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turn your ipod into a iphone (sorta)

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Smartmom
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Well first you have to have the Ipod Touch but I thought this was interesting to say the least. It would be good if you were in a pinch. I don't have a ipod touch so I have no way of seeing how easy/hard this is *proud zune owner here*

Review: How an iPod can be a poor man's iPhone

I try to keep a stiff upper lip about not having an iPhone. Just couldn't afford it & not with the $75 a month or so AT&T charges for service on top of the $199 upfront cost for the device.

I could, however, afford the $229 iPod Touch and got it as a gift, as it happened. It has most of the same goodies: a Web browser, e-mail, YouTube. And it stores way more music than the iPhone. (Ha!)

Plus, the other day I used it to call China.

Yup, a call around the world & on a device that doesn't have a phone. A handful of applications on Apple Inc.'s iTunes store will let you do this, as long as you're in a Wi-Fi hot spot.

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BtldLitnin
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Re: turn your ipod into a iphone (sorta)

I love my IPOD touch, its friggin awesome!!
BL

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Jayson Krause
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Re: turn your ipod into a iphone (sorta)

Since original link was removed here is the info to do it ! This Info was written by someone else ! Not me I haven't tested it but you better believe I'm gonna try it !

How An iPod Can Be A Poor Man's iPhone

Ipodtouch I try to keep a stiff upper lip about not having an iPhone. Just couldn't afford it -- not with the $75 a month or so AT&T charges for service on top of the $199 upfront cost for the device.

I could, however, afford the $229 iPod Touch, and got it as a gift, as it happened. It has most of the same goodies: a Web browser, e-mail, YouTube. And it stores way more music than the iPhone. (Ha!)

Plus, the other day I used it to call China.

Yup, a call around the world, on a device that doesn't have a phone. A handful of applications on Apple Inc.'s iTunes store will let you do this, as long as you're in a Wi-Fi hot spot.

My iPhone complex hasn't disappeared, but at least now I have a device that looks just like it, has no monthly service fees, and lets me make free or cheap phone calls.

The best part of these applications, which require the second-generation iPod Touch that came out last year, is that they are free to download, and calls to other people using the same app won't cost you anything.

Two of the services I've tried, Truphone and Fring, will also let you make free calls to Google Talk users and type instant messages to friends online. Both automatically queue up a list of buddies from different services you might have, including Gmail chat, AIM and MSN Messenger, once you log in.

But it's Truphone's pay feature that puts it ahead of the others. TruPhone charges you to make calls to landlines or regular cell phones, but generally at better rates than most wireless carriers. And it's upfront about what you pay.

Your balance, which you can add to with a credit card, either on the device or on your computer browser -- pops up with the dial screen. Calls in the U.S. are all 5 cents per minute (2 cents if you sign up to pay a $4 monthly fee).

Rates outside the U.S. vary wildly but you can check in the application before you dial. To call cell phones in China, for instance, is only 5 cents per minute, while France is 25 cents. Antarctica? A whopping $2.25.

You can make regular calls with Fring using a Skype account, but that's another layer to deal with.

The calls on these services sound pretty good, a little tinny but clearer than my regular cell phone connection. IPod Touch users will need Apple's $29 ear buds that have a tiny microphone on the back of the volume control along the cord.

The most serious drawback is the most obvious: While the iPhone uses AT&T's wireless network to provide Internet access anywhere, on the iPod Touch you'll need to stick to Wi-Fi hot spots. For rural or suburban dwellers who don't encounter lots of free Wi-Fi zones, that may very well mean limiting yourself to your house, or other places where there's a computer with the same Internet phone call capabilities anyway.

That means these apps probably won't replace your cell phone. But they can moderate your iPhone envy.

Skype
announced a beta version of its Skype Lite VOIP software for Android, and for several mobile phones that support Java (i.e. LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson) at CES in January. Still no word on if or when Skype will announce an iPhone app.

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Jayson Krause
Joined the Dark SidePremium Member (Silver)I use an iPhoneI use FirefoxI'm Here To Help, & Have Proven It!Windows UserSomeone thinks you're a Rotten Tomato!
Joined: 03/03/2009
Posts: 351
Drops: 907
Re: turn your ipod into a iphone (sorta)

Step by step !

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  • iPod Touch
  • Microphone Headset
  • Nimbuzz or Fring Application from Apple's app store
  1. Step 1

    Stop Wishing - If you're like me, you've had your eye on the iPhone since it came out. It's one of the most innovative devices to hit the market in years, and yet, I can't justify the purchase. Though the price tag is a little steep, that's not what keeps me from buying one. The only reason I haven't purchased the iPhone is that the monthly service fees are way to high. Luckily, now there's a way around it. It's called the 2nd generation iPod touch.

  2. Step 2

    Buy an iPod touch - Buying an iPod touch is your only major expense to making your poor man's iPhone. The new 2nd generation versions have microphone capabilities, as well as some other handy features that make the poor man's iPhone a reality. I recommend buying the 16GB model which is, in my opinion, the best value. 8GB might even be enough for you. Just steer clear of the 32GB model. Very few people need that much space, and unless you want to store your entire movie collection on it, you will never fill it.

  3. Step 3

    iPod Touch / iPhone headset

    iPod Touch / iPhone headset

    Buy a microphone headset - Because the iPod touch doesn't have a built-in microphone, you will have to purchase a mic headset. These can be found at any apple store for about $30, or find one online like I did for about $6. Simply plug it in, and you're ready for the next step.

  4. Step 4

    Skype

    Skype

    Install an application - Now, all you need to do is download and install a free app from the iTunes app store. There are a number of applications that will let you use your iPod touch as a phone. The three I use are Fring, Nimbuzz, and Skype. These applications will let you connect to Skype, Google Talk, Facebook, MSN Messenger and more. Just enter your login information, and you are ready to make your first call.

  5. Step 5

    Calling with your iPod touch - The only drawback of the poor man's iPhone is that you can only use it in areas where you have a Wi-Fi signal. It works fine for me because I have Wi-Fi at work and at home, the two places I am most of the day. But, for $0 a month, I'm willing to live with the limitations.

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