Hands-On with the Altec Lansing iMT800 Mix Speaker Dock for iPod/iPhone

by Aric Annear on August 27, 2009

Altec Lansing has been making iPod docks for a while, but the new iMT800 Mix should grab your attention for two keys reasons:

It docks, charges, and controls the iPhone--even the latest iPhone 3G S--without the need for Airplane mode.

It's loud.

The first point alone makes the Mix stand out. iPhone users have been left out in the cold for a while when it comes to iPod docks; with hundreds of choices available on the market for regular iPods, only a few have been able to work with the iPhone and then usually only in Airplane mode. The Mix, however, welcomed my 32 GB iPhone 3G S with open arms. It controlled perfectly, with none of the chirping or buzzing that may sound familiar to you if you've left a cell phone near a pair of speakers for any length of time. Finally I can stream Pandora or imeem Mobile while charging my iPhone in an iPod dock, and let me tell you, it's sweet.

Second, this thing is built for volume. Barring notable exceptions like the B&W Zeppelin, many iPod docks tend towards the small side, geared toward a desktop or cubicle. The Mix is a full-fledged boombox, with two 5.25" woofers, two 3" mid-range drivers, and two 1" horn tweeters. During my first dry run, with both the Mix and the docked iPhone at 50% volume, it more than filled the medium-sized room we were testing in. The mids and tweeters are forward-firing while the side-firing woofers angle slightly to the rear, so sound dispersion is huge.

The Mix features three ways to listen to music: an FM radio, the iPod dock (of course), and there are two auxillary slots on top of the unit through which you can attach anything with a 3.5mm jack. Two male-to-male 3.5mm cables are even included in the box. Also included are a large number of interchangeable trays to fit whichever version of iPod or iPhone you're docking. So if you bring the Mix to a party, say, you can switch back and forth between the radio and three of your friends' MP3 players for a huge selection of music.

Switch between FM radio and multiple attached MP3 players with ease

There are several options for controlling a docked iPod/iPhone. You can, of course, simply use the controls on the docked iPod itself, or you can use the control buttons on the top front of the unit, or you can use the included IR remote. The slim remote sits in its own slot in the top rear of the Mix when not in use, and features a caribiner-style clip to keep on a belt loop or bag. The remote will control the radio and a docked iPod/iPhone, but can't control an auxillary-attached MP3 player (although it can switch to and from it as a source). There's an LCD screen on the front above the dock for album and artist information, system status, and for the 7-band graphical equalizer. You can even customize the power-on message with custom text--not a crucial feature, but a nice touch nonetheless.

The IR remote slides into its own housing when not in use

Another nice touch is the bracer around the iPod dock. The Mix is clearly intended to be moved around, thanks to the grab handles on each side of the unit, and the recessed position of the dock plus the bar means you can be reasonably assured that it'll stay secure while moving around a party or heading to the beach. Speaking of moving around, it's worth mentioning here that for a boombox with a class D amplifier in it, the Mix is pretty light for its size--I had no problem carting it around with one hand, though to be fair I didn't have the 8 D batteries in it required to run it without AC power either.

The bracer bar along with included matching dock trays keeps attached iPods/iPhones secure

The one thing I'll say about the grab handles: don't be too casual with them. Even though grabbing one of the side handles means carrying the Mix vertically, it's not designed to stand on its side. The woofer grilles protrude a little from the sides, and there are a lot of sharp angles, so either use the handle on top or be sure to take care when setting the Mix down. The Mix is not fragile, but it's not ruggedized either. (Maybe they should rubberize the Mix's corners on the next iteration?)

So how does it actually sound? Pretty darn good. In particular, the horn-loaded tweeters and mid-range drivers deliver incredibly crisp highs and mids that don't get harsh or sibilant at loud volumes. Bass is huge, especially if you have a wall or similar to reflect sound from the side-firing speakers off of, and will be more than enough to please an entire roomful of partygoers. I did notice that bass does start to muddy a bit at volumes above 65% or so; room acoustics will matter a lot here. At volumes 50% or below (which is more than loud enough for a room with a few people in it) the sound is rich and full. Even streaming Pandora on my iPhone, which uses compressed audio when streaming on AT&T's 3G network, sounded warm and clear and was very forgiving of compression artifacts.

In addition to the obvious party applications, the Mix makes perfect sense for a dorm room, kitchen, small office, poolside, garage, or anywhere else people might be congregating with their own MP3 players in hand.

