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News, Reviews, & Opinion
iPhone Add-ons
iPod Add-ons
iPod and iPhone Deals
News, Reviews, & Opinion
Apple Adds 16 GB iPhone, 32 GB iPod touch
PR: Apple on Tuesday
added new models of the iPhone and iPod touch which have double the
memory, doubling the amount of music, photos and videos that users can
carry with them wherever they go. The iPhone now comes in a new 16 GB
model for $499, joining the 8 GB model for $399. iPod touch now
comes in a 32 GB model for $499, joining the 16 GB model for $399 and
the 8 GB model for $299.
"For some users, there's never enough memory," said Greg Joswiak,
Apple's vice president of Worldwide iPod and iPhone Product Marketing.
"Now people can enjoy even more of their music, photos and videos on
the most revolutionary mobile phone and best WiFi mobile device in the
world."
Both iPhone and iPod
touch feature Apple's Multi-Touch user interface and pioneering
software that allows users to find and enjoy all their music, videos,
photos and more with just a touch of their finger. All iPhone and iPod
touch models include the latest software enhancements announced last
month including the ability to automatically find your location using
the new Maps application*; create Web Clips for your favorite websites;
customize your home screen and watch movies from the new iTunes Movie
Rentals. Both iPhone and iPod touch feature the world's most advanced
mobile web browser in the world with Safari and great mobile
applications including Mail, Maps, Stocks, Weather and Notes.
The new 16 GB iPhone is available immediately for a suggested retail
price of $499 through the Apple Store, Apple's
retail stores and AT&T retail and online stores. The 32 GB iPod
touch is available worldwide immediately for a suggested retail price
of $499 through the Apple Store, Apple's retail stores and Apple
Authorized Resellers. iTunes Movie Rentals are available in the US
only. iPhone and iPod touch require a Mac with a USB 2.0 port, Mac OS X
10.4.10 or later and iTunes 7.6; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port
and Windows Vista or Windows XP Home or Professional (Service Pack 2)
or later and iTunes 7.6.
*Availability and precision of Maps positioning features will vary
depending on actual location.
FAQ: Upgrading to the 16 GB iPhone
iPhone Atlas
says:
"With today's announcement of an 16 GB iPhone, a number of users are
interested in upgrading their 4 GB or 8 GB models. Here's the
skinny on contracts, keeping your SIM card, returns and more...."
Link:
FAQ: Upgrading to the 16 GB iPhone
Apple Developers Get Ready for iPhone SDK
InformationWeek's Elena Malykhina reports:
"As Apple prepares to release its much-anticipated iPhone software
development kit (SDK), expected in February, developers are already
hard at work cobbling together Web-based applications for the
smartphone without Apple's help.
"While the SDK is sure to launch a wave of hype in the press, the
real story about how iPhone apps are being developed is much more
nuanced. To get the scoop, we talked with Andrew Reuter, a lead
developer at Journyx Inc. The Austin, Texas-based developer of
Web-based time- and expense-tracking solutions is getting is getting
ready to release its own set of iPhone libraries for Web
developers."
Link:
Apple Developers Get Ready for iPhone SDK
iPhone Add-ons
iFob Lets You Connect with iPhoners Around You
Apple World
reports:
"iFob uses the built-in wireless connectivity of Apple's iPod touch
and iPhone, or any laptop, to communicate directly with other close by
copies of iFob. iFob instantly lets people in coffee shops, airports
and any other public hotspot exchange taglines & simple profiles,
both publically and privately.
"iFob is a brand new native iPhone application that bills itself as
'Wireless social networking for real people' . . . You
install the app and then get on a WiFi network at a public place and
let it look around for other iPhone or iPod touch users around
you...."
Link:
Fob: Lets You Find & Connect with Other iPhoners Around You
Software
iPhoneDrive Lets You Keep Files on Your Phone,
Access Your Music and Photos
PR: Just a few more things your iPhone does. Use your iPhone
or iPod touch for file storage, ensuring that you always have your
important data backed up.
iPhoneDrive also provides easy access to your iTunes media, photos,
notes, SMS messages and call history. Simply drag music, videos, notes
and phone data from the iPhone to your desktop or just double-click to
copy.
iPhoneDrive's familiar Mac OS X interface makes it simple to
transfer files between your Mac and your iPhone. Just drag and drop
files between the iPhoneDrive window and your desktop, or use the
iPhoneDrive toolbar.
