While there are alternatives to using AT&T as the iPhone’s wireless provider in the US, most us of are on AT&T’s network. And more than a few have found their coverage to be weaker than hoped. Personally, I was using Verizon with much more success prior to picking up my iPhone and I miss their comparably universal coverage. In my house, I guess I was amazingly lucky - Verizon covered me in every room. The best AT&T can offer me in West LA is three out of five bars when placed at a precise angle on a grey chair in my living room. Everywhere else is a dead zone.

But I’m not giving up my iPhone, so a compromise was in order. And I’ve found a way to boost reception significantly whilst using my iPhone at home. The WiEx YX510 Cell Booster acts as a small cell repeater in two pieces: a 1.3 foot antenna and a receiver/transmitter the size of a typical home router connected via the included thirty-five foot coaxial cable.

Set-up involves finding the best reception around your home…mine was in my attic, where I found a consistent five bars. Using two zip ties, I secured the antenna to a crossbeam and ran the coaxial cable about twenty feet into my office where I keep the transmitter (and use my iPhone the most). WiEx recommends placing the antenna at least fifteen feet above the transmitter, which works very well for me.

The results were immediate after plugging the transmitter in: an inconsistent two bars without the WiEx, a solid five with the booster running.

WiEx claims coverage of up to three thousand feet, but walls blunt that performance in my case. I get solid coverage throughout most of my home, but at the farthest point from my transmitter, I do drop to three bars. Since the alternative was zero before, I’m cool with it. But this unit is marketed to offices in addition to private homes and I’m cautious to endorse the three thousand foot claim.

But overall, this is a dream come true for me. I’ve been flirting with getting rid of my landline and WiEx’s booster strengthens my iPhone’s reception to a point of consistency that makes going completely wireless seem reasonable. I can’t recommend it enough.

As I’ve mentioned before, the iPhone’s 8GB storage space makes managing which videos to carry a delicate exercise. And file sizes from the iTunes store or EyeTV’s Export feature are significantly larger than they need to be for a clear viewing experience on the iPhone’s screen.

Luckily (as is often the case), a third-party software developer comes to the rescue with an excellent program that allows you to control file size when converting files specifically for the iPhone.

In this situation, Visual Hub is my program of choice. Not only does it have iPhone presets, but it allows control over the final file size…which is huge in my book. For instance, an episode of “Mad Men” purchased from the iTunes store runs about 500MB. Compressed by Visual Hub, I can get a perfectly beautiful file for around 200MB. I won’t insult your intelligence by explaining why this totally rocks. But in the context of the iPhone’s 8GB, Visual Hub has become indispensable for my workflow.

There is a wide gap between the storage abilities of my old 30GB Video iPod and 8GB iPhone…basically, I could dump as many TV shows and movies on top of my music as I wanted in my iPod. But the iPhone requires a bit more strategy when loading it up for a trip.

Unfortunately, iTunes isn’t exactly cooperative when it comes to choosing individual TV episodes. Movies, Sure, no problem. But iTunes doesn’t allow selection of individual episodes. Ironically (as can be seen from the photo), they do offer a plethora of ways to choose which episodes DO load onto the iPhone. But no way to pick and choose - like you can with Movies.

So, what to do? Luckily, iTunes allows you to label what type of Video each file is. Selecting “Movie” drops them into the “Movies” area of iTune’s iPhone management and you can go from there. But it would certainly be easier if TV Shows offered a manual way to choose which episodes load onto the iPhone. That would allow a much cleaner way to browse shows on phone.

So…fingers crossed for this feature to be implemented in a future iTunes upgrade.

Having already gushed profusely over how much I love my Sony eReader, I was deliriously happy to find the following info in MobileTalk’s forums. Basically, there’s a simple procedure one can do on a Mac(!) or PC that activates and displays a clock in the lower right-hand corner…see below for before and after shots. All you need is a SD card, a card reader, and the files included in the post.

Activating eReader’s clock step-by-step instructions.

