Apps: iPhoney, GarageSale

iPhoney 1.2 (free) pixel-accurate, full-featured browser that Web 2.0 developers can use to ensure their designs look good on the iPhone. It will open any Web site that works with Safari, in a shell that simulates the iPhone Web browsing user experience. The new release adds a "view source" function, which allows developers to view the source code of any specialized, iPhone specific web page. It also includes French, German and Norwegian localizations. [Download - 1.3MB] GarageSale 3.3 ($30) lets Mac OS X users create eBay auctions using an intuitive and Mac-like interface. It features a WYSIWYG auction editor and imports photos from iPhoto, a digital camera, or iSight. The new release adds compatibility with Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard and can interface directly with Endicia's Mac client. Sellers can use of eBay's combined shipping discount feature and start charity auctions. [Download - 17.1MB] Tiger Cache Cleaner 3.2.15 ($11) can improve system performance by tuning internet and file cache settings, implementing ram disks, and cleaning out various cached and stale data. Can also recover wasted disk space by eliminating language localization files and slimming Universal Binaries. The new version updates the ClamAV virus scanner to 0.91.2, the current stable release for both PPC and Intel platforms.  This release also incorporates the LCC registration system into TCC. [Download - 10.6MB] SVDesignMiner 1.0 ($15) Sandvox design editing assistant. It enables you to edit or replace any element in any Sandvox design and provides an interface between the contents of your Sandvox designs and your image and text editing applications. The new release fixes a problem where SVDM might not locate the Sandvox application. [Download - 3.5MB] Tetris 1.2 plug-in for InDesign (free) a tetris clone that can be accessed from within InDesign. Includes a Boss-key to hide the panel quickly. DTP Tools, the developer, states "Tetris plug-in is a perfect way to kill a few minutes of waiting. Tetris was made out of passion for improving InDesign combined with a great nostalgia for this game." [Download - 4.8MB]

CSS design tool for Dreamweaver debuts

WebAssist partners, in conjunction with CSS expert Eric Meyer, has debuted a new tool dubbed CSS Sculptor that plugs into Adobe Dreamweaver for creation of Web standards compliant CSS-based layouts. With Sculptor, once a layout is selected, the user can change any aspect of it, including page width and browser window position. Additional columns can be added to the left or right of the main content area; likewise, headers and footers can be included or omitted with a checkbox. The tool can also display structure of the CSS markup in a tree-like control. Users can select any item in layout tree, such as the body or header to define specific properties. 30 of the most common Web page layouts are built-in, which can be easily modified with regard to page positioning, margins, fonts, and background images. Additionally, CSS Sculptor automatically creates a print style sheet for every design. CSS Sculptor is available at an introductory price of $100 through September 6, 2007. It is compatible with Dreamweaver CS3 and Dreamweaver 8

Refurbished Mac minis return for $479

Apple's online store is once again offering reconditioned Mac mini systems for price-conscious customers alongside the newly added iPhone deals. Refurbished iPhones are available for $100 less than their list prices on Apple.com. Apple's small desktop computers are nearly the size of a portable compact disc player, and require a monitor as well as a keyboard to use. The company is offering its refurbished Mac mini 1.5GHz Intel Core Solo with 512MB of memory, a 60GB hard drive, and a Combo DVD-ROM/CD burner for $479. A faster Mac mini model is also available with a 1.66GHz Intel Core Duo processor and a SuperDrive DVD/CD burner with either 512MB of memory and an 80GB hard drive for $649 or 1GB of memory and a 100GB hard drive for $779. All refurbished Apple products ship for free and come with the company's standard one-year warranty. Mac mini shoppers can also enlist in the AppleCare Protection Plan for $149 more, which extends the warranty by two more years. iPhone buyers can also extend their warranties to three years for an extra $69.

Sanyo debuts hefty HD LCD projector

Sanyo has debuted the LP-Z2000, a new high-definition LCD projector that offers a 1920×1080 resolution. The projector features a contrast ratio of 15,000:1 and has a light output of 1,200 lumens. It also sports a 2X optical zoo, uses a 165W UHP lamp and a minimum projection distance of 3 meters. Sanyo has built 3D color management technology into the projector, and it offers HDMI 1.3 input with support for DeepColor. There are also component (RCA), S-Video, and analog inputs. The new projector weighs a hefty 7.3 kilograms, and is about .4 meters wide. The LP-Z2000 carries an estimated ship date of November 1st, and will be priced at 378,000 Yen, or about $3,200.