Storing files on your iPhone enables you to use your iPhone's unused
storage space as a disk drive to backup data or transfer between
Macs.
Note: Files stored on the iPhone using iPhoneDrive cannot be viewed
on the iPhone screen.
Play Your iPhone's Music on any Mac - Simply double-click music
stored on the iPhone or iPod touch to play it on your Mac! To add the
song to iTunes, simply click one button.
Simple Notes Access - iPhoneDrive is the easiest and quickest way to
access your iPhone's Notes on your Mac desktop. Simply connect any
iPhone and double-click notes to open them in your favorite text
editor.
Export SMS Messages and Recent Calls - Need access to the call
history or your SMS messages stored on your iPhone? Simply drag it from
iPhoneDrive to your desktop. The information can be viewed in your
favorite text editor or spreadsheet program.
Recover From Disaster - In the event of a Mac disk crash, if your
music and photos are safely stored on your phone, iPhoneDrive is the
easiest path to recovery.
Features: Simple interface.
- Store any type of data.
- Access music, videos, podcasts and photos.
- Instant access to Notes.
- Easily export iPhone SMS and recent calls.
- Use your iPhone for backup.
- Bring your data between home and office.
- Full compatibility with all iPhone and iPod touch firmware.
- Try before you buy. Download the demo.
System Requirements:
- iPhone or iPod touch
- Mac OS X 10.4.10 or later
- iTunes v7.3 or later
Price: $19.95
Link: iPhoneDrive
iPod Add-ons
Apple Stores to Begin Selling Polk Audio iPod
Products
PR: Polk Audio, a Directed Electronics brand, has announced
that its new I-Sonic Entertainment System 2 and miDock Studio models
will soon be available at more than 170 Apple Store locations and the
Apple Online
Store.
Jim Minarik, President & CEO of Directed Electronics, commented,
"Acceptance by Apple of Polk Audio's iPod products validates the high
quality and superior performance of this brand. As a growing number of
consumers prefer more sophisticated electronic entertainment devices
sold at Apple's stores, we believe Polk's products are well positioned
to gain recognition rapidly in this market due to their cutting-edge
innovative features and reliability. We are thrilled to have Apple as
our new retail partner and look forward to a long-term and mutually
beneficial relationship."
Beginning in March 2008, Apple's retail outlets throughout the US
will sell Polk Audio's I-Sonic Entertainment System 2 (ES2), the
world's first product to feature iTunes Tagging for HD Radio, giving
consumers the power to "bookmark" songs they hear on the radio.
The iTunes Tag button on the I-Sonic ES2's front panel and remote
control allows consumers to tag songs broadcast by HD Radio stations.
The I-Sonic ES2 stores information about the tagged songs in its memory
and transfers the tags to an iPod when docked. When the consumer
connects the iPod to a computer, iTunes automatically presents the
songs in a new tagged playlist for the consumer to preview, buy, and
download. iTunes Tagging is compatible with iPod Classic, recent 30 GB
and 60 GB iPod models, and current iPod nano.
"The Apple Store is one of the most creative and consumer-oriented
retail businesses today, which comes as no surprise given how
brilliantly the parent company designs and markets its products,"
commented Jim Herd, President of Polk Audio. "It's an honor to have one
of our more advanced, high-performance products available through such
a forward-thinking retail organization."
Like traditional AM and FM stations, HD Radio programming is free,
but that is where the similarity ends. HD Radio reception allows
stations to broadcast up to three FM stations on a single digital
frequency, with all three "multicasts" offering CD-like quality audio.
A variety of data services with text-based information - artist name,
weather alerts, school closings, traffic alerts, etc. - can be scrolled
across the receiver's display. Today, there are more than 1,500 HD
Radio stations in the US
The I-Sonic ES2 accepts almost all iPod models with dock connectors
in its top-mounted dock, hidden beneath a sliding door. Music files on
an Apple iPhone can be played when the iPhone is in airplane mode.
S-Video and composite video outputs allow the user to connect a
television or video monitor to the IES2 for viewing video content
stored on a video iPod.
More information is available online, or call 1-800-377-7655 (USA
and Canada).
