iPhone 3G unveiled at long last: some fears allayed, some hopes dashed
June 11, 2008
Unless you’ve spent the past few days buried under a ton of lead-lined concrete with no access to the internet or traditional news media, the chances are you’ll have heard of this little part in mobile phone history: the follow up to the iPhone.
Steve Jobs made the widely foreseen announcement during the Worldwide Developers Keynote. To put it simply, rumours were right – it is 3G and it does have GPS.
Now for some more details. Here’s how it compares to the old iPhone model: in terms of size and dimensions, it is basically identical. iPhone 3G is a couple of millimetres thicker and wider but nothing you’d really notice. It does weigh slightly less than its predecessor, but again, not so much that you’d ever notice.
Both 480 x 320 3.5" displays are completely identical, as are the storage sizes which still languish at 8 or 16GB options. The cameras are each identical too, however iPhone 3G’s GPS system allows for geo-tagging and other third-party application support.
Surprise, surprise, that enhanced 3G technology has given the expected battery life a hit as well. iPhone 3G will offer something in the region of five hours of internet use, five hours of 3G talk time, 24 hours of audio playback and 300 hours of standby time.
The single best piece of news is the price. Jobs wants everyone to have an iPhone in their pocket and by God he’s going to make the handsets cheap enough for you to question whether you can afford not to have it. An 8GB model is going to cost $199; 16GB will set you back $299 and is also available in white. Tough break for the iPod Touch really.
All in all, it s a worthy evolution of the iPhone, but it’s not exactly ‘doing an iPhone’ on the, err, iPhone. Some prominent features that many were demanding (and not unreasonably) are missing. First up, the camera. Still the same crappy two megapixel affair, which is just not enough for a serious cell phone snapper.
Over the air 3G downloads are also missing, which really seems to be a serious oversight. The chance to browse for and download the latest tracks without connecting to a computer would seem like the very first thing Apple would want everyone doing, but that’s not the case apparently and leaves a big opening for a competitor to get in ahead. Quite probably Nokia.
It also doesn’t allow for VoIP functions like Skype over 3G. That’s basically because Apple is still pandering to the demands of the networks and not to the requests of consumers. You can still use it with Wi-Fi, but we’re left waiting for the crucial evolution that will take VoIP into the mainstream of mobile telephony.
Another missing feature that has been niggling away since the first model – the lack of Flash support. Unfortunately it is still out. Yep, the most popular piece of online video delivery software is left unsupported. Not very impressive.
Last and probably least, the Bluetooth functionality is still pretty weak, eliminating the chance to listen to your music wirelessly with stereo Bluetooth. Oh, and voice dialling. And MMS messaging. They are still absent. But that’s it I think.
Now for the more pleasant surprises. The iPhone software has been upgraded to 2.0 as suspected and this brings with it the Applications Store, which should see the fruits of software developers labour with the recently launched iPhone SDK coming to a head. Without doubt, there are a million and one exciting things that it’s going to bring with it, but right now it’s the games that are grabbing attention.
If successfully implemented – a difficult task given the device’s complete dependency on the touchscreen display – then we could be looking at a challenger to the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP. Monkey Ball has already been confirmed for the handset and Spore is due to arrive as soon as Will Wright manages to finish it, possibly around 2028. But we’re mostly looking forward to how existing games tie into it.
Will we be browsing the World of Warcraft auction house from our handsets or checking guild chat forums on the move? Or maybe even harvesting for resources while away from the main PC? The possibilities are endless – we just need someone to implement them.
Finally, my personal biggest gripe with the previous model was the recessed headphone socket which made it difficult to find compatible headphones that weren’t made by Apple. Now the problem is fixed and the headphone socket is recessed no more. Hooray!
So all in all, it hasn’t been the most groundbreaking of all iPhone announcements and we knew about the vast majority of the new features before Jobs even took to the stage. However, the price is great for anyone who has been put off by the cost before and the strategy is bound to serve Apple well in the coming months. It seems likely that Apple will continue to roll out further minor evolutions over the coming year, so if you were let down by the small amounts of storage or weak camera, rest assured that the company probably has them pencilled in for not far into the future.
