iPhone 4 gets Bluetooth QWERTY keyboard add-on

The iPhone is unlikely to ever get a hardware QWERTY keyboard, so if you're hankering for some typing action get a load of this new accessory from Boxwave.

Their Keyboard Buddy is a Bluetooth keyboard that doubles up as a protective case for your iPhone 4. Pair it with your iPhone and the keyboard slides out for some button pressing action.

With a battery good for 45 days before a USB charge, it's also got cut-outs for the camera, volume and speaker, so as not to get in the way of their functionality.

"Combining ergonomic technology with sleek aesthetics, the Keyboard Buddy Case is a protective backing for your Apple iPhone 4 that also includes an integrated slide-out Bluetooth keyboard", says the Boxwave release.

"The low-profile keyboard slides out smoothly, allowing you to easily transition between the Apple iPhone 4's touch screen and a physical keyboard".

You can pre-order the Keyboard Buddy now for $69.95, with units shipped from 14th December.

Posted by Gerald Lynch on November 18, 2010 4:27 PM in Latest iPhone news| iPhone accessories
Permalink | Comments (8) | digg this | del.icio.us this | Stumble It!

"We can work it out" - Apple snag Beatles songs for iTunes

"We can work it out" must have been the resounding theme from the last round of talks between Apple, Paul, Yoko and Ringo( and of course label EMI) as The Beatles' entire back catalouge of music is now finally available on the iTunes store and through your iPhone.

All studio albums and collections are available as part of the exclusive deal, as well as a £125 box set and some live gig footage. Each album also comes packed with iTunes LP liner goodies, including lyrics, photos and more.

Apple took the long and winding road to get this deal inked, but you just know folks all over the world are scrambling for their card details right this minute.

Does this mean the Fab Four might eventually make it to streaming services like the Spotify app too?

Check out The Beatles page on iTunes by clicking here.

Here's the offical line from Apple:

The Beatles Now on iTunes

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork, and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple is reinventing the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced its magical iPad which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

Posted by Gerald Lynch on November 16, 2010 4:42 PM in Latest iPhone news| iPhone 3G| iPhone news for consumers
Permalink | Comments (11) | digg this | del.icio.us this | Stumble It!

my3D iPhone add on, Star Wars AR app, Android lust and more!

While we may have to wait quite a while yet before we see a 3D ready iPhone, toymakers Hasbro have come up with the nifty little my3D add-on to bring the third dimension to the Jesus Phone.

Find out more here

Star Wars is cool. Augmented reality is cool. You know what's cooler than both? An AR STAR WARS DOG FIGHT APP, THAT's WHAT!

Find out more here

Looking for some iPhone 4 accessories? Here's a rundown of ten of the best.

And while we dont like stirring up fanboy fights, check out this latest research which reveals Android smartphone owners are more likely to covet Apple handsets than iPhone users do Google ones.

Posted by Gerald Lynch on November 9, 2010 5:26 PM in Latest iPhone news| Top iPhone apps| iPhone accessories| iPhone banter| iPhone games
Permalink | Comments (6) | digg this | del.icio.us this | Stumble It!

10 of the best iPhone/iPod speaker docks in town, HTC Sense web services go live and Sonim introduce "world's most rugged phone"

Got a gang of drunken friends eager for a dance but no way of blasting out your favourite tunes from your iPhone? Take a look at Tech Digest's guide to 10 of the best iPhone/iPod speaker docks on the market now to help unleash your inner party-animal.

Find out more here

HTC's Sense web services have gone live. Those waiting on the Desire Z and Desire HD handsets to be released will be happy to know that when they get hold of their shiny new Android phones, they'll also have a whole host of cloud-based and security features to boot too.

Find out more here

Feeling a bit adventurous, but aren't quite sure that your precious little smartphone is up to the challenge of some gruelling conditions? Then you might want to check out Sonim's brand new XP1300 Core phone, which they consider to be the "world's most rugged phone".

Find out more here

Posted by Gerald Lynch on October 7, 2010 6:02 PM in Latest iPhone news| What Apple's rivals say| iPhone accessories| iPhone news for consumers
Permalink | Comments (25) | digg this | del.icio.us this | Stumble It!

