All About the Mac

Turn Your Ipod Touch Into A Phone

Turning Your Ipod Touch Into A Phone

There is actually an easy way to turn your Ipod Touch into a phone. Well, as long as you have a wi-fi access at your home or anywhere around the world, there should be no problem in setting this up.

First of all, you will have to download Truphone and install in into your Ipod Touch. This application allows users to make and receive phonecalls via internet protocols, or famously known as VoIP, with Google's talk messaging service, Truphone customers and as well as Ipod Touch owners itself. Moreover, you will be notified if one of your Truphone contacts goes online, which means that you will be connecting with your contacts at no charges at all as long as you are in the wi-fi zone. However, if you are not online, Truphone can connect and route your calls through internet using cheap VoIp calls provided.

The best of all, when you download this application, you will also be given a FREE $1 calling credit for you to get started. 

PS: You will need an additional headset and microphone in order for this to work

Apple tells Copyright Office Jailbreaking iPhone is Illegal; Mozilla & Skype Support EFF's Request for an Exemption to the DMCA

For the 2009 rulemaking, Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has filed an exemption request with the U.S. Copyright Office to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) related to iPhone jailbreakingwhich allows iPhone owners to install iPhone apps that have not been approved on the App Store (due to various reasons).

Things have just got more interesting as Mozilla, Skype and Cydia have added their support behind EFF's push to get the U.S. Copyright Office to grant DMCA exception so users can jailbreak their iPhone without fear of copyright infringement penalties.

Apple had recently told the U.S. Copyright Office that it believes jailbreaking an iPhone is a violation of the DMCA and infringes on its copyright. Apple also informed the Copyright Office that the exception request byElectronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) was not acceptable as the very act of jailbreaking the iPhone results in copyright infringement.

As per Apple the current method of jailbreaking the iPhone uses unauthorized modifications to the copyrighted bootloader and OS, resulting in the infringement of the copyrights in those programs.

EFF's argument is that jailbreaking iPhone is protected under fair-use doctrines, and that the Copyright Office should grant an exemption because "the culture of tinkering (or hacking, if you prefer) is an important part of our innovation economy."

However, Apple disagreed and pointed out that few users of jailbroken iPhones actually used tools (such as PwnageTool and QuickPwn) and did not jailbreak it themselves.

But things just got a lot more interesting as companies such as Mozilla and Skype have just given their support to EEF's exception request.

CEO of Mozilla, John Lilly said in an interview with Computerworld:

"This is not us criticizing Apple,"

"But it's the principle of the thing. Choice is good for users, and choice shouldn't be criminalized. The Internet is too important for all of us for that."

Mozilla's general counsel, Harvey Anderson, wrote in the comments submitted to the Copyright Office:

"Given the choice, would we work on a platform where the sole company controlling it makes us unwelcome, or would we work on a platform, like Linux, where we are welcome? The answer is going to be easy for us,"

Anderson also pointed out that:

"These devices contain Internet Web browser, and are therefore effectively users' doorway to the Internet -- a public commons. Consumers should be entitled to use anysoftware program they choose to access the Internet."

The last statement seems to clearly highlights Mozilla's interest in getting a DMCA exemption so that they can release their mobilebrowser for the jailbroken iPhone. It indicates that Mozilla might be taking the unofficial approach as they feel that their iPhone app will not get approved by Apple as it would be a direct competition to iPhone's Safari browser.

It is also interesting to see Skype adding their voice behind EFF's exemption request. It indicates that they are also planning to launch their iPhone app only for the jailbroken iPhone (and not on the App Store as it was speculated) so that users can make cheap VoIP calls using their iPhone over Wi-Fi as well as their data connection. iPhone's SDK currently restricts VoIP calls only over Wi-Fi network.

Cydia was the other software developer who joined Mozilla and Skype in supporting the EFF's petition. Cydia app is equivalent to the App Store in the iPhone hacking world as it lets users installiPhone applications from any source, rather than just the App Store. In his remarks submitted to the U.S. Copyright Office, Jay Freeman of Saurik, Cydia's developer, said:

"Cydia is now installed on 1.6 million devices worldwide, at least a quarter of which are within the United States."

We will keep you posted on this developing story. Thanks David for the tip!

What do you think about jailbreaking? Do you think Apple is right in making it illegal? Should the Copyright Office accept EFF's request for an exception to the DMCA? It will be great to get your feedback in the comments below.

[via Techmeme]

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Ipod and Chevy Volt?

Chevy Volt: GM's 230 mpg Moon Shot

General Motors, faced with the need to recast itself in the public eye after a near-disastrous run through bankruptcy court, believes it has an ace up its sleeve.  The Chevy Volt, an "Extended-Range Electric Vehicle," should reach showrooms by early 2011. 

Incredibly, GM says, the Volt should arrive bearing a window sticker with a 230 mpg (city) EPA rating.

The automotive press considers the Volt a potentially revolutionary car, but uncertainty surrounds the project. In-depth magazine profiles have portrayed it as controversial within GM, and the press is as focused on how a major automaker operates -- both internal political battles and engineering challenges -- as it is on the car itself. Many of the engineers behind the famous, failed EV1 are working on the Volt.

If it succeeds, it will matter as a symbol as much as an actual product -- forcing millions to reconsider GM's image, and possibly lifting the perception of rest of the General's model lineup with it.

As the New York Times explains, "If the Volt succeeds, it could put the troubled company on a whole new path after 10 decades tethered to the internal-combustion engine. If it fails, it could drag G.M., and perhaps the entire struggling American auto industry, even further behind Asian competitors."

The Volt may also become the platform for several GM cars.  A two-door luxury version, the Cadillac Converj, has begun to make the rounds of the auto show circuit.  A European edition, the Opel Ampera, is also planned -- though there are questions about Opel's long-term survival as part of GM's portfolio, so no assumption about the Ampera is safe.  Rumors have suggested that a crossover version, likely badged as a Buick, could also appear.

What the Auto Press is Saying:

• With its claimed 230 mpg city rating, "The Volt would dwarf any offering from a mass-market brand, including Toyota Motor Corp.'s iconic Prius. It also could deliver a major boost to GM efforts to cultivate a green image, a key element of the company's restructuring efforts." -- Wall Street Journal
• "In the midst of this corporate chaos, a dedicated group of hundreds of engineers, scientists, designers, technicians and drivers have tried to keep their heads down and out of the line of fire as they worked to make the Volt a production reality. From the time we first saw the original concept, GM has selected a battery supplier (LG Chem), defined the final powertrain configuration and released the production design, among countless other tasks." -- Autoblog
• "Because it will have both an electric and a gasoline motor on board, the Volt will be a hybrid. But it will be like no hybrid on the road today. Existing hybrids are gasoline-powered cars, with an electric assist to improve the gas mileage. The Volt will be an electric-powered car, with a gasoline assist to increase the battery's range."-- Atlantic Monthly
• "The Volt will be a compact five-door hatch, built on the new global small-car architecture that will also underpin future versions of the Saturn Astra and Chevy Cobalt. ... Executed properly, the Volt could be a real game changer." -- Motor Trend
• "A large display screen will likely be standard and allow owners to custom-tailor certain driving and charging parameters. For example, [Volt chief engineer Frank Weber] says you could plug in your car at home and then program it to charge, say five hours later, when off-peak power is cheapest. Sustainable materials are all over the place, from a recycled carpet to soy-based foam seats. ---Popular Mechanics

What is it?

The Chevy Volt is midsize, series-hybrid car. GM prefers to refer to it as "an Extended-Range Electric Vehicle," or E-REV.  The distinction from traditional hybrids is important. All of the hybrids you can buy today -- like the Toyota Prius -- are parallel hybrids. They are essentially gasoline-powered cars with an electric motor to boost their gas mileage. The Volt is the opposite. It is a series hybrid -- an electric car with a small gasoline engine to boost its range.

GM says the gasoline engine will do less work in the Volt than in any previous hybrid. The electric motor, engineers claim, will be able to power the car all the way to 100 miles per hour, for up to 40 miles. The gasoline engine is just a generator that kicks in to recharge the batteries when they are near empty.  In fact, some analysts believe the Volt may be capable of even longer battery-only cruises.  Motor Trend reports, "engineers point out that the 40-mile range statistic bandied about is a conservative one that applies at the end of 10 years and 150,000 miles."

The Volt seats four and is sized somewhere between the small Chevy Cobalt and midsize Chevy Malibu.

The initial Volt concept appeared on the auto show circuit in 2007, and the automotive press has been busy tracking the project's ups and downs ever since. Estimates of the Volt's price, production date, and fuel economy have shifted many times

How Does It Work?

The Chevy Volt will use a new powertrain that GM is referring to as the "Voltec" system.  It uses electricity to move the car at all times, and uses an engine as a generator to repenish its batteries.  To charge it, owners will plug it into a standard household electrical outlet. When they drive the car, it will use only its electric motor, no matter what speed it is driven, until its battery has less than 30 percent of a full charge remaining.

At that point, a small four-cylinder engine will turn on. That engine will not directly send power to the wheels -- instead, it will act as a generator, recharging the batteries. 

According to former GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz, the Volt will use its GPS system to determine how long to run that engine.  "The car will know how far you are from home," Lutz told reporters last September, "and it will only run the gas engine long enough to give you enough charge to get you home where you can actually plug it into the wall outlet. So the car will be smart enough to know where its home base is." 

