USBfever and Case-mate have both announced new protection options to coincide with the new iPod releases. USBfever is now offering a new silicone case that has been molded to fit the fourth-generation iPod nano. It is said to protect an iPod's body against bumps and scratches, while not inhibiting the use of any of its controls. It is being sold for $10, and is available in 10 different colors, in...

FlyCast, formerly known as FlyTunes, has released the first native version of its self-named radio application for iPhones and iPod touches. By default the app lists and streams more than a thousand radio stations, divided between formats such as music, talk and information. Listeners can also access any Internet-only stream listed through Shoutcast, of which there are said to be over 25,000....

AMD is designing a new graphics chipset that will not only occupy one of its least expensive price rungs but require very little heat and noise, a leaked presentation obtained by Expreview shows. The Radeon HD 4550 would sit below the new 4600 series in performance by cutting the number of visual shader processors down from 320 to 80 on a 64-bit memory bus but would also drop in size and conseque...

Though the device has already been on sale in one form or another since last year, the US Patent and Trademark office today published Apple's patent application for iPhone docks. The filing is specifically titled Personal media device docking station having an acoustic interface, and documents the features that separate iPhone docks from regular iPod ones, which technically accept iPhones but may...

T-Mobile's previously rumored self-run app store has been confirmed by the company at the CTIA expo but will be significantly more limited than either previous estimates or versus similar stores from Apple and Google. Company mobile product development chief Venetia Espinoza and devPartner Community Program head marketer Sue Schmitz explain that the software will initially rule out Android and Si...

The UK continues to maintain high sales of the iPhone 3G two months into availability, says Mobile. The publication says it has learned that some 27,000 phones are being sold each week in the region, making for a marketshare somewhere between 4 to 6 percent of cellphones. At times, a source suggests, this number can climb closer to 10 percent, although it has typically settled down within a shor...

Apple has taken steps in iTunes 8 to prevent people from jailbreaking iPhones and iPod touches, claims the unofficial iPhone Dev Team. The group notes that while the jailbreaking component in PwnageTool can never be permanently sabotaged unless Apple changes its hardware, iTunes 8 has been configured to detect the Dev Team's exploit, and trigger error messages if a hacked IPSW file is being used ...

Apple is investigating putting more stringent controls on the Nike+iPod system used for the iPod nano and now the iPod touch, according to a new US patent filing. Expressing concern that customers might buy the Nike+iPod kit but use it with non-Nike shoes or in different locations, the patent describes using RFID tags and similar sensors built into shoes or other clothing to pair the transmitter ...

Another location has been added to the list of Apple Stores opening this weekend, Apple has announced. In addition to stores in Ohio, Maine and Melbourne, a new one will be launching in Wayne, New Jersey on September 13th, beginning at 10AM. The shop is located within the Willowbrook Mall, and will supply all of Apple's normal services, although no workshops have yet been scheduled....

An anticipated redesign of the MacBook line will not be announced until next month, anonymous sources claim. The sources, described as "familiar with Apple's hardware plans," say that the new MacBooks will be revealed on October 14th, despite the publicity opportunity presented by the September 9th event. Daring Fireball observes, though, that Apple has not traditionally combined Mac and iPod an...

The underlying architecture for the Zune Marketplace and the Xbox 360's Video Marketplace are close enough that integrating the two is only a relatively short step, Zune development chief Joe Belfiore says in an interview published today. The executive tells CNET that the technical layers for both online stores are fundamentally the same and that the primary obstacles are licensing content to be ...

SanDisk today upped the threshold for its Extreme III CompactFlash cards with a new 32GB card that meets its expectations. The new storage doubles the previous storage limit but still promises at least 30MB per second in read and write speeds. The combination suits the two to professional photographers and HD video capture; most still cameras can shoot in full-quality RAW without running out of ...

AMD today updated its FirePro workstation-class cards to include the same technology as its Radeon HD 4800 series cards. The V8700 uses the same 800 shader (effects) processors and GDDR5 memory as the Radeon HD 4870 but tunes the peripheral for digital video editing, CAD, and other professional work with 30-bit color rendering. The new architecture equates to an approximately 40 percent boost in...

Altec Lansing on Wednesday unveiled its new corporate logo, and the first offerings with its new industrial design ideals, including three mobile audio speaker systems, and a peculiar-looking set for computers. The FX3022 Expressionist Bass speaker system provides users with two 10-inch high speaker towers, with 1.5-inch drivers and 4-inch woofers built into each. Audio controls sit on top of the ...

MacUpdate has extended its application bundle Back-to-School promotion until tomorrow and unlocked the last app, Lightzone. The promotion offers 10 software titles, with a combined normal price over $600, to be purchased as a package for $50. The list of applications includes HookUp, Alarm Clock Pro, Periscope, DEVONagent, Mellel, Norrkross Movie, Bookends, MacJournal, Contactizer Pro, and Lightzo...

Just a day after Apple's official announcement of updated iPods, the team at iFixit has already taken apart the second generation iPod touch and fourth generation iPod Nano, providing pictures of the process as well. iFixit provides parts and disassembly pictures for many Apple products, including these new devices. Arguably the most interesting detail found under the hood was a Bluetooth chip in ...

FreedomVOICE has launched a beta program for Newber, a combination iPhone app and cellular service. The software allows users to have an additional number on their iPhone, enabling users to have a "business" line without revealing their personal iPhone. Users can also redirect calls meant for the iPhone to nearby cellular or landline phones to either help conserve battery life or in the case of l...

Tunewear today announced new protective cases and clear film for the iPod touch 2G. The new silicone case, ICEWEAR, features ribbed texture for solid grip. The LCD screen is not covered, but the silicone case edges extend slightly past the surface for protection when the iPod is placed face down. TUNEFILM is provided if added screen protection is desired. All ports remain unobstructed, allowing th...

Skooba Design has unveiled several new notebook bags, including the Midnight Luxe Satchel, Sidekick, and TSA compliant Checkthrough that will fit MacBooks and MacBook Pros. The Midnight Luxe Satchel features black microsuede construction with silver trim and hardware, similar to the Skooba Skin but with additional pockets. The Sidekick is a messenger style bag with over a dozen pockets and compart...

DB Solo has released the latest version of its SQL Query tool, DB Solo 3.5. DB Solo is a tool for cross-platform database query. Features include visual explain plan, database data comparison, schema comparison, import tools, J2EE code generator, and schema scripting. Mac OS X, Windows, Linux, and Solaris are all supported, in addition to major DBMS products including Oracle, SQL Server, DB2, Syba...