Engadget Mobile Gallery

iPhone vs DROID multitouch keyboard showdown (video)

by Nilay Patel posted Nov 5th 2009 at 6:31PM

I just dashed off this quick video for my Twitter followers to demonstrate that the DROID doesn't have a multitouch soft keyboard, and pretty much instantly realized that I should probably share it with everyone else, since we've been getting a lot of questions about it. Long story short, while Android 2.0 and the DROID's hardware support multitouch, the device itself doesn't do multitouch out-of-the-box, and the soft keyboard suffers mightily for it. Why it's missing is certainly open for debate, but for now just know that no amount of hoping, wishing, or booze is going to make the stock keyboard register more than one press at a time. Don't despair, though -- while I'm not a fan, Chris Ziegler absolutely flies on this same keyboard on his DROID. Videos after the break.

Continue reading iPhone vs DROID multitouch keyboard showdown (video)

Public Radio App lets you resume 'This American Life' whenever you please

by Darren Murph posted Nov 4th 2009 at 1:02PM

Now that you've got an NPR-lovin' stereo in your bedroom, the only thing missing in your otherwise completely fulfilled life is an NPR application that enables you to listen to your favorite programs whenever, wherever. If we just rung your bell, you can now drift away and die happy. Available this very moment in the 100,000-strong App Store is the Public Radio App, which essentially acts as a DVR for the iconic station. Once fired up, the app can "pause and rewind public radio streams from NPR, PRI, APM and local public radio stations," and there's even an alarm clock setting that wakes you up with your favorite public radio stream. Unfortunately, on-demand streaming is still a pipe dream, but there's nothing to stop these guys from adding that very feature in the next iteration. Go on -- try and lay off the trigger. It's not like that awfully low $2.99 price point is tempting or anything.

Dutch hacker seeks out jailbroken iPhones for fame and fortune

by Donald Melanson posted Nov 3rd 2009 at 8:23PM

Jailbreaking an iPhone certainly brings many benefits, but it's also frought with some peril, as amply demonstrated by a Dutch hacker who decided to go snooping around for vulnerable jailbroken iPhones in the Netherlands. While he apparently didn't actually swipe personal information or cause any damage, he was able to find some jailbroken iPhones with SSH running, which allowed him to display a message saying "Your iPhone's been hacked because it's really insecure! Please visit doiop.com/iHacked and secure your iPhone right now!" A noble gesture of a white hat hacker? Not exactly, 'cause that site demands €5 for the "fix" to let folks go back to using their phone securely -- or it did until the hacker apparently had a change of heart and posted the instructions for free, along with an apology for his misguided moneymaking scheme.

[Via TUAW]

Blacksn0w unlock available now for iPhone 3G and 3GS

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 3rd 2009 at 12:23PM

There's no stopping the eternal tug-of-war between the powers that be and the hackers that will, and for the time being it looks like things are back in the hands of the hackers. As of noon today giddy jailbreakers can take the next step and go full-on with blacksn0w, the unlock for the latest 05.11.07 baseband (with tethering enabled to boot). And if that weren't enough, it looks like blackra1n RC3 is alive as well, with Mac and Windows support. What are you waiting for? Hit the read link to get started, if that's your thing. And the battle for the iPhone's immortal soul continues...

[Via On The iPhone]

Jibbigo iPhone app translates from English to Spanish and back again

by Laura June posted Oct 30th 2009 at 10:37AM

Jibbigo is a recently released iPhone app which promises to help you out the next time you're desperately trying to make yourself understood by your Spanish-speaking compadres. The app is capable of recording a sentence and translating it -- essentially in real time -- back to you. As you can see in the screencap above, you can speak either Spanish or English, and the translator will do its work, displaying both your original and a translation into the other language. The dictionary contains about 40,000 words, and the app is aimed at travelers. Jibbigo also requires the iPhone 3GS to make use of the bi-directional translation tools, and the app also reportedly functions a heck of a lot slower on anything other than the 3G. The app is available now for $24.99.

