Like so many others have done, its quite fun to head down to your local Apple Store and get a few iPhone 4's jailbroken!

No joke here. Thanks to comex and the rest of the dev team for this magnificent release. With jailbraking only recently becoming legal (thanks to some US court systems) you can jailbrake your new iPhone 4 right from the device, no computer needed! It couldn’t be any easier thanks to the work of the Dev Team. Hit up JailBrakeMe.com on your iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS (new bootrom), or iPad, then just “slide to jailbrake”. It will download some stuff then get right to jailbraking with a simple progress bar. Done in about one minutes time, Cydia is added to your homescreen! The only downside to this is that the exploit was created from loaded a PDF with the “jailbrake” code on it. In a way, you can understand how other, more malicious forms of code can work your way onto your iDevice. So just for a recommendation, only load up PDFs on your iDevice that you trust! Or you can jailbrake, and download a package from Cydia that will actually help you monitor the loading of your PDFs. Its an interesting decision, but its up to you. And by the way, I jailbroke my iPhone 4 if you were wondering.

The latest from PlanetBeing, an iPhone 3G can be seen here booting up the modified Linux kernel with Android on it!

When “Geohots” was the first one to unlock the iPhone, everyone knew it was a step into the direction forward into a world of iPhone hacking. Three generations later and 4 OS remakes, and Apple still hasn’t been able to beat the hackers. Well in the latest showing of heroic hacking, PlanetBeing has managed to get a (almost) fully functional version of the Android OS running on an iPhone 3G!

Well for those of you that are “in the know”, you surely are aware that this is already possible with the iPhone 2G, but really, who still has one of those? Well with the latest news from PlanetBeing, it looks like its only going to be a matter of days before the first release of this multiboot solution on iPhone comes to the masses. Complete with a guide, PlanetBeing has managed to fix just about all the errors the Android OS has thrown at him, but with the help of a new development team, I am honest excited to see this new OS coming to such a popular device.

OpeniBoot is the bootloader for the iPhone you’re going to load up, and from there you’ll be able to load either Android or the stock iPhone OS. And hopefully later in time, we can get Palm’s webOS running. Its a great leap in a iPhone hacking and I’m waiting the final release! My only question is how much space is this new Linux kernel going to take up on my 8GB iPhone 3G?

This popular alternative, the MintyBoost kit is a simple "Plug-And-Play" solution for those who'd prefer not to get too technical.

At some point in your life,  you’ve probably tried the well-known mint (or gum) called Altoids. Known for being “curiously strong” its not just the mints that you’re getting when you purchase. The box these mints come in is like no other and is the perfect size for all sorts of tech projects. Slightly smaller than a deck of cards, it makes a great casing to anything you might house in it. One of the more popular uses includes turning the box into a portable iPod USB charger, capable of recharging your iPod for many more hours. Cheap and effective, its a great way to keep charged up on the road, and NOT in the air. Now before I begin, I’ll like to also mention that this is NOT a how-to for making your own portable iPod USB charger… instead I will be briefly skimming the surface on how you can engineer a better solution for however you decide to make yours.

So what does it take to power a USB port? Well for one, you need 5 volts and a pretty clean amount of amps to keep the current flowing for more than a minute or two. So lets look for a battery solution… A nine volt battery is about the size of two AA’s, provides more than enough volts, but falls short when it comes to the mA (milliamps), efficiency, and internal resistance it can provide. Using a 7805 (which refers to a very common linear 5V regulator) you can bring the 9v from the battery down to 5v and hold it steady for quite some time. Right here you have a very simple circuit that will work, but the efficiency of the battery would no doubt be under 60%, wasting just a little less than half of the battery.

Next up: those AA’s we were talking about. Cheap and effective, AA’s are always an ideal choice when it comes to quick power. So lets show some numbers real fast to show why AA’s are clearly more effective than a 9v battery:

Nine-Volt Battery: 9v x 500mAh = 4.5Wh
2 AA Batteries: 2 x 1.5v (each) x 3000mAh = 9Wh

For the same space, and probably an even cheaper price, AA’s provide just about twice as much power. So now that we know that AA’s are going to be our ideal choice for a battery, lets begin on solving the problems at hand. First off, it takes 5v (as we discussed earlier) to power a USB, so how are we going to do that with only 2 AA’s?  Well we need to make whats called a Boost Converter. Now I’m not going to walk you through how there made and why they work, but I will give you a small insight into whats needed to create this stepup converter that pushes 3v to 5v. Well your going to need a chip (also known as a DIP) to start out with. Now for size constraints, you probably want a 8-DIP chip. Running down the list of restrictions, your are going to want one with an internal MOSFET switch (so you don’t have to physically add one in), one that has a high frequency (so that the inductor we need later will be able to be small), and you also need to be able to supply around 100mA at 5v, and you need the chip to still run on about 2v or less. Using Digikey or Mouser, find the one you like the best…

Stick around for Part II in this mini-series on turning your old Altoids mint tin into a portable source of power for your iPod!

