DIY DSLR iPhone

Filed under: Hacks, Odds and ends, iPhone

Sure, you can take the commercial approach and just buy a telephoto lens for your iPhone, or hack together a macro lens, but if you're looking to combine the two into a hacked-up telephoto lens held together with a heaping of duct tape, look no further. Bhautik Joshi created the Phone-O-Scope as an experiment "to transmit light from one optical device to another to make an image". The result is an iPhone with duct-tape, cardboard, putty, PVC pipe and an SLR lens attached. It certainly won't win any design awards, but it does produce some very unique imagery.

Check out the tutorial for instructions on how to create your own, as well as side-by-side comparisons of a standard iPhone's pictures compared to the hacked-up iPhone shots.

If you're not a tinkerer at heart, you'll probably wonder why he bothered to produce an item as large as a standard DSLR but took worse photos. However, if you were one of those kids who quickly took apart your new toys just to see how they worked, this may be a little experiment you could appreciate.

[via Hack-a-Day]

DIY DSLR iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

DIY DSLR iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dangerously driving a car with an iPhone

Filed under: Hacks, How-tos, iPhone

Here at TUAW we've seen lots of uses for the iPhone as a remote control, but if you were watching and thinking that those projects were way too safe, then the guys at Waterloo Labs have got you covered. They approached the project with a low budget and DIY attitude, building a low-cost (relatively speaking) car that is controlled by a first generation iPhone. Not content with just building the car, they also chose to car-surf on the hood and roof, Teen Wolf style, while testing their handiwork.

While we at TUAW do not condone such dangerous behavior, we can recommend that you watch this other video by Waterloo Labs as a more in-depth instructional video on how to build your own vehicle.

Dangerously driving a car with an iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Dangerously driving a car with an iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gimme some sugar, baby: Army of Darkness sounds on the iPhone

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

Long before I was an Apple nerd, I was a horror nerd. More specifically, I was an Evil Dead/Sam Raimi/Bruce Campbell freak, and even maintained a website devoted to their 1993 masterpiece. I'm both surprised and excited to see my two obsessions collide in the form of an iPhone app devoted to Army of Darkness [iTunes link], the third of the Evil Dead series. Sure, some people use their iPhones to be more productive and create spreadsheets, but sometimes you just need a simple app that screams "shop smart, shop S-Mart!" or "see this? This is my BOOMSTICK!"

The app is a simple soundboard app, consisting of 16 audio clips from the film that can be played at the touch of a button. There's also a "slideshow" mode where you can hear all the clips in a row accompanied by an image slideshow. It is definitely not the most full-featured iPhone app, but for the horror fans out there it will make a great addition to your iPhone dock.

The app is free and, as far as I'm concerned, essential to every iPhone. If you like it, be sure to check out the other MGM soundboard apps [iTunes link] with audio clips from Robocop, Silence of the Lambs, Fargo and Rocky (all free except for Rocky, which is $0.99).

[via iPhone Savior]

Thanks to Seth for the tip!

Gimme some sugar, baby: Army of Darkness sounds on the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gimme some sugar, baby: Army of Darkness sounds on the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Found Footage: Use your iPhone in your Halloween costume

Filed under: Cult of Mac, Odds and ends, iPhone

Are you still struggling to find that perfect Halloween costume this year? Here at TUAW headquarters we've seen people dress as iPhones, more iPhones, even more iPhones, iPods, and of course more iPods. If you're looking to use Apple gear for your costume in a way that's a little more unique, check out this robot head made using MouthOff, aluminum foil, tons of tape, and of course an iPhone. While the execution leaves a little to be desired, the idea is a solid one that can be adapted to many types of costumes. If only the iPhone app supplied a hole to eat and drink through, this costume idea would be flawless.

[via Engadget]

Found Footage: Use your iPhone in your Halloween costume originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Found Footage: Use your iPhone in your Halloween costume originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TUAW Fitness: An Apple a day update

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Software, iPhone

About two weeks ago I pledged to lose weight using my iPhone, AppleTV and Mac. Well, I'm happy to report that I've lost a whopping 6 pounds since then using my iPhone 3GS. Below is a short list of the apps I used as well as a mini-review of each.

LIVESTRONG

This iPhone app has a great feature set for calorie, exercise and weight tracking, although it is not without its problems. Overall, it needs a little "spit and polish." The foods I logged often failed to save correctly when I initially entered them. Instead, I'd have to save them, then go back and edit them in order to adjust time of day, or servings eaten. It wasn't a huge deal, but calorie tracking should be quick and easy to encourage me to keep doing it. If every entry takes twice as long because of editing, well, I'm probably going to give up eventually. Which I did.

In addition, the exercise trackers seem very skewed. LIVESTRONG tells me that a 2-hour bike ride burns about 1,600 calories, while Trailguru gives a much more conservative 750 for the same time and distance. When trying to lose weight, you should overestimate calorie input and underestimate calorie burning in my opinion. I learned pretty quickly to ignore however many calories it said I was burning.

