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Gigaware dongle brings HD Radio to iPod touch and iPhone for $80

by Darren Murph posted Nov 9th 2009 @ 12:29PM

Up until now, there have been just two ways to get HD Radio in a portable, handheld solution: buy a Zune HD, or opt for Insignia's NS-HD01. As of today, Gigaware is changing all that, and it's hoping to give HD Radio a kick in the pants by opening it up to every single iPod touch and iPhone user in the US. iBiquity's own HD Radio module has been tucked neatly inside the clickwheel dongle you see above, giving any iPhone / iPod touch with iPhone OS 3.0 (or greater) the ability to listen to HD Radio and FM stations in their area. The (now available) adapter itself sells for $79.99 exclusively at RadioShack, while the accompanying app -- which sports a manual tune wheel or auto-seek option, social network integration, bookmarks and iTunes Tagging -- is available to download free of charge. It's a novel idea, sure, but something tells us the limited availability and lofty price tag will keep it from selling like gangbusters.

Gallery: Gigaware dongle brings HD Radio to iPod touch and iPhone for $80

Continue reading Gigaware dongle brings HD Radio to iPod touch and iPhone for $80

Nokia, Samsung, Toshiba and Sony align on Mobile High-Definition Link

by Darren Murph posted Sep 29th 2009 @ 10:19AM

Say it with us now: "Yippee!" Why such joviality? We'll tell you why. Nokia, Samsung, Toshiba, Sony and Silicon Image have all teamed up to create yet another new connector, with this one hoping to forever harmonize the strained relationship between mobile phones / PMPs and high-def displays. The so-called Mobile High-Definition Interface Working Group is seeking to create a new "industry standard" for connecting handsets and other portable consumer electronics to HDTVs and displays, though we're still wondering why exactly we need a replacement for HDMI, DisplayLink and the forthcoming Light Peak so soon. As with most of these things, details about the actual product(s) are slim, but trust us, they're working on it. And they're working hard.

MicroSD-to-USB Mobidapter is a smartphone's best friend

by Darren Murph posted May 21st 2009 @ 3:26AM

Okay, so maybe it's just a microSD-equipped smartphone's best friend, but you get the idea. Unlike traditional [insert flash format here]-to-USB adapters, Elan's Mobidapter provides a direct bridge from your microSD slot to your external USB hard drive. The result? Dead simple phone backups and file transfers, all without the use of a PC in the middle. Elan asserts that the currently unpriced device will begin shipping in mid-June, and if you're still baffled about how this thing operates, check the yawn-inducing demonstration vid after the break.

Continue reading MicroSD-to-USB Mobidapter is a smartphone's best friend

Scosche Passport FireWire-to-USB iPod adapter gets reviewed

by Darren Murph posted Nov 21st 2008 @ 8:36AM

Okay, so this adapter doesn't directly convert a FireWire 400 socket into a USB port, but for all intents and purposes here, it does as much. You see, Scosche's Passport was designed to channel the energy from older FireWire-based iPod charging gear into the USB prongs that the newer iPhone / iPods only accept. Macworld was able to get ahold of one for review, and in testing, it found that everything worked well when toying with new iPods, and while it was designed specifically for in-car applications, critics found that it even worked (albeit inelegantly) with dock-cradle accessories. Was it worth $30? Absolutely, so long as you'd rather burn $30 than replace that mess of wires you've got behind the dashboard (and you would).

MOGO Wireless signal booster claims to bag bars for your phone

by Joshua Topolsky posted Jan 6th 2008 @ 7:14AM

Ladies and gentlemen -- having connection trouble with your mobile phone? Wishing for more, more, and still more bars in your tiny little LCD display? Well, perhaps the good people at MOGO (not to be confused with Newton, the MoGo mouse-makers) might be able to help. The company has recently introduced a wireless cellular signal amplifier which claims to step up your 800MHz and 1900MHz signals into the stratosphere. Your hard-spent $149 will supposedly garner you an extra two bars and fewer dropped calls on your AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Alltel, or Verizon phone. In our humble experience, you can't really bet on a magic solution for improved signal strength, short of purchasing your mobile provider outright, investing in new towers, then making sure they end up close to your favorite hang-out spots... which we've done a number of times.

Genuine Apple headset adapter on the cheap

by Sean Cooper posted Jul 18th 2007 @ 3:52AM

Need an adapter and don't want to shell out big bucks to pick one up? Apparently Apple's own iPod Shuffle Sport Case includes an adapter that fits the bill --and iPhone's slender port -- perfectly. Of course, the value add here is that these fellas are all but discontinued, so if you are speedy, you can likely gank one on eBay for under a dollar plus shipping. But hurry up, when the sellers catch word, there is no doubt that price will skyrocket.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Peripheral vision

by Sean Cooper posted Jul 16th 2007 @ 7:55PM

Peripherals for the iPhone started with a trickle at Apple and AT&T bricks and mortar stores, but are now building to a deluge as the handsets find there way into pockets across the nation. We thought in this "case" it would be somehow "fitting" (see what we did there? two puns in a row, we are off to an illustrious start) that the inaugural Peripheral Vision features what most users will likely grab first: cases, cases and more cases. Of course, we had to pitch in at least one non case-related item and found a sweet adapter that's "Shure" to fit the bill.

Continue reading Peripheral vision

Belkin's iPhone accessory salmagundi now shipping

by Darren Murph posted Jul 3rd 2007 @ 9:23AM

What better way to cap off a recent $600 or so purchase than to spend even more money accessorizing it? The myriad of Belkin wares we spoke of a short time ago has hit the market just in time to grab your attention (and dough), and users itching to wrap their precious toy up in a clear acrylic case ($29.99), armband ($29.99), or slim-fit holster ($29.99) can now pick up any of the three. Additionally, a number of 3.5-millimeter stereo cables and headphone adapters are also available, but they aren't likely to perform any differently than the bargain variety already out there. Check 'em all out here in glorious high-resolution.

[Via I4U]

Hands-on with Belkin's iPhone Headphone Adapter

by Chris Ziegler posted Jul 1st 2007 @ 9:29AM

First, a disclaimer: this is a peripheral no one wants, but many will need. The Belkin Headphone Adapter for the iPhone simply allows you to do what you should be able to do without any adapter whatsoever -- plug in a plain ol' set of headphones. This was a pretty clear-cut play on Apple's part to give itself and official accessory manufacturers some license to further scar our already irreparably damaged wallets, and frankly, we're bitter that we had to buy it for a stiff $9.95. But yeah, whatever, let's get on to the good stuff.

Continue reading Hands-on with Belkin's iPhone Headphone Adapter

BMW warms up to Apple's iPhone

by Darren Murph posted Jun 29th 2007 @ 6:17PM

Nearly three years ago to the day, BMW announced that you could "iPod your BMW." Today, that same luxury is being passed onto Apple's latest handheld device. According to an admittedly brief introduction page at BMW, the automaker has proclaimed that it is indeed the first to ensure that iPhone owners can look forward to seamless integration of music playback and handsfree Bluetooth calling "across its model line." Beginning today, BMW whips equipped with BMW Assist with Bluetooth can enjoy handsfree calling in their ride, and those with the iPod / USB interface can control the iPod functions of the iPhone via built-in vehicle controls and view the track / album information on your radio (or navigation system, we presume). BMW notes that "further details" will be available soon, and with any luck, a few more automakers will follow suit in the near future.

[Thanks, Alex]

UPDATE: Check out the first hands-on report as a user introduces his 8GB iPhone to a 2007 328xi. "Fully functional" says it all.