Physical Keyboard Case

 If you are an iPhone user who misses the tactile feel of previous smartphones, then this case may be for you. I say that it may because i'm not completely sold on it yet. It works as a physical case for the phone with a flipout keypad for typing. It is somewhat similar to phones like the T-Mobile Sidekick, among others. In theory, this is a great idea for many reasons. First off, it will help protect the iPhone from scratches and drops, which we could all probably use. Another reason it is a good idea is that it returns that "tactile" feel to the iPhone. I know, for me personally, the biggest hurdle when i got the iPhone was typing on a glass screen and just hoping I got it right without the QWERTY feel. For a new user, typing on the touchscreen is a little akward so this could be an improvement if you are just unable to adjust. One of the catches on this case is that it will only be compatible with the iPhone 3GS and the iPhone4. Why? Because it uses Bluetooth connectivity rather than hooking in through the data port, which leaves your connection open for charging, syncing, in-car connecting, etc without having to remove the case. It is called the TK-421 case and will be released in November by ThinkGeek. At a cost of $49.99, I will probably just save my money, but that is not to say that the TK-421 won't serve a viable purpose for quite a few people out there. To pre-order go HERE and also check out a couple more pictures below.

Greenpois0n

For all of you on the 4.1 Firmware, whether it's the 3G, 3GS, or iPhone4, stay tuned. The chronic dev team is working very furiously on their jailbreak for 4.1. As of now there are no updates coming from chronic, but they have assured everyone that it is going well. As soon as it's out, I will put the download link up with instructions on how to perform the jailbreak.

iOS 4.2 will pack some great new features

It's about time Apple. We have been asking and you have finally come through....at least on a couple of things. iOS 4.2 is still in Beta, but we were able to get a look at some of the new features. And, for anyone who has not Jailbroken their iPhone yet, some of these new features will be a welcome respite from the same old features that the iPhone has been packaged with for quite a while.

SMS/Text Messaging Tones: Yes, it's here (at least in the Beta), you will be able to customize the Text tones for individual contacts. Oh the bliss this will bring. You can have a different text tone for different people, that way you will know who is texting you before you look. The one drawback? (there's always at least one) You will be limited to the default text tones. However, almost undoubtedly, there will be a Winterboard theme to solve this for those of you who are free from Apple's restrictions.
Also, for the lucky iPhone4 owners out there, Apple will be adding a shortcut button inside the SMS app to initiate a call over Facetime, making it alot easier than closing out of the app and locating the contact, then initiating the call from there.

New Features/System Changes: Apple finally added some new features for managing your iDevice. One addition will be the option to place restrictions on Adding and Deleting Apps from the phone. Also, you will be able to lock changes to Email and Location Settings.
 One small, but seemingly useful change, is the ability to disable adjusting ringtones using the volume buttons, which will allow you to set a ring volume and have it never change.
 Safari will now have the ability to search for text on a page, which is great when you are looking for a certain item and trying to comb through all of that information on a small screen
The Youtube app has the ability now to Like and Dislike videos right in the app, saving you quite a bit of time if you are a heavy video watcher
Voice Memos gets a new icon, not gound-breaking but anything new on the iPhone is cool
One small change that I personally like is that the Alerts will have a slight silver shadow, putting more focus on the alert. Again, it's not major, but any changes like that help enhance the iPhone experience.

Now the question of all the time, the one you are all asking yourselves: Now that Apple is throwing all of these new features in iOS 4.2, is it worth updating and losing your Jailbreak? The answer.....wait for it........NO! It's not worth breaking your Jailbreak to land these few seemingly awesome features on your iDevice. Why? Most, if not all, of these features are already/will shortly be available through Cydia. The biggest impact this newest update will have on Jailbroken iPhones is the ability to actually set different text tones per contact, and I know that personally I can wait until the 4.2 Jailbreak comes out to have that.

4.2 Beta

Alright, in standard Apple fashion, iOS 4.2 has already hit it's Beta Release for developers. I'm sure it will bring on a host of new fixes, and probably will mess up some things that work just fine now. The ability to print over WiFi should be coming with 4.2 as Steve Jobs mentioned at the big fall event though. I will keep an eye on how this one develops.

