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Name Change: Could the iPhone Nano Actually be the iPhone Pico?

December 31, 2008 By Mr. Mayor 1 Comment

The rumors are flying around everywhere concerning the new rumored ‘iPhone Nano’. Case manufacturers set off this storm by including iPhone Nano sections on their sites, in preparation for a device launch… But after some light reading this morning, one has to wonder if that is indeed going to be the name of the device, if the device is going to be launched at all!

A bud told me this morning about an interesting report concerning domain names. In a rush to pick up all of the ‘iPhone Nano’ names he could, he noticed that iPhoneNano.com was actually registered to someone in Russia:

I ran a Whois search and got the same result. Interesting. Also, Robin over at iPhoneTunes started doing some alternate name searches, and came up with Apple’s info when running a Whois on iPhonePico.com. Only thing is, you’ll notice some ‘funny’ spelling errors in the information, obviously done on purpose. Could this be Apple having a little fun with us?

You can notice Apple’s correct information below for Apple.com:

Could the new ‘iPhone Nano’ actually be the ‘iPhone Pico’? Isn’t it fun to speculate? Discuss! :)

[ Source ]

Filed Under Rumors, iPhone Tagged With iPhone Nano, iPhone Pico

More iPhone Nano Cases Hit the Web

December 30, 2008 By Killian Bell Leave a Comment

We recently posted about case manufacturer XSKN posting iPhone Nano cases to their website, it seems now another manufacturer is also a believer that the iPhone Nano will be unveiled at the MacWorld Expo in just 7 days. This time it’s case manufacturer Vaja, already well-known for their current iPhone cases.

A visit to Vaja’s website will show a new “iPhone Nano” link under their Apple section. Clicking on the link currently directs you to a form that allows you to sign up for information about the “upcoming release of our iPhone Nano cases.”

It’s believed that although Apple do not provide case manufacturers with details on upcoming releases, they do contract work out to factories to manufacture their hardware. It’s then through these contracts that hardware design specs are leaked ahead of time. It’s obviously a case manufacturer’s best interest to get their cases out early for a new release.

Whilst all these iPhone Nano rumors have been doing the rounds, I’ve been very skeptical about the whole affair. I just can’t understand the reasoning for such a device. However, if Apple produce it, I’m sure someone will buy it. I suppose the longer it goes on, the more I’m starting to believe it will come. And if it doesn’t, you can always buy an iPhone Nano knock-off from Thailand to put in your lovely new case.

[ Source ]

Filed Under More..., Rumors Tagged With iPhone Nano, Macworld Expo, Rumors, Vaja, XSKN

Steve Jobs’ Health Failing Rapidly, Was Critical Factor Surrounding Macworld Keynote and More

December 30, 2008 By Mr. Mayor 1 Comment

Although it is in all honesty none of our business (and I think we all realize that), I’ve read multiple reports now, all stemming from a post at Gizmodo by Jesus Diaz. The post claims that Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ health is now rapidly declining, and the decision for Apple to leave Macworld, and to have Phil Schiller step in for the keynote instead of Jobs… is all a strategic one.

“Apple is choosing to remove the hype factor strategically vs letting the hype destroy Apple when the inevitable news comes later this spring…”

I don’t like the sounds of that at all.

The source for their information remains unnamed, but it was noted that the source has been completely accurate with previous info, although those tips had to do with news surrounding images and news of new Apple products.

Whatever the case may be in reality, I sincerely hope (and suspect) it is 100% wrong. All the best to Apple and the upcoming keynote at Macworld… and more importantly… all the best to Steve Jobs. You can guarantee the Apple community as a whole is thinking and praying for you amidst this season of rumor and speculation.

[ Source ]

Filed Under All News, Rumors Tagged With Macworld 09, Macworld 2009, Phil Schiller, Steve Jobs' Health

The Fartbox Aims to Dethrone iFart Mobile as Best ‘Fart’ App in the App Store

December 30, 2008 By Mr. Mayor 1 Comment

No doubt in response to the popular ‘iFart Mobile’ application, the folks at Shining Karma (powered by CXR) have developed their own take on the idea… and have called it ‘The Fartbox’. Lovely, just lovely.

The Fartbox does everything you’d expect. Select different icons to produce different farting noises… or punch up the ‘Fartopedia’ for information on the history of farting and more. The app even supports 5 languages, so this is a truly ‘worldwide’ app :P When I first noticed the different language support, I thought ‘Hmmmm, I wonder how they translated the farts into different languages?’ (bad joke).

