The iphone 5

While this post is possibly way past due I feel it necessary to comment on my opinions of the Iphone 5.

Let's just talk about upgrading for now.  There's a few things to consider.

1. What Iphone do you currently have?

• Iphone 4S - Keep your phone.  The only true benefit to having an Iphone 5 over the 4s is the height difference, and the LTE speeds.  You won't notice many of the other improvements, and it's better for you to either switch to an android phone, or wait for the next Iphone release.
• Iphone 3,3S, or 4 - For the 3 or 3s, an upgrade is almost a necessity if you are a regular user of your smart phone.  By regular, I mean you commonly use app's, watch movies, multi-task, etc.  However, if you currently have the Iphone 4, I think you need to look deep into your heart and decide if a slightly faster phone and 4G LTE speeds are going to benefit you greatly.  I still give Iphone 4 owners a stay when it comes to upgrades.  The iphone 4 holds up well for being aged a bit, it's not a necessity to upgrade.

     2.  Does internet speed and phone speed make or break your satisfaction with your phone?

• 4G LTE speeds are amazing.  Speeds on 3g in the Dallas area is around 800K, the speeds on 4G are around 1500K, the speeds on 4G LTE are around 5000k.  Often times 4G LTE is faster than my Wi-Fi at home.  Also take note, since getting 4G LTE I've increased my data plan to 2GB, and go over that just about every month.
• The phone speed is always a plus.  Not having to wait for an application to load can save you frustration and possibly set the tune of your day.  There's hardly a noticeable difference between the 4s and the 5 speed wise, but of course the 3, 3S, and 4 all have rather noticeable speed difference when compared to the Iphone 5.

Overall : I'm not satisfied with the Iphone 5.  The biggest improvement was iOS 6, not the Iphone 5.  Sure the build quality "feels" more solid, and it went on a slight growth spurt while going on an even shorter diet, it just doesn't feel like i'm getting anything extra out of this phone other than the size, and noise canceling microphone. 

Jailbreaking my ipod touch 1g, iphone 3g next?

So the other night I finally decided to dust off my old ipod touch and give jailbreaking a try. I did a few days of research first before I decided to go ahead and give it a shot. I used quickpwn (after updating to 2.2.1), which ended up being just as simple as they said it would be. But getting the ipod touch jailbroken was only half the battle.

Where are all the apps? Well the first night I spent finding sources for cydia (a program that comes with quickpwn), after hours I was no where. The next night I found the NES emulator and spent the rest of the night trying to figure out how to actually get the roms onto the ipod touch. Once I figured that all out, I figured that was it. But I started to think... there has to be more. Why else would anyone jailbreak their iphone? (other then tethering and adding cosmetics) That's when I found out that they have cracked app's out there. After a few google searches for cracked apps and torrent searching I found hundreds of free apps. Of course the only downside to this is that it's illegal, but it does offer you a glimpse at what you are buying before you spend your money on something you are unsure of.

Now i'm waiting to see what the guys over at quickpwn say about the new 3.0 iphone jailbreak. I really want to add a few apps that are specifically for the phone, but i'm going to wait this one out to make sure my phone doesn't turn into a brick. (although that wouldn't be a bad excuse to buy the 3gs)

Apparently i'm behind times, this from pcworld

Unless you've been living under a rock, you'll know that Apple has announced its latest iPhone -- the iPhone 3G S.

The third iPhone to be released since the first was launched in the U.S. in 2007, Apple claims the iPhone 3G S is faster and more powerful than the current iPhone 3G. Although it retains an identical form factor and design, the iPhone 3G S has some nifty new features. Here are 10 of the best:

1. It's faster

Apple launched the iPhone 3G S by announcing it has a faster processor, more memory and "snappier performance". Although the iPhone 3G is no slouch, it can be a little sluggish when opening and closing applications. If Apple's demo videos are anything to go by, the iPhone 3G S will be a much zippier smartphone.

2. It has more memory

Apple will sell two models of the iPhone 3G S: 16GB and 32GB. There original iPhone came with 4GB, 8GB or 16GB of storage.

