@methodshop

Has a virus or hard drive crash wiped out your entire music and video collection? Imagine the loss. Imported CD's, ripped DVD's, downloaded files from the Internet and most importantly, all that money you've spent in the iTunes Store!

Is it all really gone? Maybe not. Your music and movie files are still on your iPod or iPhone right? Let's get it all back. Here's how to rip media off your iPod or iPhone and save it back to your computer.

TUTORIAL: How to Save Music and Videos OFF Your iPod or iPhone





methodshop

Labels: gadgets, iphone, ipod, music, tutorial

Do you get a giant stack of DVD's for Christmas? Want to watch them on your iPod, iPhone or Apple TV? Here's a tutorial that explains how to use an awesome program called Handbrake to rip DVD's into iTunes friendly MPEG-4 video files. Tis' the season for ripping!

Tutorial: How to Rip DVD's for Your iPod, Apple TV or iPhone




methodshop

Labels: iphone, ipod, itunes, tutorial, video

There's a new Ziggy Marley app for the iPhone in the iTunes Store. The app, called Ziggy Marley's Music Mixer, allows users to mix tracks, break beats and create their own dub sounds. There are also a couple features that take advantage of the iPhone's accelerometer feature. Just select one of these options in the app and shake your iPhone or iPod Touch to make instant randomized music.

• "Jackpot Mix" - randomly mixes different sounds
• "DJ for Me" - picks a track and then randomly remixes interchangeable reggae riffs

You can download Ziggy Marley's Music Mixer app from the iTunes Store here.




methodshop

Labels: iphone, itunes, music, review, software

Can't be face to face with your friends and family this holiday season? No problem. Just grab your iPhone and broadcast yourself. Thanks to a new free app called Ustream Broadcaster, iPhone 3GS users can now broadcast live video over both WiFi and AT&T's 3G network.

"This is the first live broadcaster ever available in the App Store, bringing the ability to broadcast live to anyone," said Dr. Gyula Feher, Ustream's founder on the company's blog. "From birthday parties, kids’ sports games and baby’s first steps to your latest vacation, this app enables anyone with an iPhone to share important moments with family, friends and more."

Ustream has even added a one-touch sharing feature that allows users to not only post videos to YouTube, Facebook but it will even announce your new video to your Twitter followers.

The app not only works on older iPhone 3G models, but it enables a video recording work around. Apple hasn't updated older iPhones with software that would allow them to record video. But in addition to streaming capabilities, Ustream Broadcaster lets iPhone 3G users record video straight to their iPhones.

You can download Ustream Broadcaster from the iTunes App Store here.


methodshop

Labels: iphone, software, tech news, video

TwitBird Pro is a fast and feature rich twitter client for the iPhone and iPod Touch. It has a lot of common features included in other iPhone Twitter apps but TwitBird Pro brings them all together in one great easy to use interface.

You can download a free demo or the full version for $2.99 from the iTunes App Store.

DOWNLOAD: TwitBird Pro [iTunes]



Unique Features:

● Multiple Accounts
● Push notification for mentions and DM between TwitBird and TwitBird Pro users
● Badges to show number of unread tweets
● Landscape mode supported everywhere
● Landscape inline browser
● Address Book
● Group feature
● Cached tweets for faster loading


Other Features:

● View your twitter timeline, replies, and direct messages
● Manage your favorite tweets
● Browse your following and followers
● Compose new tweets
● Reply directly to tweets and send direct messages
● Follow and un-follow people
● Inline TwitPic image viewer
● Upload pictures to TwitPic
● Unparalleled scrolling performance
● Twitlonger supported
● Uses secure connection (https)
● Custom searches
● Nearby searching
● Save your favorite searches
● landscape keyboard
● Conversational Threaded tweets

methodshop

Labels: iphone, mobile, software

Good news space nerds. NASA just released an app for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The application is available free of charge in the iTunes App Store.

The new NASA app collects, customizes and delivers an extensive selection of dynamically updated information, images and videos from various online NASA sources. It will also deliver a wealth of information, videos, images and news updates about future NASA missions.

Here's a quote from the official press released posted on the U.S. Air Force's website:

"Making NASA more accessible to the public is a high priority for the agency," said Gale Allen, director of Strategic Integration and Management for NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate in Washington. "Tools like this allow us to provide users easy access to NASA information and progress at a fast pace."