When I read about HDHomeRun being integrated into EyeTV’s software, I immediately ordered one from El Gato. I’ve been using two EyeTV 500 units to watch and record OTA HDTV programming for a while on my Mac HTPC and have been quite satisfied with the set-up. So, why the change? A few VERY compelling reasons.

1. The 500s use Firewire to connect to a single computer. While this is exponentially better than a USB connection, it limits live television to a single computer (I know there are ways around this via streaming in VLC, but they don’t pass the PITA test for my set-up).

The HDHomeRun connects via ethernet to my home network’s router and allows me to watch live TV on any computer connected to the internet that has EyeTV’s software installed.

EyeTV even manages the tuners, tossing up a message when another computer is using a tuner. This is light years beyond how the GUI deals with multiple EyeTV units.

2. The HDHR unit incorporates two tuners into a single small unit. The two 500s are giant by comparison.

3. The HDHomerun package was around $200 and I’ll be able to sell the 500s for more than that on Ebay, creating a net savings. This is always a consideration when acquiring new electronic equipment.

All this means nothing without performance equal to my current set-up, of course. But the HDHR has proved to be more than capable of exceeding the dual 500s.

I’ve successfully:

• Recorded simultaneous shows
• Watched one channel while recording on another
• Viewed live shows on different computers
• Played back a recording while both tuners recorded

As I’ve mentioned before, using two EyeTV units as been a somewhat bumpy road. Interacting with the HDHR has been a pleasure by comparison. In particular, the Preferences interface offers signal strength info on both tuners in one place

Overall, only time will show if the HDHR will integrate into my Mac successfully. But, given the unstable foundation dual tuners created, I’m enthusiastic about the prospects!

Lost in the discussion of major Mac HTPC capabilities are features that enhance the home theatre experience in smaller ways. One trimming I’ve always looked for has been the ability to display incoming Caller ID on screen during video playback.

And after a little digging (and a lot of testing), I discovered this is still very much an emerging area that could use a little clarification for Mac users like me looking to add this seemingly simple feature to their OS X-based home theaters.

I use an Intel iMac for most of my computing, whose lack of a modem made purchasing an external device necessary. There were two possible roads to go down: snagging the Apple USB Modem combined with 3rd party software or a proprietary software/hardware combination. Since the price difference is $50 vs $100+, I chose the former.

ShowCallerID 0.1 (Free) - ShowCallerID is a simple program that lives exclusively in the menu bar. It offers no control over the location or duration of the caller info it displays. The number (no name) is thrown up in black text against a white block on the upper part of the screen.

Unfortunately, this is the first version of the product and the site freely points to a reality I quickly became familiar with: “Sometimes the modem doesn’t talk to the computer. The phone rings but no notification window pops up.” 90% of the time, ShowCallerID sat idle by while my phone rang away.

This lack of consistency combined with development that apparently ended in early 2006 makes ShowCallerID a dry hole in my search.

Caller ID for Mac OS X 1.0 Beta 3 ($14.95) - Like ShowCallerID, Caller ID For Mac OS X (CIDOSX) resides exclusively in the menu bar. It does offers rudimentary control over the display location, but nothing else. In fact, there is little in the way of features that sets CIDOSX apart from ShowCallerID beyond the price difference.

Except that CIDOSX NEVER worked with the Apple USB modem…not one call was detected. To that end, CIDOSX is a complete non-starter with a nod to the fact that it’s still in Beta.

Silica 1.2 (Free) - While $14.95 less than CIDOSX, Silica offers a surprisingly robust set of features compared to the programs covered so far. It offers more control over the display’s location and appearance, to start.

It also is the first to offer support for Growl, which theoretically should allow the info to be shared across networked computers also running Growl and display the caller’s info on multiple computers.

But Silica’s performance bordered on lifeless. I was able to get a couple of displays with Silica’s built-in notification, but Growl did absolutely nothing. Truth be told, I’ve been trying get Silica to work for a while on different Macs (with various modems) with little success. As much as I like the price tag, performance is number one in most aspects of my life. Hence, another sad face.

