Breathalyzer for your iPhone?

I'm sure everyone has properly recovered from the New Year's hangover (for your sake I hope you really have). But how would you know if you have had one too many before you get behind the wheel of your sports car? A breathalyzer would definitely let you know if you have actually exceeded the legal limit of alcohol in you bloodstream. If you want to get one for yourself, then you might want to consider iBreath, an electronic device that plugs in to your iPhone and converts it to a breathalyzer.

How does it work?

The iBreath Alcohol Breathalyzer lets you take your own breath test so that you wouldn't have to end up in jail or pay thousands of dollars in fines. This device snaps into your iPhone as an accessory and you will need to exhale into this device for about 5 seconds. A couple of seconds later, this tool shows your results so that you can know if you are within the legal limit to drive.

The device doesn't need any batteries and actually uses the iPhone to power it up. Actually, it doesn't really need an iPhone to work since it also comes with a 12V car plug which you can use in case you are not an iPhone user.

What else is included?

It also includes an FM transmitter so you can use it to play your tunes on your car stereo in case you don't have an auxiliary input. Its definitely a bit expensive for an FM transmitter (retails at around $79). But since a breath analyzer is included with it, it could be worth considering. If you think that this is too much to pay for a breathalyzer, I'm sure you can get tons of cheap breathalyzer keychains and such at Amazon. Take a look at the video to check out how it actually functions in real life!



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Apple's all new laptop has no keyboard!

Need I say more? Watch the video... I'm still reeling from the shock of seeing something so cool and crazy!




What do you think? Will you buy one?

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iPod Touch: Large Screen version coming soon?

According to Techcrunch, a large screen version of the iPod Touch could soon be launched by Apple some time in 2009. Apparently the folks at Techcrunch have actually handled the prototype and Apple is actually talking to some manufacturers in Asia to mass produce the device. Could this be the fabled Apple Netbook that has been rumored all along?

If this was indeed the Apple tablet or Apple netbook, then its certainly a step in the right direction from Apple. It really doesn't make sense to continue selling the iPod Touch in its present form factor since it offers no value proposition when compared to the iPhone. The price is definitely lower, but with subsidies offered by mobile carriers it is hard to imagine why people would choose the iPod Touch over the iPhone. Anyway stay tuned for more news on this!

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iPhone 3G unlocked for version 2.2 via software

My dear readers, this is my first post for 2009 and I'm starting it off on a happy note. I finally managed to unlock my iPhone 3G version 2.2 via software! I did lose a few bucks on worthless turbo sims offering nothing but garbage on printed circuit boards. Thanks to this news from iClarified, my iPhone 3G has been unlocked and back in action! The only thing is that I needed to jailbreak the iPhone 3G which is ok considering that all the functionalities are well preserved. Once you jailbreak the iPhone 3G all you need to do is:

To perform the unlock you must install the yellowsn0w package from one of the following sources:
- Cydia source: http://apt9.yellowsn0w.com/
- Installer repo: http://i.yellowsn0w.com/


There is also a very good tutorial which has been written up by them and I tried as well. Yes it works, but sometimes the iPhone 3G might take some time to pick up the signal. You could try the following if that happens:

- Switch off WiFi
- Toggle 3G mode
- Toggle airplane mode

I tried these steps above a few times before the iPhone 3G picked up my carrier's signal. And yes, you will need to upgrade to version 2.2 for this unlock to work as well. So have fun with this iPhone 3G unlocking tutorial.

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iPhone 3G unlocked via software!

I'm sure a lot of you might have read that a software unlock for the iPhone 3G doesn't exist and the only way to unlock is to use a turbo SIM which is a piece of hardware attached to your sim card. But the iPhone Dev team has released a demo video on their upcoming iPhone 3G unlock through software. This process requires you to jailbreak the phone and software over writes the baseband.

In the actual unlocking video, MuscleNerd shows that the phone is legitimately SIM locked to the AT&T network. He then shows that it is indeed locked by inserting a T-Mobile SIM card and attempts to make a phone call. MuscleNerd then runs the yellowsn0w program using terminal and the process is completed in just a few seconds. To show that the phone is unlocked he journeys to the about page which displays the T-Mobile carrier. MuscleMan then placed a call to the unlocked iPhone 3G confirming that the process has worked.

