomg has compiled quite an extensive list revealing "additional undocumented changes in the latest iPhone firmware," and has even thrown in screenshots to go with it. A few noteworthy findings include the ability to pause application installations by tapping on the icon, triple clicking on the headset button to go to the previous track, podcasts listings now indicate partially listened items, iPod song listings now show artist and album name and improved compatibility with certain Bluetooth headsets. Also, iTunes now displays how much information is taken up by applications installed on your iPhone, according to the same user.

However, as most iPhone owners should know, the 2.0 software has also been reported to crash dozens, if not over a hundred apps downloaded from Apple's App Store. Yes, we're not talking about jailbroken devices, but iPhones running official software from Apple, and legally-downloaded apps from the iTunes App Store. As it turns out, many of the apps that used to malfunction under firmwares 2.0, 2.0.1 and 2.0.2 now run just fine. User yoman was able to confirm the following apps as good to go with 2.1.