Want to try out remote access to your PC using your iPhone? Shape Services has put together the RDM+ Remote Desktop for Mobiles, a pretty nifty application that lets you do just that. The best part about this software? It's free, since its still in its beta stage.

RDM+ lets iPhone users edit documents via the PC's word processor, even copy and paste files and folders, among other things. Installing the RDM+ is a piece of cake. Just follow the instructions below:

Install RDM+ in the PC that you want to gain remote access to using your iPhone
Using your iPhone's Safari browser, go to iphone.rdmplus.com and just log in.

There. Piece of cake indeed.  RDM+ also display's your PC's desktop quite flawlessly on the iPhone, and we couldn't help but wonder if the display can be switched to horizontal view so that it'll look more like a tiny PC display.  As for the controls, mouse and keyboard commands are taken care of by your iPhone's touchscreen.

It's yet another piece of remote access heaven, much like the VNC. Since the application is free, why not try it out? Do hit the comment link below to share your feedback on RDM+.

Download: RDM+ Remote Desktop for Mobiles

The iPhone unlocking software by iPhoneSIMfree has already been released for a few days now, and its about time to check out how the application is faring in its attempt to unlock numerous iPhone units.

The unlocking software has encountered a small snag in a reseller's first few attempts to use the application, but iPhoneSIMfree responded quickly and saved the day with a quick fix to the bug.

So what is this bug, and how did it hinder the unlocking process? As a Gizmodo blogger reported, the bug caused the unlocking software to not work on phones with the auto-lock setting enabled.

Upon learning of this issue, iPhoneSIMfree almost immediately sent out a fix to their resellers and updated their site informing of the bug, warning iPhone users to disable the auto-lock function before using the application.

iPhoneSIMfree now ensures that the small (but almost heart-wrenching) bug has been taken care of, and will unlock EVERY iPhone. For more information about the iPhone unlock software, do check out the Read link.

One of the very first predictions to surface for the new iPod is that it would be an iPhone without the Phone and that seems to be the case - to the letter. Gizmodo got some unofficial word from inside Apple that the iPod Touch can run all the applications that the iPhone can (save for the ones that use the phone function of course, which would be useless).

The iPod Touch and the iPhone "use the same damn binaries," according to the source. Except for the interface, there's no real difference between the two devices. Although the iPod Touch will not have Mail or Weather and Stocks as part of its application collection (probably just to differentiate the functions of the device), they both run on the same Mac OS X core.

Logically the iPod Touch can run any application - even third party software - the iPhone can. So even if the iPod Touch doesn't initially have the same programs, all it should take is to allow a method of transfer of iPhone applications to the iPod Touch and voila! Once the iPod Touch comes out it won't be long before this is confirmed. Updates as we get them.

Apple's upcoming operating system Leopard wouldn't be available until October this year but even this early, we've been hearing a lot about its features and how it differs from the current OS Tiger. And just like in previous OS updates, some consumers are wondering how to emulate those features on Tiger.

Online site AppleTell has an interesting article about the above mentioned "problem" and divulged that there are a couple of existing third party applications that provide users some solution. For starters, here are some of the features that you can add to your Tiger and give it some "spots" so to speak to make it look like Leopard:

• Time Machine: Unfortunately, no current application truly lives up to Time Machine, but an app called SuperDuper seems to do the trick pretty well.
• Spaces: Although Virtual Desktops have been around for a while, Spaces brings them to a whole new level. Fortunately, we don't have to wait until October to use virtual desktops, as two current apps do the job already, VirtueDesktops and Desktop Manager
• Stacks: Even though LeopardÂ?s stacks cannot truly be emulated with an app, thereÂ?s a simple trick to getting a piece of stacks in Tiger.
• UI: You can modify Tiger's UI to look like Leopard's with a theme called Liger. Just install ShapeShifter and ClearDock from Unsanity, and download Liger.
• Finder: here are such things as "Finder replacements" that will give your current file browsing experience a boost. Some of these Finder replacements include Path Finder, Macintosh Explorer, and Forklift
• iChat: ChatFX brings many Photo Booth-like effects and the famed blue screen effect over to iChat on Tiger. Although a bit unstable at times, ChatFX gives you a taste of iChat on Leopard.
• Dashboard: With Leopard, you can now clip parts of web pages and put them in Dashboard, thanks to a new feature called Web Clip. Tiger users can clip web pages as well with a widget.