GM engineers estimate that the average driver will be able to travel 40 miles before the gasoline engine even ignites. But the range of the Volt under battery power alone will change based on how much weight it is carrying, how fast it is traveling, and other factors. The 40-mile figure is significant, however, because most Americans drive less than 40 miles per day. For many owners, the Volt would function as an electric car virtually all the time, using gasoline only when they took longer trips than they take on a typical day. 

How Many Miles Per Gallon Will the Volt Travel?

General Motors believes the Volt will earn an EPA rating of 230 mpg in city driving.  The company hasn't provided an estimate on the car's highway mileage, in part because the EPA is developing a new mileage testing procedure specifically for Volt-like vehicles.  GM CEO Fritz Henderson, however, has said the car would carry a combined mileage rating of more than 100 mpg.

The Volt is designed to finish most drives with its batteries holding as little as 30 percent of a full charge. If the Volt is allowed to run the EPA's circuits that way, designers say, it can complete the tests using its gasoline engine less than 15 percent of the time -- and receive an MPG rating in the hundreds.

How Will Its Performance Compare to Other Cars?

Performance figures for the Volt have not been released. Conflicting claims have been published by different media outlets. No one really knows what to expect until we are actually given the chance to drive the vehicle. But it seems unlikely that GM would bring it to market if it couldn't compete with similarly-sized models in the Chevrolet lineup.

Several media outlets have been allowed to test drive Volt development mules.  A development mule is an incomplete version of a car that is in development.  It uses certain parts of the experimental car, housed within an existing model, for testing purposes.  The latest Volt development mules are 2011 Chevy Cruze models with parts of the Volt's electric drivetrain instead of the Cruze's own engine and transmisson.

CNN was allowed to test drive one of these mules in April, and reported, "Under full electric power, which is how most owners will experience it most of the time, the Volt proved surprisingly potent."

Motor Trend commented, "It is an exceptionally quiet drivetrain, with little or no audible whine or hum emanating from the motor and its single-speed planetary reduction gearing. (The Silverado 2-Mode Hybrid sounds more electric.)"

Neither press outlet was allowed to test drive a Volt mule with its gasoline engine active.  

Chevy claims that the Volt's electric motor produces the equivalent of 150 horsepower. However, electric-drive cars can accelerate quickly -- the lack of a traditional transmission means less power is lost on the way to the wheels than is true of standard internal combustion engines.  One-hundred fifty horsepower could easily feel like more in an electric vehicle, so most automotive experts expect the Volt to feel quick for a midsize car.

Chevrolet claims the Volt has a top speed of 100 mph. 

However, CNN's test drivers found serious fault with the mule's handling.  "The first time I drove the front wheel drive test vehicle into a turn, the weight came as a surprise," reporter Peter Valdes-Depena wrote. "It felt almost like the small Cruze had turned into something more like a Cadillac the moment I turned the steering wheel."

That heavy feeling is likely a result of the vehicle's weight, and how it is carried.

 The U.K.'s AutoCar has claimed the Volt weighs about 3,500 lbs -- slightly more than a Chevy Malibu, though the Volt is a bit smaller in dimension.  However, its weight includes a T-shaped battery weighing more than 400 pounds running underneath the passenger compartment, in a position similar to the transmission tunnel in a conventional car.  That much weight, carried low and in the center of the car, make the Volt unique.  Suspension tuning could ultimately give the car a much better handling feel than the test mule CNN drove.

Theoretically, the Volt could handle quite nimbly.  The primary challenge in balancing the handling of most cars is weight distribution -- near 50/50 weight distribution is the goal of every designer, but few reach it.  The Volt's heavy, T-shaped battery, however, runs lengthwise underneath the floor of the car -- allowing engineers to balance weight carefully simply by placing the battery in the right location.  GM Vehicle Line Director Tony Posawatz told CNN, "The center of gravity of the car, with the center battery pack, it's going to have real great ride and handling."

What Kind of Batteries Does It Use?

The Volt uses lithium-ion batteries. All current hybrids use Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries. Li-ion cells are more efficient than the older batteries. They charge more quickly and hold more power for their weight. Americans are quite familiar with them, and most of us own a few -- they power most cell phones and laptop computers.

However, automotive engineers have been trying for years t make them work for cars, without much success. When built large enough to power a car, Li-ion cells tend to overheat quickly. GM engineers, working with Korean battery developer LG Chem, claim to have produced a Li-ion cell that doesn't overheat.   

Engineers from other companies have made similar claims. Nissan has built a Li-ion cell made of laminated sheets, while Mercedes-Benz claims to have developed one that is cooled by the car's climate control systems. But GM hasn't explained how it has solved the heat problem.

How Will It Charge?

Owners will plug the Volt into a standard household outlet to recharge its batteries.   It can be plugged into either a standard 120-volt wall outlet, or into a 240-volt outlet like those used to power large appliances.  Plugged into a standard 120-volt outlet, the Volt will recharge fully in about eight hours.  Plugging the Volt into a 240-volt outlet cuts charging time to less than three hours.

The batteries can also be charged by the gasoline engine onboard the Volt, which will kick in when the battery charge is below 30 percent. As in other hybrids, regenerative braking will help to capture brake energy to recharge batteries as well.

How Much Will It Add to Your Electric Bill?

In a press release published alongside the Volt's official reveal on September 16, 2008, Chevrolet claimed, "The Volt will be less expensive to recharge than purchasing a cup of your favorite coffee.  Charging the Volt about once daily will consume less electric energy annually than the average home's refrigerator and freezer units."

Specifically, GM claims "a cost of about 80 cents per day (10 cents per kWh) for a full charge."

The press release continued, "GM estimates that the Volt will cost about two cents per mile to drive while under battery power compared to 12 cents per mile using gasoline priced at $3.60 per gallon. For an average driver who drives 40 miles per day (or 15,000 miles per year), this amounts to a cost savings of $1,500 annually. Using peak electric rates, GM estimates that an electrically driven mile in a Chevy Volt will be about one-sixth of the cost of a conventional gasoline-powered vehicle. The cost savings are even greater when charging during off-peak hours, when electric rates are cheaper."

No one outside of GM has the data to test those figures, so we can't verify any of them.

What Kind of Gasoline Engine Does It Use?

The Volt's gasoline engine is a 1.4-liter four-cylinder model. It can use gasoline or E85 as fuel.  This engine, however, doesn't power the wheels of the car. It acts as a generator to recharge the batteries while the car is in motion. 

That gasoline engine is connected to a fuel tank that holds only six gallons of gas -- but, working with the car's batteries, that should be sufficient to give it a 400 mile range between fill-ups.

Will Gas Spoil in the Tank if it Doesn't Get Used?

Anyone who's tried to start a lawn mower in the spring after a long winter knows that gas degrades over time when it sits unused.  GM says the Volt has a pressurized gas tank that prevents this -- so drivers who actually do go months without hearing the engine kick in should be able to rely on that engine starting when they need it.

What Kind of Transmission Does it Use?

The Volt doesn't have a traditional transmission -- electric drives don't use gears.  It will have a selector like those in automatic transmission cars, but with only three settings -- forward, reverse, and a low setting that uses power harvested through regenerative braking to provide a power boost for driving up steep inclines.

What Does It Look Like?

With a low-sloping roofline, a high beltline, unusual shaped windows and aggressive, winking headlights, the Chevy Volt concept revealed on the auto show circuit in 2006 was radically different than cars currently on the road. It had a fastback rear profile and a long hood. The production Volt clearly borrows some design cues from that concept, but is a much more conventional-looking car. 

The car's design is mostly the result of aerodynamic research.  In fact, Volt chief engineer Bob Boniface told media members in a live chat in August, "Much to my surprise we found that aero performance was critical even at city speeds. I would have expected mass to be more critical than aero at low speeds but it was not true." 

So the Volt's design is mostly a function of aerodynamic requirements, but it clearly derives some of its look from conventional Chevy cars.

What Do People Think of the Volt's Appearance?

A model of the production Volt was first spotted on the set of the movie Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, where the car may have a small role. Later, GM mistakenly released some images of that car to the web.

An early poll on the enthusiast site GM-Volt.com indicates that the design was well-received, but many automotive journalists and bloggers weren't fans. Surveying industry reaction, Edmunds Auto Observer comments: "The most common reactions range in a bandwidth from disappointment to derision. The Volt concept car was widely applauded, and although GM subsequently warned certain aggressive aspects of the Volt concept would be sacrificed on the altar of production-car realities, the overwhelming blandness oozing from the images of what is purported to be the production Volt is inescapable."

What Interior Features Will the Volt Offer?

The Volt's interior is dominated by a contrasting-color center stack that features a touch-screen display.  Climate control, navigation, and entertainment features are all controlled through that screen. What isn't controlled through the touch screen is controlled through buttons that are flush with the instrument panel, giving the Volt's controls a look many writers have likened to an iPod.  Those buttons are touch-sensitive -- according to GM engineers, they could be set to react to the heat of your fingertips so that you didn't actually have to touch them, just come within milimeters of them -- but the Volt won't be shipped with its buttons set to that sensitivity.  They do promise that drivers can operate the buttons with a gloved hand.

A second liquid crystal display sits directly in front of the driver, replacing the traditional cluster of guages.   A large shifter is present, but is recessed into the center stack when the car is parked -- and because of the Volt's unique powertrain, its only settings are forward, reverse, and low.

