Apple Mac HQ

In case you need an example of why it’s good to lock your iPhone screen, I present exhibit A. The clip below runs about two minutes.

The video above is from one of my favorite TV shows, Chuck.

I enabled Auto-Lock on my iPhone as an extra precaution against random button pressing. To enable Auto-Lock, go to Settings | General | Auto-Lock.

Popularity: 10%

Of all the Apple products I own, perhaps my favorite is the Apple TV. The Apple TV along with iTunes, VisualHub, and Handbrake make for a fantastic media experience. Despite nearly every Apple TV owner absolutely loving their device, the product remains a “hobby” to Apple. Though I don’t believe sales figures for the Apple TV are publicly available, a “hobby” isn’t exactly a glowing indicator of sales.

I purchased my Apple TV after the Macworld 2008 price drop and news about the 2.0 software. Originally the unit was too expensive and lacked features. The $229 price (40GB version) was much more attractive as was the 2.0 software which brought movie rentals and the ability to act as a stand alone device (no PC or Mac required). I dropped my $199 bucks down on a refurbished Apple TV and have used it nearly every day since. I really enjoy watching TV shows, video podcasts, movies, and pictures on my Apple TV. My wife absolutely loves it too!

While I gush about how much I like the Apple TV, I seem to be in the minority of Apple fans, as many do not own one. You rarely see ads for the device anywhere and I think a lot of people aren’t really sure what the Apple TV actually does. And really, how much can a “hobby” add to Apple’s already large chest of cash?

I have a solution to raise the demand for Apple TV. In fact, Apple has already implemented this solution with two of the other main product lines, the iPod and iPhone. Apple needs a Made For Apple TV program and a SDK and App Store for the Apple TV.

SDK: Imagine if NBC released a Hulu application for Apple TV. What about Google Earth for Apple TV? NetNewsWire, NYTimes, WeatherBug, Wikipanion, and Last.fm for Apple TV? The ability to set Apple TV to play music/video while you are on vacation would be a nice security feature. The list could go on for possible applications for Apple TV.

Made For Apple TV Program: Imagine the Apple TV as the central nervous system for a wireless home music/video automation system. The ability to interface with the unit via third party controls, wall units, wireless keyboards, etc.

Not only would Apple move more Apple TV units, they would also receive additional revenue with App Store sales and third party accessories (like they do with many iPod accessories). These moves would open up the device to third party developers and create an iPod like ecosystem. This would be a win-win for Apple and their partners/software developers.

Do you own a Apple TV and love it? If not, would you want one if third party accessories and software were available for it? Sound off below with your comments about my idea or your thoughts on the Apple TV.

Popularity: 29%

Got an iPhone? Help Technologizer get to the bottom of iPhone owner satisfaction from around the globe. After crunching the numbers, they’ll report back on the findings.

Update: That was quick, the survey is now closed.

Popularity: 22%

Did you ever think that charging your iPhone or iPod could be fun? If it’s up to Peter Thuvander, charging those devices might soon indeed become fun. Peter has posted some pictures and conceptual diagrams of the iYo on his website. The iYo is an induction powered yo-yo that stores the energy created by yo-yoing. The energy is stored on a Lithium Ion cell. Once you have enough energy stored, you plug your iPhone or iPod connector into the device and it charges it.

Though the device doesn’t seem to be in production, the concept itself is pretty amazing. Head on over to Peter’s website and watch a short video and read a little more about the device. In places where electricity is scarce, this could be a lifesaver for those who just can’t put down their iPhone.

[Via TreeHugger]

Popularity: 22%

If you’re in the market for a case for your 1st generation iPhone, case-mate is having a big sale on two of their cases. The Leather Flip Case and Signature Leather Case are both on sale for $6. The regular price of these cases are $35, so this is a very good deal. No word on how long the prices will last. You can get more information about the two cases on sale and other 1st generation iPhone cases here.

Popularity: 33%

I finally purchased something from the App Store yesterday. I ponied up my $4.99 for FileMagnet (iTunes link). Up until this purchase I had refused to purchase demo-less software from the App Store.

