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Voice Brief: Turn Your iPhone Into Your Very Own Personal Assistant

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 5, 2018

If you have been looking for an application that will read content to you handsfree, check this out. Voice Brief will read you your local weather, your Facebook and Twitter updates, and will even tell you how your stocks are doing.

I find the app most useful in the morning as my iPhone sits in a speaker dock next to my bed. As I wake up, I reach over and start up Voice Brief and it instantly begins to rattle off my customized content. "That's pretty cool Cody, but how difficult is it to set up?"

MuscleNerd Confirms the Gevey SIM iPhone 4 Unlock is Illegal

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

We recently told you about the Gevey SIM interposer, a TurboSIM-like piggy back sim card that allows you to unlock any iPhone 4. When we first wrote about it, we raised concerns about the legality of this method, and warned you that your carrier might not like you using this.

Today, MuscleNerd confirmed that the Gevey SIM is indeed illegal in the US and most likely in other countries because it dials the 112 emergency number and hangs up right away...

App Picks of the Week: Everyday, Color, Portaball

Alex Heath ∙ Updated February 17, 2018

We've picked three apps from the App Store that caught our eye over the previous week. This week, we've got two creative photography/social apps and one game.

Enjoy this week's picks!

PhotoProtect Makes Sure You Don’t Delete Your iPhone Photos by Accident

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 2, 2018

iPad 2 Can Output 1080p Video With Dual Displays

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

There has been a lot of talk about the horsepower Apple has packed into the new iPad 2. It's running the new dual-core A5 chip and is showing graphic rendering speeds of up to 9 times faster than the original iPad.

Benchmark testers have already proven that the iPad 2 is nearly twice as fast as its competitors, even the ones that have dual processors themselves. But just how powerful is Apple's latest tablet?

iOS game developer Firemint is determined to find out. TouchArcade is showing a video of a beta version of Firemint's Real Racing 2 HD for the iPad 2. While I've seen video out from an iPad many times before, I've never seen it look this good.

The new HDMI cable Apple released with the iPad 2 translates game play from your iPad to the big screen effortlessly. It will play in full 1080p on any compatible HDTV, with no black borders or scaling.

Since you will be watching the gameplay on your big TV, Firemint didn't want the screen on your iPad to go to waste. While you twist and turn your iPad to steer your race car, glance down at it every so often to see a map and race statistics.

I'm excited to see what app makers continue to come up with for the iPad 2. Its power obviously leaves more room for innovation by developers. I'd like to see game play move over to AirPlay and ditch the HDMI cable al together, but that's just me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALKm0Leuc7c

Does anyone play any games using the video out feature? Tell us below!

Pulse News for iPhone Receives Major Update

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 5, 2018

I'm a technology news junky. From Apple rumors to new gadgets, I just can't get enough. But there are so many websites that pump out information, how do you keep track of it all?

Well it's no secret around iDB that I am a Pulse Mini fan. As far as RSS readers go, it's amazing. Everything is graphic oriented, so no more sifting through lines and lines of RSS text feeds. Now after a significant update, my favorite RSS app just got better...

Tutorial: How to Use Skype for Your iPhone as a Home Security Camera Monitor

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 5, 2018

If you have a small child that is watched by a baby sitter in your house, or just want to know what your really weird roommate does when you aren't home, listen up! If you have a desktop computer or laptop with a webcam, then you already have a security camera.

Now all you need is an iPad 3G or iPhone that is compatible with Skype's iOS app to act as the monitor. This way you will be able to see what is going on in your home using your iDevice, from anywhere that you can get 3G service...

Apple TV to Turn into More Than Just a Hobby?

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 30, 2016

When questioned about the Apple TV's lackluster sales, Apple's Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook said that Apple TV was "just a hobby." That might have been the case at last years annual Goldman Sachs' technology conference in San Francisco when delegates asked Apple's COO the question, but not anymore.

Apple's second release of the Apple TV came in the form of a trimmed down black case and a low price of $99. With NetFlix and MLB integration, Apple TV2 seemed much more appealing than the original.

