Watch Cable TV From Your iPhone

Sling Media has brought iPhone’s function to the next level.

At this week’s Macworld, Sling Media will be showing off its new application that will give iPhone users the ability to watch Cable TV and access their Tivo Home System directly from their iPhones.

Sorry to say, but you’ll have to wait a little longer for this new app. According to the company, the new application will be submitted to Apple some time in Q1. But it looks like iPhone enthusiasts will have no problem with that.

From the announcement:

San Francisco - Macworld - January 6, 2009 - Sling Media, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), is demonstrating a version of SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone being developed for the iTunes store at this year’s Macworld. Sling Media will deliver a version of SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone to Apple for certification in Q1.

Sling Media is also unveiling a prototype of a new SlingPlayer for Mac HD which allows Slingbox PRO-HD users to stream HD to their Mac desktop or laptop computer. The new SlingPlayer for Mac HD is a web-based version of the SlingPlayer software that will be accessible from Sling.com, Sling Media’s recently launched video entertainment web site.

“SlingPlayer Mobile is ideally suited for the iPhone’s large touch screen display and I know iPhone users are eagerly anticipating the application’s availability,” said Blake Krikorian, co-founder and CEO of Sling Media. “Add to that HD streaming support for Slingbox PRO-HD customers and live TV support on our video entertainment site, Sling.com, and you can see Sling Media is committed to delivering great solutions for Mac users.”

SlingPlayer Mobile gives consumers their entire home TV experience, including local channels, local sports teams, video on demand, pay per view, etc. Any program that you can watch on your sofa back home, you can now watch via your iPhone using a standard network connection (3G Cellular, WiFi). In addition, SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone users can also control their home digital video recorder (DVR) to watch recorded shows, pause, rewind, and fast forward live TV, or even queue new recordings while on the road.

Pricing and Availability

SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone will be submitted to Apple for testing and approval in Q1. The price has not been determined at this time. SlingPlayer for Mac HD will be available for free via the web-based SlingPlayer within Sling.com later in Q1. Mac customers will be able to use either Safari or Firefox web browsers to get both HD streaming and Live TV within Sling.com.

(Via TechCrunch)

Crabble Folding iPhone Stand

If you use your iPhone on a plane of train you will know how hard it can be to watch a film on it without an additional stand.

The Crabble Folding iPhone Stand looks like the ideal solution, it can easily be folded away and stored in your wallet, and it will let you watch or use your iPhone in portrait and landscape modes.

If you want one, the Crabble Folding iPhone Stand is available for $4.99 from Think Geek.

Next-Gen iPhone to have FM transmitter/receiver

According to AI, the soon-to-be-released iPhone 3.0 and 3rd-Generation iPod touch will support for a new chip enabling low power 802.11n, including the ability to find and join 5GHz networks.

The version of the existing Broadcom chip that supplies WiFi and Bluetooth on existing models jumps from BCM4325 model to BCM4329 model.

Existing iPhone and iPod touch models only support 5GHz 802.11a networks, or 2.4GHz 802.11b/g networks, forcing users who want the top speed of 802.11n (available on all MacBooks) but compatibility with 802.11b/g networks (to use the existing iPhone) to set up a 2.4GHz compatible network. That compromise forces the wireless network to deal with interference from other networks on the often crowded 2.4GHz band.

But wait there’s more! The next-gen iPhone will have full FM transmission and reception capabilities via the new Broadcom chip:

The BCM4329 includes both FM transmit and receive capabilities. FM transmit enables consumers to stream music directly from a personal media players (PMPs) or mobile phone to car stereos or home theater systems without having to purchase special adapters or use bulky cables. FM receive is already a popular feature that enables consumers to obtain real-time traffic information as well as listen to music, news and sports broadcasts on their mobile phones.

So we should be expecting radio functionality in an upcoming update.

The new iPhone may launch in June?

Rumors about the new iPhone model are doing the rounds in the tech blogosphere again.

Engadget says that at this point there’s little doubt that a new iPhone model (possibly two) will at least be announced in June.

“Now the Commercial Times have chimed in with a report saying that components from Taiwan-based suppliers have begun shipments as Apple (or its China-based assemblers, rather) readies for a “June launch” pegged by said suppliers to reach about 2-3 million units per quarter”.