Continue reading TUAW Fitness: An Apple a day update

TUAW Fitness: An Apple a day update originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 15 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW Fitness: An Apple a day update originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 15 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TUAW Fitness: An Apple a day makes the weight go away

Filed under: Features, How-tos, Apple, iPhone, Apple TV

I've struggled with my weight for a long time. In my free-wheeling post-college days I lived with my two best friends, sitting around playing video games, drinking beer and eating Taco Bell. I put on a lot of weight in a short amount of time with that diet and exercise schedule, topping out at 260 pounds. I decided enough was enough, and I strapped on my running shoes, straightened up my eating habits, and lost almost 90 pounds.

In the years that have followed, my weight has gone up and down several times, and I'm at the point now that I need to get serious about losing weight again. According to my BMI, at 6'3" I should top out at 199 pounds, and right now I'm at 225.

This time my weight loss should be easier since I have 3 secret weapons: my iPhone 3GS, my Mac and my AppleTV. Read on for my weight loss plan and how these Apple products will help me achieve my goals.

Continue reading TUAW Fitness: An Apple a day makes the weight go away

TUAW Fitness: An Apple a day makes the weight go away originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 01 Aug 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW Fitness: An Apple a day makes the weight go away originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 01 Aug 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Found Footage: Robochan gets a 3GS upgrade

Filed under: Odds and ends, Found Footage, iPhone, iPod touch

Back in May, our own Steven Sande reported on a robot with an iPod touch for a head. At the time, Robochan was pretty limited in capability and could only mimic back taught poses and stumble around drunkenly.

A lot has happened in two short months. Robochan has received a brain-transplant courtesy of the iPhone 3GS as well as other software changes. He's been given alarm functionality to wake you up at a specified time, basic human interaction, and motion teaching and playback. But most importantly, Robochan can now dance around drunkenly to match his drunken walking.

As a robot fanatic I can only hope we see a more sober version of this robot on store shelves everywhere, but I'm not holding my breath.

Found Footage: Robochan gets a 3GS upgrade originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Found Footage: Robochan gets a 3GS upgrade originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone vs. Pre: The best air-travel companion

Filed under: iPhone

What are your tips for traveling with your iPhone?

iPhone vs. Pre: The best air-travel companion originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

iPhone vs. Pre: The best air-travel companion originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Two years with the iPhone

Filed under: Cult of Mac, Apple, iPhone

On June 29, 2007, Apple and AT&T released the iPhone for $600 to crowded stores throughout the United States. A whole lot has changed in the iPhone-world in just 2 short years. The 1.0 software is just a distant memory, and looking back I'm a little surprised how limited the original iPhone was at release. I thought for the 2-year anniversary, we could take a little walk down memory lane and see how far things have come.

Apple announced the iPhone at Macworld in January 2007, explicitly stating they were doing it because otherwise the FCC would have outed them. Cingular/AT&T was named as the exclusive carrier. The phone would cost $600, which was a completely unsubsidized price.

Continue reading Two years with the iPhone

Two years with the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Two years with the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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YouTube mobile uploads increased dramatically since iPhone 3GS

Filed under: iPhone

When the video recording capabilities of the iPhone 3GS were announced, I really looked forward to using the direct YouTube uploads to share things that no one else cared about, like my dog or my nephew. It seems like many other 3GS owners had similar ideas.

The YouTube blog is reporting that since the 3GS was released last friday, uploads have increased from mobile devices by 400% per day. They even list some of the many videos that have been uploaded since the 3GS release that range from boring to annoying.

I know that these mobile uploads of videos have a pretty limited audience, and most people watching them will wonder why they were ever uploaded in the first place. However, it does make sharing special (or mundane) moments with family and friends much easier, and I for one am happy to have the option.

[via MacRumors]

YouTube mobile uploads increased dramatically since iPhone 3GS originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

YouTube mobile uploads increased dramatically since iPhone 3GS originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Charge your iPhone wirelessly

Filed under: Accessories, iPhone, iPod touch

Do you have Pre-envy due to the Touchstone and wireless charging capabilities? Well, good news then. A company called WildCharge has stepped in to give you similar charging capabilities with your original iPhone or iPod touch. The bundle is just shy of $80 and includes the charging pad and a gel skin that needs to be attached to your phone. Once installed, just lay your phone on the pad and get your charge on.

The skin unfortunately adds an unsightly hump at the base where the dock connector is, but that may be a small price to pay if you really need your iPhone charged sans wires.

The iPod touch version is available now with the iPhone version coming next month.

