Georgia, Seth, and Rene talk about copy-cat apps, iMovie vs. Avid, Launch Center, Jailbreak apps for iOS 5, as well as cases with stands, iPhone guns, and glowing Apple logo mods. This is Apps & Accessories Live!

• Subscription information coming soon! Right now you can enjoy Apps & Accessories Live in the iPhone & iPad Live fees!

Meta

• February is fitness month at iMore and Mobile Nations! [iPad 3 giveaway!]
• Don't forget we give away a ton of stuff!

App News

• Apple removes copy-cat apps from the App Store, doesn’t address larger issues
• iMovie vs Avid Studio: iPad video editing app shootout
• Readdle Remarks brings note-taking and PDF annotating in one to iPad
• Book Palette for Mac offers 10 beautiful templates for iBooks Author
• iMore app picks of the week for February 4, 2012 [Giveaway]

Jailbreak Apps

• BiteSMS vs Messages+ for iOS 5: which should you use?
• LockInfo vs IntelliscreenX for iOS 5 jailbreak: which should you use?
• Hands-on with Zephyr for the iPhone and iPod Touch [Jailbreak Apps]

Launch Center

• Launch Center puts Messages, Facebook, Twitter, a flashlight, more in your iPhone Notification Center

Accessory News

• Xappr Gun turns your iPhone into an FPS dream machine!

• Ten One Design announces Pogo Sketch Plus capacitive stylus for iPhone and iPad
• Hands on with the Jot Touch, a pressure sensitive stylus by Adonit

• Incipio SILICRYLIC case with kickstand for iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 vs. Case-Mate Pop! Case with Stand for iPhone 4S, iPhone 4

iPhone Mods

• iFixit Thirsty Bag for iPhone, iPad review
• iFixit iPhone transparent rear panel mod kit review
• Hands on with the glowing Apple logo mod for iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S

Hosts

• Georgia (@GeorgiaTiPb)
• Seth Clifford (@sethclifford)
• Rene Ritchie (@reneritchie)

Credits

You can reach all of us on Twitter [@iMore](http://twitter.com/imore), or you can email us at , or leave a comment on the website when the show goes live.

We're here every Sunday night at 6pm Pacific, 9pm Eastern, 2am GMT, and our companion show -- iPhone and iPad Live! -- is at the same time, on the same channel, on Wednesday nights -- www.iMore.com/live

For all our podcasts -- audio and video -- including iPhone and iPad Live, ZENandTECH and Superfunctional, Iterate and Girls Gone Gadget and more... see MobileNations.com/shows

If you haven't already please subscribe to all our shows in iTunes and leave a rating. It helps people find the show and means a lot to us!

Thanks to the iMore Accessory Store for sponsoring the podcast, and to everyone who showed up for the live chat!

Have a jailbroken iPhone and wish you could better control how your actual phone application behaves? StartDial, available in Cydia now, will allow you to alter what tabs your phone application will open and when.

StartDial is a simple tweak that allows you to chose the view to start with when the Phone application is launched.

Most people either want the phone application to launch their contacts, favorites, or the dial pad initially. StartDial will force your iPhone to load whatever tab you choose every single time.

In addition to setting which tab the phone app opens to initially you can also remove the Visual Voicemail tab altogether. This is one of the main reasons I love this modification. I never have to worry about anyone going through my voicemails if I let someone borrow my iPhone or I lose it. It's a useful feature for users who may keep sensitive information in their voicemail.

You can also set the phone app to automatically launch to the Recents tab if you have any missed calls. So if you see that you have 4 missed calls on your lockscreen but left the phone app on the keypad tab, it will automatically take you to the recents tab when you attempt to check your missed calls.

It's pretty simple for a jailbreak mod but packs a lot of power depending on how you choose to use it.

StarDial is already available in Cydia and will run on any iPhone running iOS 4 or higher. If you're looking for even more tweaks and utilities to install, check out our guide to the best jailbreak applications for iOS 5.

• Free - Cydia Link

Even more jailbreak resources:

• How to jailbreak guides
• Jailbreak apps, hacks, and themes
• General jailbreak and unlock help forums

"iFixit's iPhone transparent rear panel mod let's you give your iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S an amazingly distinctive look in a world where tens of millions of them are otherwise all but indistinguishable."

I ordered iFixit's transparent rear panel mod kit + bonus iPhone liberation kit during their Black Friday sale last year because I absolutely adore Ally's weekly iPhone mod columns and I've been dying to try it out for myself. Though the glowing Apple logo mod is my holy grail, this clear back-panel looked great and seemed like an easier mod to start with.

