» Cell Phone Reviews and News

ToughSkin rubberized case for the iPhone 3G

admin — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 07:48:32 +0000

The frenzy surrounding the iPhone sometimes just downright sickens me. But this is not one of those times since I just spotted an absolutely astonishing case or the good old Apple phone that just blew me away with its innovativeness. Called ToughSkin, the all new rugged case for the iPhone 3G features a rubberized case with a rather quirky textured pattern that not only protects your iPhone from accidental bumps and drops but also offers you full access to buttons and controls.

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Apple gives MobileMe customers another 60 days of service

admin — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:42:52 +0000

MobileMe is something of a stain on Apple’s iPhone 3G launch festivities. Having bitten off more than they could chew, Cupertino struggled to get their iPhone 3G fleet activated, iPhones updated, and MobileMe up and running all at the same time. Needless to say, there are MobileMe customers still bitter over their first (for many) experience with Apple’s cloud-based data services.

So, what is Apple doing? Well, they made that surprising move to bust out of their shell of cold-shouldered secrecy and admitted to their mistakes. Steve Jobs commissioned a MobileMe status blog to let the world know exactly what was wrong with the service and what Apple was doing to fix it. And, Apple extended MobileMe users’ year-long MobileMe service for an additional 30 days - a compromise to be sure, but better than nothing.

Today, Apple has announced that they are giving their MobileMe users another 60-day service extension. That’s right, MobileMe fans and critics. Whether or not you want, care, or need it, you’re going to have the pleasure of, or have to deal with (depending on how you feel about MobileMe), for a total of 90 extra days on top of the 365 that you initially purchased.

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iPhone 2.0.2 Firmware Update

admin — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:27:02 +0000

The iPhone 2.0.2 firmware update has been released. I hope this new firmware update will fix some bugs including the connection problems that have been reported. You an download this update for free via iTunes.

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Apple pushes out Apple iPhone OS 2.0.2 through iTunes

admin — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:23:50 +0000

Well that sure was quick. It seems like just an eye-blink ago that Apple released their iPhone 2.0.1 OS for iPhone and iPhone 3G owners looking to get enhanced performance out of their sometimes laggy iPhones. And, following on the iPhone Dev Team’s release of the iPhone 2.0.1 OS-jailbreaking solution, Pwnage Tool 2.0.2, Cupertino has released their latest iPhone OS.

iPhone OS 2.0.2 isn’t yet officially supported by PwnageTool 2.0.2, so if you want to preserve your jailbreak you’ll want to wait for the DevTeam to announce iPhone 2.0.2 OS compatibility for PwnageTool. The new iPhone 2.0.2 OS presumably comes bundled with that new baseband firmware that the DevTeam warned could potential kill any future iPhone 3G SIM-unlock solutions, so updating your iPhone 3G without first “pwning” the firmware file could leave you without an unlockable handset (when, and if, the DevTeam releases an iPhone 3G unlocking solution).

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iPhone Dev Team working on restore-less Pwnage Tool - QuickPwn jailbreak without restore

admin — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:21:41 +0000

Pwnage Tool is an amazing testament to the iPhone hacking community’s (namely, the Dev Team) ability to crack Cupertino’s code for the betterment of iPhone users worldwide. Unfortunately, the Pwnage Tool jailbreak solution that creates custom iPhone OS packages (ipsw files) requires that you perform a full “Restore” on your iPhone before getting access to your iPhone and iPhone 3G’s file system. In that regard, the Pwnage Tool is a bit of a hassle.

It’s not really that big a hassle, but the DevTeam apparently realized the iPhone community’s desire for the simplest, safest jailbreak solution and announced their lightweight jailbreak solution - QuickPwn. The new QuickPwn utility is available in developmental form to anyone looking to bring the DevTeam’s work to market, and will allow iPhone users to jailbreak their handset without having to perform a full “Restore.”

So, if you’ve been holding off on jailbreaking that iPhone or iPhone 3G of yours because you just didn’t want to go through the hassle of backing up and restoring your Apple handset, sit tight, the DevTeam is working on a simpler solution!

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Horrendous telescope blights iPhone 3G’s looks

admin — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:14:42 +0000

Brando is a house that has constantly provided us with steady nick-knacks for our gadgets. Sometimes their ventures are stupendous and sometimes (like this one) dreadful. Totally killing the aesthetics of the 3G iPhone, this telescopic lens begs to be ignored. I’d rather take my chances with the 2-megapixel camera than succumb to the 6x zoom offered by this piece. Even the $19 lure fails to attract! To sum it all up, this monstrous protrusion does nothing much for the phone, it’s better to use a good digicam instead.

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Gorillapod Go-Go iPhone Stand

admin — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:19:32 +0000

The Gorillapod Go-Go iPhone Stand is one of my favorite gadget accessory for iPhone. It is also perfect for holding music/video players, PDAs, or even compact digital cameras. Measuring 15cm x 3cm x 3cm and weights 45.3grams, the iPhone stand supports a maximum weight load of 275grams. You can buy the Gorillapod Go-Go iPhone Stand online at ThinkGeek for $30

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The Missing Sync for iPhone hits Windows

admin — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:58:15 +0000

Are you a Windows user looking for a convenient way to transfer all your data from your BlackBerry, Palm, Windows Mobile, or Sony Ericsson/Motorola/Nokia-made Symbian-powered smartphone to your iPhone or iPhone 3G? Well, here’s a bit of good news for you.

Mark/Space has released Missing Sync software for Windows. The software not only allows the user to easily transfer data from other smartphones to an Apple handset, but also allows for archiving of call logs and SMS text messages. It’ll also transfer contacts and calendar entries from Outlooks 2003 and Outlook 2007.

Apple’s international iPhone 3G plans - How unlimited data will change the wireless landscape

admin — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:53:06 +0000

Apple’s iPhone 3G has again frenzied the world in anticipation for a consumer electronics product launch second to none. With last year’s iPhone launch craze in the US (and, to a lesser extent, in Europe), Apple will be hard pressed to one-up itself with the next-generation iPhone 3G’s launch on July 11. But, it’s not just about showmanship and drama. No, Apple’s got bigger plans for the iPhone and how it will affect the global wireless industry.

In-store activations
Let’s take a look at Apple’s iPhone 3G purchase policies. By now it’s a given that Apple and AT&T will be forcing the AT&T iPhone plans upon anyone looking to walk out of an Apple or AT&T retail store with iPhone 3G in hand. That means there are likely going to be significant lines as retail employees struggle to activate mobs of iPhone 3G handsets. But, why is Apple doing this?

As more information starts to trickle out from international iPhone 3G carriers, we’re starting to see that the iPhone 3G will be offered with price-tags similar to what we see in the US. The catch is that the US dollar is significantly weaker than the Euro. So, Europeans looking to grab their €149 iPhone 3G will actually be paying the equivalent of about $220 USD. Now, that makes for a seriously attractive US iPhone 3G market for anyone in Europe.

And, therein lies the reasoning behind Apple’s insistence that all iPhone 3G handsets be activated in-store. With the original iPhone, a significant percentage of the global iPhone stock was routed in to the grey market. The iPhones were purchased in the US and shipped overseas to be unlocked and used on international GSM networks. While Apple almost welcomed the international grey-market demand with the original iPhone, the next-generation iPhone 3G’s surprisingly low price-point in the US could be problematic for overseas carriers.

So, in an effort to completely kill-off any profit incentive for international importers to buy US iPhone 3G handsets and sell them in Europe, Apple has required that the handsets be activated and tied to 2-year contracts before they leave any store. It’s a hassle for Americans, but for Apple it’s all about the bottom-line.

iPhone 2.0 OS shows off Japanese keyboard

admin — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:12:15 +0000

Here’s a quick look at the next iPhone firmware revision’s Japanese keyboard. The iPhone 2.0 OS will apparently be shipping with a Japanese keyboard in tow, and TokyoMango has the video to prove it.