The end of the Format War draws near?

Ahh finally, the end of the Format War could be near! Check out this article here in High-Def Digest, related to Warner Brothers' intention to pick sides after the Holiday NPDs demonstrate a leader in the war. You know what that means to Blu-ray fans don't you? Get ready to bust open a bottle of your finest...

Griffin Technology: AutoPilot

Okay, if you're like me and you've bought an iPhone recently, only to find that it's a major pain in the ass to control music playback while driving, then you need to check out the Griffin Technology: AutoPilot. It is quite possibly the best car accessory that you're going to find, if you're experiencing the same dilemma as I am.

I always predicted that this would be the biggest issue with the touch display and sure enough, I was right...until now. Okay, so the best thing about the Autopilot is it's handy track/play/pause controls that appear on the face of the power adaptor part. These controls let you control all of the necessary playback controls of the iPhone/iPod Touch that would otherwise cause you to run your car off the road. I essentially just plug this baby into my iPhone, press play on the glowing green/amber play button, and I'm done. I can then advance fwd/back my tracks or scan (by holding down either of the track buttons) without taking my eyes off the road. It also helps if you're power outlet/cigarette adaptor is within arm's reach, otherwise you might still risk rear-ending somebody.

The power unit has a line out that connects to your stereo (via aux-in) or to your cassette adaptor. When you first plug the iPod cord into your iPhone, your phone will ask you if you want to switch to airplane mode for static-free listening. I always choose not to (b/c I still want to receive calls), and somehow I'm picking up even less interference than I was prior to using the Autopilot. I'm not sure if that's due to the Autopilot or due to the fact that I started putting my iPhone inside my center console (I have an '03 Jetta). I haven't done a thorough test on that matter. Either way, I'm totally pleased with this thing. Good job Griffin. You guys continue to make the obscure, yet useful products that everyone else seems to overlook.

iTunes to PS3 Streaming finally!!!

Ever since Sony released UPnP support for the PS3, I have been wanting to somehow connect my iTunes library to my media center via the PS3. I had tried some other (not free) app that supposedly did the same thing, but it never worked for me. It was the trial version so maybe that's why. I can't even find it on Versiontracker anymore. I've been using an old PC running Windows Media Center, but that sucks because the tagging is all off and I don't ever use that computer so basically everything is out of date. Now finally, the fellas over at NullRiver have announced that they will be releasing a version of their "Connect360" app for the PS3 (assumingly named "ConnectPS3"). Seriously, this makes so much more sense from a mindshare perspective. I mean, why the hell are Mac users playing the 360? Where's your loyalty??? Okay, okay, I'm calm now. But seriously, this is going to make my life easier and probably yours. Here's another article if you want to read more on the subject.

Warning: new iPhone features coming in '08

Ok, so this guy is claiming that you shouldn't buy an iPhone right now. This is all stemming from AT&T's CEO mentioning (leaking?) that a new 3G version would arrive in '08. Well, maybe he (the aforementioned) is right, I mean, if you don't mind waiting until next Summer that is. That's right people. I seriously doubt that Apple is going to release a new iPhone in January (right after the Christmas holidays). Read that line again. They might announce one at Macworld in January, but I don't think they'll release one until at least a year after the original release (June '07 as I recall). On the heals of the European release as well as that $200 rebate debacle, I doubt that Apple wants to make any more enemies right now. Keep in mind that a new version would likely have a larger memory capacity as well, thus further agitating early adopters.

Okay, this might just be my own selfish justification for having bought one prematurely, but I think if you look back in time, you'll find that the iPods usually got released, at least, every one and a half years apart from each other. If you really need to buy one now, and I know you do, just pass it on to one of your family members once the new ones with 3G come out. Your mom or younger sibling won't know the difference between Edge or 3G will she? Heck no! I rest my case.