TUAW has introduced several Quirky projects to you in the past. Quirky is a community of folks who come up with really cool ideas, and then the best of the ideas are fine-tuned by the folks who run the site and readied for manufacturing. Once a minimum number of customers commit to buy the product, it is put into production.

While looking at the headline for this post, you might think that we're talking about an oddly-painted BMW, but the Quirky Beamer is actually a case for the iPhone. Not just any case, mind you, but one with a built-in bright LED light that can act as a real flashlight or provide illumination for your nighttime photos.

Compatible with the iPhone 3G and 3GS, the Beamer uses replaceable lithium coin cell batteries to provide up to 10 hours of illumination without chewing up your phone's batteries. Pressing the button on the case once turns on the light for 10 seconds, enough to find your keys or take a picture of your buds. To turn the light on for an indefinite amount of time, press the button twice. A third press turns it back off.

Quirky won't produce the Beamer until 500 commitments at $32.00 are received on the site. As of 9 PM on Sunday night, 106 people had committed to the product. If you're looking for a way to flash your friends and not get arrested, the Quirky Beamer might just be the answer.

[Thanks for the tip, Chris T.]

Rogers Wireless has a little over one week left of its Canadian iPhone exclusivity. Wireless carrier Telus announced today that it'll start sales of the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS on Thursday, November 5, 2009.

While the Telus network has been CDMA-only, the carrier is not selling a modified phone. Rather, the company is launching its iPhone-compatible HSPA network, which it's marketing to consumers as 3G+.

Prices on the new network match what many expected from Bell, which is also starting Canadian iPhone sales soon. Telus will sell an 8GB iPhone 3G for $99 (Cdn$), a 16GB iPhone 3GS for $199.99, or a 32GB iPhone 3GS for $299.99 with three-year contracts. Minus the monthly plans the 8GB iPhone 3G will run buyers $599.99, the 16GB iPhone 3GS will run $699.99, and the 32GB iPhone 3GS will run buyers $799.99.

[via Telus]

Update: As of this writing, Total Apps reports that it's back in the UK App Store. We still don't see it in the US store.

That sure didn't last long. Just shortly after the discovery of a 3G "backdoor" for the EyeTV app, it has been pulled from the App Store.

The workaround let users of the app stream video over a 3G or other cellular network connection, something that AT&T has objected to in the past. Specifically, users can connect to ElGato's My EyeTV service to schedule and stream recordings.

When users try to stream video outside of a Wi-Fi connection, a dialog box appears saying that a Wi-Fi network is required, but streams the video anyway. Elgato says they have just submitted an update to Apple, after Apple removed it from the App Store, removing "test code" that allowed this streaming:

"Some test code that enabled live TV streaming over the cellular network was accidentally left in the the EyeTV App. Apple requested that we remove the code since their agreement with AT&T does not allow redirecting TV signals over the cellular network. The code was removed and a 1.0.1 version of the EyeTV app was submitted," they told TotalApps.

This app rejection is similar to the removal of the Commodore 64 app, that was pulled after hidden access to a BASIC interpreter was discovered. This removal adds just more trouble and frustration to users and developers, especially because of the current state of the Google Voice app.

[Via Total Apps]

When I opened my iPhone 3GS, I was surprised to find that the power adapter was nothing but a little 2-prong AC plug (I live in the US) that allowed you to plug in the standard USB to 30-pin connector to charge the phone.

I wanted to get a spare; checking online told me that the Apple Store wanted US$29 for the little plug, which just seemed like too much for too little, so I went shopping.

On eBay I found a bunch of auctions based in Hong Kong selling what looked like the exact same thing for anywhere from under around $2-4, and they often included the USB cable to boot.

I ordered four from a vendor and after a few weeks received them. They looked perfect, right down to the little green dot -- but none of them worked. They might start charging, but after a few minutes the iPhone would beep a few times and I would be informed that "this accessory is not compatible." And so it went for all four pieces. After sending some pictures back and forth and reading a few emails containing a combination of surprise and amazement from the vendor, my money was refunded.

