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

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

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

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

Veering away from tradition of having the events on Tuesdays, Apple’s September music event is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept 9, 2009. The venue is yet to be announced but according to the Digital Daily it’s sure to push through.

Apple’s September event is usually a music centered event. Last year saw the launch of iTunes 8 with the Genius feature, the 4th Gen iPod Nano a.k.a Nanochromatic, the 2nd gen iPod Touch. What will Apple pull out of it’s proverbial magic hat this year and will it’s number 1 magician be the one to perform its tricks?

Rumors are circulating that this year will bring us a new for of “Digital Album” dubbed Cocktail. This is apparently a collaboration between Apple and the music labels to entice more people to buy the whole album rather than just individual songs. This will help music labels make more money with bulk sales rather than just individual songs. The album will include lyrics, notes and photos plus other interactive goodies.

Of course we can’t have a new format without new hardware. Next generation iPod Nanos and iPod Touch are reportedly set to make their debut. With both of them reported to get cameras. There have been leaked photos (true or not) of the iPod Touch with the cameras.

A camera for the iPod Touch would be sweet. I’ve played around with the iPhone 3GS’ photo app and the tap to focus is niiicceee.

While most of us are awaiting the launch or the Apple Tablet/NetBook or whatever you want to call it, don’t hold your breath. The reports say it won’t be coming out this month. It’s more of a 2010 product.

Products are good but what excites me the most is the chance that Steve might actually do the keynote. It’s a good time for him to do this since, one, he’s back at work full time and this will be a good way to show people that he’s back on top. Two, this is a much shorter keynote and should be less stressful than a regular keynote should it should make for a good comeback.

Well, with a little over a couple of weeks till September 9th, Apple hopefuls are now giddy once again. Will it be an early Christmas for us? We’ll see.

Post from: EveryJoe

September Apple Event A Go

AIM for iPhone and iPod Touch

One of my biggest gripes before with instant messaging on the iPod Touch was that I always had to have the application on or else I would be disconnected from the service. If I’m waiting for someone I can’t do anything else on my iPod Touch. Hence I didn’t really use my iPod Touch much for instant messaging.

Push service finally comes and I think it’s an answered prayer. I tried it and it works. I could do other things with my iPod and receive notices when messages arrive. Cool. Yup until I encountered one problem. I’m still unsure if it’s just my particular set up or this happens to others as well.

I connected with AIM on my iPod Touch and it was working well. One thing I forgot was to sign out on my iPod Touch, I got so used to being signed out upon exiting the app that it didn’t cross my mind. So I transfer to my laptop and use Adium. I’m connected to AIM and I’m able to send messages. Unfortunately I wasn’t getting any replies. I just see the icon change to a “writing symbol” but I don’t get the replies of the person I’m talking to. I found out that the messages were being sent to my iPod Touch. It doesn’t go to both.

So now I have to constantly remember to sign off on my iPod Touch or I won’t get my messages. That’s quite a drag…

Post from: EveryJoe

AIM’s Push Notification Problem

The Zooloretto app is based on a popular board game designed by Michael Schacht and originally published by Abacusspiele. Zooloretto won the prestigious Spiel Des Jahres award in 2007, the 2007 Japan Boardgame Prize as Best Foreign Game for Beginners and is a two time winner of “Best Game” in the Family and Children categories at the Golden Geek Awards.

Zooloretto goes for $4.99.

Image: Chillingo

Post from: EveryJoe

Zooloretto, Animal Board Game For iPhone

Bento app for iPhone and iPod Touch

The mobile app comes with 25 pre-designed and ready to use templates, which can have you up and running in minutes. They’re also customizable so that you can add other data that you want. It also ships with a blank template so you can create your own custom template.

It also integrates with the iPhone / iPod Touch’s existing applications, such as Contacts, Safari, Mail, Phone dialing and Google Maps for a better all around experience.

The app’s release is actually quite coincidental since I just downloaded the trial version of the desktop version of Bento. I think I really need a database app for some new things that I’m venturing into. I’m exploring to explore Bento and see if it fits my needs or should I go for broke and get Filemaker Pro. I do wish that there was a trial version for the mobile version of Bento. While $4.99 isn’t exactly a lot of money, it’s still money and in these trying times you really don’t want to be spending on something you won’t be using.

Check out the complete press release of the Bento for iPhone and iPod Touch.

Post from: EveryJoe

Bento for iPhone and iPod Touch Out Now

But today, KRAPPS [an apps review site] reviewed an app that literally left me speechless.

