iTunes Updated to 9.0.2, Pre Sync is Dead.

Here we go again. Apple has updated iTunes to version 9.0.2 and Palm Pre sync is dead again using webOS 1.2.1, despite Palm's Hurculean efforts to spoof nearly every aspect of USB identification known to mankind. As with previous breakages, iTunes does launch when you connect a Pre with Media Mode, but it doesn't appear as a device on the sidebar.

Pre owners can at least take comfort in knowing that Apple's main goal here was adding support for the new AppleTV format, but breaking Pre sync support was a nice cherry for them.

iTunes 9.0.2 adds support for Apple TV software version 3.0, adds an option for a dark background for Grid View, and improves support for accessibility.

Round and round we go. It's your move, Palm, what's it going to be?

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iPhone gets Xenon flash from Snapture

I have tried on a few occasions to take pictures with my iPhone. It seems that no matter how brightly lit the room is, the camera simply can’t take a shot that’s not dark and grainy. Many other high-end camera phones offer a built-in flash, but so far, Apple has not added that feature.

Snapture offers editing software designed to run on the iPhone and it has now announced a new polycarbonate case that not only protects the iPhone from damage, but also adds a bright Xenon powered flash.

The case has a rechargeable battery that offers enough power for 1000 flashes or more. A low-light detection sensor automatically activates the flash when needed. I will say that the iPhone needs a flash, but the optics also need work before the iPhone is really a camera replacement.

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iDesign SongView iPod alarm clock

There’s no shortage of iPod alarm clocks on the market, but every now and then you see one that stands out. Take the iDesign SongView for instance. It suckers you in with it’s 1.3 inch scrolling display on the base, which cycles between the date and time, current song, artist, playlist and album when you’re listening to your iPod. You can actually see it from across the room.

Get it? SongView? It comes with the usual remote for controlling all the features, line out and line in jacks for external speakers and will take a non-iPod MP3 player as well. Not too bad for $99.99.

It even looks fairly decent design-wise. The main thing is you won’t have to squint to read the scrolling info.

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iPhone nano case appears

We probably shouldn’t be basing predictions for important new Apple products on protective case mockups from China. Even so, things like this have revealed the truth in the past. iDealsChina is reporting that XSKN is working on a silicone skin for the upcoming “Nano iPhone” a shorter, chubbier version of the iPhone 3G.

According to iDealsChina sources, the phone will feature EDGE data, but otherwise is pretty identical in specs to its predecessors. Well, it has a smaller screen. According to them, Apple plans to sell tons of these for low prices in places like Walmart, and that the company will be unveiling the new handset in January during Macworld.

They even say that leaked photos of the device should be surfacing in the next few days. Pretty bold claims. I guess we’ll see.

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iPhone V2 Tips and Tricks

All these functions are availalbe into the new V2 firmware - we can unlock this firmware now, click 'Order' to proceed!

1. Force-quit an application. Now that the iPhone is a real handheld computer, it's not immune from the occasional misbehaving application. If one freezes up on you, force-quit by pressing and holding the Home button for 6 seconds.

Make reservations the easy way.

2. Make reservations the easy way. If you're looking up a phone number for something in Safari—say a restaurant or a hotel—there's no need to leave the page when you find it. Simply tap the number right on the page; the iPhone will dial it automatically.

3. Double-down with scrolling. Many Web pages contain separate text boxes with their own scroll bars. If you're trying to move around in one, try this: Zoom in, and then scroll with two fingers instead of one. That will let you scroll just inside the box and not affect the position of the entire page.

4. Maximize battery life, part 1. iPhone and iPhone 3G models have more sensors than just the accelerometer. For example, they have a separate sensor, situated right above the earpiece, that detects ambient light. The iPhone uses this sensor only once per session, though, just as you unlock the handset. But if you cover the sensor as you unlock the phone, you will trick the handset into thinking it's in a dark room, and it will power down the screen brightness as a result.

Maximize battery life, part 2

5. Maximize battery life, part 2. The iPhone's newfound e-mail synchronization abilities are useful, but they also drain the battery more quickly. If that's a concern, under Fetch New Data, set e-mail fetch time to Hourly, and turn Push off.

6. Grab a screenshot. The latest iPhone software lets you easily take screenshots of just about anything. To grab one, hold down the Home button and press the Sleep/Wake button. The iPhone will deposit a photo of the current screen in the iPhone's Photo application.

Get a bigger keyboard in Safari.

7. Get a bigger keyboard in Safari. Before you begin browsing, rotate the phone horizontally. Now tap the address bar. Voilà: a wider keyboard. Now if Apple would only add this feature in more applications instead of just Safari….