Undaunted, or maybe just dumb, I went back to eBay and found another vendor that claimed to be selling, "100% Brand New Original OEM Charger and Original OEM USB Cable for iPhone/iPod" for around US$4. I just checked eBay and found this same vendor raising the price to US$10 in one auction and lowering it to $US.01 in another.

The iPhone was slow to launch in Canada and after a rocky start, Rogers has been the exclusive carrier. That changed this week when Bell and Telus both announced independent deals with Apple. Starting in November, each will carry the 3G an 3GS. Just in time for holiday shopping!

Keen customers know that both Bell and Telus are CDMA-only right now. However, they've both pledged to deploy compatible HSPA networks that will serve as an inroad to 4G.

Neither company has released details like pricing, plans, etc., but Telus has set up a web page for interested customers.

After the debacle earlier this year when I lost my iPhone 3G, I decided to not only protect the new phone -- my lost 3G had been "naked" -- but make sure that whatever I used to protect it had a bit of heft.

My choice of case was the locally-grown (Fort Collins, CO) OtterBox Defender, which fit the bill perfectly. It has what OtterBox refers to as a 3-layer design, including a thick screen protector, a hard shell that encloses the iPhone, and a rubberized exterior jacket that cushions shocks and keeps ports covered. While it has been an awesome case in terms of protection, it's pretty chunky and I've often wished I had something a bit skinnier.

OtterBox came to the rescue last week with a new line of protective cases called the Commuter. There are two models -- the Commuter (US$34.95) and Commuter TL (US$29.95). Like the Defender, these cases work with both the iPhone 3G and 3GS. Read on to hear more about the OtterBox Commuter cases, and a chance to win either a Commuter or Commuter TL case from TUAW and OtterBox.

The legendary Dev-Team has done it again. It just released the new version of the Pwnage Tool, a desktop application that's used to create custom firmware packages to jailbreak iPhones and iPod touches.

Jailbreaking is the act of modifying the official firmware in order to run applications not approved by Apple. Chief among those applications, at least for the iPhone crowd, is the SIM unlock that allows the phone to be used on unofficial cell phone service providers.

The Dev-Team has found holes in previous versions of the iPhone OS that allow this code modification and has developed tools to make exploitation easier for the average user to accomplish. Once implemented, the jailbreak process installs an app that acts an unofficial App Store of sorts. The iPhone or iPod touch user can browse and install games, utilities, themes, and general applications. Cydia, one of these installer apps, even has a store with applications for sale.

Traditionally, when Apple releases a new iPhone OS version, that software upgrade breaks any jailbreak and SIM unlock present on the device. And so, you end up with the cat-and-mouse game that Steve Jobs alluded to shortly after the first firmware loophole was exploited and the original iPhone was unlocked.

Well, the mouse has stolen the cheese once again, and the Pwnage Tool released today will jailbreak the latest firmware, version 3.1.*

The big asterisk at the end of that previous sentence is that the Tool will only work on about half of the devices that use the iPhone OS -- only the original iPhone, original iPod touch, and iPhone 3G. The iPod touch line just released, as well as the 2nd generation iPod touch and the iPhone 3GS, cannot be jailbroken at this time. That means if you've already upgraded to 3.1 on your 3GS, you still won't be able to SIM unlock it as of the time of this post.

So, if you want to SIM unlock your iPhone 3G or the original model, Pwnage Tool 3.1 should do the trick. On the 3G, you'll need to use Icy or Cydia to also install the ultrasn0w app that actually performs the software unlock; however the original iPhone should be unlocked without this additional step.

You will need a Mac to run Pwnage Tool 3.1, but a Windows version is expected in the near future. Also expected soon is redsn0w, for both Mac and Windows, that further simplifies the jailbreak process by avoiding the need to create a custom firmware package.

Keep in mind, if you've been waiting for a jailbreak solution before upgrading to the latest firmware, many users have had fairly substantial issues with iPhone 3.1. My fellow TUAW blogger, Josh Carr, has reported that lots of iPhones and iPod touches are working poorly after upgrading. You may wish to hold off and stick with 3.0 or 3.0.1 until a solution is found, either by Apple or some other group of smart people.

