Reviews

So one big complaint that I heard was the lack of other instant messaging services available in the App Store. Although I don’t use any other service besides AIM, I could empathize with those individuals. Of course, they could always go to the web apps such as Meebo and a few others, but having a native app is just more fun.

Yesterday, I was browsing through the Social Networking section as I usually do and stumbled upon a new addition - Palringo. (iTunes Link)

Palringo has been around for quite some time and if you ever owned a Windows Mobile Device or Blackberry, then perhaps you’ve heard or even used this nice program.

Palringo is an instant messenger app that’s able to connect to AIM, MSN, Yahoo, Google Talk, etc. It will also let you send media files (photos). However, you do need to set up a Palringo account to get it all going. Not a big deal, but it appears to be the best option for multi-client IM as of now. I am sure others will come… more...

Thanks to CoreLocation in the iPhone SDK, Apps can make use of WiFi, Cell, and A-GPS information to keep track of where you are.

Your Twitter feed can be tagged with your current location, or can show you just those contacts in a certain vicinity. A movie app can automatically fetch show times for all the theaters in a certain radius. A to-do app can pop up location-based (rather than just time-based) alerts, reminding you to help your grandparents mow the lawn next time you’re there, or ping you when you pass the electronics store so you remember to pick up that ethernet cord you need.

Amazing apps, amazing capabilities, but a little intrusive, don’t you think? Apple enforces a policy that requires apps to pop up a request asking your permission several times before defaulting to location aware status. After selecting yes for at least twice (for most apps I’ve tried), you will no longer see the message again. Some users thought it was no longer tracking since it never asked, but that is not the case at all. It has defaulted to the common answer… more...

I live in a household with more than one iPhone user (that I helped to cross over ) and it quickly became a dilemma of wether or not we should purchase the same app more than once or just not use the app at all. I found out about a method that may help users in my dilemma.

The solution uses the abilities currently present in iTunes to authorize and download the application to other iTunes libraries so you do not need to worry about hacking your device at all.

1. First, you’ll want to log in to your friend/family’s iTunes library using the AppleID you used to purchase the Application....Check

2. Go to the application that you are purchasing and click “Buy Application”. The App Store should give the following prompt: “You already purchased this application. To download it again for free select OK.” ...Check

3. Select OK, download the app, then log out of your account, and you should be able to sync the application with the iPhone that is connected to that iTunes library!

Sounds pretty simple, eh? I tried… more...

“Etymotic Research, Inc. translates its expertise in hearing-related research and product development into parts highly regarded by musicians, hearing professionals, and consumers alike.”

Etymotic, which means “true to the ear,” is exactly what I have been searching for all my life. I got a chance to experience the hf2 earphones, specifically designed for the iPod/iPhone line and I must say, they are fantastic.

The design of the Etymotic hf2 is fairly standard for the normal noise-isolating headset, however, these go even further into the ear than many similar models.  They come with three types of ear fittings: two sizes of triple flange tips and one set of extra-long foam tips. Each set requires insertion pretty far into the ear to achieve a proper seal. And let me tell you, it works like a charm. Place these firmly in your ear and it is like you are in a padded room - No sound at all.

The mic that is attached features a single button for answering and ending calls. The button also doubles as music control; Press once to play or pause, double press to skip… more...

I was rather upset when I opened (actually AT&T representatives) my iPhone 3G and there was not a dock included. I figured, ok, my old iPhone dock will work… Not so much.

If you look closely, it is even more upsetting that the iPhone 3G is just shy of fitting in the dock which made me think about manipulating the old dock in a way that the iPhone 3G could fit.

Stephen Beals of iPhoneFreak read my thoughts.

He lists four steps that could turn that old dock of yours into a nice iPhone 3G-welcoming dock using three simple tools no more that $5.00 tops:

-Clear packing tape Sharp tool or a pocket knife
-A small flathead screwdriver
-100 Grit Aluminum Oxide sandpaper “(found in the Paint isle of any home improvement store for about $2.50)”

I’m a little reluctant to try it seeing as how I don’t have much faith in myself to make it look as good as his. I may end up creating something that I brought home to mother when I… more...