The Altec Lansing iMT800 Mix has an MSRP of $299 and is available for pre-order now.

--Aric A.

Bites from the Apple: Number 9 Nexus

by Agen Schmitz on August 21, 2009

It's looking likely that the big Apple iPod/iTunes-related event is to happen on September 9, which is in line with previous years' rollouts of new iPods. But September 9 is an interesting choice for an Apple event this year as it also coincides with a product rollout that could easily eclipse anything even remotely insanely great that Apple could pull out of the hat. September 9 is the day that The Beatles release its Rock Band video game as well as remastered CDs of its catalog (check out the Amazon Beatles store for all the goodies; also, if you've not been hit with the hype yet, check out this story from last weekend's NYTimes Magazine about how the Beatles are entering the 21st century via a video game).

And thus begins the resurgence of hopeful rumors that the Apple event will also tie in with the Beatles event and finally bring digital distribution of the band's catalog to the iTunes store. This Beatles-to-iTunes rumors has been one of the longest running bits of wishful thinking in the Apple wing of the gadgetosphere--I can even date it back to an early post I did for this blog (when it was named Current and before I formalized the weekly news roundup into Bites) back on November 27, 2006. (Additionally, that post also includes the other white whale of Apple watchers--the Mac tablet PC.)

Some of the more sure-footed rumors surrounding the Apple event include new iPod touch and iPod nano models with cameras, a new version of iTunes that looks to include integration with Facebook, and the new code-named Cocktail digital album format that will include lyrics, videos and more. Another item that's almost a sure thing is non-appearance of the iTablet/iTouch tablet-ized Mac, as it's expected to be announced/released in 2010.

• Speaking of the iPod, Joachim Bean at TUAW found that Apple's online store was selling the first-generation, click-wheel, 5 GB iPod from 2001 (I still have mine in mothballs somewhere). Bean ordered the model, but was disappointed to learn that Apple wasn't going to fulfill that order (not unexpected, as this was probably just an online glitch). Instead, it was sending him a 2nd generation 10 GB model (wholly unexpected--who knew that Apple still had these around???).

• And should The Beatles finally get released in iTunes (or once you digitize the new remastered CDs for your iPod/iPhone), you can recapture some of the glory of ye olde LP with the Vinyl DJ iPhone app (link opens iTunes), which can add crackle, scratch and hum noises to your tunes.

• Pocket-lint pulls together over 50 concept designs for the long-gestating iTablet that have been done over the years. Add a new one to the list (currently my favorite mock-up) from Mario Amaya based on the musings of Rainer Brockerhoff.

  

• Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster believes that Apple will release a new Apple TV in the next several months with TV-input and DVR capabilities and an actual Apple HDTV within the next two years (via The Apple Blog). And CNet's Crave blog salivates over the potential for using one of Apple's currently shipping products in conjunction with such an iHDTV:

  Even with a built-in Apple TV box and a big, shiny Apple logo, the iHDTV would barely rate a "ho-hum" from jaded tech reviewers like myself. Nope, the real coolness and opportunity for innovation would be the seamless integration of a high-powered, Web-enabled touch-screen remote control--especially one 48 million people already own. Like, say, an iPhone.

• If you're ready to break your Apple TV out of its monogamous relationship with iTunes, The Apple Blog posts a rather simple procedure for XBMC (aka, XBox Media Center) and Boxee to reach maximum streaming video potential.

  

• TomTom's GPS navigation iPhone app was officially released this week (via Consumer Reports), with versions for the U.S. and Canada, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

• Some other iPhone apps on the horizon via The Apple Core--Facebook 3.0 with a new interface (but no push notifications till v3.1) and an official Wikipedia app (though the free Wiki Tap does just fine for me).

• Back on August 15, 1998, the original iMac with the rounded translucent case (and a 4 GB hard drive) started shipping (via Apple Matters)

• And finally... a DIY project for this weekend via Lifehacker--making a dock for my iPhone 3GS from its box contents (rather than spending $49 for Apple's universal dock)

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Plantronics Introduces New 975 Bluetooth Headset

by Agen Schmitz on August 21, 2009

A couple months back, I lamented the fact that I'd accidentally run my Plantronics 925 Bluetooth headset through the washing machine and was looking for recommendations for a new headset. Well, I never found another headset that felt as good in my ear with its gel earpieces or worked as well as the 925 (see my mini review), so I hopped back on the train and got another model. However, if I could have waited just a bit longer, I could have updated to the 925's sequel--the just announced Plantronics Discovery 975.

