Aug 1, 2009 Aug 3, 2009 Sunday August 2, 2009
-
My New iPhone 3GS: Beyond Awesome
As most of you know, I am not an iPhone lover. I bought my first one right when they came out and, then, immediately brought it back to the genius bar to ask why the speakers didn't work. My iPhone version 1.0 story is chronicled in two articles from July 2007. The first July 7, 2007 was a love letter entitled, “iLove my iPhone,” which is mostly about my first impressions. The second, written on July 21, 2007, was “iPhone Reality/Sanity Check — my iWish list,” which is just what it says it is.By September 2007 (see iPhone Aftermath) I'd had enough fun with my iPhone and I purchased a Verizon (VZ) BlackBerry World, which was actually my least favorite of the BlackBerry family, but it worked as designed. The moment Verizon offered the BlackBerry Curve, I was in the store. It is what I carry today and it works exactly as designed. Although, I won't miss it at all.
-
Visioning Apple's netbook futures
The Web is awash with visions of a forthcoming Mac netbooks, or an iPhone with a keyboard, or simply a mobile Mac that's less expensive than the current product line. All of these imaginings are as likely as one made by an Apple thinktank some 20 years ago and another by the Onion.
-
Reminder: Talkcast tonight at 10 PM ET
Filed under: TUAW Business, Podcasts Last week, Mike Rose and the gang talked about the week in review in our weekly Talkcast. You can download the show, along with all past shows, from Talkshoe or subscribe in iTunes. This week, Mike might make a call-in appearance, but I'll be your fill-in host, and we can discuss the week in review, the Apple/AT&T/Google nastiness and anything else that strikes your fancy. To participate on TalkShoe, you can use the browser-only client, or you can try out the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; however, for maximum fun, you should call in. For the web UI, just click the "TalkShoe Web" button on our profile page at 10 pm Sunday. To call in on regular phone or VOIP lines (take advantange of your free cellphone weekend minutes if you like): dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 -- during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *-8. Talk with you then! Recording support for the talkcast is provided by Call Recorder from ecamm networks. TUAWReminder: Talkcast tonight at 10 PM ET originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 02 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
Amazon.com Offers Up Snow Leopard Pre-Orders
read more
-
Barron's: Analyst handled Apple tablet, says competitors have paused production lines until launch
According to a report in Barron's, a phantom "veteran analyst" has actually handled Apple's heavily rumored tablet-device-thing. If you believe what the report is laying down (and honestly, that's a big if -- analysts have a funny habit of making things up) the tablet is still on for a September unveiling, with a shelf life beginning somewhere in November. What's also interesting about the report is that the analyst claims the device will be marketed somewhere in the $699-$799 range -- as was previously rumored -- and will be aimed at uses as a media player (with some kind of potential Apple TV tie-in) and gaming device. The analyst, who obviously declined to be named, said that the tablet is simply awaiting Steve Jobs' final blessing, and claimed that other ODMs have paused new products until they see the finished version of what Apple has in store. That last bit is potentially the most interesting of all, as we've recently heard reports of device-makers freezing new production until 2010, which definitely raises the possibility that the industry is holding its breath to see what kind of new trick Apple has up its sleeve. Yeah -- things are about to get fun. [Warning: read link requires subscription] [Via 9to5mac]Filed under: HandheldsBarron's: Analyst handled Apple tablet, says competitors have paused production lines until launch originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 02 Aug 2009 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
Rotaliana Diva iPod / iPhone dock vamps up your situation
Have you been searching for just the right kind of iPod / iPhone dock to add a touch of class to your lion's den? Well Rotaliana has you covered. If the perfect compliment to your collection of Conrad Plank-produced bootlegs involves anodized aluminum, a secret door which becomes a light, and the soft glow of an LED clock, you'll want to check out the Diva. The oddly shaped dock features embedded speakers and an AUX input, but we have a feeling you're not laying down the €360 (or about $513) for this thing because you want to hook up your MiniDisc player. If you do take the plunge, let us know how it feels to have your music shooting out of a mutated traffic cone. [Thanks, Bernard]Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Portable Audio, Portable VideoRotaliana Diva iPod / iPhone dock vamps up your situation originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 02 Aug 2009 16:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
Are Camera Phones Killing the Digital Camera?
Convergence of mobile technologies is often treated as a foregone conclusion; the assumption is that, at some point, all of today's gadgetry will be consolidated in a single device. Sony Ericsson (SNE) recently released the 905a mobile phone to AT&T (T) subscribers. The 905a mobile phone features an 8 megapixel camera bearing Sony's Cyber-shot moniker usually reserved for its line of digital cameras. This is clearly a sign of convergence, but is it also a sign of impending obsolescence of the stand-alone digital camera?