This is certainly a dream come true for many iPhone lovers. But the fact still remains that if you have upgraded your iPhone to version 2.2, then this unlock will not work. So don't upgrade your iPhone 3G just yet. I'm sure there will be a solution for version 2.2 in the near future. Click here if you would like to view the video of the iPhone 3G unlocking!

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New Apple Mac Mini under $500?

Steve Jobs recently mentioned that Apple doesn't know how to make a $500 machine that is not a piece of junk! I'm guessing he might have to eat his words soon. News is that Apple is planning to launch an all new Mac Mini for just $499 during the upcoming Macworld event in January.

With the recent global slowdown everyone is on a tight budget and looking for a deal. Not many folks out there are looking for the latest and greatest specs on their machines after all. PC manufacturers are seeing sales of netbooks still being healthy due to their low price. Its time for Apple to start working on low cost models too! I'm sure there are a lot of Mac lovers out there who are just waiting to get their hands on a spanking new machine but putting their plans off due to the high prices. Well if Apple does indeed get their act together with this one, it might be a boon for PC shoppers. If you can't wait for the new model, you might as well check the other models of the Mac Mini here! Have fun shopping, maybe you could pick a nice deal for Christmas.

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iPhone Nano To Be Revealed In January?

There have been quite a number of blogs that have reported that the iPhone will soon be sold at Walmart - albeit a 4G model. But the latest news is that this could actually be the iPhone Nano. The rumor has been fueled by the fact that Idealschina is creating a silicone casing as shown in the picture which could fit the iPhone Nano's dimensions.

According to IdealsChina “It is the same height as the just release Nano but wider and thicker and with the same iPhone 3G contours. It has 3 sensors, camera, mirror screen but no 3G. Production will start on the 20th with 60,000 to 80,000/day pieces coming off the assembly line. Steve Jobs will be announcing it during the January MacWorld Show and you will find it in the stores shortly afterwards.”

I definitely feel that this is the right time for a stripped down, cheaper version of the highly successful iPhone. Keeping in mind the economic situation, it is highly unlikely that consumers would be looking to change their phones if they are going to be too expensive. With a phone which has all the coolness of the iPhone but with just enough specifications Apple might just hit the bulls eye once again!

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iPhone 3G activation in the comforts of your home!

Apple and AT&T have decided to bring the iPhone activation to the comforts of your home. Buy the phone online, receive it at your home or office, and activate the phone via iTunes from the comfort of your computer. Now you don't have to go into an AT&T outlet to get your iPhone activated.

At this moment it looks like this is applicable only for a new line and new account. Those who are looking to upgrading your iPhone might still have to do it the old way. Why can't they just make life easy for every one and offer the iPhone unlocked anyway?

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Faulty New Macbooks?

Time for some Macbook news. It has been recently reported that the all new Macbooks and Macbook Pros from Apple are facing issues when the RAM is fully loaded. Apparently when the RAM is maxed out at 4GB, the unit actually freezes up. Something I would not expect from a Mac! Apparently there is a software patch which will be rolled out soon to remedy this problem.

But that's not the only problem. The new NVIDIA graphic chip which was supposed to fix some of the issues that the earlier Macbooks had seems to suffer from the same issues. Apparently these issues lead to blank screens or other video errors. C'mon Apple, time to clean up your act for the premium price that you command!

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Now you can watch Live TV on the iPhone

Livestation, a P2P desktop application called is to unveil Live TV streaming on the iPhone on Thursday. You could also stream it on the iPod Touch. Yes I know, its real cool! Check this out - Livestation is actually brought to the iPhone by a UK startup company called Skinkers which is actually part owned by Microsoft. So you could actually say that live TV is brought to the iPhone by Microsoft! Now this is really cool!!! Check out the Youtube Video for a demo.



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Apple's Top 10 Apps for 2008 list is here

Since the launch of the app store, it has been a phenomenal success and one that other mobile phone manufacturers have failed to follow. Apple has made sure that it has kept its shareholders, customers and developers happy with this program. It just costs you $99 to register as an iPhone application developer and then you're on your way to making $$ from Apple. Apple takes 30% of the download price and you get 70%. So its not too bad considering that Apple is actually doing the marketing for you and you develop code, sit back and make money. Well its not as easy as that but that is a totally different topic. Let's see what are the top applications on the app store for 2008.

