Its a laptop, its a netbook, its a phone… no, Its iPad!

Ever since Steve Jobs revealed Apple’s latest marvel to the world, I have been in love with the device. And to be honest, I haven’t been discreet about it.

Except for a very few, most of my friends have been directly or indirectly trying to convince me that I do not need it. People have a strange way of trying to convince others – asking rhetorical questions. Like:

The Apple Tablet iPad is here

Time to shave and cleanse myself, I said to myself . The Apple Tablet is finally here – which is also the most awaited product from Apple in the recent times.

The excitement level for this product was mixed. Some of us liked it, and some didn’t. Sure it has its own set of flaws. But here you go – It features….
(more…)

The New Mac Mini

Apple launched the new Mac Mini last week. Rumors have been floating around that this was inevitable. Some blogs even carried images of the device.

Here is what the device looks like. (click for a larger view):

Here are the ports on this shiny new baby. (click for a larger view):

Here are the specs:

$599 Version
2.0GHz
1GB RAM
120GB Hard Drive
8X SuperDrive
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M

$799 Version
2.0GHz
2GB RAM
320GB Hard Drive
8X SuperDrive
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M

Both the versions are configurable up to 2.26GHz processor and 4GB of RAM taking their processing power pretty much close to the  Macbooks.

The new Mac minis are available in India. Visit your nearest Apple retailer to find out more.

Create an iTunes Store Account without a Credit Card

UPDATE: Apparently, there is an alternative method available for this purpose which does not involve hunting for a coupon code. Its actually pretty simple. Here is the link: http://justinciappara.wordpress.com/2008/10/06/free-itunes-account-without-redemption-code/

Usually a Credit Card belonging to your country of residence is needed to create an iTunes store account which then enables you to buy stuff off the iTunes store or the App store. Since there are a lot of free apps available on the App store, a lot of us are not interested/comfortable in giving away our credit card details to prevent accidental buying of costly apps.

Here is the link to the guide: http://www.ghacks.net/2008/10/25/create-a-free-us-itunes-account/

[Via Lifehacker]

How to convert videos for iPod and iPhone [Guides]

iTunes is a clumsy app. In all the hoopla of iPhone App Store and video rentals, Apple has apparently lost focus on one of the core jobs of iTunes – Convert & Sync content to iPods and iPhone. Try converting a video to iPod foirmat in iTunes and you will know what I am saying. This is where 3rd party software come handy.

Videora iPod video converter is a tool to convert videos to iPod (and many other devices) format. It is one of the very few free apps which enable us to accomplish this task. The interface for Videora is not very intuitive. A newbie can always get lost as to where to click, how to create and manage queue etc. This tutorial will help you convert videos into iPod & iPhone format using version 3.07 of this software.

1. Download and install Videora iPod Video Converter.
2. On the first run, you will be asked to select your iPod model. You can select any one as we will not be using this setting to convert our videos.
3. Create Profiles:
   1. Once you reach the home screen, click Settings in the Menu bar.
   2. On the settings page, click on New Profile.
      
      
   3. In the dialog box which appears, enter the profile name iPod 4:3. Leave the rest of the fields intact and click on Video in the Menu Bar.
   4. Make sure the Video Codec is H.264 & Max Resolution is 320×240. Also, the bitrate should be 768 kbps. Once done, click on Audio in the menu bar.
   5. Change the bitrate to 160. Click on OK once done.
   6. Repeat the above steps and create a new profile named “iPod 16:9″ in step 3 with Max Resolution 320×180 (you will have to type it in) in step 4. Everything else remains the same.
4. Set defaults:
   1. Under Settings, click on the Converter tab. Here, select a default output folder for your converted videos. Make sure to select a folder with some amount of free space. Also, select the default profile as “iPod 16:9″ you created in the steps above.
      In the screen above, you can also select the CPU usage while converting the videos. Once finished, click on Save settings.
5. Start Converting:
   1. Click on Video File tab under Convert. This will bring you to a screen below. Ignore the instructions appearing in the space above the screen.
   2. Click on Select File to browse & select the file you want to convert.
   3. Click on Browse to select the output directory where you want to save the converted video.
   4. Enter a Title for the converted video.
   5. Select your device in the drop down.
   6. If the video is in wide screen format (two black strips on top and bottom – most new videos are wide screen), select the profile iPod 16:9. Otherwise select iPod 4:3.
   7. Now you have 2 options. You can either start converting this video immediately or add it to the queue. The first item in the queue starts converting immediately by default.
   8. Once you are done with this video, you can add more to the queue. Remember to select the correct profile depending on the video format. The converter remembers each video’s profile setting.
   9. You can also use the Once Click convert button to simply select the video and convert it to the default format and save it in the default output folder you specified in step 4 above. This is useful if you are in a hurry and do not want to carry out all the steps above.