No. Seriously.

I sat there and stared at my laptop screen while my 7 month old grabbed at the screen and my two year old played “tea party” in her room.

Baby Shaker [by Sikalsoft] is an app for the iPhone and iPod Touch that allows, NO, encourages the player to shake the baby to quiet it down.

This is the description for the “game”:

On a plane, on the bus, in a theater. Babies are everywhere you don’t want them to be! They’re always distracting you from preparing for that big presentation at work with their incessant crying. Before Baby Shaker there was nothing you could do about it.

Now, Baby Shaker gives you a charming drawing of a baby sure to make those with a less than iron will fawn. True to life, it begins to annoy you immediately. See how long you can endure his or her adorable cries before you just have to find a way to quiet the baby down!

Never, never shake a baby.

OH! “Never, never shake a baby.” Ok. Then how the hell is someone supposed to “win” the game?

I don’t know if they added that last bit as a way to cover their ass against bad press, [See? We said not to shake a baby!] or if they added that last bit in an attempt to be funny. The reason they added it doesn’t really matter.

The facts are that it isn’t funny. KRAPPS, CNET, 9to5Mac and the Twitterverse are talking about. Heck, in the ten minutes since I started writing this, a new Google search of “Baby Shaker” shows TONS of mainstream news outlets have jumped on this story and I can guarantee that they will milk the story for all that it is worth.

The app is disgusting. Plain and simple.

However, a broader and more far reaching question remains.

How did something like this get approved?

As CNET points out:

You are not allowed to develop applications that could potentially harm existing or future Apple businesses.

I have a sneaking suspicion that Baby Shaker falls under the “could potentially harm existing or future Apple business”.

With all of the media attention that this app is just now getting, what is the potential fallout for Apple? Should they issue a statement? Should they issue an apology?

According to CNET, as of 1:21pm today, the app was no longer available. One thing to note. The notice states that it’s no longer available in the US store. That leads me to believe that if you live outside of the US then you can download and shake the ever lovin’ shit out of a virtual baby.

I have a feeling that this won’t be the last that you hear of this story.

*edited at 7:40 pm to add that the game’s page is gone*

Images| KRAPPS

Post from: EveryJoe

Baby Shaker App Pulled:Questions Remain

Wireless is the way to go nowadays. Cables are just so ugghh.. 20th century. Unfortunately wireless headphones do cost a lot of money. Especially stereo headphones.

AirPhones is a new app available for iPhone/iPod Touch that will allow you to stream music from your computer to your device, essentially making your iPhone/iPod Touch a wireless headphone.

It’s able to stream audio from iTunes, VLC, etc.

You need to purchase the app for $6.99 and download the server for your Mac. Currently it supports only Intel Macs. A universal binary as well as support for Windows is coming according to the creator.

You pair your device with your computer and it will stream your computer’s audio to your device.

I got my review copy of the AirPhones, installed it on my iPod Touch as well as install the AirPhones server on my MacBook Pro. It was quick and easy. I had it running in a few minutes.

First impressions were mixed. I was able to listen to music from iTunes, stream the audio from the tv show I was watching with VLC. However when I was using the DVD Player app it wasn’t streaming audio properly. I could barely hear it.

In some cases there’s also audio latency. The TV Show I was watching was out of sync. The audio and video didn’t match.

I understand that this is a first version and improvements will be made. I can understand and appreciate the concept. I see the instances wherein this app would certainly be useful. Example, if I really have a big audio library or if the music I wanted to listen to was in our family computer and my iPod was not sync to that. I could use this to listen to it while walking around the house. Stuff like that.

I’m being honest though when I say that the price is a little bit high. Now, I know that apps shouldn’t be dirt cheap and developers should be properly compensated for their work. However, for my needs, I would be hard pressed to spend $6.99 on this app.

That being said, it’s a good concept, it needs work to get some bugs out and I’m pretty sure that some people would gladly pay the price tag for this app.

I do hope that iTunes will allow demo versions to be downloaded because apps like this which are priced higher would benefit greatly from demo versions first. This is so that a lot more people can try it first and then decide if it’s worth paying money for. With the current system customers will be scared to plunk in money for an app that they haven’t tried. It’s a shame too for developers who can’t get people to try their products.

For more info on AirPhones visit their site here.

Download the app from iTunes here.

Post from: EveryJoe

AirPhones: Wireless Headphone Software Solution