Gadgets @ Home

iPhone 2.1 Software Update is up.

This time Apple provided a list of fixes in the update.

iPhone version 2.1 contains many bug fixes and improvements, including the following:

• decrease in call set-up failures and call drops
• significantly improved battery life for most users
• dramatically reduced time to backup to iTunes
• improved email reliability, notably fetching email from POP and Exchange accounts
• faster installation of 3rd party applications
• fixed bugs causing hangs and crashes if you have lots of 3rd party applications
• improved performance in text messaging
• faster loading and searching of contacts
• improved accuracy of the 3G signal strength display
• repeat alert up to two additional times for incoming text messages
• option to wipe data after ten failed passcode attempts
• Genius playlist creation

 I’m downloading the update right now. Here’s hoping that this update will live up to its claims. The 2.0.2 made my iPhone 3G way slower than it was before and didn’t fix any of the crashes that Safari and other apps were experiencing.

For a while now I was desperately searching for a way to bring to iPhone 3G all my favorite MP3 ringtones that I’ve used for years in my other cell phones.

Unfortunately, iTunes Store would not let you convert your own MP3s. It wouldn’t even let you use songs you already bought from Apple (unless you pay some extra for every track). That’s wrong! Any other device out there would happily accept any MP3 track you upload to it.

So, my search brought me to a web site called Audiko. In just 3 easy steps it would convert your MP3 track to iPhone’s ringtone format, which you can copy to your iTunes library and finally to iPhone.

Here’s how it works (you’ll need Flash plugin in your Browser): (continue reading this article and leave comments here…)

TUAW’s rumor has partially been confirmed just now when Best Buy officially reported that iPhone 3G’s sales at its retail locations will start on September 7th.

Best Buy has been after the iPhone for some time, but the report indicates Apple was reluctant to do business with the retailer over concerns about the potential for creating a market for unlocked iPhones; however, with the iPhone 3G causing lines at Apple and ATT stores creating long lines, Apple needs additional retail outlets to meet the brisk demand, AppleInsider notes.

Let’s wait and see if RadioShack will join the suit, which I personnaly really doubt.

Jon Peddie in his blog is trying to figure out why iPhone is so expensive. And why its price goes up with every new release instead of falling down as it is common in the consumer electronics world. (continue reading this article and leave comments here…)

Here’s a funny series of YouTube “commercials” comparing the features of the two devices – Nokia N95 and Apple iPhone.

• N95 vs. iPhone – Camera
• N95 vs. iPhone – Internet
• N95 vs. iPhone – GPS
• N95 vs. iPhone – Ringtone
• N95 vs. iPhone – China
• N95 vs. iPhone – MMS