January 2010 Archives

MC Motorcom have announced the release of the HS-500, the world's first iPhone compatible motorcycle headset. The HS-500 allows motorcycle riders to utilize the phone and music functions of their Apple iPhone and other 3.5mm (standard stereo headset jack) equipped mobile phones.

Featuring dual slim stereo speakers, a microphone, and a handlebar-mounted control button, the HS-500 gives motorcyclists superior sound quality and allows them to keep control of their music or receive calls during travel.

The directional noise-cancelling microphone will allow riders to communicate clearly with people who need to reach them on the road. Using a wired headset will provide longer battery life for your mobile phone on those long rides compared to utilizing Bluetooth technology.

Texting, web browsing and sending emails has now become even easier for Apple iPhone users with the release of the iTYPE, the latest mobile phone accessory from Ion.

The physical QWERTY keyboard developed for iPhone is a welcome addition as it provides a considerably quicker solution to touch-screen typing. Users wishing to purchase the iTYPE will have to download a free application in order to use the accessory.

The iTYPE keyboard has been designed with the aim of attracting PC users towards using the iPhone. The portability and design of the iPhone is an attractive feature to most mobile phones consumers but the added option of using a keyboard will allow businessmen and socialites to keep on top of their e-mails on the move with an efficient keyboard system.

The new Cry Translator app for iPhone, priced at £17.99, has been developed by researchers to help parents distinguish if their baby is hungry, tired, annoyed, stressed or bored.

The iPhone's microphone will pick up the sound of the baby's cry and within 10 seconds, the sound will be analysed and interpreted into one of five groups. An icon will light up on your iPhone alerting you to the cause of your baby's distress.

Researchers claim that all babies have the same distinctive cries which can be broken into five separate categories making the Cry Translator app for iPhone 96 per cent accurate.

Browse, view and share files from your iPhone or iPod Touch. The release of a new Apple iPhone app from Carbonite, the online backup provider, will enable users to access their backed up files any time, any where from their iPhone or iPod Touch.

Once logged on to the Carbonite account, files such as PDFs, images, audio and video can be viewed in the same folder structure as on the your Mac or PC and easily attached to an email for immediate access and sharing of files.

The Carbonite app also has an offline mode, allowing users to access cached content when a WiFi or 3G connection is not available. Carbonite is a free app in the App Store, however, to access all of the features, users will need a Carbonite Online Backup Account.

A new gadget has hit the market which allows your unborn child to listen to music on your iPod. The Ritmo Advanced Sound System by Nuvo is billed as a "complete prenatal music player, delivering quality and safe sound to the tiniest listeners" and allows the mother and foetus to share the same sensory experience.

The elasticised sound system has been made in the light of scientific research coming out which claims that babies in-utero who are exposed to music "display advanced intelligence, coordination, and learning abilities" in their early years. South Carolina inventor Oren Otz said he came up with the idea after his wife fell pregnant.

The Beatles and Mozart are two of the artists babies will apparently respond to and the company maintains that it uses patented Safe&Sound Technology to ensure the volume is optimal for the baby.

RouteBuddy and OpenPisteMap have announced the release of free worldwide ski maps for the iPhone and iPod touch via the also free RouteBuddy Atlas application with maps provided by OpenPisteMap. The company is encouraging users to contribute their own logged data to OpenPisteMap and OpenStreetMap, to add detail and build more maps for the community.

All skiers need to do is zoom in to any ski resort worldwide and touch the new 'Download and Cache' key to store the ski resort map tiles notes RouteBuddy. This new feature allows users to download these map tiles at home - over a Wi-fi connection - and when on holiday, use the ski maps stored on their iPhone without incurring costly data-roaming charges.

Available from the Apple iTunes App Store, users need to download the RouteBuddy Atlas software, available to load and display multiple Ordnance Survey and OpenPisteMap maps. RouteBuddy Atlas supports both Mac and PC, and any iPhone or iPod touch running the iPhone 2.2.1 Software Update or later. RouteBuddy Atlas also supports the iPhone's compass and GPS features, and can display and record tracks to view in Google Earth or RouteBuddy's desktop software. 

Grand Theft Auto: ChinaTown Wars has landed on the iPhone today, and is now available in Apple's App Store. Rockstar Games usually shouts about the launch of any game from the rooftops, but has been uncharacteristically stealthy with this release. Even the Rockstar Games website isn't up to speed, and at the time of writing is still promising that the game is "coming soon" to iPhone and iPod Touch.

