What is the deal with the iPhone nano?

Adding to a small stack of rumors about a supposed iPhone nano, case-maker Vaja today quietly added the category to its website (pictured after the break). Frankly, we're not sure what to think. There are a number of ways in which Apple could produce a cheaper phone or alter its subsidy deals, so the idea of an iPhone that's simply smaller makes very little sense. Yet, here we are showing off the site of a reputable accessory manufacturer with a brand new phone listed -- ostensibly just a teensy version of the iPhone 3G. Of course, this is probably just rumor, speculation, lies, corruption, signs of an unquenchable thirst for power, and a glimpse at the machinations behind one of the greatest conspiracies mankind has ever known. So, we're posing the question to the biggest brains of all: the Engadget reader. Is Apple working on an iPhone nano?

iPhone 3G reception just fine say curious Swedes with engineering degrees

There's been a lot of discussion lately about iPhone 3G reception issues. Whether they exist or not is largely irrelevant in a world dominated by sound-bite driven perceptions. Nevertheless, some industrious Swedes decided to apply a little scientific method to the argument and found something interesting: the iPhone 3G performed just as well (or just as poorly, depending upon your mood) as a Nokia N73 and Sony Ericsson P1 when compared head-to-head in a mobile communications test chamber. The test was conducted by real-life antenna engineers just like those camera-fumbling souls contracted by the FCC. Of course, who's going to let a few facts stand in the way of contrary opinion and litigation, eh?

Meet the iPhone Dev Team [Hackers]

The international team of code-monkeying playboys known as the iPhone Dev Team gave a talk at the Chaos Communication Congress in Berlin recently, where they presented a comprehensive history of iPhone hacking to date.

Yes, all we have here is an annotated hour-long PowerPoint, and yes, almost all of the content is of interest only to the actual haxxors that gathered at 25C3 to watch, but for me, it's a thrill to hear these guys talk about the software that we've covered and used ourselves for so long. It's also a thrill to hear little tidbits like the 180 IP addresses inside apple that the Dev Team guys have tracked as frequent updaters of Pwnage and Quickpwn. Up until this weekend in Berlin, most of the iPhone Dev Team had never met each other in person. And I only wish we could have gotten a quick camera pan over to the guys identified as the team members who wish to remain anonymous—in the corner, wearing "PwnApple" t-shirts, speaking Russian.

Wooden iPhone 3G Gives Us Exactly What You Expect [IPhone]

We like wood. We like the iPhone. We like deep-fried hot dogs with rooster sauce. This is completely unrelated. But we really like them, as much as this wooden replacement case for the iPhone 3G.

TimeXchange: Simple web-based timesheet management

Keeping track of billable hours is a crucial task for companies and individuals alike. And although there are literally hundreds of time tracking and time card applications, most are designed to be used in a very specific ecosystem. This can get tricky if you are working on a proejct with both employees and contract workers, and your tracking system is only designated to work based with regular employees. If you are a freelancer and you work with clients and collaborate with other developers, time reporting can be even more problematic.
These are the types of hurdles TimeXchange, which officially launched today, hopes to help overcome. TimeXchange, which bills itself as "part web-app, part social network," is designed to reduce data entry redundancy and help people using different backends work and collabrate together more efficiently.
This is how it works: you sign up for a TimeXchange account and create a new project, select your role in the project and then indicate if you are working by yourself or on a team. If working on a team, you can invite other users, indicate what level of control they have (can they approve timesheets, can they see budget and billing information), etc. If you are invited to join a project, you simply respond to an e-mail, and create your own free TimeXchange account so that you can collaborate with the rest of your team.
Here's where TimeXchange is different than a base level time or budget management repository: you can easily export your data into other formats or integrate with other services. You can export your data (either project or individual) as a PDF, CSV or QuickBooks file. In the near future, support for 37Signals Basecamp API and an iGoogle widget will allow you to import existing Basecamp project data and to-do lists.
There are also two iPhone apps iTimeX [iTunes link] (free) and TimeXchange [iTunes link] ($2.99) that let you update and log your time directly to your TimeXchange account from your iPhone or iPod touch.
If you are running a group or single project and are concerned about going over a budget, there is a budget feature that that can display real-time tracking in the dashboard, so you can track how much time you are spending and how much time your team members are spending and spot problems from the offset.
As someone who often works on hourly projects and collaborates with outside partners, I like the idea of TimeXchange. The interlopability with other systems sets it apart from other solutions.
TimeXchange is free for as many users as you want to use -- but if you want an ad-free experience, there is a one-time charge of $9.99.

