Jailbreaking an iPhone/iPod touch via Safari

If you have a new iPhone/ iPod touch (1.1.1), you only need to surf
to jailbreakme.coma> with your iPhone/iPod touch and within a few minutes you can
install third party software on your iPhone/iPod touch. It is even
possible to do this a non activated iPhone. Instructions href="http://jailbreakme.com/safari.html" target="_blank">here.

oPtion$, the secret life of Steve Jobs, a parody by Fake Steve Jobs

Just received my copy of the book oPtion$, the secret life of Steve Jobs, a parody by Fake Steve Jobs. It is available now for 23$ and I will spend the next few hours reading its 248 pages. If it is only half as good reading as the blog of Fake Steve Jobs, it will be hilarious. More soon!
Update: Just read it within a few hours. Definitively worth reading and not at all politically correct.

Bluetooth PAN server in MacOSX 10.5

Just played around with MacOSX 10.5 on an external drive, when I found this gem, that I have been looking for a long time: when you access System Preferences/Sharing, you can turn your Mac into a Bluetooth PAN server. Great when you have a fast WWAN connection through HSDPA/HSUPA and want to share it with some Bluetooth devices.

AddressBook on 10.5 finally imports companies

I have been complaining about the impossibility to import company vCards into AddressBook on MacOSX 10.4 since the beginning. Now finally on MacOSX 10.5 you can import a company vCard record into AddressBook.

translation Tshirt

Great idea: the translation Tshirt.

MacOSX premiere

On 10/26 Apple unveils MacOSX 10.5 for 129$. The server version is 500$ for 10 users and 1000$ for an unlimited amount of clients.
Attention: no more Classic support, but Bluetooth A2DP included!

Archos 605 WiFi 160GB

If you can´t decide between the iPod classic 160GB and the iPod touch with touchscreen and WLAN support, you might be interested in the Archos 605 WiFi 160GB. For only 50$ more than the iPod classic 160GB you can have 160GB, touchscreen and WiFi all in one device and a gorgeous 800*480 WVGA resolution LCD, too. The web browser plug in costs an additional 30$, and MPEG2 and H.264 plugins 20$ each. Now if they could implement Bluetooth for connecting via mobile phones and DVB-T for TV reception, I could get rid of nearly all my portable gadgets at once.

Google Gmail supports IMAP

Finally, starting today Google Gmail supports IMAP. I just configured Mail on MacOSX, but according to Google, Gmail IMAP access is not currently compatible with VersaMail on PalmOS.

Nokia CA-100 USB charger for Nokia devices

Just found this at gadgetmadness.com: the Nokia CA-100 is a USB charger for Nokia devices with the new and thin 2mm power plug.

Cinergy Antenna One

The Cinergy Antenna One is a compact and active DVB-T/DAB antenna, that can be powered through a standard USB port. Cost is less than 30 Euros.

Blickfang Vienna

From 10/19 to 10/21 the annual Blickfang, the design fair for furniture, fashion and jewelry takes place at the MAK in Vienna, Austria.

Karl Heinz Hackl sings Georg Danzer songs

From 10/3 to January 2008 Karl Heinz Hackl sings songs from Georg Danzer at the Stadttheater Walfischgasse in Vienna, Austria.

URBAN TOOL showroom opening in Vienna

On 10/19 the new showroom of URBAN TOOL was officially opened in Reindorfgasse 29, Vienna, Austria. They even managed to close the street in front of the showroom for the event. URBAN TOOL has its seeds in a very personal story, when Sabrina Tanner, today’s CFO and responsible for product development, created an individual bag for her husband Kurt Tanner in the year 2001 to carry along all his digital devices. The huge and overwhelming feedback to this individual solution laid the foundation for the idea of URBAN TOOL.

Nokia N810

Nokia announced the N810, a Linux tablet similar to the N800, with additional slide out keyboard, built in GPS receiver and car holder for less than 500$.
Update: there seems to be only one SDHC compatible miniSD slot on the N810, compared to two SD slots on the N800. On the other side, there seems to be 2GB built in flash on the motherboard.

Update 2: the Nokia N810 seems to have a transflective screen, so it should be usable in direct sunlight! Finally! This was my main reason not switching from the 770 to the N800, as both have nearly invisible screen, when you are outside in the sun.

