iPhone Freeware

Style of Case

Generally speaking there are 3 styles of leather case, a flip case, a carry pouch and an enclosed case. The most popular at the moment tends to be either a flip case or a carry pouch. Enclosed cases are still available but are better suited to traditional candybar phones.

Flip Cases

Over the last couple of years this style of case has grown in popularity. They’re perfectly suited to touch screen phones as they fully protect the phone when it’s not in use, but still provide quick and easy access to the screen, without having to remove your phone from the case. There are a few things that you should look out for though when choosing a flip case.

Position of the flip

This often gets overlooked, but where possible I’d always recommend going for a side or bottom hinged cover. If you go for a case that is hinged at the top, you may find that the cover gets in the way of the camera. Often you’ll fold the cover back on itself when you’re using the phone, but this of course will cover up the camera lens or it will flop forwards and cover the screen. If the flip is hinged at the bottom, the flap will be out of the way no matter how you use the phone.

Cut Outs

Leather Cases normally have some form of light padding built into them. This is great for protection, but can mean that some of the cut outs don’t quite line up as they should. Headphones and chargers are normally OK, but if you’re planning on using the camera, check to make sure that there are no shadows in your photos and that the case isn’t obscuring the lens. It may seem odd, but not all flip cases have cut outs for the camera, so to take photos you’ll need to remove your phone from the case.

Carry Pouch

These are another popular way to protect your iPhone 4 as they cover pretty much all of your iPhone and are less bulky than a flip case. If you’re looking for a carry pouch there isn’t too much that you need to consider, but not all pouches are the same.

Pull Tab

This is probably the only real feature to look for on a carry pouch. Instead of having cut outs on the side that allow you to grip the phone to pull it out, you simply pull a fabric tab to raise your phone out of the case.

Cut Outs

Most of the time, you won’t find cut outs on a carry pouch. The top is open so that you can still use your headphones, but to charge the phone you’ll have to remove your phone or put it in the case upside down. Some cases, such as those from Beyza, do have a cut out at the bottom so that you can connect the dock cable, but they can leave the charging port exposed and unprotected against knocks and spills.

Enclosed Cases

There is currently one one enclosed leather case for the iPhone 4 and that’s the Krusell Classic Leather Case. It covers pretty much all of the phone, but leaves the headphone socket, silent switch and volume keys accessible. You can still use the touchscreen, although it’s not quite as sensitive as it would be out of the case.

Just because there is only the one enclosed case it doesn’t mean that you’re limited on choice of carry options. All Krusell Cases use the Multidapt clip system that gives you plenty of choice over how to carry the case around.

The Dock connector is covered, but you don’t need to remove the phone to sync/charge it, just unzip the bottom of the case to expose the charging port.

Now that you have a better idea of what to look for when choosing an iPhone 4 Leather Case, take a look at our full range of iPhone 4 Cases.

So, if you’re counting calories—and who isn’t these days—you’ve probably seen the food and calorie trackers available for the iPhone; there are several. And although FoodScanner by DailyBurn was released in September, 2009, it recently went on sale and we thought now would be a great (meaning cheap) time to give it a whirl since we’ve heard many good things about it and its effectiveness.

In short, FoodScanner allows you to scan the barcodes of food packages, pulling up all the nutritional info you need to help you watch your caloric intake. Alternatively you can search for foods that won’t scan, or GASP!, don’t have barcodes. But you need to ask yourself, do you really want to eat something that doesn’t have a barcode? I don’t know, it’s a shaky issue; with no barcode how are we supposed to even know what it is, right? Moving on. You can scan or search for the foods you eat for every meal and FoodScanner will keep a running total of your calories for the day, along with other numbers like carbs, fat, protein, and more.

DailyBurn claims FoodScanner has a growing database of 200,000+ foods for reference, and they’re serious too because if you run across something that
FoodScanner doesn’t recognize, you can add the nutritional information yourself and it will be incorporated into the database.