The iPhone 3G rolls out on July 11th.
iPod or iPhone freezes? Just restart
May 14, 2008
This is for all you iPod users out there, who keep having their iPod freeze or crash on them. 90% of the time you just need to restart your iPod, there is nothing actually wrong with your iPod, it has just crashed.
If it’s frozen check hold isn’t on first, if it is actually frozen you can just restart your ipod and that should fix it. To restart:
original iPod, 2nd Generation iPod and 3rd Gen iPod
- Toggle the Hold switch on and off. (Slide it to Hold, then turn it off again.)
- Press and hold the Menu and Play/Pause buttons simultaneously until the Apple logo appears, about 6 to 8 seconds. You may need to repeat this step.
4th Generation iPods, iPod Nano, iPod Photo, iPod mini, iPod Video
- Toggle the Hold switch on and off. (Slide it to Hold, then turn it off again.)
- Press and hold the Menu and Center (Select) buttons simultaneously until the Apple logo appears, about 6 to 8 seconds. You may need to repeat this step.
iPhone and iPod touch
- Press and hold the Menu and Sleep (on the top) buttons simultaneously until the Apple logo appears, about 6 to 8 seconds. You may need to repeat this step.
That’s it; your iPod should restart and work as usual. It your still having problems you may want to consider checking the firmware version or just erasing your iPod and putting your music back on.
Apple signs on HBO for iTunes store
May 13, 2008
Apple and HBO have hammered out a deal to sell HBO’s content via the iTunes Store. Popular TV series like “Sex and the City”, “The Sopranos” and critically acclaimed crime drama “The Wire” will be some of the first available under this deal. The deal, Apple says, means that the iTunes Store will now offers a total of over 800 shows containing 20,000 episodes for sale.
This is a big step forward for The iTunes Store which has grown rapidly thanks to Music sales, but has been slow to offer popular television series. HBO holds the rights to some of television’s biggest series and has forced Apple to sell some of their biggest shows at a higher rate. It would seem that the ‘any tracks for 99cents’ model that drove the iTunes store success will not be duplicated for the sale of video content.
This could hamper the sales for TV shows if the pricing gets out of control, but that does not appear to be the case at the moment. “Sex and the City”, “The Wire” and “Flight of the Conchords” will run at the standard $1.99 per episode, while “The Sopranos”, “Deadwood” and “Rome” will cost $2.99. The full seasons will also be sold as a single item but the discount is minimal
Only “Sex and the City” will have its full catalogue available for download because of a promotion for the upcoming movie. All the other TV series will have recent seasons available, with the exception of “The Sopranos” which will have the first season available as well.
iPhone shortage points at imminent new model announcement
May 12, 2008
Official Apple stores in both the US and the UK are listing the 8GB and 16GB models of iPhone as out of stock.
Supplies have been running low in UK over the past couple of week with retailer the Carphone Warehouse, clearing its 8GB stock. Network O2 has been sending out mixed messages about the 16GB models as well.
So basically there are only a handful of un-bought iPhones left in the warehouses and it doesn’t look like any more stock will be coming in either. Which means it’s pretty much 100% guaranteed that a new iPhone model is about to be announced.
God knows the rumours have been going around long enough. Everyone one from banking analysts to retailers have all had a stab at guessing the date and it looks like the end of June might be the time for the new announcement, if not sooner.
It is likely that new models will hit shelves immediately following an official announcement.
They’ve also been guessing at what kind of features the new phone will pack. 3G is the obvious one - the old iPhone’s EDGE connection just wasn’t good enough for serious internet use and the abundance of 3G networks outside the US makes it more appealing.
Other suggested features include built-in GPS and possibly even a redesigned form factor. We’ll have to wait and see if that’s true or not though.
Apple iPhone Visual Voicemail Co-Defendant, SimulScribe, Settles Lawsuit with Klausner Technologies
January 23, 2008
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–SimulScribe, LLC., a co-defendant with Apple, Inc.(APPL:NASDAQ) in the patent infringement lawsuit recently filed by Klausner Technologies, has settled the litigation and has licensed the Klausner Technologies visual voicemail patents. Other defendants in the case include ATT, Inc. (T:NYSE), Comcast Corporation (CMCSA:NASDAQ) and Cablevision Systems Corp.(CVC:NYSE).
