You were looking for a laugh to start your Columbus Day / Canadian Thanksgiving Day / etc. off, weren't you? Consider yourself lucky. OLO Computer is reportedly thinking of bringing to market a netbook-styled device that would actually enable (require?) users to plop their iPhone / iPhone 3G into the palm rest; from there, the handset would act as the brains of the operation and double as a trackpad. At the present time, there are no real specifications to speak of -- just a zany teaser page and lots of speculation. We shouldn't have to remind you what an epic failure the whole "cellphone companion" sector has been, as one look at Palm's axed Foleo and the deeply discounted Celio REDFLY should be explanation enough. Hey, we're not trying to discourage you from giving this a go, OLO, but we'd probably have a backup plan ready to roll in case Apple itself drops a netbook on the world in the next 48 hours.

[Via Liliputing]

Read - Official teaser page
Read - Netbook-style clamshell for iPhone is coming

Just over a month after surfacing in Preview form, Mark/Space has loosed the finalized version of The Missing Sync for Symbian on the world. Yes, Mac lovers, this means you can now get your beloved computer to play nice with your Sony Ericsson, Motorola or Nokia-based S60 / UIQ handset. There's even a swank Proximity Syncing feature that enables your mobile and Mac to exchange hellos (and sync, obviously) whenever they are within Bluetooth (around 30-feet) range. The download is available now for $39.95, while packs with more licenses are available for $169.79 and up. Who's game to give it a go and confess whether or not it was worth the coin?

[Via TUAW]

This one's been available for a tick, but ivyskin's brilliant new iPhone case is just too marvelous to ignore. The Xylo Touch-Thru (T2) claims to be the first case to put a hard shell atop the iPhone's touch panel which can remain in place as you check your email, respond to a SMS or dial up the local pizza joint. By utilizing Surface Xylo Wave technology, ultrasonic waves are able to permeate through to the display without interference, allowing users to simultaneously keep their precious panel protected 'round the clock while not inhibiting their ability to touch and feel. Not a bad investment for $34.99, eh?

Apple unveiled an update to its .Mac package of subscription online apps today. Most notably, .Mac now integrates with the just-announced iPhoto '08, offering synchronization between iPhoto and a web-based online gallery viewable "in any browser you like" (we should certainly hope so!). Oh, and it integrates with the iPhone, too, via a new "Send to Web Gallery" feature on the phone that -- you guessed it -- will upload pics snapped with the handset straight to your online gallery. The synchronization is two-way, meaning that other folks can upload pics straight to your gallery and they'll sync with the iPhone as well. Videos don't get left out of the equation, either; Web Galleries and the iPhone will both support 'em. Think you'll need more capacity to handle video, though? No worries -- the service now includes 10GB of storage with 100GB of monthly transfer (2.5GB / 25GB for family pack sub-accounts), which'll be available "within a week" according to Apple, with optional upgrades of 10GB and 20GB on deck. Price stays the same: $99.95 per year.

Trust us, the irony of someone needing to sync an Apple device through Windows that's running on a Mac is glaringly obvious, but hey, some folks just can't escape Outlook no matter how hard they try. Nevertheless, the new Parallels Desktop beta (which is available now) does add iPhone support in Windows XP and Vista along with a newly fortified Image Tool / Explorer and coherence windows that now work with Expose. Of course, you should recognize that this stuff is indeed still in beta, but if you're the daring (or overly trusting) type, feel free to hit the read link and get your download on.

[Via AppleInsider]

The Missing Sync, the near-ubiquitous peace pipe that lets Windows Mobile devices play nice (and by "play nice" we mean "sync") with Macs, has just been upped to version 4. That in itself isn't huge news -- the new version offers up support for videos, call logs, and text messages -- but what is huge news is that the product now features Windows Mobile 6 support. That's great news for the ever-growing contingent of folks rocking Wings, upgraded Dashes and Treo 750s (and hopefully Blackjacks in the not-too-distant future) who dare to span the Microsoft-Apple divide.

[Via TUAW]

Those hankering for more streamlined file access on the iPhone will still have to test their patience a bit longer, but here's something to tide you over. The Telekinesis application enables users to "remotely access their Mac through a collection of mini web apps on their phone," essentially allowing any iPhone user to tunnel into their home Mac and take control. More specifically, it enables screen capturing, iTunes control, Home directory browsing, iSight image captures, and even the ability to run AppleScripts remotely. Just a heads-up, however, that this software is still listed as Alpha, which means that things are more likely to go wrong than right when trying it out. If you're courageous enough to give it a whirl, though, be sure to let the gunshy know how things went in comments.

