A car stereo built for the King (of phones)

Filed under: iPod Family, iPhone

No, you didn't click on the wrong link. We haven't changed our name to The Unofficial Audio Weblog. "Why, then, is my beloved Apple-centric site doing a review of a car stereo?!" you're no doubt asking yourself. 'Cause this thing rocks your iPhone like you've never heard before!

Sony was nice enough to send us one of its newest models, the Xplod MEX-BT5700U, which happens to be the company's flagship head unit. With things like iPod integration via the front-mounted USB port and Bluetooth audio streaming, the $299 single-DIN stereo has an interesting mix of features that you'd expect to come at a higher price.

First off, some ground rules. I'm not an audiophile. This isn't going to be a review chock full of decibel ratings or fancy audio terms. While I've had quite a few aftermarket stereos in my time, and I've installed my share of head units, car stereos aren't my living. Instead, I'll be focusing on its interface and various connections to iDevices.

The specs
The Xplod MEX-BT5700U is no slouch when it comes to traditional stereo benchmarks. It outputs 52W per channel without external amplification and has a separate subwoofer out. It'll play nearly any audio source including HD Radio (via an optional kit), satellite radio, CDs (the store-bought pressed ones in addition to CD-Rs and CD-RWs with MP3, AAC, or WMA data files), USB sticks and drives, a CD changer, and of course MP3 players. Oddly enough, there is no Memory Stick slot. (Thank goodness!)

Oh yeah, it even gets AM!

Continue reading A car stereo built for the King (of phones)

A car stereo built for the King (of phones) originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A car stereo built for the King (of phones) originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Gobble up this deal on 1Password Pro touch

Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, App Review

To celebrate Thanksgiving, Agile Web Solutions is giving thanks to its customers this week in the form of a free iPhone app. Previously $7.99, 1Password Pro touch [iTunes link] is completely free until December 1st.

Whether or not you use the excellent Mac edition of this app, which was recently updated to version 3.0, 1Password touch is a great addition to your iPod touch or iPhone. Essentially a password manager, this app stores login usernames and passwords, wallet information like credit card numbers, software license keys, and secured notes behind one or two levels of protection (depending on how sensitive you deem the data). With cut and paste functionality, as well as a built-in web browser, it's a great way to simplify logging into password-protected sites or even making online purchases. Of course, to get the most out of the mobile version, a copy running on your Mac is a must. With it, you'll be able to sync your information between the devices.

The standard app is great and all, but since both versions are free for the time being, you might as well grab the Pro. Extra features include folders for better organization, the ability to copy multiple fields to paste elsewhere, and a unique switching mode to quickly copy and past info into Mobile Safari. In addition, there are some Pro-only features on the way including MobileMe and WebDAV syncing (I can't wait for that!), and Favorites.

If you already have the regular touch edition, make sure to back up your data before removing the old app and upgrading to the Pro version. Those with the Mac application can rely on Wi-Fi syncing to ensure the latest info is on the computer, however Agile has instructions on its site for those without. Once you've removed the standard 1Password touch and installed Pro, you can restore the data.

Gobble up this deal on 1Password Pro touch originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gobble up this deal on 1Password Pro touch originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mouse steals cheese, iPhone 3.1 jailbreak released

Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, Jailbreak/pwnage

The legendary Dev-Team has done it again. It just released the new version of the Pwnage Tool, a desktop application that's used to create custom firmware packages to jailbreak iPhones and iPod touches.

Jailbreaking is the act of modifying the official firmware in order to run applications not approved by Apple. Chief among those applications, at least for the iPhone crowd, is the SIM unlock that allows the phone to be used on unofficial cell phone service providers.

The Dev-Team has found holes in previous versions of the iPhone OS that allow this code modification and has developed tools to make exploitation easier for the average user to accomplish. Once implemented, the jailbreak process installs an app that acts an unofficial App Store of sorts. The iPhone or iPod touch user can browse and install games, utilities, themes, and general applications. Cydia, one of these installer apps, even has a store with applications for sale.

Traditionally, when Apple releases a new iPhone OS version, that software upgrade breaks any jailbreak and SIM unlock present on the device. And so, you end up with the cat-and-mouse game that Steve Jobs alluded to shortly after the first firmware loophole was exploited and the original iPhone was unlocked.

Well, the mouse has stolen the cheese once again, and the Pwnage Tool released today will jailbreak the latest firmware, version 3.1.*

The big asterisk at the end of that previous sentence is that the Tool will only work on about half of the devices that use the iPhone OS -- only the original iPhone, original iPod touch, and iPhone 3G. The iPod touch line just released, as well as the 2nd generation iPod touch and the iPhone 3GS, cannot be jailbroken at this time. That means if you've already upgraded to 3.1 on your 3GS, you still won't be able to SIM unlock it as of the time of this post.

So, if you want to SIM unlock your iPhone 3G or the original model, Pwnage Tool 3.1 should do the trick. On the 3G, you'll need to use Icy or Cydia to also install the ultrasn0w app that actually performs the software unlock; however the original iPhone should be unlocked without this additional step.

