Today's Fresh Blogs...

• Emoticons In Fear: Apple Patents Text-to-Speech Messaging

  Published: July 28, 2007, 12:15 pm

  Tags: Apple, Cellphones, Emoticons In Fear, Gadgets, Gsm, Patent, Patents, Smartphones, Sms, Software, Wireless

  In a recent patent filing "Multimedia data transfer for a personal communication device," Apple is offering text messages without the GSM SMS protocol, or even the need to read. While SMS requires an intermediary server between sender and receiver, Apple's patent has a sender's device convert text messages to an audio signal with this audio

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• Apple: iFuntastic 2.0 Released: iPhone Ringtones and More

  Published: July 27, 2007, 7:46 pm

  Tags: Apple, Apple Iphone, Cellphones, Hacks, Ifuntastic, Iphone, Smartphones

  iFuntastic, the iPhone custom ringtone GUI app, is in version 2.0. They've added the ability to change carrier logos, and reorder the main menu's icons. [iPhonealley, thanks Mike]

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• Ditch The Remote: SK Telecom Cleaning Robot Controlled by Cellphone

  Published: July 27, 2007, 7:12 pm

  Tags: Cellphones, Ditch The Remote, Gadgets, Robot, Roomba, Sk Telecom, Vacuum

  Sometimes we just want to tell our Roomba what to do, but we can never find that frickin' remote. Well SK Telecom has decided to fix this problem, they are developing a cleaning-robot that is controllable via your cell phone. Not only can you decide where the little bot cleans, but you can also see what it's doing via the built in camera. More

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• In Brief: T-mobile's pre-paid refill system has gone ...

  Published: July 27, 2007, 4:27 pm

  Tags: Cellphone, Cellphones, Dealzmodo, T Mobile

  T-mobile's pre-paid refill system has gone down today, and a T-Mobile representative said all calls are free until 11 p.m. [Engadget]

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• How To: Free iPhone Ringtones from iTunes

  Published: July 27, 2007, 3:57 pm

  Tags: Apple, Apple Iphone, Cellphones, How To, Ifuntastic, Iphone, Ringtones, Smartphones, Tuaw

  TUAW's post on how to rip the 30-second track samples from iTunes for use on an iPhone is evil, brilliant and I love it. The secret: export a playlist from the iTunes store, download the MP4 sample clips, and upload them using iFuntastic. Stick it to the carriers who overcharge for ringtones of songs you probably already own! Not only is iTunes

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• Apple: iFuntastic 2.1 Released: Easier AT&T Logo Destruction

  Published: July 29, 2007, 4:32 pm

  Tags: Apple, Apple Iphone, Cellphones, Ifuntastic, Iphone, Smartphones

  iFuntastic, the iPhone Ringtone swapping GUI app, just jumped to version 2.1. It still can load your iPhone with ringtones of your choice and can even rearrange the main menu icons. But now you can swap out that swarmy AT&T logo for any PNG at 65 x 18 pixels. (Above, I used a transparent background, and text with aliasing off so it would look good

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• Japan: Self-Destruct Button Mobile Charm Doesn't Do What It Says on the Tin

  Published: July 30, 2007, 10:20 am

  Tags: Cell Phone Charm, Cellphones, Japan, Self Destruct Button, Suicide Bomber

  Most cellphone charms seem to have no point whatsoever. This Japanese self-destruct button charm, however, does. Perfect for when you're having One Of Those Days, press the button and you will hear a countdown, and a red LED light will flash, followed by a Boom! (insert Steve Jobs joke here if you can be bothered, I can't.) It's actually called

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• Cellphones: Video of AT&Ts Videoshare Service in Action

  Published: July 30, 2007, 4:45 pm

  Tags: At Amp T, Cellphones, Clips, Videoshare

  AT&T's Videoshare, their strange one-way video messaging service, is now working in a bunch of urban markets if you've got phones that'll work with it. I took it for a test spin this morning, and yes, it does work as advertised. See it in all its blurry glory in the above video.

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• Adwatch: Nokia N95 Ads Portray Laptops as Crazed, Jealous, Violent Exes

  Published: July 30, 2007, 7:30 pm

  Tags: Ads, Adwatch, Cellphones, Jealous Computers, Laptops, N95, Nokia, Smartphones

  What better way to portray your so-called laptop-replacing smartphone than to make fake videos and images detailing how laptops are attacking people who use it? Take this ad, showing a new college student being bitten by an unnamed laptop as she's making a movie with her parents with the Nokia N95. Then there are the "medical pictures" of various

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• Bake Steve Jobs: The Best iPhone Wannabe Yet, from Sugarcat Cakes

  Published: July 30, 2007, 8:00 pm

  Tags: Apple, Bake Steve Jobs, Cake, Cellphones, Fake Steve Jobs, Fsj, Iphone, Iphone Cake

  This is an iPhone Cake. For the Steve that is Fake. Did it take a long time to Make? I dunno, I'm not very good in the kitchen. [PhotoBucket via The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs]

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• Nokia: iPhone-ish Virtual Keyboard for the Nokia N800

  Published: July 30, 2007, 9:44 pm

  Tags: Cellphones, Iphone, N800, Nokia, Smartphones

  No predictive text, but plenty of popup letter action, plus sliding. In landscape mode, the letters here seem to have a bit more breathing room between letters, esp on the 4-inch screen. [JKOntheRun]

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• Operating System: Surgeons Finish Operation Using Only Cellphone Screens Lighting

  Published: July 31, 2007, 10:00 am

  Tags: Argentina, Cellphones, Doctors, Medical, Operating System

  Surgeons in Argentina were able to complete an operation using the light from cell phone screens after a city-wide blackout. The hospital's generator failed to kick in and they continued to work in darkness until someone stepped into the room - not the Spanish Inquisition but, nevertheless, someone completely unexpected. Local man Leonardo Molina

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• Emusic: AT&T & eMusic Open Over-the-Air Music Store: No DRM, No iPhone Support

  Published: July 31, 2007, 10:30 am

  Tags: At Amp T, Att, Cellphones, Emusic, Emusic Mobile, Gadgets, Portable Media

  Rumors of an impending AT&T/eMusic tag team for an over-the-air music store were true: the eMusic Mobile store will be stocked with 2.7 million songs in delicious DRM-free MP3. Better yet, not only do tracks download directly to your phone, a second copy is sent straight to your computer. Not so delicious: the price, at $7.49 per five-pack plus

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• Operating System: Surgeons Finish Operation Using Just Cellphone-Screen Lighting

  Published: July 31, 2007, 10:00 am

  Tags: Argentina, Cellphones, Doctors, Medical, Operating System, Top

  Surgeons in Argentina were able to complete an operation using the light from cell phone screens after a city-wide blackout. The hospital's generator failed to kick in and they continued to work in darkness until someone stepped into the room - not the Spanish Inquisition but, nevertheless, someone completely unexpected. Local man Leonardo Molina

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• Cellphones: iPhone Keyboard Patents That Never Were

  Published: July 31, 2007, 1:46 pm

  Tags: Apple, Cellphones, Iphone

  Those dudes at Apple sure love to patent things. For every patent they file that actually makes its way into a device that's sold to consumers, there have got to be 30 others that just sit there collecting dust, just waiting for an opportunity to sue the pants out of the next guy to come up with the same idea. Case in point? Check out all these

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