Third-party add-ons

If you’ve ever ventured in to the Apple store, surely you’ve seen at least once, the frustration employees endure when ordering up a customer with their handheld scanners. However, this could soon change.

The handsets used to swipe credit cards and take orders by roaming employees manning the floor run the aging Windows CE and after endless crashes delaying a rather simple checkout process, Apple may be looking toward its own iPhone to take up the job. According to Apple Insider, Apple could work with a third party to create a credit card reader that connects to the iPhone’s Dock Connector and use existing point of sales Apps to speed up the checkout process. This would finally bring a major component of the Apple’s Store checkout system up to date and promote one of the company’s products at the same time.

Via: The iPhone Blog

DirecTV has released an iPhone App (iTunes Link) that allows customers a plethora of extra features if they subscribe to the service.

In addition to scheduling DVR recordings, the App, which works over Wi-Fi, EDGE and 3G lets you browse television programs 2 weeks in advance as well as start your recording 2 minutes before a show starts. While the App is much more robust than its web interface counterpart, TUAW notes that only the “DIRECTV Plus® DVR (models R15, R16, R22), DIRECTV Plus® HD DVR (models HR20, HR21, HR23) or TiVo® Series 2 receivers with 6.4a software” are currently supported.

Via: Macrumors

Sling has announced its SlingPlayer for the iPhone has entered a 1.0 release and has been submitted to the App Store for approval.

The mobile player for the iPhone has been long rumored since the device’s launch but now, we only have to wait until Apple approves the App. The system allows you to stream you content to any device in the world from the company’s Sling Box media player. The iPhone App would accomplish the same thing allowing you to listen to music and watch videos stored on your Sling Box and in addition, let you control your DVR to record and schedule shows when you’re away from home.

Via: TUAW

Boxee, the long time companion to many media centers, has pushed out an Application for the iPhone that allows users to control their Boxee setup from their device.

The App gives users enhanced control from their iPhone allowing them to type searches, use gestures or use on screen buttons to use basic media playback controls. A quick summarization of the features in the remote App:

1. The boxee remote app has two modes: Gesture and Buttons.
2. In the Gesture mode you need to hold down your thumb and move it around in order to navigate.
3. Clicking on the boxee logo acts as Select/Play/Pause.
4. Dragging the boxee logo to the edges of the screen will act as a continuous up/down/left/right.
5. Clicking in an input field will open up the iPhone Qwerty keyboard and will enable you to easily enter text.
6. The app works over WiFi, so make sure the WiFi on your iPhone is turned on.

Via iPhones Talk

Non Apple sanctioned App stores are becoming all the rage these days. Growing from the slightly clunky Installer.app to a more full fledged version and after friendly competition from the Cydia repository, underground developers are looking for a much easier way to load Apps on to iPhones: a desktop version of Installer.

The desktop version of Installer works much the same way it does on the iPhone in the sense that it installs Apps on to your device but running it on a computer allows much easier transfers and better management. Rip Dev talked about the desktop App very briefly.

“Practically, it is a desktop variant of our own Installer.app. It will allow you to view and install packages that are present in various Installer and Cydia repositories by downloading them to your computer and then synchronizing via the USB cable with your iPhone.”

While it seems a restore is need to actually complete the install, that will be little hindrance to those looking to transfer Apps deemed unfit for the App Store or developed exclusively for jailbroken iPhones.

Via: CNET

While computer geeks are busy salivating over the newness revealed at Macworld (no removable battery for the MacBok Pro) and CES (Consumer Electronic Show) car types are excited by the Detroit Auto Show. Even if you don’t follow cars you’re familiar with the show. Auto manufacturers show off the latest concept cars, you think “That is AWESOME” and then a few years later the car that started out as the coolest street legal Batmobile ever produced is released to the public looking really, really ugly and undesirable. Heck, even the Pontiac Aztek probably looked pretty cool when it was a concept at the Detroit Auto Show.

This year the Detroit Auto Show features a really awesome iPhone accessory. Named the Chrysler 200C EV the car not only looks slick but obeys the commands of your iPhone:

...is a rolling test bed for Chrysler’s future uconnect in-car computer and communication device. It also connects directly to an iPhone, allowing you to pre-program the temperature, lock the doors, view an in-car camera remotely and track the car’s location live via GPS – all straight from the iPhone.

No word on how much this iPhone add on would cost but the idea is… more...

Richard|Solo has released the Richard|Solo 1800, an updated version of their Smart Backup Battery for iPhone.

This nifty batter pack is packed with features: It offers 50% more battery capacity than the previous version, and includes an LED light and laser pointer, dual-port USB car charger, AC wall charger with retractable cord, and an optional plastic support for added stability while charging.

For $69.95 you can get yourself one today by visiting here: RichardSolo.com

Some people thought I was crazy when I told them my 3G iPhone camera was much better than my first generation iPhone. I still think it is, however, it is not as good as Griffin claims their new add-on will make it.

Unfortunately, as you all know, the iPhone lacks the ability to focus in on objects so taking pictures of things close up can be an interesting experience. To help out a little, Griffin Technology has stepped in to save the day with the iClarifi Case.

This cool case comes with a built-in macro lens that can slide into place over the camera’s lens. That way, when you want to take a picture of something close-up, you can just slide the lens to the left and you can take much clearer pictures.

You can order it now for $34.99 from Griffin Technology.

As we wait longer and longer for Push Notification that was promised for September, people are starting to grow more impatient. For those of you who have jailbroken iPhone, you no longer have to wait. There is a hack that enables background processes just for you.

Apple doesn’t allow background processes because that drains battery life, but a lot of applications would work so much better with thaat option. Fortunately, the hacking community has created a temporary solution that could be a great reason to jailbreak my iPhone… Nah, I’ll keep waiting.

The hack, appropriately named “Backgrounder,” is available for jailbroken iPhone through Cydia. Running the software, you can go to the app you want to keep open and hold down the home button until a prompt pops up. Then, if you let go and exit the app, it will continue to run in the background while you do other things.

As Apple has mentioned, this is probably deadly on the battery, not to mention, may run a little slower, but at least you have background processes! Best of all, the hack supposedly works both on jailbreak apps and apps downloaded from the App Store.

Gizmodo more...