You Can Finally Change Your iPhone’s Carrier Logo Without Jailbreaking.

Some carriers don’t appreciate the simplicity of the iPhone and iOS, and they slap big ugly carrier logos in the status bar that just look nasty. I use my iPhone 5 on Vodafone in the U.K., which is guilty of this very thing. Thankfully, there’s finally a way to change your iPhone’s carrier logo without jailbreaking.

The ability to customize a carrier logo has been one of the advantages to jailbreaking for as long as I can remember. Without jailbreaking, however, it hasn’t been possible. That is until now. Developers Kevin Lo and Daniel Levi have created a new Mac application called CarrierEditor that allows you to quickly and easily change the carrier logo on almost any iPhone.

Simply download the app, tell it which carrier version your iPhone is running (this is found in the About menu within general settings), and then feed it the image files that you’d like your new carrier logo to be. The app then puts together a new carrier settings file, which you can quickly send to your iPhone via iTunes — it takes seconds.

Simple, isn’t it?

Unfortunately, not all carriers are supported. Many are, but some — including Sprint in the U.S. — have been left out for unknown reasons. As long as your carrier is supported, however, you can use CarrierEditor — regardless of which iPhone you have. It even works on iPhone 5.

Source: Cult of Mac.

iCade Jr. Arcade Controller Discounted to $9.99.

ThinkGeek has discounted the iCade Jr. Mini Arcade Cabinet for iPhone to only $9.99. That represents 80% off its normal price of $49.99.

The iCade Jr. was originally launched in January 2012 at CES. It represents a smaller iPhone/iPod Touch sized version of the original iPad-sized iCade. Like its big brother, the iCade Jr. connects to your iPhone or iPod Touch using Bluetooth. This model was originally designed to fit the iPhone 4/4S and 4th Generation iPod touch form factors, but is said to work with the iPhone 5 “if you leave the top lid hinged back”.

The controller has an arcade stick, four front and rear buttons and works with existing iCade-compatible games.

Source: Mac Rumors.

Daily iPhone App: Ring in the New Year with the Official Times Square Ball App.

It’s New Year’s Eve, which means there will be a rocking party in Times Square tonight. If you can’t be in New York City for the shindig, you can still participate in the fun using the 2013 edition of the Times Square Official New Year’s Eve Ball App.

The official New Year’s Eve app lets you watch a live stream of the events, including the midnight ball drop, from Times Square and even participate by submitting your own party photos. The top photos will be featured on the Toshiba Vision screen directly beneath the official crystal ball. The app also includes the history of the event as well as the news, photos and event schedule for the 2013 party.

The Times Square Official New Year’s Eve Ball App – 2013 is available for free in the iOS App Store.

Source: TUAW.

Weekend iPad Wallpapers: Apple Logos.

This weekend’s iPad wallpaper choices are from one of my favorite categories – Apple logos. Many of the iPad wallpapers that I’ve kept the longest on my home screens have been from this category.

First up today is the pile of 3D sliver Apple logos on a deep blue background shown above. This one, and all the choices today, are from the Wallpapers HD for iPhone, iPod and iPad app by Stuck Pixel. There are a number of similarly named apps in the App Store so be sure to look for the one with that full title and published by Stuck Pixel. Here’s the App Store link for it.

Next up is this striking 3D feeling image with an Apple logo at its core:

And finally here’s a slanted Big blue Apple logo with an elegant color scheme:

As always, I think all three look great on the iPad home screen. Here they are on my iPad mini:

The Fall Trilogy – Chapter 2: Reconstruction for OS X now available.

In the first chapter of The Fall Trilogy for OS X, you woke up with no memory in a mysterious temple, and had to make your escape. In the second chapter of The Fall Trilogy, you wake up in a skyscraper and have to find a USB key. Your goals are to find out more about your past and the mysterious voice that is guiding you.

The Fall Trilogy is a point & click adventure game for OS X from the developers of Destination: Treasure Island, Secrets of Da Vinci, and Return to Mysterious Island. You explore and solve puzzles as you learn more about who you are and how to make your way to freedom.

The Fall Trilogy features:

• Point & Click play
• Two navigation modes available — fixed and 360° views
• Photorealistic graphics with widescreen 16/9 support
• Variety of challenges (e.g., hidden objects and jigsaw puzzle mini-games) with increasing difficulty
• A tutorial to help the new player
• A clue system that gets more accurate so you slowly get the amount of help you need
• The ability to switch a mini-game from normal to easy mode
• English, French and German localization

The Fall Trilogy needs a Mac with an Intel processor, 512 MB of memory, and running OS X 10.6, 10.7, or 10.8.

You can download a demo for both The Fall Trilogy – Chapter 1: Separation and The Fall Trilogy – Chapter 2: Reconstruction from Coladia’s website, and purchase them for $9.90 each.

Source: AppleTell.

BassNation introduces BlackBox audio system.