The Beta version of Skype 2.7 for Mac is now out and ready for use. For those unfamiliar with this program, it allows users to chat and send text messages for free. In addition to this, it can be used to place calls to both cellular phones and landlines for a nominal fee.

Originally PC-based, the software has been reworked to run on multiple Mac platforms. If you'd care to recall, the previous version implemented a lot of new features, and the trend continues with this version. There are quite a few improvements to the program, here's a complete list of all the new features:

• Group contacts: organize your contacts into as many groups as you need. While there are some pre-defined groups (like Online, Waiting Authorization, Recently Contacted), youÂ?re free to add new ones that suit your life. This should be a godsend to those whose contact list has ballooned to hundreds of Skype users. Explore this nifty feature under the cogwheel icon on the main screen.

• See your Apple Address Book contacts in Skype: easily call or SMS anyone who has a phone number in their address-book profile. When texting, just make sure the number is one that belongs to a mobile phone.

• Create and manage public chats: by clicking on Chats in the menu bar and choosing Start Public Chat. A public-chat assistant will walk you through the necessary steps.

• Auto Redial for busy or unconnected calls: When your call hits the busy signal, Skype will give you the option of automatic redial every two minutes until the call goes through. This setting can also be adjusted in Skype > Preferences > Calls.

• Easy sound-level controls: when you need to tweak the sound level during a call, use a simple slider in the call window

• Overhauled file transfer: wearing a more fashionable jacket, file-transfer now looks elegant and acts even nicer, especially when receiving many files at once

So if you're a Mac user and use VoIP for raiding in World of Warcraft or chatting with loved ones, there's no reason for you not to pick this up. Head on over tot he Skype site to download the program.

Apple has pulled the plug on AppleWorks relegating it to the realms of abandonware. As solid as this program was during the height of its run, it has reached the end of its software life-cycle and will no longer be supported by the company when iWork 08 comes out.

In the spirit of the moment, let's take a short look at the long and illustrious life of the program. Originally written by Robert Lissner, the software suite was released way back 1984. It was designed for use by both the Apple and the Apple II computers.

The company followed this up with AppleWorks 2.0 in 1986. The year after that, this project was turned over to Apple's then new software subsidiary Claris. They went to work immediately, releasing version 3.0 in 1989.

The next update wouldn't happen until 1993, when AppleWorks 4.0 was released and was followed by AppleWorks 5.0 the year after. The last iterations of the program resemble what most would expect from an office application suite with a word processor, a drawing program, a painting program, a spreadsheet, a database program, and even a terminal program for communications.

While it might be painful for the old school Mac user to let this program go, the iWork 08 looks to be a good successor. From all indications, it will live up and surpass the venerable old program in terms of functionality and ease.

 

Have you fired up your Adium messenger recently? Well, I did just a few hours ago, and lo and behold, it's a version update! The Adium ducks are now quacking up to version 1.1! Although the previous update was released just a month ago, Adium v1.1 has actually been in the making for about a year now.

In fact, one of the biggest changes in this version comes all the way from 2006, built on a student project in the Google Summer of Code. The project has been incorporated into Adium v1.1 in the form of PSMTabBarControl, which allows you to customize your tabbing preferences on the fly. Here's the lowdown of that feature:

• You can arrange your tabs on any side of the message view, not just the bottom. Tabs are arranged vertically when you put them on the left or right edge of the window and horizontally when you put them on the top or bottom.
• Tabs handle overflow better by presenting a chevron (») menu, just like toolbars do.
• Tabs are now spring-loaded, so that if you drag something to a tab that isn't active, it will activate, so that you can position the thing you're dragging precisely within the inputline.
• You can have each tab display the number of unread messages, if any.

Of course, there's more to this, but the Adium team is encouraging all of us to discover the other new toolbar tweaks. Other notes from the changelog include the usual bug fixes and improvements. Aside from it being prettier and faster, there's also the following:

• Changes in the contact list, such as people coming online and going offline, animate smoothly.
• The contact list's ability to hide like the Dock at the edge of the screen has been improved.
• A new type of AdiumXtra, the menu bar icon xtra, has been created to let you customize the appearance of Adiumy in your menu bar; you can download AdiumMenuBarIcons packs from AdiumXtras.com.
• Buzz on Yahoo! and nudge on MSN are now fully supported.
• AIM DirectConnect should be more reliable and less memory intensive; it is now automatically initiated as needed.
• You can now import accounts and chat transcripts from iChat.
• Adium now warns you if you run Adium from the disk image. This will especially benefit new Mac users who aren't accustomed to working with disk images.
• Right-to-left text is handled property on MSN.