But, if you're so inclined, you may find links to download Pwnage Tool 3.1 on the Dev-Team's official blog. Make sure to read the instructions thoroughly, and take heed of all of the warnings. They are there for a reason.

One of the first surprises out of today's Apple event, other than Steve Jobs appearing on stage again (!!!), was the announcement that iPhone OS 3.1 and iPod touch OS 3.1.1 were available. We're still waiting for the download to complete, so this won't be a hands-on review, but we do want you to know what the new features of 3.1 are:

• Improved syncing for music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, and photos
• iTunes U content organization
• Redeem iTunes Gift Cards, codes, and certificates in the App Store
• Display available iTunes account credits in the App Store and iTunes Store
• Save video from Mail and MMS into Camera Roll
• Option to Save as new clip when trimming a video on iPhone 3GS
• Better iPhone 3G Wi-Fi performance when Bluetooth is turned on
• Remotely lock iPhone with passcode via MobileMe
• Use Voice COntrol on iPhone 3GS with Bluetooth headsets
• Paste phone numbers into the keypad
• Option to use Home button to turn on accessibility features on iPhone 3GS
• Warn when visiting fraudulent websites in Safari (anti-phishing)
• Improved Exchange calendar syncing and invitation handling
• Fixes issue that cause some app icons to display incorrectly

There's now also a App Store Genius function, which will recommend Apps based on your purchase history. The Genius of Apple also extends to iTunes, which will now create up to 12 playlists for you based on what's in your library. You can now purchase and download ringtones from your iPhone, and organize apps in iTunes.

Apple's security info page will be listing the security content of the OS updates shortly. The new versions include 10 security fixes, including patches for SMS vulnerabilities, Exchange passcode lock workarounds, and Unicode character spoofing flaws.

We'll have a hands-on review later!

It appears that China Unicom has been selected as the sole distributor of iPhones in China, according to a report in the International Business Times today. While the deal has yet to be finalized, the company has purchased 5 million WCDMA iPhones without Wi-Fi from Apple at a price of 10 billion yuan (US$1.46 billion).

China Unicom is to begin selling the 3G phones in September at company stalls in Carrefour stores, as well as at several large China Unicom retail outlets. The phones are expected to sell for 2,400 yuan (US$352 as of this writing) for an 8GB model and 4,800 yuan (US$704) for a 16GB iPhone. It's estimated that Apple's profit from each sale is about 1,100 yuan (US$161).

China Unicom faces stiff competition from black market iPhones, which are selling for as low as 400 yuan ($59). The International Business Times report notes that Apple made large concessions to China Unicom in order to enter the massive Chinese market. To give some scale to the size of this sale, Apple reported during the 3Q 2009 conference call with Wall Street analysts that they had sold a total of 5.2 million iPhones in the last quarter.

Sometimes, when I see something new, I have to smack myself in the head and think: "Why didn't I think of that?" Remember the old V8 Juice commercials? I just heard about one of these and It's the X-Power1 USB Rechargeable Battery Backup Cable from Xmultiple.

It looks like a USB charging cable swallowed a AA battery. What's inside is a lithium-ion battery with more capacity than built into any current iPhone or iPod. Using this cable, sync or charge your device while the internal cable battery charges. It will take about 3 hours to fully charge. Then when your device runs out of juice, plug in the cable and get power while you charge your device's battery.

I spoke with Alan Pocrass, the CEO of Xmultiple, and found that the information now circulating around the Internet is wrong. If you've already read something about the product, that information was based on a production prototype that will not be be built. The publicity picture is also inaccurate. The cable will work with iPhones, iPod touches and USB-charging iPods only, so earlier iPod owners (those that charge via Firewire) are out of luck.

Keep reading for more specifications...

