Mobile Phone News

With the debut of iTunes 10, it is widely reported that Apple has removed the “create your own ringtone” feature. The feature was first introduced in 2007 after the launch of the original iPhone. It allows iPhone users to create custom ringtone from a track purchased from the iTunes store for $0.99.

As MacLife realized, the feature is still found on iTunes 9.2.1 but is no longer built into iTunes 10. For ringtone fanatics, don’t worry. You can still use a manual method to create custom ringtone for your iPhone using iTunes 10. And, most importantly, it is completely free.

If you want to create your own ringtone for iPhone, simply follow the step-by-step procedures. As I am a Mac user, the guide is written particularly for Mac user. That said, it should also work for those using Windows. I have highlighted the difference (if any) so Windows user can also follow.

What if you are using the older version of iTunes (say, iTunes 9)? Despite the guide is specifically written for iTunes 10 user, you can also follow it to create ringtone on older iTunes version. The procedures are very similar.

Okay, let’s get started.

Step by Step Procedures to Create Free Ringtone on iTunes 10

1. Launch iTunes and pick a song you want to convert to ringtone

2. Right-click on the song and click “Get Info” to view the song properties

3. Select “Options” tab. Check and fill in the “Start time” and “Stop time” to extract the portion of song you want to create as ringtone. Ensure the length is not longer than 30 seconds. Otherwise, iTunes will not recognize it as a ringtone. When you are ready, click “OK” to confirm.

4. Again, right-click on the song and select “Create ACC Version”.

5. iTunes then automatically extracts the portion of song you have instructed in the previous step. The new song file is just 30-sec in length. That’s the song you work on from step 6 and onwards.

6. Next, right-click on the song and select “Show in Finder”. This will launch Finder and locate the song file you just created.

Note: For Windows user, you should choose “Show in Windows Explorer” instead.

7. Rename the file extension from “.m4a” to “.m4r”.

8. Next, go back to iTunes. Right-click on the song you have created and select “Delete”.

9. Click “Remove” to confirm the removal and then click “Keep File” when you’re prompted. This instructs iTunes to remove the song (the 30 sec version) from iTunes library and keep the actual file.

10. Go back to Finder and double-click on the ringtone file (.m4r) you have just renamed. The ringtone will automatically add it to iTunes’ ringtone library. You can now sync it to iPhone using iTunes. Enjoy your new ringtone!

Does the procedures work for you? In case you have any problem, feel free to leave us comment.

We have covered the “Slow Issue” after iPhone 3G is upgraded to iOS 4. There are some interim solutions that may make it running a little bit faster. But for now the best way to solve the slowness issue is to downgrade the 3G iPhone back to iOS 3.1.3.

Earlier in the special event, Apple has shed some light on the issue. With the upcoming release of iOS 4.1 next week, the performance issue is expected to be resolved. The iPhone 3G should run much faster on iOS 4.1 than its predecessor.

Ahead of the public release of iOS 4.1., Lifehacker has performed some basic tests on iPhone 3G to compare its performance on iOS 4.0 and 4.1. As you will see from the video, it showed that iOS 4.1 does improve the overall performance. The iPhone 3G runs much faster and more responsive on iOS 4.1. Here is what Lifehacker mentioned about the test result:

The video demonstrates the results, but here they are in all their glory:

Messages: iOS 4.1 Wins (By a Little)
Maps: iOS 4.1 Wins (By a Lot)
Photos: iOS 4.1 Wins (Just Barely)
Safari: iOS 4.1 Wins (Just Barely)

While the speed advantages ranged from marginal to significant, iOS 4.1 clearly outperformed iOS 4.0. It’s still significantly slower performance than you’ll get from a 3GS or iPhone 4, and we’re still not sure it’s a big enough improvement that 3G owners will want to ditch iOS 3. The most obvious difference was UI responsiveness. The UI didn’t get stuck nearly as much on an interface element or when trying to enter text. If you are set on using iOS 4, the upgrade is worthwhile for that alone.

It is expected Apple will officially release iOS 4.1 on September 8. I do not have an iPhone 3G to test the performance. If you are an iPhone 3G owner, do try out the iOS 4.1 and let us know how it goes.

Everybody wants custom ringtones, right? Alright, I guess not everybody because you do encounter those people wandering around out in public that, for some unfathomable reason, still sport the same old boring default tones that came with their phone. Granted, those people annoy me and I shake my head in something like pity as I pass them by, but hey, it takes all kinds.

I’ve been in and out of the ringtone loop on the iPhone,  but it’s never been as easy and painless as it should have been. Why, for instance, should one have to purchase a track then purchase it again, basically, in order to create a ringtone from it has always been beyond me. Of course there have always been work arounds, with some more successful than others; I gave the free version of ImTOO’s Ringtone Maker a go and found it a breeze to use, but couldn’t really justify the $15 price tag for the full version. And before anyone rises up to smite me for being lazy…yes, I’m sure there are a plethora of workable and totally free(well, aside from properly paying for the music in the first place) solutions out there on the interwebs. The smiters would be correct in this case, I’ve been too lazy to do an in depth search for said solutions; I usually look around and latch onto something that looks promising pretty quickly. Which is why I decided to throw down the $1.99 for Blackout Labs Ringtone Designer Pro.

