Turn your iPod Touch into an iPhone (almost)

Posted by Dave

The iPhone has taken America by storm since its much-vaunted release. The rest of the world is slowly working on giving a crap, but to the States the iPhone represents the current holy grail of their mobile phone industry. New handsets with high expectations are relentlessly branded ‘iPhone killers’, though has any phone even come close to knocking the iPhone from its pedestal in the minds of its users? Not even close.

However, during these times of economic uncertainty, a little bit of fiddling you can give your iTouch essentially the same features as the iPhone. Sure, you won’t have an inbuilt camera, but you can’t send MMS messages or record video anyway, so what are you really missing

out on? The kink in the plan here is that you need to be in range of a Wi-Fi hotspot to use your iTouch-Phone, but with the ever-increasing number of public hotspots, it’s likely that if you live in an urban area you’re probably not too far away from one most of the time. The only money you’ll need to spend is on a microphone, since sadly the iPod Touch has no built-in mic.

The great news is that besides having to spend a bit of cash on your microphone solution, all the software used in this tutorial to give your snazzy iPod Touch the functionality of the iPhone is totally free. So what are you waiting for?

There’s no need to jailbreak your iTouch or modify it in any way – all you need is an iPod Touch on 2.x.x firmware, a pair of headphones with a microphone, a WiFi network, and access to Apple’s App Store so you can download and use Fring – a free app which supports several different chat protocols.

1. Choose your microphone

Philips iPhone Mic Adapter $9.99 from Target

Apple Earphones with Remote & Mic

(MB770) $29.00 from Apple Store

Apple In-Ear Headphones

with Remote & Mic (MA850)
$79.00 from Apple Store

I’d recommend the Philips mic adapter, mainly because it costs under $10 compared with Apple’s habitually expensive alternatives, but also because it allows you to use your own headphon

es. However, you’ll lose out on having the remote. If you prefer a hands-free approach, SwitchEasy’s ThumbTacks might be more your style. Thanks to Apple’s proprietary chip in the new iPod shuffle remote/mic combo earphones, pickings are a little slim at the time of writing.

For 1st generation iPod Touch users, you’ll have to come up with a solution th

at uses the iPod’s docking port, since the 1st gen doesn’t

support line-in through the earphone connection. Sadly, the new fancy Apple earphones are not backwards compatible with the 1G iPod Touch. However, there are some alternative solutions which use the 30-pin dock connecter, such as the popular iVoice3.

Once you’ve sorted out your mic, you’re ready to start setting up your VoIP application.

The alternative to Fring is downloading the new Skype for iPh

one/iPod Touch application, which was released last Tuesday. How do the two compare, though? Well, Skype is a very recent release and I’ve found that it tends to crash occasionally, though it’s still very much useable. Fring’s current release (v1.0.0.2.4) is very stable in comparison. Both allow you to import contacts from your iTouch’s contact list, and support both text and voice chat… but what really sets Fring apart is its ability to support not only the Skype VoIP protocol, but als

o 3rd party SIP accounts, MSN, ICQ, AIM, Yahoo, and Google Talk. It even has plugins for Twitter and last.fm, which make it the winner in my book. However, you can add SkypeOut credit and dial any phone in the world from the Skype application, so if you’d rather stick with a brand you know already, go ahead and download Skype for free and have fun making calls on your iPod!

Personally, I have both, since I prefer the look and feel of the Skype application, but love having the extra functionality of Fring.

2. Install Fring

Step 1: Search for Fring in the App Store with your iPod, and download and install it for free.

Step 2: Once installed, fire up Fring and register a new user account (or sign in if you’re already a Fring member).

Step 3: Now simply pick a User ID, nickname, password and email address (only used to retrieve your password if you forget it).

Step 4: Next, link your Fring account to an active Skype account, and a SIP provider if you have one (I recommend voipstunt.com – it’s free!)

Step 5: Your contact list should now populate with your Skype contacts. Just click their names to call and chat.

Step 6: Click the Dialer and… hey presto! Dial the number you want (don’t forget the leading 00s) and hit the green “SIP” button to dial over your own VoIP provider, or “Skype Out” to use your outgoing Skype credit.