With the introduction of AirPlay in iOS 4.3, Apple made your HDTV you already had start interacting with the iDevices you already carried.

Fast forward to yesterday, March 25 2011. AppleInsider is reporting that Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty sent a note to investors yesterday that read "checks in Asia suggest Apple is working on a Smart TV prototype." The news has been traveling through the tech blogs like wildfire as everyone is intrigued to see what Apple will come up with next.

Are the folks that brought us the mouse and the click wheel ready to invade our living rooms for real this time? It's possible. Huberty speculated that a Smart TV would be an opportunity for Apple to consolidate innovative hardware with their iTunes software and other technologies.

An Apple TV set would bring the iTunes Goliath media library into homes that weren't using it before on other products. It could also bring technologies like FaceTime into the homes of the not-so-tech-savvy. If given access to Apple's current App Store, an Apple HDTV would immediately turn into a gaming hub, compatible with all of your current iDevices.

Only time will tell what Apple has planned for the future. I think it's very likely we start seeing Apple branded products outside of their current scope. And if the previous success of Apple's previous products are any indication, whatever it is, they'll probably sell millions.

Phil Schiller Says No iPad 2 Keyboard Dock in the Works

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 30, 2016

If you were one of the people lucky enough to grab an iPad 2 while they were still available, you might be looking for an alternative to the iPad's built in soft keyboard. With the original iPad, Apple released a keyboard dock that would connect an Apple keyboard to your iPad and charge it at the same time.

If you are searching for a similar accessory from Apple for the iPad 2, keep looking. 9to5mac is reporting that one of their readers emailed Apple Senior Vice President of Marketing Phil Schiller on this very topic.

From what I've heard, the Apple keyboard dock is not made for the iPad 2. Is there an ipad 2 version that I can't find on your online store - or is it coming soon?

It seems Schiller's reply to the email doesn't necessarily answer the question, but definitely gives you the idea that Apple will not be making an iPad 2 keyboard dock.

People prefer to use the iPad's built in soft keyboard most all of the time, it works very well. Those that do choose to use an external keyboard most often choose to use Apple's bluetooth wireless keyboard for the convenience it provides.

It's not surprising that Schiller is indirect with his response. But 3 weeks after the iPad 2 launch and no announcement, the answer is no. So it looks we'll just have to buy Smart Covers to use as stands and Apple bluetooth keyboards for our external input.

Good news though, for those of you who already owned an original iPad keyboard dock, 9to5mac is claiming it works with the iPad 2.

What do you use for an external keyboard for your iPad or iPad 2? Tell us below!

Angry Birds Movie Trailer Released [Funny]

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated November 13, 2019

Every day there seems like there's another parody being released involving Angry Birds.

Is it just me, or is the already insanely popular game garnering even more attention as time goes on?

Check out this video of a live action Angry Birds trailer. If you're critical of today's mass-market action movies, you'll find this to be pretty humorous no doubt.

The entire trailer features a live action setting; in fact, besides the Angry Birds themselves, everything is real, including those filthy pigs...

AutoResponder Will Automatically Respond to Your Text Messages

Alex Heath ∙ March 27, 2011

AutoResponder is a Cydia tweak that automatically replies to incoming SMS messages. If you're in a situation where you can't immediately respond to a text, AutoResponder can reply for you with a list of preset messages you assign.

If you're the kind of person that doesn't like to leave your friends hung out to dry, AutoResponder is great for notifying someone that you're busy or unavailable...

iOS 5 Pushed Back to the Fall, Preview at WWDC

Alex Heath ∙ March 26, 2011

Some news has surfaced concerning iOS 5 and Apple's roadmap for the coming year. According to M.G. Siegler of TechCrunch, Apple is going to push back the release of iOS 5.0 to this fall, and the iPhone 5 will launch with a version of iOS 4.x.

Speculation has been that Apple would hold a media event next month for an iOS 5 preview and MobileMe revamp, but TechCrunch's sources claim otherwise...