I haven’t downloaded to many games for iPhone simply because I don’t usually play games on phones. However, over the weekend, I had the chance to play with a game I thought I would never like.

I’m not a poker player, so when I downloaded the app, I was a little confused, but within 5 minutes I became a poker pro. MotionX Poker is a five-card poker game played by rolling five dice. You play against the “dealer” and have three rolls to make the best hand. So how exactly do you roll?

The brains behind MotionX were thoughtful enough to incorporate the accelerometer into the game so all you have to do is give your iPhone (or iPod Touch) a shake. The beautifully rendered dice shake across the screen, even adding vibration to the whole gaming experience.

When the dice come to rest, you drag the ones you wish to keep in your hand to the squares at the bottom of the screen. When you win a hand, your point score is increased by the amount of your bet, with bonuses… more...

In case you haven’t heard, the BBC just released their popular iPlayer web portal for the iPhone platform. I decided to point my iPhone browser to the iPlayer to check things out. Here are my first impression:

1. It works
Life just keeps getting better and better, guys. We’re happy to report that the iPlayer provides a great portal to access some of the network’s most popular content with an intuitive interface. There really is no comparison for this release.

2. Content is limited
Aye, here’s the rub. Much like what happened with YouTube when the iPhone was first shipped, not all programs are available through iPlayer yet, as they are probably being re-encoded to the Apple codec. BBC says 100% of the content will be available soon. Plus, most programs can only be played in the U.K.

3. The radio (podcast directory) is the best part
Sure, watching videos is great, but we already have that with YouTube! The iPlayer radio opens up a whole new content area to iPhone users. Unfortunately, the iPlayer doesn’t work over EDGE, so you won’t exactly be able… more...

Are you a heavy iPhone user that finds yourself draining your battery life before the day is done? The built-in battery on the iPhone, despite initial concerns of the fact that it is not user-replaceable, is actually quite good. This is even when you do heavy web browsing and internet use throughout the day. But some people have expressed concern for losing enough battery life that they have to recharge during the day or at least every night.

Richard Thalheimer, the founder of The Sharper Image has released a new device through his company RichardSolo.com called the Smart Backup Battery. This device basically acts as a battery extender or battery recharger for your iPhone. It works on the iPhone and all iPods (except the Shuffle) using the Apple 30-pin connector.

It’s a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery in a slick looking, black aluminum case. It feels basically like an iPod Mini with a more scratch-resistant finish. The Smart Backup Battery is super light, has colored LEDs that indicate charging status and comes with a retractable USB cable and AC adaptor.

I like this product. I tried it out… more...

I took a look at two popular photo-sharing sites and realized they both have iPhone capabilities, but which one do you like best?

Photo-sharing and storage sites Picasa Web and Photobucket announced new mobile interfaces a few weeks ago and I took a good look at both of them.

While m.photobucket.com and picasaweb.google.com/mobile or mobile.google.com grant access to online albums from any mobile browser, the interface on iPhone’s full Safari browser is wonderful. iPhone’s large, sharp screen is ideal for viewing slide shows, but to this day, users are still unable to directly upload iPhone photos to Web sites.

While this leaves Picasa as a simple mobile photo viewer, Photobucket’s site provides an account-linked email address for users to send photos that are then sent to their Photobucket accounts.

Picasa’s more polished interface offers a much cleaner user experience that also makes better use of the iPhone’s dimensions, and also provides a quick link to Google other mobile services, like Google Reader, the calendar, and Gmail.

Unlike Photobucket,… more...

To further disprove suspicion of creating a fake Firmware on a level that Apple would be envious of, Andru Edwards of Gearlive answers more questions about the 1.1.3 update and posts a screenshot of his about screen showing his Firmware number is in fact 1.1.3.

The picture below shows that Andru is running 1.1.3 but blocks out his serial number and build number to protect his source. Some hopes are dashed such as SMS forwarding, MMS support and A2DP Support.

VIa: Gearlive