If your hands, specifically your thumbs, experience daily pains and sores, it might be time to put away the keyboard and pick up the phone.

Texting; the form of communication through words on mobile devices. Why do we text? Its not at all faster than making a phone call, and unless your a teenager, you probably haven’t mastered your phone’s mobile keyboard yet. The CTIA’s latest figures state that American’s with cell phone sent a over  740 billion text messages in just the first half of 2009. Do the math; that 4.1 billion texts daily, about 17 texts per person with a phone.

With more texts, fewer users were actually making phone calls, dropping the average call time from 3.13 minutes in 2007 to 2.03 minutes in 2009. Don’t get us wrong though, more and more minutes are being added to calling plans, and normal phone calls still take place on a daily basis. And with all those extra texting and voice plans, your bill on rose 2% this year to a$49.57 a month… and we don’t think most people have data plans at that price!

So how much is too much? Well if we consider that some don’t text, we can’t make our number too high. And with one 14 year old Florida girl sending over 35,463 text messages in a month (1,182 per day), we can’t make it too high either. Wireless companies usually charge around $10-$15 for about 200 text messages, about 7 texts a day. But for approximately $20-$25, you can get anywhere from 1000 to unlimited from your provider. At 1000 a month, you’d be sending 33 a day, just a little too much for those who would rather call. So what’s the magic number? We’d say 500 texts per month, about 17 per day. Any less and I’d congratulate you for actually using your phone for its intentions, but anymore… and I might not ever give you my number.

My Dell Mini 10v running a retail version of Snow Leopard. For $300 this is one of the cheapest and easiest Hackintosh's out there. But are you up for the challenge?

Also known as the OSx86 project, getting a non-Apple made computer to run any form of OS X is considered an accomplishment, and there’s even a name for your new machine: A Hackintosh. Officially, its against Apple’s Terms of Service to run OS X on hardware that wasn’t created by them, but wheres the fun in that? Now because it’s against Apple and what they believe, creating a Hackintosh isn’t for everyone, but if your a good sport, you’ll go buy the retail Leopard disc and at least reward Apple for a good operating system.

So do you have a Hackintosh? Do you plan on making one? Well I’ll share a key secret: there is no 100% guide to making a Hackintosh. Part of the challenge is picking pieces that are going to work in your machine, then you have to decide if your going to run a clean copy of Leopard or a modified version thats more/ less suited to your hardware. Kalyway, iATKOS and iDeneb are examples of modified Apple software thats been created to assist you in your journey. The advantage to running these modified versions are that your probability of success is higher, and most hardware-related errors can/ are solved in therse versions. On the downside, because its modified, it might not run just like a Mac, as a clean copy would. Its up to you which you choose, but if you can get a clean copy running flawlessly, your less likely to run into problems in the future.

A Hackintosh can be anything, in any shape or form. Seen above, you can see my Dell Mini 10v running a retail version of Mac OS X Snow Leopard (10.6.1 to be exact!) and so far its been smooth sailing. The Dell Mini lineup is a small setup of netbooks that can run Leopard pretty dang well right out of the box, and for the few errors you encounter, some great guys (melkort and bmatlis I believe) created some great software to make the process much simpler. On another note, the desktop Hackintosh is probably the most popular as it saves you money and provides a great deal of hardware flexibility and choices when it comes to Apple’s selection.

Don’t get the the idea that running a machine like this is a walk in the park. Sometimes its just a matter of building a computer and running software the way it was designed, on the other hand, hardware and software hacking knowledge can and will be required to get your machine up and running. Its always a risk, but the reward is great.

Apple's latest installment of the iMovie family left many dissatisfied as the ability to downgrade to iMovie HD from iLife 09 was dropped.

I have my own fair share of rants about Windows computers, but I notice that I do tend to have more positive comments to the Mac I have. Well it wasn’t until this weekend, when I actually opened up iMovie ’09 for the first time, that I realized the one major flaw it has. I have never used any previous versions of iMovie, but I did hear that when Apple “completely redesigned” iMovie ’08, it was so different that Apple actually let users downgrade for free. For me, I hoped that the 2009 version would have fixed what was wrong, because they did drop there support for free downgrading with iLife ’09.

Well, it was a good 4 hours later when I had finally finished my first very important video. The program had run smooth and steady the whole time, even with constant video adding, editing, etc. But when I started it from the top to quickly review my production without rendering it, iMovie decided to “unexpectedly quit”. And it wasn’t until I reopened the program that I learned that iMovie ’09s claimed Auto-Save is all but real. Don’t get me wrong, the video clips I have imported were there, but the hours upon hours of work putting them together meticulously was not there.

