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| JailBreakMe.com one-click JailBreak and Installer install Posted: 29 Oct 2007 04:21 PM CDT If you have been considering Jailbreaking your iPhone or iPod Touch since the release of firmware 1.1.1 things just got a lot easier. With AppSnapp, the program that is launched from JailBreakMe.com, all you need is your handheld Apple device and a WiFi connection.
Your device has to have firmware 1.1.1 installed, and can be activated or not, if not, AppSnapp will also go ahead and activate your device for you, there are ways to access Safari and navigate to a given URL without activation, so you'll have to follow one of those guides, but after that, everything else is taken care of. You go to the url, click "Install AppSnapp" at the bottom and then you wait 5-10 minutes, provided you are using a high speed wifi connection, and then you get a screen lock screen, slide the slider and your Apple device is jailbroken and has installer.app installed, and has been patched from the tiff exploit. That's really the saddest part, is that these two devices are completely open to an attack the way they are, because the way this hack works, it doesn't require a computer, just an internet connection for the device, and a website/program can gain root access to your device and do whatever it wants. This app is seemingly safe, I mean it has TUAW's and the iPhone Dev Team's approval, but other sites/apps could be far less secure and trustworthy. This method is really easy, and if you or your friends have been waiting on the process to get easier, it just has, so knock yourself out. No guarantees it won't mess things up, and you'll definitely want to restore your device before updating with any future firmware updates, but for now you should be good to go. iPhone Jailbroken and Installer installed with one click [via myitablet] Relevant Entry on SlashGear.comCopyright © 2006-2007 SlashGear |
| Intel X3100 Chipset support found in Leopard install Posted: 29 Oct 2007 04:08 PM CDT Support for Intel's X3100 mobile graphics chipset could mean that Apple has plans for a quick and dirty MacBook hardware refresh. Apple has generally stuck with ATI or NVIDIA graphics for their Mac Pro, MacBook Pro, and iMac line-ups, and the X3100 is a mobile graphics solution, so that means either the MacBook or the Mac Mini are getting the update.
Regardless of which one it is, the X3100 graphics chipset only works on the Santa Rosa platform which means that Santa Rosa is either getting added to the MacBook, the Mac Mini, or Apple is releasing a new, slightly lower end, MacBook Pro. The latter is possible due to the rumors of an all aluminum (like the MacBook Pro's) 13" ultra portable being in the works, combined with the fact that the MacBook Pro's are the only mobile line of Apple's that already support the Santa Rosa platform. Either way, we are very likely looking at a new ultra portable laptop with this graphics chipset being released soon. Not all that surprising considering Apple is known to have a Fall hardware update just about every year, so now its just a matter of time. Leopard driver install may hint at future MacBook plans [via appleinsider] Relevant Entry on SlashGear.comCopyright © 2006-2007 SlashGear |
| Posted: 29 Oct 2007 03:58 PM CDT
They did like the scroll wheel, the compact size for a smartphone, and its fairly cheap price. On top of that, they liked what T-Mobile and HTC had done to smooth out the edges on Windows Mobile 6. They didn't like the text input system, they even went so far as to call it a "type and trust interface" which they said gets it right 99% of the time, but good luck with words it doesn't know. They also didn't like the fact that it was running Windows Mobile 6 at all, but like I said, they like the efforts made to make it more usable and pleasing to the eye.
It's a smartphone that goes for $149 after contract, and will be on sale on October 31st. It is essentially an HTC Juno but re-branded, really you can't expect much out of it, but for a smartphone, $149 isn't bad so long as you can deal with some of the more annoying features. T-Mobile Shadow review [via CrunchGear] Relevant Entry on SlashGear.comCopyright © 2006-2007 SlashGear |
| XO, OLPC, $100 laptop, whatever you call it, the first 100k of them have been sold Posted: 29 Oct 2007 03:41 PM CDT
Anyways, NickNeg has learned a lot about how things actually work in the business world and has learned the hardware that money talks and BS runs marathons. Sure, there were several countries that he shook hands with their heads and leaders saying they were going to buy a bunch of his laptops, but Uruguay is the first to actually hand over the dough. In fact several countries have backed out of their "Deals" with Nick Negraponte, which could bring this program to a screeching halt if the poor guy can't reach the 3 million units order that is necessary to make such cheap production possible. Don't forget, that starting on November 12th, you will be able to participate in the G1G1 program where you pay for two the laptops and you "Get 1 and Give 1" to a third world country where they are needed. Uruguay buys first $100 laptops [via bbc news] Relevant Entry on SlashGear.comCopyright © 2006-2007 SlashGear |
| WiBrain B1 UMPC gets an upgrade Posted: 29 Oct 2007 03:27 PM CDT There is some new design features, specifically some new buttons and locations for old buttons, the keyboard is still split though. This device has a fairly amazing 4.8" WSVGA touch screen too, with a 1024×600 resolution which is pretty good for a UMPC.