The new iPhone will have 3.2 MP still / video camera, a digital compass (magnetometer), a possible 802.11n WiFi, a much bigger storage (possibly a 32GB) and all that new features from the new iPhone OS 3.0.

It was also reported here that the next-gen iPhone will be having an FM transmitter/receiver with its new Broadcom chip.

I’m looking forward to this rumor. Let’s just wait until June.

The Cosmos Straight to Your iPhone

Tired of going through the work of tilting your head back and looking up to see the stars? Then try a new alternative instead.

NASA will deliver daily views of the outer space as long as you have the new Apple iPhone and a smart new software application.

According to Michael Kaye, a lead iAPODViewer developer,”the iAPOD application allows people to get a unique glimpse of our vast universe directly on their mobile phone.”

iPhone users can now make the most out of a keyword search function to get every Picture of the Day ever published, as well as save their desired pictures.

The software is also compatible with iPhone Safari, but specifically designed from the streamlined interface of an iPhone, designers said.

Google’s First Phone: The iPhone With More Buttons

The G1, which is primarily being offered exclusively through T-Mobile in the United States and Europe, has many more buttons on the front and many more choices on the screens inside. That means that it takes longer to do the things you want to do most frequently, but you also have many more options at hand.

Physically, it is a little narrower than the iPhone, but thicker. That means the screen is a bit smaller. The biggest differentiator is the G1’s slide-out keyboard, some might find easier to type on than the iPhone’s virtual keyboard.

One area where the G1 falls short of the iPhone is streaming media. The software supports neither Adobe’s Flash nor Apple’s QuickTime. Google did write a special interface so the phone can play videos from Google’s YouTube service.

For now, it seems like a very interesting phone for people who really want to type on a little keyboard. But until the value of Android’s slightly clunky flexibility proves out, I suspect many people will prefer the polished simplicity of the iPhone.

Skype for iPhone launches on Tuesday

It’s official. Skype for iPhone will finally be available to download from the iTunes App Store on Tuesday and its version for BlackBerry will be launched in May, according to Reuters.

The move puts Skype more directly in competition for wireless voice services with AT&T and Verizon Wireless.

The internet phone company now has more than 400 million users worldwide, and the number continues to rise as they expand further onto mobile phones.

“The No. 1 request we get from customers is to make Skype available on iPhone. There’s a pent-up demand,” company COO Scott Durchslag said in an interview.

Skype for iPhone will allow customers to use their existing iPhone address book, so users do not need to duplicate lists. It will also allow patrons to take a picture of themselves to use as their avatar.

This year, the company announced versions of its software for Nokia and phones running Microsoft’s Windows Mobile and Google’s Android operating systems.

iPhone 3G unlocking tool now available

The iPhone 3G software unlocking tool is now available. The software is called yellowsn0w and they have created a demo video some few weeks ago. Get ready to unlock your phones at your own risks.

Read the article provided by the Dev-Team Blog.

The software is still a beta application—version 0.9.1, so make sure to read the comments before trying it. You must upgrade to the latest baseband 02.28 in order to use it.

If you are really up to it, CrunchGear has created a guide on “how to unlock your 3G iPhone“.

iPhone 3G unlocking tool now available

The iPhone 3G software unlocking tool is now available. The software is called yellowsn0w and they have created a demo video some few weeks ago. Get ready to unlock your phones at your own risks.

Read the article provided by the Dev-Team Blog.

The software is still a beta application—version 0.9.1, so make sure to read the comments before trying it. You must upgrade to the latest baseband 02.28 in order to use it.

If you are really up to it, CrunchGear has created a guide on “how to unlock your 3G iPhone“.

The G1- The mythical Google Phone

For well over a year, the rumors of a Google phone have been running rampant. After the iPhone made its debut a year and a half ago, hopeful Google-lovers have been fantasizing that the Google phone would address all the shortcomings of the beautiful, but in some ways, limited, Apple smartphone.

I"ve been using the iPhone since it arrived in June 2007. Then I happily upgraded to the 3G model this past July. I love it and couldn"t live without it, but I too was eagerly anticipating the arrival of the first Google phone. After side by side usage for a while, I"ve decided that the iPhone and the Google G1 are very different, and made for very different users. The iPhone is beautiful, simple, and a great media player, but the Google phone is a super-fast, highly customizable extra-smart smartphone.