1.) I’ll take BassNation over Rhythm Nation any day of the week, but only because I’m a bigger fan of Chris Squire than I am of Janet Jackson. 2.) If I’m going to be playing my music through an audio system, it may as well be one that can survive a plane crash, right? BassNation Audio’s BlackBox is an all-wood audio speaker system aimed at music enthusiasts, but not quite at a music enthusiast price.

The BlackBox comes with a built-in digital amplifier that turns any music source with an audio output jack into a loud and clear audio system with its simple plug and play set-up. This means no dock for your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch, but you can connect them via their headphone jack. And, of course, it’s also compatible with other MP3 players, computers, gaming consoles/handhelds, and more.

The Electronic Industry Association (EIA), recently reported TV Sound Bars and iPhone docking speakers are the hottest growth category in consumer audio with an estimated 30% annual growth rate. BlackBox fits both applications as it is flexible, compact, portable and can be used everywhere—from dorm rooms, studios, DJ’s, home theater and more!

The BlackBox is available now for $295.00. For more information, visit www.bassnationaudio.com.

Source: AppleTell.

Apple drops prices on refurbished Mac Minis by $50, now start at $469.

Apple has taken an additional $50 off the refurbished 2011 Mac mini this afternoon on its online Certified Refurbished Store. Apple now offers the Intel Core i5 starting at $469 for the 2.3GHz model with 2GB of RAM. As it does with the entire refurb store, a 1 year warranty is applied just like new models.

• Was $519: Apple Mac mini MC815LL/A Intel Core i5 Dual 2.3GHz w/ 2GB RAM for $469
• Was $699: Apple Mac mini MC816LL/A Intel Core i5 Dual 2.5GHz w/ 4GB RAM for $549
• Was $849: Apple Mac mini MC936LL/A Intel Core i7 Quad 2GHz w/ Lion Server for $759

Source: 9to5Mac.

And the award for ‘Most Impractical iPhone Case’ goes to…

iPhone cases need to do one thing and one thing only: Protect your extremely expensive handset from harm. If the case happens to look cool or offer some additional functionality, that’s really just a bonus. Now, if the case is also a full-sized replica of a lobster, well… we’re not quite sure if that’s a positive or a negative, to be perfectly honest.

The “Lobster Mobile Telephone Case” is a one-off design by Elliot Gorham. Gorham runs Noddy Boffin, a furniture design and concept shop in Victoria, Australia. The case itself is massive, goofy, impractical and almost entirely useless. But according to its description on Gorham’s website, that’s the point.

“Unlike the typical phone case, it doesn’t offer functionality of protection and style,” the blurb reads. “Its features include; camera incapability, ergonomically awkward, too big for your pocket or handbag and most importantly, its ability to cause its users embarrassment.”

Unfortunately — or fortunately, depending on your outlook — the ridiculous case isn’t actually for sale, and Gorham doesn’t appear to have any plans to actually manufacture it on a large scale. That’s probably just as well, since we’d almost certainly pester our own Steve Sande for an in-depth review, which could lead to one or more of us being strangled.

Source: TUAW.

Man proposes to girlfriend using a fake iPad.

Plenty of iPads were gifted this past week, but at least one young lady received something in an iPad box that she probably wasn’t expecting. Reddit user rad_rob proposed to his girlfriend in an amazingly unique manner, swapping the Apple tablet out of a retail box with a wedding ring.

To get the weight right, the ambitious would-be groom fabricated a metal plate, complete with the big question engraved on it. He then placed the plate and ring in the box and offered it as a gift.

“I know I cried a little, and as soon as I opened the lid on the box and she saw what was inside, so did she,” rad_rob posted in an update. “She immediately said yes, and threw her arms around me. I felt like a total stud.” Oh, and she also got the iPad that originally came in the box. Bravo, good sir. Bravo.

Source: TUAW.

New York’s MTA releases Subway Time app, lets users know exact train arrival times.

The New York MTA (Metropolitan Transport Authority) has released an app that will allow users to access up to the minute information on when a subway train will arrive at their chosen station. The app which is called Subway Time will initially cover seven stations with more to come in the future.

MTA Subway Time gives you real-time train arrival information for selected routes of the New York City subway system. Knowing exactly when your train will arrive will reduce the time you spend waiting on the subway platform, and let you know of any service delays or reroutes before you pay your fare.

The seven lines that the app will provide up to the minute information for are Lines 1 through to 6 and the the 42nd Street shuttle. The service hasn’t come cheap either; according to the Wall Street Journal, new signalling technology and sensing equipment has cost the MTA a staggering $228 million to install over the last eleven years. Further additions to the lines covered by the app will roll out soon with the L line and No 7 line set to be added by 2016.

• Free – Download now

The data that feeds the official MTA app will also be made available to third party developers to incorporate into their apps too. This is a good move as the MTA’s Subway Time app could do with a bit of polish and user interface redesign. It certainly isn’t the most elegant app or that user friendly either. Also strangely enough it hasn’t been optimized for the iPhone 5’s larger screen either.

Source: iMore.