Make sure you read the title slowly and clearly…apps…as in more than one. If you were holding out for the official Google Voice app, keep waiting because that’s not what was officially approved by Apple. After a long dispute over Google releasing their Google Voice app in the iTunes store, it appears that perhaps Apple is loosening its tight grip. After having released then taken down from the iTunes store due to the app providing a service that already existed on the iPhone, many thought that there would never be a day that Google Voice would make its comeback.
AppleInsider reported that the two apps passing approval were GV Mobile + and GV Connect, both of which serve as a Google Voice app. According to the article, earlier in the month, the creator of GV Mobile + stated that he had gotten confirmation that Apple would be approving his app. Furthermore the article states that “the change in policy came after Apple published its App Store Review Guidelines for all to see.” If true, this is indeed a victory…for now.
With the release of apps that function as Google Voice apps, there is no doubt that Google will more than likely resubmit their official Google Voice app. In doing so, there does not seem to be a reason why this app would be rejected seeing how these other two have made it by. No word yet on when Google plans on resubmitting.
Does this change the way you would use your iPhone? With Skype already available and now Google Voice, could this effect the service plans we choose for our iPhones?
It seems like the iPhone 4 would have been released worldwide by now, with as much of an impact as its made culturally. Still, there are indeed areas of the world where the iPhone 4 has not been released and China is one of those countries. The release of the iPhone 4 on September 25th will come a week after the iPad was released to long lines of fans awaiting Apple’s first and successful attempt at a tablet device.
The phone will be retail for approximately $743, for the 16GB model, if purchased at one of Apple’s retail stores and will not require a contract. The second way to secure an iPhone is to purchase it through China Unicom for $874 which includes the device and the deposit for a two year contract. Sound pricey? That won’t deter buyers from rushing to the stores to pick one up if sales of the iPad are any indication.
To coincide with this release Apple is also opening two brand new stores, the Hong Kong Plaza Apple Store in Shanghai and the Xidan Joy City Apple Store in Beijing. These two new additions add to an already aggressive move into the Asian market place. Numbers for sales will come shortly after the release date and should be interesting to see compared to US and other country launch numbers.
I love digital cameras, I love Flipcams, I love just about anything I can record video with and documents events, behind the scenes for the various projects I work on, or testimonials for the many clients I work with. Video is the most actively engaged form of media out there right now, just look at YouTube and how many views that site gets in a single day.
That being said, the days of holding your camera in hand could be over. The future of digital cameras could be in the Looxcie, which attaches to your head and allows you to record video with the natural turn of your own head. Looking similar to an oversized bluetooth head set, the Looxcie, which retails for $200, shoots in HVGA quality. Video enthusiasts may or may not appreciate the quality or the limited capabilities of a device like this, but the innovation is definitely there.
Interestingly enough, many might argue that you would not be able to see exactly what you are recording without the standard side screen that most digital cameras come equipped with. For now that situation is solved for Android users who are able to run the Looxcie app which sees what the the camera sees, allowing you to adjust the view all by seeing what the camera sees on the phone. Not only that, but the mobile apps also allows for limited editing and such before pushing out your video to the world.
Does a device like this interest you? I can definitely see the application for certain professional markets, but not sure if they can beef it up for the prosumer market.
If I were to ask how many people out there actually used Cuil there’s not doubt I’d hear the sound of crickets. The much maligned search engine the was supposed to be the Google killer had attracted the eyeballs of major tech media outlets only to be the laughing stock of the community. Since it’s launch, the search engine has struggled for it’s fair share of respect, but never quite getting there. We’ve covered Cuil in the past and came to the same conclusion, that Cuil was just not meant for the public and would have been better off staying behind closed doors to either die on the vine, or prepare itself for an actual launch.
It seems that news on this search engine just does not die. Recently reported on TechCrunch, Michael Arrington writes that Cuil is finally closing its doors for good…unofficially at least. According to the report, what few employees that are still with the company have not been paid, which is never a good sign. While they look for green pastures the future for the search engine is almost certain. With its line of successive failures, perhaps now we can finally lay it to rest.
