Unify4Life AV Shadow app to soon turn BlackBerry Storm into remote

Apple's iPhone probably has too many remote apps for its own good, but Unify4Life is looking to provide RIM's BlackBerry Storm with just one -- the best one, in fact. The company's admittedly impressive AV Shadow software, which we happened to experience ourselves at CES, is reportedly coming soon to RIM's first ever touchscreen 'Berry. How soon? Try "later this week." If you're interested to know precisely what you're waiting for, give that play button above a push.

Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Peripherals

Unify4Life AV Shadow app to soon turn BlackBerry Storm into remote originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Feb 2009 09:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone watch

Switched On: The "phonetastic four" versus Windows Mobile

Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

Barring any disruptive portfolio shifts prior to its introduction, the Palm Pre will complete a new competitive handset dynamic that began with the introduction of the iPhone. Each of the four major U.S. mobile operators will be emphasizing a capacitive touchscreen smartphone. Curiously, none come from any of the top five global phone manufacturers. And even more curiously, each will be powered by a different operating system as the Pre at Sprint jockeys with the iPhone at AT&T, the BlackBerry Storm at Verizon Wireless, and the T-Mobile G1.

These signature handsets go beyond exclusives or even strong identification with the service provider. They bear the burden of attracting consumers looking for the coolest phone experience or at least minimizing the impact of the other signature handsets. In return, carriers lavish marketing dollars on them. Their role exemplifies a transformation of the market from the days when the RAZR was every carrier's "it" phone and operators competed on their particular shade of pink .

The carriers' selection of their signature handsets must be disappointing to Microsoft, which cannot claim a Windows Mobile device among them. Indeed, the single mobile operator Microsoft highlighted at Mobile World Congress as being an exceptional partner was France's Orange. It's not as if an operating system must be exclusive to the device as there are other BlackBerrys out there (although, as Verizon Wireless tirelessly notes, the Storm is the first touchscreen BlackBerry). And it is only an accident in time that has made the G1 the exclusive Android handset. It certainly isn't about application support as incredibly all of the current signature handsets will have debuted without extensive third-party programs available.

Regardless, though, and despite efforts by HTC, Sony Ericsson and Samsung to skin Windows Mobile as well as Microsoft's own improvements in Windows Mobile 6.1, there is a perceived cachet to these four signature phones that the best Windows Mobile devices are not yet delivering.

Continue reading Switched On: The "phonetastic four" versus Windows Mobile

Filed under: Cellphones

Switched On: The "phonetastic four" versus Windows Mobile originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone watch

Keepin' it real fake, part CLXXXV: the world-renowned GiPhone F5

Whoever put together GiPhone F5 seems to have done a pretty good job of mimicking the iPhone's UI, but other than that the deets are rather sketchy. This bad boy seems to be a 3G handset with a capacitive 3.2-inch multitouch screen, Bluetooth, "kinds of games," and up to 16GB internal memory. Sounds wonderful, sure, but don't give up your HiPhone just yet -- we're still trying to figure out where this one is available, and at what price. Video after the break.

Continue reading Keepin' it real fake, part CLXXXV: the world-renowned GiPhone F5

Filed under: Cellphones

Keepin' it real fake, part CLXXXV: the world-renowned GiPhone F5 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 21:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone watch

DVD Jon's DoubleTwist device-management software enters public beta

It's been nearly a year since DVD Jon made some noise about doubleTwist by promising to "liberate" iTunes purchases from their DRM, and while that's no longer particularly relevant in light of Apple's decision to go DRM-free, we're actually really digging this newly refocused public beta of the doubleTwist app, which promises to seamlessly manage all your devices from a single interface. Think of it as iTunes meets Windows 7 Device Stage with a dash of social network integration and you'll get it: you just tell DT where you want your media to go -- your phone, Facebook, your PSP -- and it'll handle all the encoding, conversion, and uploading steps for you. Sadly, the iPod, iPhone, Zune and Windows Mobile aren't supported yet, but the rest of the device list is pretty decent: it includes the BlackBerry Pearl, Storm, and Curve, the G1, Sony Ericsson Cybershot and Walkman phones, the Kindle, Nokia N and E-series phones, and most digital cameras and flash-based camcorders. Of course, iTunes video is still wrapped in DRM, so we'll see if DVD Jon has any tricks left up his sleeve to make it play nice with non-Apple devices, but for a first shot out of the gate it looks like extremely promising -- too bad it's Mac-only for now.

[Via Daring Fireball]

Read - doubleTwist website
Read - Supported device list

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

DVD Jon's DoubleTwist device-management software enters public beta originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone watch

Mini microphone spruces up voice recording possibilities on iPhone / iPods

Not that this is the very first microphone designed to function with Apple's iPhone or anything, but it's certainly amongst the cheapest and most universal that we've seen. The Mini Microphone reportedly plays nice with the iPhone 3G, iPod touch and iPod nano, giving 'em all that extra special voice recording oomph that's so badly needed. The best part(s)? It's only $14.99, and it's barely bigger than a valve stem cover to boot.

[Thanks, Junior]

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio

Mini microphone spruces up voice recording possibilities on iPhone / iPods originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 10:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone watch

App Store stats suggest humans have attention span of gnats

Did you put down Rolando after a mere 10 minutes of play time, never to touch it again? You're a cold, soulless person with nary a fun bone in your body, but you may not be alone. Pinch Media, whose analytics engine can be used to track the performance of participating iPhone apps, has found that merely 30 percent of people purchasing iPhone apps use them the next day, and free apps clock in at a miserable 20 percent. Over the long run, loyal users dwindle to just a single percent of downloaders -- and this is where it gets strange: free apps get used a whopping 6.6 times as often as paid apps, which may not bode well for devs looking to make a decent living off the App Store, Windows Marketplace, Ovi Store, Android Market, and the million other mobile software store initiatives coming up over the next year. It's likely a testament to the fact that your average free app is simpler (and possibly more indispensable day in and day out) than your average paid app -- which means we should all be paying $15 for tip calculators and $25 for speed dialers.