Blackberry vs. iPod: wireless transfers

RIMM is developing a technology that will allow its Blackberry smartphones to transfer files wirelessly between the device and a PC which works like the company's BlackBerry Enterprise Server, according to one industry analyst. Gus Papageorgiou of Scotia Capital believes anyone who has an MP3 player and a mobile phone is a target for the new service, requiring that BlackBerry users install software on a PC to gain access to RIM's network operating center. That center provides a link to the BlackBerry itself, according to the analyst, and would allow users to organize digital media in a way similar to Apple's iTunes software.

Best Buy leaks Xbox 360 Core with HDMI

Best Buy today accidentally confirmed the existence of an Xbox 360 Core model with HDMI through an entry at the retailer's website. The new model is incorrectly tagged with the $350 price and product shot of the standard 20GB model but has been given a new SKU and a clearly different name, suggesting a different model altogether. No apparent changes have been made to specifications, though the new model is not necessarily connected to the Xbox 360 Arcade system rumored for later in the year that would include a memory card and Xbox Live Arcade games.

Preamp adds USB connection to any microphone

CEntrance has announced the shipment of the MicPort Pro, low noise USB mic pre-amp that plugs into any XLR microphone and adds USB connectivity, allowing it to act as a digital recording device. The device offers 24-bit/96kHz performance, 48V phantom power, zero latency monitoring, loud headphone output, and knobs for input and output level. It also works without a driver, and CEntrance claims full compatibility with a wide range of recording apps (those that support USB audio input) under Mac OS X and Windows XP/Vista. Stereo and multi-track recording is also possible with MicPort Pro thanks to the CEntrance Universal Driver that aggregates input from multiple MicPort Pro units with a latency of 6 milliseconds. The device ships with a 6' USB cable and a carrying pouch and carries a price of $125.

Team unlocks iPhone via software

Hackers claim to have successfully unlocked Apple's iPhone without modifying any hardware. The iPhoneSIMfree.com team say they have cracked Apple's iPhone SIM lock system, according to Engadget, and have proven their claim with a working unlocked handset. The unlocked phone used a T-Mobile SIM card in place of AT&T's default card, allowing the users to make calls, send text messages, and check email on an iPhone using their chosen T-Mobile service provider. Apple and AT&T launched the iPhone under an exclusive contract designed to seal customers into two-year service plans with AT&T, preventing iPhone owners from using other carriers.

Viliv X2 AIO mixes GPS, mobile TV, media playback

Viliv on Friday added a new, top-end media player and navigation hybrid to its lineup through the X2 All-in-One. The 4.3-inch display is said to be ideal for videos and supports DivX, WMV, and XviD clips stored on flash memory; in Korea, a T-DMB tuner captures live digital TV and gets help from an electronic programming guide. But the device also serves as a full-fledged GPS, Viliv boasts: in addition to full maps with points of interest, a perspective view gives a hint of lane changes, tunnels, and other road details ahead. A 600MHz AMD Alchemy CPU is powerful enough to support varying levels of picture-in-picture that allow mobile TV alongside the map view.

BlackBerry Pearl 8130 due for Sprint on Thanksgiving?

The enhanced, CDMA-based BlackBerry 8130 should be available from Sprint in November, Boy Genius claims while citing a photo and leaked details. The slim smartphone, nicknamed the Pearl 2, should arrive roughly in time for the American Thanksgiving holiday in November and will be fundamentally identical in hardware to the Verizon model. Its 2-megapixel camera, EVDO Internet access, and GPS (in place of AT&T's Wi-Fi) will be virtually identical. Which of Sprint's proprietary services would be available on the new Pearl is unknown.

Formac Disk Mini drives go to 250GB

Formac has bumped up the capacity of its flagship portable hard drive, the Disk Mini. Now offering 250GB of capacity (80GB, 120GB and 160GB versions are also available), the drive is bus-powered and includes a shock absorption system designed to protect internals in the case of a fall or other impact. All capacities use a 5,400rpm drive mechanism that Formac claims can transfer data at up to 15MB per second over USB 2.0. The units ship with a 2-year warranty. Prices range from £60 (about $120) for the 80GB model to £95 (about $190) for the 250GB version.