FoodScanner couldn’t be easier to use. As soon as you bring it up you’re ready to begin tracking your food for the day. There’s a search bar along the top, or if you’re feeling lucky you can tap the little lightening bolt in the lower left corner (visible in the screenshot above), and that will bring up the UPC scanner which uses the iPhone’s built in camera and Occipital RedLaser technology to read the barcode and display the nutritional info in the database. From there you can choose the serving size you consumed (be honest!) and what meal it was for. FoodScanner does the rest!

It doesn’t require an account with DailyBurn, but if you choose, you can sign up for a free account and get access to several other trackers available there. You can see charts and graphs breaking down your daily intake of fat or carbs. Or bugs. OK, not bugs, you shouldn’t eat bugs; I don’t want anybody walking away here saying I told you to eat bugs.

Anyway, the DailyBurn site is just crammed with all kinds of useful stuff to help you keep up with your health and weight, and even your exercise regimen. Like I said, you can opt for a free account which gives you limited access to DailyBurn’s useful tools, or if you’re really serious about your health you can sign up for one of their paid plans. But, fair warning, the plans seem to be on the expensive side in my opinion.

FoodScanner is presently on sale at the App Store for only $0.99 which is fantastic because the app does exactly what it says on the box and it does it pretty well. Used in conjunction with DailyBurn’s website, the app could be a powerful tool for the health conscious. (Do you feel a but coming up?)

But…

There’s one!!

So FoodScanner is a pretty cool app, it makes it easy to track your calories, and it has an impressive database of foods to pull from. I like it. But the limits placed on the free account at DailyBurn and the prices of the Pro plans kind of turned me off, especially given the functionality of the totally free site, SparkPeople, which also has an app for the iPhone (and it too is free). I haven’t done an in depth comparison of these services, but on the surface it seems that you can get as much or more for free from SparkPeople. You must decide for yourself.

If anyone has tried either service, feel free to share your opinion in the comments section; I could have totally underestimated DailyBurn, and if so, I’d love to hear about it.

If you are not using an official SIM (say, the one from AT&T), you should be very familiar with the below message shown in iTunes when you connect the iPhone to your computer:

The SIM card inserted in this iPhone does not appear to be supported.

Apparently, you can use PwnageTool or Redsn0w to activate the iPhone (i.e. what so called hactivation). But no all iPhone users are comfortable with these jailbreak tools.

Sherif Hasim, the guy who found the exploit for unlocking iOS 4, has figured out an easy way to activate most models of iPhones including iPhone 3G/3GS, as well as, iPhone 4, without an official SIM. The trick is to make use of a Phonebook SIM card. As you’ll see in the video, you can simply insert a phonebook SIM into the iPhone. And, that’s it. The iPhone is automatically activated.

As mentioned by Sherif, all phonebook cards should work:

Use any phonebook sim card, they are there in radioshak, mobile phone shops or any mobile tech moles , any phone book simcard will do the trick, no need for programmable sims, all those phonebook sims used to save ur contacts and transfer them have a universal ICCIDs preprogrammed so they all work.

To learn more about how Sherif uses an phone book SIM card to activate an iPhone, check out his demo video:

I can say this is by far the easiest way to hacktivate an iPhone. If you’re interested to purchase a phonebook SIM, you can head to DITS’ website or buy one via EBay.

As the phonebook card does not available as micro SIM, for those using iPhone 4, you need to use some kinds of micro SIM cutter to convert the card into micro SIM.

AVRCP Explained

AVRCP stands for Audio/Video Remote Control Profile and as the name suggests, it allows you to use controls built into your bluetooth headset, bluetooth speakers or bluetooth car kit to control music playback from your iPhone or iPod touch. The iPhone has a very limited version of this built in already, but it only allows you to play/pause your music and increase the volume. By adding full support for AVRCP it means that you will be also be able to skip tracks without touching your phone. You can find out more about Bluetooth Profiles on our ‘What is Bluetooth Page’

iPhone 4 Stereo Bluetooth Headsets

There is an upside to Apple arriving late to the party though, and that is that there are already loads of stereo Bluetooth Headsets and Bluetooth Headphones that will work with the iPhone. I compiled a list of my favourites last year, but as this update changes how well they work with Apple devices I thought I’d take another look at what was available. These have been tested using the 4.1 beta software on iPhone 4 so the results maybe slightly different when Apple release the final version or on older models of iPhone.