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

App Store stats suggest humans have attention span of gnats originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 03:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone watch

Scosche passPORT Home Dock gives new life to old iPod docks

Let's get one thing straight right now -- Scosche isn't actually selling an iPod dock here. What it is pitching, however, is an adapter that'll add new life to your aged iPod sound system. Much like the automotive passPORT announced earlier this year, the passPORT Home Dock charging adapter was specifically designed to fix the charging error associated with several iPod docking stations and enables charging for the iPhone 3G, iPod touch Gen 2, and iPod nano Gen 4. In other words, it allows these newer devices to charge even in older docks that don't support USB 5-volt charging. Of course, you better really love your existing dock, 'cause this adapter alone is pegged at $39.99. A nice demonstration vid is after the break if you're having a typical case of the Mondays.

Continue reading Scosche passPORT Home Dock gives new life to old iPod docks

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio

Scosche passPORT Home Dock gives new life to old iPod docks originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone watch

Apple to use iPhone's GPS to geotag locationless photos?

The GPS circuitry in the iPhone 3G could be used to do more -- a lot more, in fact -- than it currently does, and it looks like Apple might have an eye on an angle most people wouldn't have considered (in other words, something other than turn-by-turn). Digging through iPhoto '09's innermost sanctums has apparently revealed references to some sort of asynchronous geotagging capability, whereby selecting locations from an app on the phone (or iPod touch, as the case may be) could be transferred directly to iPhoto and associated with events -- perfect for shooting with, say, a real camera while toting your phone in your pocket. Of course, the capability is purely vestigial for now -- no announcement has been made, and there's no way for users to access this directly -- so Apple could've spiked it or has it queued up for a future firmware update. Time will tell.

[Via iLounge and Ars Technica]

Filed under: Cellphones, Digital Cameras, GPS, Handhelds

Apple to use iPhone's GPS to geotag locationless photos? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone watch

Rinspeed's iChange EV is an iPhone-integrated shape shifter

While not nearly as outrageous as its sQuba submarine car, Rinspeed's shape-shifting iChange all-electric concept car, debuting at this year's Geneva Motor Show, has more than its fair share of eccentricities. As the name not so gracefully suggests, it sports iPhone integration that lets you dock the mobile and control the headlights and turn signals, among other functions -- no steering capabilities, unfortunately. The phone can also adjust the height of the bubble roof to make room for two passengers in the back. Left to its own devices, the bubble adjusts dynamically to maximize fuel efficiency. As for the specs, it's got a 150 kilowatt motor, top speed of about 137MPH, solar panel roofing to power the A/C, a Harman/Kardon infotainment system with GPS navigation, goes 0 to 62MPH in under four seconds, and is all powered by lithium ion batteries available in two different stack configurations optimized for short and long trips, respectively. See it for yourself in the video after the break -- soundtrack not included, so be sure to add your own techno beats.

Gallery: Rinspeed's iChange EV is an iPhone-integrated shape shifter

[Via The College Driver]

Continue reading Rinspeed's iChange EV is an iPhone-integrated shape shifter

Filed under: Cellphones, Transportation

Rinspeed's iChange EV is an iPhone-integrated shape shifter originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone watch

Best Buy shows membership has its benefits, offers up to $100 off new iPhones

Would you like to save $100 on a new iPhone? Sure, we all would, and Best Buy giving its Premier Silver Reward Zone members the chance to do just that; to knock a full Benjamin off the price of any 8GB or 16GB model. Meanwhile other, non-premier members (anyone who didn't drop $2,500 at Best Buy last year) will have to make do with $50 off. This is in addition to the other discounts you'll get when signing up for a new plan, and is a nice bonus either way -- assuming you're already a Rewards Zone member. If you're not and still want to get in on the action, tough cookies. You should have joined prior to the 21st, when the retailer opened the window on this deal. It closes again on the 28th.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Best Buy shows membership has its benefits, offers up to $100 off new iPhones originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone watch

World gets updated Samsung P3, US still gets none

It was hard to give back Samsung's P3 after caressing it for a few moments at CES, knowing we'd be sadly separated for at least a few months waiting for an indeterminate release date sometime before July. Today that official arrival is still just as vague, but now our hearts yearn just a little more with Samsung updating and extending the functionality of the player, adding the ability to play native resolution 800 x 600 video, enabling support for video subtitles in SMIs, adding mosaic browsing for videos, and throwing in a fun little drawing application to boot. A full (and jazzy) video breakdown of the new features is embedded below, which people on the fence about S9 now or P3 later won't want to miss.

Continue reading World gets updated Samsung P3, US still gets none

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

World gets updated Samsung P3, US still gets none originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Feb 2009 09:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone watch

Video: Apple's iPhone and Bluetooth keyboard get together, have a good ole time

Not that we've never seen a jailbroken iPhone get cozy with a keyboard before, but this is just a match made in heaven. Not according to those who matter in Cupertino, mind you, but since when have you renegade hackers cared about those folks? The video waiting down in the read link shows off an Apple Bluetooth keyboard interacting with an iPhone 3G, but it seems that you'll have to wait a bit longer before the general public gets instructions / files / etc. in order to replicate.

[Thanks, Ralf]

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals

Video: Apple's iPhone and Bluetooth keyboard get together, have a good ole time originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 22 Feb 2009 19:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone watch