I know it's practically heresy to say so, but I don't have an iPhone, as much as I'd like one. Verizon service is just a better option for me right now. Synchronizing data between my Samsung SCH-u740 and my computer, though, is right up there with "getting a root canal" in terms of painlessness.

I was eager, thus, to try FoneLink from Nova Media, which promised a much more Mac-like user experience than the venerable (but ugly) BitPim.

FoneLink allows you to synchronize saved data between your phone and your Mac, including photos, video, music, contacts, and SMS messages. You can also create ringtones from unprotected audio files, and (with this new version) dial a number or send a text message from the Mac.

My hopes were dashed, sadly, as it doesn't support my phone. It does support many others, however, from Nokia, Samsung, Motorola, and SonyEricsson.

FoneLink 2.1.1 is available in English, French and German, is universal binary, and works with Mac OS X 10.4.9 or higher. It's $33.57 for a single license, and multiple license discounts are available. Finally, you can download a free demo and give it a try.

What do the authors of Grand Theft Auto IV think about Apple users? Tossers. (Warning: definition link NSFW). They've embedded a brilliant Apple parody into one of the Internet cafe computers in the game.

Among other points, they take down Apple (called "Fruit") for being overpriced minimalism. A white shiny unit, superficially similar to the "i" sits next to a near-cinema display and readers are encouraged to "Think Fruit" and live in the Fruit Cocoon.

And if that's not enough, the site advertises a new banana-shaped iFruit phone. Its sales points made me laugh out loud: No buttons, no reception, no storage capacity, all Ego!

Kudos to GTAIV and thanks to Dylan Unutmaz for sending in the links.

Skype, which has become my primary means of communicating with anyone not standing directly in front of me, has updated to version 2.7.0.257 with improvements, changes and a very, very long list of bugfixes.

I'm happy, possibly even thrilled, about an alleged improvement in video stability. If you've ever used the video features, you've probably noticed that, in numerous scenarios, Skype prefers to show up more in your crash logs than on your desktop. I haven't had a chance to fully test out the video portion of this update and the release notes simply refer to it as "improved stability", so I'm hoping for the best.

The 20+ bugfixes, by and large, deal mostly with errors I haven't run into and one grammatical correction to a dialog. Oh, and they fixed the language name for Belarusian, which could potentially appease 9,081,102* people.

Fewer crashes and proper grammar are tantalizing but, as is usually the case, I find the API additions to be the most exciting. The Skype API is AppleScript-able and fairly comprehensive. This update adds more interface access, new voicemail features, and a few intriguing looking options which I'll just have to play with to understand.

It would be nice if the updater built into Skype actually did what the name implies, but for now you'll have to head for the web page and get it yourself. Be sure to check out the release notes.

I don't know if you were on the TUAW Talkcast Aftershow with us last Thursday, but if you were, you would have heard a member of the TUAW staff (who shall remain nameless) saying something very forceful about the iPhone keyboard: "Let's face it-- it sucks."

Yes, for all the "oh, it gets better when you learn it" and "you just have to trust it" comments, it seems that the naughty secret lying in the heart of every iPhone owner out there is that iPhone keyboard is not the easiest to type on. And now Science has confirmed it: a new study says the iPhone's keyboard is two times slower than phones with QWERTY keyboards on them. The study examined people (who didn't own iPhones-- more on that in a second) sending fixed length text messages both on their own phones (half QWERTY and half numeric) and on the iPhone, and QWERTY was the fastest. The iPhone keyboard took twice as long (the numeric keypad took about the same time as the iPhone), and participants had more errors on the iPhone than their own phones.

But iPhone stalwarts, worry not, because that "it gets better when you learn it" excuse still holds true-- none of these people were actually "used" to an iPhone. If we really wanted a completely objective idea of iPhone speed vs. QWERTY (or numeric) speed, we'd have to get an iPhone owner to match up against another owner, both experienced with using their phones. How would that pan out?

Oh, and I should put the TUAW staff member's comment in context-- we were talking about the fact that the iPhone doesn't support using an actual Bluetooth keyboard. Compared to the no-button keyboard on the iPhone, it seems our staffer would rather have a full sized QWERTY keyboard hooked up via Bluetooth any day.

Thanks, Wako!