-
Patent nonsense: News that could change the way we work and play
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Multimedia, PodcastingLast week provided a lot of legal fun for Apple, complete with news of the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) sending a letter to the company asking for information about the removal of the Google Voice app from the App Store, and word that upstart Mac cloner Psystar has retained a new law firm. Meanwhile, over at the hallowed halls of the U.S. Patent Office, things were afoot that could cause even more problems for not only Apple, but most of the personal computing world.The first hint of patent madness appeared earlier this week when online auction house eBay filed its Form 10-Q for the quarter ending June, 2009 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). One of the nuggets of information in the 10-Q was a warning from eBay that its popular voice over IP (VoIP) service Skype could be forced to shut down over a patent licensing dispute. When eBay bought Skype for US$2.6 billion in 2005, one key piece of patented technology from Joltid Limited was not included in the purchase price. eBay and Joltid signed a licensing agreement, and Skype continued to flourish. Since 2005, eBay has apparently revealed details of Joltid's patented technologies in the course of litigating other lawsuits. Joltid, under the terms of the license agreement with eBay, unilaterally terminated the agreement as a result. eBay has now filed suit against Joltid in the UK, asking that eBay and Skype be declared not in violation of the agreement, and that the licensing agreement be reinstated.Continue reading Patent nonsense: News that could change the way we work and playTUAWPatent nonsense: News that could change the way we work and play originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 02 Aug 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
AT&T responds on Google questions, throws Apple under the bus
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iPhone, App StoreIt's going to be interesting to watch the next few weeks as AT&T, Apple and Google respond to the FCC questions about which apps get approved for use on the iPhone.Yesterday, AT&T responded to press questions about this by sending a P.R. email."AT&T does not manage or approve applications for the App Store. We have received the letter and will, of course, respond to it."You betcha. The problem is that AT&T already publicly copped to keeping the Slingbox software off the Mac, while letting other bandwidth eaters like YouTube and MLB At Bat live video run without interference. And of course the Google Voice app and the Slingbox app are running fine on BlackBerry phones on the AT&T network. Slingbox is also running on Windows Mobile Smartphones. In conversations with one of the Slingbox developers, I was told Apple was fine with the app until AT&T got involved.Of course, looking at the statement, it is carefully worded. AT&T does not manage or approve applications. Correct enough. In the case of the Slingbox software, they told Apple to knife it. I don't think the FCC will be amused by that particular dodge.One wonders about the deteriorating state of friendship between Apple and AT&T. Recently, AT&T hinted that they don't expect to be the exclusive iPhone distributor forever, and Apple certainly held them up to a bit of ridicule at the June developer conference on MMS and tethering.It must be fun on those Apple/AT&T conference calls as they prepare their responses to the FCC.TUAWAT&T responds on Google questions, throws Apple under the bus originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 02 Aug 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
5 more RapidWeaver themes ready
Posted by Dave MertenOntario based RapidWeaver theme developer seyDoggy has released the last five THEME WEAVER themes in their ten theme series. RapidWeaver templates TW006, TW007, TW008, TW009, and TW010 are now exclusively sold and fully supported by seyDesign. This move completes the transition of all THEME WEAVER themes to seyDesign for distribution....
-
Readdle celebrates its Second Anniversary
Posted by Dave MertenReaddle, the makers of the popular ReaddleDocs and Shakespeare iPhone applications, celebrates its second anniversary today. Launched two years ago Readdle has pioneered many areas of iPhone application development such as iPhone optimized web storage, MobileMe iDisk connectivity, sending and saving email attachments; all of which later became standard among...
-
Clinks redefines wine journals via Facebook sharing and visual analytics
Posted by Dave MertenClinks, Inc. has announced Clinks 2.0, a tasting journal for wine enthusiasts that's been crafted for utility, speed, and delight. With Clinks, the user can keep track of the wines they taste, share their recommendations with their friends, and discover what they and their friends really enjoy. The new release...
-
Alice in Wonderland on the iPod Classic as a Notescast
Posted by Dave MertenTimeStream Software has announced the first ever release of “Alice's Adventures in Wonderland” for the iPod Classic and iPod nano's Notes feature. Now iPod owners can read this classic tale of Alice's journey down the rabbit hole on their iPods. Free downloads for a limited time at the Notescast web...
-
The first Scratch and Win app for the iPhone
Posted by Dave MertenScratchies, a fun new iPhone Application from Smudge Apps is the first to put Scratch and Win on the iPhone. In this entertaining app your goal is to help Tim earn money to pay back Fang by scratching as many instant win cards as you can. With an all original...
