FaceTime vs Skype Video Calling for iPhone Compared!

Now that Skype for iPhone has support for video calling, Lifehacker has gone on to compare the two of the most popular video calling options available for iPhone users, FaceTime and Skype, to see which one has better audio and visual quality.

The test compares video calling over WiFi from iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 (or iPod touch 4G), and iPhone 4 to a Mac using both FaceTime and Skype video calling technologies. The test also shows video calling quality of Skype over AT&T 3G network as it has official support to work on it.

Garmin releases StreetPilot for iPhone

Garmin just released StreetPilot for iPhone, the newest addition to their mobile line-up of GPS apps. The app boasts a lot of the same features nüvi owners already enjoy. StreetPilot has up to date map support for both the US and Canada. All maps and directions are pulled from Garmin’s servers so you can expect the same quality directions as a native GPS unit. Since maps are pulled from the server, the app only takes up around 7 MB of space on your phone. Hit the jump for a few initial impressions, some screens, and a list of features.

Angry Birds creator praises iPhone as a platform, talks Android fragmentation

Angry Birds creator, Peter Vesterbacka, in a recent interview had some fairly positive things to say about Apple and the opportunities they have created for developers with the iPhone and iOS platform. He also gives a short explanation for the price tag for the iOS version versus the free Android version.

Apple will be the number one platform for a long time from a developer perspective, they have gotten so many things right. And they know what they are doing and they call the shots. Android is growing, but it’s also growing complexity at the same time. Device fragmentation not the issue, but rather the fragmentation of the ecosystem. So many different shops, so many different models. The carriers messing with the experience again. Open but not really open, a very Google centric ecosystem. And paid content just doesn’t work on Android.

Make a DIY IKEA iPad Stand for $3

Maybe you consider the iPad expensive or maybe you consider it a good deal, but there's no question that buying an iPad stand is a very overpriced purchase. Instead of dropping upwards of $30, just spend $3 on IKEA parts.

All you'll need for this simple stand is an EKBY VALTER bracket, one dowel, and two screws. You just need to turn the bracket upside down, replace the bottom screw with a longer screw, and then screw the dowel to make a deep lip for the iPad to rest on. It's a far cheaper alternative to the stands you can buy and works well for all iPad orientations.

via Lifehacker

iPhone Bugs: Blank messages in Mail

If you go to check your email in the iPhone’s Mail app only to see a blank — either literally a blank space between messages or a place-holder that says (No Sender) (No Subject) — you may have this bug. If you do we’ll tell you how to work around it, after the break.

I experienced the blank email issue frequently under iOS 4.1, as does Andrew, but I haven’t seen it (yet) under iOS 4.2. Ally has seen it over multiple iOS versions. (Ironically Ally captured this screenshot when she got a blank during an email exchange about blanks!) Whenever or wherever you have this problem, the only solution we’ve found so far is to restart the Mail app:

• Click the Home Button to exit Mail
• Double click the Home Button to open the Fast App Switcher
• Hold your finger down on Mail to put it into jiggly mode
• Tap the X at the top right of Mail to kill the app

Mail will auto-restart so you won’t miss any messages, but when you go back in your blank(s) should be gone.

Let us know if you’re experiencing this bug and, if so, whether or not this workaround works for you!

Redsn0w 0.9.7 Untethered Jailbreak for iOS 4.2.1 Released

The iPhone Dev-Team have just released their “backup plan” (Redsn0w 0.9.7) for untethered iOS 4.2.1 jailbreak. The just released beta version of Redsn0w will enable you to jailbreak (untethered) iPhone 4, iPad and iPod touch 4G on iOS 4.2.1.

The Top 40 iPhone Apps of 2010

Editor’s note: This guest post is written by Alex Ahlund, the former CEO and founder of AppVee and AndroidApps, which were acquired by mobile application directory Appolicious. You can read his previous iPhone app picks here and here

The iTunes App Store is huge. More than 300,000 apps huge. I’ve watched this monster start from nothing and turn into a billion-dollar industry in only a few short years. We’ve been approaching this point for some time now, but it’s more apparent than ever that app exposure is of critical importance. A healthy majority of iOS app users discover new applications directly from their device as opposed to using iTunes. If you look specifically at the iPhone, the amount of real estate for discovery is only available to a very small percentage of the total apps.