You will need a Mac to run Pwnage Tool 3.1, but a Windows version is expected in the near future. Also expected soon is redsn0w, for both Mac and Windows, that further simplifies the jailbreak process by avoiding the need to create a custom firmware package.

Keep in mind, if you've been waiting for a jailbreak solution before upgrading to the latest firmware, many users have had fairly substantial issues with iPhone 3.1. My fellow TUAW blogger, Josh Carr, has reported that lots of iPhones and iPod touches are working poorly after upgrading. You may wish to hold off and stick with 3.0 or 3.0.1 until a solution is found, either by Apple or some other group of smart people.

Mouse steals cheese, iPhone 3.1 jailbreak released originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Mouse steals cheese, iPhone 3.1 jailbreak released originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

iPhone 101: Don’t forget to wipe… your iPhone’s data

Filed under: iPhone, iPhone 101, iPod touch

Stepping up to a shiny new 3GS? Thinking about selling your old iPhone on eBay or craigslist? Don't forget to wipe!

I buy iPhones from time to time to unlock and offer to our local customers. One such phone arrived today and I eagerly opened the box to get things prepared. After charging the dead iPhone for a while, I powered it on and was greeted with tons of personal information about the previous owner.

The phone was loaded up with three accounts full of literally thousands of emails, 107 contacts, 974 songs, a few dozen photos and a handful of apps -- all still happily filling the 8GB. There were faxed checks related to the previous owner's sales position, visual voicemails available to anyone's ears, and a huge log full of text messages.

The previous owner hadn't deleted anything before sending his iPhone off to a complete stranger! While I was taking care of that important step for him, I thought "This is a perfect opportunity to save some TUAW readers from this sort of embarrassment, not to mention potential ID theft, with a quick reminder."

Clearing all of the data from your iPhone was made simple with the 2.0 firmware update last year.

1. Go to Settings
2. Scroll all the way down and tap Reset
3. Choose Erase All Content and Settings
4. Confirm (twice) that you REALLY want to lose everything

Make sure you have it plugged in, as the process will take quite a long time, "about an hour" according to the warning. But, believe me, it is time well spent!

Once the process is complete, you'll be left with a "factory fresh" installation of the iPhone OS with no trace of you or your data, and you can safely sell it and upgrade to the latest and greatest model. Oh, and do me a favor -- if I'm the auction winner, include a working sync cable this time!

iPhone 101: Don't forget to wipe... your iPhone's data originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 23 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

iPhone 101: Don't forget to wipe... your iPhone's data originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 23 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Quicker tweets with qTweeter

Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, Jailbreak/pwnage, App Review

There's no shortage of Twitter apps in the App Store. Even more surprising is the number of GOOD apps that connect to the popular microblogging platform. I like each for a different reason: Tweetie has a clean user interface, TweetDeck offers multiple columns that sync with its desktop counterpart, and TwitterFon has ReadItLater integration. There are countless others that have unique features, and many of us end up with at least a couple on our iDevices.

But I have a new favorite, qTweeter, developed by the folks at Efiko Software. You won't find it in the App Store, though, because this app requires a jailbroken device. Multitasking isn't officially allowed (yet?) on the iPhone OS, yet qTweeter relies on this capability to perform its best trick.

Say you're checking the weather and want to tell everyone of the approaching hurricane. Normally, you would close your weather application, swipe through pages of apps, tap on and wait for your favorite Twitter client to open and load all of the tweets that you really don't care about right now, and finally type your warning to get the heck out of town. By the time you do all of that, the highway is going to be grid-locked with fleeing residents and you'll be stuck boarding up windows and sweeping up the debris!

Instead, you could have just "pulled" qTweeter down from the status bar, typed your tweet, and went back to the app still running in the background.

In fact, per the recent trend, you could have also posted that same message to your Facebook status with just a tap of a checkbox. It's a much quicker way to get your message out of your head and onto the Net, a fact that you'll appreciate as you get older and those thoughts become more fleeting.

Continue reading Quicker tweets with qTweeter

Quicker tweets with qTweeter originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 22 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Quicker tweets with qTweeter originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 22 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Best iPhone cellular plan… ever?

Filed under: iPhone, Jailbreak/pwnage

I like to joke that "Iowa is a great place to live, but I wouldn't want to visit." Residents often complain that there's nothing to do (other than milk cows and shuck corn). One can only stand so much antiquing.

But we do have a few things going for us: clean air, relatively light traffic, lots of space, and perhaps the best cell phone plan for the iPhone.

Recently, reader PC Drew, a US Marine living in Japan, sent us a note to let us know about the challenge he had in finding an iPhone plan while visiting his wife's family. A contract plan was out of the question, of course, because of his length of stay and the fact that he's still under a two-year Softbank agreement in Japan. And due to AT&T's, shall we say, "perplexing" lack of a prepaid plan for the iPhone, the official carrier in the States wouldn't help him.