3. Video recording

Wow! A smartphone in 2009 that can record video? No way! Apple critics will point to the fact that the iPhone 3G can't record video as an example of a phone that lacks some basic features, but for potential iPhone owners the addition of video recording is a real plus.

4. Improved camera

The iPhone 3G S has a 3-megapixel camera with autofocus, compared with the iPhone 3G's 2-megapixel, non-autofocus camera. It still lacks a flash, but the increased megapixel count should slightly improve photos and tapping an area on the screen to focus on is a cool feature that should make mobile photography easier.

5. You can talk to it

The iPhone 3G S introduces what Apple calls Voice Control, a voice recognition feature that allows you to make a call and play music by speaking. Voice Control can find any entry in your contacts list, and users simply have to say a name or phone number to make a call. For music, you can ask what song is playing and hear the iPhone 3G S answer, tell it to play your favourite album, or play similar tracks to the current one.

6. It has a built-in compass

A built-in digital compass is another new feature of the iPhone 3G S. We aren't sure exactly how often anyone would use this as a standalone app, but when combined with Google Maps, the compass will rotate maps to always match the direction you're facing. Now that is pretty cool.

7. Internet tethering

The iPhone 3G S can now be used as a modem, connecting to a Mac or PC via USB or Bluetooth. Although AT&T in the US won't be supporting this feature, Optus is one Australian telco that has confirmed it will be. Telstra and Vodafone are yet to announce whether they will offer tethering capability.

8. Accessibility features

Apple has included a number of features that help people with disabilities use the iPhone 3G S. These include Apple's VoiceOver function, which reads aloud what is on the screen, a zoom function that magnifies up to five times, and a white on black display option that provides increased contrast.

9. Nike+ iPod integration

Previously only available for selected iPod nano models, Apple's Nike + iPod is a fitness system that involves a Nike shoe communicating wirelessly with an iPod. The iPhone 3G S will be compatible with the system, which displays real time walking or running statistics.

10. New headphones

The iPhone 3G S will include Apple's remote headphones in the sales package. The new headphones have a multi-button remote and volume control keys, as well as a microphone to handle voice calls.

For the latest on the iPhone 3G S check out our iPhone Centre.

Iphone 4g, adding another tick to the rumor board

One of my co-workers father works for apple. She says that not only will the iphone 4g be coming out soon, but the previous versions of iphones should be getting picture mail soon (I was told the 1st of June, but it's a little past that now). From what she told me the iphone 4g isn't going to be that large of an improvement, but we will find out soon enough i'm sure.

The 20 Best Ipod Utilities

With a new generation of iPods on the market this holiday season, your reliable old iPod may not seem as shiny as it once did. But with the help of third party applications and utilities, you can unlock tons of useful functionality you never knew was there and revive that aging iPod so it doesn't look quite so bad next to its successors. Whether new or old, the following 20 iPod utilities can help you get the most from your iPod.

Transfer (and Play) Music to and from Your iPod

While syncing music to your iPod has always been a breeze, pulling music off your iPod isn't quite at easy—unless you're using one of these handy apps, that is.



* Ditch Itunes with Floola (Windows/Mac/Linux): Floola is a freeware, cross-platform application that makes it easy to copy music and videos to and from your iPod from and to any computer. In all, Floola can actually work as a full-on iTunes replacement that can run from your iPod's hard drive. And because it's cross platform, Floola makes for an excellent all-around iTunes replacement if you're not a fan of iTunes. For another cross-platform solutions, you might give YamiPod a try.



* Recover Your Library or Transfer New Songs to iTunes with Senuti (Mac): The freeware, Mac OS X only Senuti integrates tightly with your iTunes library to extract music from your iPod to your iTunes library and works particularly well for importing music that isn't already in your iTunes library. Of course it's also a godsend if you've had a hard drive failure and your only music backup is your iPod, but its playlist support and ability to scan your existing library so you avoid importing duplicate songs.




