The fact that Apple rejected the Podcaster app from the App Store won't stop the company from making this great app available to the general public; well, at least to the jailbroken general public. Indeed, Podcaster is now available in Cydia. Oh, and it comes with a 14 days trial. After that, it will cost you $4.99. Take that, Apple!
Month: September 2008
But I still want to check out the new iPhone Apps!
If you are like me, i was looking in App Store at least once a day to see what new apps were out. I would go to the iTunes Store and click on App Store in the left hand column. I would then click on "All Iphone Applications" and sort by "Most Recent" so that I could look at all the latest updates and new apps. When I logged on the other day and couldn't find the All iPhone Applications option, i was a bit shocked. However I have figured out a few ways to still let me get my new app fix. Here is my advice to those with the same OCD need to see what is new.
1) Use the View Menu/Show Browser Feature in iTunes to see a list form of apps. From there, click on the App Store list item in the iTunes Store listing. Click on "Release Date" column header in the browser row area. Now click on the different Category list items to see a sorted list by date of all the applications in that category. It is a bit slower than seeing all categories at once, but maybe we can convince Apple to put in an All Category option here.
2) Subscribe to the Pinch Media's New Application RSS feed. These are really useful app store feeds. They also have a feed for free new apps and one for updated apps. Here is how they describe this great service:
We’re happy to announce today the release of a few new RSS feeds which provide a way to view activity in the Apple App Store without having to load up iTunes or the App Store on the iPhone yourself. The first two feeds are the most recent stream of new and updated applications added into the App Store updated hourly.
Check it out.
Either way, I can still get my fix.
3) Follow our New Apps & Games category :-)
Using the iPhone for traffic reporting?
I know that Google Maps for the iPhone lets you see traffic data in certain areas, but it is very limited by the quality and quantity of available data. With the huge number of iPhones and there wide geographic dispersion and with its GPS and "always on" internet capabilities it should be pretty easy to to actually capture traffic data with an iPhone app. This data could then be shared and distributed back to other iphone apps.
There have been other GPS's with this approach, but it would pretty simple to create a simple app that has a "Traffic Start" button and a "Traffic End" button that would then use the GPS coordinates and the time between the two points to calculate the location and amount of congestion. This very small packet of data could then be sent to a traffic data base (and maybe validated by other reports) and then retransmitted back to the other worthy iPhone users.
It would have to be something you could do while driving so I am envisioning a very simple screen tap to turn on and off. Also it would take some data finess and number crunching on the server side, but wouldn't it be cool!
Maybe we could just get Dash to write the app for us.
Red Rover, Red Rover, Let SlingBox Come Over
Well, before I explain what the title means, let's introduce the SlingBox to the part of our audience whose eyebrows are raised in a "What the heck is that?" manner. The Sling Box was introduced in 2004, and is a digital box you connect to your cable box, dish receiver, or DVR and allows you to grab either live or recorded video from that source, anywhere in the world that you can connect to the Internet.
Think of all the doors that could open up. You could watch those movie channels you pay so much for, half way around the world from your house, from your laptop. Well then, mobile TV hit mainstream through networks like Verizon and Sprint, and Sling was there to take advantage of it, on the Windows platform at least.
For palm and Motorola Q users, this was great news. You could watch any channel or recorded show that was available on your home TV, anywhere your mobile phone got a signal, or Wifi service (wifi video was significantly clearer and smoother).
Well, with its large, crisp screen, and unparalleled media capabilities, the iPhone seemed like the perfect platform for Sling Box's mobile client.
After making a small splash in June with the release of a video showing off a beta version of a Sling Media Player client running on the iPhone, we have yet to hear any more news about an official release date.
But by doing a quick google search of iPhone SlingBox related news, I came across a job listing on SlingBox's website.
Senior Engineer, SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone Client Application Developer
Job Title: Senior Engineer, SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone Client Application Developer Location: North America - Foster City, CA Department: Engineering Group Reports To: Director, Client Applications
Sling Media is looking for top-notch iPhone Developers to join our high-performance team and help create the SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone application...
So it appears that they are still hoping to penetrate this now massive market, and rightly so. It is in my opinion that a release for the iPhone could mean BIG things for this already BIG company. I think the missing piece of the puzzle has been data speeds when not on a Wifi network, and I think that AT&T's new 3G network could easily stand up to that challenge.