New format allows cable TV streams over IP networks

Cable standard-bearer CableLabs has just approved a new format it says will let users finally translate cable TV to IP-based networks without using special converting hardware. Dubbed DTCP-IP, the protocol will allow a cable receiver box or other equipment to stream video across a home Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection to computers and portable devices. The system will use digital rights management to copy-protect clips but will use the more dynamic AACS system used by Blu-Ray and HD DVD; while this will allow content producers to revoke access, it will also allow selective copying if a show provider agrees, CableLabs notes.

NeverWinter Nights 2 coming to the Mac

Aspyr Media has announced that it will port NeverWinter Nights 2, the popular role-playing game set in the fantasy world of the Forgotten Realms, to Mac OS X. In the game, you play a character who matures from peasant to full-fledged hero in an attempt to protect Realms against grave threats. You can build a character that suits your style of play - good or evil, chaotic or lawful, with any number of skills, feats and professions. Aspyr says "Whether lobbing fireballs and researching forgotten spells as a powerful Wizard, hacking a trail through legions of orcs as a Fighter armed only with a battle axe and your courage, or taking on the role of a Rogue that can slip into the shadows at a moment's notice, the choice is yours. Choose your alignment, your allies, your companions, and how you want your character to develop." NeverWinter Nights will ship in December 2007, and will soon be available for pre-order at a price of $50.

More Dell XPS M1730 details surface

Enhanced details of Dell's XPS M1730 have surfaced online, courtesy of leaks from a reportedly separate source. The gaming notebook is still slated to include a single graphics chip in default trim but is now set to include dual GeForce 8700M GT chipsets in SLI, making it one of the first notebooks to double-up on the advanced 3D hardware. The PC should also take advantage of its dual drive bays to offer solid-state hard drives (likely up to 64GB) alongside larger-capacity but slower rotating disks. In all cases, a small LCD ahead of the display should monitor system CPU/memory usage, and users can add a new Ageia PhysX mobile chipset to offload physics processing in supporting games.

Trekstor preps i.Beat blaxx, cody, emo, sonix for IFA

Trekstor has revealed that it will release a quartet of new i.Beat media players at next week's IFA technology show in Berlin: the blaxx, cody, emo, and sonix (pictured) will all be capable of playing video and FM radio regardless of size, the company says. The full-size cody will be the company's large, movie-focused player with a 3.5-inch display, support for AVI clips, and an SD card slot to extend the built-in memory or to view photos directly from a camera. Its smaller parallel, the sonix, shrinks the display to just 2.4 inches but keeps AVI and photo viewing support.

Apple to hold special event September 5th?

Apple may unveil a new line of iPods as soon as the first week of September, according to one report. A photograph of what industry watchers say could be a new line of iPod nanos surfaced earlier this week, but some sources that published the photos were asked to remove them by the Cupertino-basd company's legal team. Engadget reports that Apple plans to unveil new iPods on September 5th, citing sources within the company while pointing to the unusual chosen date for a special event. Apple typically holds such events on Tuesdays, but the coming holiday weekend may have served as incentive for the company to reschedule the day of its presumed special event.

Nokia's recall to cost Matsushita up to $172m

Nokia's unprecedented 46 million battery recall could be very costly for its supplier Matsushita, the cellphone maker revealed today. Though initially at odds with each other over responsibility and the ultimate cost, both firms have agreed that Matsushita (responsible for the Panasonic label) will shoulder most of the costs of replacing the flammable batteries and is estimated to pay a minimum of $86 million and as much as $172 million depending on the number of batteries replaced as part of the program. The figure is high but is far lower than what local experts had anticipated, as some predicted Matsushita could be responsible for as much as $432 million and seriously damage the company's overall health.

Verizon already prepping LG enV, VX8550 sequels?

Two mystery LG phones destined for Verizon have been confirmed in early form, courtesy of two FCC filings made public late this week. Though confidentiality terms prevent photos and most other telltale signs from being leaked, the VX10000 is most likely a sequel to the enV (also known as the VX9900, pictured) and is reportedly thinner than the relatively think enV and could also add a large, touch-sensitive screen to the inside of the phone.