The only production Volt shown to the press so far had an interior done in several tones of grey, with a glossy white center stack.  GM says the Volt will be offered in a more extensive array of interior colors than existing GM cars. 

GM has said it is looking for opportunities to use recycled and sustainable materials in the Volt's interior as well.  Since GM outsources most interior parts rather than producing them internally, final interior details aren't yet settled.

Engineers have said the Volt will offer Bluetooth compatibility, USB audio ports, heated front seats and folding rear seats. Beyond that, details are scarce. 

Why Four Seats Instead of Five?

The battery's configuration makes a rear middle seat position impossible.

The Rear Seats Look Narrow -- Will Child Safety Seats Work in the Volt?

GM says it has tested the Volt with typical child safety seats and had no problems installing them.

When Will It Be Available?

Some in the automotive press are calling the Volt a 2010 vehicle. Others label it a 2011. General Motors showed what it called the final production model at its anniversary celebration on Sept. 16, 2008 -- but said at the time that the car was not ready for production, and gave no production date.

GM Vice President Ed Peper told us in February that the Volt was on track for a public debut before the end of 2010, but did not give a prediction as to when the vehicle could reach showrooms.

GM has shown the Volt's body to the press, tested many parts of its drivetrain in a modified Chevy Malibu, designed the Volt's passenger cabin, and developed its chassis, which will also be used in many other 2011 and later small cars. However, the automaker has not put all of those components together into a prototype for the press to drive.

At a press event revealing the production Volt on September 16, 2008, GM said that the Volt would "be built at GM's Detroit-Hamtramck manufacturing facility, subject to GM successfully negotiating satisfactory government incentives" -- so the final manufacturing date may also depend somewhat on politics.

How Much Will the Volt Cost?

GM Officials have given many contradictory statements on the price of the Volt.  GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz himself told David Letterman the price would be $40,000, and with a federal tax rebate of $7,500 available, the car would actually cost buyers $32,500.

It's almost certain that GM will lose money on the first generation of Volts. The company has spent billions on research and development for the new car. 

How Could the Volt Change the Automotive Landscape?

General Motors and cross-town rival Chrysler are on government life support for a huge number of reasons, not all of which have much to do with their product lineup.  But one of the problems they face is a public perception that the companies build excellent pickup trucks and  SUVS, but little else.  Although GM makes a handful of well-regarded small and midsize cars (see the Chevy Malibu, near the top of our midsize car rankings), the company's image is still that of the Hummer H2, Cadillac Escalade and Chevy Silverado.

When consumers saw their budgets squeezed by $4 gas in 2008, few turned to Chevy dealerships to help them find a more economical car.  When GM's executives appeared before Congress, they faced a tongue-lashing for their lack of competitive fuel-sippers. 

The Volt, however, could turn GM's image around. GM has been steadily improving the gas mileage of all of its vehicles and retooling SUV plants to build fuel-efficient small cars. The Volt could give GM an image as an eco-conscious manufacturer of wallet-friendly cars -- even if many of those who come into a dealership to see the Volt ultimately buy a less-expensive 40-plus MPG 2010 Chevy Cruze.

Is GM Developing Any Other Volt-Like Cars?

A luxury coupe version, the Cadillac Converj, has appeared on the auto-show circuit and could see production.  A European version, the Opel Ampera, is reportedly headed for production as well.

What Could Keep the Volt From Succeeding?

It could fail to live up its promises. It could be delivered late. Or it could simply be out-competed in the marketplace. As revolutionary as the Volt's design sounds, GM is just one of many automakers working on something revolutionary:

The 2010 Toyota Prius already gets over 50 mpg, and a plug-in version is reportedly under development.

Nissan may offer a pure electric car in the U.S. in 2010.

BMW is testing electric MINI Coopers in California today.

More expensive, high-end cars, like the Tesla Model S and Fisker Karma, may beat the Volt to market.

Even Chrysler, in the same boat as GM with the government, has shown a very Volt-like Chrysler 200C prototype.

What if the Volt reaches showrooms in 2010 as just one of many ultra fuel-efficient, reasonably priced cars?  If the bar in the automotive industry has moved and 'the car that could save Detroit' looks average when it arrives, GM could still look behind the times even after investing heavily in this car.  Stay tuned...

Top 10 Iphone Apps.

More web-apps get published, this Top 10 Web-Apps list may become outdated, but for now, this is a good place to start.

Remember, if you find a web-app that you like, you can add an web-clip icon to your homescreen that will take you directly to that web-app (as long as you have at least v1.1.3 installed).

Hit the link to check out the Top 10 iPhone web-apps list (actually, there are more than 10, but “10″ sounded like a nice round number).

• Photo Forward - this isn’t exactly a web-app, but it’s cool-worthy nonetheless. Photo Forward is a bookmarklet that scans the webpage you are currently browsing for all images, and then gives you the option to send a link to any of those pictures to an email address. The iPhone doesn’t let you copy text (or paste it, for that matter), but you can email it to yourself to use later.

  

  

• Tabulate - this simple bookmarklet enables true tabbed browsing on the iPhone Safari browser. Sure, the Mobile Safari browser already supports tabbed browsing by allowing you to open multiple windows simultaneously, but with Tabulate you can actually force Safari to “open link in new tab.” Whenever you hit an embedded link in a website, you’ll be given the option to “flag” the site for later viewing, open it in the current tab/window, or open the link in a new tab/window. Tabulate also keeps track of how many websites you’ve flagged for viewing later.

  

  

  Go to the site, add the bookmark to your desktop Safari browser, then sync your iPhone (remember to check the box to sync bookmarks with your iPhone). Now, whenever you start your iPhone’s Safari browser, just fire up the Tabulate bookmarklet and you’ll be good to go.

• Food Network - quickly and easily find out what’s for dinner tonight. The iPhone web-app from the Food Network puts the entire Food Network recipe catalogue on your iPhone. Pick recipes by ingredients, holiday themes, and even by chef. We like Giada - her recipes are nice too.

  

• Zinio Mobile Newstand - browse Zinio’s top-selling digital magazines from your iPhone. The interface is sleek and fast thanks to the AJAX-heavy iPhone optimization. Pick your magazine, browse through the pages, and zoom in for a crystal-clear view of the page. Unfortunately, all the juicy bits are blurred out (ahem, Playboy’s pictorials). Still, Zinio Mobile Newstand is the best way to kill time on your iPhone - if you’re into that whole “reading” thing.

  

  

  

• Remember The Cat - built on the famed Remember The Milk to-do list’s API, but the iPhone specific version is free (Remember The Milk requires a “Pro” account to use the iPhone version), and the interface is slick and faster to navigate.

  

  

  
  OneTrip - the best shopping list for the iPhone. Remember The Cat is good as a to-do list, but is a bit cumbersome as a shopping list. Use OneTrip for your next grocery-day. You won’t forget the milk, because you’ll have it in your grocery list.

  

  

• PogoNotes - from the makers of the Pogo iPhone Stylus. Share your notes with friends and access them online or through the Mac OS X Widget. Log into your PogoNotes account and create notes. You can choose to share your notes with your friend, a group, or everyone. You can also search for shared notes within a certain group, or from a specific user (your friend). PogoNotes is the social network equivalent of a notes application.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Noter - another online-based notes application that allows you to share notes with friends and co-workers in almost real-time. Here’s how it works. You and your friends or co-workers all share a single Noter account. Everyone can log into the same account and load the Noter client onto their iPhone - allowing them to make/edit notes at will. The finished notes can by synchronized to the server, which can in turn be synchronized to other users’ Noter clients. It’s a great collaboration tool.

  

  

• iZoho [updated] - the web-based office document suite specifically tailored to your iPhone. iZoho brings the acclaimed document-editing web-service to the iPhone. With AJAX-y access to Zoho Writer, Sheets, Show, and Creator, any iPhone user can view, edit, and create Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) Office-compatible documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and publications. iZoho makes your iPhone a complete smartphone.So, I’ve gotten word from Zoho that the create/edit functionality is not yet setup for iZoho due to issues with the iPhone’s soft keyboard. You can still goto Zoho Writer to get full access to the document-creation application, but iZoho does not currently support it. Keep an eye out for future the next iZoho version to support create/edit features.
  

  

• Facebook - does it need any explanation? Facebook for the iPhone. It’s quick, it’s convenient, and it’s on your iPhone. Use it, you know you want to - and if you don’t want to, you should, everyone else it doing it. In fact, I haven’t messed with my Facebook or MySpace accounts in a long time, but I think I might just start using Facebook again. I don’t think it’s just a fad…

  

• Remote Buddy - control your Mac with your iPhone. Kick back and watch movies or listen to music on iTunes. Remote Buddy serves up the interface on your iPhone, so you know exactly what you’re watching or listening to. And, when you want to move on to some more serious stuff, Remote Buddy gives you access to over 95 different Mac apps - it even lets you type text on your Mac through your iPhone’s keyboard.

  Did I mention that you can activate your Mac’s iSight camera and watch it live? Or how about a live view of your desktop as you move the mouse cursor around? Yea, Remote Buddy is amazing, especially if you attach your Mac to your home-theater system!

  Remember, this is Mac-ONLY folks.

  

  

  

  Video Demo of Remote Buddy in action.

• Hahlo - the straight-forward iPhone Twitter client, but it sure loads quickly. I like this client the best for those times when I’m on EDGE-only. The interface is full-featured but still loads quickly over EDGE.I just started using Twitter - I know I’m behind the times here. If you want to hit me up on Twitter, my handle is “WillPark” - nice and creative.