iPhone 2.2 firmware is out, with Street View and podcasts

iPhone and iPod Touch users can upgrade their software to version 2.2 today. The update, which weighs in at around 250 megs, adds some highly-anticipated features. The two biggest for me are Street View in the Maps app and the ability to download podcasts from the iTunes Store. There are some smaller tweaks that you might appreciate, as well: that bug that sometimes kept messages from downloading in Mail is fixed, and you can click the home button when you're on any page of the home screen to go back to the first page.
Street View on the iPhone is every bit as cool as it sounds. It looks good in landscape and is really smooth to control. I suspect it won't be long before we start seeing photos of people holding up iPhone street view pictures of the place they're standing. Less flashy, but just as useful, walking and transit directions are available in maps now, as well. If you're an iPod Touch user, you're unfortunately out of luck on Street View for now, so far it's iPhone only.
Downloading podcasts was at the top of my wishlist for the iPhone (although I know a lot of you have lists of your own). It's always frustrating to finish an episode of a good podcast while you're out walking or on a train, and then wait until you get home to hear the next one. Not a problem anymore, thanks to the latest iPhone update. All in all, 2.2 offers some excellent new features. The only thing I have to complain about is the new Safari layout, which feels cramped with the address bar and the search bar smooshed in next to one another.

Weightbot: simple weight tracker for iPhone and iTouch

I love apps that make a very specific task as easy as it ought to be. That's why I love Weightbot, an iPhone/iPod Touch weight tracking app developed by Tapbots. I confess that I used to keep track of my weight in a Numbers document. It wasn't too much trouble, but I didn't look forward to it. With Weightbot, it's so easy that it's almost -- dare I say it? -- fun.
I snatched up Weightbot right away when I found out it was on sale for a buck during the holidays, and I was not disappointed. Its basic functions are pretty intuitive: move the slider to a date, click on the weight display, and set your weight. Other handy features: switch from pounds to metric, set a target weight, enter your height to get a BMI calculation, set a privacy code, and back up your data to a web account. The coolest feature by far is graph mode, though. It's a quick way to visually track your progress, and it includes your target weight and a trend line.

The Best iPhone Apps of 2008 [Bestmodo 2008]

Only five months since Apple launched the App Store, and there are now tens of thousands of apps. Don't worry, we did the hard part, trying them out and picking the year's best: We already selected our 20 essential iPhone apps not too long ago—November 14, to be exact. That's recent enough to still be fresh, but to those 20, we're adding 10 more, several of which have debuted between then and now. As a package, they're 30 apps every iPhone owner should take a close look at. They're what we use every day, and many of them are free. The complete selection of our previous 20 essentials plus the 10 new apps can be viewed in our special Bestmodo Phone App directory. If you'd like, you can peruse all of our first 20 here on one page, and also, see the new additions to the list separately here: EasyWriter: It seems simple—you can type URLs in landscape mode with its larger, more luxuriously spaced keyboard. Why not emails? EasyWriter solved it. Free; $2.99 for Pro edition
Facebook: For Facebookers (um, everyone, right?) it's essential—a beautifully designed, uber-functional implementation that's always with you. Free
EverNote: Already a popular web service and found on other devices, Evernote does something that every location-aware cameraphone should be able to do: quickly take and store geotagged photos so you can remember stuff. Free
Google Mobile: Google Mobile was a solid app (but not particularly essential)—and then came voice search. Free
RjDj: A totally unique music application that processes sound from your environment and replays it according to a set program, creating a trippy, always-evolving soundscape. Free to try; $2.99 expanded version
VLC Remote: One of the first apps we loved was the iTunes Remote—now, the Swiss army knife of media players VLC has one of its very own. Free ad-supported simple version; $1.99 for more controls and no ads
Wikipedia Mobile: Finally, the definitive Wikipedia reader for the iPhone. $2.99
Night Camera: Thanks to its accelerometer, your iPhone knows when it's being jiggled. Night Camera, simply and ingeniously, uses this data to make your low-light picture clearer. $0.99
Tweetie: Twitter apps: there are a lot of 'em. Tweetie, though, is the closest you'll get to the Twitter desktop experience, and therefore our best of. $2.99
Recorder: While not the sexiest apps, a good solid voice recorder can be incredibly handy—especially if you are a handsome FBI investigator in the town of Twin Peaks. $0.99