The license covers SimulScribe’s visual voicemail service, which allows subscribers to selectively retrieve voice messages from a mobile phone or computer display. SimulScribe is the latest defendant, in a series of lawsuits brought by Klausner Technologies over visual voicemail, to sign a license with Klausner. Current licensees include Time Warner’s (TWX:NYSE) AOL and Vonage Holdings, Inc. (VG:NYSE), among others.
Under the patent license agreement with Klausner Technologies, in addition to SimulScribe’s visual voicemail service, its new ‘SimulSays’ visual voicemail application for RIM BlackBerry and Windows Mobile phones is now licensed in the US, Canada and Europe. ‘SimulSays’ enables users to scroll through voicemail messages on a mobile phone’s display and select which voice messages to access and in what order. It integrates with the phone’s contact book, enabling users to respond to voice messages by email, SMS or phone, directly from the application.
“We are happy to add SimulScribe to our growing list of licensees. SimulScribe’s visual voicemail for mobile phones and computer inboxes is an excellent example of our patented visual voice messaging technology, letting consumers view and select voice messages in a similar fashion to the way they view and select e-mails,” said Judah Klausner, CEO of Klausner Technologies.
The lawsuit was filed by the California law firm of Dovel & Luner in a federal court in the Eastern District of Texas. “We have litigated this patent successfully on prior occasions,” said Greg Dovel of Dovel & Luner, counsel for Klausner Technologies. “With the signing of each new licensee, we continue to receive further confirmation of the strength of our visual voicemail patents.”
Talkster Simplifies Group Conference Calling on the iPhone
December 21, 2007
TORONTO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–With more than three million iPhones expected in consumers’ hands by the end of 2007, Voice 2.0 company Talkster is delivering an early holiday gift to iPhone users: simplified group conference calling all over the globe for the cost of a single local call.
Although the intuitive iPhone comes with a simple method for adding additional people into an existing conversation, the process becomes tedious and complex when adding a third, fourth or fifth caller to the conference. With the Talkster service, iPhone users simply go to http://i.talkster.com to set up their group call. They enter the names and phone numbers of the people they want to call and click invite. Talkster generates a local phone number for each of the call participants and distributes the new number via text message. This one-time process generates a permanent number that callers can save in their address book and use any time they want to talk to this same group of people.
In addition to creating the easiest way to conference call a group of friends, this single number connects up to five friends anywhere in the world for the price of a single local call. When adding multiple friends to a group call using the native iPhone interface callers are using up multiple minutes including one for each caller in the group, with even higher costs when calling friends internationally. With Talkster, all group calls–even those that include international numbers–are as simple as dialing one local number, and minutes for just that single call are used.
“The iPhone solved some of the complexities of conference calling by adding the simple plus sign to the dial pad for adding callers, but when you are setting up a call for more than two people, the built-in iPhone method can be a complex process with multiple call, hold, merge steps for each caller,” says James Wanless, co-founder and COO of Talkster. “Talkster has made group conference calls as easy as dialing one phone number. Couple the ease of use with the fact that Talkster group conference calls are free, and it’s clear to see that iPhone users with friends and family around the globe have something to celebrate this holiday season.”
Talkster is able to offer callers free long distance, international, and group conference calls from any kind of phone by subsidizing the cost of calls with advertisements. Callers listen to a single 10-second audio ad at the start of each call and then can talk as long as they like with free calling service and no talk time limits in more than 30 countries around the globe.
Eliminating the complexity and cost of group conference calls, Talkster is publicly available today at http://i.talkster.com from the iPhone or http://free.talkster.com from any other mobile phone with a standard web browser.
Sonic The Hedgehog Comes to the iPod
December 18, 2007
SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–SEGA of America, Inc. today announced that Sonic The Hedgehog is now available for play on the new iPod nano with video, the iPod classic and the fifth generation iPod. Sonic The Hedgehog was originally introduced in 1991 and has become one of the most popular video game franchises in history, selling well over 45 million copies. Sonic fans can purchase and download the game from the iTunes Store for $4.99 (www.itunes.com). Sonic has been designed specifically for the iPod and is available on the 22 iTunes Stores around the world.