  

  PocketTweets - the prettier iPhone Twitter client, but slower to load over EDGE. I like this client when I have access to WiFi - which is to say, most of the time. The interface is slick and delivers a richer experience than Hahlo - but you pay for it with slow load times.

  

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• Apple launches iPhone web-app portal - find all iPhone web-apps through Apple’s catalogue

17 Comments on “Top 10 iPhone Web-Apps”

1. Chris says:

   February 28, 2008 at 11:25 PM

   Good review! Look at this site http://www.appsafari.com
   It lists the top 20 user rated app and over 1500 other webapps to choose from. I could spend days trying all this stuff

   Reply
2. doug wolfgram says:

   May 24, 2008 at 12:13 AM

   http://www.floort.com is one of the fastest growing iphone web apps out there. Truly micro-blogging.

   Reply
3. Aaron says:

   August 15, 2008 at 5:03 PM

   If you’ve ever wanted to know all the product details, reviews, and prices of the product you’re shopping for in best buy to make sure they aren’t over charging you…

   Check what the … Price.IS from your iPhone at:

   http://m.price.is/iphone
   http://shop.price.is/

   Reply
4. Andreas says:

   August 18, 2008 at 4:22 AM

   Also ich muss sagen ich finde es nicht schlecht das es Erotik Webadds für das iphone gibt, ich bin der Meinung es sollten noch viel mehr Erotik Portale ihre Seiten für das iphone optimieren. Ich persönlich kann euch 1 kostenlose Erotikseiten die Spitzenmähsieg optimiert sind empfehlen, die eine Seite http://www.erotik-kleinanzeigen.com ist zu 100% kostenfrei, man kann kostenlos Anzeigen schalten, Anzeigen merken, Nachrichten an Mitglieder verschicken und man hat sogar ein eigenes Postfach und vieles mehr.

   Reply
5. getnews says:

   September 24, 2008 at 6:38 AM

   Free News site designed for mobile devices. Feeds covering US Election and news form around the world. New feeds are constantly added.

   Reply
6. Mike says:

   October 8, 2008 at 2:24 AM

   I found a cool web app called Mobicue the other day when I was surfing online. It lets you upload photos, videos, audio recordings, and text updates directly from your iPhone from any location with internet access. It works really well on the iPhone, so I’m surprised it didn’t make this list.

   iphone.mobicue.com

   Reply
7. Ben Roberts says:

   November 3, 2008 at 5:27 PM

   The ultimate iphone webapp is - http://webappstore.spwire.com. Its a webapp for finding webapps.

   Reply
8. John Farber says:

   December 10, 2008 at 10:17 AM

   Of course it seems the real purpose of the iPhone is porn. There are tons of sites/web apps that are specifically targeting iPhone, e.g. http://www.pureiporn.com, http://www.iphoneporngrid.com, etc. Why doesn’t ATT block the sites or use some BL?

   Reply
9. Claire says:

   December 17, 2008 at 5:48 PM

   I bought a few web apps for my iPhone yesterday. The cool thing was iBeer, people were so creative it amazes me.

   Reply
10. Susan says:

    December 29, 2008 at 9:40 AM

    I dig iBeer too Claire! Shazam is still a big fav of mine! Love Amazon Mobile too!

    I’ve found some other good ones at

    http://www.igoapps.com/search/do_search/popular_all/13/2/1/none

    Reply
11. kcjones says:

    January 8, 2009 at 9:38 PM

    Free app called Storyz, free MMS - brilliant

    Reply
12. Zharko says:

    January 15, 2009 at 10:29 AM

    @ kcjones, i’ve checked Storyz, and i love it, it’s fun and easy to use

    i’d also put the shazam app into this list

    Reply
13. Boi says:

    February 21, 2009 at 4:23 AM

    Family Guy app: ifamilyguy.net

    Reply
14. Jeff says:

    March 28, 2009 at 6:29 PM

    Have you seen the e-Task web app that Apple was featuring? Very cool. http://www.apple.com/webapps/productivity/etask_emaginewebconsulting.html

    Reply
15. Trevr says:

    April 15, 2009 at 2:26 PM

    I also created a mobile web directory you can run right from your iphone. The directory consists of only websites compatible with the iphone.

    Reply
16. George says:

    April 23, 2009 at 4:51 PM

    There is a great new iPhone app called MeetWays that lets you find a halfway point and point of interest between two locations (you can also use your current location and saved locations). It’s really cool and convenient. I used it to arrange a Craigslist buy and it worked great! Check it out at http://www.meetways.com or in the iPhone store.

    Reply
17. Anton says:

    April 29, 2009 at 2:09 AM

    Hi! Light iPhone version of the popular online ringtone creator Audiko is very cool http://www.apple.com/webapps/entertainment/audikoiphoneringtones.html

    Reply

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Hotz: Unlocking the Iphone.

Hotz: In a lot of ways, it's a step backward from the original iPhone. I should be able to buy service from AT&T and a phone from Motorola, Apple [or] whomever I choose. That's the beauty of a SIM card--you can pop it into any phone.

Think about buying a TV. You get the service separate. Cablevision doesn't try to sell you a TV. With cars, you can do a down payment and pay a bit per month, but you can also buy the car in full. The iPhone doesn't give you that option. In Europe, it's a lot more straightforward.

So that's your take on the business model, but what's your impression of the phone?

I wonder what Apple was doing for a year. I know they added a GPS chip, 3G support, designed a new case. But it's the same ARM11 Samsung chip, not the Intel Atom, like people wanted. And it still uses the same CPU and software.

In some aspects, that's nice, because everything will work with older iPhones. Still, they could have put in a front-facing camera, the ability for video conferencing. Apple could have done everything everyone wants. But that's probably what's going to be in the next iPhone. They have to ration out the features.

The new iPhone's hardware also looks more like that in other cellphones. The first iPhone didn't. If you open up phones like the Samsung BlackJack or a Motorola phone, they look like they were laid out by cellphone engineers. They look cheap. If you open up the [first] iPhone, it looks like a PDA, like computer engineers worked on it. But the new phone is moving away from that.

How can you tell? Do you have an iPhone 3G?

No, no one sent one to me, but I have the firmware files. I can look through and see what the parts are.

Does that mean you won't be upgrading?

I can't buy one. I don't want to pay $70 a month. And it won't even work on T-Mobile's 3G network, because it uses different [frequency] bands. I figured out you can get an unlocked iPhone with all that stuff for $480 [$200 for the phone, $35 for the activation fee, $175 for the contract early-termination fee, $70 for the first month of service], but it's a hassle. You'd have to call to terminate the service, probably argue with people for an hour.

What's your take on the App Store? People are calling it a game-changer.

Apple controls whether you're allowed to be a developer. If they don't like what you're doing, they can take away your certificate and say your apps won't go on anyone's phones. I don't like control. There's cool stuff on there, though. I was playing [Sega's iPhone game] "Super Monkey Ball" this morning. The existence of the App Store brings a certain level of legitimacy. Companies are involved that have resources. It's not just guys in their basements working on it.

That seems like a strange statement from someone who used to work in his bedroom.

Exactly. I can't write quality apps. My earlier ones were hacks. My attitude was, "If it helps you out, good. If not, it's not my problem. Don't call or e-mail me for tech support." I assumed a certain level of knowledge.

So you won't be writing any applications for the App Store?

I bought a nice Mac Pro to play with the Apple development environment. But I'm not a software developer. I'm more interested in the internals. I never much liked polishing my code and making it pretty. And would Apple really give me a developer's key? "Hi, my name's George Hotz" … probably not.

Will you try to unlock the new iPhone?

When I did the first one, I had just graduated from high school. The only thing on my agenda was partying. Now I work at Google, I go in from 9 to 5 and am tired by the time I get home. I don't have the same kind of time or the same drive. The [first] iPhone was a huge launch, an entirely new environment to play around in. That's not the case this time.

One thing does interest me about the new iPhone. I haven't seen the amplifier chip yet. If it's an S-Gold 3 [from iPhone chip maker Infineon], it's possible that by changing sections of the firmware, the phone would work on Verizon. The EDGE chip set wasn't flexible enough, but the S-Gold 3 chip set supports both GSM [the cellular technology AT&T uses] and CDMA [that which Verizon uses].

What are you doing at Google?

I'm an intern on Google's Street View team. We drive around and take street-level pictures. I probably shouldn't say anything else. I've been there since April. I'm taking a break from school.

Are you tired of the iPhone and being associated with it?

I am sort of sick of it. I haven't really touched the iPhone since February. But I know a lot about it and feel it's a waste if I don't do anything on the new one.

So you will be working on the new iPhone?

I bought a URL, yiphone.org, and put a Web page up. If the community doesn't come through with an easy solution for the iPhone 3G, keep your eye on yiphone.org.

Do you ever worry that your work will get you in trouble legally?

Nope. Companies don't sue kids in their basements. It wouldn't justify your legal fees even if you took everything I own.

What else are you working on? You have a project you call a universal radio.

Within five years, I believe we will have a universal device the size of a cellphone that can do everything. So many things are in radio spectrum already: TV, traditional radio, car systems like OnStar, garage-door openers, Bluetooth, wi-fi, cellular technology, GPS. I think they could all be in one universal chip with very fast links between the technologies. Why should I carry a Google work badge around? You should just have an RFID transmitter in your cellphone that you can wave by the door.

