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September 2007 Archives
Sep 2, 2007 - Posted by Dan Frakes at 1:23 PM ETReview: Marware CEO Premiere for iPhone
Long before there was an iPhone, there were holster-style cases for carrying a phone, PDA, or smartphone on your belt. Love or hate this style of case--there seems to be little middle ground--it's convenient if you need to keep your communication device close at hand. Marware's $30 CEO Premiere...
Sep 2, 2007 - Posted by Dan Frakes at 2:24 PM ET
Review: iSkin Revo
iSkin's iPod cases have been among our favorites, so we've been looking forward to the company's Revo for the iPhone. Although the $40 Revo is the most expensive silicone "skin" iPhone case we've yet seen, it offers a number of unique features. The silicone-skin part of the case--available in...
Sep 4, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 11:48 AM ET
iPhone sales look smarter than the average phone
Just because Apple doesn't release detailed sales figures until the end of the quarter doesn't mean we can't all speculate endlessly about how the iPhone's doing. And just to contribute to such rampant musing, we can pore over numbers like those from market research firm iSuppli. According to the company,...
Sep 4, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 3:04 PM ET
PodWorks frees your music from the iPhone
We spend so much time talking about getting stuff onto your iPhone that the obverse has kind of fallen by the wayside. And yet the most popular question about iPods has long been "how do I get my music off of an iPod without using iTunes?" And among the answers...
Sep 5, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 2:24 PM ET
A round-up of iPhone news from today's special event
In case you weren't following Macworld's coverage of today's special Apple event, you may have missed out on a few iPhone-related news items that Steve Jobs announced. The big news, of course, is Apple's decision to drop the price of 8GB iPhone from $599 to $399. "We want to make...
Sep 5, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 2:51 PM ET
iPod touch gets lock-screen playback features
I was just watching the Guided Tour on Apple's site for the new iPod Touch and noticed a nifty new feature that I'm hoping gets rolled out to the iPhone. At one point, the narrator notes that if you want to wake the iPod touch from sleep, you press the...
Sep 5, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 3:12 PM ET
4GB iPhone dead, Jim?
While Jobs was busy lowering the price of the 8GB iPhone, yours truly was wondering "Hey, what about that other iPhone they sell? You know, the one nobody seems to want." It seems that the 4GB iPhone may be reaching its end of days. The Apple Store no longer displays...
Sep 5, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 3:21 PM ET
iPod touch lacks recessed headphone jack
The ability to summon playback controls without having to "slide to unlock" may be one new feature that you'll see on the iPod before on the iPhone, but it's not the only trump that the new product has. An eagle-eyed commenter over at MacUser pointed out to me that the...
Sep 5, 2007 - Posted by Jason Snell at 8:14 PM ET
iPhone video out forthcoming?
Interesting quirk on the Apple store: both the Apple Component AV Cable and Apple Composite AV cable for the new generation of iPods also list themselves as iPhone compatible. Witness: Is this a miscategorization of Apple's product database, or a suggestion that the iPhone is capable of video out, perhaps...
Sep 5, 2007 - Posted by Jason Snell at 8:19 PM ET
Apple's 10-day price guarantee
If you bought an iPhone in the past 10 days from the Apple Store (and perhaps any Apple store) and you're mad that Apple just cut the price $200, you may be in luck. This page on Apple's web site details Apple's 10-day price guarantee like so: Should Apple reduce...
Sep 6, 2007 - Posted by Christopher Breen at 11:48 AM ET
iTunes 7.4 kills iToner ringtones
If, like me, you watched yesterday's Apple presentation and, when Steve Jobs announced custom ringtones from the iTunes Store, thought "Interesting, but I'll continue to use Ambrosia Software's $15 iToner to create my own" you're in for a rude surprise when you next sync your iPhone with iTunes 7.4. Why?...
Sep 6, 2007 - Posted by Jason Snell at 3:30 PM ET
Jobs to iPhone buyers: $100 store credit
Steve Jobs has penned an open letter to iPhone customers in which he defends the iPhone price drop but also indicates his feeling that "we need to do a better job taking care of our early iPhone customers.... We want to do the right thing." Therefore, we have decided to...
Sep 7, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 4:45 PM ET
iTunes 7.4's free ringtone rigamarole
If you're looking for yet another way to get custom ringtones on your iPhone, the folks at Mac Rumors have discovered a little workaround for iTunes 7.4. Here's the scoop: change an AAC file's suffix from .m4a to .m4r in the Finder, and then double click it, and iTunes ought...