The NASA App also allows users to track the current positions of the International Space Station and other spacecraft currently orbiting Earth in three views: a map with borders and labels, visible satellite imagery, or satellite overlaid with country borders and labels.

For more information about NASA's iPhone application, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/iphone or you can download the app from the iTunes Store here.



methodshop

Labels: iphone, itunes, software

Feel like using some slamming loops to create a nasty, floor shaking electronic/hip hop track for your next party or record? To get your groove on, just take out your iPhone, go to the App Store and get busy with GrooveMaker.

Review: Making Music on Your iPhone with GrooveMaker










methodshop

Labels: gadgets, iphone, music, review

It's been a long time coming, but today AT&T announced that MMS will finally be available to American iPhone users starting September 25. MMS messaging was probably the most hyped feature of the new iPhone OS 3.0 when it was released this past June.

AT&T confirmed the September 25th release date today in an e-mail to Wired.com.

“We know many of our iPhone customers are eager for an update on our rollout schedule for Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS),” an AT&T spokesman said. “We’ve been working for the past several months to prepare our systems and network to ensure the best possible experience with MMS when it launches – and today we can announce that launch date: September 25 for iPhone 3G and 3GS customers. MMS will be enabled through a software update on that day.”

AT&T had originally promised that MMS would be ready by "late summer." Technically, September 21st is the last day of summer, so a September 25th release means a broken promise.

Several class-action lawsuits have already been filed against Apple and AT&T. Both companies aggressively promoted the not-yet-available MMS features of iPhone OS 3.0 and the iPhone 3GS using advertising on TV, radio, newspapers, direct mailers, and on the Internet. Failing to deliver on their MMS promise is a violation of the Unfair Trade Practices Act in several US states.





AT&T also told Wired that tethering is next. Tethering would allow iPhone owners to connect their computers to the Internet through their phones. But currently AT&T's mobile network doesn't have the bandwidth to support this increased traffic. AT&T still hasn't specified a release date or time line for tethering. AT&T just says that tethering will be offered "in the future."

We won't hold our breath for that one.


methodshop

Labels: gadgets, iphone, tech news

Tired of making sand castles on the beach? Maybe your iPhone is the inspiration you've been looking for. Nice shot uurf.


methodshop

Labels: iphone, pics

Before announcing the new iPhone 3.0 S at WWDC last Monday, Apple's SVP of Marketing, Phil Schiller, presented some big news about the increasing number of Mac users.

"We’ve TRIPLED the number of users," he said to big applause. "It's astounding."

In the 5 years after Apple launched Mac OS X, the number of Mac users has grown steadily to 25 million. But between 2007 and 2009, the number of Mac users tripled and now surpasses 75 million.

According to statistics compiled by Net Applications, Mac OS X is the second most popular general-purpose operating system in use, after Microsoft Windows, with a 9.6% market share. It is also the most successful UNIX-based operating system ever released.

So what happened in 2007 that could have caused the spike in new Mac users? If you guessed the iPhone, then give yourself a pat on the back. Apple first announced the iPhone in January 2007.


methodshop

Labels: gadgets, iphone, mac, mobile, tech news

In case you were hiding under a rock all week, Apple announced a new iPhone Monday at WWDC. It's called the iPhone 3GS and according to Phil Schiller, Apple CIO, the "S" stands for speed.

"It’s the fastest, most powerful iPhone yet. What’s inside is entirely new. It's a REALLY fast iPhone. Everything you do will have incredible speedups."

Besides being fast, what else does both the new iPhone 3Gs and its 3.0 operating system have to offer? Let's take a look:


iPhone 3.0 OS:

• MMS - Unfortunately MMS won’t be available on AT&T right away. Americans will have to wait til late Summer. The rest of the world gets it right away. Why is MMS so hard for AT&T to figure out?
  
• Cut, Copy and Paste - Really? WTF. Why did "copy and paste" have to wait until version 3.0?
• In App Purchases, allowing developers sell content and services from within their apps
• Peer to Peer Connectivity, particularly useful for multi-player game apps
• Email Push Notification
• A new Map Kit framework integrating Google Mobile Maps
• iPod Library Access allowing users tap into their music, podcast or audio book libraries from third party apps
• The ability to search your iPhone
• Read and compose email and text messages in landscape orientation
• Find My iPhone - Did you lose your iPhone? Did you leave it at a restaurant, a friend's house, or maybe in a taxi? The Find My iPhone service will show you exactly where your iPhone is on a map. You can even make your phone emit a sound (even in Silent mode) to help you find it. You can also display a message on its screen like "$50 reward" or even remotly wipe the phone's data if you think it’s lost for good.
• Direct TV and Movie Downloads
  
• Turn-by-Navigation - GPS manufacturers like Tom Tom are producing navigation software for the iPhone. They are also planning on selling dashboard mounting kits with the app. Very smart.
  