I'm a little skeptical about this one (who is the Eagle Research Group, and why are they polling people about iPhones and Zunes?) but a new study from the ERG says that a whopping 70% of Zune users are actually planning a switch to the iPhone. And perhaps even more revealing, 36% of Zune users say they never would have bought one if they'd have known Apple would produce something as "ground-breaking" as the iPhone (well, duh).

Of course it's not news that the Zune sucks, and it's definitely not news that the iPhone is a revolutionary little device. But it's an interesting idea that while the Zune has been fighting to stay alive ever since introduction, it might be the iPhone that actually puts it out of its misery.

The social hasn't been quelled yet, though. Of the Zune users keeping their phone, 43% say the reason they don't want an iPhone was the lack of storage space for music (which is kind of an obvious conclusion when you're comparing a phone and a music player, innit?). And 22% of those sticking to the Zune say the reason for doing so was simply an overall dislike of "all things Apple."

[via DF]

As you might have heard, I ended up waiting in line for my iPhone at the Sherman Oaks, CA Apple Store. Yes, I managed to get one on Friday evening (two, in fact) and went with the 8GB variety. I was very excited to get the device and had a great experience in line with my fellow enthusiasts -- even with the long wait. All in all, a very pleasant time with some very interesting people who were just as excited to be there as I was.

Once I got home from the Apple Store, I proceeded through the activation of my iPhone via iTunes. When it got to the screen allowing me to port my existing mobile number over to AT&T, I hesitated, thinking I would play it safe and test out the iPhone a little before committing 100% to AT&T. So, I opted for a new number and went on through the activation process.

However, now that I've had the chance to use the device for a couple days, I will most likely port my number from T-Mobile over to AT&T. I anticipate being able to do that with a minimum of fuss but I will, of course, detail my experiences, good or bad, when I do it tomorrow via the AT&T "Porting Department."

After going through the entire activation process, I received the activation text message from AT&T about ten minutes later and was good to go to make calls, access the Internet via EDGE, etc. So, unlike some others, activation was a painless process for me. Immediately, I went to work on the iPhone. First, I adjusted my settings in iTunes to sync the various information, songs, podcasts, TV shows or movies that I wanted on my iPhone.

German-based Nova Media landed on our radar last year with their iSync plugin that supports more phones than Mac OS X's default set. Not content with mere syncing, however, the company also makes an Address Book plugin, recently updated with more supported models, that allows phones from Nokia and Sony Ericsson to shake hands with Apple's contact manager for all sorts of phone call integration. Sending calls to voicemail, replying via an SMS, logging the call and even starting one are all possible from within Address Book. And while AB supports these operations with the default batch of iSync-supported phones, Nova Media's Address Book plugin enables these operations with a large set of Nokia and Sony Ericsson phones that Apple likely never will support.

Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be a demo available for download, but at roughly $8.50 USD (Euro 6,50), I bet it would be hard to go wrong. After all, I can say from personal experience that $8.50 would be a small price to pay for the satisfying ability of clicking a button in a Mac OS X dialog to send someone directly to voicemail.

Assuming the forthcoming iPhone isn't some tremendous hoax, it appears more details are coming to light. According to Apple Insider, today's China Times says the iPhone design has been "finalized and released to manufacturing". The report suggests the iPhone will include a 2.0-megapixel camera and will debut in late Q1 or early Q2 of 2007.

Thanks Jon

Another day, another analyst claiming to have obtained über-exclusive details on the much-rumored iPhone. This time around it's Prudential Equities, and they claim Apple has not one, but two iPhones planned for an early 2007 release (gee, when could that be). One will be a smart phone with keyboard, video and (duh) music capabilities, while the other will be a straight-up iTunes phone. Oh, and 'one' will have Wi-Fi - though PE leaves us hanging in suspense as to which model could sport such a sought-after mobile phone feature.

I call foul here, primarily because I'm willing to bet information about the iPhone is under lock and key, and leaks are punishable most likely by being drawn & quartered (not to mention that any two-bit analyst can claim anything they want these days - hooray for the Dvorak method). However, one good point I can agree with from this IBS article is that Apple is being very cautious with this product, because mobile phones aren't iPods or personal computers, and there are a lot of new factors and features Apple needs to learn how to juggle in a device like this (let's not forget the most battery-hungry of them all: Wi-Fi). That being the case, I don't think Apple is going to offer multiple models - this is too new a market for them, and these devices are complicated enough without them trying to take on the very heated smart phone industry - for now.

