Billshrink.com is at again, this time comparing the upcoming T-Mobile’s MyTouch 3G versus the AT&T Apple iPhone 3G S and the cost of ownership of each cellphone.

Will MyTouch be the iPhone killer with the news this week that Apple folded under pressure from AT&T and excluded Google’s Voice app from the App store? Perhaps it could be for those obsessed with getting their hands on the new voice app, which is alive and kicking on Blackberry and the Android Market.

While the MyTouch 3G, iPhone 3GS and Palm Pre each cost $199, it’s important to evaluate the total cost of ownership over 2 years:

• MyTouch: $1998 – 1000 minutes/month + unlimited data and messaging
• Palm Pre: $2359 – 900 minutes/month + unlimited data and messaging
• iPhone 3G S: $2839 – 900 minutes/month + unlimited data and messaging

Seems like the more I read about the MyTouch 3G, the more I like it.

Hit up Billshrink.com for a lengthier comparison.

[ Billshrink ]

Aw man… I really remember Kai Krause’s Power Goo. In fact, it was one of the few Adobe Photoshop plug-ins that I actually used and liked. Mostly for fun, I’d make my graphic design professor look like Droopy, which in retrospect wasn’t that hard to do. But it was just fun.

Well, MetaTools is back. And Power Goo is now named Making Faces and it’s coming for out for your beloved Apple iPhone. No price yet.

[ MetaTools ]

Thanks to the people at Eos Wireless, they sent over an Eos Wireless iPod speaker system and dock for review just in time for Summer.

While other offerings claim to be “wireless”, such as the Marantz IS301, you will still need wires to get the speakers to play some sound. Not the EOS Wireless system where the speakers have built in wireless receivers and amplifiers built into the speaker – just supply a power socket and no other wires.

Mind you, I live on a relative big patch of land (28+ acres in total) and in some areas if I wanted music, I’d have to have concert level speakers (and noise) in order to feed my dogs which are about an acre away. I’m not in the mood to pay for disturbing the peace however I do have power that runs down there next to the dog’s lot since I might have to do work in that area. And despite being rated only for 150 feet, these speakers worked at about an acre (212 ft/~65 m) away. And clearly too, I might add.

However, the Eos Wireless system though is a mixed bag – more good than just “okay”.

The build quality is actually very nice, with thick, black plastic and a very tight fit being the norm and per usual, the finger print magnet black plastic that basically will keep cleaner business going basically forever. The remote control is perhaps the smallest thing I’ve seen in ages. Smaller than a zippo lighter, but still tactile enough to keep me using it in the near future without discomfort.

The sound… this is where it gets good.

If you’re expecting enough boom to shake the change in your pockets loose; it’s not gonna happen. But the sound from these little speakers (5.75 in x 9 in x 5 in) has some of the clearest midrange and treble, even matching in clarity my much more expensive Paradigm speakers that comprise part of my game room stereo. The speakers do include SRS WOW! technology that kills any harshness and mellows out the mids easily. Simply put, you can hear very clearly the vocals, the high hats and cymbals in each and every song you own.

The bass, while not spectacular, it present enough to let you hear songs with enough range to keep you satisfied. Hiphop and jazz fans won’t be overwhelmed with the bass, but at least this does not bottom out as easily as the Mint DS 220 speaker system I had reviewed a while back.

The design of the speakers was hit or miss for me. The look is pretty darn cool complete with the prerequisite blue LED, but the plug portion was troubling for me. Anytime there is a sticker that says “Push down hard” I get scared and think of how I can break things. The cool part is that you can leave the plugs in without having to “push hard” down on them to disengage them and plug them straight into the wall and let them hang there like a towel on a hook. Despite the “push down hard” label, I still liked how the plugs were worked into the back of the speaker.

The controls on the main unit, which has speakers of its own, are simple enough. Ever used an Apple iPod? Then you’ll have no problem whatsoever with this. Serious… it’s that easy. And that’s a very good thing.

Back to the wireless part. I hooked up the base and plugged up a speaker in a different room. On the top of the speaker, there’s a volume/power knob and another push button with a status LED. When there’s a connection, it’ll stay on solid and blink if there’s any disconnection. Pulling the speaker out all of the way to the dog lot in my backyard, plugging it into the power that’s back there and having it sync up easily was surprising yet the audio was still very clear.