Findley Designs Updates iPod Access with iPod touch
Support
PR: Findley Designs, Inc. announces the immediate
availability of iPod Access v4.2 for Mac OS X and Windows
Vista/XP. iPod Access is the leading iPod/iPhone music and video
transfer application for the Mac and Windows. With iPod Access you have
instant access to all the songs on your iPod or iPhone. Version 4.2
adds improved support for the iPod touch and iPhone, improved iTunes
integration and numerous bug fixes. iPod Access works with all past and
present iPod models.
Findley Designs, Inc. announces the immediate availability of iPod
Access v4.2 for Mac OS X and Windows Vista/XP. Version 4.2 adds
improved support for the iPod touch and iPhone, improved iTunes
integration and numerous bug fixes. iPod Access works with all past and
present iPod models.
New Features include:
- New iPhone and iPod touch engine.
- Improved iTunes duplicate checking.
- Improved Playlist Cloning.
- Improved copy for large files.
- Improved "Show songs not in iTunes" function.
iPod Access is the leading iPod/iPhone music and video transfer
application for the Mac and Windows. With iPod Access you have instant
access to all the songs on your iPod or iPhone. Your songs can be be
displayed and sorted in almost any fashion so you can find the songs
you need right when you need them.
With the new instant search feature in v4 you can find songs just as
quickly as you would in iTunes. And once you have found the songs,
movies and playlists that you want, iPod Access will copy them right
back into iTunes or to an external drive for backup. If you need music
from your iPod or iPhone back on your computer then you need iPod
Access.
Features Include:
- * Universal Application (Support for Intel and PPC Macs)
- Leopard (OS X 10.5) and Tiger (OS X 10.4) Support
- Windows Vista and XP Support
- Force iPod Manual Update Mode (iPod only)
- Add songs, videos and podcasts directly to the iTunes Library
- Export song listing
- Automatic file renaming
- Support for non-Roman characters (including Japanese)
- Easy to use interface
- Instant listing of all iPod songs
- Playlist Cloning into iTunes
- Support for iTunes Ratings, Play Count, Last Played date
- Play music and video files directly from the iPod (iPod only)
- Transfer ID3 tags for WAV, Video and iFM files.
- AAC file support (including iTunes Music store songs)
- Audible.com support
- Song Navigation by Artist/Album or Composer/Album
- Copy songs organized by Artist/Album or Composer/Album
- Single button sequential backups
- Recover songs from iPods with a damaged database. (iPod only)
- Support for PC formatted Hard drives
- Support for Multiple iPods
iPod Access v4.2 can be downloaded as a free trial or purchased for
$19.99. Version 4.2 is a free upgrade to all registered v4 users.
iPod touch Crystal Jacket
PR: Power Support's Black Crystal Jacket Set for the
iPod touch is just what you need to compliment the aesthetics of the
iPod touch, without impeded use of the touch screen.
- Rotating stand allows either vertical or horizontal viewing of the
screen
- The crystal jacket allows for protection from dust, scratches, and
impacts
- The slim style of the Crystal Jacket won't add bulk to your
iPod.
Set Includes:
- Jacket with 2 backings one with a rotating stand
- Crystal Film for the touch screen and rear cover
Note: The Crystal Jacket and Body Film cannot completely
protect the iPod from all scratches or abrasions. They will not protect
your player from damage due to collisions or strong impacts. If your
iPod Crystal Jacket gets dirty, simply remove the iPod from the case
and clean the Jacket with a neutral detergent and water. Let the
Crystal Jacket dry completely before replacing the player.
Crystal Jacket for iPod touch - Black $29.95
Link:
Crystal Jacket for iPod touch
iPodList 3.0 Command Line Tool to Backup/Restore
iPod Music Tracks
PR: iPodList is a Mac OS X command line tool to easily backup
and restore iPod music tracks.
In principle, iTunes is the only way to manage iPod music tracks. In
most of the cases, this works well. However, there are some situations
in which the iTunes operating mode does not help at all and puts some
severe limitations to the end user.
Simply allow the following operations:
- save iPod music content to a computer in one shot
- restore the iPod content in one command
- extract a subset of the music tracks using a simple pattern
matching scheme
- list the iPod music content
New in version 3.0: iTunes 7.5 DB format alignment
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.3 or later.
System Support: PPC/Intel
Free
Link: iPodList