A few points that are worth mentioning here are that in most cases the headsets will not only control music playback from both the standard iPod app, but also any third party music apps that stream music from the internet. I used Last.FM to test the headsets and was able to play/pause and track skip and increase volume both when the app was in use and when it was running in the background. The only exception to this was the Sony Ericsson IS800 – you’ll find out why later in this post.

Also, if you have the iPhone 3GS, latest iPod touch or iPhone 4, these headsets will activate voice commands, allowing you to make calls, change song, switch playlist find out the time etc, all without having to touch your device.

Nokia BH-505 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

The BH-505 is one of the latest Stereo Bluetooth Headsets to arrive at Mobile Fun and is one that I reviewed a couple of weeks ago. The BH-505 is a really slim, smart looking headband style headset. Setting the headset up is simple and it’s comfortable to wear. One earpiece has phone controls on it and the other has music controls.

For the basic answer/end, play/pause it’s just a case of tapping the large silver button, but volume control and track skip is a little fiddly as you have to slide a switch up or down. It’s easy enough once you’ve got the hang of it, but if you’ve got big fingers you might struggle a little. Audio quality is excellent and battery life is good too.


Sony Ericsson MW600 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

The MW600 is incredibly popular at the moment and with good reason. It’s an excellent compact headset that allows you to use any standard 3.5mm headphones with it. What makes this one special is that it also has a built in FM Radio – a feature that many people have been calling out for on the iPhone.

The Bluetooth unit is not much bigger than a standard AA battery and is designed to be clipped on to your clothing. The controls are straight forward and easy to use, with 3 dedicated music keys as well as a separate key for calls and to activate voice dialling.

The volume controls on the MW600 take a little getting used to as they’re touch sensitive. To adjust the volume level you just slide your finger up or down the side of it. It has a screen which shows caller ID, but track information wasn’t displayed with either iPhone or iPod touch.


Jabra Halo Bluetooth Headphones

I loved the Jabra Halo when it came out, and still do – especially now that it works fully with the iPhone. They’re probably the most normal looking headphones out of all of the ones on offer and I think they’re the smartest looking too. Unlike the rest of the headsets on this list, the Jabra Halo has only one button. Everything else uses touch sensitive controls on the right earpiece.

The one button answers and ends calls and plays/pauses your music. Track Skip and volume share the same controls. Slide your finger up to increase the volume, down to decrease it. A quick double tap at either end of the volume bar will skip or rewind track.

You get quite a few accessories in the box, including a USB to 3.5mm cable that you can use to connect the Halo to devices that don’t have bluetooth.


Jabra BT3030 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

Jabra have always made great headsets and the BT3030 is one of their most successful. It’s a ‘dog tag’ style headset that can be worn around your neck or clipped to your clothes. It has a standard 3.5mm jack so that you can use any headphones with it and a clear, backlit keypad.

Of all the headsets listed here, this is the easiest to use as the controls are clear and well spaced.

Battery life is pretty good too with over 7 hours of music playback from a single charge.


Altec Lansing BackBeat 903 Bluetooth Headset

The BackBeat Headset is another popular one, despite it’s more unusual looks. It combines the over the ear style of a mono headset with a headband to provide a very secure fit, making it perfect for those who want to listen to their music while they’re working out, running or cycling.

The controls are a little on the fiddly side and it will take some getting used to – especially the track skip controls, but once you’ve got the hang of it you’ll be flying through your songs.

Because of their unique over/in the ear design, these may not be the most comfortable solution if you wear glasses.

Sony Ericsson HBH-IS800 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

This was my top rated headset last year, mainly because of its size. The fact that it didn’t have any track control buttons also won me over as I felt as though I wouldn’t be paying for features I couldn’t use with it. Having said that, the lack of controls now works against it as it means that you have to use the phone to change song and adjust the volume, or rely on voice control.