It now runs a VIA C7M processor which gives it a whopping 1.2GHz clock speed, VX700 for graphics, and up to 1GB of RAM. You can get your choice of 30 or 60 gigabytes of storage as well. There is a webcam that has a microphone as well, and the battery, with that amazing hardware list, lasts for 5 hours, that's pretty good if you ask me. Sure there are other UMPC's that are better in certain areas than this one, but I think this UMPC does a pretty good job of averaging out all the features, and the touch pad is nice too for easier navigation on a compact screen. No word on price or availability though. WiBrain upgrades B1 UMPC [via mobilewhack] Relevant Entry on SlashGear.comCopyright © 2006-2007 SlashGear |
| Posted: 29 Oct 2007 03:15 PM CDT In the evil world of data theft/identity theft, the key logger is a major player provided you have easy physical access to the computer your intended target uses. It's also good for those super nosy parents that are worried about what types of emails/instant messages their kids are receiving and what websites they are going to.
So every once in a while a company will release a new keystroke logger program or other type of key logger such as this USB based device. This is kind of a jack though, its way over priced, for $190 you get a USB stick that doesn't even work without some software being installed and furthermore only has 512k of storage. That is way too much for such a lacking feature set. If you either didn't have to install anything or if it had more storage, or if it was considerably smaller, it might be worth it, but it has none of those things going for it. So you can get yours now if you are desperate, and unwilling to use any of the current software only solutions, but I would recommend against it, first off its too easy to spot the hardware because it's the same size as a USB flash drive, it installs software which means it can be seen working in the task manager, and it only holds 512K or 90k words, I do at least that in a day, and if you have to recover and empty this thing every day, it becomes risky business, I'm just saying. Key Carbon keystroke logger [via coolest-gadgets] Relevant Entry on SlashGear.comCopyright © 2006-2007 SlashGear |
| GPS Sports brings GPS to your athlete Posted: 29 Oct 2007 02:37 PM CDT
Their device integrates GPS, which allows for the coaches to track their players' positions and how fast they move, and even pinpoint patterns in their movement. There is also a feature where the force of a hit a player receives can be measured and reported. Which means the technology in its current state would be great for all contacts sports including rugby, football (soccer), US football (NFL), and hockey. Its being tested in Australia, the best part is the stats from these devices, such as how hard a given hit was, are, with the players permission, being broadcasted on the television for viewers to see. The device itself attaches to either a vest or a series of straps that go around the back much like what is pictured. GPS tracks athletes during competition [via crave] Relevant Entry on SlashGear.comCopyright © 2006-2007 SlashGear |
| Sprint unlocks your mobile phone upon departure Posted: 29 Oct 2007 11:46 AM CDT
As the result of a class action lawsuit Sprint will now hand out the unlock codes for your phone once you decide to leave them. The lawsuit claimed that the locked phones made it more costly to change carriers. The settlement covers all customers who bought Sprint phones between Aug. 28, 1999, and July 16, 2007. It should allow those phones to be switched to competitors whose networks are compatible with Sprint’s, such as Verizon Wireless and Alltel Corp. Sprint cell phone unlocking policy [via SlashPhone] Relevant Entry on SlashGear.comCopyright © 2006-2007 SlashGear |
| Rock Band - Final Set list revealed Posted: 29 Oct 2007 11:41 AM CDT Ever so slowly Harmonix has been releasing tracks for the upcoming Rock Band title. Well they’ve finally spilled the beans on all of the main tracks. That’s not to say that there aren’t some bonus tracks still waiting to be announced, but as far as the main songs go, the entire list is after the jump.
They’ve got a really wide selection dating back to the 1960’s with Rolling Stones all the way up to new stuff like NIN and Jet. The best part is that while these 45 songs are the only main tracks that will be included on the list, you can expect fresh DLC every week, including full albums such as Metallica’s One. The full track listing is below.
Rock Band: The Complete Licensed Track List [via ign] Relevant Entry on SlashGear.comCopyright © 2006-2007 SlashGear |
| SlashGear Review - Toshiba Qosmio F45 Posted: 29 Oct 2007 08:12 AM CDT I’ve had the opportunity to use the Qosmio F45 for a little while now, and it’s come time for me to let you guys know just how this machine performs. As with many of my reviews, I’m not going to focus on benchmarks as I am actual usability, because lets face it, that’s what really matters.
