'Tis true -- we don't often write about massage chairs here, but throw in some gadget connectivity and they'll have our attention, just like this AcuTouch 9500. Discovered by Zedomax, this luxurious furniture from Human Touch claims to be the world's first iOS device-controlled massage chair, meaning you can choose and store your desired routines and intensity -- via the free HT-Connect app -- on your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. Just to give you more bang for the buck, there are also downloadable massage programs that are individually customized by doctors and sport stars -- most of which you've probably never heard of. The price? No info yet, so you'll just have to keep popping into your local massage parlour until later this year. Demo video after the break.

Continue reading AcuTouch 9500: world's first massage chair to succumb to iPhone, iPod touch and iPad (video)

AcuTouch 9500: world's first massage chair to succumb to iPhone, iPod touch and iPad (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Aug 2010 20:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This almost goes without saying, but it's truly been a wild ride for the iPhone 4 over the last three weeks. While most of us will just happily open our hands to Stevie J's freebies, there's one question that's still bugging us: what's actually holding back the white iPhone 4? Sure, Apple's now promised us an "end of July" delivery for its latest iTemptation, but it has yet to specify what the manufacturing difficulty is. According to Chinese newspaper 21st Century Business Herald, the problem stems from a little-known Chinese factory by the name of Lens Technology, which is apparently responsible for transforming fine raw glass into the majority of iPhone glass panels out there (and contrary to previous reports, there's no mention of Corning here). Read on to find out what's causing our invisible hero to stall.

Continue reading White iPhone 4 delay: the challenges faced by Apple's glass supplier

White iPhone 4 delay: the challenges faced by Apple's glass supplier originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Jul 2010 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not feeling hot about the trouble-prone iPhone 4, but still tempted by its optional iMovie app? Now you have a choice! Turns out to run said app on other devices (including iPod touch, supposedly) running iOS 3.0 and above, all you need are a jailbroken iOS device, iMovie for iPhone from the App Store, and two quick edits in the app's info.plist file -- change minimum system version to "3.0.0" and front-facing-camera to "false." Sounds easy enough, although we've yet to see the hacked app actually running on devices other than the 3GS demoed in the video after the break. And sorry, Redmond Pie's already confirmed that this sucker doesn't work on the iPad... yet.

Continue reading iMovie for iPhone gets a cheeky hack for jailbroken 3GS, runs well-oiled

iMovie for iPhone gets a cheeky hack for jailbroken 3GS, runs well-oiled originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sorry, we couldn't wait -- having spent 11 hours on the streets waiting for the iPhone 4, it's only natural to give our precious new toy some extra special care. With the help of iFixit's teardown guide, we decided to take the plunge with our steaming hot Chinese delivery -- a white front cover (with a shiny proximity sensor area above the earpiece), a white back cover (with "XXXXX" marked as the model number, ergo a prototype), and a Retina Display unit. Alas, there weren't any white buttons in stock at the time, but let's pretend this black-and-white combo is the new cool. Read on to find out how the surgery went.

Continue reading White iPhone 4: early DIY edition, with a touch of black

White iPhone 4: early DIY edition, with a touch of black originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 27 Jun 2010 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What's more annoying than spending hours lining up for a shiny new gadget? Learning that your precious phone can't actually connect to the network. Well, depending on how you hold it -- word has it that the iPhone 4's bottom-left corner isn't playing nice with your skin. If you recall from the keynote, that's where the Bluetooth / WiFi / GPS antenna meets its GSM / UMTS counterpart. So we decided to test on two brand new iPhone 4 handsets purchased today in the UK.

One iPhone 4 demonstrated the issue everytime it was held in our left hand (as a right-handed person is apt to do) so that our palm was essentially bridging the two antennas. You can see that in the video after the break. Bridging the two with a finger tip, however, didn't cause any issues with the reported reception. If we had to guess, we'd say that our conductive skin was acting to detune the antenna -- in fact, we've already managed to slowly kill two calls that way so it's not just an issue with the software erroneously reporting an incorrect signal strength. That said, we had no issues when Apple's $29 rubber bumper accessory (given to us free for standing in line) was attached, creating a buffer between our palm and the antennas. See the video evidence after the break including Insanely Great Mac's version which got us to worrying in the first place.

