Free iPhone 3G

That 360 Chatpad hack we saw back in November was certainly an impressive enough proof of concept, but if you want to get a bit more typing done with a bit less clutter, you’ll no doubt be quite a bit more impressed with this latest mod by the very same Ralf Ackermann. This setup uses a Robotech Bluetooth module that’s placed in a modified battery sleeve and connected to an unlocked iPhone (or iPod Touch) which, in turn, communicates with the keyboard using the Bluetooth SPP profile (a VNC server and a few other tricks also come into the picture). Of course, that’s still a long ways from an officially supported solution, but if you’re looking to give it a go, Ralf is promising to dish out the necessary schematics and source code soon.

Filed under: Peripherals

DIY external iPhone keyboards get a tad more practical originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Dec 2008 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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kravvykrav asked: Part one of our extensive coverage of Apple’s new iPhone 3G.

iLuv has been on quite the roll of late with these radio clocks and whatnot, though we’re a touch more excited than usual about the iHD171. For starters, this one tunes into HD Radio stations (you know, given how FM is so 2006), and it also plays nice with dock-connecting iPods and iPhones. You’ll find twin alarms for keeping couples happy, a front-panel display, iTunes tagging support, jAura speaker technology, an auxiliary line input (3.5-millimeter jack) and twin 4-watt drivers. If all that’s enough for you to exchange $199.99 for, you can do just that next month. Full release is after the jump.

Continue reading iLuv rolls out iHD171 HD radio with iPhone / iPod dock, iTunes tagging

Filed under: Home Entertainment

iLuv rolls out iHD171 HD radio with iPhone / iPod dock, iTunes tagging originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not that we haven’t seen patently absurd lens attachments for mobiles before, but we’ve yet to come across any that were this universal (and be to honest, this useful). Sure, one could argue that a detachable wide-angle, fisheye or 2x telephoto lens made for a cellphone camera is more likely to do nothing than something, but we prefer to look on the sunny side of things. In other words, it’s totally worth $16.99 just to be able to make your subjects pause as you whip out the correct lens for the occasion… which you’re photographing on your C905.

[Via OhGizmo]

Filed under: Cellphones

Magnetic / detachable lenses suddenly make cellphone cameras fun originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 09:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know, the holiday season is officially kaput, but if you still owe that niece or nephew a gift and you feel like teaching them tech-savvy and brand loyalty, you might want to consider one of these KIRF walkie-talkies / organizers that let you send text messages in addition to voice calls in the same vein as that Slide Click we saw back in the day. Trust us, typing on a small keyboard or numpad is one of the best skills they can have when they grow up — it’s a lot more practical than the Morse code we learned back in our day. The lone exception here is the feature-less RAZR knockoff that does voice-only — hey, it’s only fitting that the one phone here that doesn’t knock off a smartphone have less features.

[Thanks, James]

Read – Discovery Exclusive Pink Slide and Text Messengers (Sidekick)
Read – iChat SMS Text Messenger/Chat Talkies (Blackberry)
Read – iText SMS Text Messenger (iPhone)
Read – Discovery Exclusive Flip Phone Walkie-Talkies (RAZR)

Filed under: Cellphones

Keepin’ it real fake, part CLXXV: The SMS walkie-talkie roundup originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 03:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Adding to a small stack of rumors about a supposed iPhone nano, case-maker Vaja today quietly added the category to its website (pictured after the break). Frankly, we’re not sure what to think. There are a number of ways in which Apple could produce a cheaper phone or alter its subsidy deals, so the idea of an iPhone that’s simply smaller makes very little sense. Yet, here we are showing off the site of a reputable accessory manufacturer with a brand new phone listed — ostensibly just a teensy version of the iPhone 3G. Of course, this is probably just rumor, speculation, lies, corruption, signs of an unquenchable thirst for power, and a glimpse at the machinations behind one of the greatest conspiracies mankind has ever known. So, we’re posing the question to the biggest brains of all: the Engadget reader. Is Apple working on an iPhone nano?

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Continue reading What is the deal with the iPhone nano?

Filed under: Cellphones

What is the deal with the iPhone nano? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 20:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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From the looks of our tip jar, the iPhone went on sale at Walmart today for $197 / $297, just as we expected. The plan is to attract consumers who don’t shop at Best Buy, Apple, or AT&T stores, so basically Wally doesn’t care about anyone reading this. We love you too, Wally. No crazy $99 4GB model or iPhone nano in sight, but maybe Phil’s gonna blow us all away next week. (We doubt it.)

[Thanks to everyone -- seriously, it was like all of you -- who sent this in]

Read – iPhone on sale at Walmart
Read – Video of the display — yes, someone actually sent in a video of the display

Filed under: Cellphones

Yes, the iPhone went on sale at Walmart today originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Dec 2008 19:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ha, you or someone you love just paid full retail for an iPhone 3G a few days ago, didn’t you? We’ve always heard that the best deals come after Christmas, but people just never learn. All smack talk aside, those who didn’t get a new cellie under the tree, but did acquire a Benjamin or so courtesy of cash-stuffed holiday cards, can certainly score a big deal today. AT&T is now offering the 8GB iPhone 3G in refurbished form for just $99 with a two-year agreement, while the 16GB refurb is $199 on contract in either black or white. Call us crazy, but we don’t foresee these hanging around in stock for too awfully long.

[Thanks, Brenson]

Filed under: Cellphones

AT&T letting go of 8GB refurb iPhone 3Gs for $99 on contract originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Dec 2008 14:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This year, all I really wanted for the holidays was the perfect smartphone. Not too much to ask for, right? You’d think, but all I ended up with was constant swapping between 3 (or more) devices, hoping to find some balance of features that worked for me. Instead of one “go to” phone, I juggled the iPhone 3G, T-Mobile G1, and BlackBerry Bold for the last few months, desperately wishing I could merge them into one perfect device. I shall now break down my hopes for the upcoming year, with a prayer in my little old heart that manufacturers are listening.

Continue reading Editorial: All I wanted this year was the best smartphone ever

Filed under: Cellphones

Editorial: All I wanted this year was the best smartphone ever originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gee, willickers. More App Store madness. In case you needed even more evidence that the whole approval process in Cupertino was in complete disarray, David Carnoy’s “contemporary medical thriller” has been rejected from Apple’s App Store twice now. The first time it was returned to sender due to a few bugs in the coding; the second time, it was rejected due to the inclusion of “obscene content.” Despite all of this, certain apps like iFart and Pull My Finger are allowed to remain, though it stands to reason that those programs are just as “obscene” as a few dirty words and sexual innuendos. Alexandru Brie, a developer and one of the first publishers of e-books to the App Store, feels that “each of Apple’s reviewers can interpret the obscene, pornographic or defamatory content clause in a different way.” Clearly, he’s right.

Filed under: Cellphones

E-book barred from App Store due to obscene content originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 04:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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