From what we've seen so far, the game looks remarkably similar to the Nintendo DS version, and early app store reviews have been extremely positive: "Absolutely fantastic!  One of the only real, proper, full games for the iPhone.  Something you can really sink your teeth into."

Apple has been pushing the iPhone 3GS and the new iPod Touch as gaming platforms for some time, and the arrival of the best-selling Grand Theft Auto franchise further boosts the gaming credentials of each device. If the same games are offered at a fraction of the price on iTunes, gamers may begin to resent the high prices of DS and PSP games.

Taking a brief reprieve from all the tablet hype, new rumors have surfaced about everyone's other favorite Apple device: the iPhone. According to Goldman Sachs Group Inc. analyst Robert Chen the next-generation iPhone may be hitting the market this June or July-not much of a surprise in itself, but there are some interesting upgrades worth noting.

According to the source, the new iPhone should get an upgraded 5MP camera and may include touch-sensitive casing, which could allow users more flexibility when scrolling through apps. The plastic casing would be modeled after the technology used in the Magic Mouse, which was released in October. A new version of the iPhone OS may also see its way into the new phone.

If the iPhone 3GS isn't enough to ward off the Nexus One and all other would-bes, it sounds like the next iPhone will be. So if you were thinking about dropping coin on the current iPhone or another smartphone, you may want to hold off until summer.

As the iPhone becomes officially available on the Vodafone network in the UK, the operator has announced the launch of two new apps for the device.

The first is the free "Vodafone 360 People Sync App" said to be developed to help customers easily move mobile contacts from one phone to iPhone by backing up and syncing all contacts regardless of network provider. "The 360 People Sync App removes the hassle of having to manually transfer numbers to a new iPhone", Vodafone says. "Customers can sync contacts from almost 500 phones to iPhone so no one need ever lose a contact again".

Next up is the "Vodafone Navigation App" that provides turn-by-turn navigation, with voice instructions and speed camera alerts, for any location in the UK. The Vodafone Navigation App is available for free from the App Store now, but only until the end of April 2010 at which point it will be charged at £3 per month for those committing to the app for the length of their contract, or at £5 on a month by month basis.

Canon launches a free Easy-Photo-Print application for the Apple iPhone, making it easier to enjoy and share photos with family and friends. Available now on the App store, the Canon Easy-Photo-Print App enables easy wireless photo printing from an iPhone or iPod Touch to compatible Canon PIXMA printers via a wireless network.

The Canon Easy-Photo-Print app is free and available at the App Store on iPhone and iPod Touch or via the iTunes application.

"The new Canon Easy-Photo-Print App is the perfect solution for iPhone and iPod Touch users looking to print and share their photos," said Andrew Koh, Director and General Manager of the Consumer Imaging and Information Division, Canon Singapore. "With the new Easy-Photo-Print App, Canon takes the photo-functionality of the iPhone and iPod Touch even further and empowers users to share their images in reality."

The next generation of iPhones might feature LED flashes. Every new iPhone is expected to be better than the last. But could the next iPhone be the brightest one to date? According to various sources, the new iPhone model will feature an LED flash that gives users prime photo shooting in low lighting. The rumors suggest that the iPhone will become a more viable camera so that music lovers, mobile users, and roving photographers can carry a single device that meets all of their tech needs. So far, Philips' LumiLEDs have been linked to the project, though neither Apple nor Philips has released any statements attesting to a partnership.

If there is truth to the eco-friendly, bright flash rumors, Apple will need tens of millions of LEDs for the project. In addition to serving as a camera flash, the LEDs could actually be used to shoot low-light videos as all lights on mobile phones offer constant light sources.

In addition to a new, LED flash, smartphone users might be interested to know that the next generation of the iPhone is expected to boast better battery life, improved graphics, and a vague "limited-multitasking feature" that would allow multiple third-party applications to run simultaneously.

ION's iDiscover Keyboard is a new 25-note device that features a dock for your iPhone or iPod Touch and enables you to 'play it'. The keys have a synth action and are velocity-sensitive, and there are also pitch/mod wheels and a selection of control buttons. The hardware works in tandem with the iDiscover Keyboard app, which contains a variety of instrument sounds that can be played and recorded.

While, on the face of it, this looks like a pretty inventive product, we're not totally convinced of its usefulness. Doesn't the beauty of making music on an iPhone or iPod Touch lie in the fact that you can do it in the palm of your hand? What's more, it's not clear whether the hardware will be compatible with other apps.

