This post will show you how to use your iPhone as a wireless speaker so that you can stream your iTunes library (or any application) to your iPhone.

(This will only work within Wi-Fi range of your computer running iTunes)

This set is up uses the following:

• MacBook (2008 model)
• iPhone 3G 8Gb (Jailbroken)
• iTunes
• Airfoil
• Airfoil speakers touch
• Remote app
• Backgrounder (via Cydia)

To get this to work you will need to Jailbreak your device, if you are scared of doing so – don’t be. There are plenty of posts around to help you. The reason that you need to Jailbreak is so that you can install Backgrounder – a nifty little app that allows you to run applications in the background (i.e after you have pressed the home button). We will use this to run Airfoil (an app that allows you to stream audio from a Mac/PC to your iPhone) in the background is so that we can control iTunes on the host machine by using the Remote app.

In order to get it all working simply follow these steps:

1. On your Mac install iTunes and make sure it is the latest version.
2. Ensure that your Mac is connected via Wi-Fi or your router has Wi-Fi or there is a Wi-Fi device on your network. Also make sure that your Wi-Fi is activated on your iPhone and is on the same network.
3. Install the Remote app on your iPhone and get it connected to iTunes on your Mac.
4. Install Airfoil on your Mac and set the audio source as iTunes



5. Install Airfoil Speaker on your iPhone



6. Download the Backgrounder app via Cydia and in the Backgrounder preferences set Airfoil to automatically run.
7. Open up Airfoil Speaker on your iPhone and connect to Airfoil on your Mac (this should be automatic if both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network).
8. Press the home button (if Backgrounder is enabled then it will still be running)
9. Open the Remote app on your iPhone and start playing some music
10. With any luck, you will be able to control your Mac from your iPhone and have the music streamed back to you via Airfoil.
11. Walk around your house with a smug look on your face as you marvel at how brilliant the iPhone is – again!!

Read more and check it out here - http://www.blog.sizzla-media.co.uk/plugins/

Hope you like it. 

Any feedback add them to the comments – enjoy

I have hacked the Last.fm for WordPress plugin from here to search Spotify. At present I don’t plan to release the plugin but will do shortly after I have tidied up the code.

You can test it out by firstly downloading Spotify from here. Then simply click on the green note icon next to the track in my sidebar (under last.fm) to launch Spotify and play the track.

An image of my Last.fm side bar

There is no API for Spotify yet but a bit of digging around in the Greasemonkey script enabled me to send the track name and artist to a search within the Spotify app. Hopefully an API will be available soon which will allow me to do a lot more with the great service.

The icon is taken from the Spotify/Last.fm greasemonkey hack.

All rights are with the original developers of the code.

A new service called Spotify aims to halt the illegal downloading of music by allowing users to stream content to their PC’s and Macs. The idea is pretty simple; rather than the user paying upfront for the music it is funded by advertising, and rather than downloading a physical copy which can be shared it is streamed.

The app is slick an works similar to iTunes in that playlists can be created. These playlists can be shared with other users as can individual tracks. In essence this is nothing more than a link as the music is not on a users machine (although music is cached and a P2P solution is used to distribute popular tracks between users to reduce the strain on the Spotify servers). 

After using Spotify for a few days i’m hooked. I have listened to both old and new tracks and with the last.fm style function found new artists. In fact talking of last.fm, the app even scrobbles what you listen to. There is even a greasemonkey script that searches Spotify from the last.fm site for music you may be interested in.

There are however a number of things that may hold Spotify back from being an iTunes killer. Apart from the obvious one of having an internet connection the fact is the music is limited to a Mac or PC. As I now have an Apple TV and use public transport to commute to work the amount of time that I listen to music on my Mac is reduced. Having apps for these platforms would ensure that the service was really useful. At the moment it is a nice add-on but not a complete solution. I have heard rumours that an iPhone version is on the way.

I’ve finally joined the iPod revolution, by purchasing a new (ish) iPod from the Apple store. Up until now, I have been using the rather pathetic 2Gb of storage on my Nokia N73.

For not a lot of money, I picked up a reconditioned 30Gb iPod video from the Apple Uk website. If your thinking about getting a reconditioned iPod, and are worried about the build quality – don’t. The iPod has a brand new casing, with not a scratch in sight, and came packaged in about a million pieces of protective plastic film.

There wasn’t a fancy looking box, instead a rather boring brown box (very well packaged though), but who care’s about the box? However I must say, there is something quite sexual about the way Apple present their goods. Any Mac owner, will remember the smile on their face, when they opened their new product.

Anyway, i’m off to fill up this baby with all of my *legally* downloaded tracks!!