So what say you? Did anyone in the Crenk community ever use Cuil? The few that commented on past articles were not impressed, but if you actually liked it, we’d like to hear why.
Sometimes truth can be stranger than fiction, and sometime the lie is more entertaining than the truth. Many news sites are reporting that Steve Jobs was detained while visiting Japan for possession of ninja stars. Yes, that’s right folks, ninja stars. Now while every fanboy would love to imagine their fearless leader as a roof top hopping, invisibility mastering, ninja star throwing hero of lore, Apple is calling the story nothing but pure fiction.
According to the article posted on TechCruch, SPA!, the source of the report, says that while leaving Kansai International Airport near Osaka, Jobs was stopped, searched, and revealed he was carrying ninja stars. Furthermore it’s reported that while it may not have been Jobs, someone was indeed detained and forced to rid themselves of the objects. Apple reports that Steve did visit Japan, but was for vacation, had a great time, and returned without incident.
Still, the thought of Steve Jobs as a ninja warrior may be nice, it appears as if the whole story never even happened. On a related note…crime in the area decreased by 30% during the time Steve Jobs was visiting Japan. Coincidence?
So Steve, while you may not have been a true Ninja at heart, I leave you this song from the 90′s sequel to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, “Go Ninja, Go Ninja, Go!”
Tired of iTunes? Not liking the Amazon platform? The one thing we don’t lack is many ways to get the same thing we want. Both platforms along with a few lesser known platforms offer ways to acquire digital content. Music, movies, TV shows, all downloadable from these platforms, but the one “ring” to rule them all thus far has been Apple’s dominating iTunes store.
If you’ve been looking for an opportunity to disconnect from Apple, perhaps Sony has the option for you. It’s been rumored recently that an announcement could come, as early as tomorrow according to a post on 1up.com, on an iTunes competitor from Sony would be released on the PS3 and PSP devices, to be followed by other products in Sony’s lineup. According to the article, a reliable source from the Financial Times, states that the service will be subscription based and offer music and movies. The announcement is rumored to be made at IFA Berlin this week.
PS3 owners are already familiar with ordering and renting films from the Playstation Store, but a dedicated service across multiple platforms including their Bravia TV lines could be the next big thing to compete with Apple. The report states that while the service will be announced, it actually won’t be available until next year.
Can Sony do it? There no doubt iTunes has become the norm for many of us, but I’d like to think there’s a fighting chance for Sony in all this. Leave your comments below on whether you think this service has a chance on Sony’s products.
Do any of us visit websites anymore? Seems like subscribing to iTunes and subscribing to RSS feeds pretty much brings all the information to us instantly, except for when we need to do actual searches for information. I personally use Google Reader on my desktop/laptop systems and MobileRSS on my Apple device. It’s from there that I’m able to capture a day’s worth of information in less time than it would take for me to surf all these sites.
In a way, RSS has been a way of consuming internet stories, postings, and news a la carte. Still, the interfaces have always been simple text formatted, easy to click, easy to follow, nothing extraordinarily exciting about it. But FLUD turns the way you see RSS feeds on the iPad into an sexy experience you’ll want to interface with over and over again.
Sorry iPhone and iPod touch users, I’ve not found something comparable to FLUD on those devices, but iPad owners should rejoice in how cool surfing your RSS feeds has become. An app that costs $4, FLUD offers a “highly-graphical interface, slick in-app browser, Google Reader integration, and Facebook/Twitter/e-mail sharing features to help spread the word on stories, videos, and pictures of interest,” according to site reviews.
Having used the application, I love how it turns what is typically a dry text interface into an amazingly eye popping way to receive your news. For those that are not into aesthetics, there’s still nothing wrong with the ease of use that standard RSS readers offer, but for those that like a little something extra with their news and postings, this might be the interface that can make RSS fun again.
