Until it "Works With iPhone"

Question

While you're waiting for those "Works with iPhone" 3rd-party devices to show up on the shelves, these two suggestions may help (#2 is the big one):
1) By now you've probably figured out that you can make almost any headphone plug fit the iPhone by removing about a 1mm ring of plastic or rubber with an X-Acto knife. If you don't trust your surgical skills on that $200 pair of headphones, buy a cheap headphone splitter and modify it instead, then plug your headphones into it.
2) If you've given up on your powered speakers or FM-transmitter because of the squeaky noises, try this: Radio Shack sells a "Ferrite Data Line Filter", Part Number 273-105, for under $6. It's a little plastic box that snaps around your cable and blocks most (maybe not all, but most) of that GSM squawk when your sweetheart calls or your phone is just trying to find a new tower. The filter needs to be near the iPhone end of the cable. If you build up a little section of the cable with foam or tape to about a pencil diameter, the box will grip and not slide. If you loop the cable through twice, you won’t need the padding and the loop may actually improve the filtering.
I tried this on a road trip from Atlanta to Richmond and only really noticed the GSM buzz while I was passing through downtown Richmond. Something about signals bouncing around between tall buildings, I suppose. For most of the trip it worked great, and even in downtown Richmond the buzz was greatly reduced. It’s still a good idea to keep the phone as far away from the radio or speakers as possible.
This device is available at most, but not all, Radio Shack stores. Go to the Radio Shack website and they will tell you which store near you carries this part number.
Combining suggestions 1 and 2: If you attach the filter more or less permanently to a headphone splitter, you will have a removable filter that your friends can check out on their iPhones.
Caveat Emptor: This may not work for everyone. If it doesn't, you're only out six bucks, and it won't harm anything.
Enjoy!
-Peter

Answer 1

While you're waiting for those "Works with iPhone" 3rd-party devices to show up on the shelves, these two suggestions may help (#2 is the big one):
1) By now you've probably figured out that you can make almost any headphone plug fit the iPhone by removing about a 1mm ring of plastic or rubber with an X-Acto knife. If you don't trust your surgical skills on that $200 pair of headphones, buy a cheap headphone splitter and modify it instead, then plug your headphones into it.
2) If you've given up on your powered speakers or FM-transmitter because of the squeaky noises, try this: Radio Shack sells a "Ferrite Data Line Filter", Part Number 273-105, for under $6. It's a little plastic box that snaps around your cable and blocks most (maybe not all, but most) of that GSM squawk when your sweetheart calls or your phone is just trying to find a new tower. The filter needs to be near the iPhone end of the cable. If you build up a little section of the cable with foam or tape to about a pencil diameter, the box will grip and not slide. If you loop the cable through twice, you won’t need the padding and the loop may actually improve the filtering.
I tried this on a road trip from Atlanta to Richmond and only really noticed the GSM buzz while I was passing through downtown Richmond. Something about signals bouncing around between tall buildings, I suppose. For most of the trip it worked great, and even in downtown Richmond the buzz was greatly reduced. It’s still a good idea to keep the phone as far away from the radio or speakers as possible.
This device is available at most, but not all, Radio Shack stores. Go to the Radio Shack website and they will tell you which store near you carries this part number.
Combining suggestions 1 and 2: If you attach the filter more or less permanently to a headphone splitter, you will have a removable filter that your friends can check out on their iPhones.
Caveat Emptor: This may not work for everyone. If it doesn't, you're only out six bucks, and it won't harm anything.
Enjoy!
-Peter