Sep 7, 2007 - Posted by Christopher Breen at 6:48 PM ET
iToner 1.0.1 iTunes 7.4 compatible
I recently reported that iTunes 7.4 killed custom ringtones installed by Ambrosia Software's $15 iToner. Thanks to quick work by the Ambrosia team, those ringtones are dead no longer. Just-released iToner 1.0.1 includes these changes: Compatibility with iTunes 7.4, supports file dragging from iTunes, improved playlist handling, and other bug...
Sep 7, 2007 - Posted by Ben Long at 8:19 PM ET
iPhone Hacking Kit, the next generation
PLEASE NOTE THESE TECHNIQUES WERE POSTED IN SEPTEMBER 2007 AND ARE ONLY APPLICABLE TO 1.0 VERSION IPHONES. In mid-August, I posted a detailed guide to hacking your iPhone here at iPhone Central. In those free-wheeling bygone days of iPhone hacking you customized and manipulated your phone using a combination of...
Sep 10, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 10:46 AM ET
One meeeeellion iPhones
To anybody who thinks that the iPhone price drop was a result of Apple being worried about whether they were selling enough, consider this: Apple today announced that they'd sold their one millionth iPhone, a mere 74 days after its release. During last week's Beat Goes On event, Jobs said...
Sep 10, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 1:39 PM ET
iPhoneSIMfree hack finally for sale
Despite questions about whether or not the process works, it seems that the folks at iPhoneSIMfree have finally made their software available for sale. While you can't buy directly from them, they are working with resellers in several countries to make the process available to end users. US customers can...
Sep 11, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 12:17 PM ET
Ringtones now available in iTunes
You've been waiting with bated breath since the Beat Goes On special even last week, and now that patience has been rewarded. Ringtones have started to appear on the iTunes Store this morning, so go forth, be fruitful, and multiply. You'll need the latest version of iTunes to take advantage...
Sep 11, 2007 - Posted by Christopher Breen at 12:52 PM ET
Yet another ringtone tool
As my colleague, Dangerous Dan Moren, mentioned, the iTunes Store has turned on the ringtones feature. If you have the will and knowledge to make your own ringtones, Rogue Amoeba has entered the “do-it-yourself” ringtone fray with its free MakeiPhoneRingtone utility. It essentially puts a friendly face on the somewhat...
Sep 11, 2007 - Posted by Jason Snell at 2:52 PM ET
Apple's Joswiak: We're not out to get hackers
Apple's Greg "Joz" Joswiak met with PC Magazine writers yesterday to talk iPods and iPhone, and Sascha Segan of PC Mag's Gearlog blog has some tidbits, including some vaguely encouraging words about the state of the cold war between Apple and iPhone hackers. (Namely, that there isn't one.) I...
Sep 11, 2007 - Posted by Jason Snell at 9:08 PM ET
Introducing the Macworld iPhone Superguide
A million of you folks out there have bought an iPhone. (We've got a half-dozen of them in use around the Macworld offices, too.) And judging by Apple's fresh new $399 price tag for the 8GB iPhone, a whole lot of people will be buying them in the coming months,...
Sep 12, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 11:21 AM ET
Hackers unlock iPhone for no money down, ten payments of nothin'
Keen to unlock your iPhone, but don't relish the idea of spending another hundred smackaroos on top of the cash you've already dropped? Patience, as they say, is a virtue and if you've been waiting, this may be your lucky day. The folks at iPhone Dev, who brought us the...
Sep 12, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 12:01 PM ET
Apple: Software updates will "most likely break" native apps
Hey, you with the champagne. Put it down—you, no party horns. Look, this party's over, okay? I know you're all excited about the fact that Apple VP Greg Joswiak (pictured in his poker garb) said that Apple would be as Switzerland to third-party native iPhone applications, but there've been some,...
Sep 12, 2007 - Posted by Jason Snell at 2:41 PM ET
Ringtones on one computer, please
In my neverending quest to plumb the depths of iPhone multisync, I've got an update for you fans of ringtones purchased from Apple as well as those you create yourself and sneak into the Ringtones area via Rogue Amoeba's MakeiPhoneRingtone utility. As Daring Fireball's John Gruber points out, the new...
Sep 13, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 12:30 PM ET
iPhone may be looking for a European vacation
Among the most frequent questions we're asked about the iPhone is when it will be available to countries beside the US. The only answer we've had is what Apple has told us: they plan to be in three major European countries by the end of the year, and expanding into...
Sep 13, 2007 - Posted by Philip Michaels at 7:14 PM ET
Travels with iPhones
You know, we can talk until we're blue in the face about the great Map application on the iPhone or our iPhone travel experiences, but when it comes to evaluating the iPhone's value as a travel companion, where the rubber really meets the road is... well, where the rubber actually...