You could build it now, but the power consumption is high, the software isn't clean enough, the processors aren't fast enough yet.

Would that be a business venture? So far, you've given away your work for free.

If I'd written something like ZiPhone [a program that jailbreaks iPhones], I would have half a million dollars by now. I'll make money some day.

Mac or PC?

For most computer users, deciding between a PC and a Mac is not usually a life and death decision, but try telling that to the diehard technology buffs and you will have just stirred-up a hornet’s nest. The PC or Mac debate is one of those tempests in a technological teapot that never ceases to calm down. Some have dubbed it the new Cold War, where getting an unbiased opinion from experts over a simple purchasing decision like a PC or a Mac is often an exercise in futility, leaving you wondering if that old, Underwood Five typewriter is still in the attic.

But do not despair. By the end of this article, you should be able to draw your own conclusions about your preferred choice and maybe, even add to the ever-dividing fanbase of either Gates or Jobs.

Today, the personal computer endearingly called “PC,” is commonly understood to be associated with Microsoft’s Windows operating system. Although common sense says that the Mac is also a personal computer, it has become sacrilegious to refer to it as a “PC.” The Mac uses an operating system known as OS X and its operating systems are often legendary for its prettier interfaces.

When deciding between these two computer titans, it’s important to keep in mind what your needs are before coming to any purchasing decision. If we were to turn back the clock to the 90s, this decision would have been fairly easy. The Mac then was the design and print industry’s choice for all things graphic-orientated. The PC on the other hand, was confined to everyday use in the office and the home. This would have explained the exorbitant pricing discrepancy between both desktops then.

Today, this distinction has been blurred. Although, the Mac still costs more than the average PC, it’s finding itself in more homes and offices than at any other time in Mac history. Therefore, dissecting the pros and cons becomes all the more important before investing any kind of cash for these over-sized gadgets.

So, let’s break it down and get you moving in the right direction. These comparisons do apply to both desktops and laptops.

Hardware and Performance

The PC

Dollar for dollar, the PC offers more hardware specifications than the Mac, which for the budget-conscious, getting a PC requires no further deliberation. Intel-based dual-core CPU allows for blistering pace on the PC even for the most general-purpose PC user with a budget of less than a $1,000. If you drive a hard bargain, head over to Best Buy and you could get a PC for less than $350.

A variety of PC desktop sizes are also available, from the small form factor to the full tower case types. Again, sizes are a direct relation to the needs of the user, so do not mistake an all-in-one like the Sony VAIO to have the same power handling and speed of a mid-tower case like Dell.

Even as a power-user, whether using the PC for gaming or turning it into a mini home-theater system while running business applications on it, the PC is still able to meet all those demands at a very reasonable cost. Bargain basement prices are the main reason why PCs still dominate the desktop and laptop markets. It is economically-driven and caters to all segments of the buying public. Try as you might, you may never get a Mac for anywhere close to $350.

Performance-wise, PCs are still very cost-effective. Upgrading the graphics card, RAM or hard disk space is still much cheaper than having to buy a new PC altogether. This makes it truly easy for anyone to customize their PC without worrying about maxing out their credit cards. Another advantage to this is that businesses running multiple PCs will have a much easier time finding replacement parts or even upgrading components just because it’s so widely available at a very low cost.

As far as the operating system goes, Vista is the very latest introduction from Microsoft, although Windows XP is currently the more stable version. According to Gartner, XP will be installed on more than 77 percent of PCs worldwide by the end of 2007 while Vista might crawl to just about 12 percent. This suggests that if you’re planning to get a PC, buying one with Windows XP installed is still the preferred choice over the latest Vista.

The Mac

If you’re shopping for prestige rather than price, then Apple’s Mac is about as prestigious as it gets. Macs are about status, and status usually comes with a hefty price tag. Unlike the PC, there is no such thing as a truly “stripped-down” Mac. Hence, the PC being better value dollar for dollar. But on the other hand, the Mac was never truly built for the budget-conscious. Rather, it was targeted for those craving an “appliance” with style and innovative design, and Apple rarely fails to deliver on this. You would only have to visit an Apple store for proof.

As far as performance goes, Macs are up there with the best of them. There was a point in history where PCs were leading the pack in terms of how fast they performed. Mac’s G4 processors were never thought to be quite as fast as the PC’s Intel Pentium 4. But, Apple changed all that last year when it announced that their Macs will now carry the Intel processor, just like PCs. Apple’s migration to Intel processors has now made Intel-based Macs two to three times faster than ever before. But, that’s not all.

Apple has a new technology called Boot Camp that allows you to run Microsoft’s Windows on Intel-based Macs. This means you can have the best of Microsoft and the Mac on one elegant-looking computer. Software compatibility issues will soon be a thing of the past, although power-users will still find it difficult to customize and upgrade the Mac’s hardware. The same problem applies to businesses using Macs because Apple maintains a tight grip on its supply chain.

Mac’s current operating system, the OS X is reportedly far superior to Microsoft’s operating systems. Its selling points range from user friendly interfaces with attractive intuitive features, to a more secure, stable and virus-free operating system. These factors are usually enough to get the more security-conscious amongst shoppers, to hop on board the Mac bandwagon.

Software, Applications and Uses

The PC

PCs certainly have a much wider range of software of varying purposes available compared to the Mac, giving consumers a variety of options to choose from. This is why you’ll find most hardcore gamers preferring PCs over Macs due to this availability of gaming software.

Business users will find that Microsoft Office is sufficient to manage their documentation and presentations, hardly requiring extra bells and whistles to meet their business needs. Small businesses rarely need to go beyond what Microsoft Office 2003 and the latest Office 2007 offer, using add-on software only for better productivity. Also, compatibility issues are rarely a point of contention with Microsoft Office because most computers recognize its format. In other words, if you’re running a business and Office applications are all you need, then choosing a PC would be the ideal choice for you.

Other uses for the PC such as web surfing, chatting online and e-mailing usually come as bundled software containing these applications, while additional peripherals are widely available in most electronic stores. PC manufacturers like Dell have made installing additional peripherals extremely easy, so long as your PC has the right ports (USB, FireWire, Ethernet, audio and video ports) available. For instance, if you’re an avid photographer, loading photos onto your PC would require a USB or FireWire port to connect your digital camera to the PC. Most PCs today come with these ports pre-installed, so not to worry.

The Mac

The tradeoff of having a secure, albeit tightly controlled Mac operating system is the lack of choices in software. Mac fanatics argue that this lack of software compatibility means lesser technical issues to deal with. A positive way of looking at things, but Mac users have no real need to complain about software issues. Business users on a Mac can quite easily exchange Microsoft Office files with colleagues or clients on a PC.

But where the Mac really shines in terms of software and applications is in multimedia. In all honesty, the Mac is far superior to the PC when it comes to multimedia applications. If your business revolves around multimedia or multimedia is a serious hobby, then getting a Mac is a must.

The iLife suite that comes with the Mac provides full multimedia capabilities, allowing anyone to create professionally finished products. It is setup in such a way that a complete novice will have no problems churning out quality audio or video products on the fly. Whether it’s buying music from the iTunes store, recording and burning DVDs, setting up a photo studio on your computer, chatting and communicating online, or blogging, the iLife suite has you covered. The Mac has become a necessary solution for the digital lifestyle enthusiast.

Conclusion

Choosing between a PC and a Mac really boils down to what you want to do with your computer and how you’re going to use it. If you want more bang-for-your-buck or more gaming options, then the PC is the way to go. If you’re leaning towards better stability, less system crashes and security breaches, then the Mac is the superior choice.

Weigh the pros and cons against your needs and you should be able to draw your own conclusions about the worthier computer for you. But, for the ultimate experience, why not buy an Intel-based Mac and run Windows on it? That could probably be the closest thing yet, to enjoying the “perfect computing experience.”

Differences between the iPhone 3GS and the iPod touch 2G

What are the differences between the iPhone 3GS and the iPod touch 2G?

Quickly review a comparison of the iPhone 3G and the iPhone 3GS, and it is readily apparent that although there are notable differences between models, the iPhone 3GS is an evolutionary upgrade. Consequently, as one would expect, most of the iPhone 3G to iPod touch 2G comparison is applicable when comparing the iPhone 3GS to the iPod touch 2G as well.

In the same way that one can think of the iPod touch 2G on basic terms as an iPhone 3G with some of the capabilities "removed", one can think of it as an iPhone 3GS with much of the same iPod and handheld computing functionality but without the "phone", mobile phone networking (3G/EDGE), GPS-A support, integrated still/video camera, voice accessibility features (VoiceOver), voice control functionality, and digital compass. Both have integrated Nike + iPod support.

On first glance, the iPod touch 2G even looks about the same as the iPhone 3GS.

However, turn the iPod touch 2G and iPhone 3GS around and the external material differences become obvious. The iPod touch 2G has a chromed steel rear case with an oval shaped plastic "window" for the wi-fi antenna (802.11b/g) and the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS models use either black or white plastic for the rear case which allows data and voice signals to penetrate the house.

Although the size differences are rather inconsequential, the iPod touch 2G is slightly shorter (0.2 inches), thinner (0.15 inches), and lighter (0.75 ounces) than the iPhone 3GS.