Ringtone Designer Pro can take any track on your phone and turn it into a custom ringtone. The controls couldn’t be much simpler, you’re presented with one button when you open the app and tapping it takes you to the tunes in your library. Just select a track and Ringtone Designer Pro gives you a cool little interface with the waveform of the song and a changeable duration window with which you can tweak until you have just the right part of the song you want for your ringtone. Tap save and Ringtone Designer Pro automatically converts and crops your selection into a new ringtone. Your ringtone won’t actually be available for use, however, until you connect your phone with your computer and use iTunes’ filesharing option to transfer the new ringtone over to your hard drive somewhere and then open the ringtone track with iTunes or simply drag it from your saved location into your iTunes library. Lastly, just sync up your phone with iTunes and your new custom ringtones will be ready to go.

Actually a relatively painless ringtone creation process, although the extra step(yeah, I know whiny right?) of having to transfer the ringtone from your phone onto your hard drive then back into iTunes and the phone seems a little fiddly, I can probably live with it. I was disappointed and frustrated by the lack of any track time display when you’re trying to find that sweet spot in a track; it turns the process into an even more trial-and-error-type exercise than it already is. But again, for a buck ninety-nine [iTunes link], it’s not too fiddly and I’ll probably be using it again…unless I turn un-lazy and find a better solution.

Our friends over at androidswag.com have released some new must have Android items, including a deck of Cyanogen Mod cards pictured to the left!  Along with the Cyanogen cards, there is an Android wall clock, mouse pad, business card holder and a home Welcome mat.

Check after the break for the gallery of new items, then head on over to AndroidSWAG to get you some awesome Android gear!

Check out the gallery

AndroidSWAG.com Announces New Goodies! originally appeared on AndroidGuys.

We get an awful lot of emails from you guys wanting to share news, promote links, tips, etc.  As much as we’d love to share everything that comes across the inbox, we simply can’t.  So, we decided to start a semi-regular series of posts called “The Ticker”.  These will be items that we think are worth covering, but not necessarily in a dedicated post.  And away we go!

• Debating on whether or not to use a task killer for your Android phone?  Droid Den breaks things down and helps you understand why they are mostly unnecessary, yet sometimes, handy.
• Why aren’t developers making as much money on Android as they’d like.  The answer, according to Open-First, is porn and piracy.  Of the 118 developers polled, the unhappy guys blame “Google’s absence of quality controls and promotional support”.
• Download Vignette’s latest release and try their new Time-Lapse feature.  It allows users to take pictures at 15, 30, 60, 120 and 240 second intervals. Here’s a sample video of how it works!
• Pure Pwnage has a beta app in the works that should be released in the next few weeks.  Oh, and they have another app coming called “Boom Headshot”.
• Launcher Pro is not just a great home screen/launcher app.  It’s also a fantastic tool that allows users to build custom shortcuts. Check out how this guys uses Launcher Pro Activities to create a one-click icon to the LbsTestMode (GPS settings). 
• For those of you who don’t have Launcher Pro, Anycut also lets users do similar things. Here’s how to do the same thing.
• The highly addictive, super popular iBasket has come to Android.  Download it and see how many points you can score in 90 seconds!

Porn and pirates hide Android’s money maker

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/08/27/android_market_devs_unhappy/ (and as a developer I have to say it’s 100% true)

Vignette for Android: Time-Lapse Feature – Press Release

Time-Lapse photography allows the user to take photographs at 15, 30, 60, 120 and 240 second intervals.

Vignette’s new Time-Lapse feature can be seen in action {at} http://www.vimeo.com/14489694

1 Click LbsTestMode on Captivate

Using Launcher Pro Activities I have created a 1 click icon to the LbsTestMode (GPS settings). I have created an easy walk though on how to do it on my blog, http://www.gmachine.net -Greg

NOTE: This is a similar trick, to a different set of settings, and using AnyCut to make the shortcut: http://www.tested.com/news/how-to-use-a-shortcut-to-keep-the-nexus-one-from-switching-to-edge/69/

Might be good to include both to make clear that this can be used to make shortcuts to all kinds of hidden activities.

First ever cross-platform real-time multiplayer mobile gaming tournament

https://docs.google.com/document/edit?id=1DMFCf4dPtdzy1VUvajFDlmm6n5TuwWL549_0hz4dk7A&hl=en&authkey=CMKh8rIJ

Pure Pwnage releasing official Android app

http://www.rgbfilter.com/?p=9370

Press Release: iBastket

https://docs.google.com/document/edit?id=1Sy1I2psX28XkTEPdjR1aEPMMEUUUB9AdHP9wJaOsuto&hl=en&authkey=CJz76pcG

The Ticker (September 3rd) originally appeared on AndroidGuys.

