You’re looking at $150 for the FM version, and $90 for the Direct version. I’ve never been satisfied with an in-car FM transmitter though, so the Direct would get my money (if I were planning on dropping money on this type of thing…)

[Belkin]

Going for just $500, the “dead ringer” clone phones were uncovered at Dandenong markets with fake Apple headphones, plus a heap of sports related clothing. According to the Carl Donadio from Global Brand Protection, the only thing that gave away the fact it was a clone was “that it had a Nokia charger point and several other key security features not present on the original model”. Although I’d highly doubt that it would run OSX, either.

In all seriousness though, if you’re buying any gadgets at the local markets and the deal seems too good to be true, it probably is…

[Herald Sun]

Apple’s said no background apps on the iPhone forever, citing it destroys stability and system resources. Today, three reputable publications have independently claimed that Apple is having a change of mind. What the hell?

Techcrunch, Gruber and Alley Insider (Alley first) all claim to have sources that say Apple is working on and discussing just how they can run applications in the background. (An example of such an application and a potentially convenient use for background apps is an IM client that would alert you as soon as you got a message; Apple previously claimed their now late push data system could alert dormant applications of new events without needing those apps to be open. Open apps would take up resources.)

Part of this rumour is that Apple would require applications that run in the background to undergo a more thorough application process for the iTunes store. That makes sense and is the most likely scenario. Apps could be vetted (even more stringently than the current approval process) for processor and memory usage, then approved for being a background-capable app.

Why would they change their minds? Well the Palm Pre is certainly the main reason we can think of. Palm has, to many reporters, said that the Pre’s advantages lie in its faster hardware, light operating system designed specifically for a mobile environment, ability to run multiples programs at once—each referred to in the UI as a card—despite the potential battery drain. And the Pre, as we all know, is high up on the list of things we’re all excited for.

But what makes more sense is for all of this to be for the next hardware iteration of the iPhone, one that has more processing power and memory—two things that are in tight supply on the current versions. This would mean Apple could stick to their story of not being able to support background apps now, but still deliver on something just about everybody wants.

We’ll find out more at WWDC 2009, I’m sure. [Business Insider via Daring Fireball via Techcrunch]

And of course, it comes with a new beta of the SDK and iTunes 8.2. We will update this post as we get new information about what’s new—if anything. [Thanks Hugo]

Guys with iPhones is a site celebrating the love of a man and his iPhone in its rawest, most sensual form. Sometimes while shaving. Sometimes while posing. Sometimes while donning camouflage briefs. Always while making a “you know you want it” face coupled with an underlying insecurity of “does he/she prefer me…or the iPhone?”

Now I don’t look at a lot of homo-techno-sexual pornography, but when I do, it’s Guys with iPhones. [Guys with iPhones via The Register]

Oh, and if you’re into that sort of thing, there’s a Girls with iPhones site as well. The photo collection is both less populated and less evocative than Guys with iPhones because, well, women generally detect when they look stupid.

The UFO features four colour-coded outlets, a lidded bowl on top to store your gadgets (or chips—whichever you prefer) and a festive colour changing light that visually reminds you about how much power you are currently using.

The device itself has no switches—instead, the unit is controlled via the iPhone using a free app. It allows you to turn each of the four outlets on or off as well as monitor your power consumption remotely. Expect this green snack bowl/power strip to be available this summer for around $US200. [Visible Energy via OhGizmo]

Following in the footsteps of Sony Ericsson, Apple doesn’t seem to be satisfied with just the ability to switch between landscape and portrait orientations or simple screen-tilting in games. Just to name a couple of examples, with more gesture controls, you could switch between different webpages with a slight tilt, or change songs by shaking the gadget. That sounds pretty cool and all, but how will that work with my allergies? Sneeze or song change? Apple won’t know. [Unwired View]

QuickPWN for Beta 3.0 is out for all devices but the Touch 2G, but it could sabotage future unlocking, says the Dev Team. And so the untelevised procedural drama that is jailbreaking continues, forever. [QuickPWN]

The most realistic and likely biometric tool is a hidden sensor within a touchscreen or notebook’s trackpad that would detect fingerprints, vein patterns or even the shape of your ear when you use the phone or notebook like normal, making the whole process nearly invisible. The patent also considers face recognition using the webcam—but considering our past experience with VeriFace’s tech and iPhoto’s face recognition, that sounds kinda lousy. The “ew, creepy” solution they propose is collecting a user’s DNA to recognise their genetic makeup when they come into contact with the machine.

Oh and there’s a couple of ideas like arranging shapes or patterns that are sorta Android’s neato puzzle lock. [AppleInsider]