The 975 retains the jewelry-like emphasis on design from the 925, and the microphone boom has become even sleeker, going to a one-piece boom from the open V-shape of its predecessor. It also replaces the 925's LED earpiece (which lit up to show connectivity) with a leather-like covering. And it retains a distinctively Plantronics look and feel thanks to what Darrin Caddes, vice president of design for Plantronics, in an interview with Fast Company calls "the 'power funnel'--the pinched transition from the headset's body to the slender boom. Every Plantronics headset has that element in some way or another. It was inspired by the shape of a tuning fork, where the tines curve into the handle."

Aside from the design, the 975 has also been blessed with the latest versions of Plantronics technologies, including the AudioIQ 2 dual-microphone noise cancellation and WindSmart wind-noise reduction. Additionally, the charging case (with integrated rechargeable battery) has been updated to include a small LCD screen that shows the remaining battery life of both the case and the headset. And by storing the headset in the case, Plantronics claims that you'll receive up to triple the talk time (up to 15 hours) of the headset.

I've found with the 925 that the case really is an integral part of the headset's package, and not only for its battery life-lengthening properties. I find that the 925 is so lightweight and thin that it would fly out of my pocket without my noticing. Thusly, I always pop the 925 into what my wife calls my "lipstick case" (an assessment that CNet's Crave agrees with) when I'm done with it, and then put the whole thing into my pocket. I can only imagine that I'd have the same issue with the 975 (with both headsets having the same 8-gram weight).

The Plantronics Discovery 975 is available for pre-order now.

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Bites from the Apple: Snow Leopard in the Wild

by Agen Schmitz on August 28, 2009

While perhaps not as momentous an occasion to require The The as background music ("this is the day, your life will surely change..."), Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard is officially released today. As most reviewers have pointed out, Snow Leopard is more about streamlining and quickening the operating system as well as focusing on improvements to existing features rather than throwing gobs of new code at the wall and hoping something interesting sticks.

My colleague Jeff Carlson reviewed Snow Leopard in the Seattle Times and says that the speed increase is palpable in newer machines, and he also feels that it's helped give an uptick in speed to his 2006 model MacBook Pro, thereby extending its useful life. It's also sleeker, as David Pogue in the NYTimes notes that the Snow Leopard installation frees up about 7 GB of space (nothing to sneeze at--that's about half a season of LOST episodes in HD). Brian Lam at Gizmodo sums up OS streamlinging thusly: "The little UI tweaks are no different than when a great sculptor's chisel works to remove everything non-essential during the final steps on a statue."

For the most part, most reviewers are giving Snow Leopard positive marks, but some such as Brian Chen at Wired reminds everyone that it's not a radical upgrade, but it is affordable at $30. And Walt Mossberg offers his own reservations at All Things D:

Overall, I believe Snow Leopard will help keep the Mac an appealing choice for computer buyers, and I can recommend it to existing Mac owners seeking more speed and disk space, or wanting to more easily use Exchange. But I don't consider Snow Leopard a must-have upgrade for average consumers. It's more of a nice-to-have upgrade. If you're happy with Leopard, there's no reason to rush out and get Snow Leopard.

If you're wondering what all the hubbub is all about, check out Pocket-lint's overview of what Snow Leopard can--and can't--do for you (the latter being particular to those still using PowerPC hardware). For myself, I'll be upgrading my recently purchased 2009 MacBook Pro via Apple's Up-to-Date upgrade program, but I'll probably wait a bit to upgrade my 2006 Mac mini just to see how Leopard and Snow Leopard interact with each other. What are your thoughts--will you be upgrading this weekend, or waiting a bit until the 10.6.1 update comes out? Let us know in the comments. Now onto more Snow Leopard coverage as well as bits and bytes of other Apple-y goodness from the week that was...

• If you are thinking about upgrading to Snow Leopard this weekend, hit the pause button for a moment and head over to Take Control books and purchase Joe Kissell's Take Control of Upgrading to Snow Leopard ebook. I've used his previous editions as a roadmap when previously upgrading to Tiger and Leopard, and they've been enormously helpful. And with a new installation process used for Snow Leopard (giving you a choice of automatic upgrade or erase & install), this ebook is well worth the 10 clams. While you're at the Take Control site, you should also consider Matt Neuburg's Take Control of Exploring & Customizing Snow Leopard (which can be purchased in a bundle with the Upgrade tome for $20).