Both the iPod touch 2G and iPhone 3GS have "multi-touch" sensitive 3.5" displays with 320x480 resolution, an accelerometer that allows the device to "know" whether it is being held in portrait or landscape mode and switch automatically, and an ambient light sensor to adjust screen brightness. Like the iPhone 3G before it, the iPhone 3GS also has two "proximity sensors" to turn the display off when it is held to the face for a phone call, but the iPhone 3GS display has a new "oleophobic" oil repellent coating.

Internally, the differences between the iPod touch 2G and iPhone 3GS are notable. In addition to the aforementioned "phone", mobile phone networking (3G/EDGE), GPS-A support, integrated still/video camera, and digital compass, the iPhone 3GS has a faster processor (600 MHz compared to 533 MHz) and an improved graphics processor as well. The iPod touch is offered with 8 GB, 16 GB, or 32 GB of internal storage whereas the iPhone 3GS only is offered with 16 GB or 32 GB.

The processor and graphics performance difference is perhaps best demostrated by the following video courtesy of the always excellent iLounge Although battery life is similar, Apple formally estimates that the iPod touch 2G provides better battery life for music and the iPhone 3GS provides better battery life for video playback. The iPod touch 2G is estimated to provide 36 hours of music playback and 6 hours of video playback, compared to 30 hours and 10 hours, respectively, for the iPhone 3GS.

Upfront pricing for the iPod touch (2G) is more than the iPhone 3GS, but comes with no strings attached as one is not obligated to tie themselves to an expensive mobile phone contract for two years either. Both devices are capable of running iPhone OS 3.0, which adds cut, copy, and paste, as well as "more than 100" other features, albeit iPod touch 2G devices shipped prior to the release of the iPhone 3GS annoyingly require a US$9.95 upgrade fee whereas all iPhone models can be upgraded at no extra cost. The iPod touch 2G and iPhone 3GS additionally are both capable of running the same applications from Apple's "App Store".

For your convenience, the primary differences between the iPod touch 2G and the iPhone 3GS are summarized below:

	iPod touch 2G	iPhone 3GS
Primary Functionality:	Music Playback Video Playback Slideshows Wi-Fi Bluetooth*	Music Playback Video Playback Slideshows Wi-Fi & 3G/EDGE GPS Phone Bluetooth 2.1+EDR Still & Video Camera Compass
Data Networks:	Wi-Fi	EDGE (2G), 3G & Wi-Fi
Storage Size:	8, 16, 32 GB	16, 32 GB
Talk Time (3G):	N/A	5 Hours
Talk Time (2G):	N/A	12 Hours
Battery Life (Music):	36 Hours	30 Hours
Battery Life (Video):	6 Hours	10 Hours
A-GPS:	No	Yes
Camera:	No	3.0 MP
Digital Compass:	No	Yes
External Speaker:	Yes	Yes
Microphone:	Yes**	Yes
Video Capability:	No	Yes
VoiceOver:	No	Yes
Voice Control:	No	Yes
Shake to Shuffle:	Yes	Yes
Genius Support:	Yes	Yes
Nike + iPod Support:	Yes	Yes
Back Exterior Finish:	Chrome	Black or White Plastic
Dimensions (Inches):	4.3 x 2.4 x 0.33	4.5 x 2.4 x 0.48
Weight (Ounces):	4.05 oz. (115 g)	4.8 oz. (135 g)
Price:	US$229, US$299, US$399§	US$199, US$299†

* The iPod touch 2G has a built-in Broadcom BCM4325 "Bluetooth" chip that provides the Nike + iPod Sport Kit support. It does not otherwise support Bluetooth connectivity.

** The iPod touch 2G does not have an internal microphone, but it supports the external Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic and some third-party products.

§ The 8 GB iPod touch 2G is offered for US$229, the 16 GB is US$299, and the 32 GB is US$399.

† These prices are only for new AT&T Wireless customers. For non-qualified customers, including existing AT&T customers who want to upgrade from another phone or replace an iPhone 3G, the price with a new two-year agreement is US$599 or US$699.

Review of the New MacBook Pro

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After high school I took all graduation money and bought my first computer: A Dell Inspiron 3800 (laptop). Five years later I bought my next laptop: A 12-inch PowerBook G4. And two weeks ago I purchased my third laptop: A 15-inch MacBook Pro.1

Last spring, as my PowerBook began to show its age due in the graphics work I was using it for, I decided to buy a tower instead of a new laptop. The idea behind buying the Mac Pro was that (1) it would last for years: I had already been using my PowerBook for more than two years, who’s specs were far below the Mac Pro’s and it was still chugging along well. And then, (2) the ease and affordability to expand the Mac Pro’s specs would make it all the easier to make sure it lasted even longer.

Therefore the PowerBook became my secondary computer. I used it when traveling and when not in the office - which was still quite a lot - and the Mac Pro became my primary work machine. Then, about a month ago my wife got a new position at work and now needed her own laptop. She hooked me up big-time by taking the PowerBook and letting me get the new laptop. (I owe you big-time, babe!)

I ordered the new 15-inch, multi-touch MacBook Pro with a 2.4GHz processor and the 200 GB 7,200 RPM hard drive. I watched FedEX as they picked it up in China, swung by Alaska, and finally dropped it off at my place a week ago.

When you use two computers you have to pick one that will be the “primary” computer; the home base. It’s your only hope for any sort of syncing sanity (if there is hope).

The point of picking one main machine is that you now know where to keep all the most recent versions of files, it’s where all your iTunes purchases are done, and it’s what everything syncs with.

While I was had the PowerBook it was a no-brainer that the Mac Pro would be home base. And even still, when I purchased the MacBook Pro I fully expected that it too would be my secondary computer, just as the PowerBook had been.

However, it quickly became obvious that the MacBook Pro should be the main computer. It just made sense. For several reasons:

• The PowerBook had a 100 GB hard drive, which was enough to keep many important files, some songs and some photos, but not enough to keep all the data I have. The MacBook Pro, on the other hand, can hold all my data. The 200 GB 7,200 RPM hard drive is plenty big enough to store all my files with room to spare.
• The entire reason I purchased the Mac Pro was because the PowerBook couldn’t keep up with the graphics-intensive work I was doing. The PowerBook couldn’t be my “work” computer anymore, and therefore became my “write, email and surf the web, while away from home” computer. However, the MacBook Pro has better benchmarks than the G5 Power Macs, and is even quite comparable to my Mac Pro’s performance in many of the most common tasks I do every day. The MacBook Pro is clearly a capable work and road machine.
• The biggest pain in the butt when using two computers is keeping them synced. Whenever I needed to go on a trip while also in the midst of a major design project I would have to transfer all the relevant files over to the PowerBook. Additionally, I never knew if the one or two other projects which I just finalized may come back to haunt with some pre-print, last-minute emergency; so I would have to transfer them over as well. With the MBP as my main computer I can just put it in my backpack and go to another city without worrying about forgetting an important photoshop file. And that is an ease of mind is worth its weight in gold.

Although I originally didn’t intend it to, the MacBook Pro now has become my primary computer. Which naturally leads me to the next logical question: Do I even need to keep the Mac Pro? The answer is no.

I don’t need the Mac Pro. The loss in horsepower is negligible for what I do, and the gain in simplicity cannot be expressed with words. I’m selling the tower and going back to being a one-computer consumer, and connoisseur of fine laptops.

If I had known this would be the outcome before I ordered the MacBook Pro I would have ordered the mid-level, 2.5GHz processor which has the higher 6MB of L2 cache, the faster bus speed and the better graphics card.

But even still, this thing is a fantastic machine and herein is my review:

Packaging

I very much appreciate the minimum amount of items included in the MacBook Pro’s box. Aside from the computer, the box only contained the power cord, a DVI to VGA adapter, the remote control I paid $19 for and a small black “Designed by Apple in California” box.

In the small black box were two things: One labeled “Everything Mac” and another labeled “Everything Else”. Everything Mac is the user’s manual, and Everything Else is a cardboard sleeve holding the install discs, the bluetooth info sheet, the obligatory Apple stickers and a very nice screen cleaning cloth.

What I love so much about the small amount of peripherals and paperwork included is that it gives more attention to what comes in the box. The concept is similar to a printed flyer: If the flyer is covered in text you won’t read any of it. But if it has just a few phrases you will read those. When un-boxing the MacBook Pro it was like each piece was there for a purpose - not “just because”. Less is more.

And along these same lines is the size itself of the MacBook Pro’s box. It is quite a bit thinner than my PowerBook’swas. Though I remember when un-boxing my PowerBook, there was a great deal of open space underneath the computer.

It’s almost as if the boxes themselves communicate the form factor of the enclosed laptop: Wider and thinner versus shorter and “stubbier”.

Form Factor

After using a 12-inch PowerBook for so long I still haven’t adjusted to the bigger look of the 15-inch when I’m using it. It’s not so much the screen that throws me off as it is the extra space next to the keyboard where the speakers are. I’m used to looking at a bigger screen, but not used to typing on a laptop with an extra inch-and-a-half of hardware on either side.

When I see other people using their 15-inch laptop it doesn’t seem large at all, but when I’m sitting right in front of mine it seems huge. Though a quick glance at the “airplane wing” style 17-inch, and the 15-inch seems quite proportionate again.

Otherwise the size difference is most welcome. The larger footprint makes the MacBook Pro feel safer and more comfortable on my lap. And since it weighs nearly the same as my old PowerBook, it’s a win/win situation for me.