Keep Safari's address bar handy.

8. Keep Safari's address bar handy. Ever scroll pretty far down a Web page, only to find that the address bar has disappeared? No need to scroll back up—instead, tap the top part of the screen. The address bar will reappear, regardless of where you are on the actual Web page.

9. Enter punctuation quickly. To enter a period while using the on-screen keyboard, hold down the Punctuation key and slide your finger over to the Period button. Then release it. (This works for all punctuation, of course.)

Ride the dot-com wave.

10. Ride the dot-com wave. When keying in Web addresses, the iPhone gives you a very useful .com button that lets you add the four characters in one press. But as with the desktop version of Safari, you can even leave that out: Safari will automatically add it for you. Bonus tip: hold down the .com button; you'll be presented with a list of alternate domain endings, such as .net, .edu, and .org.

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Apple announces final MacWorld, no Steve Jobs

I guess you could say that it’s the end of an era. Apple just issued a press release saying that this next MacWorld in January will be the last, and sadly Steve Jobs won’t be there. Instead, Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, will be heading it up. It marks an end to the daily conference that has launched some of the most important pieces of consumer tech in recent years.

Apple is reaching more people in more ways than ever before, and trade shows have become a very small part of how Apple reaches its customer base. Also, the increasing popularity of Apple’s Retail Stores factor into it as well. More than 3.5 million people visit them every week. Plus the Apple.com website lets Apple reach more than a hundred million customers around the world.

We’ll still have the technology, just not the event.

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AT&T offers iPhone 3G home activation

Yes, you can now get an iPhone from the comfort of your livingroom, wearing only your underwear. Just purchase the phone online, receive it at home and activate the handset via iTunes. That was easy wasn’t it?

Only new accounts and new line activations apply. Those who want to upgrade from where they are at the moment will still have to put some clothes on and head toward a store. But this does make things a whole lot more convenient for everyone. Especially nudists, WoW players and shut-ins.

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DLO ships HomeDock HD Pro upscaling iPod dock

My god, it’s full of stars ports! It also makes for one fancy-ass iPod dock. The HomeDock HD Pro was unveiled at CEDIA earlier this year and it has now made its way off the production line and began shipping. This upscaling iPod dock takes your stored media and sends it out via HDMI in 720p / 1080i. It even has an RS-232 control port. It remains to be seen if this dock can really make HD video out of your iPod movies, but at $399 it had better.

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m888a iPhone Nano clone

Here’s an interesting clone. The m888a will let you own a smaller sized iPhone, with dull specs. An iPhone mini-me. Just keep in mind that your fingers remain the same size. Specs include: a 2.4-inch touchscreen with stylus, dual-band GSM and a VGA camera, even comes in black and white in an Apple-like package. One thing that the original doesn’t have and the m888a does is dual-SIM support and freedom to be on any GSM network.

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m888a iPhone Nano clone

Here’s an interesting clone. The m888a will let you own a smaller sized iPhone, with dull specs. An iPhone mini-me. Just keep in mind that your fingers remain the same size. Specs include: a 2.4-inch touchscreen with stylus, dual-band GSM and a VGA camera, even comes in black and white in an Apple-like package. One thing that the original doesn’t have and the m888a does is dual-SIM support and freedom to be on any GSM network.

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China produces knock off flip iPhone

We’ve seen our share of knock-offs coming out of China, but this one is downright funny. They’ve taken the iPhone and turned it into a clamshell style phone. Funny thing is, it resembles a MacBook more then an actual iPhone.

It is attractive with the brushed aluminum casing and the iPhone look inside, but I’m guessing that performance isn’t up to par. Surprisingly, the camera is 3-megapixels, more than on most mid to low-end phones. It also sports a 2.6-inch display with a resolution of 240 x 320. It’s pretty small at 105 x 53 x 17mm and about 110 grams. One giveaway that this is a crap-gadget are the LED lights under the apple. I guess that’s the best they could do.

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China produces knock off flip iPhone

We’ve seen our share of knock-offs coming out of China, but this one is downright funny. They’ve taken the iPhone and turned it into a clamshell style phone. Funny thing is, it resembles a MacBook more then an actual iPhone.

It is attractive with the brushed aluminum casing and the iPhone look inside, but I’m guessing that performance isn’t up to par. Surprisingly, the camera is 3-megapixels, more than on most mid to low-end phones. It also sports a 2.6-inch display with a resolution of 240 x 320. It’s pretty small at 105 x 53 x 17mm and about 110 grams. One giveaway that this is a crap-gadget are the LED lights under the apple. I guess that’s the best they could do.