The model I’ve been testing is the F45-AV412 which is powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo T7100, 2GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, an HD DVD player and Windows Vista Ultimate. Yes, this is one of the few notebooks on the market with an HD DVD player. Unfortunately, the glory of high-def is a bit wasted on this 15-inch screen, as it doesn’t display in full HD.
Looking at the laptop, you have to admit that the design is beautiful. Unfortunately, when carrying it around I’ve found it to be somewhat large and bulky, especially for a 15-inch laptop. That being said, the design nets you some cool features. My favorite is actually the volume jog wheel located to the left of the keyboard. You also have a set of media buttons above the keyboard and a navigation button to the right. The keys themselves are very responsive and are comfortable to use for extended periods.
One design flaw that I will point out is that the optical drive is mounted on the front of the laptop. Many times I will use the notebook on my lap, which presents a few issues. First, in order to insert a disc, I will have to reposition the entire notebook just to do so. The second, and more frustrating is that it’s quite easy to bump the eject button, which then opens up just enough to make me worry about breaking it. I’d really like to see this side-mounted on future models. Looking at the Windows Experience Index, you can see that this machine has plenty of power inside it. The Intel GMA X3100 chipset hold back the graphics a bit, but this really isn’t a gaming laptop, so this won’t hold anyone back.. Of course with great power comes great responsibility, that and poor battery life. My machine generally lasted about 2 hours, which is hardly acceptable.
This particular laptop is gear toward multimedia enthusiasts. They won’t be let down when they pop in an HD DVD, as this is where the F45 really shines. The screen itself is beautiful, one of the best I’ve seen really. The experience is topped off by the two Harmon Kardon speakers near the keyboard and the subwoofer located on the bottom of the laptop which deliver superb sound that you don’t find on many laptops today. Overall, it’s a great HD DVD player, but you really need a larger screen to truly appreciate the high definition video, it would have been nice if they included an HDMI port so you could watch your movies on the big screen at home. It is a powerful laptop, but it just feels big and clunky when I carry it around. The battery life isn’t anything to write home about either. Overall, it’s a good looking laptop with some power, but there’s plenty of room for improvement. I give the Toshiba Qosmio F45-AV412 3.5 out of 5 gears. Rating:
Relevant Entry on SlashGear.comCopyright © 2006-2007 SlashGear |
| Hack - Install Leopard on your PC Posted: 29 Oct 2007 08:11 AM CDT My first computer was a Mac, and for many years that’s the only thing that I would use. Unfortunately, as I got older it became more apparent that I was living in a world dominated by PCs. Eventually I got a PC, and my old Mac became sorely outdated. I’ve been meaning to get a new one, but have never gotten around to it. Thanks to a new OSX hack, I might not need to.
It only took about a day for Leopard to be out before it was hacked for use on a PC. That’s right, full-fledged OSX goodness without coughing up the cash for a Mac. I’ve not attempted this myself just yet, but supposedly it’s a pretty easy process. One thing I’d like to note there is that this is in no way legal. If you don’t mind completely screwing up your PC and breaking the law, then I’m sure you’ll really enjoy this. If you get it running, let me know how well it works. Relevant Entry on SlashGear.comCopyright © 2006-2007 SlashGear |
| Circuit City already selling sub-$200 HD DVD player Posted: 29 Oct 2007 08:11 AM CDT Remember that sub-$200 HD DVD player that we told you Walmart would be carrying? Well it supposedly won’t be hitting their shelves until November 3rd, however, you don’t need to wait that long to get your hands on one.
If you’re worried that this budget-friendly HD DVD player won’t be on par with other such players, I’d advise you to give this one a shot. It does only support 1080i, but you’re not going to find one that supports 1080p for anywhere near this price. It also supports Dolby Digital Plus 5.1, Dolby TrueHD 5.1, DTS 5.1 and DTS HD and sports a single HDMI 1.2 port. Toshiba HD-A2 available for $197.99 right now [via dailytech] Relevant Entry on SlashGear.comCopyright © 2006-2007 SlashGear |
| Apple refuses to take cash in exchange for iPhones Posted: 29 Oct 2007 07:49 AM CDT
Apparently Apple is no longer accepting cash for iPhones. This move is speculated to be Apple’s way of preventing people from purchasing the iPhone with the sole intention of hacking/unlocking it. It’s really no surprise that they don’t want you unlocking one and using it on another network.. AT&T pays Apple something like $18 per month for each iPhone for the life of its two-year contract. Relevant Entry on SlashGear.comCopyright © 2006-2007 SlashGear |
| Walmart screws Guitar Hero III buyers out of a new controller Posted: 29 Oct 2007 07:47 AM CDT I’m sure that by now you’re shocked that I haven’t posted my in-depth review of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. Unfortunately due to some shipping issues I have not yet received my copy, but you can rest assured that I’ll give you my full report once it makes its way here. Until then, here’s a little nugget of joy.