Other differences - such as the better speakers and the extra input jacks (Finally: FireWire 800!!) - are great. I’ve quickly become a fan of my $19 remote control, but the IR sensor on the front of the laptop is a serious eye sore.

And of course, some old habits will die hard - like trying to put CDs in the right-hand side.

Unchanging

Apple’s professional laptops have gone virtually unchanged for nearly 5 years. The new MacBook Pros looks nearly identical to the original aluminum PowerBooks that came out in fall of 2003. I could just imagine a conversation along these lines:

“Hey, is that Apple’s newest laptop?”

“No. It’s my 4 year old PowerBook.” 2

Not that any of you would ever ask that question, but you see my point, don’t you? The above conversation reveals two things: That (a) Apple’s laptop hardware is still attractive and appealing; and (b) that it is not uncommon to see someone still using their four or five-year-old PowerBook on a daily basis. Even though 5 years is a virtual eternity in computer-land, the previous generation of Apple’s laptops - the aluminum PowerBooks - are still hearty machines.

I’m sure that much of the PowerBook’s longevity is due to the fact that Apple fully controls the development and engineering of the operating system and the hardware it runs on. Simply put: Apple doesn’t need to conform to the lowest common denominator.

Set-Up

After un-boxing the first thing I did was install 4 GB of new memory. There’s no reason not to max out your RAM; it’s the single most affordable and effective way to minimize any cases of beach-ball-itis. Laptop memory is just about as cheap as tower memory nowadays, and swapping out the two 1 GB sticks for two 2 GB sticks was just as easy as adding RAM to the Mac Pro (a machine that’s famous for being easy to upgrade).

Migration

With the new memory installed I booted up and migrated my data.

Ideally I would have done a clean install of all my applications, manually transfer the documents and let .Mac sync the rest, but I wasn’t in the mood for the extra time and attention it would take. I had a few meetings to go to that afternoon and I wanted to come back to a ready to use laptop; therefore I used the Migration Assistant instead.

Instead of using the Mac Pro, I used my external FireWire drive which holds a bootable clone of my Mac Pro via SuperDuper. This way my tower wasn’t out of commission while I transfered files, and I saved the time it takes to do a Time Machine restore.

Migrating roughly 180 GBs of data over the FireWire 800 port took about 2.5 hours. And once all the files were successfully migrated the thing booted up perfectly and was ready to roll. Well, except for a few oddities…

Network Settings

Once I had the machine up and running the first thing I had to do was make sure the internet worked. I mean, without internet what good is the thing? Seriously…

I hadn’t been thinking and I had the migration assistant transfers network settings. Regardless of the network capabilities of the old machine verses the new machine, it just sets up the new network settings to be identical to the old ones. Which means since I was transferring from the Mac Pro, laptop’s Airport option now read as “Ethernet 2″, even though it had the radar icon next to it.

Additionally, the Airport icon up in the menu bar was displayed in the “empty” state, as if it was turned off. Clicking on it said the airport was not configured. But the MBP was getting signal from my wireless network because I had internet with no cables.

The weirdness was easily fixed by simply re-configuring everything using the location setup assistant.

The Keyboard

I have always been jealous of the backlit keyboards. I think they’re brilliant and my 12-inch PowerBook didn’t have one. Naturally, one of the first things I played with was my new keyboard’s backlighting. But, it was broken. At first I thought the mapping for the hardware keys (F5/F6) was broken because in normal light I was totally unable to manually turn on the keyboard’s backlight.

When pressing the adjustment keys this would appear:

I assumed the unresponsive lighting had something to do with the same migration trouble I had with the Network Settings. I repaired the disk permissions, reset the PRAM and still had no luck. After searching online with no results I called Apple..

The general technician was clueless on how to fix it. He assumed I would need to re-install the OS due to the hardware mapping problem from the migration. But before making that giant executive decision, he transfered me to a product specialist.

I again described the problem, and he too was unsure about a solution. I noted how the lights came on when it was dark in the room (or when I put my palms over the speakers), and then, at that point I could adjust the brightness level. But I could not manually turn the backlights on if they weren’t first turned on by the ambient light sensor.

The product specialist concluded it must be a new feature in the latest MacBook Pros since they have the new F1 - F12 keyboard layout and what-not. And that was the end of that.

Those of you who have a 15-inch Mac are probably rolling right now. Since I’ve never owned a laptop with backlit keyboards I had no clue, but apparently this has been the standard function all along! (Read: over four years!)

To recap: You can’t adjust the backlit keyboard unless it’s dark in the room.

Now, as far as real keyboard changes go, there are quite a few (Apple Care phone support, take note):

• As expected, the F1 - F12 layout in the MBP is now the same as the slim keyboard’s, the MacBook Air’s and the MacBook’s.
• The Enter key to the right of the spacebar has been replaced by the option key.
• The num lock key is gone, as are the keypad style numbers.
• The “speed tap safety feature” for the caps lock key (a.k.a. the antiCAPSLOCK campaign) has been implemented. The reason it exists only in the new laptops, and not in all of our computers via some software update, is because as Rentzsch discovered: “The activation delay occurs in the keyboard itself, before the operating system even sees the key-down.”

Point being: all of Apple’s keyboards are now the same. The only differences are the F5 and F6 keys: on the MacBooks and the slim-desktop keyboards those two keys are blank, whereas on the MBPs and MBAs they have the icons for the keyboard’s backlight adjustment.

The Screen

The LED screen is gorgeous. Naturally I got the matte screen, since (no offense, but) glossy is synonymous with cheesy to me. The display is bright, clear and sharp. And even though it’s not quite as bright as my Apple Cinema Display, it is a very satisfactory alternative when not at my desk.

The 1440×900 pixel resolution is the same as the old 17″ PowerBooks used to have a few years back. And it is in-fact a higher pixel per inch density than my 23″ ACD is (114 PPI for the MacBook Pro versus 98 PPI for the Cinema Display). One of the primary advantages of a higher density screen is font-rendering — especially on the Web. If you like to read on the web, the MacBook Pro makes great companion.

Of course, when working at my desk the Cinema Display is still more pleasant - on the eyes and the neck - which means I’ll be diving back into the world of connecting to an external display on a regular basis. I’m reminded of how fantastically my PowerBook handled external monitors. As John Gruber put it:

The PowerBooks’ support for external displays is quite clever. When the PowerBook wakes from sleep (or starts up), it detects which displays are available and uses them. This means you can walk around using the built-in display, set it down, connect an external display, and it automatically recognizes the just-connected external display and uses it. If you keep the PowerBook open, it uses the external display in addition to the built-in display; if you keep the PowerBook closed, it uses the external display instead of the internal. Disconnect the external display, and the right thing will happen, where by “right thing” I mean that any windows which were open on the no-longer-available display will be moved to the internal display, and resized, if necessary, to fit.

Moreover, it seems the MacBook Pro now has instant monitor detection. I’m not sure just how new this is, but it’s new to me. When I plug in an external monitor while the MBP is open and running it detects the new monitor right away and adjusts accordingly with only a few seconds of light-blue-screen down time. Likewise, if I unplug the external monitor the MBP adjusts, and, as John says, “does the right thing.”

Next is the ambient light sensor. It’s a nice feature, but I can’t seriously imagine anyone leaving it on for the internal display. I often have my left hand off to the side of the keyboard (and therefore over top of the left speaker) keeping my thumb on the CMD key and my middle finger on the tab key, and I often bring my right hand up and it would dim the screen every time - not too much, but just enough to make you feel crazy. It only took about 45 seconds of use before I realized I would have to turn it off.

Otherwise, my only gripe about the MacBook Pro’s display is the amount it will tilt back, or rather, won’t tilt back. Compared to my PowerBookthe difference in angle is substantial, and I miss it. I’m not sure, but from what I can tell the primary reason for the tighter angle is the slimmer form factor of the new MacBook Pro. Meaning if the screen did tilt back any further I think the outside edge of the display would actually lift the back end of the laptop up.

Multi-Touch

Like I do when almost any of Apple’s new products are announced, I didn’t think of the multi-touch as necessary to my everyday laptop use. That is, until it actually was a part of my everyday laptop use. Sure, I knew it would be nice, and if I could choose between getting a laptop that had it or one that didn’t, I would choose the one that did. But for the most part, I was impartial.

Now, after a week with the multi-touch, I am hooked. Not only are the old multi-touch features (two-finger scrolling) new to me, but the newest features (three-finger swipe, pinch, and etc.) are brilliant.

Just like on the iPhone, the multi-touch gestures make perfect sense in context. Which means I don’t have to think about them. Once I settled that three fingers swiping from left to right means “next” I find myself naturally using it in places I hadn’t even thought about, without thinking about it. It already feels natural.

In iCal the three-finger swipe takes you to the next or previous day/week/month in your calendar. In Apple’s Mail the swipe takes you to the next email message. In Preview, you get the next page. And it’s the same with pinching: On the desktop, pinching enlarges or shrinks your icon sizes. In Preview, it enlarges the image or document. And, more…

Even the short tutorial videos in the trackpad preferences pane are brilliant. What a perfect way to demonstrate how to use all the different options.

Right now, multi-touch to the trackpad is what keyboard shortcuts are to the the keyboard. But But it’s apparent that multi-touch to the trackpad can be what Quicksilver is to the keyboard.

Since multi-touch is really only helpful inside apps which are primarily designed as mostly mouse-input apps (iCal, Safari, iPhoto) versus keyboard-input apps, if you’re in an app that is mostly a keyboard-input app, forcing yourself to use multi-touch instead of keyboard shortcuts is a little more trouble than it’s worth. But, if you’re fingers are already on the trackpad then multi-touch features can be great.