"My iPhone's been draining awfully fast since I installed 3.0," I commented to a fellow TUAW blogger just a few days after the release of the iPhone 3.0 firmware. At first, I wanted to think it was my phone. But, my iPhone 3G wasn't even 90 days old at the time of the observation and I'd been able to keep it on standby for several days before it needed a charge. Now, I could barely make it through a 10-hour workday before rushing out to the car to hook it up to a power source.

Aaron Vronko of RapidRepair says that this isn't an isolated incident. The iPhone 3G may now deplete its energy supply in roughly two hours, and the first generation iPhone lasts less than a day. Vronko tells Macworld that the cause is most likely push notification placing a drain on the battery's reserves. The issue has also led to complaints on Apple's support forums.

I've definitely noticed the difference. If I leave myself logged into BeeJive IM while I'm at work, my phone drains much faster than it does if I'm logged out. Regular push mail notification from MobileMe doesn't affect the battery level all that much, even with the high volume of e-mail I receive through TUAW. So, to save on the battery for now, I'm avoiding the push applications as much as I can if I don't have a charger within reach.

Vronko believes that the 3.1 release will solve the battery issues.

[Via MacNN]

The cut, copy, and paste features (finally) included in version 3.0 of the iPhone OS greatly improve the productivity of the iDevices. However, there is room for improvement. Enter Erich Bratton with his clipboard manager app, Snippets, available now in the iTunes App Store [iTunes link].

Snippets offers a way to organize bits of text that can be accessed quickly to paste into emails, text messages, notes, and other places. The clips can be categorized into a number of pre-determined or user-created folders as well. To help get new users comfortable, the app comes with a variety of canned responses and other text pieces, some of which are hysterical.

The real power of Snippets lies in the ability to paste or create text in the app for later use. Think of it as boilerplates for your iPhone. If you find yourself writing similar things over and over, simply create an entry in Snippets. When you need to write that same text next time, visit the Snippets app first, view the desired text block (which automatically copies it to the clipboard), and then paste it into whatever app you'd like. It really couldn't be much simpler.

The canned responses included with Snippets are worth its price of $.99 alone, in this blogger's opinion. But even if you are wittier than I and appreciate original pieces of text, Snippets is a great app with a very easy-to-use interface that I plan to use again and again. In fact, I might just start using it to write some generic paragraphs that I can use in every review. What a time-saver!

Taking a holiday drive with the music blaring is a very American thing to do, but getting your iPod or iPhone to take part has often caused a world of confusion and crude jury-rigged solutions.

Apple has reported that 90% of all current cars are iPod/iPhone enabled, but I have never met anyone who bought one of those cars, so this short article will give you an overview of what's left for the rest of us.

There have been many ideas slung around on how to best integrate your car stereo with an iPod or iPhone. Some time ago we covered a 'complete solution to iPhone car integration. The solutions provided in the referenced iLounge article tells of many combinations of power adapters, FM transmitters, Bluetooth earpieces etc. But that's not the best way.

There is a much more elegant (if expensive) way of doing it, and I would like to scratch the surface on that topic.

On June 29, 2007, Apple and AT&T released the iPhone for $600 to crowded stores throughout the United States. A whole lot has changed in the iPhone-world in just 2 short years. The 1.0 software is just a distant memory, and looking back I'm a little surprised how limited the original iPhone was at release. I thought for the 2-year anniversary, we could take a little walk down memory lane and see how far things have come.

Apple announced the iPhone at Macworld in January 2007, explicitly stating they were doing it because otherwise the FCC would have outed them. Cingular/AT&T was named as the exclusive carrier. The phone would cost $600, which was a completely unsubsidized price.

Do you have Pre-envy due to the Touchstone and wireless charging capabilities? Well, good news then. A company called WildCharge has stepped in to give you similar charging capabilities with your original iPhone or iPod touch. The bundle is just shy of $80 and includes the charging pad and a gel skin that needs to be attached to your phone. Once installed, just lay your phone on the pad and get your charge on.

The skin unfortunately adds an unsightly hump at the base where the dock connector is, but that may be a small price to pay if you really need your iPhone charged sans wires.

The iPod touch version is available now with the iPhone version coming next month.