Stickam has recently released an iPhone app that allows you to view streaming video channels live to your iPhone. It doesn’t have a ton of features but it doesn’t really seem to need them. You can sign in or create a new account. You can chat live in both horizontal and vertical mode and you can search. The channels are sorted by Featured, Friends, Shows & Social. I think I would only use it for watching twit.tv live but it would work well as a security camera for your self too. You can set up an account at Stickam.com and stream your webcam to a channel. Then load it up on your iPhone and your good to go.

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Version 1.1 of SlingPlayer Mobile was just approved by Apple and is now available in the App Store. the update does contain some new features (see list below) but still does not allow the app to work on 3G. The developers have submitted a version of the app that does allow it to work on 3G however, they have not heard back from Apple on that version of the app yet. See THIS post for a full review of the SlingPlayer Mobile application.

New Features:
- Full 16×9 widescreen support (Slingbox SOLO, PRO and PRO-HD only)
- DISH Remote Access integration (DISH Network users only)
- Faster start and channel change
- Improved remote control interface

The WeatherIcon mod was recently update to version 2.1.16. The update doesn’t make any visual change to the mod itself but, it does add a description of the Override Location feature in the Settings for the app. The update also adds compatibility with LockInfo and includes a bug fix. See the full change log below. You can get this update to WeatherIcon via the modmyi source.

Change Log:
- Added LockInfo Plugin. No Themes yet, but this will allow for integration with LockInfo.
- Cleared up instructions in the settings.
- Fixed another possible “in call” issue that would mess up incoming calls if a phone is plugged in.

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It seems we have another update to the WeatherIcon mod. Once again, I had no problem with the update on an iPhone running 2.2. The mod also seems to be working a little better with the 3.0 firmware. The Status Bar part of the mod is looking much better and it now visible instead of being too high and getting cut off. I did notice that the Status Bar mod does not work correctly if you are adding the date to your Status Bar using SBettings. It did take a few resprings and disabling/enabling to get it to work correctly (Status Bar) but, that could have to do some of my mods and not the actual WeatherIcon app.

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I have had quite a few people asking me about the LiveClock mod (a mod that displays the current time on your Clock icon) and whether or not it works on the 3.0 firmware….the answer is, yes!

The first time you install the mod, it will be over the top of your Stock icon which makes it look weird because it will have two hour, minute and second hands. All you need to do is go into WinterBoard and disable LiveClock. Your iPhone and/or iPod Touch will respring. Now, go back into WinterBoard and uncheck the LiveClock Disabled option…your device will respring again and voilà you will have the LiveClock mod (working correctly). You can get this mod via the iSpazio source.

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As a former SlingPlayer user on my Windows Mobile Samsung i730 and i760, I was anxiously awaiting the release of the live television streaming application for the iPhone. For nearly a year now, I have been without the live feed of my Slingbox (recently upgraded to a SB Solo due to a change in cable service) on my mobile phone. There have been a few wedding receptions, baby showers, and dull meetings where I could have benefited from catching some live sports coverage on my iPhone. After months of rumors leading up to the eventual release in the App Store this past Wednesday, the moment has finally arrived. Thanks to Brooke and the folks at Sling Media, I got a chance to play with the pricey app on my iPhone. Now, let’s get this out there right away: SlingPlayer only works on WiFi. No 3G, no EDGE, only WiFi. You can read about why and why people are mad about this, but I’m going to hold SlingMedia free from blame for this, and instead, I’m only going to judge the application on its performance under these conditions.