Top Paid Apps (Overall):

1. Koi Pond
2. Texas Hold’em
3. Moto Chaser
4. Crash Bandicoot: Nitro Kart 3d
5. Super Monkey Ball
6. Cro-Mag Rally
7. Enigmo
8. Pocket Guitar
9. Recorder
10. iBeer

Top 10 Free Downloads (Overall)

1. Pandora Radio
2. Facebook
3. Tap Tap Revenge
4. Shazam
5. Labyrinth Lite Edition
6. Remote
7. Google Earth
8. Lightsaber Unleashed
9. AIM
10. Urbanspoon

Moral of the story? If you want to make big bucks, write code for games!

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Unlock the iPhone 3G - yes even version 2.2!

Well I just got myself an all new iPhone 3G about 2 weeks ago. It was an unlocked iPhone 3G which came with a turbo sim and version 2.0. Being the adventurous type, I connected it up to iTunes and upgraded it to version 2.2. Now it has been rendered totally useless and version 2.2 overwrites the baseband software and locks the iPhone. I still am to figure out how to unlock this baby. But while I was looking for ideas, I did come across this story on CNET on how the iPhone 3G can be unlocked.

The author reports that a certain shop in Hanoi, Vietnam offers this service for a surprisingly low price of $80. I would be willing to part with $80 just to get my iPhone 3G fixed as I spent $800 on it in the first place. But illegal or not, Apple's idiosyncratic policy has in a weird way given this bright man an opportunity to do more than just make a living. He's proven that we really can be the master of our tools, not vice versa. I certainly hope that there would be others who would find ways to unlock the iPhone 3G as well.

You can read the entire story here.

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Mobispine iPhone MMS Application

Although the iPhone has been celebrated as one of the greatest innovations of recent, I must say that some of the designers probably were living under a rock or inside a cave for most of their life - how can you not have an MMS application on a multimedia phone?

Luckily, Mobispine has designed an iPhone MMS application which is to be launched very soon. Mobispine says that the app will be branded to each particular operator, and distributed via Apple's App Store, but I don't know when all of this is going to go down. I'll definitely be looking forward to this one!
[Via Mobispine]

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iV Magic To Increase iPhone Battery Life and Other cool stuff!

How would you like to increase your brand new iPhone's battery life by as much as 3 times? Not only that but imagine a built-in LED for illuminating pictures taken with the iPhone’s built in camera which doubles as a flashlight in low-light settings, along with a charger for boosting the battery life of your Bluetooth headset. Yes, this is all true and not some kind of Christmas wish list for Steve Jobs.

FastMac claims the iV paired to an iPhone provides up to 24 hours of talk time, 31 days of standby, more than 20 hours of video playback and 72 hours of audio playback time.

The iV connects to the iPhone’s dock connector and cradles the iPhone (separate versions are available for the iPhone and iPhone 3G). A full-sized USB port is built in, so it can power up a Bluetooth headset, digital camera or other device that recharges using USB power. The case is molded out of a soft-touch non-slip material. The bottom is contoured so the iPhone can still be docked and charged inside Apple’s own iPhone Dock and Universal dock; it incorporates speaker chambers that reflect the iPhone’s sound up and out towards the listener.

Only problem is that it looks a wee bit bulky. But for a price tag of $79.50, this is a good buy especially for those long flights.

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Firefox 3 to be tweaked for Macbooks

News has emerged that there could be work underway to tweak the behavior of Firefox 3 to suit Macbooks - especially for gesture support. For those unfamiliar with gesture support, Apple introduced the functionality to the MacBook line a couple of years ago. It allows you to interact with your computer by just moving your fingers across the touch pad. For example, in most programs you can scroll down by dragging two fingers down the touch pad without having to click any buttons.

There's no word yet on whether this neat feature will make the final build, but MacBook users everywhere should hope it does. Anyone who uses the gesture support in any other application knows how intuitive it is and how it can really make any app more usable. This really will set Firefox apart from the other web browsers that we are used to.

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Macbook, Netbook or iPhone?

A new rumor has been making its rounds on the blogosphere recently. John Markoff from New York Times has indicated that there could be a new Apple Netbook/Macbook Touch/iPhone 3.0 making its way to consumers pretty soon. Going by the looks in the picture, it definitely looks real tempting.

