Category Archives: Intrinsic Neatness

Listen to Streaming Audio On Your iPad and do Something Else at the Same Time

Probably everyone who cares already know that you can’t listen to Pandora in the background while you browse the web, or do anything else on your iPad — that kind of multitasking won’t show up until iPhoneOS version 4 makes it to the iPad sometime in the fall. But did you know, you can listen to some kinds of streaming audio at the same time you browse and use other appsiu? I didn’t, until I decided to try.

For it to work, your streaming source needs to support streaming of MP3 or AAC audio over http like our local NPR station, KUOW. Then you just click the link to start the stream, which starts a player in a browser tab, then you just go ahead and open a new tab and continue with your browsing, or switch to another app. This isn’t an earthshaking feature, but it should come in handy.

iPhone Hacked (partially), Thanks to “DVD Jon”

Big news on the iPhone hacking front:

iPhone Unlocking Progress, Thanks to “DVD Jon” at iPhone Unlocked
Jon Lech Johansen, who was the first person to crack DVD encryption, has released a Windows utility called the “iPhone Activation Server,” that allows you to activate your phone without iTunes, AT&T or a credit card.

The major caveat is that an iPhone activated this way isn’t really a phone. The iPod and WiFi work, but you can’t stick in a Tmobile SIM and use it on their network. At least not yet.

iPhone Mania, or maybe, not

At about 8:30 this evening I was in the neighborhood of the Seattle Apple Store in University Village. I swung by to see what the crowds were like.

There weren’t any. There were some people milling about out front, along with a couple of Seattle cops.

There seemed to be a lot of Apple associates waiting at the door, and there were a few customers inside, which gives me the impression they hadn’t sold out yet, and weren’t in any rush to.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of iPhones on eBay that are getting bid up towards or past $1000. Perhaps more interesting, people are selling iPhone related e-mail addresses, like unlocked_apple_iphone_4_sale@yahoo.com, some are bid up over $500.

Just for kicks I decided to check out domain names and found that unlockediphoneforsale.com was unregistered, so I went ahead and picked it up.

Lust, cussing and ambivalence: Erik considers the iPhone

Ok, I really want an iPhone, but I really don’t want an iPhone.

On the plus side: Shiny shiny shiny shiny. I could almost choke down
the price.

On the down side: HOWMANYFUCKINGDOLLARS?!?!?!?!?!?, AT&T, slowww-ass
internet for $50something a month. AT&T Fuckin Ed Whitacre, feudal
cocksucker. SLOOW. No 3rd party apps unless you are Google. No
upgradeable memory. HOWMANYFUCKINGDOLLARS?!?!?!?!?!? AND tied to AT&T
and their slowww-ass mobile internet.

Oh, but so shiny.

I’m considering slaking my lust with a Nokia N800 Internet Tablet PC.
Cheaper. Not as shiny. Open platform (down to the OS). WiFi only,
but theoretically can piggyback on a bluetooth phone for internet access.

The last one is probably the clincher. If I can figure that one out, I may do it.