In my conclusion, I’ll let you know in the process of creating over 5 short-films, iMovie crashed a total of 12 times for me, all for unexpected reasons. So I just have to ask Apple why. Being honest, the program and its abilities are just shy of professional video editing software, but the fact that I cannot manually go to: File > Save, to keep my progress every now and then is flat out ridiculous. If there’s one thing that needs to be in iMovie ’10, it better be the ability to save, cause it sure isn’t there.

I’ve yet to discover a work-around even after reading elsewhere that you can manually save the file via drag and drop through the finder, but that is not the case. I’ll let you know if I ever figure this out. Leave a comment if you think you’ve figured out how to fix this, cause I know I’m not the only one!

Available in 60 days, the somewhat "revolutionary" Apple iPad will attempt to bridge the gap between mobile phones, and laptop computers.

Like most Apple products, there is a degree of pure sexiness that can be a deciding factor when it comes time to purchase Apple gear. Fresh from cancer-ridden Job’s himself, the new Apple iPad (no, not the iSlate) is, in the most blunt terms, a giant iPod Touch. Its got a huge 9.7″ beautiful touchscreen and got the same home button, lock button, volume controls, and dock connector. And instead of watering down Mac OS X, they decided to vamp up the iPhone OS, reinventing all the default apps for your viewing. productivity pleasure. And they even highlighted a custom edition of iWork ’10 designed to go right on your iPad.

Unfortunately, Apple did not quite address the factors that would even make it comparable to a netbook. With no multitasking, nothing more than the same old boring homescreen (though you might be able to customize the background image), no camera, and nothing new than what the iPhone’s got, the only thing that impressed me was the price. Half of what was estimated, a base model will run you $499… pretty reasonable for a giant iPod Touch.

On a good note, Apple announced the iBookstore, which, as you guessed it, sells digital versions of popular books! Almost like Apple is trying to challenge the Kindle or Nook, I just don’t see true reading getting a solid footing on the iPad. And lets face it, the video on that device looks stunning! But that’s something we’ve come to expect from Apple and they didn’t really “wow” today. What I’m curious to see about is what hackers can do. Maybe George Hotz, after successfully cracking the PS3 just days ago, can get on the job in a few months and get the iPad jailbroken the same way a iPhone can. Imagine the possibilities.

In the end, it didn’t really disappoint, but it fell short from the same engineering excellence we expect from Apple. And to me, it looks like the hardware is there! But, why are we still forced to play around with “mobile” applications on a device meant to be the equivalent of a netbook? It’s questions that can probably be answered in a software update, but until the iPad software 2.0 or 3.0 comes out, I don’t think customers will be too amused with Apple’s lack of software development. Good job to the hardware team… 10 hours is quite impressive for the speed this unit has, but Scott Forstall, I expect more from you. I’ll be going a little more in depth on what I think of Apple’s latest, but for now, make your own conclusions and let us know using the comments below!

Apple's invitation that went out to the media regarding their "latest creation". Scheduled for the morning of January 27, we can probably expect to see Apple's first version of the portable tablet computer.

When it comes to Apple, its always a structured set of rumors that makeup our minds on the next Apple wonder, and the latest “creation” from Apple will be shown off (mostly likely by Steve Jobs, with the assistance of key designers/ coders such as Johnny Ives) on Wednesday, January 27, 2010. What I’d like to do is review some of the major rumors, show some sources, and let you make your own opinion about what you think your going to see.

———————————-

Name

Probably the most common and obvious question you could ask about this “product”, but the truth it that there is no definitive name. One of the first guesses would be the “iSlate”. This name comes from the iSlate.com domain name that Apple secretly registered awhile back. And not just a domain name, but private communications with a company called Slate Computing has the named “Magic Slate” trademarked as well, oh, and don’t forget the latest trademark from Apple: the iPad. You can make your own assumptions, but if I was to make a guess, iSlate sounds the most reasonable. Realastically thinking, when was the last time Apple released a product that didn’t start with an “i”? The Apple TV maybe?  Following a pattern of naming, it would only make sense that its going to be the iSlate… or iPad a suppose.

Release Date

Don’t be confused, chances are that even though Apple will demo there new product next Wednesday, it will not be available for at least another month or two. From a couple of different sources; the Wall Street Journal made a direct connection to an Apple Tablet and wrote that the product would be shipping in March. Another popular source for everything Apple, iLounge, came out and said that it would only make sense that the product be released in May or June, similar to how the iPhone was launched. And to conclude time-related rumors, Reuters came out and said it will be launched in the second quarter of 2010. And on a business calender, that could be anywhere from May to August.

Price

This recent Apple patent, though complicated, illustrates a new screen technology that merges the "touch" part to the screen itself, instead of laying them on top of each other. Allowing Apple to create touch screen devices at huge savings with more space to spare inside the device.