That’s it! You can now enjoy all your favourite videos on your iPod or iPhone. Since video conversion can take a few minutes to a few hours depending on the encoding & length of the source video, it is recommended that you create a queue and leave it overnight to convert all the videos. That way, you will have all your videos ready to be fed to your device when you wake up next morning.

iPhone 2.1 firmware for iPhone 2G working in India without unlock [Breaking News]

[UPDATE]: This was happening as Apple did not upgrade the baseband in 2.1, 2.2 or 2.2.1. So, if you update from an unlocked 2.0 to these versions, your iPhone will remain unlocked. If you are upgrading from previous versions (1.1.x), please follow woikr’s guide to upgrade and unlock using QuickPwn.

We have reasons to believe that the iPhone 2.1 firmware on an iPhone 2G does not need unlocking to work with the Airtel (and Vodafone) network in India. As a matter of fact, if you have a 2G device in India, you can reap in most of the benefits of a legal user (sans the warranty). We have verified that this is working with iPhone 2Gs here at woikr.

Note: If you have an iPhone 2G with < 2.0.2 firmware, it is recommended that you upgrade to 2.0.2 first. Our very handy guide to upgrade can be found here.

So, what do you need to do? The process described below will not erase any data (Contacts, Settings etc.) from your iPhone 2G. If you had jailbroken your iPhone and installed any apps from Cydia, they will be deleted. All your apps purchased from the App Store and their settings will be preserved.

• Download firmware 2.1 for iPhone 2G.
• Download and install iTunes 8.
• Connect your iPhone 2G to your computer. Once it is detected in iTunes, Hold Shift and click on the Update button under the Summary tab in iTunes:
• 
• In the dialog box that pops up, browse and select the iPhone 2.1 firmware file you downloaded above:
• 
• iTunes will start updating the firmware of your iPhone 2G:
• 
• Once the update is complete, your phone will restart. iTunes will also display a message:
• 
• After the phone restarts, it will be unlocked and activated to work with Airtel and Vodafone. Moreover, you will be able to (hopefully) upgrade it to the next version without loosing any data:
• 
• If you want to jailbreak your iPhone, follow the steps here starting from step 3.

FAQs:

Review: Moto Chaser [Paid iPhone Apps]

Moto Chaser [iTunes Store URL] is a bike racing game for iPhone and iPod Touch available on the App store for $5.99. The game is getting good reviews by the users lately. The developers reduced the price of the game from $9.99 to $5.99 recently. Is it really worth the price? Lets find out.

The game has a very neat & intuitive menu system. Also, whenever you tap an option, you are confirmed by a feedback flare at the place you tapped. This is a really helpful feature as in some games, you do not know if the menu option was selected if the next screen takes some time to load.

The options menu lets you adjust the sound and music volume in addition to game difficulty.

Once you select Race, you are presented with a screen to select a player out of the 3 available. The touchscreen is very well utilized here as you have to drag the players to scroll through them.

Once you select a player, you can choose the track you want to race through. You can only select from the tracks that you have unlocked. Once you complete one track, the next one gets unlocked and so on.

Gameplay

The controls are pretty simple. There is a gas pedal at the lower left corner of the screen. You keep it pressed using your left thumb. The steering is done using the accelerometer.  Tilt the iPhone left or right to steer the bike. Usually, its not easy to control objects using accelerometer, however, it’s not the case here.

It is extremely easy and fun to control the bike. I guess it’s due to the fact that the developers just restricted the left/right steer controls to be controlled via the accelerometer instead of giving it the full control which is irritating (Try controlling the Audi A4 car and you will know).

The object of the game is to complete all the tracks by racing to consecutive checkpoints in each track within the time alloted. The time reduces when you increase the difficulty under options. If you have any time left over from a previous checkpoint, it gets added to the next one.