Europe iPhone delays, coming to S. Korea?

Foreign cellular carrier companies like France Telecom's mobile unit, Orange, are working to secure contracts with Apple to provide service for the Cupertino-based company's iPhone. Orange has announced that it has not won the rights to market Apple's iPhone in France, and said that various mobile operators are still in talks with Apple which will likely prolong the decision for several weeks. "A launch date of September, as some reports have said, seems to me impossible," said Louis-Pierre Wenes, executive director of Orange. Wenes noted that an iPhone launch is possible in the fourth quarter of this year as Apple initially planned, according to Forbes.

Denon intros 2.1 theaters with DLNA, iPod support

AV equipment maker Denon finished its week today with a pair of all-in-one, 2.1-channel home theaters uniquely connected to digital devices. In addition to playing DVDs and music CDs, the pictured S-302 includes both Ethernet and Wi-Fi networking; any device that fits the DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) protocol can share JPEG photos as well as music in AAC, FLAC, MP3, WAV, and WMA formats. The system also includes a USB port and a bundled iPod dock that plays music from the Apple device or generic storage with basic control.

iResQ offers iPhone repairs

iResQ today officially announced that it is now offering iPhone repairs. iResQ, which has been performing next-day Mac-related upgrades and repairs since 1994, said that the iPhone is a natural fit in their service line, which includes pickup and delivery of the customer's unit in a shipper-approved foam lined container. The company also provides repair and upgrade services for iPods, PowerBooks, iBooks, MacBooks and the Apple TV. "Per customer demand, we've redesigned our packaging to accept several combinations of iPhones and/or iPods. Customers with multiple items can use one iBox to get the broken units to us" said Kyle Baccus, Operations Manager at iResQ.

Creative launches portable iPod shuffle speaker dock

Creative on Friday unveiled its first speaker system made just for the second-generation iPod shuffle. The TravelSound i50 mounts the Apple player on top of a one-piece, 1.4-watt stereo speaker system that includes a keychain attachment for clipping the speaker to a backpack or a bag. To help guard the shuffle in its exposed position, the i50 includes a plastic cover that protects the player from scratches and rain while exposing the controls. A mini-USB port also turns the speakers into an impromptu dock for synchronizing and charging the small iPod directly from the speaker system.

Kitty Spangles Solitaire 3.5 released

Swoop Software has updated Kitty Spangles Solitaire 3.5, a Mac-only version of the popular card game. Version 3.5 features 40 games including popular favorites such as Klondike, Canfield, Freecell, Penguin and Spider. The company said that Kitty takes solitaire to another level with "beautifully styled cards and luxuriously animated themes to suit any mood. Intuitive and friendly game selection makes finding and starting a favorite game quick and easy. New and experienced solitaire players alike will enjoy playing with Kitty for hours, able to seamlessly resize the game window to fit their needs." The game will remember the preferences, statistics and high scores for up to 8 players, including the number of games played and won, the win rate, the time taken to win, and much more.

Macgamestore: Hidden Expedition: Everest

Macgamestore.com on Friday released Hidden Expedition: Everest on its web site. The game, developed Big Fish Studios, features a race around the world to reach Mt. Everest: "Explore mysteries of the world as you find hidden clues. Race to the Roof of the World! The Hidden Expedition Club will pit one of its stellar members against a formidable group of opponents in a race to the summit of Everest. Other groups will battle you to be the first to summit Mount Everest. Expert Everest climber Ed Viesturs will assist you along the way." It features over 30 "stunningly beautiful" scenes from around the world, four Character mini-games and Ed Viesturs' exclusive footage of the world's most dangerous summits. Hidden Expedition: Everest is available for $20, while a free demo version of the game is available for download as well.

Google phone just two weeks away?

The frequently rumored Google phone could be announced in as little as two weeks, claim Indian sources familiar with the search engine giant's press release efforts. An official release would come within a "fortnight" and would initially release the phone simultaneously in Europe and the US. Indian companies have recently begun talks but could potentially see the phone carried by one of multiple networks in the country, including the state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam as well as Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Essar. Google is reportedly also negotiating Google Talk and search features for carriers in the area, though this is actually less certain than the phone announcement, according to the sources.