Now here is a very smart idea indeed. Fancy controlling your PC iTunes library from your Symbian handset and with no irksome lag? Course you do and PhoneTunes can do just that.
The software requires an install on both your phone and your PC and essentially loads the data directly from your PC onto your phone. This is done via either a Bluetooth, wi-fi or GPRS/3G connection meaning that there is no slow connecting or browsing as is typical of remote applications (so the site assures us anyway).
Here’s the best bit - it’s free. Bet you didn’t see that coming. Hit the jump for a full list of features.
Continue reading ‘PhoneTunes: Control your iTunes library via your Symbian phone’
Here are three of today’s most interesting iPhone stories:
1. Apple has ‘flicked the switch’ on the iTunes store’s iPhone ringtone service, according to MacRumors (image from the site shown above). The 99¢ (50p) option to convert purchased songs into ringtones is proving incredibly unpopular with users who feel that the service should be free.
2. 9to5mac has noticed that the iPhone and iPod touch can play high-quality full-screen video streamed over wi-fi, after browsing to Apple’s dedicated iPhone movie trailer page with one of the devices. The site suggests that by pointing your Web Server directory to your media folder, your entire movie collection could be playable over wi-fi.
3. Back at MacRumors is an interesting quote from Apple’s VP of Hardware Product Marketing, Greg Joswiak. He had this to say about thirdparty (unofficial) apps on iPhone: “Apple takes a neutral stance - they’re not going to stop anyone from writing apps, and they’re not going to maliciously design software updates to break the native apps, but they’re not going to care if their software updates accidentally break the native apps either.”
And if, like Coverflow (originally an iTunes add-on), one of those apps proves incredibly popular, you can bet Apple will snap it up and integrate it in a flash.
Following Apple’s release of iTunes 7.4 last week (which enables the re-purchase of songs for 99¢ to use as iPhone ringtones) it was quickly discovered that it was rather easy to trick the app into synching non-purchased ringtones onto the handset. In iTunes 7.4 the workaround involves simply duplicating the AAC (MP4) track you want to use as a ringtone and setting your own start/ finish points in the track (use ‘Get Info’ in iTunes), then changing the file extension from M4A to M4R.
Upon realising what was going on, Apple quickly released iTunes 7.4.1 to claw back some cash address the issue. However, as reported by Engadget, there’s another, equally simple workaround: simply re-re-name the M4R files to M4A and they’ll be synched to your iPhone once more.
Expect iTunes 7.4.2 to be released in, ooh, about a day from now…
With both Sony and Nokia (which recently announced its service) offering over-the-air music purchases, it was only a matter of time for Apple to do the same. The arrival of the new iPod touch (shown right) has given Apple the opportunity to roll out the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store, which does pretty much what it says on the tin.
Songs can be browsed, previewed and purchased direct to either the iPhone or the iPod touch, and then synched-back to your home computer next time you link the device up. Pricing and selection of songs remains the same as in the standard iTunes app — it’s the full service, gone mobile.
In addition, Apple and Starbucks have tied-up in the States to offer an innovative service through which you can purchase the song you’re listening to in a Starbucks branch through a one-click process. Your iPod or iPhone will have access to the Starbucks location’s current playlist, allowing you to find it instantly. Over 600 locations will initially offer the service, which includes free wi-fi access to the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store, starting 2nd October.
We’re not going to bother re-writing the press release from Apple about this — it says it well enough already…
iTunes customers will now be able to create custom ringtones by selecting up to a 30-second segment from over a million participating songs on iTunes and easily sync them onto their iPhone. Once a customer has purchased a participating song from iTunes, including previously purchased participating songs, it will only cost 99 cents to make up to a 30-second segment of that song into a ringtone and easily sync it onto their iPhone.
Customers can personalize their ringtones by choosing which portion of the song they want to use, and setting custom fade in and fade out points. iPhone users can assign a custom ringtone to be their default ringtone and they can also assign them to individual callers in their address book. Customers still have full use of the originally purchased song.
We think Apple is being unfair with this one: why not let you use an MP3 that you’ve already paid for as a ringtone? At least there are alternative solutions.
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