By joy I of course mean pain. If you went to your local Walmart to pick up your copy of the game, you already know what I’m talking about. Until now we’ve been informed that the Xbox 360 bundle will feature a Les Paul, and the PS2 will have a Kramer controller. However, if you went to Walmart and didn’t look closely at the box then you very likely found either an X-plorer or SG instead. I’m sorry, but that’s just not cool. Many people were excited to get the game, took it home and were sorely disappointed to find an old controller in the box. Now depending on how strict the person is working the customer service desk at Walmart, you’ll find yourself stuck with the old controller, as their policy doesn’t allow for returns on opened video games.
So lets say you did notice it, what if that’s the only store in your town that sells games? You could try to drive your ass over to the next town, but by then all of the stores have likely closed from their midnight launch. Had you know Walmart only had the old controller, you likely wouldn’t have even bothered to go to Walmart in the first place, would you? I had a couple of my close friends from my hometown fall into that category. They showed up at Walmart only to find X-plorers where the Les Paul should be. They drove to the next town, but found the stores either closed or sold out. What a waste of time and gas. Yes, there is an upside to this "exclusive" package that Walmart apparently had. It’s $10 cheaper. Sure, if you’ve never purchased Guitar Hero before, one controller might be just as good as the next. But if you’ve already got an X-plorer or an SG, you’re not really going to want another one when there’s something different on the market. I think this could have been easily prevented by some simple communication. Otherwise this just comes off as a sneaky way to unload some spare guitars. Bad form. Relevant Entry on SlashGear.comCopyright © 2006-2007 SlashGear |
| Batter Blaster - For a lazy breakfast Posted: 29 Oct 2007 07:47 AM CDT I wouldn’t call myself a lazy person per se, however, I do like to put forth as little effort as possible when it comes to things like cooking. I’m the kind of guy that buys the pancake mix that only needs water added. However, I don’t think I’ll even need to bother with that, thanks to this cool invention.
Picture this, you’ve got a can of whipped cream, only instead of fluffy white stuff inside, you’ve got pancake batter. Now all you have to do is squirt this stuff right onto your pan, and presto! You’ve got pancakes. Sure, I could always buy those frozen pancakes, but even I draw the line somewhere. Each can only gets you 8 servings, but I really have no idea how many pancakes is in a serving. Relevant Entry on SlashGear.comCopyright © 2006-2007 SlashGear |
| Posted: 29 Oct 2007 05:56 AM CDT I don’t really have any problems with fighting over the remote to the TV. The fact that I watch very little TV is a major contributing factor to that. However, some people find themselves waging a war every evening over domination of the remote. Here’s a little trick to make sure that you always win.
Someone has put together a cool DIY guide for making a TV remote jammer. The cool thing is that it’s built inside another remote, which will still work when the main remote is being jammed. It’s a neat little trick, but I’m sure it’ll only work a few times. Once the other person sees your other remote, then they’ll be battling you for this newer, improved clicker. TV Remote jammer! [via make] Relevant Entry on SlashGear.comCopyright © 2006-2007 SlashGear |
The guys over at CrunchGear got their hands on a T-Mobile Shadow to review, so what did they think? Overall they seemed to think it was a rather mediocre handset.
So many names, so few actual orders, as I understand it, the actual machine is called the XO, the OLPC is that name of the initiative behind it, and stands for One Laptop Per Child. The $100 laptop was a thing of the past back when they thought they could get it done for that price, now it's a lot closer to $188.
For a long time coaches and trainers have longed to be able to wirelessly track their athletes' location and vitals while playing their sport, the only problem has been figuring out how to do so without impending the players performance or getting in the way. GPS Sports, a company from Australia has now brought you one step closer.
Are you getting ready to leave Sprint behind and move to another carrier such as T-Mobile? They’re both run on CDMA networks, so wouldn’t it be great if you could just use your old Sprint phone? Don’t worry, now you can.
If you decide to wander into your local Apple Store with the intention of buying a few iPhones, you’ll be pretty disappointed, as you are now limited to purchasing only two iPhones. That’s not really going to affect a ton of people that are buying them for personal use. However, if you try to pay cash for your iPhone, you’ll get quite a shock.