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iPhone television advert banned

The ASA agreed with viewers who thought Apple's ad misleading

One of Apple's adverts for the iPhone has been taken off the TV.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) agreed with more than a dozen complaints over claims about the 3G version's "really fast" performance.

The advert said the product "helps you get the news, really fast", and "download pretty much anything, really fast."

But 17 viewers didn't agree.

They said the 30 second ad was misleading and exaggerated the speed of the device.

Apple argued the claims were only meant to be taken as a comparison to its predecessor.

More...

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Apple made to drop iPhone advert

The advert compared the iPhone's 3G and 2G models

An Apple iPhone advert has been banned by the advertising standards watchdog for exaggerating the phone's speed.

The advert boasted the new 3G model was "really fast" and showed it loading internet pages in under a second.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld complaints by 17 people who said the TV advert had misled them as to its speed.

Apple UK said it was comparing the 3G model with its 2G predecessor and its claims were "relative not absolute".

The advert repeatedly stated that the phone was "really fast" and showed news pages and the Google maps service taking just fractions of a second to appear.

More...

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i-Station Rotate dock will rotate your iPod or iPhone

The i-Station Rotate from Logic3 is the latest offering in the i-Station line. It makes sure that your iPod or iPhone is always oriented in the right direction, which I’m sure will help you avoid some neck problems while watching videos. The i-Station Rotate has a built-in dock rotating mechanism that turns your device horizontal or vertical depending on your whims, when you still need it to be connected to the dock.

It’s pretty practical and compact, which is good for taking the i-Station Rotate with you on the road etc. It features a Video Out function, TDMA noise suppresion, 3.5mm Stereo line-in socket, a remote control and a carrying case. You can get the i-Station Rotate in January of next year for $129.99.

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Panasonic iPhone charger

With the Panasonic Pocket Power phone charger, you can have instant power for your iPhone anytime you need it. Just insert a few AA batteries inside, connect the Pocket Power phone charger to your handset and let it charge for awhile. Then you’ll have a few more hours of jibber-jabber time. It doesn’t just charge your iPhone, it will also charge your iPod touch and a bunch of other devices. The Pocket Power will retail for $36.45. It’s practical and convenient.

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The iPhone Jack-O-Lantern is versatile

Seems like every time you turn around, the iPhone gets even more versatile. Is there anything it can’t do? Check this out. This iPhone Jack-O-Lantern is created with an application known as Crazy Pumpkin. It basically lets you customize your iPhone’s display into cool Pumpkin faces. Sadly, you won’t want to set it outside for some kid in a robot costume to steal. Sure, they aren’t as awesome as these pumpkins, but pretty cool.

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Limited Edition Beatles iPod

It’s been a long wait. A long and winding road if you will. At last, the Beatles iPod is out, with only 2,500 units available. You know you want it. And in these tough economic times, Paul, Ringo, and Yoko need your help. So why not fork out $795. The Limited Edition Ultimate Collector’s Beatles iPod Set comes complete with a wooden box designed by Psycho Bunny, where you can store your 120GB Beatles iPod, 13 original Beatles albums on CD, two masters, the Love CD, and an engraved guitar pick that is surely the pick of destiny.

Uh, hang on a minute here. Anyone wanting a Beatles iPod surely owns all of these CDs anyway, so what gives? I don’t need all of that extra junk for 800 clams. Just give me a decent Beatles iPod. Preferably something with a classic album cover on it.

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The iBangle bracelet MP3 player

The iPod pretty much owns the day in the world of MP3 players, but that doesn’t mean they can’t give it a drastic upgrade in the future. Designer Gopinath Prasana prefers a wearable player and so created the iBangle concept. Wearing it is better then carrying an extra gadget after all.

This MP3 player is in the form of a bracelet or bangle, hence the name. It features a multi-touch track pad so you can control your playlist. It’s pretty small, so you won’t be watching videos or movies, making this like the iPod shuffle. Since everyone has different wrist sizes, the iBangle adjusts by inflating a cushion so it will fit snugly.

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Big names sign up to iTunes rival

Gbox will offer tracks not covered by copy protection technology
Some of the world's biggest record labels including Universal and SonyBMG have begun selling music through a new download service, challenging Apple.

Customers can buy tunes through Gbox at the same price charged by market leader iTunes - 99 cents (50 pence) a track.

Music fans can download tracks direct from Gbox or from the online retailer Amazon. However, only US customers can currently make use of the service.

Gbox will also benefit from a special advertising deal with Google.

Big names sign up to iTunes rival

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