Congratulations! You can now make as well as Skype-to-Skype and Fring-to-Fring calls with other users, absolutely free. Add some SkypeOut credit and you can use that, but watch out – if you don’t make a call for 180 days, they’ll wipe off any credit on your account.

I’d recommend signing up with VoIPstunt for your free VoIP service – they offer 100% free calls to the USA, UK, Canada, Australia and many other countries in Europe, South America and Asia . All you need to do is top up your account with a little bit of credit every 120 days to keep it active. Best of all, Fring supports it out of the box – just enter your username and password and you’re away.

3. Get SMS working
Now that we’ve got the microphone and phone sorted, you’re only missing SMS. Well, you’ve got plenty of options here. For a long time there were apps available that granted jailbroken iPod Touch users completely free text messaging, but sadly a lot of these have been banned, obsoleted, or have not been updated in a long time.

You and Your iPod: It's All About Control











Apple Remote App

Download Apple's Remote app, and you'll be able to control the music on your computer or Apple TV with your iPod touch. Since Remote works with your Wi-Fi network, you can control your music from anywhere in your house that's within your router's range. Specifically, you can see the album artwork, edit playlists in iTunes, search your whole iTunes library, and control your AirTunes speakers once the app is downloaded to your touch. Best of all, Remote is free!9










DLO HomeDocMusic Remote








Want to control your iPod from almost anywhere in the house—even through walls? The DLO HomeDock Music Remote Dock charges your iPod and also provides wireless control up to 150 feet away on the remote. Even more, you can see what song is playing on the remote's screen. Just connect the dock to your stereo or computer with the included cables. Then dock your iPod and download all your iPod's artist and playlist information to the Music Remote. You'll be able to control volume, rewind/previous track, EQ settings, and more using the remote. The HomeDock Music Remote is compatible with the iPod nano (all generations), iPod classic, iPod with video, iPod mini, iPod (4th generation), and iPod touch (1st and 2nd generations). Get it at Wal-Mart for $129.72.









Logic3 i-Station 25





Since the iPod touch has a built-in accelerometer, you can turn it on its side for a better view of video and photos. Place your iPod touch into Logic3's i-Station 25 and listen to music or watch movies comfortably, whether you're at home, the beach, or camping. If you'd rather watch video in full screen, the i-Station 25 also incorporates a video-out port for connecting it to a TV. The i-Station 25 operates on four AA batteries or the included AC adapter, and comes with a remote control to operate the speaker and iPod. It sells for $100 on Amazon.com.








Accenda Voice Control for iPod







Previously featured in our "10 Strange Hands-Free Devices" slideshow, the Accenda Voice Control for iPod from Innotech Systems ($59.95) lets you control your iPod with the sound of your voice. You can tell it to adjust the volume, play a song, skip to the next track, and more. Just plug your earbuds or headphones into the Voice Control, plug the cable into the iPod dock connector, and command it to do as you please. The 1.5-inch device can be worn around your neck or clipped to your clothing. It can even be trained to recognize commands in other languages besides English or those iPod owners with strong accents.






Griffin iTrip AutoPilot








Trying to keep your eyes on the road while driving and navigating your iPod at the same time isn't a smart idea. That's why there's the Griffin iTrip AutoPilot ($99). On one end you connect your iPod and on the other you plug the adapter into your vehicle's cigarette lighter. Then you can tuck your iPod away and control it easily by touching the buttons on the adapter to play/pause and skip tracks. SmartScan technology finds a radio station to play your iPod's music through your vehicle's speakers, too. The iTrip AutoPilot is compatible with all iPod/iPhone models.







Apple Universal Dock








Charge and sync your iPod or connect it to a TV or speakers with the Apple Universal Dock ($49). The included Apple Remote lets you listen to songs and watch photo slideshows, among other things, by giving you control of your iPod from across the room. The dock comes with eight dock adapters that will fit the iPod nano (3rd and 4th generations), iPod touch (1st and 2nd generations), iPod classic (80/120GB and 160GB), and iPod with video (30GB and 60/80GB), as well as the iPhone and iPhone 3G..






