Technology Metro

According to BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) ringtones sales are slowly dropping from the $600 million mark reached in 2006. Since then, Apple has released the iPhone. With the release of the iPhone come questions from users as to how their ring tones will differ from other cell phone ringtones on the market. As you will find out, Apple has an uphill challenge ahead of them trying to convince consumers to throw out their old and make way for the new.

The ringtones for iPhones come in .m4r that differs from other ringtones out on the market. Most ringtones come in .mp3, .mp4 and .wav formats just to name a few. There are places where you can buy .m4r ringtones and other places that offer free ones. You can also convert your previous ringtones formats to the .m4r format. There are softwares available that allow, this such as the Ambrosia Software iToner. There are many different companies coming along to offer features that iPhone and iTunes don’t currently offer. It is no surprise to see entrepreneurs get inventive and make something ringtone related.

At one point Apple blocked free ringtones from being added to the iPhone through Itunes. This has caused many hackers to accept the challenge and get into the iPhone ringtone game. They have managed to figure out multiple ways users can add their own ringtones for free. The way Apple has it set up makes a user pay to add ringones they already have. If they don’t have the ringtone, they have to pay for that and the cost of converting the song into a ringtone. In order to get ringtones the proper way, you have to use Apple’s iTunes software. Only the newer versions of iTunes have the.m4r ringtone capabilities, older versions simply won’t work. Each ringtone is roughly 99 cents available from the US iTunes store with over 500,000 ringtones to choose from. Again, an additional charge is added for converting previously owned ringtones not in the .m4r format. Since many seasoned savvy internet users know how to create their own ringtones, this is just absurd. People have already invested in programs and pay sites that offer ringtones in various formats. For some, it just isn’t worth the price or the hassle to switch to Apple’s model. These types of product versus consumer battles usually lead to a compromise on the manufactures part.

One method of getting ringtones is done by renaming the song format to the .m4r extension. So if you already have a .AAC ringtone, you just need to rename the file to songname.m4r. I wouldn’t be surprised in the least bit if newer iTunes versions allowed users to add any type of ringtones for free. Apple has had similar wars with people unlocking their iPhones so that they carry other cell carriers’ networks. This sort of corporate greed disillusions consumers who may want to try new products but not have to re adjust their lives in the process. Why not just allow all iPhone users to continue to use the current ringtone technology they have been using instead of trying to get a monopoly on the ringtone market? Surely Apple isn’t desperate for profits to the point where they have to charge to add and convert ringtones! It is a cellular phone after all and ringtones are here to stay. Apple needs to separate their iPod from their iPhone brand and stop this iPhone ringtone madness. Here is a How to guide for making your own Free Custom iPhone Ringtones Using Only iTunes. I think this link might help you all.

Apple Launches its brand new Gadget; Apple iRack. From the line of the ‘i’ technology; iPod, iPhone, iMac, iBook comes the newest gadget launched by Apple, the iRack.

iPhone 3G is the newest iPhone launched by Apple. There has been some significant upgrades from the previous iPhone. There are some great new additions and at the same time there are some very mediocrity found in an iPhone. Love it or hate it, iPhone is not what it should be. Still, it is not that bad. There are some stuffs that need changing but apart from that, iPhone is good. I just hope Apple fix all the problems found in an iPhone (both the previous iPhone and the newest iPhone 3G).

Here are some pros and cons found in an iPhone 3G mobile phone:

Pros:

• 3G, Wi-Fi and GPS
• Safari browser and email works great
• iPod application is great
• Application Store is the best
• Seamless integration with iTunes
• Lots of multimedia features
• A working GPS
• Large high quality LCD screen
• Onscreen Qwerty Touch keyboard

Cons:

• Still no navigation software
• Very poor camera application
• Poor battery life
• Non instinctive menus and settings
• 2 mega pixel camera without any flash
• Fingerprint magnet
• Needs 3rd party protective covers for screen and case

We have to pay a fortune to buy an iPhone 3G and it is unfair that Apple hasn’t included other important Smartphone functionality. Talking about battery life, iPhone 3G will support up to 5 hours of talk time on a 3G network and 10 hours on a 2G network. iPhone 3G has a standby time of up to 300 hours. While using the internet on a 3G network, the battery will last up to 5 hours and on a Wi-Fi, it will last up to 6 hours. iPhone 3G’s battery supports up to 7 hours of video playback and up to 24 hours of audio playback.