And speaking of transmitting wireless tunes, the Eos Wireless system promises to not interfere with wifi, bluetooth and cordless phones. I can also confirm this is entirely true – works great, didn’t interfere with anything my house at all. Phone calls came and went without that annoying interference noise or lose of quality.

All in all, the Eos Wireless System is great for whenever you’re outside and want to add extra speakers without having to bust through some walls or run wires all over for people to trip over and break things. It has a very good sound that’s not entirely devoid of bass and a clarity that would make you and others think that it should cost more than $249. While testing around, I got the attention of my friends that truly enjoyed them and were curious about them as well.

So far, it seems like you can buy them only at their website, but with 3 payment system via Paypal as well as credit cards, there are a few ways to pay for this cool product. Only bad part of this system to me was the unlocking mechanism for the power plugins. I’d really recommend this system for the people that do any kind of entertainment for others while outside. Just don’t get them wet – they’re not waterproof.

If you’re that type of person that wants your tunes outside or in other rooms, then this system is perfect for you. In fact, the Eos Wireless iPod System gets Remove The Labels (RTL) very first 5 out of 5 (A must buy).

[ Eos Wireless ]

Yep, what the title says. UltraSn0w for breaking open your iPhone (2G) and iPhone 3G, but not iPhone 3GS (yet) is out.

Ultrasn0w for iPhone 3G is ready!
1. Ensure you have upgraded to iPhone OS 3.0
2. Jailbreak your iPhone 3G using redsn0w or PwnageTool (this will also install Cydia/Icy)
3. Run Cydia or Icy
4. Please add the repo repo666.ultrasn0w.com to Cydia or icy
5. Search for ‘ultrasn0w’ in cydia or icy and install ultrasn0w
6. Reboot your iPhone 3G
7. T-Mobile USA users should disable 3G before using ultrasn0w
8. Enjoy

Go get your official information from [ here ]

With almost two weeks under its belt and one WebOS update, the new kid on the block Palm Pre has established itself as a competent smartphone with its closest competitor updated from iPhone 3G to iPhone 3GS. But is the Palm Pre really worth the switch from your current phone? Is it really cost effective to switch?

Gadget lust aside, let’s let the people at Billshrink.com help make that decision:

At a glance, it looks like a Pre offers better overall savings on their wireless plans! For a closer look based on individual needs and for a detailed analysis of the feature, check out Billshrink.com.

Pricing Comparison

Palm Pre (Sprint)

• $199: cost of phone with $100 rebate
• $100/month: Sprint Unlimited data + voice
• $69.99/month: 450 voice minutes and unlimited data
• $89.99/month: 900 voice minutes
• $129.99/month: Family plan for 2 Pre phones ($19.99 for additional lines to family plan)
• $169.99: 3000 minutes shared plan
• $189.99: Unlimited family plan ($89.99 for additional lines to unlimited everything family plan)

iPhone (AT&T)

• $199+: cost of phone
• $150/month: AT&T unlimited data + voice
• $112.49/month: 450 voice minutes and unlimited data
• $109.99/month: 900 voice minutes
• $129.99 (for 700min and unlimited everything else) Family plan for 2 iPhones ($39.99 for additional lines to family plan)
• $209.99 3000 minutes shared plan
• $259.99 Unlimited Family plan ($129.99 for additional lines to unlimited everything family plan)

For a deeper level of analysis, people can even upload their current cell phone bills onto the site and BillShrink will analyze and recommend a more cost-effective plan based on their usage (texting, data and multimedia), who you call the most (in/out of network) and will even factor in location to recommend plans with the strongest signals in the area. Read more [ here ]

I’m a hardcore user of Fring user already – MSN, AIM, Yahoo, gTalk, ICQ, Skype and SIP.

But I do use Skype – as the above list shows. But I love to use the video part of the desktop version quite a bit. But voice, overseas, for free? I’m down. Per usual the AT&T requirements – voice data has to use wifi and not 3G – show up, but to be honest, I’d almost hate to hear voice over 3G given how heavily the AT&T 3G network has been hammered.

I’ll keep playing around with it. But so far, so mediocre – but this is Skype. Can’t wait to see if this will be upgraded or left to die much like the Nokia N810 version of Skype. Hmmm…

I was joking about online dating being on my iPhone just under a week ago with some friends and lo and behold, Match.com releases their Apple iPhone application.

