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Download podcasts right to your iPhone 2.2

Sunday, November 23rd, 2008

The iPhone 2.2 update was mainly just a bug-fix release from what I can tell. But one feature it did bring was the ability to download podcasts right on your iPhone, which is awesome! I use MobileMe to keep my iPhone synced, so there really is no reason for me to ever connect my iPhone to my laptop except maybe to upload some music from time-to-time. I have to admit, I’ve pretty much stopped listening to podcasts since I got the iPhone because I can’t be bothered to dig up the wire to do the sync.

With the 2.2 update that came this week, you can now download the latest from your favorite podcasts right through iTunes.app on the phone. Just go to iTunes.app and search for the podcast you want. Unfortunately it isn’t smart enough to make it download the latest from the podcasts you already listen to. Anyhow, when you get there there’s now a “Download” button. One click will start the download, which will even continue if you close the iTunes.app. When the download is done, you’ll see the podcast in the (you guessed it) “Podcasts” area of the iPod.app.

This update is probably the death-knoll of Podcaster.fm, but for the rest of us, we can all breath a collective sigh of “FINALLY!!!!!!” :)

XBMC iPhone Remote battles for control of my living-room

Wednesday, October 8th, 2008

I have to admit, my XBMC (Unofficial Xbox Media Center) hasn’t been getting much use since I got an Xbox 360 and installed Connect360 on my Mac. Besides only having one HDMI port on my TV, the Xbox 360 is just so much slicker to use. After playing a game, I can just pop-over to the Media section, see all the videos on my Mac, and start playing them. But I definitely miss some of the features of the XBMC. It was so easy to watch YouTube videos, check the weather, watch DivX natively, etc.

Enter: The XBMC iPhone Remote. Similar to the Apple TV/iTunes remote, this iPhone app lets you control your XBMC over wifi. Check out the interface in these screenshots for finding media. Slick, really slick.

At the end of the day, the Xbox 360 probably has a permanent home in my living room. But this app just might have given my XBMC a new home on my second TV ;)

Make SkypeOut calls from your iPhone

Saturday, October 4th, 2008

It’s already a given that I’ll sell my soul for the first iPhone application to allow me to make SkypeOut calls from my iPhone. I make a lot of long distance calls and I have to run home to a landline because cellphone long-distance plans in Canada are so insanely expensive (if you wonder why I have a landline in the first places, it’s a long story involving my building’s buzzer).

Well, the day has come :D fring now has an iPhone app that includes Skype integration. It’s definitely Beta, so only try it if you have a strong geek stomach, but it works!

Some quick tips if you’re making SkypeOut calls like me. Make sure to prepend “001″ to all the numbers you call e.g. 001-416-555-1234. Also, there’s no way to make touch-tone sounds during a call, so you can’t use any touch-tone phone service (damn, no ordering pizzas). But give these guys a few more weeks and I’m sure they’ll get it.

Anyhow, another amazing app for the iPhone. Huzzah! :D


(Thanks fuzzz)