Keyspan TuneViewPro for iPod








Consisting of a universal iPod dock, a two-way RF remote with color LCD screen, a USB power adapter, and audio/USB cables, the Keyspan TuneView Pro for iPod is a more pricey alternative to managing your music throughout your house or office. By using the remote up to 150 feet away from the dock, you can play/pause, adjust volume, track forward/back, and access your iPod's menu. The TuneView Pro works with all iPods with a dock connector. Buy it for $159.69 on Provantage.com.








Logitech Pure-Fi Dream







Not only is the Logitech Pure-Fi Dream ($200 direct) an iPod dock with powerful speakers and strong bass response, it's also an alarm clock with easy-to-set alarms. Control your iPod with the backlit, multifunction remote control. When Audio Analyst Tim Gideon reviewed the Pure-Fi Dream, he was able to play and pause music from as far away as 75 feet—and even through glass.








Sonos Controller for iPod touch








Another free application, the Sonos Controller for iPod touch turns your music player into a Sonos Controller. (You'll have to own a Sonos ZonePlayer for this to work.) Search for songs in your music collection by typing on your iPod touch's virtual keyboard or browse through songs by pointing and flicking. The Now Playing screen displays what's playing in the rooms you're in, with details like album art and track titles.









iLuv Desktop iPod/
DVD Player







Watch your iPod videos on a bigger screen with the iLuv 5.1 Channel Slim Desktop iPod/DVD Player ($150). It has an integrated dock to connect your iPod touch, iPod classic, iPod nano (3rd gen), or iPod with video for watching videos on your TV or listening to music through your TV's speakers. Navigate your media with the included remote control.

The 10 Wackiest Headphone

From headphones that come with their own amplifier to transforming, wearable MP3 players, we've rounded up 10 of the weirdest, wackiest headphone designs you'll ever see,

Campbell Simpson, PC World Australia

Audio-Technica ATH-W5000

Audio-Technica's ATH-W5000 is a set of headphones with a decidedly retro feel. Packing high quality components into an over-the-ear design, the headphones have wooden outer covers for the ear-cups, making them instantly recognizable.

AKG K1000

Recognizable for a completely different reason, AKG’s K1000 headphones are essentially full-size speakers suspended over the listener’s head with the headband. Reminding us of broadcast studio microphones — sans the fuzzy covers — these headphones are as expensive as they are ingenious.

Audio-Technica ATH-EW9

As a smaller redesign of the ATH-W500, the ATH-EW9 from Audio-Technica is a set of clip-on headphones that sit on the listener's ears. With a metal ear-clip mechanism the ATH-EW9 headphones are a pleasant mix of retro and modern styling.

Sennheier HE90 Orpheus

Novel for their bulk, prowess and price, Sennheiser's legendary HE90 Orpheus headphones are one of few models on the market to use electrostatic sound reproduction instead of the moving-coil design used by most headphones. The end result is peerless sound quality with the downside of requiring a dedicated, specially designed amplifier.

Logitech Curve

Slightly out of place in such prestigious company, Logitech's Curve headphones have been chosen because of their ultramodern headband and clip-on design. Molded out of lurid green plastic, the Curve headphones may not suit all tastes but certainly catch the eye.

Takara's Novelty Headphones

A list of novelty headphones can't be complete without at least one boutique Japanese cartoon design. These Takara headphones seem like generic clip-ons — until they unfold to reveal the plastic limbs of either Frenzy or Rumble, depending on which model you purchase. A licensed transforming MP3 player is also available.

Logitech Freepulse

Logitech's FreePulse headphones are the older, cooler brother of the earlier Curve. With Bluetooth technology and a thin band design, they’re stylish enough to be worn wherever you go.

Zelci Outi

These Zelco Outi earphones are designed to be attached to the outside of your ears rather than nestled inside. Transmitting their vibrations directly into your ear cartilage, the Outi are designed to reverberate sound through your entire body.

Skullcandy

If you want a zany design, you can't go past Skullcandy. With all of their models available in over-the-top finishes, you’re bound to make a statement 24/7.