The brand new iPhone 3G is available in two sizes as its predecessor. An 8GB and 16GB model is available and this time around, iPhone is available in two colors, black and white. White iPhone is only available in 16GB iPhone 3G model. iPhone 3G uses a Flash drive for storage instead of a Hard drive. iPhone 3G works on UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz) and GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) mobile networks. iPhone 3G can also connect to other devices using Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) and a new addition to iPhone, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR.

Here are some of the technical specifications for iPhone 3G:

• Screen resolution of 480 x 320 pixels
• Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3G connectivity
• GSM 850, GSM 900, GSM 1800, GSM 1900, UMTS 850, UMTS 2100 networks
• Supports AAC, AAC+, MP3 audio format, MPEG-4 video format and JPG, PNG, TIF picture format
• SMS, MMS, E-mail, Instant Messaging, Push e-mail, IM messaging options
• Touch screen with multi-touch function
• 2MP camera
• More detailed Tech Specs here

The price of a New Apple’s iPhone 3G is half the price of the old iPhone. iPhone 3G 8GB costs $200 and iPhone 3G 16GB model costs $300. Price is a lot reasonable than before and this should lead to a lot more sales.

The iPhone, from apple computers, is the company’s first major venture into the mobile phone market and like all other apple products, this phone has also been able to make a place for itself in the market. To put it very simply, the iPhone is the talk of the town and everybody with a big enough pocket, is itching to get his/her hands on one of this beauties. The craze is fully justified as the Apple’s iPhone packs in a whole lot of powerful features along with its sleek design. The interface and design of the phone makes it extremely user-friendly and fun to use as well.The iPhone packs in a host of features and is a very useful, productive as well as fun tool. Although user friendly, the iPhone needs to be set up and configured properly before the user can fully utilize its host of features. Setting up the iPhone is quick and easy, so let us quickly go through the steps for setting up an iPhone.

1. Install iTunes -
   Go to Apple’s website to download the correct version of iTunes for your computer. From this page, select your operating system and begin the download by clicking the download button. Once iTunes has downloaded, find the download file, double click it and follow the on-screen directions. This will install iTunes for you.
2. Create iTunes store account -
   To set up and use your iPhone you will need an iTunes account . To create the account open iTunes and go to the iTunes store and click on sign in. Click on create a new account and fill the form that pops up and then agree to the terms and conditions. Next, enter the information for the way you want to pay for purchases at the iTunes Store. This can be a credit card, debit card, or PayPal account. Be sure to enter the billing address for your card and the security code from the back then continue. This sets up your iTunes account.
3. Activate the iPhone -
   
   - Unpack the iPhone and set it in the included dock then connect the dock to the computer. This opens the installation screen. Select yourself as new customer on the screen and proceed. The next step is whether you want to use an existing number for the phone or do you want a new number? Since you are a new user ask for a new number and continue.
   
   - Next, iTunes will ask you what service plan you wish to use with your iPhone. Select one by clicking the button next to it at the top of the screen and click continue. Now, iTunes will ask you to sign into your Apple ID/iTunes Account. Enter your username and password for the iTunes store account and log in.
   
   - On the next screen confirm your personal and billing information and agree to the terms and conditions. Now a screen will pop up which will confirm the information entered by you if there are any changes to be made then click on ‘back ‘ otherwise click on the ‘submit’ button to activate the iPhone. This activates the iPhone and the next pop screen provides the new number for the phone. When this happens the iPhone’s screen will light up and a message will be displayed saying that the iPhone is now activated.
4. Syncing the iPhone -
   Your iPhone is now activated and ready for use. But now you should sync the iPhone with your computer to add your contacts, calendar, music, and videos. This will happen automatically or you can do it manually, although automatic is recommended.

So now we know how to set up the iPhone and activate it. After finishing this tutorial you have a full idea of activating the iPhone but there are plenty more features in the iPhone to see and enjoy. Have fun exploring the iPhone and its features.

PS: I will be writing an article on the New Apple’s iPhone 3G soon.

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You can get Free Information Technology Magazine Subscriptions and Free White Papers here if you are interested in it. Not related to iPhone.

Youtube is one of the most used sites on the world wide web and is becoming even popular if that can happen. Youtube is free to use by any person and they can upload personal videos or any kind of videos and share it with the world. When I first started using YouTube, there were a lot of videos I wanted to save on the Computer for later viewing but it was quite hard to do so. I started using a FireFox plugin called Video Downloader. It was not the best way to download videos from YouTube. You can only download videos using Video Downloader in FLV format and to watch that video, you will need a FLV player. FLV files don’t play on Windows Media Player or any other player except a FLV player and if you want to save the video in your cell phone, iPod or any other handheld and computers, you need to download and install a FLV file converter. It is a quite a hassle doing all this.