Only time will tell if the cool gadget Gods will smile down on Apple and SlingBox and give the rest of us a reason to whip out our iPhones even more than we already do (I don't know if that's possible).
The one deal breaker for most people might be the expensive digital box you must buy to hook to your source (or sources). But the fact that they just released an HD version of their SlingBox (yes, it will broadcast over the internet to your laptop/mobile device in High Definition!), and are not currently charging any monthly fees for their services may justify the initial box buying price. I myself, can't wait to show up my friends and their Verizon touch screens and their weak 10 channel selections, while I'm watching a Hi Quality stream of the ER episode I DVR'd last night. I'm pretty sure I'd get the "What the heck is that" look on their faces.
DIY paperclip iPhone stand
How smart is this guy? While some of us would spend $50 in an iPhone or iPod Touch stand, our friends Dean and Ying created their own for just about $0.01. How? Simply by using a paperclip. That has to be the cheapest iPhone accessory you can find. The guys were kind enough to also provide you with a PDF template to make your own. Check them out!
“iPhone” is a bigger brand than “Apple”
According to a recent survey of the "coolest brands in the UK", iPhone scored the 2nd place, was Apple was 3rd.
The top 20 in the annual poll has been dominated by brands from the world of technology, with iPhone the runner-up and Apple in third place. YouTube, Google and Nintendo came fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively. Playstation, Sony and Facebook also made the top 20.
MacRumors notes that:
The 2007 list (PDF) had the iPod in the #2 spot. The iPod is nowhere to be found on this year's list. Meanwhile, Apple has jumped up from #7 in 2007 to #3 this year.
Flash finally coming to the iPhone?
That's a feature that has been expected since the very beginnings of the iPhone. Apple has always turned down Adobe's request to include Flash on the iPhone, mostly due to the fact that the iPhone (and other phones for that matter) aren’t fast enough to handle most Flash-driven sites. Even Flash Lite, a shrinked-down version of Flash specifically developed for mobile devices, is requiring too much CPU power.
But according to Flash expert Jens Chr Brynildsen, Paul Betlem publicly confirmed for the first time that Adobe is actively developing a Flash Player for the iPhone.
"My team is working on Flash on the iPhone, but it's a closed platform." He noted that Apple makes all the decisions, so in other words, the ball is in Apple's yard at this time. If Apple says yes, Adobe will have the player available in a very short time.
It looks like we're almost there. I guess the hardest part is not to develop Flash for the iPhone. The hardest part of the job is to get Steve-o approve Flash...
How much do you want Flash? Let us know in the comments why you want (or not) Flash on your iPhone.
To jailbreak or not to jailbreak…
... that seems to be the question. And no, to your dismay I may not have the answer. But I have put together this small guide that will hopefully help you find the answer on your path to iPhone glory and satisfaction.
Let's start by discussing some reasons against jailbreaking, just so you're not, not doing it for the wrong reason, make sense? Good, here we go.
It's illegal.
Well, it is illegal. By jailbreaking your iPhone, you are actually infringing Apple's Copyrights on the iPhone firmware. Although the iPhone is yours, you are legally not supposed to touch any of the software. Besides, by installing non-Apple-approved software, you are violating both Apple and AT&T's TOS (Terms Of Service). The reality is, it's about as "illegal" as downloading music off of Lime Wire or Bear share, which means the chances are greater for a snow storm in July, in Jamaica, than you getting caught, even further more in any kind of legal trouble for jailbreaking your iPhone.
What about messing my phone up or 'bricking' it?
It is in my experience that 'bricking' the iPhone is a term of the past. Used only in preliminary jailbreaking days when all of this territory was new and unexplored. I myself have seen several errors, an all black screen, an all white screen, and a busy icon for half an hour while trying to jailbreak my phone. I believe a quick restore either through iTunes or the holding down home+power reset process on the phone will take care of many problems you may incur.
Hacking an iPhone sounds complicated, I'm not that computer savvy.
Surely this one is up for debate. But I think most of us will agree that the process has become fairly simple. In fact, the premier jailbreaking program out right now QuickPwn (how to use QuickPwn guide here), has an easy to use GUI (graphical user interface), and takes literally 5 minutes. Leaps and bounds above the old command line hacking days. Completing this process not only opens up to free "App Stores" (Cydia and installer 4.0), but also can turn your phone into an easy to use portable hard drive, and give you the ability to install "cracked" apps. Cracked apps are applications in the Apple App Store that people have cracked and made available for download for free online.