AT&T Giving Out Free Car Charger For the iPhone...Too Bad It Doesn't Work [Get What You Pay For]

According to a tipster at Consumerist, somewhere AT&T has been giving away free car chargers with an iPhone 3G purchase. No big deal, but free is free right? Well, not so much. The tipster claims that the cord is incompatible with the 3G, leading us to believe that AT&T was simply clearing out inventory from the original iPhone and packaging it as a deal. And, as you know, many of the accessories from the original iPhone don't play nice with the new hardware. Needless to say, if your decision to buy an iPhone 3G hinges on a $10 car charger deal, don't be fooled. It could be a cleverly disguised trap.

Clear iPhone 3G Replacement Case Shows Its Fugly Guts [IPhone 3G]

Not everything is pretty in Apple land. This custom clear replacement case bares your iPhone 3G's naughty bits completely naked. Some people hate it, some people love it, we just ogle. Obviously, it's is missing some of those naughty bits, like the camera and other parts, but the case is being manufactured by a company in Russia. Reminds me of the old transparent iMacs from the beginning of the century. Would you get a clear iPhone case instead of a plain colored one?

Yes, the iPhone went on sale at Walmart today

From the looks of our tip jar, the iPhone went on sale at Walmart today for $197 / $297, just as we expected. The plan is to attract consumers who don't shop at Best Buy, Apple, or AT&T stores, so basically Wally doesn't care about anyone reading this. We love you too, Wally. No crazy $99 4GB model or iPhone nano in sight, but maybe Phil's gonna blow us all away next week. (We doubt it.)

AT&T letting go of 8GB refurb iPhone 3Gs for $99 on contract

Ha, you or someone you love just paid full retail for an iPhone 3G a few days ago, didn't you? We've always heard that the best deals come after Christmas, but people just never learn. All smack talk aside, those who didn't get a new cellie under the tree, but did acquire a Benjamin or so courtesy of cash-stuffed holiday cards, can certainly score a big deal today. AT&T is now offering the 8GB iPhone 3G in refurbished form for just $99 with a two-year agreement, while the 16GB refurb is $199 on contract in either black or white. Call us crazy, but we don't foresee these hanging around in stock for too awfully long.

iPhone 3G unlock demoed on video

We can't unlock ours for a few days yet, so why don't we sit back, relax, and watch the boys and girls at the Dev-Team shoehorn their iPhone 3G onto T-Mobile while we wait? Follow the break for all the nail-biting action!

Walmart iPhone probably happening, probably not for $99

We've been hearing rumors of an iPhone at Walmart for a while now, and the only thing that was even mildly interesting about the unlikely pairing was that there was supposedly going to be a $99 4GB model. Well, now we hear that they'll indeed be selling the phone, but (as the ad above would seem to indicate) it's going to be a $197 8GB model -- about 2 bucks cheaper than you can get them for at an Apple or AT&T store, with no mention of a 4GB version at all. So, you're telling us we're going to be able to get this phone for (almost) exactly the same price as before, but now we can buy it at a store where we can also pick up Slim-Fast in bulk and possibly die in a retail trampling? We'll pass.