If you’ve ever lost the music on your device, then you know the pain of wondering why in the world you weren’t able to back this stuff up a little better. It takes forever to get everything synch’d back together with normal methods.

CopyTrans4 helps transfer music between locations 16x faster and doesn’t get duplicates inserted into the mix when they shouldn’t be there in the first place. CopyTrans4 doesn’t just recover the files themselves, but also protects the loss of all the meta data that goes along with your music like album artwork, play lists and iTunes tags like Play Count and Date Added.

For those of you with an iPhone, iPod or iPod Touch that would like to get your hands on a copy of the CopyTrans4 software and will also let us know what you think, just leave a message in the comments below. I’ve got some free licenses for our readers as long as they last.

Post from: EveryJoe

CopyTrans4 – Make Your iPod Manageable

These parking meters are more than just wireless enabled to let you pay and reserve them. They’re also hooked to a network of sensors for the parking spaces so the parking network knows what spaces are available and when they’ll be available.

You can access the network from your iPhone or other smart phone or wireless device and determine if there are parking spaces available in the area you’re needing to visit. This kind of knowledge might encourage you to visit at a different time of day.

The network also allows the city to change the parking rate depending on volume needs and different times of the day.

Doug questioned whether or not Indianapolis would ever install these because of the revenue that would be lost on people being able to more easily put more money in the meter wirelessly. However, the San Francisco network discovered that there was significant money lost to people risking not paying for parking and not getting caught.

As these networks become more widely available, it’s not much of a stretch for companies like Garmin and TomTom to integrate this information and functionality into their GPS devices don’t you think?

Post from: EveryJoe

A Wireless Digital Parking Meter Network

Anyway, the movie is all about the social structure of high school and believe it or not, the movie isn’t that bad. And since it grossed over 129 million bucks, I guess Paramount decided to ring this title for all it’s worth since they’ve released Mean Girls: High School Showdown – an Apple app – for your iPhone or iPod Touch for the low, low introductory price of $.99.

Since Santa hasn’t brought me either an iPhone or and iPod Touch, I haven’t played this game but I find myself wondering why you would want to?

You choose from four different character types – slacker, nerd, rebel or art freak – and then try to rule North Shore High. As if I real high school wasn’t bad enough for most people.

Then again, it is only $.99.

Image|Paramount

Post from: EveryJoe

Mean Girls for Your iPhone

Coupons and Promo Codes

The following web sites offer you access to printable coupons that you can take to the retailer in person, as well as coupon and promo codes that you can use when shopping online.

1. Coupon Sherpa: Find coupons for thousands of retailers. Deals and coupons are tested to make sure that they work. Coupon Sherpa even has an iPhone app that you can use, allowing you to present your iPhone to the cashier to scan the barcode. Shipping deadlines for Christmas delivery are also offered, so that you know whether your gift will make it on time.
2. RetailMeNot: This is a full-on community where you can find coupons and promo codes, as well as get money saving tips from other members. Sign up for the coupon email service, and have popular money-savers delivered to your inbox.
3. CouponWinner.com: Compare different deals from up to five retailers with the Coupon Scout. You can find these coupons according to category. Another great coupon site is Coupon Shoebox.
4. Alex’s Coupons: If you want to do a little good while you shop, you can get coupon codes through Alex’s Coupons. This site donates money to fight childhood cancer. Your use of these codes actually provides money for charity.

Getting the Lowest Price

If you are interested in the lowest prices on a variety of items, these web sites can help you find exactly what you’re looking for.

5. PriceGrabber.com: This popular web site allows you to compare prices from several merchants at once. You can also sign up for email alerts on deals related to preferred products and brands. Read reviews as well.
6. Dealio.com: Use downloadable tools to help you locate low online prices, as well as visit the web site to compare prices on different projects. You can also get coupon codes for products that you are looking for.
7. Google Product Search: This used to be Froogle, but people didn’t really get it. Now, it is a little easier to make the connection. While you won’t see things like a shopping guide on the Google Product Search, you will find straightforward information and reviews. And you can even use an option to help you find products at local stores.