Sep 14, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 1:11 PM ET
Give 'em a little credit: $100 iPhone credit now available
For those of you looking to salve your wounds with Apple's $100 store credit, the good day has arrived. If you head over to Apple's site, you'll find the instructions for collecting your early adopter "reward." Before you get too excited, however, it's worth reading through the small print to...
Sep 16, 2007 - Posted by Dan Frakes at 12:11 PM ET
Make Wi-Fi connections easier
The iPhone's Wi-Fi feature is great for getting a high-speed connection whenever you're in range of a wireless network. However, if that network is secure (closed), it's a bit of a hassle to type usernames, passwords, and/or authentication keys using the iPhone's onscreen keyboard. According to a TidBITS scoop...
Sep 16, 2007 - Posted by Aaron Freedman at 7:54 PM ET
How to unlock your iPhone --for free!
For many people, the ability to unlock your iPhone for any GSM cellular provider was a life-saver. But now the question is how do you do it? Thankfully, fellow MacUser co-blogger Cyrus Farivar wrote a guide for Macworld on how to unlock your iPhone for free. Basically, the process...
Sep 17, 2007 - Posted by Jonathan Seff at 6:01 PM ET
Unlocking = confused voicemail
The same day that Cyrus Farivar wrote a guide to unlocking your iPhone (for free) on Macworld.com, I went through the unlock process myself, my first hacking of the phone. It worked perfectly, with only a slightly disconcerting red dot on my Phone icon. Perhaps the hardest part of the...
Sep 18, 2007 - Posted by Jim Dalrymple at 6:10 AM ET
Apple announces UK iPhone
Apple CEO Steve Jobs told invited press in London on Tuesday that the iPhone will be available beginning November 9, 2007. Jobs also confirmed Apple’s mobile partner in the UK will be O2. You will be disappointed if you were waiting for a 3G iPhone -- Apple said the UK...
Sep 18, 2007 - Posted by Jason Snell at 1:00 PM ET
Hey, AT&T, get on to a Cloud!
My favorite part of Apple's announcement this morning of the UK version of the iPhone? (No, it's not the charming accents or the fact that the iPhone will now be available in the home of Doctor Who.) It's the fact that UK cellular service from O2 comes bundled with The...
Sep 18, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 8:46 PM ET
Sneak a peek at iPhone 1.1.1 features
We know it's coming, hanging over our heads like an oncoming thunderstorm. The iPhone's first major software update is on its way this month, bringing spiffy new features like the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store. But what other advantages will it confer upon the iPhone-using masses? Apparently some of the phones...
Sep 19, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 1:54 PM ET
iPhone crosses the border into Germany on November 9th
Another day, another European country added to the stable of imminent iPhone purveyors. Yesterday it was the United Kingdom; today, their neighbor to the east, Germany. As expected, Apple has announced an exclusive deal with German cell provider T-Mobile to carry the handset. The date of the Deutschland drop is...
Sep 19, 2007 - Posted by Aaron Freedman at 8:03 PM ET
Kinda sorta use GPS on the iPhone
While my major beef with the iPhone was lack of 3G, many people were and still are very angry about the missing of GPS in the device. But, thanks to the iPhone hacking community and Navizon, that feature gap may be getting closed. Navizon is a company that provides...
Sep 20, 2007 - Posted by Philip Michaels at 3:05 PM ET
France on the iPhone: Moi Aussi
It happened in the U.K. Tuesday, then in Germany on Wednesday, so why not have France get into the act as well? France Telecom announced Thursday that its wireless division Orange would be the iPhone's official mobile service provider in France. That's about where the details begin and end, however....
Sep 20, 2007 - Posted by Philip Michaels at 4:32 PM ET
Mail me that map
We are, of course, big fans of the iPhone's Map application, and now reader Derek Mendenhall weighs in with a tip that makes a great feature even more useful for that next extended road trip: Something I just found today while I was e-mailing my wife directions, I was on...
Sep 21, 2007 - Posted by Rob Griffiths at 2:35 AM ET
Review: PDO Reviso
The PDO Reviso ($30) is a black leather "use in place" iPhone case that includes a clear plastic screen protector. While it's design is 99% black leather, one thing that differentiates it from the competition is the "dual racing stripe" that runs down the back of the case--available in...
Sep 21, 2007 - Posted by Dan Frakes at 10:42 AM ET
iToner reviewed
We've talked about iToner--Ambrosia Software's utility for using any MP3 or AAC file as a ringtone on your iPhone--several times here on iPhone Central. We've now gone all out and given it the full review treatment over on the main Macworld site. The verdict? I like it a lot...