• If you don't buy Joe's ebook, at least take his (and John Gruber's) advice to create a cloned/bootable backup of your current system to an external hard drive before upgrading.

• Additionally, for some free advice on upgrading to Snow Leopard, check out Leander Kahney's brief step-by-step posted over at Cult of Mac (which also goes bootable drive backup route) and Gina Trapani's post at Lifehacker (which goes with Time Machine backups for restoring data).

• Another item that could give you pause before upgrading is compatibility with your existing applications. The Apple Blog points to an Apple support page that lists some of the biggest titles that are incompatible with Snow Leopard, including older versions of Parallels as well as some Apple software (Keynote 2.0.2 and earlier and Aperture 2.1.1 and earlier). Also, Cult of Mac reports that Adobe's Creative Suite 3 (CS3) might have some problems with Macs running Snow Leopard based on user forum discussions and conversation with users running the 10.6 Snow Leopard beta (though Adobe says that they should play fine).

• My colleague Glenn Fleishman writes in TidBITS about the improvements to Snow Leopard's handling of the Airport menu, which now includes the ability to see how fast your network is transmitting data (which, he notes, can be useful in finding the right placement for your wireless router).

• More hidden features ("refinements") found in Snow Leopard from the TidBITS staff.

• Apple Matters takes a look at the big cat nomenclature that Apple uses for its operating systems.

• The iPhone isn't the only Apple product to produce lines on its first day of release--Pocket-lint reports (with photo evidence) of a queue formed in front of the Apple Store on Regent Street in London.

• Rumor Revue: The long-rumored/speculated-upon Apple tablet PC may be coming out in more than just a 10-inch model. Gizmodo reports that a source (who, they write, "has always been 100% reliable") says that the iTablet/iTouch will also come out in 13- and 15-inch flavors, with one of them (my guess, the larger) running the full Mac OS X. Ars Technica reports that the classic white plastic MacBook may be getting a design overhaul which would shave off both some millimeters from the enclosure as well as dollars from its list price.

  TUAW reports that the iPod classic could also get a new camera in addition to the previously rumored iPod nano and iPod touch when Apple rolls out its new lineup on September 9 (though that date hasn't been confirmed yet. And speaking of September 9 (aka, Beatles release day), Jason O'Grady at The Apple Core keeps stoking the Beatles/Apple fire with hopes for a limited edition Yellow Submarine-themed iPod touch.

• The Facebook iPhone app (sad to say, it's the app I use the most) got a facelift this week to version 3.0, which overhauls the design with a news feed display that better mirrors the web browser design, ability to "like" items, and choose album destinations for photo uploads.

• Yelp iPhone app got updated to version 3.0 this week and it includes the new augmented reality feature, which activates the camera (3GS only) to view what's before you, while also overlaying nearby places of interest. However, it's an easter egg (i.e., hidden feature) that requires you to shake your iPhone (some sites report one good shake does it, while others report that three is the magic number) to bring up the secret Monocle button to activate the AR feature.

  After downloading the app update last night, I was shaking my iPhone like a crazed 21st century Nikita Khrushchev to get the new feature to work. At which point, my wife asked, "Is this something that's supposed to be making your life better?" Well, that's still to be determined, as the AR feature is really quite shaky, but it could prove useful due to it being tied into the iPhone 3GS's compass for finding places in crowded, confusing areas.

• Another official Apple announcement--the iPhone is coming to China via the Unicom carrier, starting sometime in the fourth quarter of this year. However, the iPhone that's to be sold in China will have its Wi-Fi crippled to comply with Chinese government standards.

• Macworld has a review of the X2 Soccer 2009 iPhone app, giving it 4-1/2 mice. I downloaded the free lite version of the app (which just offers a training mode), and I think it's going to be my preferred soccer game over my previously purchased Real Soccer 2009 from Gameloft as the controls feel much more intuitive.

• And finally... you can now get the iPhone (or the Palm Pre) in the form of soap from Two Eggplants (via CNet's Technically Incorrect blog).

  

Palm Pre lands at Amazon

by EndUser at 3:26 PM PDT, August 1, 2009

For those who aren't Apple fans (or who haven't been assimilated into its Borg-ian society for fanboys/fangirls), the biggest smartphone launch of the summer came in early June with the release of the Palm Pre, which includes both a touchscreen and slide-downb QWERTY keyboard and features the next generation of Palm operating system--the webOS. And starting today, you can order the Palm Pre from Amazon.