After downloading the app, I quickly (and excitedly) went through the setup process. To my delight, the application allowed me to login using my email and password, and within less than a minute, my home television was on my iPhone’s screen. I did not have to enter any long Slingbox ID numbers, names, or passwords. All that was needed was my account info, and I was up and running. There is the usual 4-7 second delay in the signal between my television and the Slingbox, but I wouldn’t notice this if I hadn’t been watching both simultaneously. On the options screen, I can set my favorite channels. This will come in handy, as there is a significant (3-5 second) lag on the SlingPlayer when changing channels. There is an extra few seconds on top of this for me, because I link my TiVo to my SlingBox, but I’m hoping that Sling will pare down the former a bit in updates. With favorite channels, I can cut down on the lag time, since there would be no need for entering the channel number. The iPhone app also allows me to swipe up and down for channel up/down as well as swipe left and right for my favorite channels. On a side note, the SlingPlayer can thus be used as a second remote control should you find yourself missing your regular one.

Other options include an on screen remote that gave me standard TiVo functionality, a guide button that pulled up my TiVo guide, and a button that pointed me directly to my TiVo menu screen. An options menu includes delivering audio only, a Standard/High Quality toggle, a help menu (had some trouble accessing some topics here), a letterbox toggle, and the ability to change device should you have multiple ones connected to your Slingbox. Using a test account provided my Sling Media, I pulled up similar options for the guide and menu screen for the Dish Network service. Both picture and audio quality were tolerable and borderline impressive in my point of view. I don’t have HD at home, so I may not have the keenest eye for sharpness, but I appreciated the reasonably sharp screen, and more importantly, the non-choppy signal (to be expected since I’m on WiFi). Outside of my home network, I tested the app at a nearby WiFi hotspot, and the smooth video continued to flow as quickly as the coffee.

My cousin used to travel a lot for his job. He would often pull up his Slingbox to watch the Angels game no matter where he was. As a teacher, I’m not frequenting airport terminals quite as much, so there is not as much of a need for live television streaming on my phone. For me, the Slingbox always has been and continues to be a gadget of excess. As with many gadgets, the Slingbox is something that symbolizes “cool” in that it shows the possibility of what can be achieved. For the consumer, I would be hard pressed to recommend this app for $29.99. The price does fit Sling’s pricing model as compared to their other mobile platforms, but given the WiFi limitation, I’d argue for a discount. However, given how the application seems to be climbing the Top 25 paid application chart, I doubt that this will come anytime soon. Thus, you’re left with a WiFi only version, and if you’re considering this app, my bet is that you probably have a laptop that’s just as capable of delivering a Slingbox signal with a larger picture and better sound for free. So, I’ll end on giving you a few reasons for and against purchasing SlingPlayer for the iPhone.

For:
You’ll get to show off TV on your iPhone (sans Orb/TV tuner), provided you have WiFi access.
Sling will most likely provide updates to tighten up and improve functionality.
Setup is easy, picture quality is solid, and video is smooth (again, all on WiFi)

Against:
It’s not a $0.99 application. (Wait for a sale or check out Orb if you have a TV tuner)
Unless you will always be near a WiFi connection, you’ll be watching nothing.
We all know the iPhone battery’s not the best. Don’t plan on watching an entire game in one sitting.

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The Ustream.tv Mobile app has to be one of the coolest apps that I have played with. On my personal website (justinvanrheenen.com) I have a section on my sidebar for live streaming from Ustream.tv. I really haven’t used this much but this mobile app may make it easier to live stream whatever my heart desires.

To get instructions for the download, you can go to Ustream.tv/mobile. You will need to sign up for a Ustream.tv account if you do not currently have one.

Once you have set up your account, open Cydia. If you have not jailbroken your iPhone yet, you will not be able to use the Ustream.tv Mobile App. You can download a Ustream.tv Watch App from the App Store but to be able to live stream from the phone, you will need to jailbreak your phone.
1. Once you have opened Cydia tap “Sections” at the bottom.
2. On the next screen, tap “Multimedia”.
3. Then tap the letter “u” to find the UstreamBroadcaster.
4. Then install and confirm the installation of the app.