There are currently 20 overall categories, with Games offering an additional 20 subcategories. Each subcategory is broken into three lists and displays a max of 100 apps on the iPhone. Throw in a small number from the Top 25 and Featured lists and you wind up with roughly 12,000 apps being shown at one time. This works out to only about 4% of all apps that receive visibility. One can browse beyond this number on iTunes, but that quickly becomes an overwhelming, laborious task.

So You Got an iPad, Now What?

Were you lucky enough to open an iPad Christmas morning? If you’re wondering what to do with your new tablet we’ve got you covered, with a healthy selection of info, tips, apps and accessory reviews.

First, you may have some questions about your iPad. Like for instance, why isn’t it a standalone device? If it’s such a game-changer, then why does it still rely on being plugged into a computer occasionally to operate? Dave Greenbaum has some answers. They may not be the ones you want to hear, but at least your iPad’s role as a companion device might make a bit more sense.

Untethered iOS 4.2.1 Jailbreak Is “Probably Going To Be a Cydia Package”

It looks like everyone seems to have missed this! But if this statement from Comex is anything to go by, the untethered jailbreak for iOS 4.2.1 might be as simple as installing a package from Cydia over your existing Redsn0w tethered jailbreak – Yes, you don’t need to restore or re-jailbreak your device.

Apple Plans to Hide Antenna Behind the Logo on Future iPhones

According to a patent, folks at Apple have plans for a new antenna design that hides behind logo on future iPhones and other iDevices. The latest patent filing, shows an antenna placement behind the logo to allow better reception without metal or other housing walls causing interference.

The iPad and iMac has already a sort of “logo antenna” for WiFi. Apple’s new patent clarifies that the logo antenna will go beyond just Wi-Fi which is supposedly used in iMac’s after 2009. The patent states that logo antennas will cover “wireless communications in cellular telephone bands such as the GSM bands at 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 1900 MHz and the 2100 MHz data band.” Additionally, logo antennas will cover multi-bands for telephonic communications and GPS.

via iPhoneHeat

Apple TV Receives iOS 4.2.1 (8C154) Software Update

Apple has just pushed a minor update for the second-generation Apple TV owners. While there is no official change log yet, this update seems to be minor, mainly released to fix bugs and security loopholes.

The build which is marked as iOS 4.2.1 (8C154) is reported by Apple TV as iOS 4.1.1. The same thing happened last month too when Apple released iOS 4.2 for Apple TV, and it was reported on the device as iOS 4.1.

The main highlight of iOS 4.2.x for Apple TV is the video AirPlay feature that will allows you to stream pictures, videos and music right from your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch to TVs connected to the second-gen Apple TV.

Last iOS update for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch was iOS 4.2.1 which released on November 22 last month.

via RedmondPie

7-inch iPad Rumors Start Up Again

Steve Jobs’ disdain for the 7-inch tablet form factor embraced by the likes of would-be iPad killers like the Samsung Galaxy Tab couldn’t be any more dripping even if it poured in bilious rivulets out of his open mouth. At the last earnings call, he flat out dismissed them as “DOA – Dead On Arrival.” He even fantasized about customers sanding the meat off of their fingers until only the skeletal bone was left, since “sand[ing] down their fingers to around one-quarter of their present size” is the only way to type comfortably on one.

This contempt seems pretty unequivocal to me, but someone apparently wasn’t paying attention: according to Reuters, Asian manufacturing sources are telling them that Apple is putting together a 7-inch “iPad Mini” for shipment in early 2011.

Google Latitude Comes to the App Store

Google today officially debuted its Google Latitude application on the App Store, bringing a native iOS app experience to users of the company's location-sharing service for the first time.

With Google Latitude, see where your friends are right now. Latitude lets you stay in touch with your friends and family by making it easy to share where you are and see each other on a map.