[Via, iPodnn]

iPhone 3GS coming to Orange UK on November 10

by Vladislav Savov posted Oct 26th 2009 at 8:43AM

So you've been lusting after that spit-shined touchy-swipey device from Apple, huh? If you're in the UK, come November 10 you'll finally have a choice of iPhone provider (both for 3G and 3GS flavors), with The Guardian confirming the date as Orange's launch of the coveted handset. O2's exclusivity runs out on the ninth of that month, but we shouldn't be too quick to rejoice, as Orange will seek to "add value" rather than undercut O2's pricing. Independent retailers Carphone Warehouse and Phones4U are also expected to stock the iPhone on behalf of Orange, and lest we forget Vodafone will be joining in with its own offering in early 2010. The CEO of 3 has also indicated a strong desire to bring Cupertino's baby onboard, though that's unlikely to happen before the midpoint of next year. So it'll get cheaper, just very... very slowly.

TomTom iPhone kit now being sold through US Apple Store

by Ross Miller posted Oct 25th 2009 at 5:07PM

American TomTom loyalists, we know what you've been thinking: how dare those fine folks across the pond get first dibs to pick up the iPhone car kit? Well, steam to yourself no longer, it's now for sale online via Apple's US store for the previously-disclosed price of $119.95. Alas, no software's included, but you've had enough time to cope with that. Also, it's iPhone 3G and 3GS only -- iPod touch need not apply.

[Via App Advice]

iGOG VelAUcity brings velocity-sensitive drums to your humble iPhone

by Paul Miller posted Oct 23rd 2009 at 1:20PM

Mom / wife / building superintendent still won't let you get a drum set, huh? Well, you can show them, you can show them all with the new iGOG VelAUcity app, which for a mere $5 lets you do velocity-sensitive drumming on the iPhone. It works pretty great, too... to an extent. The technology appears to be based on the iPhone's built-in mic (VelAUcity doesn't work on an iPod touch), and the app recommends you use it with headphones, but not a headset with its own built-in mic, which would gum things up. In practice the drumming is really great, with multiple hit points on the drum pads and pretty good velocity sensitivity (for an iPhone app), but there are plenty of mic-introduced foibles like the potential for feedback or stray noises messing things up -- you basically would have trouble using this in a live application, though there are plenty of sliders so you can tweak things and give it a shot. Our favorite part perhaps is the mic trigger mode, which lets you do your fake drumming next to the iPhone, adding a whole new level of fake realness. Our least favorite part was the crashiness and the buginess -- part of which might've be blamed on our speed-strapped 3G. Don't say we didn't warn you. Video demonstrations are after the break.

[Via Create Digital Music]

Continue reading iGOG VelAUcity brings velocity-sensitive drums to your humble iPhone

MMS for iPhone 2G and tethering on OS 3.1.2 explained, not for the faint of heart

by Ross Miller posted Oct 19th 2009 at 9:49PM

Let's be clear upfront that this isn't for the casual iPhone jailbreaker, but if you feeling like living on the edge, you can give your original model an added boost of MMS capability, or any device with OS 3.1.2 the power to tether. Highlighted in a series of tweets today by iPhone dev team lead MuscleNerd, whiterat (for MMS) and two-bit (for tethering) will get the job done, but both require tinkering with the baseband, which is exponentially more advanced and brick-inducing than, say, installing Cydia. Venture forth with the instructions beyond the read links below.