Bill Gates bans family from using Apple products

Melinda Gates craves an iPhone. But she’s not allowed to have one.

In a recent interview with Vogue titled “Gates of Heaven,” the wife of Microsoft founder Bill Gates revealed that Bill has banned iPods and iPhones from his household.

“There are very few things that are on the banned list in our household,” Mrs. Gates told the magazine. “But iPods and iPhones are two things we don’t get for our kids.”

She, however, admitted to be swayed by the iPhone, which combines a touch-screen music player and web browser with a fully featured mobile phone. “Every now and then I look at my friends and say ‘Ooh, I wouldn’t mind having that iPhone’,” Mrs. Gates said.

Belkin Micro Auto Charger

Here is the perfect car charger for your iPhone or iPod, the Belkin Micro Auto Charger.

As you can see from the photo, the design is simple, and there is just one USB port, which makes it perfect for charging your iPhone or any other gadget in your car.

The Belkin Micro Auto Charger is available for $15, or $20 with a USB cable included.

Apple dumps ‘Baby Shaker’ app after protests

Apple Inc. removed a controversial iPhone application called “Baby Shaker” from its iTunes store Wednesday after an infant-welfare organization complained.

The 99-cent download, which allowed users to shake a virtual baby to quiet its cries, went on sale Monday and quickly outraged child welfare groups.

“Not only are they making fun of Shaken Baby Syndrome but they are actually encouraging it. This is absolutely terrible,” said Marilyn Barr, Founder of the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome.

“On a plane, on the bus, in a theater. Babies are everywhere you don’t want them to be! They’re always distracting you from preparing for that big presentation at work with their incessant crying. Before Baby Shaker there was nothing you could do about it,” the app’s introduction read.

After few violent shakes, the hand-drawn infant pictured on the screen stopped crying and large red X’s appeared over its eyes.

The app was developed by Sikalosoft, which also makes a 99-cent “Dice Mosaic” iPhone program that converts digital images into black and white mosaics made from dice.

Check out the video below:

Obama uses iPhone to win support

US Democratic candidate Barack Obama is set to spin the iPhone into a political recruiting device with an application aimed at getting the vote out.

The software has a “Call Friends” option to help manage contacts in swing states.

In a recent blog entry the campaign wrote: “With only 33 days left, it’s more important than ever to call your friends and family to make sure they are registered and voting for Barack.”

The blog also said that it hoped the “Call Friends” feature would “create thousands of additional personal contacts” - that would then be turned into votes.

The application also passes on up-to-date news from the campaign, plus video, photos and talking points to help convince friends to vote for the candidate.

Both Mr Obama and Mr McCain have turned to the web to raise money, to YouTube to air adverts and to Facebook to raise their profiles among the social networking set.

PMS Buddy: iPhone app that tracks menstrual cycle

A new iPhone application called the PMS Buddy actually lets men keep track of the menstrual cycles of the cranky women in their lives.

The app, which will be available some time next week, allows users to keep an eye on the mood swings, headaches and food cravings that often occur at “that time of the month”.

It claims over 150,000 registered users and around 20,000 have signed up on Facebook.

The idea for the service started as a joke when PMS Buddy founder Jordan Eisenberg and a group of friends were drinking at a bar and talking about relationships.

According to Eisenberg, he heard a man saying how he avoids confrontations by tracking his wife’s menstrual cycle on a daily planner. So they’ve decided to automate it and make it available to the masses.

“There are a lot of people out there that think we’ve been misogynistic, but we tell them it’s a free country and if you don’t like it don’t use the Web site,” he said. “We think it has an altruistic side to it. It helps people,” Eisenberg said.

PMS Buddy is also available for iPod touch but it is not clear how much the app will cost.

(Via CNET)

Live iPhone musical performance

The Mentalists play Kids by MGMT on their iPhones and iPod Touches, using only apps downloaded from the Apple App Store. Apps used Ocarina, Retro Synth, miniSynth, DigiDrummer Lite.

Motorola plans to launch Android Social Smart Phone in 2009

Motorola is getting ready to release a new smart phone based on G1’s Android phone that will support Gmail and Youtube but will focus on social networking features such as Facebook and MySpace according to BusinessWeek.

Motorola’s version of the android will also feature an iPhone-like touch screen and a slide-out “QWERTY” keyboard just like the G1 Android Phone or BlackBerry’s Storm.

