Hasta La Gadget!

As with almost any software update, Apple has seemingly introduced a few new issues while ironing out a couple of others. Automotive forums around the web are ablaze with talk that iOS 4.1 has introduced any number of playback problems, with the bulk of complainers citing scratching, crackling or random disconnects when piping audio from their device to their vehicle via the dock connector. We’ve tested two iOS 4.1-equipped iPhone 4 handsets in two separate vehicles here at Engadget HQ, and we saw no quirks whatsoever, but we’ve no doubt that the issue is real to some extent. Prior firmwares have caused permanent incompatibilities between our iPods and vehicles before, and we’re about at our wit’s end. We know it’s impossible for the software engineers at Cupertino to test new builds on every car adapter out there, but we’re starting to wonder if they bother to plug ’em into any vehicles at all. Tell us below if you’ve pulled any hairs out in recent days, won’t you?

[Image courtesy of Murphy5156 / TiPb]

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Did iOS 4.1 introduce in-car USB playback problems for you? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Sep 2010 10:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When you think about it, iPod docks don’t make sense. Why do you have
to dock Apple’s mp3 player into a speaker dock when recent models come
with Bluetooth support? With XtremeMac’s Tango TRX, you can use
Bluetooth 2.1 and beam your music from your mp3 player to the speakers
wirelessly.

If your iPod doesn’t support Bluetooth, or you keep it disabled, you
can still dock your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPod into the front of Tango
TRX. The Tango TRX supports other portable music players, by means of a
line-in jack.

The speakers consist of two midrange drivers, two dome tweeters and a downward firing subwoofer.

The Tango TRX D, an Apple exclusive model, adds a separate charging dock for your iPod/iPhone/iPad.

There is also a remote control app which allows you to tweak the audio
as well as adjust the various EQ settings. The app is available for
free on the App Store.

The basic model is priced at $179.99 and is available now. 

Gadget-maker Griffin has partnered with educational app-maker ScrollMotion to create the Woogie, a unique iPhone case and educational experience. Part stuffed animal and part protective case, the Woogie holds an iPhone or iPod Touch and becomes a huggable companion. It includes two built-in speakers (powered by included AAA batteries) and plays Iceberg Kids e-books, music, videos, and more, which are created by ScrollMotion.

Buyers can use it with the free Iceberg Kids Sesame Street e-book sampler app, featuring “Elmo’s Birthday,” “Big Bird’s Nest,” and “The Fix-It Shop.” The app reads the stories out loud and allows parents and kids to record their own voices. Parents can then pony up for over 150 additional titles, all Woogie-ready and available from the iTunes Store. 

File this under: we’ll believe it when we see it. It’s a crowded file these days, filled most with iPhone carrier rumors. They tend to surface in the lead up to Apple events, but really, they can happen when you least expect them.

The rumors usually involve Verizon–a logical choice, really, given the size of the network and the loyalty it tends to provoke. There are boatloads of Verizon customers ready to jump on the iPhone, the moment it comes to their network.

This time out, however, the rumor involves T-Mobile. And, unlike those out-of-nowhere rumors we hear all the time, it comes from a pretty reliable source–Chris Anderson, the editor-in-chief of Wired.

Anderson earlier this week tweeted,

A T-Mobile manager casually mentioned to me that they’re going to get the iPhone 3GS (but not 4, oddly) later this year. Common knowledge?

The comment is interesting on a number of levels. First there’s the whole T-Mobile/Verizon thing. Second is the “casual” part, as thought the wireless employee was saying something that everyone knew, rather than sharing a secret or just letting something slip.

Also fascinating is the idea that the network would only get the 3Gs, rather than the brand new iPhone 4. Perhaps there’s something in the fine print of AT&T’s deal that bars a competitor from selling the latest version of the handset.

Of course, this is all in the realm of pure speculation, and if Apple has its way, we won’t hear anything solid about the deal until the company is good and ready.

iPhone and iPod docks are plentiful these days, but XTremeMac‘s new Luna SST dock and the new 3-in-1 Microdock stand out from the pack, mostly because they look sharp and offer features not found in other devices. For example, the Luna SST alarm clock and dock features a detachable speaker for full surround sound, and has two separate alarms that you can program independently so multiple users can wake at different times, or you can have one alarm for weekday mornings and another for the weekend.  The Luna SST is available now for $129.99 list.

The 3-in-1 Microdock is a slim, portable iPhone and iPod dock that’s travel-friendly, weighs just under five ounces, and is small enough to fit on virtually any nightstand or desk. The Microdock also charges your iPhone or iPod, and has a self-contained speaker for listening and charging on the go. It’s available now for $59.99 retail. Both new docks can be paired with XtremeMac’s free Alarm Clock app for iOS devices, which turns your iPhone or iPod Touch’s screen into a digital clock that matches the color scheme for the two new docks.