In addition to the rear panel, you'll need Pentalobe screws -- the Liberation kit works wonders here.

Now I need to preface this review by saying I've heard conflicting reports about wether or not swapping out the back plate on your iPhone voids your warranty. Obviously you should swap back to the original rear panel if you ever need to take your iPhone back to Apple for service, but I'd caution anyone who's overly worried or concerned to think twice before doing any mods, especially if AppleCare still has you covered.

Onward. The special deal I got included both the see-through backing for the iPhone (iPhone 4 GMS/AT&T in my case, though they provide versions to fit the Verizon iPhone and iPhone 4S as well), and well as regular and Apple's own Pentalobular-style screw drivers. If iFixit doesn't have the special package deal when you order, get the Liberation kit anyway. It's well worth it, especially considering Pentalobe screws are pretty much impossible to remove without the proper tools.

Once unscrewed, the iPhone back plate is easy to remove

Since Pentalobe screws aren't designed for repeated use, the first thing I did was replace them with the ones iFixit includes in the kit. Removing the screws with the proper screwdriver was simple and fairly easy. Once the screws are removed, the iPhone back plate just pops out of place. It is a little bit tricky to get the transparent rear replacement panel properly aligned, however, so you'll want to practice a few times.

I did have some trouble getting the replacement screws to fit all the way back in. I did make sure to order the proper back plate for the AT&T/GSM iPhone 4, but the screws still stuck out a little. I could have received some ornery parts, and the feedback to iFixit is pretty positive so it doesn't sound like a widespread problem, but it's something to keep in mind. Worst case you swap the original panel and screws back in and contact iFixit for a replacement.

And once your transparent rear panel is installed, your iPhone will really stand out from the crowd

Once the clear back plate is in place it looks spectacular. You can see the inner workings of your iPhone just like you could the inner workings of the original iMac. In other words -- awesome.

I didn't leave it on long -- I'm testing some other parts now as well -- so I can't comment on longterm durability yet, but with a process this simple, if you have any interest in modding at all, it's certainly worth a try.

Ohellsyeah! iPatch, an iPhone repair company in the UK, has released a super sweet mod that brings a glowing Apple log to your iPhone. Yes, you read that right. Glowing. Apple. Logo.

Chris and Andy, the guys behind iPatch, expect the mod to retail for under £100, and a turnaround time of less than an hour. They claim the iPhone remains fully functional, with the rear glass appearing completely original with no visible alterations. The logo lights up whenever the iPhone's screen is on.

No word yet on what this might do to battery life, but like we keep saying on the podcasts, if Apple adds this to iPhone 5, they'll sell a billion of them.

[iPatch via MacRumors, thanks Mike!)]

SBSwitcher is a new mod in the Cydia Store that allows you to relocate all SBSettings toggles to the iOS 4 app switcher dock. Just scroll to the left to reveal all your toggles! The tweak is very useful, especially when you're in system apps (like Cydia) that don't allow you to use SBSettings from the status bar. Additional features include the ability to call up the app switcher from the lockscreen, letting you manipulate toggles or get into a running app without even unlocking your iPhone!

One small caveat is that you don't have the ability to respring from the app switcher without going into SBSettings from the status bar. An easy way to side-step this is by setting Activator to respring by using one of the available options, making it easier to respring on command without the need of getting into SBSettings whatsoever.

SBSwitcher is available in the Cydia Store for $2.99. Unfortunately for now, the mod doesn't work with the iPad. Check out the full feature list and screenshots after the break, and let us know what you think in the comments!

• Set SBSwitcher to default to the Now Playing section of the app switcher.
• Exit the app switcher by pressing the home button instead of exiting the app itself when hitting home.
• Hide the volume slider (iOS 4.2.1 only).
• Easily turn on/off your WiFi, 3G and Bluetooth radios from the app switcher.
• Quickly get back into an app or manipulate an SBSettings toggle right from the lockscreen -- no need to unlock!

iFixDirect is an iPhone repair company based out of New York and one of their services is an aftermarket white iPhone 4 conversion. Included in the swap is replacement of the front glass, back cover, home button, LCD screen, and flash diffuser. Additionally, they boast of being the only company that replaces the speaker mesh to ensure nothing can get trapped inside and damage your phone. The conversion takes less than 24 hours and it is shipped back overnight.

When Steve Jobs first announced the white iPhone 4, I was in love and couldn't wait for one to be in my iPhone-loving hands. But my heart was soon crushed when it was delayed at launch. This wound got increasingly worse as the white iPhone 4 was delayed further and further. It wasn't long before the white iPhone 4 became nothing but a mystical device to me - until now. My black iPhone 4 has been converted to white with iFixDirect.