Clearly, multi-touch won’t be able to replace all the keyboard shortcuts. But certainly the most common ones.

To see how multi-touch would work with some of the 3rd Party apps I use regularly, I installed the beta of MultiClutch.

MultiClutch takes keyboard shortcuts and maps them to trackpad gestures for certain applications. I honestly haven’t found it indispensable, since the applications that I find myself using multi-touch functionality already support it: Mail, iCal and Safari. But I have been able to set a couple new convenient gestures.

The MultiClutch setup pane is pretty straight forward. You add an application to the list, select the multi-touch gesture and then pick the keyboard shortcut you want accompany it and.

When I’m in an app that I wish had some multi-touch functionality I can go to MultiClutch, add the gesture, and the new mapping works instantly. As of now I’ve only added four gestures in MultiClutch. Two in NetNewsWire and two global shortcuts.

In NNW I wanted to map three-finger swipe to the space bar — this makes sense because the swipe means “next” and pressing spacebar takes you to your next unread feed. But MultiClutch doesn’t allow me to map the spacebar as a shortcut key.

Fortunately, pressing CMD+/ also takes you to “Next Unread”, and pressing CMD+’ takes you to previous unread. I mapped these to the three-finger swipes for previous and next, respectively. This actually works better though, because CMD+/ takes you directly to the next unread item, whereas spacebar also scrolls down the article until it gets to the end, and then takes you to the next unread item. I can use the swipe shortcut and the two-finger scrolling to read a bit easier in NNW than what just spacebar alone offers.

For the two global shortcuts, I mapped “Swipe Up” and “Swipe Down” to “Page Up” and “Page Down” respectively. This has been great for Safari, and other similar situations where I want to get to the very top or very bottom of the page.

Unfortunately, Adobe CS3 doesn’t get any love from MultiClutch. It would be great if pinching in or out would zoom respectively, and three-finger swiping would take me to the next page in InDesign, but gesture mapping through MultiClutch doesn’t work with Carbon apps.

Obviously multi-touch has a bright future. I think it’s a privilege to be around from the start, so one day I can say something like, “I remember when I had to click on the sidebar and drag down to see the rest of the page.”

Hard Drive

I am determined not to be a digital pack-rat. I delete anything and everything I can and try to keep around only the files which I am quite confident I will need again in the future. I simply hate keeping something on my computer simply because I might, maybe, possibly need it one day.

Needless to say, upgrading the hard-drive’s speed instead of capacity was a no brainer. I paid the $100 upgrade to get the 200 GB 7,200 RPM hard drive. Looking in the System Profiler, I found the drive is from Hitachi.

The MacBook Pro’s hard drive is as quiet as my PowerBook’s used to be before I manually replaced the drive in the G4 a few months ago. (I took out the stock Hitachi 80 GB 4,500 RPM drive it came with and put in a Seagate 100 GB 7,200 RPM drive I bought from NewEgg.) The first thing I noticed with my PowerBook’s new drive was the hum and even some vibration.

The Mac Pro tower currently has two hard drives: The 250 GB Western Digital drive it came with and an additional 500 GB Seagate drive I added later. The drives are quiet, but it’s the fans that make so much noise.

All this to say I am very impressed at how quiet the MacBook Pro is: The fans and the hard drive.

Sleeping

If I leave the MacBook Pro alone for awhile and the screen goes to sleep, the white LED comes on, but at full-strength (not pulsing or breathing). I am not quite sure what the point of that feature is, though. I suppose it’s so I can instantly tell the state of my Mac if the screen is off.

This feature also comes in to play when closing the lid to put the Mac to sleep. The white LED will come on right away at full-strength, but won’t start “breathing” until the laptop actually goes to sleep. I’m used to waiting until the LED comes on, but now I have to watch it and wait for it to start breathing before I can pack up the laptop. I wish they would have left that alone.

Unfortunately, putting the MacBook Pro to sleep takes 30-45 seconds. This is a long time to wait when you’re ready to go. But the reason it takes so long to sleep is because your computer is writing all the information that’s in RAM to your disc. This way you won’t lose any info if your battery dies, or falls out while in sleep mode. But with 2 to 4 GB of RAM it can take quite a while.

There’s a short terminal command (via Paul) to change the sleep-mode from the default “3″ to “0″ which fixes the slow sleep frustration:

sudo pmset -a hibernatemode 0

You’ll be prompted to enter your administrator password, and then you’re good to go. And make sure you logout before quitting terminal or the change won’t keep.

What this command does is change your laptop’s sleep-mode from “safe” to “instant”. That means if your battery dies while your laptop is sleeping you’ll lose all your session data.

But I always save - and usually quit out of - everything anyway, so it would be no loss if the battery died. And now the laptop sleeps in about 5 -7 seconds instead of 30 - 45. Hallelujah.

U P D A T E: SmartSleep.

Proper Baggage

Finding the right bag seems to be a never-ending venture. I knew I would miss my little Brenthaven bag for the 12-inch PowerBook, but Brenthaven’s 15-inch MBP version was a bit too clunky. I found a slick Burton Bandwidth Casefrom Turntable Labs. It’s slim, has very little extra storage, and is perfect for the times I just need to take my laptop and nothing else.

That case is not my everyday bag, though. For everyday use I’ve decided I need a backpack: One that doesn’t look like it belongs in a sci-fi movie; one that holds my laptop safely; And one that is the right size (not too big, but not too small).

I’m currently using the Case Logic XN Backpack, and so far, it seems to fit the bill. Granted, I have a pretty bad track record of keeping bags. I’ve been through about 8 in the course of my three laptops, but with each one I get closer to perfection.

Odds and Ends

• There has been a lot of hub-ubb about the new battery-life claims on Apple’s website. Are the new computers getting worse battery life or are the claims actually realistic? From my own experience so far I’m quite sure the claims are dead-on. I haven’t done any legit testing, but earlier today the battery lasted nearly four hours with the power settings on “Better Performance” and the screen at full brightness — all while typing, surfing the web, listening to music through the built-in speakers, and I downloaded a 1.13 GB movie from iTunes. I have no doubt with more caution I could squeeze 5 hours out of the battery.
• The new Penryn processor runs much cooler than my old PPC G4. Even on processor intensive apps, with the MacBook Pro on my lap it stays cool and the fan runs virtually silent.
• The MacBook Pro shipped with it’s own build of OS X 10.5.2 — Build 9C2028. (My PowerBook and Mac Pro are both running Build 9C31.) I imagine this has something to do with the new trackpad new multi-touch features.
• The MagSafe power adapter is a brilliant invention. Aside from the “safety” factor it’s much easier to connect and disconnect. But the orange or green indicator light only comes on about once every four plug-ins, even though the battery icon in the menu bar indicates charging. I’ll probably take it into the genius bar some-day to get it replaced.
• When reading on the Apple website I just noticed they refer to the computer as MacBook Pro, not the MacBook Pro. Like iPhone.
• Something else I’ve noticed about the MacBook Pro’s internal display is that when dimming the screen the increments seem rather far apart. Instead of a gradual dimming, each step is a bit jarring. Though I honestly don’t know for sure, I assume this has something to do with the way an LED display is lit, verses the older CCFL technology.

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Apple iPhone 3GS

Released for AT&T, the Apple iPhone 3GS is an upgrade to the iPhone 3G, offering a faster processor, longer battery life, an internal compass, voice control features and an improved 3.0-megapixel auto-focus camera with video recording capabilities. The handset takes advantage of the OpenGL for high-quality 3D graphics for faster and improved mobile gaming. Users can watch more videos, listen to more music, browse the Internet or keep using their favorite apps even longer. The iPhone 3GS also supports 7.2 Mbps HSDPA for faster networking speeds. It runs on Apple's new iPhone OS 3.0 software and has the ability to cut, copy and paste text. It also features a new built-in digital compass for instant navigation. The Compass app shows travelers which way they are headed and rotates as they change direction. The compass is also integrated within Maps, so it automatically orients any map to the direction they are facing.

Apple iPhone 3GS Features

• Up to 2x faster and more responsive than iPhone 3G for faster application launches, Web page rendering, and email attachment viewing
• Shoot high-quality VGA video in portrait or landscape, trim the footage by adjusting start and end points, then share it in an email or post it to the MobileMe gallery, publish it on YouTube, or sync it back to a Mac or PC using iTunes
• New 3.0-megapixel camera has built-in autofocus and a handy new feature that lets users tap the display to focus
• Voice Control recognizes the names in Contacts and knows the music on the iPod so users just have to ask to place a call or play a song
• Integrated digital compass can point the way and automatically reorients maps to match the direction users are facing
• Large 3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen Multi-Touch display with 320 x 480 px resolution at 163 ppi and support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously
• MobileMe stores all email, contacts, and calendars on a secure online server and pushes them down to the iPhone, iPod touch, Mac, and PC
• Stereo earphones with built-in microphone
• Cut, copy, and paste words and photos, even between applications
• Rotate the iPhone 3GS to landscape to use a larger keyboard in Mail, Messages, Notes, and Safari

All About the Mac

Mac's rule...It's all about the Mac.. Not the pc. Stylish and always on the cutting edge. Long rule the Mac! This is a collection of info. from around the web...So you won't have to keep looking. Viva La Mac!