People from Motorola did not elaborate its plans about the new phone, but said in a statement:

“We’re excited about the innovation possibilities on Android and look forward to delivering great products in partnership with Google and the community of developers known as the Open Handset Alliance that are working on the Android operating system.”

Motorola’s Android mobile phone price range is approximately $150 to $180, with a two-year carrier contract on whoever the carrier will be. The phone will most likely to hit US market sometime 2nd quarter next year according to reports.

Amazon Kindle 2 leaked photos

Amazon is still not launching the new Kindle 2 until Monday but official looking photos of the Kindle was leaked on the mobileread forums. According to the post, he claims and is “pretty much absolutely sure that the photos are what Amazon is going to present on February 24″.

“The Kindle 2 costs you $359 USD and is now available for sale on Amazon.”

I don’t know if the photos were really leaked. The Kindle is too thin as you can see on the picture above, the back-view of the so-called “official” Kindle 2 looks like an apple iPhone to me. The guy with the kindle is pretty convincing though.

We have to wait until next Monday for it to be official.

UPDATE: Kindle 2 is out on Amazon

New Features & Enhancements

* Slim & Lightweight: Just over 1/3 inch and 10.2 ounces
* Books in under 60 seconds: Get books delivered in less than 60 seconds; no PC required
* Improved Display: Reads like real paper; now boasts 16 shades of gray for crisp images and text; even reads well in bright sunlight
* Longer Battery Life: 25% longer battery life; read for days without recharging
* More Storage: Take your library with you; holds over 1,500 books
* Faster Page Turns: 20% faster page turns
* Read-to-Me: Text-to-Speech feature means Kindle can read every book, blog, magazine, and newspaper out loud.
* No Wireless Bills: No monthly wireless bills, data plans, or commitments. Amazon pays for Kindle’s wireless connectivity so you won’t see a monthly wireless bill.
* Large Selection: Over 230,000 books, plus U.S. and international newspapers, magazines and blogs available
* Low Book Prices: New York Times Best Sellers and New Releases $9.99, unless marked otherwise

Safari 4 Beta is “The Flash” of web browsers

What is Safari?

It renders web pages at lightning speed. It delivers never-before-seen features that make browsing more fun. And it works on the Mac, PC, iPhone, and iPod touch. Meet Safari, the world’s most innovative browser.

Answer: Safari 4 Beta is “The Flash” of web browsers

Here’s why:

Guys at ZDNET did some benchmarking tests on how the newly released Safari browser is doing in the “SPEED” category when it comes to browsers.

They’ve used the SunSpider suite of Javascript tests to determine the fastest browser on both PC and Mac. Test browsers include Chrome, Firefox 3, Opera 9.6 and even Mozilla’s developmental Minefield browser.

Results for PC test with a 2.1GHz Intel Core 2 Duo:
1) Safari 4 (Total time: 910ms)
2) Mozilla Minefield 3.2a1 (1,136ms)
3) Google Chrome (1,177ms)
4) Firefox 3 (3,250ms)
5) Opera 9.6 (4,076ms)
6) Internet Explorer 8 (5,839ms)
7) Internet Explorer 7 (39,026ms)

Results on Mac OS X (2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo)
1) Safari 4 (Total time 967ms)
2) Minefield 3.2a1 (969ms)
3) Firefox 3 (3803ms)
4) Opera 9.6 (7322ms)

Surprised? You can download the new Safari 4 Beta here: Download Safari 4

[Graph Images: by ZDNET]

Introducing Google Latitude

Now you can stalk your friends with Google’s latest product, Google Latitude.

With Google Latitude, you can:

• See where your friends are and what they are up to

• Quickly contact them with SMS, IM, or a phone call

• Maintain complete control over your privacy

*Plus

• Know where your husband is…

Google Latitude is available for Android, Windows Mobile, Blackberry, Symbian phone s(Nokia) with support for Java enabled phones. iPhone is not a priority here but it will follow.

Support is offered for 27 countries.

See where your friends are on a map with Google Latitude. Latitude is a new feature for Google Maps for mobile and an iGoogle gadget.

Watch Demo Video of Google Latitude below:

I’m not excited about this because it’s a security issue. It’s like Big Brother is watching you! But, you can check the privacy tips below:

Update: Google Latitude privacy tips

(thanks to Duncan at The Inquisitr)