With Latitude, you can:

- See your friends on a map - find out who's nearby and meet up.

- Share your location continuously with whomever you choose - help friends and family stay in touch with you, even when you can’t take out your phone.

- Control your privacy - share only city-level location, hide your location, or turn off background updating at any time.

Apple iPhone named top obsession of 2010

Two of Apple's high profile mobile products were named the number 1 and number 3 obsession of 2010, with Lindsey Lohan sandwiched in between. The Apple iPhone 4 was listed by Yahoo as the number 1 obsession for the year, and it certainly was a wild year for Apple's iconic touchscreen phone. After getting launched in July, the phone immediately was caught up in the "Antennagate" or "Deathgrip" scandal, and early purchasers were sent a free rubber bumper which prevented the two antennas from interfering with each other. Despite the early problems with the device, the phone has done extremely well at the cash register. By October, year-over-year sales were up 91% with 14.1 million units sold.

Gowalla for iPhone adds multi-network check-ins, improved UI, and more

Gowalla isn't the biggest location-based services app out there, but it's definitely worth trying. It is particularly nice now that its iPhone version has been updated to Gowalla 3, adding a host of new features and improvements.

Among those improvements is a one-touch multi-network check-in, allowing you to check in with Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Tumblr, and Gowalla all at once. Check-in speed is also improved, as Gowalla 3 now predicts your check-in based on your history. It also allows you to start typing your message while it acquires your location.

Angry Birds Seasons for iPhone, iPad now in app store!

Angry Birds Seasons, the Christmas-themed update to Angry Birds Halloween we heard about last week has just now arrived in the iTunes App Store. And from the sounds of things they’re just getting started.

iOS 4.2 bugs: Disappearing Folders

Disappearing Folders have been tormenting iPhone and iPod touch users since iOS 4 came out in June but now that iOs 4.2.1 is out for iPad, the disappearing Folder bug is out with it. Here’s the gist — you have spend minutes if not hours organizing your countless applications into Folders only to come back at some time in the future to see one or more folders gone and your apps exploded back across your Home Screen.

How to Unlock iOS 4.2.1 with Ultrasn0w 1.2 [Video Guide]

The iPhone Dev-Team has released the updated version of carrier unlocking tool called Ultrasn0w which can unlock the latest iOS 4.2.1 and 4.1 firmware on iPhone 3GS and 3G on basebands later than 05.13.04. Since iPhone 4 has different baseband OS, It’ll take a little while longer for the Dev Team to unlock it on the latest firmware.

My next iPad won't be a 7-incher, but I wish it could be

It took me a while, but I'm starting to fall in love with my iPad in a way I haven't loved a gadget for a long while. There's something about the form factor, the apps, the OS that feels just right and makes me want to do as much of my daily computing on it as possible. Of course, that's still a pretty small sliver of my overall day, and the iPad isn't even close to replacing my laptop for the large majority of my work, but I'm finding myself increasingly doing casual browsing, casual gaming, serious writing, and, yes, even some reading on Apple's 10-inch tablet.

But I have one "big" problem with the tablet that doesn't look like it'll be solved anytime soon: it's not 7 inches. Will Apple ever eat its words and build a smaller iPad, or will the 7-inch form factor be left to the rest of the emerging tablet market to fight over? 

iPhone unlocking tool ultrasn0w working on iOS 4.2.1

Earlier this morning, dev-team member MuscleNerd tweeted that he, and his gang of merry men, have successfully tweaked their ultrasn0w iPhone unlocking tool to working on Apple’s latest mobile iOS iteration, 4.2.1. If you read further down the twitter timeline, it looks like — for the time being — ultrasn0w is only working on iPhone 3G/3GS handsets with a baseband of 05.15.04; the iPhone 4 uses a different baseband and still needs more work. Despite not having a one-stop unlock for all iPhones, the dev-team will release the working version of ultrasn0w for the iPhone 3G/3GS in the very near future — they will not make users of said handset wait until the iPhone 4 exploit is completed. Hit the jump for the two read links.

via BGR