-
Aqueous Lite 1.0 now available for iPhone and iPod Touch
Posted by Dave MertenBent Pixels, LLC, today announced the release of Aqueous Lite for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch. Create your own perfect acoustic environment that will transport you off into a state of unparalleled relaxation. Run your fingers thru the calming water, tilt your iPhone and a relaxing Water Wall transforms...
-
J.Lodge gives disabled professionals a platform to succeed
Posted by Dave MertenFort Myers, FL based company, The J.Lodge Corporation, launching 2 new divisions that will create jobs for disable Americans all across the U.S. Stateside Call Centers is a virtual call center company that provides its clients with Highly Educated American agents that experience minimal turnover. All America works is the...
-
CoRD: Remote Desktop 0.5 Released
As much as we all love our Macs, we still generally live in a Microsoft business world and need to connect and work with Windows boxes. While Microsoft does release its own Remote Desktop application to facilitate Mac users connecting to Windows machine, I've never been impressed with the interface for it (on either Mac or Windows). I've much preferred using the open source CoRD project. Two years since the last release of CoRD, its development team have finally released version 0.5 bringing a whole heap of polish to an already excellent software package. For me the killer feature that CoRD has over Microsoft's official client is the ability to have multiple connections going at once, all selectable from a list. The work flow becomes similar to a tabbed interface (although its not actually tabs). A screenshot shows it the best: CoRD 0.5 with three active sessions The release notes for 0.5 show a large number of enhancements, bug fixes and optimizations in the multiple areas. New Remote Desktop Functionality Support for connecting to Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 has been added. Microsoft's font smoothing technology, ClearType, can now be turned on as well as experimental support for disk and printer forwarding. Custom screen resolutions can now be defined in preferences and then applied to connections. User Interface Improvements Many nice usability touches have been added, such as being able to set default connection preferences for when creating new servers or doing quick connections. The list of servers now has a search box at the top for quickly locating a server by name without scanning over the list manually. Hotkeys can now be assigned for commonly accessed servers and many other keyboard shortcuts and small UI tweaks have been added to improved the user experience. You can also configure the application's auto-updater to fetch the stable, betas or nightly builds to suit your risk level. Behind the Scenes Initial support for IPv6 has been put in along with commandline automation. CoRD is now an Intel Universal (32bit/64bit) binary with full support for OS X 10.5 and 10.6. The general performance of the application has been increased, and many stability bugs have been addressed. What It Won't Do As powerful as CoRD is, there are some things that still need the official Microsoft client. CoRD does not support Microsoft's Remote Desktop Protocol version 6.0. Windows Server 2008 needs to be configured to not use TLS or network authentication to allow CoRD usage. In addition, CoRD can not run on OS X 10.4 anymore. While it will currently still run on PPC architecture, the team will no longer be supporting it. If you haven't tried CoRD and need to connect to many remote desktop, I'd highly recommend giving it a look. Market research you can use: Keep informed about Cloud Computing and IT Infrastructure. Learn more »
-
Should the FCC Force Apple to Stock Competitive Products in Its Own Store?
I'm sure most who follow business news have heard that the FCC is probing Apple's decision to reject Google's (GOOG) internet-calling software and remove certain Google applications from it's app store... The Federal Communications Commission has launched an inquiry into why Apple Inc. rejected Google Inc.'s Internet-telephony software for the popular iPhone, another sign of the Obama administration's stepped-up scrutiny of competitive practices in the technology industry.
-
It's Time to Build a Real Mobile Web
I'd like to see a mobile web that feels just like the world wide web. The world wide web has unleashed a wave of creativity and technical achievement and has impacted society on so many levels over the past twenty years. We can have a mobile web that will do the same, but we don't have one right now.The world wide web is a global network of interconnected communications systems that allows any computing device to connect to it. Those devices run operating systems that allow any application to be installed on them. And so any developer anywhere in the world can build a web app (or desktop app) that can participate in the world wide web.
-
FCC's Sternly Worded Letter to Apple
So the empire strikes back. The semi capricious nature of the Apple (AAPL) Application Store has stoked the ire of more than a few developers as well as anxious customers in the past. With the recent booting of Google's (GOOG) VOIP application off the Apple Store, AT&T (T) might have gone one bridge too far.In the past, AT&T (through Apple) has argued that severe bandwidth justify keeping applications off the network. Because AT&T has had limited competition and internet application growth has been impaired by backward usage and control policies, they haven't had to worry about actually keeping their network in the 21st century until recently. The iPhone opened the door just a little bit in terms of what these devices can do and customers want to actually use them which has strained AT&T's backward and poorly engineered network.