The iPhone 3.0 software will be available on June 17th. It's free for iPhone users and $9.99 if you have an iPod Touch.





iPhone 3GS:

• Video Camera - 3MP camera with 30 FPS video recording and editing capabilities. Upload by Email or to YouTube or MobileMe from the device.
• Voice commands - You can now use your voice to place calls or play songs. For example, "Call methodshop.com" or "Play a song by David Hasselhoff."
• Built-in Digital Compass
• Colors - Black or White
• $199 (16GB version) and $299 (32GB version) from 19th June.

Apple also reduced the cost of the original 8GB iPhone 3G to only $99.


methodshop

Labels: iphone, tech news

According to Apple Insider, the new Apple iPhone 3.0 operating system will include the ability to directly download movies and TV shows from the iTunes Store. Users would be able to skip the step of downloading and syncing an iPhone or iPod Touch with their Mac or PC.

Apple already supports the direct downloading of video podcasts and music from their mobile version of the iTunes Store, but has held off directly selling movies and TV shows while mobile carriers expanded their 3G network capacity. The update will make Apple one of the top companies selling paid content to mobile users.

The iPhone 3.0 software update is due to arrive later this summer. In addition to direct downloads, the update will introduce over 100 new features, including the ability to:

• Send photos, contacts, audio files, and location via MMS
• In App Purchases, allowing developers sell content and services from within their apps
• Peer to Peer Connectivity, particularly useful for multi-player game apps
• Cut, copy, and paste
• Email Push Notification
• A new Map Kit framework integrating Google Mobile Maps
• iPod Library Access allowing users tap into their music, podcast or audio book libraries from third party apps
• The ability to search your iPhone
• Read and compose email and text messages in landscape orientation
  

methodshop

Labels: apple, gadgets, iphone, itunes, mobile, music

Is your iPod or iPhone frozen? This can happen for a number of reasons and does not necessarily indicate a serious problem. Sometimes they just need a reset much like the way your computer needs a restart once in a while.

Restarting an iPod or iPhone is a simple procedure that will not erase any of your music, data files, or customized preferences.


Sometimes the iPhone just gets confused. For example, the iPhone may be powered on but it won't respond to any button, switch, or touchscreen input. Try pressing and holding the Home button on the front of the iPhone for 6 seconds until the active program closes.

If this technique does not resolve the issue or the iPhone is in a different state such as showing a persistent Apple logo on the display, then you should reset the iPhone.









methodshop

Labels: gadgets, iphone, ipod, tutorial

Are you stuck with a BlackBerry at work but really want an iPhone? There's no magic trick to physically convert your BlackBerry into an iPhone, but you can install the free "bPhone for BlackBerry" theme and make your BlackBerry feel like an iPhone.

The theme will reskin your Blackberry icons with iPhone icons and even replaces the hourglass with the OS X spinning beach ball.

You can install the bPhone theme here if you are reading this on your phone right now or check out the author's website here.

Here's a step-by-step bPhone install tutorial:

1. open this link on your phone
2. Select your BlackBerry phone model (ie. the curve is the 8300).
3. Select the "Icon" theme
4. Enter in your BlackBerry email address
5. A download link will be emailed to your phone
   
6. Download the bPhone theme on your phone
7. Go to Prefs on your phone
8. Select the bPhone theme
9. Enable the bPhone theme
   

That's it!


But before you install the theme, please make sure your BlackBerry meets the following requirements:

• 8700 series: BlackBerry OS 4.2.1 or later. WARNING: You MUST have OS 4.2.1 or later or you may render your BlackBerry 8700 unusable! Go to Options > About to check your OS version.
• Pearl (all versions): BlackBerry OS 4.2.1 or later
• Curve (all versions) and 8830: BlackBerry OS 4.2.2 or later
• 8800: BlackBerry OS 4.2.1 or later

methodshop

Labels: iphone, mobile, tutorial

Is your iPod or iPhone frozen? This can happen for a number of reasons and does not necessarily indicate a serious problem. Sometimes they just need a restart much like the way your computer needs a reset once in a while.