Some months ago, I found a site that will let you download YouTube Videos in any format, well in six formats including flv (mpg format, .mov format for playing in quicktime and MACs, .mp4 format for iPod, PSP, iPhone, ,3gp format for cell phones, mp3 and ofcourse .flv). You can use ConvertTube not just download YouTube videos but convert and download any online videos from the web. Convert Tube is free to use but there is a restriction, you can only download a video every eight minutes only. To download videos without a time restraint, you will have to pay a subscription fee of $5 per month. Using Convert Tube is very easy, just paste the videos url (eg: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCnhhz9MguA) in the URL field and choose the format you want to download the video in. It is easy as that, no need to install any flv players or install any kind of softwares, it is all done online.

This is the best online video downloader I found till today. I always use it, the only drawback to ConvertTube is, you have to wait eight minutes before you download another video if you are not a registered user ($5/month).

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I think this is a neat idea. This should be a device for all the people who can’t live without their electronic devices and travel a lot. This is great for the environment, even thought it reduces the impact in a very very small way. HYmini Micro Wind Powered Charger can be used in a day to day basis without using the electricity from the power grid. Charging the HYmini Handheld Micro Wind Power Generator’s battery is pretty simple, you just need some wind. HYmini is a hand held hybrid portable device charger which can be also charged by plugging it into your wall.

Why would you want to do that when you can charge your portable devices for free by using the HYmini charger. It is green and should be good gadget for environmentalist as well as others. You can use the HYmini charger to charge almost all 5volt portable device. Cell phone, MP3 player, iPod, PDA, digital camera or other 5V devices can be charged using the HYmini . There are various ways you could charge HYmini Micro Wind Charger, place it on your car window when you drive, place it on your bicycle, while jogging (strapping it on your arm) or well just place it outside your window if there is sufficient wind available.

The HYmini Handheld Micro Wind Power Generator generates power using:

• DV input jack 5V 1A max limitation through 110/220 wall plug
• Other sustainable sources like linkable HYmini Solar battery attachment with 0.7W Max capacity
• Laptop or Desktop USB 2.0 outlet
• Built-in supplemental wind generator with 1W Max capacity with zero loading
• 1200mA/h lithium ion polymer rechargeable battery
• Input current: Less than 1A or 1000mA and 5V max
• Maximum charging rate 40mph (65kmh)

There is no need for you to install additional software to use HYmini Micro Wind Power Generator for charging any portable devices. To know if your HYmini Charger is fully charge, just look at the color of the LED light and if it is green that means your HYmini charger is fully charged. This is quite an environmentally friendly solution for charging your cell phones, iPod, digital cameras, PDA and other 5Volt electronic devices. The HYmini Micro Wind Powered Charger costs $50. Not that expensive but not that cheap either. The Lithium ion battery will have to be replaced in time depending on the use as they have a limited lifespan.

Mobile technology has come a long way since its inception. Today, we see all kinds of mobile phones with a huge amount of features included in it. There are unimaginable amount of features in every different kinds of mobile phones today. One of the most popular GSM mobile phones today has to be Nokia’s N series’ N95. I have heard talks of Nokia releasing a Nokia N96 phone. Don’t know if it has been released yet. One of my favorite cell phones is Apple’s iPhone. It looks great and has a huge amount of functions in it. It also includes Wi-fi for internet browsing and also includes all the features found on an iPod.

There are a lot of things you need to consider before buying a new cell phone. The first thing people look at is the design of the cell phone. Well for me, Nokia N95 is one of the best looking and full of feature cell phone in todays market. For people who are planning on buying a new cell phone, you might want to check out iMobilePlaza. They are an online cell phone seller and have a huge collection of the most popular and best mobile phones around. The cell phone I want i.e. Nokia N95 8GB costs $551. Its a lot cheaper than on a shop. Don’t know if it is the cheapest price available for a Nokia N95 8GB online though.