Windows 7 launch date confirmed, LG Froyo tablet axed and HTC Desire HD release date revealed!

After months of waiting, Microsoft's latest foray into the world of smartphones has been given an official launch date. The world will get to see if the big M finally have an Apple or Android killer on their hands on October 11th.

Find out more here

It may be good enough for some, but LG are turning their noses up at the Froyo release of Android for their forthcoming Optimus tablet device. Expect a Gingerbread slate in the new year instead.

Find out more here

HTC's lush Desire HD handset still doesn't have an official release date, but a newly-spotted Carphone Warehouse listing seems to suggest that it'll be hitting stores next week on October 11th.

Find out more here

All you smartphone owners spare a thought for those who had to carry around brick-sized mobiles in the 1980's as Tech Digest run down the top 10 great retro gadgets up for grabs on eBay.

Find out more here

Posted by Gerald Lynch on October 4, 2010 5:45 PM in Latest iPhone news| What Apple's rivals say
Permalink | Comments (11) | digg this | del.icio.us this | Stumble It!

Orange and O2's iPhone 4 tarrifs compared

Orange and O2 today announced their pricing plans for the new iPhone 4. The cheapest deal on Orange is £30 a month for two years plus a £169 down payment. That gets you 300 minutes of talk time and 750mb of data.

At their cheapest deal, O2 are offering a £25 a month two year deal with a £279 down payment. But that only offers 100 minutes and only 500mb of data. From October O2 will let you add data bolt-ons - £5 a month for another £5.

See the Orange deals here and the O2 deals here Full details in the tariff tables below.

I'm not wowed by either of offerings. They look good at the top end of the range where £75 a month gets you anything you ever wanted and the phone for free. For the price-conscious iPhone 4 customer things are a little tighter with the cheapest offers and looks like the the Orange £30 deal just works out as better value than the O2 £25. Though the O2 deal is ten pounds cheaper overall, you get significantly fewer minutes and less data for it.

The sums:
Orange: £169 + £30x24 = £889
O2: £279 + £25x24 = £879

Watch out for O2's pay as you go options too.

The Orange iPhone 4 tariffs

O2 iPhone 4 tariffs
[nb. this table is well confusing, whoever made the O2 tariff table needs to go back to table-making school.]

Posted by Ashley Norris on June 21, 2010 12:28 PM in iPhone and mobile networks
Permalink | Comments (171) | digg this | del.icio.us this | Stumble It!

AR browser Layar gets an update

Mobile-based augmented reality will get more social and gaming features and cute little bouncing Floaticons it was announced today.

At a conference a few hours ago marking its first birthday, Layar the augmented reality app platform announced some interesting changes that amount to a Layar 4. With fans billing the budding technology of Augmented Reality as just as exciting as the birth of the internet... these are definitely developments to keep an eye on. Check out the quick video from Layar below for a whip-round guide to the new features.

Key developments are:

1) Floaticons- building on the core Layar function of Points Of Interest - they've developed cute little Floaticons which replace the less distinctive pegs, showing people where places are. Ratings and friends pop up as 3d images as well, and you can comment and interact with them.

2) A past and future viewer - more emphasis on the amazing ability of Layar to show current scenes as they were and as they will be. In the video the example is architectural, letting you see a building that used to stand on a particular spot and flipping into future view - a future building development not yet built. The same could apply to say, meetings with friends - where you met your friends last week picked up from public photo galleries, where you've planned to meet them next week picked up from your calendar. This is a really interesting function.

3) Games! pick up virtual stuff in real places, score points and social game virtually by doing things in the real world. Can you imagine it? It's like Foursquare gone 3D! We love it.

4) Get a feel for the vibe.. this sounds sort of fuzzy, but I guess in the way that Twitter manages to create and show hype around topics and keywords, this would show hype and activity around places and venues.

If Augmented Reality still gives you a brain ache, take a look back at one of our earlier articles on the the medium to get a quick explanation:

Interview with Britain's top Augmented Reality Specialist: Howard Ogden talks the Beatles app and the future
My augmented reality wishlist... Or how Layar will become this year's hottest mobile app

Posted by Ashley Norris on June 21, 2010 12:23 PM in iPhone applications
Permalink | Comments (34) | digg this | del.icio.us this | Stumble It!