Ultimately, we'll see whether Prudential Equities is bluffing soon enough - January 8th is fast approaching.

[via digg]

Best known for their mice for obvious reasons, MacMice has taken a crack at the VoIP industry (Voice over IP) with the Danger Phone. This strange looking gadget is a low-cost, USB-powered VoIP phone that works on both Mac and PC and is compatible with Skype and any other VoIP service capable of recognizing standard USB phone devices. At a mere $30, it would be hard to go wrong with the Danger Phone to satisfy your VoIP urge.

[via Engadget]

Will the iPod die? Apple's player has dominated the market for a few years now, but it's under ever-increasing attack by competitors new and old. According to this post at For Once And For All!, the iPod isn't going anywhere, and it mostly comes down to the reasons you'd imagine - people don't like change, the iPod is just too cool, and it works well to boot. There's a nod given to the possibility of failure, which is put down to cumbersome DRM and customers not being able to keep up with Apple's hectic schedule of replacing the player every so often.

From my vantage point, on the packed subway cars of the London Underground, I'd say Apple's major competitor isn't who you immediately think of - it's the cellphone companies. Over the last year there's been a noticeable shift among my fellow public transport users from iPods to phones as people look for more (and better) convergence. And phone companies are obliging.

LG, Nokia, Sony Ericsson and more are all pushing music (and photos and movies) as a selling point for their new phones. For a while, I even tried using my Sharp 903 as my sole portable player - I mostly listen to podcasts, so this was definitely a possibility - but the user interface left me cold. If I could find a phone that gave me a decent UI, I'd probably drop my iPod and not look back. (And this is why Apple should get in this market sooner rather than later.) But that's me.

What are you using your iPod for these days, and does it do everything you need it to do? Sound off in the comments.

[Via Digg]

Looks like we might finally have some reliable information regarding the specifics of the long rumored iPhone. MacRumors has posted a description provided by a "reliable MacRumors.com source" of the upcoming device as well as an artists rendition of what the phone might look like. Judge for yourselves, but this certainly strikes me as the first mock-up we've seen that I could really see Apple releasing. The sleek simple design closely follows the look of the 5G iPod line, and it makes sense Apple would take advantage of user familiarity with the interface and the recently announced iPod games. According to the source, the clickwheel will slide down to reveal a standard numeric keypad.

[Thanks Jason Kraus}

Apple's iSync supports a lot of phones (and we don't have time now to get into why it doesn't support all phones), but that support for some phones can be a little wonky - namely Sony Ericssons (and I just happen to own a W800i, one of the victims). For these phones, iSync supports syncing just fine, but Address Book might not be able to talk to the phone for SMS sending or phone number dialing. Enter this article at mobile.feisar.com which offers a simple workaround for fixing this broken support and enabling Address Book with the true Sony Ericsson super powers it deserves.

As an added bonus, the article even offers a download link for Apple's Property List Editor, which I believe is a tool that can only be had by installing the Developer tools from a Mac OS X installation DVD. This simple little app can come in handy, however, for all sorts of file tinkering hints like this one, as well as many from the likes of macosxhints.com.

Check out the mobile.feisar hint to get Address Book working with your somewhat-supported Sony Ericsson phone, and just in case you're getting any ideas: I have no idea if this simple tip can work for other brands/phones, so proceed at your own risk.

JC (yes, the Ungenius guy) at Mac Geekery has used some UNIX tricks to do some digging into the whole 'Dashboard phoning home' topic that's been heating up the Mac web lately. After all is said and done and JC lays out exactly what is happening, he concludes that not only is Mac OS X 10.4.7 not sending any personal data (which we've already been told), but you actually give Apple more data about yourself simply by visiting Apple.com. Here's hoping those worried about Apple trampling their privacy can sleep a little better at night.

As we gear up to launch a study on how long it takes patents like this to actually reach market (if ever), feast your eyes on the latest iPod-related patent that Macsimum News tracked down. Now it apparently isn't from Apple, but that doesn't stop what might be some sort of an iPod accessory from boasting capabilities like iChat AV-esque video chats, acting as a video server and *gasp* we think there's even a mobile phone-like keypad in this shot - make of that what you will. Check out the full patent if you're into that kind of stuff, but don't whip your credit cards out just yet - we still need to get moving on that aforementioned study.


[via Engadget Mobile]