[Via 9 to 5 Mac]

Read - iPhone 2G MMS
Read - OS 3.1.2 tethering

Free iPhone apps can now include in-app purchases

by Ross Miller posted Oct 15th 2009 at 6:11PM

One of Apple's many curious restrictions on iPhone apps has now been lifted. It used to be that, in order for developers to have microtransactions / in-app purchases, they had to charge something upfront for the software, essentially requiring consumers to pay at least twice, or not at all. Well, all that's changed, as the company has sent word to its developer community that the restriction has been lifted, meaning those annoying "Lite" and "Full" versions cluttering the app store can now be one and the same, with folks downloading the demo and paying to upgrade from within the app itself, a model that's worked to success in other software ecosystems like Xbox Live. Sure, there's gonna be developers out there that abuse the newly-minted business model, but it's not like anything was stopping them before when they charged $2 upfront only to get you again later. The mass email announcement is reprinted after the break. [Warning: read link requires iPhone developer account]

[Via Daring Fireball]

Continue reading Free iPhone apps can now include in-app purchases

HAVA media streamer for iPhone available now

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Oct 15th 2009 at 10:51AM

Just a quick note to all you HAVA Player enthusiasts: the iPhone app that the company announced at CES is finally ready for public consumption. Available from the App Store (of all places), the software lets HAVA owners control it all remotely -- including cable, satellite, and your DVR. What's more, you can stream your recorded programming right onto the handset for all those times when you can't stand to be apart from Jim Kramer. Supports iPhone and iPod touch with (OS 2.2.1 or higher) and will run you $9.99. PR after the break.

Continue reading HAVA media streamer for iPhone available now

Layar now adding layers of augmented reality to iPhone

by Ross Miller posted Oct 14th 2009 at 10:21PM

Since your Android handset-owning friends and colleagues can't have all the phone, Layar has finally made the leap to iPhone. It's now available in the iTunes app store for the enticing price of nada, with its own third-party ecosystem to boot -- only iPhone 3GS customers need apply, though, since without the magnetometer this is kind of a wash. We've only spent a few minutes with the new version, but it seems like much of our initial impressions from August seem to hold true, for better and for worse. But don't take our word for it, download away! [Warning: iTunes link]

[Via Wired]

Appirion's iDriver app lets iPhone control minivan (video)

by Darren Murph posted Oct 14th 2009 at 4:04PM

Believe it or not, a device-controlled car isn't exactly fresh. In fact, we've actually seen a PSP control a Civic before Barack Obama was even a glimmer in the media's eye. That said, we're always willing to give credit where it's due, and the iDriver app just might be the most impressive use of Apple's smartphone... well, ever. As the name implies, this here app is able to control a heavily wired vehicle seemingly with ease -- the accelerometer handles the steering, and two soft buttons on the screen handle braking and acceleration. We'd bother explaining more, but we know you've already clicked past the break to see the whole thing demonstrated on video. Right?

[Via Engadget German]

Continue reading Appirion's iDriver app lets iPhone control minivan (video)

Viper Security launches SmartStart iPhone app for well-appointed whips

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Oct 13th 2009 at 1:06PM

Jealous of the way those hipper-than-thou ZipCar people are always unlocking the doors to their rented Minis with an iPhone? We aren't either. But if you are looking to recreate that scenario with your Dodge Dart, have we got a gadget for you! If you already own a compatible Viper security system, the SmartStart module will let lock and unlock your car, arm and disarm your car alarm, pop the trunk, or fire off that panic alarm -- all from your cherished handset. There are two modules available, priced at $299 and $499, depending on which Viper system you've installed. You also need a SmartStart account which will run you $29 a year (the first year's free). But don't take our word for it -- check out the action-packed video below for a breathtaking recreation of the system's features.

Continue reading Viper Security launches SmartStart iPhone app for well-appointed whips

Blackra1n jailbreak now available for iPhone OS 3.1.2, iPod touch 3G

by Nilay Patel posted Oct 11th 2009 at 4:01PM

Wow, judging by our tips jar we'd say you're all pretty darn excited about Geohot's Blackra1n jailbreak, which lets you open up iPhone OS 3.1.2 devices including the iPod touch 3G and new iPhone 3GSs -- but you can't unlock yet, so don't get any big ideas about switching carriers. Windows-only at the moment, but with this level of enthusiasm out there we can't imagine a Mac version is far behind.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]