Like every gadget, hitting the right price point is crucial in attracting customers, obtaining sales, and have a nice profit at the end of the day.  Of course, the Wall Street Journal was quick as always to cite other analysts in speculating the $999 price point. Following a similar pattern of price drops (iPhone $600 -> $400 ->$200, and the Macbook Air $2200 -> $1800), I think we can assume that $800 might be as low as the price is going to go, at least while the gadget is still smoldering hot. After that, I’d assume we could expect $100-$200 price cuts on all models. But that’s assuming it starts at some crazy number like $1200 doing some crazy math that apparently only Apple knows. And with that in mind, we might even see a $1400 baseline price… but I sure hope we don’t.

Size

Bigger than an iPhone, but smaller than a Macbook seems to be a comparison in which most analysts are using. The WSJ went ahead and mentioned that it would be sold in a size from 10″-11″. But with a sharp contrast, TechCrunch says it’s going to be 7″ or 9″ respectively, assuming there is more than one model available with different sizes. But Digitimes was the only ones who specifically mentioned that there will be multiple model, one that’s 9.6″ with an OLED screen, and the other being 10.6″. Honestly though, whats an extra inch or two going to matter? I mean, 7″-12″ of screen won’t fit in your pocket anyway, but at least it’ll fit in your handbag.

———————

Obviously there is a lot more ins-and-outs of this device that no one is absolutely sure about, and if I started to go into everything that the community believes is going to be there, it probably won’t be at all right to the real product. So with all the sleep your loosing, maybe you could use your imagination for the next for days and just dream up whatever you think Steve put in the tablet.

Enjoyed by children and adults alike, Illusion Labs really hit the mark when trying to reinvent a classic childhood favorite.

App Name: Labyrinth 2
Platform: iPhone
Price: $4.99
Overall rating: 5/5

Remaking a classic childhood game onto the iPhone is no easy task, but it can be accomplished. First completed by Codify AB with the original version of Labyrinth for iPhone, Illusion Labs reinvented the game with new features galore! Game elements that only a digital version could provide, it brings the idea of a labyrinth game to a whole new level. With things like cannons, bumpers, magnets, fans, lasers, etc. you can imagine how much time your could kill with this application for just $4.99.

The game play doesn’t even stop there; complete with over 20 default packs, each with 10 mazes each, even without the internet you have 200 courses to take on. And when even a small connection is available to you, you can jump into the download section and browse a infinite selection of user created courses. One of the only downsides it that you have to design your custom maze from your computer, not right on your iPhone like so many had wished. And with awards in the game, you can always feel like your working toward something… even if it doesn’t matter.

Using the accelerometer to control the board has its ups, but if your going to try and play this game while on your morning commute to work, you better try another game. Even the slightest movements can cause your ball to roll all over the place, even right into traps! On the other hand, this could make for some more action between you and your buddies. That’s right, not only single player is available, but multilayer is available via bluetooth or WiFi, allowing you to stretch the game even farther!

The Bottom Line: For $5, a game that can kill countless hours of time is always a plus. And when you can link with friends and never run out of levels to play, I don’t imagine your become bored of this game anytime soon! It’s quite a challenge to play if your on a bus or in the car, but sitting at your desk or a table makes the game just a little easier…. but it can make you frustrated quite easily when you become stumped on certain levels, but just don’t let the game get to you. A game I’d recommend to anyone, the re-invention of this classic childhood game is a game I’m glad came to the App Store!

The chompSMS app is no real application, but an enhancement to your current SMS app.

App Name: chompSMS
Platform: Android
Price: Free (with carrier texting)
Overall rating: 4/5

An application that iPhone owners could only dream of, chompSMS is available exclusively on the Android OS and supercharges the SMS available on your phone. chompSMS can be used as a replacement to the built-in SMS application, or you can just use it to boost the features of your current application. The application even offers there own message network called the “chompSMS” network. To use their texting service instead of your carriers, you’ll pay a flat rate of $0.12 per text.

They try and tell you this is “much cheaper” then using your carrier, but doing the math, sending 200 texts through there network would run you around $24. Pay an extra $6 and you could probably get unlimited from your own carrier. On the other hand, this is quite a deal for international text messaging, if you do that a lot, but be sure if you do text your pals over seas that your not jacking up their bill.

The application itself enhances the messaging experience nonetheless with a slew of features including: quick compose, chat style bubbles (like on the iPhone),  quick reply option, various user interface customizations, notification customizations, ring tones per contact, and blacklisting. For a free application, it really fixes the holes left from the default app.

The Bottom Line: Its an excellent download that really enhances the way you text people on your phone. The app itself is free and is well worth downloading, but the rates for using their personal network are a bit outrageous. Runs fairly smoothly most of the time but can have a little lag every now and again, but not enough to keep you from using such a great app.