At any rate, if nothing else The Fartbox is actually really polished and well done. You can pick it up for $1.99 in the App Store (iTunes Link Alert!). If you’d like to do a heads up ‘fart comparison’, you can always check out iFart Mobile for only $0.99 in the App Store (iTunes Link Alert).

Best of luck to Shining Karma and their efforts to take a piece of the ‘Fart App’ market away from ‘iFart’. (sigh).

Read the press release after the jump >

[Read more...]

Filed Under iPhone Apps Tagged With CXR, iFart Mobile, Shining Karma, The Fartbox

Review: Radtech BT600 Bluetooth Laser Mouse

December 29, 2008 By Killian Bell Leave a Comment

For months I had been using Apple’s wireless bluetooth Mighty Mouse and, I couldn’t quite decided whether or not I liked it. There were aspects of it that I Ioved — it’s battery life was phenomenal, it worked seamlessly with OS X and it looked great with my wireless Apple keyboard. However there were also aspects of it that I loathed — it wouldn’t right-click properly, was rubbish for gaming and wasn’t the most comfortable mouse I had used. It’s also, in my opinion, very expensive for what it is. In the UK it costs around £50 and when you compare it to the other options around that price, it really seems you are just paying for the Apple logo. Unlike most other Apple products, the Mighty Mouse is a disappointment. However this isn’t a review on the Mighty Mouse. This is a review on Radtech’s BT600 bluetooth laser mouse – the mouse I chose to contend against my Mighty Mouse for the prestigious space on my desk.

The BT600 is available in both black, and white. I got the white as I felt that best matched my existing setup and I was pleasantly surprised at how good it looked. It fits pleasantly in the palm of your hand as it’s shaped to be comfortable and easy to use. Compared to the peble-like shape of the Mighty Mouse, the BT600 is far more comfortable.

The tracking is smooth and the clicking very responsive. The mouse glides across my desk and, after several weeks of use, there are still no signs of dirt collecting in any of its crevices. Unlike with the Mighty Mouse which needs cleaning every so often as it seems to be a magnet for dirt and dust, especially in the groove around the device and around the scroll wheel.

In just the few weeks that I’ve used the BT600, I’ve yet to have a problem with it. I use it daily for everything and it’s yet to let me down or irritate me. I’ve even had a bash at gaming with it and compared to the Mighty Mouse, it’s a pleasant relief. It’s so much more comfortable, and right-clicking when you want to, rather than having a few goes is really quite nice. I rarely notice that it doesn’t respond to the odd click, however that is very rarely.

The BT600 includes two rechargeable NiMH batteries and a USB cable with which to charge them. You just use the cable to connect the mouse to your computer and it will charge whilst you continue to use it. I would advise investing in some better rechargeable batteries however — the ones included with the BT600 although aren’t too bad, compared to the life of the Mighty Mouse, they just don’t come close. I’m yet to compare the life-span of disposable batteries between the two.

The BT600 features 5 programmable buttons and third-party software for both Mac and Windows can be downloaded from Radtech’s website which will help program each of those buttons. However if you’re using the BT600 on a Mac, I advise not to bother with the software. This is pretty much the only downside to the BT600. After downloading the software on my MacBook, my bluetooth acted very weird, and I kept having to re-pair my devices every so often as my MacBook randomly forgot them, usually after a sleep. An un-install of the third-party software brought everything back to normal though. Without the software the BT600 is still highly functional — just like the Mighty Mouse you can click down on the scroll wheel to activate Exposé, and you can click the first button on the left of the mouse to show and hide the Dashboard.

If like me you are currently using a Mighty Mouse and you replace it with a BT600, one word of warning — when you connect the BT600, you’ll need to turn down the tracking speed of the device. It’s considerably faster than that of the Mighty Mouse and is uncontrollable until you turn it down a few notches!

On the whole the BT600 is a really great mouse and is the clear winner of first-choice on my desk. The only problem I had with it was the third-party software. However I’m sure this will be updated, and for me, the mouse is functional enough without having to re-program any of its buttons. I would recommend it to anyone fed up of their Mighty Mouse and looking for a decent replacement.

The BT600 is available from Radtech for $59.99 and is compatible with both Mac and Windows.

Filed Under Hardware Tagged With bluetooth, BT600, laser, Mighty Mouse, Radtech, wireless mouse

C’mon Down! The Price is Right for the iPhone Kicks Hiney

December 28, 2008 By Mr. Mayor Leave a Comment

That’s right. I’ve downloaded the game, and I’ve gotta say… Although The Price is Right (from Ludia) for the iPhone and iPod Touch isn’t a title that will absolutely blow you away, it’s a solid game. I grew up watching The Price is Right, with the ever-popular Bob Barker and his bevy of beauties. In fact, I think I might have even had a few ’sick’ days off from school where I spent a good portion of my morning watching the now classic game show on TV.