“Sonic The Hedgehog is one of the most beloved video game characters of all time,” said Simon Jeffery, President and COO of SEGA of America, “And with the installed base that iPod enjoys Sonic now becomes available to a whole new group of casual and hardcore gamers just in the time for the holidays.”
iTunes customers can buy the game for themselves, or easily give the gift of Sonic The Hedgehog. Similar to music and video content on the iTunes Store, customers simply find the game on iTunes and click the “Gift This Game” button.
aketu Releases New VoIP Calling Web Application for Apple iPhone and iPod Touch
December 11, 2007
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Raketu, a leading global Internet communications, information, and entertainment company, today released its voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) calling web application for Apple iPhone and iPod Touch. The new web-based application allows Apple iPhone and iPod Touch users to make international calls totally free or at Raketu’s ultra-low cost VoIP calling rates. Additionally, users can send SMS Text Messages globally, and send email all from within the Raketu iPhone Application.
“Whether you are traveling internationally this holiday season, or simply shopping in New York and want to reach out to people you love overseas, Raketu says Now You Can without the slightest pinch to your pocketbook,” said Greg Parker, president and CEO of Raketu. “While you’re at it, SMS Text your friends in Japan, then email your brother in San Francisco. Raketu’s iPhone Application does it all.”
Raketu’s iPhone Application Features
Raketu’s new iPhone Application is entirely web-based and does not require consumers to download any software. Apple iPhone and iPod Touch users can sign up and access the service via their iPhone or iPod Touch web browser at http://iphone.raketu.com. Using Raketu’s iPhone application users can:
Call Internationally For Free Or At Raketu’s Ultra-Low Cost VoIP Calling Rates — Raketu offers the lowest VoIP calling rates internationally period. Raketu users who sign up and make a payment of USD 9.95, USD 24.95 or USD 49.95 to their Raketu account are eligible for up to 1200 free calling minutes per month towards iPhone initiated phone-to-phone calls. See www.Raketu.com for details and free zones.
Send SMS Text Messages Globally – Raketu’s iPhone Application allows users to send SMS Text Messages globally at the lowest international text rates available.
Send Email – Simply type in the destination email address, enter your message and click send.
You Can Hack The iPhone
October 23, 2007
When the iPhone was first introduced earlier this year, tech fans went crazy and finally got the machine of their dreams. Out of the box, the iPhone is ready to perform. Just sync it up to iTunes, and you’ll have your iPhone’s address book filled out, songs and podcasts loaded, and the internet waiting at your fingertips. Thanks to Apple’s firmware and iTunes updates, all of this is possible. But what if that isn’t enough for you? Read on.
Shortly after the release of the machine, some people had issues with the iPhone. Many people were not thrilled of the news that AT&T would be the provider of its cellular functions. Others were bothered that the iPhone didn’t have a GPS device and wondered if there would be any third party support. And what? No customizable ring-tones?Of the one million four hundred thousand iPhones sold in the last few months, two hundred fifty thousand of them have been hacked into, fulfilling their owners dreams. Do you care to change your service provider? Would you like to add GPS? Want to customize the way the background and icons look? Do you feel like making the iPhone into an arcade? Do you want to have your favorite song as a ring tone? The answer to all of these questions is, “YES, you can do that”. For legal reasons, this writer cannot explain how to do all of these hacks, but can point you in the right direction. Be warned that hacking the iPhone or any cellular device could possibly make the device malfunction; proceed with care.
As stated earlier, many people do not like that Apple choose AT&T as their carrier for the cell phone, but fear not. In Europe , iPhone users actually have a choice in providers, so it is possible that this could occur in the US. In the meantime, you can still change providers here; you need to know how to do it. There are many websites that offer downloadable programs and/or Terminal settings, which will punt AT&T away and allow you to use other carriers, but you have to change your SIM card. Believe it or not, it’s really not hard to do, though Mac users will find this process easier than PC users. I know several people who have changed carriers and have done so with relative ease.
Customizing the look of the iPhone is not hard to do either. There are a wealth of skins and cases for the machine’s exterior and they are easy enough to get your hands on. As for the look of the OS, all you need is the internet and you’ll find tons of skins, wallpaper, and icons. If you are looking to create your own look from scratch, Photoshop knowledge is all that is needed and I have found many websites on this subject. A word of advice though: save the original PNG files on your computer, just in case.