The emails have begun rolling out.  Angry Birds beta has hit the Android Market.  If you signed up for the beta test, you’ll be getting your notice any minute now.  For those of you who didn’t, we’ll give you the details.    Rovio is aiming to make Angry Birds the best game in the market and needs your help.  Be sure to report any bugs or issues to them so they can fix things up.  If you experience any problems out of the gate, try a simple phone reboot.  Otherwise, hit up their feedback survey!

For what it’s worth, you’ll probably want to shy away from the $1.99 app that’s in the market.  It is a knock-off title that has nothing to do with the real Angry Birds.  The beta game you are looking for is FREE.

As Promised, Angry Birds Beta Arrives originally appeared on AndroidGuys.

ViewSonic announced the “world’s first” dual-boot Android/ Windows 7 tablet earlier today at IFA 2010. The Android side of things is 1.6 which might turn away tech savvy early adopters, but the rest of the tablet sounds good on paper. The Viewpad 100 comes with a 10″ capacitive LED touchscreen (1024×600), an Intel Atom N455 1.66GHz processor, 16GB SSD, and 1GB DDR3 RAM. There are also two USB ports, Bluetooth, WiFi, A-GPS, an accelerometer, and a 1.3MP front-facing camera. Like us, you’re probably wondering why two operating systems for the tablet. Here’s the ViewSonic rationale.

“We want to supply users with a tablet computer that incorporates both Android and Windows as we believe in providing an open approach to mobile technology to users who may not wish to be tied to a specific operating system. The ViewPad 100 is aimed at those who want the speed and portability of Android without losing the advantages of having a Windows-based system. We recognise many users may be transitioning from a netbook but will possibly struggle with the learning curve of a new OS, even for simple tasks as uploading photos or using a VPN. Eventually they may choose to favour one over the other, but they will always have the choice.”

Look for the ViewPad 100 to arrive in October via authorized resellers in October at a MSRP of ?549 ($845 US).

ViewSonic Announces Dual-Booting ViewPad 100 originally appeared on AndroidGuys.

In 45 minutes we will be going LIVE with AGTN, otherwise known as “Android Guys Thursday Night” DROID-cast!

Join us tonight as we talk with Drew Ianni from APPNATION, we hear from Kyle the Droid Guy about the Galaxy Tab LIVE from Germany, we give away 6 Android Figurines, 5 Zooly cases and a partridge in a pear tree.  (that last one was a joke).

You can listen to us at www.blogtalkradio.com/androidguys, or you can use the player right here on the site.

We are looking forward to seeing you all there!  AGTN FTW!!!!!

We Got a Jammed Packed AGTN! originally appeared on AndroidGuys.

Just a quick announcement here. Not even a full month before it’s probable launch, the Galaxy Tab has been rooted.  Super-user access and all.  Sera-Apps takes the credit with this root. Great jobs guys! This is amazing news if you are a fan of Samsung Galaxy family.

Source: JKMobile

Samsung Galaxy Tab Already Rooted! originally appeared on AndroidGuys.

In a press release put out today, Mobile Security firm NetQin is reporting that through GetJar’s pay per download ad campaign system, they have seen 100% growth in the US market for their product, as well as a 90% conversion rate from the ad campaign they are running.  If that sounds a bit confusing, it is understandable!  Simply put, NetQin has started a pay per download ad campaign with GetJar to get their Android app into U.S. users hands.  Of all the people that have seen those ads, 90% of them are BUYING the NetQin app.  What this tells us is that GetJar is doing something right in the constant battle of app discovery and marketing.  Those numbers are pretty impressive.

Some info from NetQin from the press release:

Founded in 2005, backed by Sequoia, Mayfield, Fidelity and Ceyuan VC, NetQin Mobile Inc. (refer to “NetQin” hereafter) is a global leader in mobile security services- holding 64.8% of the Chinese mobile security market (2010 H1 Whitepaper on China Mobile Security Market by Frost & Sullivan, August 2010). NetQin delivers proven mobile security solutions based on Cloud-client Computing Platform – including anti-virus, SMS-filter, anti-spyware, privacy protection and online virus scan- to more than 55 million users in more than 200 countries and regions worldwide. Our services provide users protection against mobile security threats, financial loss and privacy compromise. Backed by an R&D team of more than 180 highly-skilled professionals, NetQin owns multiple patented technologies and relentlessly delivers the technology advancements crucial to improving mobile security.

NetQin is a major player in the mobile security market in China, and wanted to penetrate the U.S. market, so turned to GetJar to see if that could happen. From the numbers listed above, I would say that they have had some success.

Google, I would be watching GetJar pretty closely, they are doing something here that you have been unable to do, even though you are the king of search. They have been able to get the right apps into the right users hands, giving devs that warm fuzzy feeling when they see their download totals go towards the sky. This is what the Android community wants to see, a Market that is both dev and user friendly.

Getjar Getting App Discovery/Conversion Right, Take Notice Google! originally appeared on AndroidGuys.