Deals

Instead of just looking for lower prices, you can visit sites that offer you the inside scoop on the hot deals happening right now. Visit these deal sites to scoop up something amazing today — something that might not be there tomorrow.

8. CheapToday.com: See the latest deals for today, and when they expire. You can also get an idea of how big a discount you are getting. The focus, though, is mainly on apparel and accessories.
9. dealnews.com: Hordes of deal hunters watch for the hottest deals on the hottest products. Like CheapToday, the deals are hand picked and updated throughout the day. You can sign up for alerts, and feel confident knowing that dealnews bans stores with poor customer service.
10. DealsofAmerica: If you are into electronics, this is the place to go. Find the latest discounts on technology and gadgets, get coupon codes and get email alerts.
11. Gift Card Granny: This site aggregates discounted gift cards. Gift cards go for less than their remaining balance as retailers and private parties alike try to get rid of them. Makes a great gift — or a great way for you to get more for less.
12. FreeShipping.org: Save money on shipping by heading to this site for discount codes on free shipping at nearly 1,900 retailers.

Image source: Crunchbase

Post from: EveryJoe

12 Web Sites to Help You Find Holiday Deals

Next Mobile Web is a company that wants to change this experience and as such they have a product called Dial Zero which contains a database of various workarounds on hundreds of companies. Instead of listening to annoying recorded voice, the application helps you to cut through directly to the person.

Dial Zero contain over 600 companies on their database which allows you to click on the company, display its main phone number, description of how to reach an operator or agent directly, and comments from other people as well. These comments include tips on refunds, canceling of subscription, account verification, etc. Dial Zero would allow you to dial in and go directly to the operator or agent.

This application is available on three platforms namely iPhone, Android, Blackberry. Next Mobile Web would also be offering this application on your desktop soon.

Below is how the tool looks like in iPhone:

This is how it looks like in Blackberry:

Lastly, this is your Dial Zero desktop application:

I think this is a very cool and handy application to have that could help boost your productivity by getting what you want in a shorter time period. Also, the tips on getting refunds and other perks from other users can prove useful in this economic state we are in.

Go ahead and download your Dial Zero application here – Dial Zero from Next Mobile Web.

Image from Next Mobile Web.

Post from: EveryJoe

Quick and Fast Way of Dialing Customer Service

Image courtesy of Rowmote.com

The first one is Rowmote Pro from Evan Schoenberg. It’s a remote for the Mac and Apple TV. What I really like about this is that it adds a wireless mouse and keyboard functionality. You can press a button that toggles it from a simple application remote to a wirless mouse and keyboard. There’s a virtual trackpad that you can use as mouse and when you want to start typing, shake the iPhone/iPod Touch and the keyboard pops out. You can start typing away.

In remote mode, the Rowmote functions the same way as the Apple remote (hardware) in apps such as iTunes, DVD Player, Finder, VLC, etc.

There’s the non-pro version which is basically just the remote sans the wireless mouse and keyboard. That’s only $.99.

You’ll need to download the companion remote software for your Mac. This runs in the background and it’s unobtrusive.

Cost: $4.99

Image courtesy of Hobbyist Software

My next favorite remote app is the VLC remote from Hobbyist Software. I watch a lot of videos on my computer. Most of the time I do this while eating lunch or dinner. Since I don’t want to eat very near my laptop this remote app comes in really handy. I could live with Rowmote but the VLC remote is such a great app that I find that I use this a lot more for watching videos on VLC.

I like the fact that I can browse through my folders and look for the file I want to view using this app. Adjust the volume, scrub the timeline of the video, toggle full-screen on and off and other features. This is truly an essential app for someone who uses VLC a lot.

Cost $2.99

Image courtesy of On One Software

The third remote on my list is OnOne Software’s DSLR Camera Remote Professional Edition. I’ve been looking for a good wireless remote setup for my DSLR. Due to certain restrictions, I find it hard to handle an SLR and I want to learn studio photography so this is a good solution.