Sep 21, 2007 - Posted by Rob Griffiths at 9:45 PM ET
Review: Incipio Silicrylic
Incipio's Silicrylic ($30) is a combination silicone and acrylic case that provides protection for everything other than the screen of your iPhone. Putting the case on is a two-step process; you first slide the iPhone into the silicone case, and then slip the now-encased phone into the acrylic surround....
Sep 21, 2007 - Posted by Rob Griffiths at 10:00 PM ET
Review: Incipio Orion
Incipio's Orion ($20) is your basic sleeve/pouch case, designed to keep your iPhone safe in transit, but to be removed when you use the iPhone. The Orion is made from a leather-like material stitched together on three sides to form a pocket with an open top, and it includes...
Sep 24, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 11:40 AM ET
The Woz is unhappy with iPhone's price cut
The wonderful wizard of Woz is a huge fan of the iPhone—he estimates that he's bought about 20 of the handsets so far—but he's proclaimed himself less-than-a-fan of Apple CEO Steve Jobs's decision to significantly drop the price of the phone less than three months after the release."Nobody expects a...
Sep 24, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 12:13 PM ET
Stream movies from your Mac to your iPhone
Watching video on the iPhone is a joy: the screen is vibrant and crisp. But if there's one major problem with video on the iPhone, it's the lack of storage space. Even an 8GB iPhone can only hold a few movies at a time, especially if you also want to...
Sep 24, 2007 - Posted by Philip Michaels at 4:41 PM ET
Smart Limits has its limits
Earlier this month, we reported that AT&T was offering a parental controls feature to its wireless subscribers, including those with iPhones. For $4.99 a month, the Smart Limits for Wireless service let parents set limits on how many minutes their kids could use and when they could use the service;...
Sep 24, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 6:22 PM ET
Apple says forthcoming update and unlocking don't play nice
For those pioneers who've bravely subjected their iPhones to any of the various carrier unlocking processes, Apple's got some news for you. And, it ain't exactly good news. According to a statement the company released today, "many of the unauthorized iPhone unlocking programs available on the Internet cause irreparable damage...
Sep 25, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 3:49 PM ET
Google Calendar, Reader, Mail make nice with the iPhone
Despite all the developments in the native third-party space, let's not let web apps fall by the wayside. Google sure isn't: the folks in Mountain View have revamped several of their web services to be decidedly friendlier in Safari on the iPhone and iPod touch alike. If you're constantly on...
Sep 27, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 1:26 PM ET
Review: RadTech Gelz
I confess that in the almost three months I've been using the iPhone, I've used it almost exclusively without the addition of a case. Mostly that's because the phone is just so slick, you hate to have cover it in anything, no matter how thin. RadTech's Gelz ($9) case is...
Sep 27, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 2:47 PM ET
iPhone version 1.1.1 has beamed down from the Internets
Does the date September 27th hold any significance to you? For me, it's the birthday of my grandmother, one of my cousins, and my best friend from college (happy birthday, guys!). And now it's the day that Apple dropped the first featureful software update for the iPhone, version 1.1.1. Just...
Sep 27, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 4:01 PM ET
Bob is back, baby, and he's running down the iPhone's new features
Remember Bob from the iPhone guided tour (real name: Bob Borchers, senior director of worldwide iPhone product marketing)? Well, if you'd been missing his calm, reasoned delivery explaining all the features of the iPhone, never fear: Bob is back. Apple's posted a new guided tour video that goes over the...
Sep 27, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 4:54 PM ET
A couple of iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store impressions
The iTunes Wi-Fi Store is undeniably the biggest upgrade in the iPhone's 1.1.1 software. The ability to buy music from your phone is quite possibly a killer app for the phone, and one that I've been looking forward to since its announcement at the iPod event earlier this month. But...
Sep 28, 2007 - Posted by Dan Moren at 2:20 PM ET
Third-party apps, we hardly knew ye
The iPhone 1.1.1 software update has proved a divisive issue in the Mac community. There are those who love the new iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store and all the attendant features of the update; and those who have been frustrated with the bricking of phones for what they see as interfering...
Sep 28, 2007 - Posted by Jonathan Seff at 8:16 PM ET
Bricking my iPhone (updated)
I guess Apple was telling the truth. I decided to try the 1.1.1 iPhone update on my unlocked and hacked phone. The process went along just fine until the iPhone restarted. Then I got a message on the screen that I had an incorrect SIM. I took the SIM out...
Sep 29, 2007 - Posted by Dan Frakes at 2:53 PM ET
Custom ringtone: I'm not (completely) dead yet.
We previously reported that the recent iPhone update (1.1.1) not only bricks unlocked phones and wipes out third-party software, but also disables custom ringtones--even those installed using iToner, which had previously survived such updates. However, it turns out that the update doesn't completely break custom ringtones. Apparently, iToner-installed ringtones...
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