iPhone

Want a white iPhone 4 now? Go the DIY route

Apple says white iPhone 4s are coming later this year. But some people don't want to wait, and for those people, there's a WhiteiPhone4Now.com. The Web site sells a kit that lets iPhone 4 owners turn their regular black iPhone into a fancy white one.

To be sure, the procedure is not for the faint of heart, as it requires taking your iPhone apart, which voids the warranty. The Web site features two kits: one for $135 that's just the back panel and one for $299 that includes the panel, the front panel, a Retina display, … Read more

Store music in Google Docs, play it on your iPhone

Google Docs is primarily designed to give you online access to Microsoft Office and other types of documents via a Web browser, but technically, you can store just about any type of file in the Docs database. A new iPhone app called Cloud Music, which debuted in the App Store on Monday, takes advantage of this flexibility to deliver a quick-and-dirty music locker service.

First, you have to register with Google and use your Web browser to upload some music files into Google Docs. The service offers up to 1GB of storage for free, with a maximum file size of … Read more

The 404 631: Where we touch our magic trackpad (podcast)

Apple refreshed its lineup of iMac desktop computers this morning to include faster CPUs and an improved graphics chip for games and video editing. The new computers also support larger hard drives (and even solid-state drives) with a higher capacity SDXC card slot for your media and start at $1,199.

Apple also announced a new line of Mac pro machines that offer up to 12 cores and Turbo Boost, a technology that can deliver even higher processor speeds. And the company unveiled a gorgeous 27-inch LED display to complement the new system.

Finally, Apple showed off the Magic Trackpad, … Read more

Apple partnership boosting Foxconn market share

Following a challenging several months after a string of plant suicides, manufacturing company Foxconn is poised to capture more than half of the market share in its industry.

Foxconn, which makes the iPhone and iPad among other devices, can thank the phenomenal growth of Apple for helping to boost its revenue and market share, according to a report released Tuesday by iSuppli.

The Taiwan manufacturer, part of Hon Hai Precision Industries, is set to capture more than 50 percent of the global sales in the EMS (electronics manufacturing services) market by 2011, up from 44.2 percent last year. EMS … Read more

Apple starts shipping free bumper cases

Apple has started shipping its free bumper-style cases to iPhone 4 customers. The company started sending out e-mails revealing the release on Monday night.

"We are pleased to inform you that one or more of your items has shipped," the e-mail from the Apple Store reads. At least some customers who ordered the free bumper case on July 16 when Apple first made the program available are seeing a delivery date of August 3. Originally, Apple said users would receive their cases in three to five weeks, so this is just a little on the early side.

At … Read more

Check out CardStar's Foursquare check-ins

If you're toting around an iPhone in one pocket and a bulging wallet stuffed with loyalty cards in the other, let us respectfully say this: You're doing it wrong. With only a bit of legwork, you can lighten your load by scanning or manually adding your cards for your supermarkets, book stores, pet shops, sports stores, and the library, and stick them on your phone with an app like CardStar.

Version 3.0 of the free card-minder is on its way to to the iPhone App Store, and it's packing some pretty major feature changes, including integrating … Read more

What the iPhone-jailbreaking ruling means (FAQ)

To help answer some questions about this week's announcement by the Copyright Office, a unit of the Library of Congress, regarding the legality of so-called cell phone jailbreaking--that is, modifying the software that comes with iPhones and other handsets and that is designed not to be changed--we've compiled the following questions and answers.

What does the Copyright Office's ruling mean? The short answer is that jailbreaking your iPhone or other mobile device will no longer violate a controversial federal copyright law called the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, or DMCA. Bypassing a manufacturer's protection mechanisms to … Read more

Landing the best iPhone flight tracker apps

Whether you're leaving on a jet plane or picking up Mom at the airport, a flight tracker app is an essential tool for your iPhone. You can use it to keep tabs on your departure time, confirm when Mom is arriving, and even check her plane's position in the air. And if you're an airline geek right like me, you might even check it just for fun.

There are a handful of flight tracker apps available in the iTunes App Store, but up until now I wasn't sure which offered the best experience. So to find out, I downloaded six titles and tracked a sample flight on each one. Below you'll find what I consider to be the upsides and downsides of each app, plus my overall assessments and a screenshot. For a further peek at the maps for each title, check out this related slideshow.

Note: For this roundup, I chose only standalone Flight Tracker apps. I did not include more comprehensive trip planning titles that happen to include flight tracker functionality.

FlightTrack Developer: Mobiata Price: $4.99 Can it track international flights? Yes, even when outside the United States.

What's good: FlightTrack offers a lot of information without saddling you with an overwhelming interface. For each flight, it not only lists the scheduled departure and arrival times (when the plane leaves from and arrives at the gate), but also when it will take off and land. Delay information is clearly marked, as well, and you view the aircraft type, departure gate, and scheduled flight time.

Once a flight is in the air, FlightTrack shows the airspeed, arrival gate, baggage claim number, and present altitude. And if that isn't enough, you can jot notes on a separate page, access a shortcut to the airline's phone number, and look up the local time and temperature of the departure and arrival cities.

The maps are gorgeous, and that's not an overstatement. You get a full satellite view with weather radar data and I really like that you can zoom way in and scroll around the map using your finger.

What's not: The satellite maps can take a long time to load depending on your connection, and you can't switch to a simpler format.

The final word: FlightTrack offers a clean, data-rich interface with the best maps of the bunch. Don't let the $4.99 price tag scare you off; FlightTrack is my top choice and well worth the money.

Neat bonus: You also can shake your iPhone to see a random flight.

Other versions available? A Pro version ($9.99) adds push notifications, weather, and TripIt integration. You'll need a subscription, though. … Read more

The 404 630: Where Justin grows up and gets a friggin' suit (podcast)

With Jeff's wedding creeping up sooner than we expected, it's about time that The 404 Podcast discusses exactly what we'll be wearing to the ceremonies. Always the responsible one, Wilson is prepared with his own suit, and Jeff will obviously be wearing the cheapest tux money can rent, but I've somehow made it 26 years without ever buying a suit and I refuse to start now...hopefully Stacie is OK with me wearing this old thing.

And speaking of horrible fashion, this shirt holster for your Apple iPad is proof that tech-fashion is, and will always … Read more