There are multiple game types built-in to The Price is Right… But for my purposes I play the single player mode. You start out on ‘contestants row’, where you bid on items. Get closest to the actual retail price without overbidding… and you win that item and move on to play a pricing game! (Did I really need to tell you this!?). The cool thing about contestants row, the pricing games and even the end showcase showdown, is that all items have a little video that describe the item in detail… Just like watching it on TV.

There are 16 different pricing games to play. I won’t list them all here, but I know I can hear you asking… and YES, PLINKO is in the game… and it’s kinda fun :)

I bought the game for $4.99 (I think), however, now the game is on sale for only $2.99. Definitely worth the price. Get ready for some pricing games… and spin the ‘big wheel’ while you’re at it!

The game will hold a special place in your heart, especially if you grew up watching the show. Rod Roddy would be proud. You can pick up The Price is Right in the App Store for $2.99 right now (iTunes Link Alert!).

Filed Under iPhone Apps Tagged With Ludia, The Price is Right, The Price is Right App, The Price is Right iPhone, The Price is Right iPod Touch

Watch TV on Your iPhone With New ‘Television’ App… For Realz!

December 27, 2008 By Mr. Mayor Leave a Comment

Yeah that’s right… you read the headline right! There’s a new app out in the App Store called ‘Television’ (brilliant) that lets you watch TV right on your iPhone or iPod Touch. The new app from developers Makayama allows you to download pre-recorded content on-demand from a whole whack of networks. Kinda cool.

In all, you can choose from 61 shows from 33 channels all on-demand. The shows are pre-recorded from the US, UK, France and Germany. It is highly recommended (and I recommend this too!) that you only download shows on a local WiFi network. Downloading the shows via your 3G connection could possibly rack up the bills… Haven’t looked into how large the shows are, but just to be safe, go WiFi OK?

Gizmodo, Geek.com and some others are giving this new app some high praise… and while I haven’t tried it out yet… I will be doing so shortly. If you download it for yourself, be sure to tell me what you think in the comments!

Get Television from the App Store for only $2.99 > (iTunes Link Alert!)

Filed Under iPhone Apps Tagged With Makayama Media, Television, Television App, Television iPhone, Television iPod Touch

App of the Day: Saturday Night Fever: DANCE!

December 26, 2008 By Mr. Mayor Leave a Comment

Are you still on holidays? Do you want to get up and boogie? If you answered ‘YES’ to one of the two questions, that’s good enough for me… Get up off your couch (or stay where you are) and download Saturday Night Fever: DANCE! from Paramount Pictures for the iPhone or iPod Touch.

The game brings funk and disco dance competition to your iPhone. Simply tap and slide on the screen to master a whole bunch of different dance moves. You dance to huge hits of the Disco era, including ‘YMCA’, ‘Car Wash’, and a whole lot more.

Choose from 2 different characters that each have their own custom moves and attitude. Plus, you can get some competition going by challenging up to 3 friends to a dance-off… all on the same device.

Saturday Night Fever has been out in the App Store for almost a month now, and so far the reviews are good. If nothing else, it’s easy and fun to play… and you’ll always get a laugh or two out of it! You can pick up Saturday Night Fever: DANCE! for the iPhone or iPod Touch for $4.99 at the App Store (iTunes Link Alert!).

Filed Under iPhone Apps Tagged With Paramount Pictures, Saturday Night Fever, Saturday Night Fever App Store, Saturday Night Fever iPhone, Saturday Night Fever iPod Touch, Saturday Night Fever: DANCE!

Christmas is Here! All the Best from Mactropolis!

December 25, 2008 By Mr. Mayor Leave a Comment

We’re taking things real easy over here at Mactropolis over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day today. Taking the time to relax, spend time with family and friends… and open up a bunch of new presents and goodies while we’re at it… Oh, and enjoying good food and drink. Can’t forget about that.

I suspect there are a lot of happy new iPhone and general Mac owners out there today. So to them, I wish them happy times with their new devices and computers… And for everyone else out there… For heaven’s sake, get away from your computer and do something fun today.

All the best to you and yours this Christmas, and we’ll be coming back atcha real soon with more news once we’re done taking a well-deserved break today. Ahhhhh… Feels good!

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