You are now almost ready for streaming. Once the app had downloaded onto your iPhone, shut down Cydia and then head to your Springboard for your new Ustream.tv Mobile App. When you open the app it is going to bring up a login page. If you didn’t set up a Ustream.tv account, you will be given the option to do that. Otherwise fill in your username and password and sign in. At this point I started having issues. Be sure that if you have your account open on your computer that you have it shut down for at least 60 seconds. That way the app can connect to your account and you can begin to stream.

This app has 4 very cool options.
1. The first is the broadcast button which tells you that you are broadcasting to the world.
2. The second is the record button. You are able to record anything through the app while broadcasting. It is then saved to your account through the website.
3. The third is the “ask” button. This is freakin’ sweet! You are able to ask a live question and the people viewing will be able to answer back to you by clicking yes or no in a box that pops up on their screen. It then charts the answers and shows everyone in a bar graph the percentage of the question’s answers. Once the question has been taken down, Ustream sends you an email of the results of the question. (Very Cool!)
4. When you start to stream from your iPhone, Ustream.tv will post to your Twitter account to show all your friends that you are online.

There is one thing I wish Ustream.tv would incorporate into this app…Chat! Qik.com has an app that allows you to live stream as well and it has a chat option where your viewers can text chat to you and you can the audio respond. The Ustream.tv Mobile App would really benefit from this.

This App opens so many possibilities for video conferencing especially in the business world. The bad thing about that is that this app is only available to a jailbroken iPhone, something most IT departments won’t approve of. Maybe there are still some tricks up Apple’s sleeve with the release of 3.0?

qik is now available in Cydia. qik allows you to stream live video from your iPhone. Additional features include chatting live with your audience and automatically sending a message to your friends via Twitter and many other services. There’s also a mute button in case you need to hide private information. Here’s a clip from my first stream:

More info at their site and a full review soon!

UPDATE: Here is our first test video:

Doug and Brooke have their new phones and are on the way back to their house. Soon as they get back, they will be writing more articles and probably start live streaming again.

Streaming is over but here is what was recorded:

Standing in line for iPhone 3G Launch at Apple Store

The Apple Store Opens for the iPhone 3G

Update 1: Whoops, the laptop overheated and won’t turn back on. Doug is trying to get another computer. Back in a few minutes.

Update 2: I think we’re back!

Update 3: Brooke and Doug are getting their iPhones, so they had to leave the computer they were broadcasting from. They are working to bring back video on their laptop.

Update 4: Doug and Brooke are broadcasting again. They are in the process of getting their phones and checking out.

Update 5: Getting reports that AT&T stores are selling out fast, and the wait may be as long as 4-7 days for more. If you don’t have an Apple store by you and you want this phone today, you probably want to get to a store ASAP.

Update 6: Getting the phones activated is taking way longer than expected at Doug and Brooke’s location.

Update 7, 9:30am:
Doug and Brooke have been in the Apple store now for about an hour and ten minutes. The activating is taking forever. Rumors are the activation servers crashed, but it is hard to know for sure.

Several people are having trouble updating the iPod Touch to the new 2.0 firmware. We are getting messages saying that iTunes is down. This will probably be fixed later today, and when it is, we’ll post a video for you guys.

AT&T stores are selling out quickly, it seems. Two AT&T stores here in Des Moines already sold out before the lines were done, and at one store 40 people are waiting for UPS to show up, hoping the truck will have more. Other people are reporting similar stories at other AT&T stores. The Apple store seems to have a good inventory, but we’ll see how long that lasts.

Update 8:
People were asking some questions about pricing, so here is a link to AT&T’s pricing page (USA customers). Have a link to another country’s pricing page? E-mail us!

Update 9:
Don’t worry, once Doug and Brooke get out of the store, they’ll be writing tons of posts. Just a quick note on jailbreaking/unlocking. Some developers are claiming they have done it. THIS HAS NOT BEEN CONFIRMED YET, and certainly not released yet. (We have great faith in those guys though, so we’re sure they are hard at work!) Just be careful if you choose to upgrade to 2.0. Full post on this later.