Up until two years ago, I was a pretty hardcore Palm user for many years (as well as co-author with my colleague Jeff Carlson on the final edition of the Palm Visual Quickstart Guide), but then my head was turned to the iPhone and there just really isn't any going back for me. That said, the Pre is heads and shoulders above the rest of the I'm-a-touchscreen-too smartphone pack thanks to its gorgeous, multi-tasking webOS user interface. Here's a quick look at the UI highlights, courtesy of PhoneScoop:

Here's CNet's description of the "deck of cards" approach to the WebOS UI:

(T)he Pre's "Deck of Cards" multitasking functionality and notification system are what make it special and they are areas where the Pre beats the iPhone or any smartphone on the market right now. In addition, personal-information management is completely changed (in a good way) with the Synergy feature.
[...]
If you're wondering why the feature is called Deck of Cards, it's because each application is presented in a card window and you can then shuffle through the open cards. You can drag and drop cards (or rearrange the order of apps in the Launcher) by pressing and holding the item until you see a halo around the card and then you're free to move it, but it's not like with the T-Mobile G1, where you can drag and drop icons onto the main home screen. When you're done, you can flick the card upward and that will close out the program.

Speaking of Synergy--the piece of the webOS that brings together your various and sundry email addresses, contact lists and messaging venues--here's Gizmodo's take from its review:

Syncing to Facebook and Google Contacts via Synergy works flawlessly, and merges contacts from both services together so you don't have duplicates of contacts floating around. A manual merge or a manual split can solve any quirks from this function quite easily. Synergy also combines your SMS and IM conversations into one window, so you can seamlessly text someone and then switch over to IM when he reaches his desk. Synergy's basically just an easy way to make sure services like Google have your data (Contacts and Calendar) pulled down into your phone automatically.

For even more comprehensive reviews of the Pre, check out Pre Central, The Boy Genius Report, and Engadget.

Now, if you're and old-school Palm user like myself, you've probably still got loads of old applications that you just can't give up (such as Splash ID or Dope Wars), Motion Apps offers its Classic software that emulates the old Palm OS and can run those older programs.

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

End User Email Digest Sweepstakes: Enter for a Chance to Win a Philips Streamium Network Music Player

by EndUser at 7:48 PM PDT, August 1, 2009

We're pleased to announce another round of our End User Email Digest Sweepstakes. We recently launched an email digest that will let you receive End User posts in your inbox--and now, if you sign up to receive our posts via email during the month of August, you can enter for a chance to win a Philips Streamium NP2900 Network Music Player.

With the Streamium NP2900, you can have immediate wireless access to your PC music library, internet radio and Rhapsody online music service. The Streamium network music player is easy to set up--just plug it into a power source and after a simple set up, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g technology will take it online instantly. Once the Streamium network music player is connected to your home network, you can enjoy wireless music streaming.

If you want to enter for your chance to win, follow this link or the button at the top right of the page on End User to fill out an entry form and read the contest rules. Already signed up for our email digest? No problem. You can still fill out an entry form--just make sure you use the same email address you used when you originally subscribed. No purchase necessary. Enter by 12pm PST on 8/25/2009. See official rules for details.

--Aric A.

Bites from the Apple: Invisible iTouch, Becoming More Visible

by EndUser at 2:33 PM PDT, July 24, 2009

Last week we noted the resurfacing of the long-gestating rumor of the Apple tablet-ized touchscreen-enabled Mac (dubbed by many as the iTablet or iTouch) via a news report from The China Times that said the device could be announced in the fall of this year. Well, the march from rumor to reality is advanced again this week as AppleInsider posted an exclusive story that seems to definitively place the iTablet--or, as AppleInsider refers to it, the "reincarnation of its beloved-but-defunct Newton MessagePad"--in Apple's product release roadmap for 2010:

(T)he past six months have reportedly seen the critical pieces fall into place. Jobs, who's been overseeing the project from his home, office and hospital beds, has finally achieved that much-sought aura of satisfaction. He's since cemented the device in the company's 2010 roadmap, where it's being positioned for a first quarter launch, according to people well-respected by AppleInsider for their striking accuracy in Apple's internal affairs.

That means that the device, which is expected to retail for somewhere between the cost of a high-end iPhone and Apple's most affordable Mac notebook, is bound to turn up any time between January and March...