CallWall .92 ($10 during Beta) - Man, I wanted to love CallWall. In addition to incorporating Growl support, it also lets users create a “call firewall” that allows dynamic blocking of specific numbers, plus integration with an online database of know phone marketers. And the interface is simple and very OS X-like. My enthusiasm even led to an ill-conceived and premature purchase.

Premature because I cannot get consistent service. Like so many others, CallWall sometimes saw my calls, but most of the time it just looked pretty while my ringer went on and on. And the developers haven’t answered repeated requests for help.

Moving on…

Jon’s Phone Tool 3.7.2 ($22.50) - By this point, you may be wondering how I know it’s the software and not my system. BECAUSE I FOUND A PROGRAM THAT WORKS EVERY TIME. Before and after each other piece of software failed, Jon’s Phone Tool delivered accurate info every time the phone rang via my Apple USB modem.

But JPT is much, much more than just a caller ID notifier and it demands more of my system’s resources than I’d care to use for just one of it’s features. This is no knock against JPT - it’s a kick-ass phone interface for Macs. Just way more than I want and need.

It does work, however. Which makes it the default winner…with plenty of room for decent competitors in the next race.

Beyond the Apple USB modem, there are pricier hardware options available…I owned and returned Ovolab’s Phlink due (again) to flaky incoming notifications. The only high-profile possibility I haven’t test driven is PhoneValet due to it’s steep cost.

* Obviously, anyone with better info than me - post up and I’ll update the list!

I like to stream music from my office’s iMac to an Airport Express in my living room. Until today, I was using an RF ATI Remote Wonder (basically, a traditional remote control). But Remote Buddy’s amazing new interaction with the iPhone blows this set-up away.

Using AJAX (via iPhone’s Safari), the interface allows total VISUAL control over playlists, albums, artists, etc…basically, it’s an amazing iTunes remote control. I’ve used it over both WiFi and Edge connections with quick response. Laying in my hammock outside, playing wireless DJ is an almost luxurious experience with the iPhone’s stunning display. In addition, you can control which speakers Airtunes streams to should you be using an Airport Express like me.

Setting it up is simple…just run RB on the Mac you want to control. Password is optional in the Preferences.

Remote Buddy’s developers have a wonderful, interactive page detailing the new full remote functionality…I just plan to use it with iTunes. But it’s worth checking out as a ridiculously attractive HTPC remote for VLC, Front Row, Quicktime, DVD Player, etc.. There’s a fully-functioning 30 day demo period to check it out…after that it’s a not-inexpensive 19.99 €.

P.S. For complete remote control over a Mac with an iPhone (file browsing, media streaming over the internet, & much more), I cannot recommend Telekinesis enough. It’s freeware (from the developer of Quicksilver, no less) and still in Alpha.

There are a lot of books I like re-reading but would prefer not take up room on my shelf any longer (Tom Clancy, Grisham, Nelson DeMille, & Jonathan Kellerman are but a few). So the idea of a “Book iPod” that allowed me to carry numerous books around in a slim package was amazingly appealing. I tried this back in the day with Palm Pilots and reading for long stretches of time on an LCD/TFT screen had a noticeabe strain on my eyes.

Enter the development of “Electronic Paper” or E-Ink technology. Using a pretty simple premise, they offer a STATIC page viewing experience (no flickering) that mimics the way actual printed material reflects light to the human eye. It’s difficult to describe without actually seeing it yourself, but suffice to say, I think it’s revolutionary. It doesn’t hurt that E-ink only requires power when “switching pages” making for muuuuuuuch longer battery times compared to the alternatives.

And so we have the Sony eReader, loaded with a 6-inch E Ink screen and 64MB of internal memory. While this sounds miniscule compared to iPods, most of my eBooks are less than 1MB in size…allowing me to currently carry a total of 53 books around with lots of space to spare.

And it’s thinner than any paperback on my shelf…a svelte half an inch to be exact. Needless to say, it weighs next to nothing. Did I mention I’ve got 53 books inside?