Depending on your firmware of your iPhone (on your iPhone, go to 'settings', then 'general', and finally 'about', your firmware is listed next to 'version'), you can Google the words "jailbreak my iPhone", and find 1000's of hits and tons of guides on how to do it. Maybe even try including your firmware in your google search to help narrow it down.
If the list above didn't extinguish your fears of jailbreaking, then maybe it isn't right for you. However, I love it, so if the features I use on my jailbroken phone listed below sound cool, you might lean toward the 'to jailbreak' scenario.
I can share files, information, and media between my phone without connecting any chords I have hidden files, notes, and folders that you can only access from my laptop I can try out any application I want for free, before I spend money at the Apple App Store (comes in handy for programs like Jaddu that are $24.99) I can install 3rd party applications from Cydia and Installer (free) that aren't available anywhere else My $400.00 iPhone, now feels, like its worth $400.00So to Jailbreak or not to Jailbreak can be answered with these little tips.
Jailbreak if:
You want to explore more options with your iPhone You want to try some applications before you pay those hefty price tags You want more games and cool softwareDon't Jailbreak if:
Your completely computer illiterate Just think it's cool your iPhone is a touch screen phone.Create your own Custom iPhone Skin
A few days ago, I was contacted by a guy at UniqueSkins.com who asked me if I'd like to become an affiliate of his site. I receive some of these inquiries several times a week and most of the time, I don't follow through because the product they sell has nothing to do with the iPhone or iPod Touch. But this time, 2 things got my attention: 1. the product seemed original to me; and 2. he offered to give me free samples. Alright, I'll admit that the "free samples" really caught my attention ;-)
So I decided to look into the product by going to Unique Skins' website and found the concept really cool. Basically, Unique Skins offers a simple and cheap way for you to create your own skin for your iPhone. You can get your custom iPhone skin for about $7. You can also create skins for your iPhone dock. They don't only make custom skins for iPhone; they make skins for pretty much any type of phone you can think of, as well as laptops, gaming consoles, MP3 players. They even make skins for bluetooth headsets!
Here is how it works:
Choose your device Click on "Design Now". It then brings up their online skin creator. At this point, you can either choose from a library of images or, that's where it gets interesting, you can choose to upload your own image. Once your image is uploaded, you can move it around, rotate it, and you can even add text. When you're done creating, you can preview your custom skin and then add it to the cart.Today I received my 2 skins and I was positively surprised by the great quality of the printing. Given that I had used low quality images to create my custom skin, I expected a print out all pixelized. Not at all.
I couldn't wait any longer, I decided to stick one of them on my lovely iPhone.
At first, I was a little scared that I wouldn't be able to install the skin without making a few air bubbles. I was also worried that I would lose my nerves on this mini project. I have very little patience and I am usually not good at doing things with my hands (although my girlfriend would argue this, hehe ;-).
I decided to start by the back of the phone as I thought it would be the easier part. I removed the sticky skin from the sheet and started applying it to the top left of the phone, right by the camera lense. Once this part was done, I moved toward the top right, making sure to remove the little air bubbles that I feared so much. In no time, the top of the phone was done. I then started to stick the rest of the skin, going all the way to the bottom of the phone, while still making sure no air bubble would sneak in.
Almost done! Oh NOOOOOO! There is this tiny bubble that I forgot to remove. You can barely see it but I'm a neat freak; I like things to be perfect. I removed what I had done and started over again until the back was perfectly done. It took me about 3-4 minutes from the time I removed the sticky skin from the sheet to the time I sat back and proudly looked at the hip skin on the back of my iPhone.
Now, the hardest part of the job; the front of the phone. I had a bad feeling about this from start, especially because of the light and proximity sensors (you can barely see them right next to the phone speaker (not speakerphone) but if you cover them, you're screwed as your iPhone won't be able to tell how lit it is around you or whether your ear is against the phone or not.
So again, I decided to start with the top of the phone, as it would be the hardest part. I did my best to apply the skin and it almost looks ok but I was not satisfied with it at all. It actually makes my iPhone look a little ghetto. What drove me nuts was the sideline of the screen that was not straight. I guess most people would have been satisfied with the result but again, I'm a neat freak so I simply decided to completely remove the skin from the front of my iPhone. I kept the back though, as I think it looks sick!