Download: Adium v1.1

We all knew that Apple is planning to release iLife before October but what we didn't expect is for it to be  officially unveiled this early. In fact, the Cupertino-based company came up with a press release the other day, officially announcing the new build for suite of digital lifestyle applications to the world.

"Apple has taken iLife '08 to a new level that is years ahead of anything available for the PC. We think iLife '08 gives Mac users even more reasons to love their Macs, and PC users even more reasons to switch," commented Apple CEO Steve Jobs. The following are the general changes applied to the program:

• iPhoto 08 automatically groups all photos into Events, each containing a day's worth of photos represented by a single picture
• iMovie '08 can import video from the latest AVCHD, HDV and DV camcorders, as well as from digital cameras, and displays a user's entire video library whether itÂ?s stored on internal or external drives
• .Mac Web Gallery is fully integrated with iPhoto '08 and iMovie '08, letting users share their photos and movies on the web with just a few clicks.
• iWeb '08 offers new features to make websites more interactive by adding live web widgets such as Google Maps, targeted ads using Google AdSense and photos or movies from .Mac Web Galleries
• GarageBand '08 offers powerful new features for more advanced musicians, including multi-take recording to capture the best performance, arrangements to cut, copy and paste intros, verses and choruses, and support for 24-bit audio interfaces

iLife is currently on sale for suggested retail price of US$ 79 through the Apple Store, Apple's retail stores, and Apple authorized resellers. If you want to know more about the latest version, click on our Read link below. It should take you to Apple's dedicated page for iLife 08.

   

  
The iPhone's release has come and gone, and the much anticipated device finally ended up in the hands of excited consumers and web application developers alike. With so many people wanting to create useful widgets for the iPhone, there are now many new web applications to choose from.

Rev2.org has taken it upon themselves to pick what they deem as the Top 25 Web Applications for the iPhone, and we also think that their choices sound good as well. Here are our personal choices among Rev2.org's picks:

• OneTrip Shopping List: This one is definitely useful for those who have a tough time memorizing shopping lists, or just happen to tend to lose the shopping lists they have prepared the day before. OneTrip has a simple, easy-to-use categorization feature that lets users pick and choose grocery items from different categories, like Food, Fruit, Veggies, Household Items, etc.

• Listingly: This one is a simple listing app for the iPhone. Just like the OneTrip Shopping List App, items can be automatically arranged and categorized. Listingly also can memorize certain terms to speed up your typing.

• iTouch: Possible our favorite application game for the iPhone. Dots will randomly appear on the screen which you would have to touch immediately before they disappear. This is a rather fun reflex game that can make for a potentially good drinking game.

• Avalanche: Here is another fun way of passing time with the iPhone. The game is only one simple rule: get rid of all the blocks by picking 3 or more connected blocks with the same color. The faster you move, the more points you get.

• CheapMF: Possibly one of the most useful iPhone applications around. CheapMF will help you in determining whether that cool item you found in the mall is adequately priced. CheapMF can access Amazon.com to provide prices of used and new items to help you determine if the store item is worth buying or not.

Read more about Rev2.org's picks in the Read link!

 

The Apple community is buzzing with the announcement of the new MacBook Pro Software Update 1.0 which, strangely enough, doesn't carry a lot of details from Apple except for the description that it fixes bugs and optimizes processes. It's recommended for 2.2/2.4Ghz models which have OS X 10.4.9 or higher installed.

The MacBook Pro Software Update 1.0 is driven by the Intel Core Duo chip which runs at 2.2/2.4Ghz tops. It packs 4GB of DDR-2 clocked at 667Mhz. The Frontside bus is at 800Mhz to round up the uber hardware chops.

That means, in a nutshell, that you can pretty much do everything you want with this baby. Whether you love 3D games, video editing or sound encoding, the MacBook Pro with Software Update 1.0 should deliver sweeter goods than ever.