iphone

Truphone – softphone for cell phones

Truphone is a free software app for your mobile phone that routes your calls over the Internet. These calls are made using VoIP using your phone’s WiFi connection and even Nokia and Blackberrys can make calls via Truphone’s network without a WiFi conn.

In case you’re wondering what’s in it for Truphone, their business model is to charge lower rates than your mobile provider, particularly for international calls or calls made when you’re roaming abroad.

List of supported devices.

More info from the manufacturer

Price: Free for software. Call Rates start at $0.06/min.
(Please note prices are subject to change and the listed price is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of posting)

Google G1 Phone announced

The Google G1 phone is now available for pre-order on the T-Mobile network for $179.99. You may be able to get your hands on one as early as Oct 22.

So what can you expect in the HTC handset running Android, the Google-sponsored mobile OS? For starters, a touch screen, a slide-out screen that reveals a full QWERTY keyboard, a screen that displays in both landscape and portrait modes, a 3 Megapixel camera,  3G network and Wi-Fi access.

The G1 will come with a number of apps built-in, yes, all centered around Google applications, such as Gmail, Google Maps, YouTube, Calendar, Google Talk. It will also thankfully have an IM application that is multi-platform.

Google has also already announced the Android Market which is analogous  to the iPhone Store, where you can download and/or buy apps for your Android-based phone.

It remains to be seen how successful Google will be with their handsets in terms of open sourcing the whole Android platform. My suspicion is yes they will, and I won’t be surprised if Apple ends up doing something similar with the iPhone OS within a year. After all, if both Google and Nokia/Symbian are running open source systems and have significant market share because of it, well… you can figure out the rest.

NetLinc – Control your INSTEON devices from the Web, Phone or PDA

This is exactly the type of product that you may have once seen at an EPCOT exhibit or a future-looking tech documentary, but the difference is this is real. NetLinc is an INSTEON Central Controller that allows you to schedule and control your INSTEON home automation network from the Internet, via a browser on a PC, your Web-accessible smartphone or PDA.

The main NetLinc controller simply plugs into your existing INSTEON network, and from there, you can configure it with your computer network to grant you control from outside your home via your broadband Internet connection. NetLinc even support IP-based cameras so you can view those cameras in real-time from wherever.

This is super-cool application for your iPhone or iPod Touch. If you want to see NetLinc in action, take a look at this video.

Gimme!

Price: $119.99
(Please note prices are subject to change and the listed price is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of posting)

iPhone 3G Launch and Network Problems

The long awaited iPhone 3G was released on Friday, July 11th. But what should have been a happy and joyous day for iPhone fans, ended up being an exercise in frustration for many.

AT&T’s insistence on trying to activate the phones in store taxed Apple’s authentication server (more info) and caused lines to move at a snail’s pace or sent buyers home with a phone only good for making emergency calls. During last year’s iPhone 1.0 launch Apple had everyone activate their own phone at home through iTunes.

Worse yet, AT&T outlets were allowed to sell far fewer phones that Apple Stores, forcing them to turn away customers who waited hours to get their hands on one. …

Openmoko launches Neo, Open Source Linux Mobile Phone

If you’re in the market for a smartphone that you can extend with potentially unlimited applications, are intrigued by the iPhone, really want an Android phone, but can’t wait, then take a look at the Neo FreeRunner which hits the (virtual e-commerce) street this weekend.

The Neo is arguably the first open mobile computing platform that is based on Linux. The 6.5oz phone itself boasts GSM (805/900MHz) network connectivity, a 480×640 VGA touchscreen, 802.11b/g WiFi, GPRS 2.5, Bluetooth 2.0, 128MB RAM and 256MB Flash, along with a microSD slot.

Openmoko expects to launch a full suite of applications next month that will go along with the dialing & SMS capabilities that the phone will initially ship with.

Gimme!

More info from the manufacturer

Price: $399.99
(Please note prices are subject to change and the listed price is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of posting)

Nokia buys the rest of Symbian; will open source it

In a somewhat surprising, yet not so surprising move, Nokia bought up the rest of Symbian that it didn’t already own and will open-source the cell phone OS platform. Why? This is the strategy du jour in this age of Linux vs Microsoft, and now Android (Linux basically) vs iPhone/Win Mobile/Blackberry.

It’s a $410 million gamble for Nokia, but not a bad risk. Open-sourcing products many times results in amazing contributions and improvements to the products which in turn fuel sales of hardware, software and services surrounding that product.

Time will tell how Nokia fares. This writer thinks this will certainly help to keep Nokia firmly in the top tiers of the cell phone handset industry.

iPhone 3G and WWDC Announcement Predictions

There’s no doubt that an iPhone update is imminent. But while nearly everyone has agreed on that, nobody knows anything definite about the specifics… except that the new iPhone will be compatible with the Microsoft Exchange email services. There’s a link on the main Apple.com iPhone page where you can apply to be a beta tester.

In regards to the iPhone, here’s what we know today:

  • Apple.com lists the iPhone as “Currently Unavailable.” Stock is so low that you can’t buy it. Usually a good sign that a new model is coming out soon.
  • Apple continues to make iPhone sales deals across the globe. Netherlands, Hong Kong, Singapore, India and Australia were all announced with the last few months.
  • A 3G settings screen was found by hackers in the latest firmware update for the iPhone.
  • The new iPhone will most likely be unveiled during Steve Jobs’ keynote speech at Apple’s WWDC (World Wide Developers Conference) on June 9th.
  • AT&T is prohibiting retail-store employees from taking vacations between June 15 and July 12, claiming that they’re expecting a “heavy selling period”. They implemented a similar policy last year for the iPhone launch.
  • AT&T executives have said numerous times that all of their smartphones (the iPhone is one of the) will support 3G networking soon.
  • The Apple Stores have been out of stock of the iPhone for weeks. And people are forming daily lines outside Apple stores that still have a few iPhones in stock. …

Converting Audio File Formats in iTunes

iTunes is much more than a digital music jukebox. It’s capable of handling many different tasks involving digital media. Some of iTunes’ most popular features include buying music and vidoes online, burning CDs, and syncing files with your iPod or iPhone.

But one of the lesser known functions hidden within iTunes is the ability to convert audio files. …

iPhone Line Forms Already at Apple’s 5th Ave Store

“This morning I had to go buy another copy of OS X Leopard (my original copy got scratched). As I walked closer to the Apple Store on 5th Avenue I was somewhat surprised to see a line of about 50 people waiting in line. The 3G iPhone announcement isn’t rumored to happen until June 9th right? Are these people going to wait in line for over 2 weeks or do they know something we don’t?

I asked the security guard by the Cube what was going on and he said it was for the iPhone. That’s all he knew and he very was annoyed at me for asking him about the iPhone line. I doubt I was the first person to ask. …

Latest Blackberry rumor – iPhone lookalike

Rumor on the streets is that Blackberry is readying an iPhone lookalike with the focus being on having a full touchscreen, which would be a major departure from the traditional full QWERTY keyboarded Blackberry we’re all used to seeing.

This may be called the Thunder, and may have EVDO and HSPA capabilities. I guess we’ll see!

That’s not a real image, btw, just a mock-up.

via Boy Genius Report

Scroll to Top