I’m going to Boston later this month and wanted the ability to carry and view some files on my iPhone. Files like ticket confirmations, hotel numbers, and subway routes would be great to have access to while around town. I could have printed them out but that seems like such a waste. Sure, I could have also emailed the files to myself but that still requires a network connection to view the files. I wanted the ability to view the files offline. Currently the only way to do this is on my non jailbroken iPhone is with one of a handful of 3rd party apps available from the App Store. Files, DataCase, and FileMagnet are the three apps that I was familiar with that allowed this capability.

So what made me choose FileMagnet over the other two? It was part ease of use, price, and a video. FileMagnet has a dead simple uploader for getting files onto your iPhone. Just open the file uploader, drop the files into the application, and open FileMagnet on your iPhone. Provided you’re on the same wi-fi network, the files will automatically begin copying to your iPhone. It’s that easy to use. From the uploader application you can also remove files from your iPhone and download them to any Mac running the uploader.

While not a big deal, the fact that FileMagnet was $2 less than both Files and DataCase was a factor in my purchasing decision. Normally I wouldn’t care about $2, but since I was purchasing an application that I had never used before, I wouldn’t feel as ripped off if the application didn’t work.

As for the video, this YouTube video shows just how easy it is to use FileMagnet. I think every iPhone application website should have a video demonstration like this. A video showing the application in use is a GREAT way to demo the application. In my case, it was this video that put me over the top and gave me the confidence to purchase FileMagnet.

Using FileMagnet has been a breeze. After I downloaded the previously linked file uploader, I dropped a file into the uploader.

Once I had the files I wanted to transfer queued up, I opened FileMagnet on my iPhone. As soon as you open the app on the iPhone, the files begin transferring. Within a few seconds the files were on my iPhone.

FileMagnet on the iPhone gives you a view like the one below. Once you see the file you want to look at, just tap it. You can also upload entire folders and the iPhone will allow you to browse through them. FileMagnet also gives you the ability to delete files from within the application.

FileMagnet allows yo to view iWork files, Office files, PDF, text, images, sounds, videos, and more. Depending on the file size and type, the speed of the application can vary. Opening up a 360KB PDF file took about 5 seconds.

While I like FileMagnet, I do have two minor complaints. While browsing a 360KB PDF file of the Boston transit system, zooming in and out on the file seems slow at times. There is a noticeable delay while you wait for the file to refocus. I hope file viewing will get faster in future versions of the software. My other complaint is that you can’t rearrange files within the FileMagnet application. If you want to add a file to a previously uploaded folder, there is currently no way to do this. To their credit, the developer says they are currently working on the ability to rearrange files.

Would I buy FileMagnet again based on what I know about it now? You bet! The ability to wirelessly transfer and view files on my iPhone for $5 seems like a fair price to me.

Popularity: 19%

A rather large security flaw was discovered in iPhone 2.x software yesterday.  The flaw will leave your data open to prying eyes even if you have enabled password protection.  To reproduce the flaw try these steps:

1. Lock your phone so it requires a password to use
2. Slide to unlock, then hit the Emergency Call button
3. Double tap your home button
4. Click the blue arrow by a contact with an email address and click the email address
5. You’ll be taken to a blank email; hit cancel
6. Now you have access to all email accounts on your iPhone
7. You can do the same trick for text messages and Safari if you have a URL in a contact

Obviously this is a huge flaw if you have sensitive data on your iPhone.  The flaw only occurs if you have your Home Button set to Phone Favorites.  Apple has not released a fix, but you can change the Home Button function to another action and the flaw will no longer work on your phone.  Just follow these steps to change the Home Button function:

1. Open Settings
2. Click General then Home Button
3. Change the setting to anything but Phone Favorites.  I prefer Home since even setting it to iPod will allow access to your music.

Gizmodo has a video of the flaw in action.  Lets hope Apple fixes this flaw in the next software update.  I wonder if this will affect any businesses who are considering the iPhone as a BlackBerry or Windows Mobile alternative?  If I was an IT manager, this would seriously worry me about Apple’s commitment to security on the iPhone.

[Via TUAW]

Popularity: 24%