* Dead Simple iTunes Library Recovery with iPod -> Folder (Windows/Mac): If all you want to do is recover your music library from your iPod back to your computer, iPod -> Folder is probably the simplest way to do it. Just fire it up, point it to your iPod, point it to a folder on your computer, and let it rip. It even has a "Include MP3 files only" option in case you're borrowing tunes from a friend's iPod and you don't want their DRM-infected files.



* Sync Podcasts to Your iPod from Any Computer with myPodder (Windows/Mac/Linux): Whether you're a lover of podcasts who can't wait to get to your home computer before getting your latest podcast fix or you just know you'll need a few new podcasts to listen to for the commute home, myPodder can automatically download, manage, and sync any podcast to your iPod no matter whose computer you're using.

Converters: Video and Audiobook

Yes, you could purchase TV shows and movies from iTunes, but if you've already got the DVD or you've downloaded a video that happens to be in the wrong format, why should you shell out more cash to Apple—especially when you can easily convert them for your iPod using free apps?

* DVDs for Your iPod with HandBrake (Windows/Mac/Linux): The cross-platform freeware application HandBrake is the go-to application when you want to rip a DVD for your iPod or iPhone (or PSP or PS3 or AppleTV...). Just pop in your DVD, pick what you want for your iPod, and start ripping.



* Videos for Your iPod with Videora iPod Converter (Windows): If you've got a video file on your computer that your iPod doesn't support, fear not. Just plug it into Videora and let it do the heavy lifting for you. It even transcodes YouTube videos—all you need to do is give it the URL.




* Videos for Your iPod with iSquint (Mac): Make any video iPod-compatible with iSquint. Just drag the videos you want to convert into the iSquint queue, choose the encoding quality (which will also determine file size and time required to encode), and let it rip. You can even tell iSquint to automatically add the video to your iTunes library once it's done encoding.

* Convert YouTube Videos for Your iPod with Zamzar: Web site Zamzar is probably best known for converting pretty much any file format to any other file format (and it can be used for pretty much any iPod video conversion if you prefer it), but you may not have known that it also provides a simple method for converting any YouTube video for your iPod. Just enter the URL of the video, choose to convert it for your iPod, and it'll email the finished product to you once it complete the conversion.


* Monitor Folders and Automatically Convert Videos with iPodifier (Windows): iPodifier transcodes files just like Videora and iSquint, but if you're a frequent video downloader or you're rolling your own DVR, iPodifier can be set to monitor a folder for new videos—like your BitTorrent downloads folder, for example—and automatically transcode them for your iPod.



* MP3 to iPod Audio Book Converter (Windows): If you love a good audiobook but your book isn't in the right format for your iPod, this handy little app will convert your MP3s to the iPod audiobook format (M4B) so you get all of the audiobook features like playback speed adjustment and "start from last position" functionality without the tedium of doing it yourself.

Miscellaneous iPod Utilities

* Your iPod with Last.fm with iSproggler (Windows) and iScrobbler (Mac): If you're a fan of the music recommendation service Last.fm and you happen to do most of your music listening on your iPod, you can automatically upload your iPod listening habits to the site with whichever application matches your operating system. Just install, enter your Last.fm username and password, and forget it.

* Take Control of Your Shuffle with iPod Shuffle Database Builder (Windows/Mac/Linux): Add songs to your iPod shuffle by simply dragging them to your shuffle without touching iTunes—making it much more like a non-iPod MP3 player that lets you manage your music using your filesystem.

* Backup Your Home Folder to Your iPod with iPodBackup (Mac): iPodBackup saves an encrypted image of your Mac's home folder to your iPod with incremental, secure backups—great for those of you who iPod have several spare gigs of storage leftover even after you've synced your iTunes library.

Upgrades for Older iPods

A number of third party applications and utilities exist to expand the functionality of your existing iPod by modifying or installing new software onto your iPod. For example:




* Upgrade Your iPod Video to an iPod classic (Windows): When Apple released the iPod classic, they gave it a simple visual refresh that one would think could easily be retrofitted to older iPods, but for whatever reason Apple's not letting your run the fancy new interface on your older iPod. A replacement firmware for your video iPod brings the splitscreen interface of the updated iPod classic to your older video iPod.