So if you’re using FLUD, let me know what you think. I think it’s a nice app, but honestly, when I’m in a hurry, the graphic interface takes a back seat to time saving, and a standard RSS is just fine for me.
Netflix is the digital phenomena that has delivered entertainment to us for many years. Starting off with DVD’s, then offering Blu-Ray, and now offering streaming services on just about any platform you might be on, whether desktop, laptop, or mobile. Today Netflix has updated its Apple iOS app to provide support for the iPhone, iPod touch as well as the iPad. Now users can use their Apple devices to not just manage their online queue but also stream their favorites straight to their handsets.
Users with unlimited memberships can interact in the Netflix environment and have all sessions sync across multiple platforms. For example, if you are streaming a video and you pause it on your mobile device, you can pick up where you left off at home on your desktop or laptop as if nothing happened. Managing your Netflix queue is available but interestingly it only manages your “WATCH NOW” queue and not the discs that are mailed to you.
So does this change where you will interact with your streaming library? If you weren’t a Netflix subscriber, does this change the game for you?
Version 1.1 of the Netflix application requires iOS 3.1.3 or later.
There’s no doubt that recent reports of RIM’s recent launches and positioning as a company shows the struggle it has to maintain relevancy in a world dominated by Apple and seeing large segments of market share also get eaten up by Google. In both cases, the competition is offering more than what RIM currently has on its side and it aims to make changes, but is it too late?
After Google acquired AdMob, and Apple acquared Quattro, now known as the iAd platform, RIM is actively seeking a company to add to its arsenal of offerings to make their Blackberry platform seem more appealing to users. Unfortuately, according to AppleInsider, Millenial, the company they are looking at, looks to remain independent, not wanting to be exclusive to RIM and lose out on its offerings to the Apple platform. It’s a tough place to be no doubt, and while RIM may have scoffed at Millenial’s request of 400-500 million as the price of acquisition, they are only looking to cover their costs in possible lost revenue from no longer being able to offer anything to Apple’s products.
At this point, RIM needs a hail mary play to stay in the game it seems. They’ve been unable to match Apple’s extensive growth and Google’s Android phones have taken over as Verizon’s flagship phones, a spot once held by Blackberry. The BlackBerry Storm, Storm2, and the recent debut of the BlackBerry Torch, which reportedly shipped just 150,000 units at launch, all consistent failures in terms of sales. Globally RIM has suffered a slip in market share from 19.1 to 17.8 percent.
It will be interesting to see where things go. I don’t wish RIM to fall off the planet; I’m a firm believer in the spirit of competition and understand that it’s the only way to keep companies innovating. If you’re a Blackberry user, I’d love to hear why you switched or why you stay loyal. Leave a comment below.
Two things that I can’t get enough of, retro technology coming back in a big way, and plenty of storage for all my digital data. Recently some of our favorite Nintendo NES titles are being given a new lease on life, but not as video games, or re-hashed HD titles on 3rd party systems, but as storage devices for our laptops and desktops.
The NES hard drives come a variety of sizes up to 1TB, now that’s a lot of storage. The NES cartridges come some some classic flavors such as Mario/Duckhunt, Metroid, Bionic Commando, Contra, Tetris, and Dr. Mario to name a few. The storage devices are built into the original casings for these games with game imagery and all. They feature a 2.5-inch Toshiba drive with USB interfaces.
NES hard drives range in price from $130 – $180, depending on the size. Their nondescript look will wow your friends who won’t expect the classics of yesterday to be used as storage devices today. As a fan of the old NES system seeing these cartridges again brings back memories of late night gaming and trading games with friends.
Make sure you read the title slowly and clearly…apps…as in more than one. If you were holding out for the official Google Voice app, keep waiting because that’s not what was officially approved by Apple. After a long dispute over Google releasing their Google Voice app in the iTunes store, it appears that perhaps Apple is loosening its tight grip. After having released then taken down from the iTunes store due to the app providing a service that already existed on the iPhone, many thought that there would never be a day that Google Voice would make its comeback.
