fm ipod transmitter: July 2008

Thursday, July 31, 2008

MacBreak 60 : iTheater Video Glasses

Leo and Kendra discuss the iTheater Video Glasses for use with your iPod video. Read more

Sylvania's G netbook gets some specs

Filed under: Laptops

We weren't expecting much out of Sylvania's followup to its random Cloudbook rebrand, but some specs on the new netbook just hit the wires, and they're pretty respectable -- especially if this thing comes in at the $299 price target. Sure, it's still ugly, but you'll be getting a 1.6GHz Intel Atom, 1GB of RAM, an 80GB disk, and an 8.9-inch 1024 x 600 screen with an integrated webcam with either XP or Ubuntu Netbook Remix, which is a pretty hot deal -- you listening, ASUS?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Every Neonode N2 recalled due to reception problems

Filed under: Cellphones

Hey, you remember the Neonode N2? The OG full-face touchscreen phone? Well, better cherish those memories, since every N2 is being recalled due to "reception problems." A fix is apparently ready to go, but seeing as we haven't heard a peep from Neonode since it promised us a totally new OS and handsets back at CES, we've got a feeling you might be better off swapping out handsets for a while -- besides, who still uses EDGE?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Apple products top annual PC Mag reader survey

Readers of PC Magazine have awarded top scores to Apple Products, during a recent survey on electronic products. Apple received the highest ratings in all of the categories it was involved in, laptops, desktops, routers, cell phones, media players and tech support. In all of these categories Apple received Readers Choice status and performed "signi...

iPhone Push Notification API released to select developers

Filed under: iPhone, SDK

CrunchGear notes that a version of the iPhone Push Notification Service API has been released to "a handful" of developers, and, according to them, will "surely" be released to everyone when iPhone OS 2.1 is released.

If you remember our WWDC keynote coverage (around 11:05 a.m.), the Push Notification Service maintains a connection with third party servers to alert you via an icon badge, custom sounds, or text alerts.

An app that uses this feature isn't really running in the background, but instead sort of registering itself with a metaphorical "hotel operator" that lives in your phone. Once there's something new to tell you, the hotel operator notifies you.

Hopefully this has little effect on battery life, but without actual, real-world use, it's hard to say.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

MacBreak 19: Wallet

Emery Wells and Alex Lindsay discuss Wallet, a secure password creation and organization tool. Read more

Secret Agent Clank

PSP PG Pros: Ratchet and Clank, as one of Sony's goldmine franchises, has given gamers plenty to crow about over the years. Secret Agent Clank puts the smart-mouthed robot in the lead role, with a Bond-like spy twist which gives... Read more

MacBreak 83: Minute: Quick Dock Configuration

MacBreak 83: Minute: Quick Dock Configuration
Kenji shows us some handy shortcuts for accessing dock parameters.

MacBreak 16: Black and White

Leo Laporte and guest Mikkel Aaland show you how to use Adobe Bridge to get fine control when converting images from color to black and white. Read more

MacBreak 136: NAB: Barber Boom

MacBreak 136: NAB: Barber Boom
Alex checks out Barber Tech's Barber Boom.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

MacBreak 81: iPhone Camping

Merlin chats with buyers in line outside the Apple store in San Francisco waiting to buy the new iPhone. Read more

Netgear rolls out Wireless-N Upgrade Kit

Filed under: Wireless

Netgear looks to be doing its part to bring every last home network into the Wireless-N fold, with the company now rolling out its appropriately-named Wireless-N Upgrade Kit, which includes a 5GHz Wireless-N HD Access Point (WNHDE111) and that RangeMax Dual-Band Wireless-N USB adapter (WNDA3100) that made an appearance at the FCC earlier this year. Like most such kits, the included Access Point can function either as a standalone bridge (including with a game console or media receiver) or as a full-fledged 5GHz Wireless-N access point when it's connected to an existing router or gateway. There's also not many surprises with the USB adapter, although it does boast some "patented metamaterial micro-antennas," which promise to out-do other non-metamaterial 802.11n adapters. If that's got you sold, you can pick up the kit right now for $149.

[Via BIOS]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Dear Auntie TUAW: Is My 2.0 iPhone Slow and Buggy?

Filed under: iPod Family, iPhone

Dear Auntie TUAW,

I've been looking to see if there was a post about this, but have people been noticing that the 2.0 firmware on their original iPhones has made them slow, partially responsive, and more buggy? I'm looking for a way to downgrade mine until they get it figured out. Thanks!

Signed, David C.

David, read on for the answer from Auntie TUAW.

Continue reading Dear Auntie TUAW: Is My 2.0 iPhone Slow and Buggy?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

MobileMe email complaints continue

Despite Apple's pronouncement that all is well with MobileMe, user complaints continue on the company's support forums. Apple wrote this morning in its MobileMe blog that mail problems affecting "1 percent" of its customers have been completely fixed, and lost messages had been restored. But several posts on MobileMe Support DIscussions show other...

GBTV #358 (small) | GeekBrief.TV

I've been a little bus obsessed for the last couple of days. Our lease is up on May 21st. Our plan has been to downsize and move into a small apartment for the summer while we finish planning The Big Trip. Even though we won't be ready to hit the road, we're really anxious to get the bus and start geeking it out for the trip.

Times is an RSS feed reader for Mac that is beautiful. It creates a Newspaper-like context for news delivered via RSS. It isn't a static experience though. Times takes advantage of Core Animation to make reading the news an enchanting experience. When you click on a headline, the page folds down to reveal the text of the story. A featured called Shelf lets you organized stories into stacks. You can download it from here and try it for 14 days. It's the one newsreader I've found that's worth paying for.

