Why pay $15 for a piece of software that can turn your music into ringtones when you can achieve the same for free?
The first application you will need is MakeiPhoneRingtone from Rogue Amoeba. This is a very simple app that you just drag your AAC file onto, and it will convert it to the right format and import it in iTunes, directly into the Ringtones section.

If your original file is not in the AAC format, or you want to just use a portion of the file, you need some basic editing software too. The best free alternative is Audacity. If you want something that feels more Mac-like, give Fission ($32) (below) a try (from the same developer as MakeiPhoneRingtone).

And that’s all there is to it. Happy ringtone making!

This guide has been tested with iTunes 7.7.1 and iPhone 3G firmware 2.0.

You are probably well aware that most retail stores who sell TVs and other electronics are trying to fool you into buying their expensive cables and other nonsense that they claim you also need.

Well Apple is no different of course, and they probably make quite a nice profit on cables, docks, batteries, and all the other accessories that you will sooner or later need to get. Luckily there are alternatives…

An example:

Apple iPhone dock connector to USB cable: $19
Chinese rip-off: $3.46 with FREE worldwide shipping (as of this writing)

Some pictures…

Ok, the packaging is all squished and halfway ripped open when delivered. The dock connector pictured on the box is not the one on the actual cable (which is actually the “old” iPod connector, which need to be pressed on the sides to release – but still fits 3G iPhones). The Apple logo on the USB plug doesn’t look quite right, but that might be a good thing.

Build quality seems good though, I don’t think this one will fail any sooner than an official cable.

And don’t pay any attention to the car charger in the second picture. I was hoping it would work with the iPhone, but it doesn’t. Not sure if it has to do with which pins supply the charge power, or if it simply doesn’t output enough amps. Still works with the iPod (and a ton of other USB-based devices I recon), and it’s only $2.58.

Note: I am not in any way affiliated with DealExtreme, they just happen to have some great stuff and even better prices.

Before you say or think anything: I realize this is turning into “the iPhone blog”, but it’s ok. We can all calm down…

A few months back, I decided to cover up my iPod mini with a skin from Skinit.com. I was so happy with the results I decided to wrap up my new iPhone as well, mostly to avoid having a ununique gadget.

This time, I went with Decalgirl. Before you state the obvious, yes my skin might be better suited for a girl, and I don’t care

Given the many cutouts needed on the iPhone skins (screen, home-button, speaker, sensors), getting a perfect fit was not easy – and I still failed in the end. Who knows, maybe I’ll swap it out later, after all it’s not a very costly part. Like Skinit.com, the skins from Decalgirl are printed on a non-air-bubbly-thingie so it’s easy enough to fit apart from the whole having-to-be-very-accurate part.

And like last time, I can recommend the product for anyone looking for a more personalized gadget.

Another beautiful day at the sea. Gotta love the summer

I was poking around on the ColorWare website this morning, and now I realize how awesome matching up your gadgets can be (if you have the money)…

WordPress is finally up and running on my iPhone. Lets see if this prompts more updates on-the-go.

For anyone who’s been using a Mac for more than a couple of years, I’m sure you recognize this awesome little piece of code. It making it’s way to the iPhone was a blessing, and I think it’s safe to say it’s one of the more polished apps out there.

The iPhone is here, and it makes me crazy, literally.

If you are at all interested in technology, you can’t have missed hearing about pretty much everything there is to know about it for the last week or so. I’ll leave you with some unboxing pictures, and please do tell me if there is anything you want to know or something you want me to write about. I’ll hopefully do a post with apps and accessories at some point. Tu-de-lu!

Old-time readers of this blog will know that I have yet to hop on the iPhone/iPod Touch train. In fact, I haven’t even hopped on the nano train, the shuffle train, the photo train, the U2 train, the product red train or… well I’m still sporting the old iPod mini.

But why swap it out if it still works, right? The iPod is really only used in the car, so with it having a constant stream of power, old, dying batteries are not an issue. It might look a bit old and boring whenever I take it out of the glove compartment though. What is a man to do? I thought about spray painting it in a color that would match my car, but I know from experience that anything I paint turns out less than durable.

Solution: get a skin. I took a look at both GelaSkins as well as DecalGirl. None really interested me however. Then I came across Skinit, where you can make your own! You simply upload a picture from your computer and a few days later it shows up in your mailbox printed on high quality 3M tape. For $20 plus s&h, it’s not at all bad.

After uploading a dozen pictures and trying a few different designs, I decided on using a wallpaper I found on the net, inspired by cd covers from the Hed Kandi series of club music. I think it turned out great, and it’s perfect for the summer that’s right around the corner in this part of the world.

I chose to cover the scroll wheel and button as well (they all still work), but I might have skipped the scroll wheel had I used it for controlling the iPod most of the time. But like I say: it works, even with the decal on. Also, I didn’t need to put in an effort to avoid air bubbles. All in all a painless application. Skinit seems to offer decals for just about every gadget under the sun, including all major portable music players, cellphones and laptops. More pictures below.

Saw this ad in a brochure that dropped in my mailbox today. So basically it’s this swimming pool place, and it looks like a place I would want to be at this time of the year. Only problem is: where is it? Well the ad lists a website URL, maybe I could log on and see if there is an address? Or I could call the phone number in the ad. If you notice to the right of the ad though, you will find… GPS coordinates! Yes, GPS coordinates – but no address. If this is how companies will start branding themselves, then I might have to pick up a unit for sure. Punching it into Google Maps and making a printout would just seem terribly old-fashioned…