Sony W Series

They aren't specifically headphones, but an honorable mention goes to Sony's new W Series MP3 player range. With a set of in-ear headphones built in to the MP3 player's body, you're literally wearing music. It does make changing songs interesting, though, using Sony's proprietary ZAPPIN technology.

The Best Stereo Bluetooth Headsets

Do you use your phone for music and for making calls? A good stereo Bluetooth headset will help you get the most out of it. Here are the best models we've tested recently.




Sony Ericsson HBH-IS800



The main attraction of the Sony Ericsson HBH-IS800 headphones is their teensy size. Weighing less than half an ounce, these headphones rely on a slender strand of cable to connect the two earbuds. Such luxury and convenience don't come cheap, though: The headphones list for $200.
In general, the headphones delivered great-sounding tracks, with crisp vocals and warm (but not overwhelming) bass. Phone call quality was mostly good, too. Unfortunately, the headset's controls are minimal: You can use the action button to turn the headset on and off; to initiate, accept/reject, and end a call; and to play or pause tunes. But you can't use it adjust the volume or skip forward or backward through tracks.
If you're willing to sacrifice some phone and music controls for an ultrasmall headset with dependable audio quality--and the hefty price tag is no barrier--the Sony Ericsson package has got the goods.
For an in-depth examination of the new generation of wireless stereo headphones, see "Next-Generation Stereo Bluetooth Headsets." For a comparison chart of the five stereo Bluetooth headsets I reviewed, see "Stereo Bluetooth Headsets Offer a Range of Strengths and Weaknesses."




LG Electronics HBS-250


Earbuds are not everybody's choice. If you want to avoid inserting doodads in your ears, check out the $80 HBS-250 from LG Electronics. The headset consists of two ear muffs and an adjustable wire that connects them.
The HBS-250 headphones may not be stylish, but they're padded and comfortable. And the music experience was quite good, with great bass and warm tones overall. Phone conversations sounded fairly good, though voices sometimes sounded choppy.
Some of the headset's controls are small and hard to find by feel. I had to fumble around the top of the headset (or take it off and look at the thing) until I got a feel for where the buttons were located. Consider the HBS-250 if you want a headset whose earpieces to sit against your ears--not inside them--and deliver reasonably good audio quality.



Motorola MotoRokr S9-HD for iPod Wireless Stereo Headphones

If you're comfortable with a sturdy headband hovering above the back of your neck, then the $130 Motorola MotoRokr S9-HD headphones might tickle your fancy. I found them clunky to wear at the outset, due to the headband's relative stiffness.
Overall, my tunes sounded impressive over this headset. The S9-HD delivered a rich stereo experience, including great-sounding bass. Call quality was up and down, though. Most of the time, voices came across loud and clear to me; but on a few occasions, words became stuttered. Background noise proved very distracting, too.
After a couple of hours of wearing the S9-HD, my ears felt as though they were being dragged down. I also found that the S9-HD restricted my head movements somewhat, so it worked better for me when I sat at my computer than when I was buzzing around in the car or running.




Altec Lansing BackBeat 906


When I first donned the $130 Altec Lansing BackBeat 906 headphones, I couldn't get them to sit comfortably. The earbuds are attached to a wide ear hooks that come down over the top of your ears. The buds sport a beak-shaped eartip, which you use to anchor the headphones in your ear. These buds were too large for my ear canals--and unfortunately, the company does not provide other bud sizes.
Music sounded pretty good, though not as rich or as warm as it did over other headphones I tested. Phone calls sounded fine, and I was particularly impressed with how the BackBeat handled background noise. Callers could hear only faint traces of music emanating from my nearby stereo, for instance.
The BackBeat 906 bundles a Bluetooth adapter for the iPod and other MP3 players. If you want a set of headphones and an adapter to let you listen to your tunes on your iPod cord-free, the BackBeat is well worth considering.


Samsung SBH700



I was not a happy camper when I wore the Samsung SBH700 headphones ($100). I couldn't arrive at a comfortable fit. For starters, the earbuds were too big--the package does not provide alternative bud sizes--and the squarish hooks didn't sit properly over the curve of my ears. In addition, the SBH700's headband, which wraps around the back of the user's neck, felt heavy and imparted a sagging sensation. After wearing the headset for a while, my ears simply felt fatigued.
On the plus side, my tunes sounded good, with nice overall brightness and adequate bass. Phone conversations over the SBH700 came through loud and clear on my end. The parties on the receiving end said that they could hear me just fine, but that I sounded a tad muffled.
The red-and-silver unit looks stylish and sporty, but its good looks and satisfactory audio quality are outweighed by its subpar comfort and design.