The PC Decrapifier is a freeware application that removes all the trialware nonsense that comes pre-installed on a new PC.

Evernote is an extension of your brain. Clips from Web pages or photographs you take with your phone camera can be sent to your Evernote database where the information is searchable. It's very cool. Lycos Cinema is a social video viewing experience. You pick the video, invite up to 10 friends and the video is synced to everyone watching at almost the exact same time. A chatroom gives viewers a way to talk about what they're watching. The big downside, though is the very limited supply of interesting content.

The conversation about prerolls and Beck's Beer is on my blog, iCali.tv. Read more

The Engadget Podcast now supports AAC and Ogg feeds!

Well now, it appears that the Engadget Podcast has been given its own version of 2.o0 status in a sense. Take a look for yourself…
(more…)

ARM gives license to mystery phone maker

ARM gives license to mystery phone maker
Mobile chipmaker ARM has handed out a mystery architecture license for its processors, the company revealed Wednesday while discussing its latest quarterly results. The company unusually declines to say which manufacturer it may be but notes that the particular licensee is a "leading handset OEM [original equipment manufacturer]" and that the deal...

Report claims iPod, MacBook, and MacBook Pro shortages coming... along with new gear

Filed under: Laptops, Portable Audio, Portable Video

According to a report from AppleInsider, the Cupertino giant is issuing "advisement bulletins" to some of its channel partners suggesting they get their hands on iPods and MacBooks / MacBook Pros while the gettin's good. It seems that Apple is telling resellers to place orders for a four-week block's worth of top-selling iPods, saying that within the next seven days supplies will become extremely limited, while recommending a three-week supply of MacBooks and MacBook Pros. The article claims that this practice is familiar to third-party sellers, and indicates Apple is ramping up for its holiday season (and new iPods and MacBooks / Pros, presumably). Of course, right now this is just whispers in high school hallways, but we can promise you this: Apple will be selling something this holiday season. You have our word.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Freecom rolls out Mobile Drive XXS, new "world's smallest" 2.5-incher

Filed under: Storage

While it seems inevitable that external 2.5-inch hard drives can only get so small, right now manufacturers look to be intent on doing their best to shave off every last excess millimeter to lay claim to the elusive title of world's smallest. That designation now appears to have fallen on Freecom's new Mobile Drive XXS which, according to the company, is not only 27% smaller than its nearest competitor but, at just 155 grams, the lightest drive of its kind around as well. You'll still get the usual choices of 160GB, 250GB, or 320GB sizes though, along with the requisite bus-powered connectivity, and a handy form-fitting rubber sleeve to ensure the thing stays where you want it. Look for this one to hit the UK any day now for £45, £60, or £80 (or $90 to $160), depending on the capacity.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

MacBreak 110: Macworld 2008: Eye-Fi

Cali Lewis checks out the Eye-Fi auto-uploading SD card. Read more

RSS? Security Deadline

We have a deadline on our hands, folks. There are vulnerabilities that simply must be addressed before the unthinkable happens.
(more…)

Replace Windows Explorer With A More Powerful Alternative

Windows Explorer does do its job, but there is a lot left to be desired. Xplorer2 Lite gives you a more powerful alternative that makes browsing those folders quick and easy. Xplorer2 Lite is the free version of Xplorer2, but don’t let that worry you. The free version has a good feature set that still [...]

Integration

Xplorer2 Lite isn’t a full replacement for Windows Explorer. What I mean by this is that if you click on a folder after Xplorer2 Lite is installed, it will still open with Windows Explorer. However, right clicking on a folder now gives you the option to open the folder in Xplorer2 Lite. This is a minor inconvenience, but it’s worth it. You’ll see.

Basic Functions

Upon opening Xplorer2 Lite, you will immediately see the difference and the uses you can get out of it. There are two window panes that allow you to easily drag and drop files from location to location. I love this feature when moving music from my laptop to my networked drive. I no longer have to have two windows open or copy and paste. I can do it easily within one window.

Bookmarks and FTP Client

If you use a folder consistently that is buried somewhere on your C drive, you can easily bookmark it, so it will come up with one click instead of going through the entire file tree. You can also bookmark your FTP server in order to easily drag and drop files from your computer to the server. This makes all of those tedious file transfers seem easily done because you can do them all in this one program.

Tabs

If two window panes just aren’t enough, Xplorer2 Lite acts just like your favorite web browser by letting you open tabs in each window. This makes it extremely easy to manage lots of transfers at the one time.

File Manipulation

Xplorer2 Lite also allows you to do some basic file manipulations. Of course, you can create and delete files just like normal, but you can also merge, split and shred files within the program.

Preview Window

Keeping with the trend of not having to open other software to do basic tasks is the Preview Window. This window gives you a preview of the file you click on. This can be pictures, videos or audio. It is nice not to have to double click and get another program loaded to find whether that is the right picture or not.

Shortcuts

Xplorer2 Lite was made for power users as well. Almost every feature that I’ve covered and the ones that I didn’t cover have shortcuts. Becoming a shortcut master of this program could greatly increase your file management productivity.

Drawbacks

Xplorer2 Lite is a great overall program, but it is the free version of a paid software. Lots of times free versions are independent of their paid big brother, but Xplorer2 Lite seems to be Xplorer2 with several options turned off. This can be frustrating, because some of the options that are unavailable are not clearly labeled. Also, you must use Windows Explorer Search to search for any files. Even with these complaints, I have found Xplorer2 Lite to be extremely useful and I will definitely use it more than Windows Explorer.

I know there are a few other alternatives out there, and I am definitely interested in what everyone else uses, so let me know!