Sometimes, during the game play, other bikers will appear. Whenever they come, a small punch button also appears at the bottom right corner of the screen. Go near them and hit this button to punch/kick them. Kinda like Road Rash. Cool eh ?

The graphics are pretty good. The best I have seen in any iPhone game. The sound effects are appropriate and the music is good too. During the game play, a speedometer displays your speed and a countdown timer displays the remaining time you have to reach the next checkpoint. You can tap the timer to pause the game.

Conclusion

The game is great fun and a cool time pass. You will never get bored playing it. Even after you complete all the tracks, you will keep on racing again and again. This is totally worth the price. If you love racing games, this one should be on yoru App Store shopping list [iTunes Store URL].

iTunes rating: 4
woikr rating: 5

Review: Brain Tuner [Free iPhone Apps]

Brain Tuner (Lite) is a free app available for the iPhone and iPod Touch [iTunes store URL]. It is a very simple and intuitive app to get some exercise for your brain.

Upon launching the app, you are given an option to choose the number of questions. The welcome screen also displays your best time.

Once you tap Start Game, you are presented with a series of simple math equations. You have to tap Right or Wrong. The goal is to answer the questions quickly.  Once you answer all the questions, you are presented with the score. The next time, you try to answer in a lesser time. That way you have to keep setting new record. The questions are different each time.

There are options to display a countdown timer before you get the question on the screen. You can also choose which basic math operators you want your question to be based upon. You can also choose to review your answers at the end of each quiz.

The app is great for kids and grown ups alike. You can fire it up and pass your time no matter where you are. Its a pretty addictive game once you start playing it. There is also a premium version [iTunes Store URL] available for 99 cents if you want to compete against players from all around the world.

iTunes Store rating: 4.
woikr rating: 4.

woikr clarifies: Allegations on the iPhone 3G in India (Chain Mail)

A chain mail has been doing some rounds in every one’s mailbox here in India. There are a lot of allegations on the new iPhone 3G available now through Vodafone and Bharti Airtel. Some true some false; woikr clarifies these allegations for you.

1. No A2DP on Bluetooth, can’t share any (mp3, images) files via bluetooth

True. However, Bluetooth hardware is there which is used for Bluetooth headset but no one has yet implemented the above stuff as it has full fledged email.

2. Can’t use as a wireless modem, (you pay ridiculous data charges to activate internet on your phone, but cannot connect it to your PC and browse when you are at home)

False. There’s an app called “NetShare” to do this. This, like on other phones, will discharges the battery very fast. Anyhow, Mobile Safari works great by itself. We recommend you to limit EDGE/3G  browsing to Mobile Safari.

3. No copy and paste (cannot copy a part of a…. say…. email & send it…. have to type it out yourself)

True. But there’s nothing limiting this phone from allowing this – it’s just its not top priority for Apple right now. And we think that’s stupid on Apple’s part. Anyhow, there’s a new framework called as OpenClip for this.

4. No 3.2 or 5 megapixel camera (the 2MP camera it carries is worst camera I’ve ever seen….. photos look like they have come out of a VGA camera)

Meanwhile, did you know, its the most popular cameraphone on flickr!

5. No video recording with camera

True. There is an app available in Cydia called Video Recorder, it’s paid, but records limited length videos in the trial version too. Also, there are apps like Qik, Flixwagon -  which provide live video streaming. These apps are not yet available on App Store because of Apple’s stun silence on video applications for now.

6. No front camera

This is something we agree, but how many of us video conference on our mobile phones ?

7. No JAVA support

False. There are apps in Cydia – Java/iPhone, JamVM and Jikes that work as Java interpreters. Also, we are hoping that Sun and Apple work together to get us a proper Java version. After all, iPhone’s hardware is more than suitable to run Java.

8. No physical keyboard (BELIEVE me! this alone is a deal breaker… touch keyboard as good as it looks… once you use it then only you come to know about the importance of having a hard keypad)

Believe us! This is the best way to do it. What if a country wants its own version of keyboard. Say a keyboard in Hindi? Will they remove the hard keyboard? With a soft keyboard, all you need to do is display different characters on the keys. Check this example for Japanese keyboard.

Japanese Keyboard

Did you know Apple supports handwriting recognition for Chinese? Check it out, it’s pretty nice!