Restarting an iPod or iPhone is a simple procedure that will not erase any of your music, data files, or customized preferences.


Sometimes the iPhone just gets confused. For example, the iPhone may be powered on but it won't respond to any button, switch, or touchscreen input. Try pressing and holding the Home button on the front of the iPhone for 6 seconds until the active program closes.

If this technique does not resolve the issue or the iPhone is in a different state such as showing a persistent Apple logo on the display, then you should reset the iPhone.






methodshop

Labels: gadgets, iphone, ipod, tutorial

If you grew up during the 1980's, then perhaps you might remember playing an 8-bit shooter called Duck Hunt. Released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985, Duck Hunt was one of the first games to use the "NES Zapper" or light gun.

Finding a working NES, light gun and original Duck Hunt cartridge 25 years later can be a little tricky and require some time searching around on eBay. But if you're looking for a quick Duck Hunt fix, you can play an online version of Duck Hunt here, or buy an iPhone version from the iTunes Store.

The iPhone version of Duck Hunt isn't exactly legit, so buy it while you can. It's clearly a quick port of the original game. Because the iPhone version of Duck Hunt was done without Nintendo's blessing, it's missing some of the core elements that made the NES version such a classic. For example, 1) the iPhone version is missing the dog that picks up the ducks or laughs at you when you miss, 2) the Zapper gun and 3) sound.




A lawyer from Nintendo will probably pull the game from the iTunes App Store before the end of the month. And don't expect Nintendo to make an iPhone version of Duck Hunt anytime soon. Remember, Nintendo has their own portable gaming system, the Nintendo DS.

So if you really want to play Duck Hunt on your iPhone, buy it soon. The unofficial version of Duck Hunt sells for $0.99 in the iTunes App Store.




methodshop

Labels: games, iphone, tech news

Move over iFart, iSteam is now the hottest thing in the iTunes App Store.

iSteam turns your iPhone or iPod Touch into a foggy glass surface and allows you to wipe it clean with your fingertips. Exactly like a mirror after a hot shower.

The concept behind iSteam may sound simple, but it has already earned the 22-year old kids who created it $100,000 in only one month. Since being released on December 30, iSteam has sold over 1 million copies and overtaken iBeer, iFart, Ocarina, Whoopie Cushion and Pull My Finger to become #1 "entertainment" application in the App Store.

iSteam sells for $0.99 in the iTunes App Store [link].




methodshop

Labels: iphone, ipod, itunes

According to Greek blog post on iPhone Hellas (translated), another software update for the iPhone is expected on Nov. 21. iPhone 2.2 will supposedly...

• add Google Street View and Google Maps transit directions
• offer the ability to download podcasts directly to the iPhone
• prompt users to rate their favorite apps to help users prioritize applications

Let’s hope iPhone 2.2 also gets Google's new Compass View feature that debuted with Android. Compass View automatically senses your orientation and will rotate the Google Street View panorama to match the direction you are facing.


methodshop

Labels: iphone, tech news

Do songs like "Bungle In the Jungle," "Stairway to Heaven" and the Zelda theme song have 5 stars ratings on your iPhone? Then perhaps you should check out an iPhone App called the Smule Ocarina.

An innovative company called Smule has written an iPhone App that utilizes both the iPhone's touch screen and microphone and created the first true iPhone wind instrument - The Smule Ocarina.

An ocarina is an ancient flute-like wind instrument, and one of the easiest instruments to learn. To use the Smule Ocarina, just blow into your iPhone's microphone and control the pitch with different fingerings on the touch screen.



VIDEO: Smule Ocarina version of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven"

The Smule Ocarina's advanced options allow you to choose between diatonic, minor and harmonic scales. There's also another option called Zeldarian mode which will make your iPhone sound like it was used to compose The Legend of Zelda theme song.



VIDEO: The Smule Ocarina's Zeldarian mode


methodshop

Labels: iphone, music, tech news

Do you have a ton of DVD's? Want to watch them on your iPod, iPhone or Apple TV? Here's a tutorial that explains how to use an awesome DVD ripping program called Handbrake.

Handbrake will rip any standard video DVD into an iTunes compatible MPEG-4 video file.

Tutorial: How to Rip DVDs into MPEG4




methodshop

Labels: iphone, ipod, tutorial