You hook up your DSLR to your laptop and the Camera Remote uses WiFi to control your camera’s shutter. Depending on your camera model it can be as simple as a remote shutter which lets you preview the image on your iPhone or iPod Touch or as much as getting a live preview of your shots as well as the ability to adjust settings on your camera. It’s truly a great piece of software. There are some bugs and kinks but I trust that it will be remedied in the coming versions.

It is quite expensive and probably not for everyone. There’s a lite version that’s a lot cheaper but as the saying goes “Go for broke!”. That’s what I did.

Cost $12.99

Turning your iPhone or iPod Touch to a remote of sorts is definitely fun. It’s great to have this much power over your gadgets on the palm of your hand.

Post from: EveryJoe

Remote, Remote, Remote

But I had a different perspective when I first held an iPhone in my hand, deep inside I wanted to have one but didn’t go ahead and get myself an iPhone because after much research, I could not use .NET to program in iPhone.

The gate seemed to open when Novell announced on Monday about a kit for developers that would allow them to build Apple iPhone and Apple iPod touch applications using Microsoft .NET skills. The current programming language of iPhone is C or Objective-C language.

Novell has a technology called MonoTouch 1.0 which is a commercial software development kit which allow developers to utilize codes and libraries written for .Net and programming languages such as C#.

Miguel de Icaza who is the vice president of the developer platform at Novell says that both C# and .Net are more productive development environments than the native language of iPhone, Objective-C.

Novell expect that applications that would be developed using their platform would range from productivity applications to LOB, health care, and games. Developers and software vendors would be able to sell their product line into the iPhone market.

MonoTouch is a powerful platform which include compilers, libraries, and tools which integrate with the Apple iPhone SDK. Novell’s product uses the “Ahead of time” compilation approach instead of the widely known Just In Time Compiler (otherwise known as JIT).

The MonoTouch definitely brings a huge set of developers to the iPhone phenomenon especially when .NET developers are in the 5 million population range.

Everything looks good on the MonoTouch and this would definitely convince me to buy an iPhone; there’s one problem though, the MonoTouch Enterprise Edition is priced at $ 999 USD for a one-year subscription. That is huge and given that the MonoTouch is way too late in the game since thousands of applications have already been built, 999 USD is huge. If you are a software company that is fine but if you are an individual developer, you better have the time to create a kick ass application to get an ROI for the subscription.

Image from Ultra-Case.

Post from: EveryJoe

.NET Development for iPhone, At Last

In the “yes” column: iTunes 9.0. Full-length album download format. Facebook & Twitter integration in iTunes. Lower iPod prices. Whole new iPod Nano with built-in video camera, FM radio tuner, microphone, speaker, pedometer, available today.

And all this under the long-awaited return of Steve Jobs.

Let’s break it down.

iTunes

iTunes got a major upgrade today in the form of iTunes 9.0, which sports a clean, fully redesigned interface and tons of enhancements both big and small:

• The big news is iTunes LP (the project formerly code-named Cocktail), a snazzy new format for downloading entire albums. Purchase a full album that’s LP-enabled and in addition to all the songs, you get full lyrics, photography, liner notes, videos, and other “extras” similar to what you might get on a DVD.
• Similar to iTunes LP is iTunes Extras, additional interactive content and “DVD Extras”-style features for downloadable movies.
• Greatly hyped was the new ability to manage iPhone/iPod Touch Apps from inside iTunes. This is something users have been begging for, for years: the ability to reorganize how Apps are displayed on your home screen.
• Genius Mix is a new function that culls together music from your playlist in a never-ending stream of like-minded songs, like your own personal radio station.
• Home Sharing lets you copy any media from one version of iTunes in your house to any other version of iTunes in your house — on up to 5 computers.
• Twitter and Facebook have been integrated with iTunes at last, thanks to little arrows next to the “Buy” button on each song, that let you do more than just buy: you can add a song to a wishlist, gift a song to someone else, or microblog about a song on Facebook and Twitter.

iPod

There was less unveiled here than everyone seemed to be hoping for, with the biggest news being the new model iPod Nano. The Nano, which Apple says is the “most popular music player in the world,” now comes with a built-in video camera, a built-in FM radio tuner, a pedometer that can be synced to Nike’s popular workout software, a microphone, and even a speaker — a first for a non-Touch iPod. Two models are available: an 8GB version for $149, and a 16GB version for $179. They come in nine high-gloss colors.