Chinese Handwriting recognition

9. No 3G network yet in India .. so why pay for expensive 3G phone if you cant use its 3G services .. so, for India , iPhone 2.0 is no better than its first version

True. However, do not expect blazingly fast speed with 3G in India. We all know that EDGE is here for namesake only. Woikr recommends Wifi it is the best way to browse net on the phone. The same goes for other Wifi phones.
Plus, iPhone 3G might drive the operators and TRAI to speed up the process for 3G launch in India as this is the first phone with the word “3G” in its name. Till now, many people who bought Nokia N95s  and other 3G phones did not know that they are 3G capable.

10. No removable battery. (You cannot change battery. Have to send it to apple outlet.. Come on now!!!!…This is not an iPod. Its a bloody phone. You cannot live without phone for 2-3 days)

True. The only plus point is that like iPod’s battery replacement, there are chances that you get a a new phone when you submit it for battery replacement . Now who doesn’t want a new phone?
Additionally , the iPhone 3G has visible screws, this should not be a problem to replace. Apple service is good at such things.
Although, we still agree Apple has no reason to not allow us from changing batteries.

11. Cannot send MMS

False. There are MMS applications available on Cydia and Installer.

12. Can’t use as external storage device (16 GB of utter waste.. next time you go to your friend’s house & find some interesting songs, movies etc… sorry you cannot connect your ‘16 GB’ phone and share it!!!! Apple apparently has a solution.. ” BUY MUSIC & MOVIES FROM iTUNES STORE “….. Give me a break will you APPLE!!!)

True and False. There’s an app called as diskAid to do this. However, the songs and videos you copy on your iPhone using this tool will not be available in the iPod app on the phone. You will will need to transfer hem through iTunes.
There have been enough debates about drag and drop media functionality on Apple products. They just do not listen. Probably they don’t want us to do it that way.

13. No FM radio

True. However, there are Internet Radio apps. Flytunes. They have Indian channels as well. Works pretty well over EDGE. Will surely work fine over 3G. Awesome if you have wifi.

14. Can’t use your mp3 files as ringtones (This is heights man!!!)

False. You can use the apps like “Ringtones” to do this on the iPhone or u can use iTunes to create ringtones. There are numerous desktop apps to convert mp3s to ringtones. And the process is pretty simple too!

15. Cannot insert any other operator’s SIM card

True. And at INR 31000, we do expect this option.

16. Completely tied to iTunes… Connect to your friend’s iTunes & you risk erasing everything on your phone.

False. You just need to configure it properly. Also, you can now authorize your phone at 5 locations using the App Store id – that way u wont erase every thing.

17. We Indians are used to these features. Most of our phones already have these features. & we cannot do with out them…. i mean can you imagine paying so much for a phone with which you cannot transfer files via bluetooth. what age is this …STONE AGE???

False. Ever heard of email? Go see how clumsy email is on other so called smart phones.

18. Some features may be activated by jailbreak.. But why the hell should you risk losing your warranty after paying so much.
And want to add third party software??.. YOU HAVE TO BUY THEM FROM iTUNES STORE ONLY!!! . (Shell out more money). Apple is a bloody control freak. Dont surrender your freedom to it.

False. App store is one of the best things that happened to the mobile market. Plus, there are tons of free (useful and entertaining apps and games). Stop whining, Grow up.

19. Its good for American market (who have no idea what mobile freedom/choice is) which is in stone age compared to Asian/European markets. When they want to buy a phone, they have to go to network operators and buy only those phones that are available on that network & stick to that company till their contract expires. You want to change carriers? Not before paying damages, & buying another phone on the other network again.

False. There’s no contract, there would be some nominal charges to be paid to get you iPhone unlocked officially. These details are not released yet.
And please, stone age! You are talking about cellular plans here, not technology

20. On the contrary, we in India have so much freedom. We go to handset shops & buy which ever phone we like. Then go to carriers.. checkout the plans & buy SIM. Don’t like the plan or rival carrier came up with a better plan???? EASY .. just remove & replace the SIM.
Apple is trying to IMPOSE THEIR MODEL ON US riding on the hype iPhone has created in the US (yes it was a flop in Europe. That’s why Apple never talks about its sales in Europe ).

False. These have been in existence pre-Apple mobile domination. Its the Mobile service providers who are doing this, not Apple.