* Put Wikipedia on Your iPod with Encyclopodia: (Windows/Mac/Linux) The open source Encyclopodia project brings the giant repository of knowledge that is Wikipedia to your iPod. Searching Wikipedia on the iPod is a bit of a chore (you have to type out your words with the clickwheel), but once you get used to it it feels pretty good to carry Wikipedia in your pocket. This one's for decidedly older iPods, since it won't work on 5G iPods or above, nanos, and, of course, shuffles.

* Install Linux on Your iPod with iPod Linux: Had enough of the default iPod interface and want to jazz things up a little bit so you can do things like install and play games for free on your iPod? Replace the default iPod firmware with iPod Linux (or hell, use the graphical dual boot interface and run both). iPod Linux is supported on mostly older iPod generations.
* Replace Your iPod Firmware with Rockbox: Supporting every iPod through the 5.5G video iPods, Rockbox is an open source firmware replacement for the iPod (and other MP3 players). Rockbox can sport everything from Last.fm support, album art, a port of the video game Doom, a Game Boy emulator, video player, and tons more.

iPhone and iPod touch Only

Okay, so if you do happen to have one of the fancier new iPods, you do have access to a few other fairly exciting third-party developments.

* Install Applications on an iPhone: This video demonstrates how to "jailbreak" your iPhone or iPod touch running the current firmware (1.1.2) so you can install third party applications (many of which are really impressive). If you're still running 1.1.1, installing applications only takes one click.
* Wirelessly Stream Music from Your iPod touch or iPhone to Any iTunes Library: Assuming you can install apps on your iPhone/iPod touch (see above), you can also stream your 'Pod's music library wirelessly to any computer on the same network. That means next time you want your friend to listen to a new song on your iPod you can ditch the headphones and do it on a proper set of speakers.


From: Lifehacker

Turn your Iphone into a Macro Camera!

Forget about buying cheap, tacky plastic add-ons to mod the iPhone's camera. Flickr-er Daniel Forsythe instead used his knowledge of cellphone camera lenses to make this quick-and-dirty manual focus hack for the iPhone.

It's simple. All you have to do is crack open the glue surrounding the lens. The lenses used on both the 3G and the original iPhone can be turned to focus them -- usually the focus is set to infinity at the factory (the small sensor size takes care of depth-of-field) but you can change it to a close-focussing macro lens. As Daniel points out, this makes the camera much more useful for shots of barcodes or other note-taking.

Some iPhone disassembly is required, and Daniel has full instructions on his site. The whole thing is reversible, though, so if you're happy about voiding your waranty, things shouldn't go too badly wrong.

Find out how here.


How will it perform? Check it out here:

Can you hack the Iphone? How about for $10,000?

The people at Pwn2Own would like to pay you $10,000 to hack the Iphone.

Read the Article here:

The third installment of the Pwn2Own competition, a contest pitting hackers against popular gadgets and operating systems, takes aim at Apple's iPhone and four other smartphones. The contest will dole out $10,000 to anyone able to hack into the devices at the CanSecWest security convention in Vancouver, Canada from March 18-20.

Contestants, armed with phones running the Android, Symbian, and Windows Mobile operating systems, as well as a BlackBerry and an iPhone, will have to exploit "general actions a normal user would take while using the device," according to the rules of the sponsor, TippingPoint.

The three day competition will also include a Web browser division, focusing on a Sony VAIO running Windows 7 and installed with Internet Explorer 8, Firefox and Google Chrome, and a MacBook running OS X with Safari and Firefox. Contestants won't have physical access to their targets and will be given limited applications to work with on the first day. That will gradually expand over the next two days, and any successful bug nets the hacker $5,000.

Notable winners from last year include Charlie Miller, who felled the brand new MacBook Air two minutes into day two, and Shane Macauley and Derek Calloway of Security Objectives, aided by Alexander Sotirov, who exploited a flaw in Adobe flash to take down the Windows Vista operating system on the final day. [From: The Register]

From : Switched.com