It’s still the smallest headset available. It has no bulky bluetooth receiver and is just two earpieces connected by a short cable and despite its tiny size the sound quality is excellent.

iPhone 4 Car Kits

It’s not just Stereo Headsets that will benefit from the addition of AVRCP support, Car Kits also make use of this technology. Here’s a quick look at two of the best in car solutions for the iPhone.

Parrot MKi Car Kits

The Parrot MKi range of car kits are the best way to fully integrate your iPhone or iPod touch into your car. They have 3 ways to connect your iPhone to them, dock connector, 3.5mm or Bluetooth.

Up until now, the Dock connector has always been the best option as it gives you full control of your music, using a small wireless remote. With the introduction of AVRCP support you’ll no longer need to plug your phone in – unless of course you need to charge it.

For a completely integrated solution you’ll need the Parrot Unika. This is an additional control box that allows you to connect the Mki Car Kits to the stereo controls on your steering wheel, completely eliminating the need to use the remote control.


Jabra Cruiser FM Car Kit

The Jabra Cruiser is so much more than just a speakerphone. It connects to your iPhone using bluetooth and transmits audio from it to your car stereo using its built in FM transmitter.

The Cruiser has play/pause and track skip controls built in so that you can change track without having to touch the phone. You can choose whether to play your music back through the built in loud speaker or through your car stereo.

Set up is extremely simple, just pair your phone to the kit and then tune your car stereo in to the frequency that the Cruiser calls out and you’re good to go.

Bluetooth Speakers

Last but not least, Bluetooth Speakers will also become much more useful when the iPhone supports AVRCP. You’ll be able to start playing your music directly on the speakers and then use the controls mounted on the top of the speaker to skip tracks and increase the volume.

Bluetooth speakers have a number of advantages over iPhone Speaker Docks, but the main one is that Bluetooth Speakers can be used with any Bluetooth device, including phones, laptops, PC’s MP3 Players, where as iPhone Speaker Docks will normally only work with Apple devices.


Those are just a selection of iPhone 4 Accessories that will work better with the iPhone when iOS 4.1 is released. There are loads more over on the main site so if you’ve not seen anything here that takes your fancy, you should find something on the main site. If not, or you’ve seen some headphones, speakers or car kits that you think deserve a mention, let us know using the comments section below.

While the new Sony Ericsson Cedar doesn’t feature Wi-Fi, it does have super fast 3G – HSDPA. One interesting aspect of the Sony Ericsson Cedar is the fact that it supports Widgets and, more specifically, it’s Widget Manager 2.0. With mobile phone comparison websites you can find the best deal for your next phone.

With these Widgets you can easily access all your social networking profiles – Facebook, MySpace, Twitter – through the home screen on the Cedar. While you won’t get the seamless connectivity that Wi-Fi provides, 3G is more than sufficient to power these Widgets and keep you up to date with all your social networking needs. The Sony Ericsson Cedar may not feature the same communicative tools as Samsung’s Social Hub or Motorola’s MotoBlur but considering the market that the Sony Ericsson Cedar is aimed at and given its price these Widgets are more than capable of meeting your social networking needs. You can find the best Sony Cedar deals online when you compare what is available.

Indeed the Sony Ericsson Cedar is not particularly intended for the ‘internet ready’ mobile market – it is very much directed towards those who want a mobile phone but are also environmentally conscious – however it certainly gives you the option to ‘connect’ if you want to. An interesting aspect of the Sony Ericsson Cedar is the ability to import contact directly from the s60 operating system – found on Nokia mobiles such as the N90 and 5500 – via a memory card. Clearly Sony Ericsson are attempting to attract a new bunch of formerly predominate Nokia users and bring them over to the Cedar without the hassle of having to manually enter their contacts.

The Sony Ericsson Cedar offers some pretty decent connectivity options from a mobile that is mid market at best and very much designed with the environment in mind as opposed to functionality to features. The Cedar will be released later this year and, while it won’t be bought primarily for its connectivity, is more than capable of keeping you up to date with your social networking profiles.