The iPod Touch saw no major enhancements, but got a price drop down to $199 for the 8GB version, $299 for 32GB, and $399 for the new 64GB version.

The iPod Classic did not get discontinued, as some had speculated it might. Instead it also got a bump up in capacity, from 120GB up to 160GB, but the price remains the same: $249.

The iPod Shuffle was another device some thought might end up on the chopping block, but it ain’t so. The device itself got no major improvements but Apple announced that new and different kinds of headphones will soon become available for the Shuffle, all with the Shuffle’s controller built into their connector cord. Five new colors were introduced for the Shuffle, which sells for $59 (2GB) and $79 (4GB). A special edition brushed stainless steel version was also shown off.

iPhone

Not to be left out, the iPhone got a little love today as well, in the form of iPhone OS 3.1, which adds the Genius function to Apps, to recommend Apps you’d like based on ones you’ve already bought. Also included is the ability to buy and download Ringtones right from your iPhone for $1.29 a pop. Apple claims to have 30,000 Ringtones available from all four major record labels. OS 3.1 is a free download that’s available today.

Looks like that’s about it, kiddies. The fabled iPad tablet remains exactly that: a fable. The Beatles catalog won’t see the light of day for a while, if ever. But we have a whole new iTunes and some mild upgrades to the various iPod models.

So are you excited by what Apple showed off today? Or was it too much hype and not enough action?

Images: Apple Inc.

Post from: EveryJoe

Apple lowers iPod prices, unveils iTunes 9

What you’re looking at is an alarm clock, digital photo frame, and iPod/iPhone dock all in one oh-so-sleek package. It sports a 7″ color LCD screen, 1GB of memory, and a retractable iPod/iPhone dock. (That last bit seems strange — an Apple-products dock, from Sony? don’t they remember they make their own media players and smart phones? — but I shan’t argue with such a handsome package.)

Sony’s ICF-CL75iP (yuck, what a mouthful) will display images culled from a USB connection, or via whatever’s stored on your docked iPod/iPhone. It will play both music and video, it comes with a built-in FM/AM tuner, and customizable options for whatever kind of sound you want it to wake you with.

Sadly, it’s not a touchscreen, but then again, I can see that going bad if you wanted to hit the snooze bar and the snooze bar was part of the touchscreen. Most of us would destroy the screen after a single night. Instead, there’s a nice, big snooze bar up on top, and about a dozen other buttons sprinkled throughout to take care of all your tasks and settings. Plus, there’s that awesome retractable iPod/iPhone dock that sliiiiides out on the right side, or disappears back in if you don’t need it.

The ICF-CL75iP is expected to arrive around the beginning of October with a pricetag somewhere in the $200 range. I can’t imagine ever spending that much money on an alarm clock, but then… when I stare lovingly at this thing and the drool slips past my lips, my wallet seems to want to open all by itself…

Source: Sony Insider.

Image: Sony Electronics Inc.

Post from: EveryJoe

Best. Alarm clock. Ever.

Image: Apple

If you use either, you’ll want to get a few accessories so you don’t damage your phone along the way.

First, a screen card is a must. This helps prevent scratches and cracks. Of course, it isn’t full proof but you will have more leeway in banging your iphone or rubbing it against a metal bar.

Second, you need workout headphones. The default iHeadphones just don’t do the job. They fall out of your ears all the time.

Third, you need a rubber skin for your iPhone in case it falls. This will stop too much shock from a long fall.

Fourth, get an arm band or some way to secure your phone while you workout so it doesn’t drop while you’re on the bench or moving around.

Both the iPhone and iTouch work great for workouts, but you do need to be diligent in handling them – especially the phone. The benefit of the phone is that you can connect to the web while working out and access any song on YouTube. On the other hand, a touch is better suited for a workout as you won’t receive any interruptions in the way of phone calls or texts while working out.

Post from: EveryJoe

iPhone While Your Workout?