This is a cool iPhone app. You take a picture with the iPhones camera of a phrase or word in a foreign language and the app will translate it to English. Pretty useful when you travel. [Link]

Early in the year I decided I was going to start buying all my iPhone apps instead of illegally downloading them. Problem I faced was the fact that I couldn’t download some of my favorite apps because they were only for the US based users. The apps I couldn’t download were the Amazon and eBay ones and both of which don’t cost a thing, they’re free. But, since my credit card is Kuwaiti based I have to purchase all my applications from the Kuwaiti iTunes store which didn’t have those two apps. Recently CNN released an iPhone application and again it was only available to US based customers so I looked for a way to download these apps and I found one.

To download applications from the US based iTunes store all you need to do is get a US based iTunes gift voucher. I found a website online where you could buy a $15 cards for $18 and have the code emailed to you. The website uses PayPal so its safe and unlike some other websites this one sells legit cards so you know your account won’t get shut down by Apple later. Here is the [Link]

Once you get a US iTunes card just go to the US iTunes store and click on Redeem Code. Then create a new account and under the credit card option choose “none”. And that’s it, you can now download US only iPhone apps. As a bonus you can also download songs and movies as well.

Update: If you just want to download some free US only applications like the ebay and amazon apps, a reader just posted that you don’t even need to buy a voucher for that. Just go to the US app store and click on a free app, then create a new account like above with a US mailing address and for credit card choose none.

I know a lot of bloggers have been posting their views on Apple’s Snow Leopard and here is my addition. While getting my shots for my next post I noticed the image capture software has been updated and improved. Pretty cool.

My order for Snow Leopard just shipped from Amazon. Its supposed to be performance improvement over version 10.5 and also has a lot of small improvements here and there. If you have a Mac (Intels only) and you haven’t ordered your copy yet you should, its just KD7.250! [Amazon Link]

I was surfing the web on my MacBook in bed when suddenly I heard a loud *POP* sound and I started smelling something strange. So I turn on the lights and realized it was my iPhone charger! I was charging my iPhone 3GS with my 2G iPhone’s power adapter like I did last night except tonight the thing exploded. Luckily nothing caught on fire but this is seriously messed up. My iPhone 3GS is fine and is currently being charged on my PowerMac but I am still pissed.

I wasn’t planning on getting the new iPhone 3GS anytime soon since the prices in Kuwait are currently astronomical, but I was just checking Safat and noticed a Kuwaiti blogger thats living in Australia is selling the officially unlocked iPhone’s for a pretty decent price:

Unlocked iPhone 3GS 16GB
KD275 (shipping to Kuwait included)

Unlocked iPhone 3GS 32GB
KD325 (shipping to Kuwait included)

I ordered the 16GB version since I don’t really store ANY music or videos on my iPhone and the price between it and the 32GB is pretty big. I actually have the original 8GB iPhone and I have like 6.5GB free so 16GB is more than enough for me. I already sent the money to the blogger and she placed the order for my iPhone and passed me the tracking number. I should get it in around 2 weeks, can’t wait!

If you’re interested in the new iPhone here is the link to her blog. [Link]

After posting last night asking if anyone had a PowerMac or Mac Pro for sale I got a reply from someone and managed to pick up a Dual G5 2.3ghz PowerMac today for a really good deal (just slightly more expensive than on eBay). I just formatted the Mac and am getting ready to install all my applications. I love it!

My 9 year old Graphic PowerMac has started showing its age. Its been shutting down randomly recently and I think its a hardware issue. So I am thinking of upgrading to a second hand Mac Pro, does anyone have one for sale? I am looking for a second hand since I don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for a new one (they cost KD700+ on Amazon for example).

Update: Never mind I found one! [Link]

Found out about this app from Gizmodo and paid $1 to buy it from the iTunes store hoping to do a cool 2:48AM thing with it. It didn’t work as expected or should I say I ran out of patience after playing with it for like 10 minutes.

The way the app works is you type out your message on the phone, choose the color of the text and then if you wave it in front of your camera the app should be able to write out the message. The fact I tried to do this shooting and waving thing alone probably didn’t help so if you want to try this out make sure you’ve got a friend with you.

Here is a link to Light Writer in the iTunes store. [Link]

My brother dropped his MacBook on the floor and broke the screen.

So i was working on a project in the computer lab and listening to music from my macbook with my headphones, i got up to get something, and the headphone cable was wrapped around my leg, and the macbook fell to the ground, hitting the top part of the screen and the bottom part of the keyboard against the ground, it didn’t fall that far, and i kind of cushioned it by putting a leg out, it was too far to reach to catch. But it was enough to fuck up the screen. So now I’m screenless.

Surprisingly a new screen costs only $80 on eBay!

If you have an iPhone I highly recommend you get the Amazon app. Along with a fast and easy to use search feature, Amazon have included an amazing service called Amazon Remembers. Say while over at your friends place or while out shopping you found something you’re interested in, maybe its a CD, or a TV or as in my case a book, all you need to do is snap a picture of the item with the iPhone and the Amazon app uploads it online where a community of people research your photo and try to find the same product on Amazon.com. I just tried it now with a book I was interested and by the time I got home I had already received an email with a link to the product on Amazon.

Update: Just for the fun of it I took a picture of my dog eating his bone with the app and it got sent to Amazon. A few minutes later I got an email back pointing me towards a dog bone on Amazon! Amazing stuff, they’ve got a great sense of humor!!

I just saw an Electrozan ad in the paper for an “officially unlocked” iPhone 3G 16GB for only KD239. Thats pretty cheap if it is in fact officially unlocked.

Update: It seems Electrozan lied in their advertising. According to a reader who passed by Electrozan the phones are NOT officially unlocked.

Update2: OK, now someone is saying the iPhones at Electrozan ARE officially unlocked. I guess the best way is to go there and find out yourself.

Back in 2006 I posted about how I was able to get a hold of three original Apple Think Different banners from the local Apple dealer (Digits) and today I finally put them up.

For those of you who don’t know, the slogan “Think Different” was created for Apple back in 1997 (yes they were around before the iPod). The slogan was used in various commercials and print adverts but the most famous ones were the creative innovators tribute ads. I was able to get a hold of 3 banners, a Pablo Piccaso, Martha Graham and the rare Buzz Aldrin one.

Since I just finished redecorating (I now officially live inside my blog), I managed to find space to put up the banners and they look great. It took me two years but they’re finally up. The picture above is of the Buzz Aldrin banner, its 70cm wide and 160cm in height.

My MacBook finally got delivered today. It got held in customs yesterday but luckily I didn’t have to pay anything just the clearance fee’s which totaled to KD16 and this included the KD5 Aramex charge to clear the packages themselves. So far I am really loving it, it just looks amazing, while taking the picture above no matter what angle I tried to shoot it from the MacBook looked great. Now I will spend the next few days manually transferring files from my old MacBook onto the new and then will put the old one up for sale.

You can now pre-order the new MacBooks and MacBook Pros from Amazon. They don’t have a shipping date but its usually first come first serve.

Apple MacBook 2.1ghz (White) KD267.63

Apple MacBook 2.0ghz KD346.66
Apple MacBook 2.4ghz KD427.03

Apple MacBook Air 1.6ghz KD480.61
Apple MacBook Air 1.86ghz KD668.14

Apple MacBook Pro 2.4ghz KD534.19
Apple MacBook Pro 2.53ghz KD668.14