Apple now offers a great and simple way to create custom ring-tones, using the songs you have in iTunes, but it will cost you a few cents. For those who wish to find a way around that, you can hack the ring tone by using Quicktime Pro, iMovie, and iTunes. Again, I can’t tell you exactly how to do it, but it IS possible to do and it’s simple enough. For those that want the work done for them, there are several programs on the web that can do this process for you.
Although rumors of a GPS iPhone are out there, Apple is not confirming them or denying them. In the meantime, you can download triangulation-based GPS programs.
A note of caution: many of the programs discussed in this article are freeware or shareware, but be warned that this code is NOT written by Apple. Apple’s programing is flawless, but I can’t say the same is always true for those who are writing third-party applications and hacks. If you experience any issues after a hack, one should reset the iPhone back to it’s factory settings and re-install the firmware. Also, do not attempt multiple hacks all at the same time. Try a hack or a downloadable program and thoroughly test it out before performing more hacks.
Article by Paul S. Assisted by GM & CC
TalkPlus Unlocks the Power of the iPhone with Enhanced Mobile 2.0 Services
October 18, 2007
SAN MATEO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–TalkPlus, a provider of innovative Mobile 2.0 services, announced today that users of the Apple iPhone™ mobile digital device can now sign up for services offered by TalkPlus, including multiple and global virtual numbers, advanced call-management features and low-cost international calling, all designed to provide increased flexibility, privacy and control over the mobile experience.
TalkPlus’ virtual phone-number service enables subscribers to create additional phone numbers on their mobile phones for placing and receiving calls. Subscribers can easily manage all personal and business calls from a single device—eliminating the need to carry multiple phones to use different numbers for different parts of their daily lives.
TalkPlus phone numbers can be selected from major U.S. metropolitan areas and international cities in 28 countries. Each number comes with its own voice mailbox and customizable greeting. With TalkPlus, customers can also make calls that display the caller ID of any pre-authorized phone number, such as a subscriber’s office phone, providing true mobility to the receiving party. In essence, the TalkPlus system can transform the typical limited-feature mobile phone into a full-featured call-management system.
Now, Apple iPhone users can take full advantage of TalkPlus calling functions and also use the iPhone’s Safari browser to access their TalkPlus accounts.
“By enabling TalkPlus features on the iPhone, we’ve given it a whole new dimension,” said TalkPlus founder Jeff Black. “It’s especially attractive for mobile professionals and individuals who want to manage a variety of business and personal calls all from one device,” he added.
“Doctors, lawyers, sales professionals and international travelers are just a few of the people who have been using TalkPlus to better manage their communications,” continued Black. “Now we’re excited to make our services available to those who want to take their iPhones to the next level of functionality.”
The TalkPlus offer provides one TalkPlus U.S.-based phone number, one TalkPlus mirror number, low-cost international calling and 200 minutes of domestic calls. The mirror number lets subscribers take a number they already own, such as a home or business number, and use it to make calls from a mobile phone. From now through Dec. 31, 2007, the service will be free for the first month and $9.99 per month thereafter (excluding international toll charges).
And by subscribing to TalkPlus’ international number service, contacts in more than 30 countries can place calls to the iPhone user in the U.S. for the cost of a local call.
Standard TalkPlus features, which are now also available to iPhone users, include:
- Low-cost international long distance service enabling users to place calls to any country from any phone—at significantly discounted rates;
- Visual Voicemail to identify voicemails and quickly jump to a message to listen or delete;
- Voicemail Screening to listen in as callers leave a message and pick up the call if desired;
- Call Screening to send specific callers directly to voicemail or a busy signal;
- Call Transfer to easily transfer to another number while on a call; and
- Conference Calling with as many as 10 people.
To become a TalkPlus subscriber, an iPhone user can sign up using a PC at www.TalkPlus.com or via the iPhone browser at http://iphone.talkplus.com/s. No credit card is required for the free trial. TalkPlus services are available to AT&T iPhone customers, as well as other customers of AT&T (formerly Cingular), Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon and many other carriers.