New iPod Shuffle moves controls to headphone cord
Posted by Rob Beschizza








Available at 4GB, the fresh model is long, thin and sleek--somewhat like the original first-gen model, but with a clip. It's available in light gray and dark gray, and the controls are moved to a bulbous clicker on the cord.
My problem with this is going to be being stuck with Apple's headphones, or having to buy some fancy new officially licensed headphones that also have the new control block built-in. This isn't new, as far as little audio players go, but is still a shame: for today's show, the part of Sony will be played by Apple.
It also has a new feature called Voiceover: press it, and the Shuffle tells you what's playing.







They're up at the Apple Store for $80.
Update: Mute Kaiza points out that it might be easy to splice better headphones onto the control unit, so long as you're O.K. ruining your beautiful Appley lines.
As an aside, I imagine Belkin will announce an adapter within minutes. I still don't want to pay for one, even if it's just $10.
Great comment from reader Cyklo: "I'm amused that if you swap out the inline-control bundled earphones for your own, you reach Apple Zen: an iPod with zero buttons."
Apple Announces Incredible New iPod shuffle [Apple]

Next-gen iPod touch, iPhone to Support low-power 802.11n

Next-gen iPod touch, iPhone to support low-power 802.11n

By Prince McLean

Wireless radio component specifications contained within beta distributions of iPhone 3.0 firmware reveal support for a new chip enabling low power 802.11n that's bound for Apple's third-generation iPod touch. It's therefore also likely to be included with new iPhone models.

The version of the existing Broadcom chip that supplies WiFi and Bluetooth on existing models jumps from BCM4325 to BCM4329, according to resource files reserved for a third-generation iPod touch. The component upgrade adds new support for 802.11n features, including the ability to find and join 5GHz networks.

Existing iPhone and iPod touch models only support 5GHz 802.11a networks, or 2.4GHz 802.11b/g networks, forcing users who want the top speed of 802.11n (available on all MacBooks) but compatibility with 802.11b/g networks (to use the existing iPhone) to set up a 2.4GHz compatible network. That compromise forces the wireless network to deal with interference from other networks on the often crowded 2.4GHz band.

Apple's latest generation of AirPort base stations added new hardware support for dual-band networks, allowing both fast and slow devices to connect to independent 5GHz and 2.4GHz signals at the same time. However, this isn't possible with previous AirPort base station hardware, or when setting up an ad-hoc WiFi network from a notebook, for example.

New support for 802.11n in the upcoming iPhone and iPod touch models would also provide the devices with additional network speed and reception range features of the significantly faster 802.11n specification, which are related to channel bonding (using two channels at once to double the top reception speed) and MIMO, the ability to use multiple transmit and receive antennas to improve reception speed and range.

Other features related to 802.11n include Space Time Block Coding (STBC), which sends the same data across multiple antennas for redundancy against radio interference; Short Guard Interval (SGI), which increases the data rate by squeezing out shorter padding intervals; A-MPDU, the aggregation of multiple MAC-level service data units; Block Ack, which increases efficiency by transmitting multiple data frames followed by only one acknowledgement frame in a transmission block; Greenfield mode, the increased efficiency gained by dropping 802.11a/b/g backward compatibility; and RIFS, reduced interframe spacing, which minimizes unused radio dead time by cutting the interval time between sent packets.

The new device also focuses on efficient power management, with a special integrated PMU (power management unit) and a shared Bluetooth and WiFi receive signal path, which "eliminates the need for an external power splitter while maintaining excellent sensitivity for both Bluetooth and WLAN."

The new component should dramatically speed up WiFi throughput and flexibility as AT&T and other UMTS mobile providers also upgrade their 3G networks to take advantage of parallel improvements in mobile 3G speed capacity expected in the new iPhone.