How is it? Photos and hands-on impressions after the break!

iFixDirect did an excellent job converting my phone. All the parts look amazing and there is no evidence that the phone was taken apart. It looks particularly beautiful with Apple's blue bumper case. One thing that should be noted is that with a white front, you can see how light is passed through the glass at the speaker and home button. It doesn't bother me in the slightest, but it's there and you should be aware of it.

Remember the rumor that the reason for the white iPhone 4 delay was because of light leakage? I believe this may be true. With the conversion of my iPhone to white, a little bit of light does leak from the edges of the back. It's not noticeable in a brightly lit environment, but if it's dark enough, it's obvious. I do not consider this a flaw of the the service, but a consequence of the see-through nature of the material. With that said, I use a bumper so the light leaks do not bother me one bit.

Another rumor for the delay was that the camera's flash did not behave well with the white back. I've tested many photos and have not run into a single issue. All my pictures look great.

If you've been dying to have a white iPhone 4 and plan to use a case, I recommend the iPhone 4 white color swap with iFixDirect. They do great work and offer excellent customer service. The basic conversion runs at $249 and for an additional $50, you can have the dock connector and headphone jack also switched to white. However, the good folks at iFixDirect are offering TiPb readers a 10% discount on the iPhone 4 white color swap. Just use the discount code whiteTiPb at checkout.

If you decide to get the iPhone 4 white color swap, please let us know what you think!

The iPhone 4 color swap voids your warranty with Apple. iFixDirect offers a warranty for $4.99/mo.

iFixDirect converted my iPhone at no cost. However, this did not affect my review of the service.

[iFixDirect]

The good folks over at Nationwide Network Cellular (Hong Kong) have a brand new metal backing that replaces the standard black glass that comes on iPhone 4. If you tired of having to slap a case on hiding your brand new iPhone 4, if you tired of having to be extra careful when you put your iPhone 4 down, then they might just have your cure for a mere $12.99.

This new cover has a black bevel around the edges with a nice metallic finish insert. The camera lens and the camera flash lens are included and are pre-installed to make installation easy. You will need to remove the 2 screw on the bottom of the iPhone using a Phillips #00 screwdriver. Next you just slide the back panel off by pressing up with your thumbs. Finally line up the metal panel, slide it down and replace the screws. It is that simple!

So if you want to stand out from the crowd or you are still bitter you had to buy a black iPhone 4 since the white ones are even rarer than unicorns, pick one of these up and show off your iPhone 4 to all your friends like you just got it all over again!

[iPhone 4 Metal Back via Unplggd]

by Brian Tufo

Take a look at this amazing set up -- an IPad installed into a kitchen cabinet. The fully visible front panel lets you surf the web, find your favourite recipes and listen to music (though not all at the same time). It is a great idea and would make time spent in the kitchen so much more fun.

The iPad is firmly held in place by a wooden 2x4 and can be removed by unplugging it and lifting upwards. (So you are still able to sync to your computer and charge it at a secondary location.)

You could of course just place your iPad on a counter or on a stand somewhere but this is so much cooler. It almost makes me want to pick up a new cabinet door, grab a jigsaw and dremel sander and do it in my own kitchen. How about you?

Video after the break!

[TUAW]

YouTube link

We know Apple VP of Design, Jonathan Ive loves him some Braun, but who knew he also drew inspiration from Ford? Harrison Ford, that is. Norwegian site Design4Dough spotted the 1982-era Blade Runner iPhone, wall-mount edition:

The likeness is exceptional. The metallic outline, the pictogram-matrix-touchscreen, the black chassie and the designated home-button area at the bottom.

Next up: Take our chrome, it's too bland; modify our Apple brand. We don't care, it's shiny; Russian mod for iPhone 2G! (With apologies to Joss Whedon and our readers!) Says iPhone Alley:

The device was the handywork of the people at GPDA.ru. The mod involves simply removing the chrome logo and replacing it with a glowy one. This video was created of one of a modded device in action.

(Thanks to "replicant browncoat" for the tips!)

iPhone Custom is now offering to coat your iPhone in high quality TiAIN for $299.

And while $299 might sound expensive (same price as a brand new iPod Touch 8GB!), the end result looks impressive enough to tempt higher-end customers and early adapters, longing for a return of the jealous stares they got when flashing their iPhone on Day One.

Purchasing is simple: just eject your SIM, place your iPhone in a pre-labelled shipper, and send it off to iPhone Custom for your choice of black or gold glossy logo and bezel.

The process is also available for iPod Touch and 3G iPod Nano.

(via TUAW)