He could have stopped by a Best Buy and picked up an O2 Universal SIM Card for less than $10. That would have provided the ironically-named PC with $0.17 per minute calls but that's it -- no data, no included text messages, and no tethering ability.

After searching a bit for a prepaid solution, he stumbled across the MEGAtalk Nationwide plan from regional GSM carrier, i wireless. This no-contract, no-credit-check offering gives the customer 30 days of unlimited calling, with roaming and long distance, for $49 plus taxes.

But wait, there's more! Not only did PC get unlimited voice minutes, but he also had unlimited SMS texting and, here's the kicker, unlimited data usage. And, with the proper hack, i wireless customers can tether their iPhones for free. Yes, you read that right... free tethering on an unlimited data plan!

Of course, getting a service plan from an unofficial carrier (read: non-AT&T, at least in the United States) requires your iPhone to be SIM-unlocked. This has become much easier over the past two years and most cell phone shops can perform the procedure if you're too nervous. PC had already performed the necessary steps, as he often finds himself in areas that aren't exactly covered by his Softbank contract.

Okay, now for the downer. Because it's a T-Mobile affiliate, i wireless doesn't offer iPhone-compatible 3G service. In fact, they only offer EDGE speeds in their Iowa-based footprint, unless you're traveling to an area with T-Mobile 3G. As a result, that unlimited data is a bit crippled speed-wise, but it's still a heck of a deal.

So, if you're planning on traveling to Iowa -- say, to Fort Madison for the 62nd Annual Tri-State Rodeo in September -- or if you're "lucky" enough to be stuck living here, you might want to take advantage of what's probably the most economical cell phone service plan available for the iPhone anywhere in the USA.

DISCLAIMER: I own a computer and cell phone store that sells this particular prepaid plan. But the above story is absolutely true; PC Drew did contact TUAW to brag about his bargain find, without knowing me or my connection to the product.

Best iPhone cellular plan... ever? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 09 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Best iPhone cellular plan... ever? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 09 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Manage your iPhone’s clipboard with Snippets

Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, App Review

The cut, copy, and paste features (finally) included in version 3.0 of the iPhone OS greatly improve the productivity of the iDevices. However, there is room for improvement. Enter Erich Bratton with his clipboard manager app, Snippets, available now in the iTunes App Store [iTunes link].

Snippets offers a way to organize bits of text that can be accessed quickly to paste into emails, text messages, notes, and other places. The clips can be categorized into a number of pre-determined or user-created folders as well. To help get new users comfortable, the app comes with a variety of canned responses and other text pieces, some of which are hysterical.

The real power of Snippets lies in the ability to paste or create text in the app for later use. Think of it as boilerplates for your iPhone. If you find yourself writing similar things over and over, simply create an entry in Snippets. When you need to write that same text next time, visit the Snippets app first, view the desired text block (which automatically copies it to the clipboard), and then paste it into whatever app you'd like. It really couldn't be much simpler.

The canned responses included with Snippets are worth its price of $.99 alone, in this blogger's opinion. But even if you are wittier than I and appreciate original pieces of text, Snippets is a great app with a very easy-to-use interface that I plan to use again and again. In fact, I might just start using it to write some generic paragraphs that I can use in every review. What a time-saver!

Manage your iPhone's clipboard with Snippets originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Manage your iPhone's clipboard with Snippets originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Create unique avatars and contact pics with Persona

Filed under: Software, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, App Review

Some people like to have unique avatars for forums and instant messaging clients. I don't. My avatars usually end up being silly pictures of myself because I'm a shallow narcissist...and a bit lazy.

However, for those more creative than I, Persona [iTunes link] is a nice iPhone app in which to invest the price of a quarter-pounder. It allows the user to create a cartoon face by choosing from a variety of facial features. Hair style, eyes, nose, beard, and more are all up for grabs.

When you're done creating a mini-you (remember my personality issue described above), you can set it as the contact picture for any of your iPhone's contacts. You can also save your creation to the Camera Roll where you'll be able to export it via email or MMS (assuming you have the new 3.0 firmware and don't have AT&T), publish it to MobileMe, or use it as your wallpaper if you did a particularly good job. Once on your computer, you'll be able to use it as the avatar for that cute-cat-picture forum you visit eight times each day.

Persona is simple enough; in fact, perhaps too simple. The faces tend to look very similar as the options are quite limited for a dedicated app such as this. Also, what's going on behind my left shoulder? Every avatar I create is staring in that same direction!

Choosing from the available options isn't very intuitive. You choose the "parts" category and then pick the individual attribute, but no moving or resizing of the facial features is allowed. And very few accessories are presented, other than odd inclusion of a plethora of choices for nicotine deployment. (Note to self: see if the folks at Persona are sponsored in any way by Philip Morris.)

Overall, it's a nice idea for an app that will have moderate appeal to the forum crowds. I doubt you'll be using it again and again, though, because the app just doesn't offer much depth. But it's the user interface and lack of extensive options that tend to make the $2.99 a bit hard to swallow.

Create unique avatars and contact pics with Persona originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Create unique avatars and contact pics with Persona originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments