IPod -- Engadget

iPod posts

Blacksn0w unlock available now for iPhone 3G and 3GS

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 3rd 2009 at 12:23PM

There's no stopping the eternal tug-of-war between the powers that be and the hackers that will, and for the time being it looks like things are back in the hands of the hackers. As of noon today giddy jailbreakers can take the next step and go full-on with blacksn0w, the unlock for the latest 05.11.07 baseband (with tethering enabled to boot). And if that weren't enough, it looks like blackra1n RC3 is alive as well, with Mac and Windows support. What are you waiting for? Hit the read link to get started, if that's your thing. And the battle for the iPhone's immortal soul continues...

[Via On The iPhone]

Wall of Sound is loud, prohibitively expensive, and somewhat defeats the purpose

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 2nd 2009 at 6:14PM

You know the problem with most iPod docks? They're too compact, too convenient. Luckily the wild men at Brothers in Drottninggatan, Stockholm, have the cure to tinny sounds that come in small packages. Hopefully a nod to the sound generated by "the bruddas" from Forest Hills, Queens (and not that of a certain homicidal record producer), the Wall of Sound is a handcrafted, 4 x 3 foot, 125 watt tube amplified behemoth. Intrigued? We bet you are. Sadly, the company has sold out of its first run, but you'll need time to save up your lunch money for one of these anyways: the asking price is $4,495 (plus shipping). Hit that read link to get started.

[Via Geek.com]

Continue reading Wall of Sound is loud, prohibitively expensive, and somewhat defeats the purpose

ReNu solar panels announced for iPhone charger, sound dock, LED desk lamp

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Oct 26th 2009 at 1:57PM

Sure, we've been frustrated by solar-powered iPhone chargers and amused by the irony of solar-powered lamps in the past, but that doesn't mean we're not looking forward to the day when we can meet our gadgets power needs without relying on fossil fuels. That's why we're pleased to note that a company called ReNu has just announced a solar panel that can be used to charge your iPhone or iPod, power the device's sound dock, or even keep your desk light shining sans mains power. Featuring a modular design, the panel can dispatched to your window to soak up the rays for 10 or 20 hours (depending on the amount of sunlight it receives) and then returned to your dock for about nine hours of music playback, recharge your iPhone (twice!), or provide about four hours of light with the LED desk lamp. Of course, most people are going to hang this thing in the window once, forget about it, and then spend the next several years powering their devices with the included AC adapter -- but at least they're trying, right? Available for pre-order now, the ReNu solar panel ($199) and the Renu panel / iPod dock combo ($249) both ship in February 2010, while the Side Light desk lamp ($89) ships in next March, and the Sound Dock ($149) should see the light of day sometime in April. Hit the read link to place that order, but not before peeping the galley below.

Gallery: PR shots for Renu's solar powered iPhone charger, desk lamp

[Via TreeHugger]

Apple updates $19 Remote, predictably coats it in aluminum

by Darren Murph posted Oct 20th 2009 at 12:42PM

Apple's Remote -- which it stopped throwing in with its MacBook Pro machines awhile back -- has also seen a refresh today, ditching the iconic glossy white vibe now associated with the company's lower-end consumer machines and instead donning an all-aluminum coat to match the Mac Pro, MacBook and MacBook Pro range. As always, it's designed to control your iPod, iPhone or Mac from afar, with play / pause, menu, volume and track skip buttons at the ready. If you're looking to use it with your iPod or iPhone, you'll need an iPod Universal Dock ($49) and a device with a dock connector; if you're using it with your Mac, you'll need a compatible machine introduced in 2005 or later with an integrated IR receiver. It'll ship in two to four weeks for $19.

MobileMe media sync detailed in Apple patent application

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Oct 19th 2009 at 3:26PM

What do you know? It looks like Apple's filed yet another patent application. The company's newest is named (in the short, pithy way that patents are named) Synchronization of Media State Across Multiple Devices. Combining the ubiquity of MobileMe with the media syncing that goes down when you dock your iPod or iPhone, the application suggests that soon you might find all your Engadget Show episodes automagically picking up where you left 'em when you switch devices -- without any lag time or any pesky cables. As Macworld points out, also included in the paperwork is distance tracking functionality -- just the thing for automating sync operations when two devices come within range (it's unclear whether this will be done via Bluetooth or WiFi). Perhaps this news isn't exciting to the couch potatoes among us (you know, because they never leave the couch) but all you TV addicts "on the go" must be psyched.

[Via Macworld]

iPhone and iPod touch radio app with iTunes store integration on the horizon?

by Ross Miller posted Oct 13th 2009 at 8:54PM

We know what you're thinking, how dare that new iPod nano have features your premium iPhone and iPod touch handhelds don't? Well, if this 9 to 5 Mac rumor has any merit, Apple is right there with you and has a solution in the works. According to said whispers, a Radio app is in the works to capitalize on the recent models' latent FM tuner. It'll either be standalone or integrated into the iPod app, and either way it'll be able to work in the background while you browse other, not so fortunate apps. The apparent cause for delay is work on a feature that'll identify the songs and link you to the appropriate iTunes page for purchase. As always, this is just a rumor, so do yourself a favor and try not to dwell on it too much, k?

B&W's $400 Zeppelin Mini iPod sound system up for pre-order, ships next month

by Darren Murph posted Oct 12th 2009 at 10:02PM

Bowers & Wilkins has never been one to play the bargain game, and the $399.95 price tag on its new Zeppelin Mini is evidence of that very fact. The somewhat miniaturized iPod sound system is up for pre-order as we speak on Amazon, and we've heard directly from the company that it'll be shipping out to US-based consumers in "early November." So, is a flashy design, a pair of 3-inch drivers, 3.5 millimeter auxiliary input jack, USB 2.0 port and a promise of a better tomorrow enough to pry those four Benjamins out of your hand?

Continue reading B&W's $400 Zeppelin Mini iPod sound system up for pre-order, ships next month

Blackra1n jailbreak now available for iPhone OS 3.1.2, iPod touch 3G

by Nilay Patel posted Oct 11th 2009 at 4:01PM

Wow, judging by our tips jar we'd say you're all pretty darn excited about Geohot's Blackra1n jailbreak, which lets you open up iPhone OS 3.1.2 devices including the iPod touch 3G and new iPhone 3GSs -- but you can't unlock yet, so don't get any big ideas about switching carriers. Windows-only at the moment, but with this level of enthusiasm out there we can't imagine a Mac version is far behind.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

TomTom iPhone Car Kit returns to UK Apple Store, awaits drama

by Thomas Ricker posted Oct 9th 2009 at 5:40AM

It's back. After making a horrendous false start with the early promise of iPod touch support and the inclusion of the iPhone App in its £100 price tag, the TomTom Car Kit has returned to the Apple Store. In a big fat disclaimer, TomTom writes:

The TomTom app for iPhone is not included with this TomTom Car Kit. The Car Kit dock is compatible with all iPhone models, but the TomTom app only works with iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G.

We only see it in the UK store at the moment but it's likely to pop on your local store anytime now. Ships in 1-2 weeks.

[Thanks, Joe W.]

Entelligence: The Muddled MID market

by Michael Gartenberg posted Oct 1st 2009 at 5:30PM

Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he'll explore where our industry is and where it's going -- on both micro and macro levels -- with the unique wit and insight only he can provide.

There's a growing category of devices that fall in the space below laptops and above smartphones. It's not a new space, there have been various incarnations over the years, most recently Microsoft's Ultra Mobile PC devices, originally known as Origami. These days, Intel's the one talking about this space, pushing what it calls MIDs, or Mobile Internet Devices. Well that's all well and good -- but what's a MID?

Frankly, MID is an Intel marketing term coined around 2008. In a 2008 Engadget post Intel's Dan Monahan described MIDs as having the following attributes:

Consumer-class lifestyle devices
Runs a 'lightweight" OS with quick startup like Linux
Optimized for things like media playback and web surfing
In 2009 (or so) Moorestown-based devices will be classed as MIDs only

And Intel is aggressive about MIDs -- the company was showing off so many of UMID's devices at IDF last week you would have thought they were among Intel's most strategic and largest customers. But it's clear that the definition has changed over time, as the MIDs at IDF didn't match the specs Mr. Monahan talked about in 2008. These devices all ran Windows and were really scaled down models of netbooks. And although they were impressively tiny, let's be honest -- I'm really skeptical about the future of this class of device, Intel's aspirations aside.

Continue reading Entelligence: The Muddled MID market

EU seeks to make 'cranking it to 11' on DAPs happen less often

by Darren Murph posted Sep 30th 2009 at 11:57AM

Love that brain-pounding sensation when you jack that volume past the sensible limit? If so, you best hop on the next flight to somewhere not within Europe, as the almighty European Commission is fixing to peg the default volume limit on portable media players at 80 decibels. If you're stricken with an awful case of déjà vu, you're not alone. You may recall that a similar French law forced Apple to limit the volume level on its iPod family to 100dB, and at that time, it decided to make the limit apply to all units shipped within Europe. Now, the EU is seeking to bring that ceiling down to 80dB on all portable music players in an effort to protect the precious hearing abilities of its citizens, though we should note that said level would only apply to the default setting, not overall maximums. In other words, you can override the recommended listening level if you please, but don't bet on that socialized healthcare taking care of you if The Man finds out. Kidding. Maybe.

[Via Telegraph]

iLuv's $270 i1166 portable multimedia player finally shipping next month

by Darren Murph posted Sep 28th 2009 at 6:36PM

Set in stone for March, eh? Looks like that ship date slipped just a wee bit. iLuv's curious i1166 -- which plays back an array of multimedia from an array of sources on its 9-inch LCD -- is now slated to ship to the US next month. Originally introduced at CES, the $269.99 device can play back content stored on an iPod, DVD, SD / MMC card or USB drive, though the omission of a screen resolution gives us serious pause. Other specs include twin 3.5 millimeter headphone jacks, an "iPod-friendly" user interface and a bundled remote, none of which justify the lofty asking price in our humble eyes. You and your wallet can feel free to disagree in around a fortnight, though.

Show full PR text

iLuv Announces Availability of the i1166 9" Portable Digital Multimedia Player for your iPod and DVD/DivX

– The Perfect Solution For Travel Entertainment

i1166 Features DivX video playback and a Digital Panel with Enhanced Resolution for Media Viewing for iPod & DVD, SD / MMC / USB Slot, Digital Photo Frame Capability

PORT WASHINGTON, NY – (September 28, 2009) - iLuv, the leader in innovative audio solutions, is proud to announce the availability of their best 2009 invention from a new line of enhanced and creative products, the i1166, 9" Portable Multimedia Player for iPod and DVDs. The "CES Best of Innovation 2009" award winner in the Portable Multimedia Accessories product category, the i1166 features an iPod-friendly user interface (UI) and brings hours of widescreen personal multimedia entertainment to travelers starting mid October 2009 at www.i-luv.com for the MSRP of $269.99.

"We are confident that the i1166 will blow away every gadget lover's expectations with what it can do and get tremendous attention from the holiday gift buyers. There's virtually nothing it cannot play! We proved that we listen to our customers' need by upgrading the picture quality, enhancing the playback solutions, and building it user-friendly." says Howard Kim, iLuv Marketing Manager. "I can proudly say we're introducing the most advanced portable multimedia player up to date"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Features for Your iPod

* Play video content of your iPod on the 9" widescreen digital TFT LCD
* Full control of your iPod with user friendly graphic interface
* Charge your iPod when docked (with AC adapter)
* Compatible with iPod touch 2nd generation, iPod nano 5th generation, iPod nano 4th generation, iPod touch, iPod nano 3rd generation, iPod classic, iPod with video

Features for SD/MMC, USB and DVD Player

* Watch your favorite movie or TV show files on SD/MMC memory card or USB flash drive
* DivX® certified
* Play DVD videos on the widescreen digital TFT LCD
* Enhanced user interface with detailed controls
* Convenient OSD (On-Screen Display)
* Multiple subtitle, angle, and audio functions and fast motion playback
* Supports 3 power sources: AC, DC and Built-in Li-Polymer rechargeable battery
* Playable Media: Audio CD / VCD / SVCD / DVD / CD-R / CD-RW / DVD±R / DVD±RW / DivX / MP3 / WMA / JPEG
* Connectivity includes two 3.5mm stereo headphone jacks
* Dimensions (W x H x D) 11" x 6.1" x 1.9"
* Remote Control included

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For more information on product specifications as well as pricing and availability please visit www.i-luv.com.

About iLuv:
iLuv is a brand of jWIN Electronics Corp. dedicated to developing IT peripheral products, unique audio video products and accessories for portable media players and other personal entertainment devices. The iLuv i1166, iMM9500, iMM183, iSP200 and i303 were recognized as CES Innovations 2009 Design and Engineering Award Honorees including the "Best of Innovations 2009" for i1166 in the Portable Multimedia Accessories Product category. This follows on iLuv previously winning two CES Innovations awards in 2007 and three in 2008. For more information on iLuv, please visit www.i-luv.com.

Griffin iTrip now features iPhone OS 3.0 integration

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Sep 23rd 2009 at 11:57AM

Griffin, known for its accessories for the iPod and iPhone, has just announced its latest and greatest (though just how great is still in question). The latest iteration of the iTrip takes full advantage of iPhone OS 3.0, allowing you to control the FM transmitter from your iPhone / iPod touch itself. Aren't luscious touchscreen controls preferable to the iTrip's tiny buttons anyways? In addition to app integration, the transmitter features track and artist information on RDS-compatible radios, SmartScan technology for finding the best available frequency in any locale, and a micro-USB port for charging any USB-powered iPod or iPhone from a charger. iTrip is available for $49.99, and the iTrip Controller software can be downloaded for free from the App Store.

Navigon adding live traffic to iPhone navigation app, asks 'TomTom who?'

by Darren Murph posted Sep 17th 2009 at 9:12AM

Practically all summer, the buzz surrounding TomTom's forthcoming iPhone GPS app was near deafening. But said noise apparently didn't penetrate the labs at Navigon, as that very outfit has produced what's easily the most full-featured option on the market today. Just a week after updating the already-great app with text-to-speech, iPod controls and location sharing, the company is now proclaiming that live traffic will splash down in October (at least in North America). The update will enable the software to utilize real-time speed data from drivers currently en route as well as historical information in order to alert you of slow-downs and re-route you when necessary. We've personally seen live traffic functions fail more often than not, but we're giving Navigon the benefit of the doubt here until we can test it ourselves. Best of all, it'll only cost MobileNavigator users (priced at $89.99) a one-time fee of $24.99 for lifetime traffic, and if you snag it within the first four weeks after it goes on sale, that rate drops to $19.99. So, TomTom -- what now?

New iPod touch gets a speed test, zips right on by

by Laura June posted Sep 16th 2009 at 11:06AM

The new generation of the iPod touch, we've been told, is roughly 50 percent faster than the previous iteration. Well, the fine folks over at the iPhone Blog have done a bit of information collecting on just that topic -- to see if Apple's latest is actually that much faster. Macworld did testing which showed a reduction in boot times from 31 to 19 seconds, web page loading (using the New York Times) went from 34 to 15 seconds, while app launching saw time reductions across the board. So -- in essence -- yes, the newest iPod touch is about 50 percent faster than the previous model in terms of performance. Hit the read link to hear even more tantalizing details.