At iMobilePlaza, you will be able to find all phone manufactured by Apple, HP, HTC, Blackberry, Dopod, Eten, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, Motorola, Siemens, LG, PalmOne, O2, Benq-Siemens and Vertu. Other good cell phones available at iMobilePlaza are Eten Glofiish X800 and HTC/Qtek P4350 is not bad either. HTC/Qtek P4350 has a full querty keyboard so it will be a lot easier to type. iMobilePlaza is still fairly new as it was just established in 2005 but not far behind other well established shops. Their payment system is fairly simple and they accept all international credit card, Western Union payments and wire transfers. I wish they offered paypal as the payment system as it is quite easy and hassle free to pay via paypal.

When iPhone first arrived in the market, it was on an AT&T network and to even activate the iPhone, people had to call AT&T. There was a huge mess up when the Apple’s iPhone was first released in the market. Since then, the price of an iPhone dropped quite dramatically and Apple also dumped the 4GB version of iPhone. Now an iPhone is available in two sizes, an 8GB version which costs $400 and a 16GB version which costs $500. These prices seems reasonable but there is a catch, you will need to subscribe to AT&T service which is quite expensive. At least a two year contract is needed. I have never liked what the mobile service providers have done. Locking a phone so that it just works on their network is a bit unfair. Since this started happening, people (mobile experts) started to look for a way unlock it.

It took not that long for mobile experts to crack the Apple and AT&T locking mechanism. The first iphone was unlocked on August 24, 2007 (according to engadget). Now people can use any SIM cards from any subscribers and use it on an iPhone without a problem. Nowadays, we can unlock almost all kinds of phones by using a software. Well some of these softwares can be used for free and some charge a small fee for unlocking a phone.

Well if you already have an iphone with an AT&T subscription or from any other mobile networks, you can ditch it right away and use any SIM card you like. There are some iPhone Unlock Service available online which will do the dirty work for you but they will charge a small fee. iphone-sim-unlock.com provides iPhone Unlock software for a fee of $29 which is a negligible amount if you consider the subscription fee you have to pay to AT&T. AT&T’s cheapest plan for an iPhone costs around $60 per month. So the price of unlocking an iPhone by using iPhone-Sim-Unlock.com is pretty low (half the cost of 1 month AT&T fee). There are locked iPhones from all the top mobile service providers and this software will unlock it all. It just takes around ten minutes to unlock an iPhone. There are only three steps you need to follow, 1st sign-up for iPhone Unlock service, secondly login and purchase the iphone unlocking service for $29 and then unlock your iPhone. Thats it, nothing else to do. Doesn’t matter what version of iPhone firmware you use, their unique software will unlock it for you. Even a bricked iPhone won’t be a problem. By paying a one time fee of $29, you will be receiving future updates and service for life. There are also exclusive iPhone wallpapers package available to use free of charge and another good thing about their service is, they provide 24 hour support to their customers.

There has been a huge demand for the Apple iPod Touch and it was sold out the day it was released in the market. The price at the start was a bit high but still lot of people were buying if or waiting in line to buy it. The price of an iPhone at the time of its first release was $599 for I think it was an 8GB version. A couple of months after iPhone’s official release, Apple dropped the price of its iphones considerably by dropping the price of an 8GB version to $399 from its original price of $599. Apple also released a 16GB version at the same time and also released iPod Touch. A 16GB Apple iPhone was priced at $499 which is very reasonable considering the features and storage that it offers. Apple also released an iPhone clone and called it iPod Touch. iPod Touch looks exactly like an iPhone, the only difference between them is, you can’t make phone calls using iPod Touch. You can get an Apple iPod Touch 8GB version at Amazon.com for just $270 $280. This is a very cheap price considering the price at iPhone’s first release. You can purchase an Apple iPod Touch 16GB version at Amazon.com for $360 $369. I can now afford one but I would rather have an unlocked version so I will wait a bit longer for it. An Apple iPod Touch features include,

• MP3 and video playback
• Picture viewing
• Revolutionary multi-touch interface
• Gorgeous 3.5-inch widescreen display
• Music downloads straight from iTunes
• Websurfing using the built-in Wi-Fi

and lots more which you can view at Apple’s iPod Touch page linked above. The only drawback if I can say that is, an iPod Touch doesn’t have a camera and mobile phone features, on it otherwise it would be the full package. This sale might only last till the holiday season so go get one for yourself asap. Also you will get a free shipping from amazon.com

There is also another cool gadget for iPod’s and iPhones which I think most of us is trying to buy but its a concept design yet hasn’t been released. An iRing controller for iPod and iPhone would save a lot of battery life for you iPod and iPhones as you don’t have to light up the screen and the iRing controller would make it very easy to control your iPod and iPhone from your fingers. If anyone knows where I can buy an iRing, please let me know.