The free Match.com application takes the most useful and popular features of the Match.com online experience and brings them to the iPhone and iPod Touch. Match.com members can edit their profile, upload photos and opt-in to a location based feature that allows them to see singles in their area.

I think I was also talking about a stalker app… but I like having matches instead. Click this link to open up your iTunes and download the app.

[ Match.com ] [ Apple iPhone ]

As much as I love my Apple iPhone, sometimes the battery needs “help”.

We all know that the Apple iPhone has a lot of accessories and accessory manufacturers. Some are well known, well-trusted. Some… well, not as much. I was approached by HardCE Electronics by one of their representatives and to be honest, since I had not heard of their products, my expectations were automatically lowered.

I was proven to be very wrong.

Based out of Foshan, which is in the Guangdong province of China, this company actually tends to do a lot of OEM manufacturing for their other products, but their iPhone and iPod products are being offered from the company directly. Their flagship product, the iPower for iPhone/iPhone3G is yet another backup battery for the Apple iPhone which also brings along a flashlight/camera flash, a removable cover, USB charging for both the phone and battery when connected, a stylus and all is covered in leather.

The battery at 2300mAh Li-Polymer battery exceeds the internal battery for the iPhone3G (rated near 1600mAh) and is a bit more than the competition from Mophie (Juice Pack – iPhone 3G is rated at 1800mAh) and Richard Solo External battery, also rated at 1800mAh. Unlike most external batteries though, the iPower battery case does not need to dangle in the way – like the Kensington Mini Battery/Charger – or forcing the user to use a different type of connection like the mini-USB connector that the Mophie iPhone3G Battery forces you to use. Just keep using the same Apple supplied connector with the iPower.

HardCE currently has two versions of their patent pending iPower battery case. Their standard iPower case that has just the battery portions and notches out of the way of the camera and maintains the same Apple iPhone connector for charging and synchronizing as its bigger brother, the iPower All-in-One. The iPower All-in-One comes with a stylus, light/camera flash (more on this in a bit) and a power button that turns it on/off. And on first look while still in the package, I thought the “leather” was going to be rough, tough and hard. Instead it was quite soft, pliable and easy to grip. And the All-in-One also includes a magnetic cover on the closing side and a plastic fastener for affixing the face cover. I personally didn’t like the face cover since I’d have to flip it open to answer all of the time to answer/see who was calling or just to use the phone.

Just like the other connecting iPhone battery cases, having this added to your phone is basically like having two iPhones stacked upon each other. So if you wear tight jeans or have a small pocket, don’t try to shove this combo in there. I’ve been placing this into my jean pockets without issue so far though.

The Good: While on an overnight trip, I neglected to take along my phone charger but had packed along the iPower All-in-One. Per usual, the iPhone3G – as much as I love my iPhone, it does have a weak battery if you play games, use the phone more than just a little bit. And since this was an overnight business trip, I had been using the phone plenty. By that night, it was about to die. Attached on the iPower All-in-One and hit the button the back (tap it for the light, hold it to turn it on to use the charge) and the familiar charging icon popped up and in a short time, I had a full charge. The next day while traveling back to my home, there was enough charge on the phone and the iPower All-in-One to top it off before the battery in the iPower gave out.

The fact that I don’t have to use a different adapter – I’m already carrying enough as it is while traveling. And having a lithium-polymer battery, I don’t have to worry about the battery “memorizing” a much lesser charge after repeated usage.

The Bad: Take the sleek profile of an iPhone3G… and double it. The iPower All-in-One does not have a battery indicator level like some of the other offerings out there. Via the manual, you’ll see that it’s a series of blinking lights – Green light blinks, it’s about 80% filled, Orange light blinks fast, it’s 60% filled, and some other combination of blinking lights. Despite this odd measure of lights and blinking, it gives you a visual indicator of the power level in the iPower battery case.

Also, the risk of accidental button pushing on the discrete button on the back of the iPower is all too easy – I’ve had the light go off in my pocket and people have asked why my back pocket was glowing. Oops! The iPower comes from a company that you’ve never heard of… to some, that’s a negative. I’ve been in contact with HardCE’s sales and customer support; put that to rest. Each question I’ve had has been answered in under a day.