Still, hats off to ION for giving this a go --the iDiscover Keyboard does also have a USB connection, so you can use it with your Mac or PC, too. Expect to see it in the second quarter of this year at a price that's yet to be announced.

Continuing the popular theme of iPhone and iPod Touch hardware accessories, ION Audio have now entered the market with a cracking new product called the iType, unveiled at the CES exhibition in Las Vegas this week. It's a direct response to people who (apparently) tire of using miniature keyboards on their devices to write emails, documents, messages etc.

This device certainly will seem a godsend to some. The whole point of the iType, according to ION's company website, is that it "transforms your iPhone or iPod Touch into an ultra-portable computer" and you can effectively "leave your laptop at home!" The iType is a full-size QWERTY keyboard that has a snug dock to connect your iPhone or iPod Touch to, meaning you can blaze through emails or other docs at breakneck speed.

It's not clear how much the iType will retail at, or when it will be released in the UK, we're assuming this kind of product will only be popular with those types who like to bring out their laptop in public places to get work done. But still innovative none the less.

Forget retro, this particular piece of audio entertainment is almost ancient! The iVictrola, designed by Matt Richmond, is an entirely acoustic amplified speaker made for the 21st century -- and solely for iPods and iPhones. The original Magnovox model, invented by Edwin Pridham and Peter L. Jensen, was an iconic and elegant amplified phonograph released way back in 1915.

The system is "acoustic" because it uses no electricity whatsoever. Yep, not even a single battery or wire. It works by placing your iPhone or iPod Touch into the attractive walnut block (or should we say dock) and sound travels up through a hole and into the rather majestic-looking horn (via those small speakers on the bottom of the device). The result has been described as "a very old, room-filling sound." But with the lack of electricity comes a lack of real volume, it has been reported.

It's not clear if other models like the iPod Nano or iPod Classic are compatible yet, but what is clear is that this limited edition speaker dock is not going to be cheap -- it's currently being marketed at around $400. The item is not even on sale in the US yet, let alone the UK, so if you're keen you may have to wait a while or pay some serious shipping. But definitely one of the most original designs of speaker dock we've ever seen and truly a vintage sound indeed!

Apple has revealed today just how popular their AppStore is with yet another impressive benchmark achieved in app download numbers. 3 billion is the figure this time, to add to the 2 billion achieved only 3 months ago, all from users of their now iconic iPhone and iPod Touch models. Amazing considering the "store" was only opened in July 2008.

There is good reason behind the success too. Choice is certainly a factor, with over 100,000 apps ranging in diversity from sports news to social networking, and a multitude of games to restaurant and bar reviews - surely there's an app out there for everyone. Price is another motive, with many apps being flung out for free (and lapped up by millions) whilst people also don't mind splashing out £2.39 for apps as good as The Guardian News.

And as the iPhone and iPod Touch continue to sell like hot cakes, how high will the numbers of app downloads reach? We're not guessing.

A new accessory allows users of both the iPhone and iPod Touch to turn their device into a universal remote control it was announced today. Developed by L5 Technology, a Florida-based smartphone peripherals company, the add-on and app is apparently capable of controlling most devices that use an infra-red remote - such as TVs, DVD players, set-top boxes and most other home entertainment equipment.

This innovative little product comprises of a small piece of hardware that plugs into the bottom of your iPhone or iPod Touch, and a free app to download from the App Store. The L5 Technology website boasts that the accessory is capable of storing up to 1000 different remotes and 100,000 individual buttons.

On sale in the US from February, the add-on price of only $49.95 (currently around £30) may surprise many based on the potential this product has to make life that little bit easier at home. Imagine. No more rows of remotes adorning your coffee table, just your iPhone or iPod Touch - amazing.

An appeals court in the US ruled that Apple cannot be held responsible for hearing damage from iPods being played too loud, it was announced today. Two claimants took Apple to court over their hugely popular iPod because the device could be used at unsafe hearing levels, often up to 115 decibels.

Since its launch in 2001, over 220 million iPods have been sold worldwide with such classic models as the iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle. However Apple, who are enjoying yet another boom in sales with their iPod Touch and iPhone, have defended themselves effectively by issuing warnings with each of their digital devices over the dangers of playing music too loud, the judge noted.

Judge David Thompson also summarised that "at most, the plaintiffs plead a potential risk of hearing loss not to themselves, but to other unidentified iPod users" and therefore handed responsibility to the user for the risk of listening at maximum levels.