Apple iPhone SDK in February 2008

Just found this on Apple Hot News:
Third Party Applications on the iPhone
Let me just say it: We want native third party applications on the iPhone, and we plan to have an SDK in developers’ hands in February. We are excited about creating a vibrant third party developer community around the iPhone and enabling hundreds of new applications for our users. With our revolutionary multi-touch interface, powerful hardware and advanced software architecture, we believe we have created the best mobile platform ever for developers.
It will take until February to release an SDK because we’re trying to do two diametrically opposed things at once—provide an advanced and open platform to developers while at the same time protect iPhone users from viruses, malware, privacy attacks, etc. This is no easy task. Some claim that viruses and malware are not a problem on mobile phones—this is simply not true. There have been serious viruses on other mobile phones already, including some that silently spread from phone to phone over the cell network. As our phones become more powerful, these malicious programs will become more dangerous. And since the iPhone is the most advanced phone ever, it will be a highly visible target.
Some companies are already taking action. Nokia, for example, is not allowing any applications to be loaded onto some of their newest phones unless they have a digital signature that can be traced back to a known developer. While this makes such a phone less than “totally open,” we believe it is a step in the right direction. We are working on an advanced system which will offer developers broad access to natively program the iPhone’s amazing software platform while at the same time protecting users from malicious programs.
We think a few months of patience now will be rewarded by many years of great third party applications running on safe and reliable iPhones.
Steve
P.S.: The SDK will also allow developers to create applications for iPod touch. [Oct 17, 2007]

Update: now the iPhone can be a real sucessor to the Apple Newton. An iPhone without third party software would be just as useless to me as a Mac where I only can install Apple, Microsoft and Adobe software.

vmware TecDay in Vienna

On 10/16 the vmware TecDay takes place at the wolke 19 in Vienna, Austria.

Satellite alignment calculator

One of the best uses of Google maps, I have seen in a long time. On the Satellite alignment calculator you enter the location, where you want to put your satellite dish and which satellite you want to connect to and it shows you how to align your dish. Pretty amazing. I wish I had this tool, when I had to align my dish in the past.

Macworld expo in San Francisco

From 1/14 to 1/18 the annual Macworld expo takes place at the Moscone center in San Francisco.
BTW: if you plan to visit San Francisco and need an inexpensive place to stay: at the Green Tortoise Hostel you get a dorm room (two bed room optional), real breakfast with bagels and fruits, dinner on monday, wednesday and friday, Linux PCs with internet access and best of all: wireless internet access in the complete building without passwords, all for 24$/night. Located near Chinatown and Little Italy in North Beach at 494 Broadway, CA 94133, San Francisco, USA, just a few minutes from the Moscone center.

USB keyboard with backlit keys

The Gembird KB-9140L-DE is a USB keyboard with backlit keys for 20$.

digital pen and USB flash drive

With the Epos digital pen plus USB flash drive you can write on any paper and transfer your writings wirelessly to the included USB flash drive, which lets you transfer your writings to any computer with an USB port and USB mass storage support. Cost is around 80$.

Wohndesign in Vienna

From 10/11 to 10/14 the annual Wohndesign takes place at the Hofburg in Vienna, Austria.

why to run Windows on Macs

Using Parallels Desktop for Mac or VMware Fusion it is quite easy to use Windows on an Intel based Mac. But why? Some applications seem to be so essential, that it makes sense to run them in the background of your Mac, even if they need Windows to function. Just some examples: ipdrum.com, Orb, ClipInc and of course these 12in1 SIM card products from Brando. Some import/export utilities for Outlook might be handy, too, if you want to transfer lots of data between PCs and mobile devices.

IfraExpo 2007 in Vienna

From 10/8 to 10/11 the IfraExpo, the publishing expo, takes place in Vienna, Austria.

mipcom in Cannes

From 10/8 to 10/12 the annual mipcom, the world´s audiovisual content market takes place at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France.

CUPS-PDF, free virtual PDF printer

As seen on MacOSXhints.com: CUPS-PDF for MacOSX is a free virtual PDF printer. Works great if you have tons of old Classic documents, that you want to convert to PDFs, e.g. old WordPerfect, AppleFax or GlobalVillageFax files.

ChocoVienna

From 10/5 to 10/7 the ChocoVienna takes place at the Palais Niederösterreich in Vienna, Austria. A must for chocolate lovers!

Arse Elektronika

From 10/5 to 10/7 the Arse Elektronika takes place at the Kink.com Porn Palace in San Francisco, USA.

Lego Mindstorms NXT idea book

If you are interested in Lego robotics, the Lego Mindstorms NXT idea book for less than 30$ might be a great read for you. Includes a foreword by Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief of Wired magazine.

Vienna design weeks

From 10/3 to 10/21 the Vienna design weeks take place at various locations in Vienna, Austria.

EMC Forum in Vienna, Austria

On 10/2 the EMC Forum took place at the Marriot Hotel in Vienna, Austria. In the evening Lukas Resetarits performed cabaret at its finest.

Pixar Ratatouille starts in Europe

The newest Pixar movie Ratatouille, which started on 6/29 in the US comes out in Europe beginning of October. Must be seen!