The part I don’t like the most though… it forces me to use a different case than my Vaja Leather case.

The Ugly: It seriously doubles the size of the phone in thickness. It’s fine with me for a while – I just pack it and use the iPower as needed instead of keeping it connected. And the “camera flash” portion, it’s not integrated with the camera usage, you have to manually turn it on. Which isn’t that bad either. At least it is there to use.

To be honest, I can overlook the “bad” and the “ugly” and recommend the iPower for the mobile warrior. After a long day of MS Exchange synchronization, a few games of Chop Sushi and while using Safari to hit some sites, like iTalk Magazine among others and you’re not near a wall or car charger, the iPower does the job quite well.

And for the record, my iPower case was black… not the bright orange in the photos.

[ iPower ] [ HardCE ]

Click the above images for the iTalk Magazine Valentine’s Day iPhone3G Contest where they’re giving away over $1000 worth of iPhone goodies.

Head on over, sign up… and win.

[ Win great prizes in iTalk Magazine's Valentines day competition ]

Remember that teaser from early December? It was later announced that Metal Gear Solid and a few other Konami releases will indeed be coming out for the Apple iPhone and Apple iPod Touch (iTouch).

The game, based off of Metal Gear Solid 4 will be debuting on the Apple iPhone and Apple iPod Touch on February 26th, 2009. As it stands, the game’s producer and Kojima Productions employee, Yasuyo Watanabe has stated that the controls for the game will definitely be simplified for the Apple iPhone/iTouch since it’s “not a gaming system” – which control-wise makes sense but definitely goes against John Carmack’s “The iPhone more powerful than Nintendo DS, PSP combined…” or Sega’s “…the iPhone Is As Powerful As the Dreamcast…” only if you wanted to start an argument that is.

Hell yes. February 26th, 2009. Mark your calendars.

Looks like the lads over at iPhone Source have a humdinger of a contest going on. Free entry and you have 7 days left! Don’t walk… run man… run!

Thanks to some wonderful supporters of iPhoneSource we’ve got some great items up for grabs:

• PED3 – ultimate rotating iPhone stand
• MimoBot – awseome designer USB drives
• Juxtaposericon – the most fun you can have with images on your iPhone
• BestSkinsEver – protect your investment from scratches
• Telegraphicon – send voice messages from your iPhone
• Note Padicon – the best iPhone Note Pad
• Recordicon – the ultimate iPhone voice recorder
• Duck Shooticon – great fun arcade style game

How to enter and other information is right here. And remember folks… free stuff is always a good thing. Go enter now.

[ iPhone Source ]

I’ve already written about the Mint Digital Music Station 220 here before at RTL; it remains one of my favorite little things ever. It can dock and charge up your Apple iPod or iPhone while playing tunes that are on it. And if you’re anything like me, you probably have a sizable MP3 collection that resides on your main PC.

You’re in luck. With the Mint USB wireless transmitter, you can listen to whatever streams on your PC directly on the Mint 220 up to 45 feet away via their Mint Di-Fi™ technology – which means honestly that your music will stream over the air without any loss of quality whatsoever.

From the build quality – it’s surprisingly heavy, to the sound – it’s honestly deeper in bass than I expected and able to handle even Barry White at full volume, it’s a good little dock that matches the finish of my Sony Playstation 3 and fits in well into most any other room by just “fitting in” and not sticking out.

Back to the wireless PC music part. Just plug in the supplied Mint USB Wireless transmitter into your computer and once your machine finds it – my PC found it in like 15 seconds – it’s already streaming music and sounds out to the receiver. That’s it. And yes… it works on Mac or PC.

Currently, the Mint 220 can be bought at your local Best Buy, but at the moment you can buy it online at Mint’s website for an additional $20.00 off using the code DS220 at checkout bringing the price down to $129.99.

Definitely worth the purchase for the music lover in your life.

[ Mint DS ]

Next!

Prior RTL* Last Second Shopper Gift Guide Options:

• #8 – Microsoft Blue Track Explorer Mouse
• #9 – KOR ONE Water Hydration Vessel
• #10 – Nike Zoom Potro PrizeFlight Premium
• #11 – Tank Theory Dungeons Belt Buckle
• #12 – Vaja Case iVolution Case for the Apple iPhone3G