Apparently an unidentified Apple device was detected for the first time in the traffic logs of some web sites. Like with the original iPhone—which was spotted online in web traffic blogs—I won't be surprised if this was real. Other Apple computers were detected online first as well, although some of them—like multiprocessor Macs running SETI or other distributed computing tasks—were never released. Unlike Markoff, however, I believe that Steve was completely honest when he said "we don’t know how to build a sub-$500 computer that is not a piece of junk", arguing that the company mission was to give more at the same price points, not less features for less money.

For all we know, it could be a hackintosh netbook (a "normal" netbook that runs a hacked version of Mac OS). But it definitely would be interesting to see if Apple actually churns out this beauty in the near future.

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New iMacs to be launched soon?

After getting a look at the new line of macbook and macbook pro laptops from Apple, it looks like Apple is going to announce a new line of iMacs sometime in November. Assuming last minute snags are avoided, the coming weeks should bring new iMacs, rounding out Apple's 2008 hardware introductions as the company enters the holiday shopping season with one of its strongest product portfolios ever.

According to AppleInsider, these updates wouldn’t be major and would basically constitute a streamlining of the entire line. Since the internal makeup of Apple iMacs and notebooks is similar, we might see an NVIDIA chipset update.

Of course, this is just a rumor right now. We will still have to wait and see if the rumor actually materializes and Apple launches a new and improved line of iMacs.

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Macintosh Laptop: Apple's new 13-inch Macbook

Well finally the all new Macintosh Laptop from Apple - The all new MacBook has been launched. It's time that we took a look at this new laptop. Well for starters, Apple has done away with the plastic casing and has redesigned the entire casing in Aluminum. This essentially makes it a smaller version of the MacBook Pro and is a nice design change. The entire body looks more classier than before.

Even the new Nvidia chipset and integrated graphics are impressive, offering playable frame rates in games such as Quake IV and Call of Duty 4 (as long as you keep your expectations modest). One thing to note is that the entry $1,099 price is gone (replaced by a $999 version of the previous plastic MacBook model), and that the FireWire port is gone as well. It has a giant touch pad, attractive edge-to-edge glass on display, improved integrated graphics, backlit keyboard on some models and is thinner than previous version.

Apple's redesigned 13-inch MacBook is essentially a shrunken version of the more expensive 15-inch Pro line. With its new aluminum body, new trackpad, and Nvidia graphics, it's an even more attractive choice for mainstream laptop buyers than was the plastic model it replaces.

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iPhone Application: F1Info

Another new iPhone Application that I have developed has recently made its way to the App Store - F1Info. This application is definitely for all the F1 freaks out there. This application gets all the latest information about F1 happenings from around the world and displays it as it is reported on your iPhone or iPod Touch. 

Here is a brief description of the application...

"Are you addicted to Formula 1? If you are, then you have come to the rightplace. F1info brings the latest news about F1 as it is happening rightto your iPhone/iPod Touch now. You don't need to wait for the morning news toread about your favorite team or driver. Just pick up your iPhone/iPod Touch andit instantly delivers all the latest news and results in the F1 world.Now you can really brag to your friends that you are the greatest F1fan ever! Features include:- Works with EDGE/3G/Wifi- Choose how many items you would like to display on your application- Choose your information from top 3 websites such as planet-f1.com, grandprix.com or formula1.com"

I certainly hope that I will receive the same amount of support that I have received for my first application - Ouzzat! If any of you readers out there are F1 fans, do check out this application on the App Store. You can download F1Info here. Have Fun!

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iPhone Application: Ouzzat!

Finally my all new iPhone Application "Ouzzat!" has been launched in iTunes App Store. This application is especially useful if you are a cricket fan. It helps you to keep score easily. You can use it to record the number of runs scored in a particular ball, the number of balls and the software keeps track of the total number of overs as well as the runs scored. The response to this application has been very good as I have had more than 40 downloads in past 48 hours. The best part is that its very easy to use and beats the manual scorer anytime!

If you are an ardent cricket fan or if you know of someone who is and owns an iPhone, just forward the Ouzzat link to them. It just costs $0.99 per download and I'm very sure you would not be disappointed. This link can be opened only using the iTunes application.

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