21. Don’t fall for the subsidized price of iPhone… CHECKOUT THE DATA PLAN ATTACHED TO ITS SIM.. they will recover the cost through ridiculous data plans. Bill might come to around Rs 2500/month.(AT LEAST AMERICANS PAY THAT MUCH)
Let me clear one thing though.. iPhone is the best looking phone (its touch interface is nothing like you have ever seen ) & best browsing experience out there no doubt …. (& others are fast catching up.. check out the android demo at Google IO 2008)…. BUT AFTER A FEW DAYS IT ALL COMES DOWN TO FUNCTIONALITY…

Not sure what’s the point here.
But yea, Android looks good. However, there’s no handset as of yet. Let’s wait and watch.

22. The list goes on & on & on….

Can you order a copy for us please

23. Those of you who buy it… You will be most happy for at most a week… & then, MARK MY WORDS…YOU WILL START REGRETTING IT!!!
My advice… WAIT FOR HTC DREAM!! (powered by android). Still not convinced by then…by all means go for iPhone…
So friends lets spread this info to all our friends and help them in making a wise decision….. & those of you who have bought unlocked versions already please share your experiences with others.

False. We at woikr have been using the iPhone for almost a year now and we love it. We can’t imagine spending a day without it.

But then, we are geeks. One thing we can say is that we are yet to see a single person who saw the iPhone in our hands and said, “Yikes, this sucks!”. Most of them actually added themselves to the long queue of prospective buyers

The only real issue we have is the extremely high price. And we hate Vodafone, Airtel and Apple for doing this to us Indian fans.

PS: We hope you don’t think woikr is an iPhone news site. It’s just the iPhone fever

iPhone 3G in India: Official price announced

Vodafone sent out emails to all its pre-registered users for pricing information on iPhone 3G here in India.

After all its going to be 31,000 INR for 8GB version and 36,100 INR for the 16 GB Version. (that’s a 713$ and 823$)

The initial rumours and earlier posts were partly true.

More details on the mail below

Hello User,

Thank you for registering for your Apple iPhone 3GTM with us.
We are delighted to announce that the iPhone 3G will be available in India from August 22, 2008

It will be available in 8GB & 16GB models, priced at Rs 31,000 and Rs 36,100 respectively.
Be the first to get the iPhone.

We have received a large number of registrations. As there are limited stocks, make sure that you get yours first, by paying an advance of Rs 10,000 to confirm your booking.
Where can you make this advance payment?
The iPhone 3G will be available at select Vodafone Stores. All you need to do is drop in at any select Vodafone Store between August 20 and 21 and make the advance payment by cash or credit card. Don´t forget to show the iPhone booking SMS, which you would have received from us, when you visit the Vodafone Store to pay the advance.

Get an appointment now. No queues for you.
Once you pay the advance, we will immediately give you an appointment date and time, starting August 22 when you can come and experience a full demonstration and collect your iPhone, all ready to use with your contacts and settings, by paying the balance amount. Hurry! Limited stocks.

Remember, the sooner you confirm your booking, the earlier you´ll get your iPhone. We have limited stocks and it will be on first come, first serve basis.
Buy a Vodafone connection now!

As you are not a Vodafone customer, you will need a Vodafone connection for your iPhone 3G.

We recommend that when you come to confirm your booking, please do get yourself a Vodafone connection too. Remember to carry a passport sized picture, photo ID proof and address proof as these are required for activating your Vodafone SIM card.
Happy to help. If you have any queries, log on to www.vodafone.in/iphone or call us on 919885098850 and we´ll be happy to help.
Hurry and be one of the first to make the iPhone 3G your own.

Updated details on this can be found at Vodafone’s website.

Now its turn Airtel releases more info on this. Watch this space for further updates. But from a business sense, now that Vodafone released its high prices,

Airtel might go like this

“31,000 Huh, why wouldn’t I want to go for a little cheaper and still make money of it.. So hmm. 30,000 ?”

All fun apart, this phone was a hope/a messiah to eradicate the other ugly priced phones, I guess things don’t change that easily here in India

Vodafone, Airtel, iPhone are registered trademarks of their respective companies.

UPDATE 1:

Amit from Digital Inspiration posted some more details which are highly depressing. Seems like the Indian service providers have planned to use iPhone and 3G network as money minting opportunities

UPDATE 2:

Airtel announces the prices too. Ditto as Vodafone. We Indian buyers are screwed