[Via TUAW]

Just as agreements between Apple and O2 have evidently been inked, it seems that the BBC may be ready to introduce the first big iPhone app in the not too distant future. A recent promotional video for the forthcoming iPlayer -- a software client that allows users to download and view episodes or entire series of BBC television programming on their devices -- actually shows an interface working on an iPhone. The application was originally designed to work on PCs (and Macs, eventually), but the surprisingly lengthy demonstration (seen after the jump) on Apple's handset certainly makes you wonder what's in store.

[Thanks, Chris S.]

iSync's all well and good for the basics, but until now, Mac users have been left without a factory-supported option for transferring the good stuff -- music, pics, and apps -- from their phones to their computers and back. Enter Media Transfer, which (as the name implies) readily handles transfers between Macs and a variety of Nseries handsets via USB or Bluetooth. iTunes (only DRM-free files, including iTunes Plus), pictures, and video are all supported; the software tries to convert pretty much anything you can throw at it into a format your phone will support. Hit the link to see if the Nokia of your choice is compatible during the don't-blame-us-if-it's-buggy beta period, but be forewarned: if you don't sport an Nseries, don't even bother, 'cause your device ain't in the list yet (we're looking straight at you, E62 owners).

[Via textually.org]

Okay, so we've heard using an Apple Remote whilst trying to fool no one into believing it's an iPhone, but apparently, the patent pumpers in Cupertino are getting serious about executing that equation in reverse. According to a recent filing, Apple engineers explain how a mysterious "mobile phone" could be used to control your Mac (and specific applications like iTunes) via built-in Bluetooth, and the wording even mentions specific software that would be tailored to the Mac and handset in order to make it all happen. More specifically, consumers could "use the directional controls on the mobile phone to change listing volume, skip forward and backward, play / pause, etc.," and while no mention of the forthcoming iPhone is directly made, the allusion here is fairly clear.

[Via The Raw Feed]

Hear ye, hear ye, Mac faithful: your definitive BlackBerry solution has arrived. Mark/Space has just completed its beta cycle for Missing Sync's BlackBerry variant and it's available to buy. Besides the obvious sync capabilities, the product adds a couple nifty features like iTunes synchronization and charging via USB (nice). Get it for $40 now -- or, if you're migrating from another Missing Sync version and tossing that Windows Mobile device, just $20.

[Via TUAW]

For the several Mac users that still give two flips about their BlackBerrys in light of yesterday's events, rejoice: a (hopefully) superior sync solution is near. The Missing Sync, long a staple of those turncoats rolling deep with Windows Mobile devices on their Macs, is getting ready for its coming-out party in BlackBerry form later this quarter. Virtually all BlackBerrys will be compatible with the package, and Pearls will even get to rock some iTunes (sans protected music). Gear up to grab 'er in the next few weeks for $40.

[Via TUAW]

While the Wintel crowd has been enjoying that Rev. A speediness for some time now (in certain locales, at least), the Mac faithful have been fairly well shut out up until now. Thanks to Sprint and Sierra Wireless, all that changes today, as the Seirra AirCard 595 PC Card now works in OS X 10.4 or later. The free Watcher Lite 1.0 software is currently available from Sierra's website, but before you go dashing out to pick up a card, you will still need a Windows-based machine to activate the device or have it pre-activated before heading into your Mac. Furthermore, don't plan on utilizing that ExpressCard slot either, as the only supported card thus far rocks a PCMCIA interface. Nah, Macworld hasn't hit full swing just yet, but this news is a real fine way to get things rolling.

It seems almost criminal that Mac users have been thus far denied the basic human right to tether the immensely popular BlackBerry 8700 series devices to their Macbooks, but thanks to a little elbow grease, determination, and nearly $700 in cold, hard cash, the world's wrongs have been righted. An intrepid character by the name of Daniel Pasco has claimed the bounty offered by Alex King, challenging folks to come up with a solution for using an 8700 as a Mac OS X compatible modem. So far, Mr. Pasco's solution has apparently been verified with the 8700g on T-Mobile and the 8703e on Verizon and Sprint, though we imagine Cingular's would work just the same. In the short term, it looks like the rough cut of the software will be available only to people that had contributed to the reward, but the solution will hopefully find its way into the public domain down the road.

[Via TUAW]