To sum up, I'd say Unique Skins is a great, inexpensive way to customize your iPhone with your own design. $7 + $3 for shipping is very affordable for this product. When creating my iPhone skins, I uploaded low resolution images but they turned out really good once printed. The set up was pretty easy although I would have expected them to send me a quick "how to" guide, as well as a tool to make sure you are correctly removing the air bubbles. But for this price, you can't expect much and you can't really go wrong. If I had had to pay for it, would have I done it? Yes, I most likely would have bought a cute custom iPhone skin for my girlfriend's phone and one for me.
Web Apps Rock!
A lot of talk has been centered around the App store and Jailbreak Apps but what i find really exciting is the web apps that are being designed and formatted for the iPhone/iTouch. No installation, no jailbreaking, no disk space is necessary. And with the iPhone's/iTouch's ability to store a bookmark on the Home Screen, these apps can appear and be accessed just like any other app.
There are several different ways to locate web apps. First, Apple has a web page that allows people to register their web apps. I highly recommend those with RSS readers subscribe to this feed. Some very cool apps are showing up. Another cool way of seeing these web apps are using the Web Apps [iTunes Link] application that you can download from the Itunes App Store. It allows you to create a list of favorites and navigate to them easily (if you don't want to have a direct bookmark icon on your desktop) and lets you see what is out and try out the apps on your iphone.
Some of these apps are just web pages reformatted for you iPhone/iTouch, but some of them really take advantage of the IPhone GUI and technology. One that caught my eye yesterday is the Dominos Pizza Tracker. According to the Apple page "The Domino’s Pizza Tracker takes a phone number as input and connects to Domino’s Pizza Tracker XML backend to return information regarding your order, including time of creation, cooking, and delivery status. " I haven't tried it yet, but i think i'll be having Pizza tonight!
iPhoneBrowser
I wrote in the past about iPhoneBrowser, this neat little piece of software that allows you to browse and manipulate your iPhone files without jailbreaking it. After updating to 2.0, iPhoneBrowser didn't work anymore so I kinda forgot about it until today.
I checked the Google Code page of iPhoneBrowser and realized it was recently updated so I decided to download it again. Boy, it's as good as ever! I like iPhoneBrowser for one good reason: it's much faster than SSH. When using SSH, you have to turn on SSH on your iPhone and open WinSCP on your PC whereas you just need to open iPhoneBrowser and plug in your iPhone to access your files when using iPhoneBrowser. Furthermore, downloading a large file from the iPhone to your computer is much faster using iPhoneBrowser too as it transfers the file through the USB port of your computer. One thing SSH does that iPhoneBrowser doesn't is let you change the file properties. For example, if you want to set different properties for a file, you will have to use SSH. Not a big deal as I personally don't touch file properties very often.
So what can you do with iPhoneBrowser?
drag and drop uploading to our phone automatic and manual backups of files on your phone previews of text and picture files and very cool icons create "favorite" path to your most used locationsHi, my name is Alicia
Hi, My name is Alicia and starting today I am going to start to contribute some posts to this blog. I am an information architect at a pharmaceutical company by day and gadget girl by night. I have been addicted to gadgets since i was a little girl and i saw my first Radio Shack. Sometimes I can get a little out of hand as when I decided everyone in my family (all five of us) needed a kindle. When I recently called Amazon on the phone, the support person said to me "Hey, your that family with five kindles". And it doesn't stop there. I have been hacking successfully and unsuccessfully for years. I am always the first one to but on the new firmware, to pay the most for the bleeding edge technology (Paid almost $1000 for my Tivo 7 years ago), and to have to explain to my husband why the X10 components I installed only work half of the time.
I am really excited about where we are headed with this new integrated web way of looking at the world. I think that combining the concept of "internet everywhere" with a GPS, accelerometer and a phone will completely change the way we interact with information and our world. I think the possibilities are endless.
Each day when I look at what people are building for this new framework, I am blown away at the ingenuity and creativity. Even when the developer's don't get it right the first time, I still have to say to myself "why didn't i think of that?"
I hope to bring some of gadget lust and awe to this blog. Talk to you soon.