Fields of Fantasy

Fields of Fantasy, the newest, greatest, and easiest to use Online Fantasy Football game ever! Do you like money? Who doesn't, but the real question is this, do you like to win LOTS of money? If the answer is yes, then you need to go HERE, and now. We are only in week 2 of the season, still lots of time to get in on the fun, and the money. Here is how it works: You pay $10 and get one team. You have a salary cap of $5000, and each player is valued based on their real life value. As the players that you pick play their games, you start racking up points. The person at the end of the week with the most points wins! And man, do you win? 1st place EVERY week wins $2500!!!! Yes, that is TWO THOUSAND and FIVE HUNDRED dollars EVERY week. 1st through 10th place all pay out, and 11th through 100th place all get a FREE play the following week. See the payout chart below for the full breakdown.

This is the break down of the MINOR investment to get started on the path to lots of fun and LOTS of money!

And this is the prize list. Look at that! $2500 for first place EVERY week. How can you go wrong? You guessed it, you can't! Get in now! Go sign up HERE, it will take you straight to the sign up page, why delay?

There seems to be a lot of mystery surrounding the idea of "Jailbreaking" one's iDevice (iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad). Hopefully, this article can help to clear up some of the smoke and mirrors associated with it.

The first part of the process is to truly understand what the definition of Jailbreaking is. Jailbreaking is defined as a hack that allows users access to the root files of their iDevice, therefore freeing users from the limitations placed on the device by At&T and Apple. What this means is that it removes the constrictions placed on the iDevice allowing for more freedom in your choices as a user.

Upon performing a jailbreak on an iDevice, you are then given access to an app (application) called Cydia. Cydia allows access to a number of other apps and installers that give the user many options, the least of which include changing system icons, backgrounds, themes, fonts,and much more.

Disclaimer: Jailbreaking an iDevice voids the warranty

UPDATE: 9/13/2010- The 4.1 Firmware was released, however a Jailbreak is not available as of this moment, but it is being worked on, so stay tuned.
UPDATE: As of right now, 8/17/2010, if you have updated your iPhone to 4.0.2, then there is not a jailbreak available yet. If you already jailbroken your iPhone on iOS4, then there is a PDF Patch that you can install to fix the PDF exploit that Apple's 4.0.2 fixes. That patch can be found on Cydia if you have already jailbroken.

On July 26,2010 the U.S. Copyright Office handed down the decision stating that using computer programs to run lawfully obtained programs on your phone that you would otherwise not be able to use, is in fact legal. Note that is states "lawfully obtained". This means that hacked or pirated programs are still illegal. They also stated that "unlocking" the phone for use on another carrier is legal as well, though I don't advise this to be done for a number of reasons. Mainly the fact that the iPhone already has minor performance issues on it's primary network, At&T, so putting it on another network magnifies those same performance issues.

While Jailbreaking is now considered legal, is it advised? The answer to that depends on you, the user. If you are the type of end user who likes to have a nice, sleek phone that makes and receives calls, allows access to your emails, gives you games and music, and allows HTML rich web access, then the "stock" iDevice is for you.

If, however, you are the type of user who likes a little more flexibility, freedom, and customization options, then Jailbreaking is the way to go. Here is a small list of the things you are able to accomplish on your iDevice by Jailbreaking it: Custom wallpapers, icons, fonts, ringtones, text message tones, etc. It also allows for full system customization in the form of themes, widgets for time, weather, notifications, and many more. There are many more things that you are able to do with a jailbroken iDevice (like enabling multitasking on a 3G), however the list is very long, and it is more fun to discover the endless possibilities on your own.

There are a few drawbacks to be aware of prior to jailbreaking. The most important thing to remember is this; prior to beginning any jailbreak procedure, BACKUP your device in iTunes. That way if it "bricks" (doesn't work), you can restore from that backup. Another thing to keep in mind is that it helps to be somewhat computer savvy to do it. There are many step by step tutorials available, however, a good, full understanding of exactly what they say is highly recommended before you start. Jailbreaking your phone can cause performance issues, depending on what programs are installed, so it is a good idea (especially at first) to install programs one at a time to "test" their performance. Doing so will ensure that if you run across performance issues, you will know exactly what to uninstall.

Overall, jailbreaking your iDevice is an enjoyable experience, if you don't mind messing up along the way and have the patience to do it over again when this happens. It will open up a whole new world of Apple's mobile operating system that most users aren't aware of, and it will allow for limitless customization. If you have a little bit of tech savvy, the patience, and the motivation, it is a very easy process and has many benefits. If you are happy with your iDevice the way it is, then I wouldn't mess with it at all.

The root of the debate is all about the choice to jailbreak or not, but remember, jailbreaking gives you more choices than you knew you had. For more information on just how far the iPhone has come, read about The iPhone Revolution