Charge your iPhone wirelessly originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Charge your iPhone wirelessly originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Look: Pixelpipe 1.4.1

Filed under: Freeware, iPhone, App Store, App Review

So you got a shiny new 3GS (no more space!) and are looking for new ways to play with the new videos you've recorded? If the iPhone's built in YouTube uploading functionality isn't quite enough for you, Pixelpipe has stepped in to fill the void and allow you to send that video (or photo) to over 40 services quickly and easily.

I set up the application to send to Twitter and Picasa, and the uploads went exactly as advertised. It should be noted that when sending video to services that don't support direct uploads (such as Twitter), the video is sent to Pixelpipe's servers and linked from your account. On the Pixelpipe site, the video is displayed in its native .mov format, so PC owners may have a hard time viewing the video if they don't have QuickTime installed.

Pixelpipe (iTunes link) is a free download and supports uploading video to 40 services. Sorry, iPod touch users, this one is an iPhone-only application.

First Look: Pixelpipe 1.4.1 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

First Look: Pixelpipe 1.4.1 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why weren’t you in line this morning?

Filed under: Cult of Mac, Apple, iPhone

We don't want to imply that the iPhone 3G S launch was a dud. There's reports out that the 3G S may have sold more units than the 3G on opening day, but even more reports are coming in that the lines and general mayhem at Apple and AT&T stores were much more subdued this year than in previous years. There's a lot of speculation as to why, but we at TUAW figured we'd go straight to the source and ask our dear readers. Why weren't you in line this morning?

View Poll

Why weren't you in line this morning? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Why weren't you in line this morning? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T revises 3G S iPhone upgrade policy

Filed under: iPhone

It's no secret that I didn't mind AT&T's pricing of their 3G S upgrades. However, 3G owners were upset that they were not offered the same discounts as new customers or those who had not fulfilled their two-year contracts.

Well, good news for those 3G owners who are wanting to upgrade to the 3G S. AT&T listened to your complaints and published an open letter and YouTube video explaining that current 3G customers may be given much better upgrade pricing when the 3G S launches. From the open letter:

"Beginning June 19, iPhone 3G customers [who are] eligible for an upgrade in July, August, or September will get our best upgrade price of $199 (16 GB) and $299 (32 GB)." This is definitely great news for some 3G owners, as it bumps up the date when they can upgrade for less -- however, if your discount date is past September 30, you will still have to wait to get the best pricing. Your upgrade-eligible date is based on both your contract age and your service plan; the more money you spend with AT&T every month, the sooner they will replace your phone.

There is also good news for those of you who have already pre-ordered the new iPhone: if the new eligibility window affects you, AT&T will issue you a credit for the difference.

Although I don't think that AT&T had to make this change in their policy, it's encouraging to know they're listening to their customers and making changes. Now that you're listening, AT&T, how about getting on the ball with MMS and tethering?

AT&T revises 3G S iPhone upgrade policy originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

AT&T revises 3G S iPhone upgrade policy originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Look: TweetDeck for iPhone

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

There's been no shortage of Twitter app reviews on TUAW. We've even covered TweetDeck once or twice. But now, another Mac app and iPhone app have intersected in the Twitter world and I, for one, am ecstatic about it.

Until now, Tweetie had been my Twitter client of choice on both my Mac and my iPhone. I was pretty content with the set up, but had one issue: If I were out and about all day and checking Tweetie on my iPhone, I'd have to re-read all those tweets when I got home because the two programs had no way of communicating what had been read and what hadn't. TweetDeck has finally found a way around this issue, offering syncing between your iPhone client and your Mac client.

Continue reading First Look: TweetDeck for iPhone

First Look: TweetDeck for iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 17 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

First Look: TweetDeck for iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 17 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Counterpoint: AT&T isn’t cheating iPhone 3G customers

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Apple, iPhone

In my youth, I sold cell phones for Verizon. It was not a rare occurrence to have a customer sign up for a new account and get their free phone, only to come back a week later and tell me they dropped it in a toilet and wanted another one. They were shocked when the phone they got for free just a few days before now cost them close to $200.

To a lesser extent, the same thing is happening with iPhone 3G owners wishing to upgrade to the 3G S for the subsidized price. A year ago, 3G owners bought a $600 cell phone (assuming we're talking about the 8GB model) for just shy of $200. The 2-year contract guarantees that AT&T makes their $400 back over the length of your contract. So far, 3G owners are only about 1 year into their contract, so they've really only paid off about half of their subsidy to AT&T.

Most carriers would stop there, and offer no additional incentives until you've come close to reaching the end of your contract. AT&T is being about as generous as they can be by offering 3G owners half of the subsidy after completing half of their contract. Once 3G owners have fulfilled a year of their contract, they can get the 3G S for the base price ($199) plus half the subsidy ($200) for a grand total of $399.

Read on for some fun cell phone contract math.

Continue reading Counterpoint: AT&T isn't cheating iPhone 3G customers

Counterpoint: AT&T isn't cheating iPhone 3G customers originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Counterpoint: AT&T isn't cheating iPhone 3G customers originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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