Continue reading Some iPhone 4 models see signals drop to 0 when held left-handed, including ours (video)

Some iPhone 4 models see signals drop to 0 when held left-handed, including ours (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Jun 2010 07:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As our extensive KIRF library shows, China's one wild country that can make almost anything you don't want, so don't mind us while we inspect this new finding with extra caution. This particular Chinese online seller not only claims to have parts for the next-gen iPhone, but also one white face plate -- something not seen on iPhones thus far. While we drool over the thought of an all white Apple handheld, there are still questions to be answered here: the seller wasn't able to explain what that silver bit above the speaker is, nor have we seen white back plates to match this. Furthermore, we were given a "maybe" for a bulk order of 15 to 20 units, which is quite a lot for something that's not even out yet, but we were told over the phone that there's always a back door to Foxconn as long as you wave cash at someone. Not that you should engage in such risky business, plus this piece's authenticity will be revealed in about three weeks' time, anyway. One more shot after the break.

[Thanks, Francesco]

Continue reading White front plate looks all set and ready for next-gen iPhone, or not

White front plate looks all set and ready for next-gen iPhone, or not originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 May 2010 16:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What can you do when no one's got a phone to jam with you? Why, you can be a geeky one-man band, of course! Web developer Steffest (just one name, like Sting or Madonna) managed to do just that by strapping a couple of Android devices (possibly an Archos 5 and a HTC Desire), a couple of WinMo handhelds (looks like a HP iPAQ h1940 and a HTC Touch Diamond), and an iPod touch on top of a portable speaker. All this just for a forthcoming presentation on mobile cross development -- Steffest had to painstakingly write the same audio program "in Java for Android, in C# for Windows Mobile and in Objective-C for iPhone." Oh, and it doesn't just end there -- turns out this dude can also pluck tap away a good Neil Diamond classic on this five-way nerd-o-strummer. Get on board and check out the video after the break.

Continue reading Phone guitar: iPhone OS, Windows Mobile and Android got all night to set the world right (video)

Phone guitar: iPhone OS, Windows Mobile and Android got all night to set the world right (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 May 2010 04:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We stopped by Elonex's booth at The Gadget Show Live for its product launch extravaganza. First is the iDock XL screen dock for the iPhone / iPod touch, which sadly doesn't serve as an iPhone-to-iPad converter, but will let you do the usual video and photo display on its 10-inch 800x480 screen (the prototype pictured above has a smaller temporary screen). You'll find a removable battery that lasts for about four hours or almost twice that with a secondary internal battery, or you can leave the iDock XL plugged in via its micro-USB port. Available in May for £149 ($229).

More toys after the break, including a look at the iDock Aero and the 710EB e-reader.

Continue reading Elonex announces iDock XL, iDock Aero and £99 710EB e-reader, we go hands-on

Elonex announces iDock XL, iDock Aero and £99 710EB e-reader, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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digg_url = 'http://digg.com/apple/Apple_listing_suggests_a_LTE_future_for_iPhones'; What could possibly come after the iPhone 3GS? The iPhone 3GSS, of course! Joking aside, Apple's dropped the 4G bomb on one of its latest job postings while seeking for a "Cellular Technology Software Manager" with "expert knowledge of... WCDMA/UMTS, HSPA, HSPA+, LTE etc." That's right, LTE. Now, we're not saying this means a 4G-powered iPhone is next in line in the annual product cycle, nor does this listing confirm Apple's favored 4G radio, but given AT&T's interest in LTE plus its prolonged love affair with Cupertino, it's pretty hard not to consider LTE as a realistic option on future portables, be it iPhone or even iPad. Frankly, it won't be the end of the world if a 4G iPhone fails to turn up this summer -- most of us here would rather have something with improved battery life, real multitasking, and 720p camera over those insane data speeds. No, really.

[Thanks, Bryan]

Apple job posting hints at LTE for a future iPhone? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 23:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watch out, Flip, because here's one tough guy that you don't wanna mess with. Joining Aiptek's family of pocket camcorders is the PocketCinema Z20 -- a fine mix of 720p camera (courtesy of a 5 megapixel sensor) and pico projector of an unknown resolution, powered by a two-hour battery (which we'll believe when we see it). Users will be spoiled by a long list of features: 2GB of internal memory, microSDHC expansion, built-in 2.4-inch LCD, HDMI output, composite video input (iPod adapter included) and remote control. Want it? You can pre-order now for €349 or about $476 ahead of its mid-April launch. Meanwhile, enjoy Aiptek's cheesy promotion video after the break.

Continue reading Aiptek PocketCinema Z20 packs pico projector and 720p camcorder

Aiptek PocketCinema Z20 packs pico projector and 720p camcorder originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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