The internal rechargeable battery’s life is measured in “Page Turns” by Sony, who claim you can expect 7500 a charge. In practical useage, I’ve found myself charging every 1 1/2 - 2 weeks. That’s right I said weeks…and I read for hours most days.

There are some caveats of course. To start, the Sony Connect software only runs on Windows. I use Parallels so I can use the Collections feature to organize my books and also add DRM books purchased from Sony’s Connect store.

But you can manually add and remove material using a Mac with this sweet little piece of freeware, (finally) making it a cross-platform device…albeit with obviously limited Mac functionality.

But it all comes back to the material for me. The Reader has an MP3 player I don’t use, a picture viewer, and something to do with RSS feeds, but I just read my books and enjoy rarely having to worry about charging it. To say this is a dream while traveling is a severe understatement…imagine having 50 books in your carry-on! And no power adapter required.

It can read the widely-used PDF file type (in addition to most standard ebook formats), but most owners like the RTF option and I agree that it’s best received on the Reader’s screen.

And that’s it! It’s easy to forget that Sony used to dominate high-end design in the electronics field before Apple started beating ass in the late-nineties. The Reader is solid evidence that they can still turn out a beautiful & revolutionary product…however imperfect some details may be.

Well, it’s been almost a year since so many EyeTV users vented their frustrations about the (de?)evolution of the EyeTV software since they first rolled out a Full Screen interface. I was one of the most vocal and a mea culpa of sorts is in order.

In particular, my furious position on the massive GUI overhaul between v2.3.0 & 2.3.1 that removed the very familiar Front Row-style menu navigation seems pretty naive in retrospect. Frankly, the way Apple smacks anyone who remotely uses an iPod-type interface leads me to believe that El Gato got a cease and desist from Cupertino soon after the release of 2.3.0 that led their designers to quickly strip as much of the “Jonathan Ive” as possible from the next version of their software.

So maybe I was being a bit of an asshole. And for that I apologize. Particularly since a workaround dropped at no less than MacOSXHints, making the royal blue an easily-terminated design choice.

And the very-obvious continued improvement in performance (particularly regarding multiple tuners) has me surrendering to the latest build when they’re released. I’ve said it before and will probably be saying it for a while no longer…EyeTV is the only game in town for my needs and the fact that they continue to move forward despite the silent curses I send their way occasionally speaks volumes about them as a company.

That said…a little friendly (and legitimate) competition wouldn’t bother me one bit!

Ever since I plugged my Mini into our Phillips 32″ LCD’s HDMI port, I’ve been 99% loving the combination. Instant recognition…zero configuration…excellent HD picture…you get the idea.

The only itch I couldn’t scratch was the cropping on the edges of my screen. Not really noticeable when watching a fullscreen movie, but irritating in some situations. Like when I wanted to see the menu bar or dock. Every search and post I read talked about two things:

1. This is a common problem
2. It is going to be painful to fix. And your screen may go blank (leaving one effectively blind on OS X) during the process.

While the former provided me a modicum of comfort, I was intimidated by the latter. And, after fooling around with SwitchResX, I ended up with a black screen once and that was enough to send me packing. My reasoning was: If so many people know about this, the Mac community will come up with an easy solution. I’ll just wait a few months and let this kink work itself out.

And when I checked back, there were indeed new posts. From frustrated people who still seemed no closer to having a step-by-step list of instructions that I could follow (and use successfully). But in the interim, I had added a new weapon to my arsenal: Chicken of the VNC. This allowed me to control the Mini remotely over our network, even if the screen output went wonky and shut down.

A program I read about on the AVS forums called DisplayConfigX offered a simple (albeit cruder) route to success. Basically, the program allowed me to experiment manually with resolution sizes until I found the sweet spot (1210×676) for my set. Then I installed it, rebooted the computer and it was available in my Display Preferences pane. Disco.

Along the way, there were times when testing a new resolution caused the screen to go black. But using Chicken of the VNC, I was still able to see the desktop and make adjustments to get the picture back. While there’s no real elegance to this approach, it delivered for me and sometimes that’s all that matters.