Naturally, this pronouncement has produced many a ripple through the gadgetosphere, including Gizmodo believing that the new iTablet will take over the MacBook moniker (as the 13-inch unibody MacBook just recently went Pro), the Mac Observer pondering whether the iTablet is really Apple's next stab at the Apple TV, and Jason Schwarz Seeking Alpha going so far as to declare the "iTouch Tablet is about to change society as we know it" based on its ability to take full advantage of affordable, download-on-the-fly mobile apps among others.

I don't know about wholesale societal change, but I can certainly see that light, nimble, wirelessly connected (Wi-Fi and cellularly) touchscreen PCs are the next step in personal computing. All I have to do is look at my own toddler and some of his compatriots who constantly clamor for the iPhones that their parents sport. At just 2-1/2, they've already mastered the basics of the touch user interface, and they get frustrated when other devices with LCD screens don't offer the same easy touch controls. Apple has a long view of where computing is going and it looks like they're ready to make a bold technological statement. The question remains, though, whether the public is truly ready for this device and willing to fork over the dough so that the iTablet doesn't suffer the same fate as the Newton. But for now, onto the Apple-y goodness from the week that was...

• In other rumor mongering, it's looking more and more likely that the new iPods that get announced at Apple's traditional September iPod redux rollout will be getting cameras based on leaks of cases for the new iPod nano and iPod touch. Interestingly, there doesn't seem to be any camera-enhanced iPod classic coming down the pike, and CNet's Fully Equipped blog surmises that the iPod classic is being put out to pasture.

• Apple reported strong financials for its third quarter (which ended June 27), with an acceleration of MacBook sales, a 134 percent year-over-year increase in iPod touch sales, and a profit of $1.23 billion. The new MacBook lineup--with lower priced entry-level model and improved battery life in the Pros--seems to be quite popular, as HardMac reports that MacBook sales in June were up 25% in year-over-year comparisons.

• Navigon announced the availability of its turn-by-turn navigation iPhone app for North America (as well as for Europe) this week, and iLounge has a detailed review of it (giving it a disappointing C grade). Other recently released GPS navigation apps include the one-time-fee-based XRoad G-Map apps (introduced at Consumer Reports) and AT&T's subscription-based AT&T Navigator app (video review at Insanely Great Mac). And the 9to5Mac blog reminds us that TomTom's iPhone software should be released by the end of summer.

• Sascha Segan wonders whatever happened to the Apple TV over at PCMag.com. As an owner/user of an Apple TV, I wonder, too.

• Remember Apple's first iTunes-enabled mobile phone? It wasn't the iPhone, but the Motorola ROKR, which debuted five years ago this weekend (via 9to5Mac).

• Professional videographers can rejoice now that Final Cut 7 got released this week--now with the ability (for the first time) to burn a Blu-ray disc.

• And Palm Pre owners can rejoice as Palm has re-enabled iTunes compatibility with the release of the WebOS software update 1.1... at least until Apple issues a new updated to iTunes that kills it.

• A couple of Apple-related items of note from Etsy, an online storefront for hand-crafted goods: a wall clock made from the side panel of a Power Mac G3 (via Macworld) and a felt iPhone case (via Cult of Mac) in the guise of a happy Mac Classic computer.

• I've recently ditched my old Timex clock radio and replaced it with the Touch Flip Clock app running on my iPhone (which is plugged into an Apple dock). Thanks to my early rising toddler, I don't need an alarm clock, but if I did I'd check out some of the more robust alarm clock apps (as Touch Flip Clock is a bit limited) enumerated over at Wired's Gadget Lab.

• Nicole Martinelli at Cult of Mac suggests five Apple Store locations diehard Apple fans should visit before they die. I'm looking forward to the possibility of visiting the two currently under-construction Paris locations (via HardMac)--including one at Le Louvre--next spring as my wife and I gear up for a long-overdue trip back to the City of Lights.

• I'm a bit of a public radio junkie, and so I was thrilled to see that the Public Radio Player app got updated to 2.0 with the ability to listen to on-demand shows as well as live streams of public radio stations from across the country (NPR as well as smaller local public stations, such as the excellent KBCS from Bellevue Community College here in Washington). Many of the NPR on-demand shows are already available as podcasts, but the Public Radio Player provides instant gratification via streaming (instead of having to wait to download podcasts and then subsequently sync your iPhone or iPod touch).

• And finally... The Daily Show covers the battle of two iPhone fart applications (with potential civil rights implications???):

  The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10ciFeudwww.thedailyshow.comDaily Show Full EpisodesPolitical HumorJoke of the Day