Archive for: iphone
The question asked since the announcement that iPhone was going to be on the AT&T network is “When are they leaving AT&T?” It’s an honest question based on real and honest situations of dropped calls, overworked networks, and bad customer service. It’s probably unfair to lay all the blame on the service provider, as I’m sure the iPhone is not without faults of its own, but unfortunately AT&T is definitely getting the heat. So while iPhones have outsold most other handsets around the world, there are still a large majority holding out for the day when the iPhone is available on another network.
Are you one of those people? Rumors have circulated across various sites that Apple has been courting Verizon as the next network to gain access to the iPhone as early as Quarter 1, 2011. While all signs point to yes, the evidence is not conclusive and thus speculation persists. Considering the dominance that the iPhone has on the cell phone market, it’s safe to assume that the majority not using the iPhone are either Blackberry or Android users, with others following into the minority of other OS platforms.
In market research conducted by Morpace, subscribers on Verizon alone are awaiting the transition of the iPhone onto the Verizon network. Of 1000 people surveyed, 23% said they’d most likely buy it, while a whopping 51% of Verizon subscribers said they were waiting to buy it. This segment of Verizon subscribers could bolster Apple’s numbers heavily when/if the transition takes place as rumored. AppleInsider even predicts that it could put Apple in the lead, far ahead of it’s competitors. The platforms mostly threatened by the iPhone being offered on Verizon would be Blackberry and Android, so it will be interesting to see how this will effect the numbers.
If it happens, Apple could see quite a profitable 1st Quarter. So where do you stand? Are you waiting for the iPhone to be offered on another network or are you happy with your Blackberry, Android, or other phone platform?
Loving the new retina display of the iPhone 4? It seems to be all the rage with owners of the newly released device and alongside some of the other upgraded features, including the cameras, has gone on to once again dominate the market. The ability to have an all-in-one device that can be used as a phone, an internet tool, a content pusher, a video camera, AND a digital camera almost seems too good to be true. In most cases it is, but as a fall back tool when nothing else is available, it suffices for many.
If you were looking for unique photo capabilities with your iPhone you had to rely on another digital camera or your DSLR, but any longer. Despite how great the iPhone camera, the limitations keep you locked down to what the hardware can offer. To up the ante on your iPhone photos attach the new Camera Phone Lenses to provide some versatility to your camera phone photos.
Ranging from $20-$40, Camera Phone Lenses break the barriers set forth by the iPhone hardware and built in lens and offer unique capabilities that will make you reconsider taking your DSLR with you on the next trip. Attaching to the iPhone with a uniquely designed magnetic ring, the lenses offer you wide angle/macro or fisheye capabilities. Never thought that could happen with an iPhone now did you?
Apple has, in just one year, made a huge impression in the mobile gaming market, eating up market share once held by larger gaming company companies like Nintendo and Sony. More specifically Sony saw approximately half it’s market share drop from 20% to 11% as Apple’s mobile platform, especially with the release of iOS4, saw a rise of 5% to 19% from 2008 to 2009 alone as reported by the AppleInsider.
It appears as if Sony is now charging headlong into the mobile phone industry by creating a hybrid gaming phone based on the design of the current PSP Go. This would support the rumors that Sony was looking to make a move into the mobile phone market, but perhaps the numbers above have forced their hand a little prematurely.
According to AppleInsider, the phone would be based on Android 3.0 (aka Gingerbread) and use “PSP-like” controls instead of the standard QWERTY keyboards. It’s being more specifically described as a combination of the Samsung Captivate and the PSP Go. I’ll let your minds create the product.
Sony would definitely be playing a game of catch up in this space since Apple is already working on creating an iOS4 centralized gaming hub that would contain leader boards, track friends, and build an entire social community around their gamers. Add to that the fact that Apple has been rumored to purchase a Chinese game making company into the mix and there is no doubt that Apple is looking to eat up market share very quickly.
I can see how Sony would be threatened by this considering that the PSP, while nice in style, has not come close to outselling or matching the long time champion of mobile gaming, Nintendo. As for Nintendo, while they are sitting high on the mountain, Apple has proven that they can indeed make a splash in the market. We saw it with mp3 players, we saw it with the iPhone, more recently tablets, and now perhaps a gaming system.
Nielsen Wire created a complete report about the current smartphone share. Where we can find some discernible results like: iPhone is the most desired device, but with other not so much expected saying that Android is the OS with the most expansion.
Some of the most important remarks we can find in this report:
Smartphones represent 25% of the US mobile market- The prediction says that by the end of 2011, smartphones will overtake feature phones.
- Android represents the OS with the highest growth in the market.
- In the last 6 months, Android took 27% of the new smartphone users; iPhone “only” had 23%.
- iPhone users are the most loyal: 89% say that the their next device will be an iPhone as well.
- 29% of BlackBerry owners want an iPhone next.
Here are some of the graphs about this report:
Apple introduced a new patent for what could be an upcoming product: The Smart Bike. This news appeared in “Patently Apple” site, where included also several screenshots about this new patent of a bicycle that could connect with several devices; plus some other benefits.
This smart bike will use and provide several features, take a quick look:
The system could include bicycle, sensors, display, and electronic device (iPod or iPhone).- Just as in the Nike + iPod program, the user will be able to map their own bike courses on a map or view bike courses of other riders if you’re looking for a particular path in respect to distance or difficulty.
- The sensors, display and electronic device could communicate via communications network; which covers GPRS, CDMA, EV-DO, EDGE, 3GSM, DECT, IS-136/TDMA, iDen, LTE and/or others.
- The sensors could detect any suitable metric related to the use of the bicycle including for example speed, pace, acceleration, distance, time, incline, decline, altitude, torque, power generated, cadence, gear and derailleur settings, heart rate, calories burned, weather, and temperature.
- iPhone or iPod could be used to automatically or in response to a user instruction, record video, audio, or take photographs reflecting the course, and geo-tag the generated media for publishing.
The name iBike does not appear in the patent, but it sure sounds like a cool name.
Betta IT Solutions is presenting a new iPhone product, this time oriented for the baby market: The Baby Monitor iPhone App; which we can use it with a camera to keep an eye on those little ones.
The baby monitors products are definitely not new in the current market, but this is the first time an iPhone app is involved. The iPhone app cost is U$S39, and no, does not include the camera.
What do you need besides the app? A camera compatible with this app; the compatibility options should include: IP camera, Infrared, 2 way audio, iPhone compatible, 3G.
But we can also buy the official Baby Monitor camera, which is the recommended (of course), option for this site. The cost of this camera is U$S139, again, not exactly cheap but with tons of features which you can check them in the official site.
The general specs of this app are:
- Digital monitoring eliminating all static noise common to baby monitors.
- Two way audio enabling you to hear everything and speak to anyone looking after your baby live
- Infrared low Lux night monitoring (minimum illumination: 0.5Lux @ F2.0)
- Pan and tilt camera movement controlled from iPhone
- Take snap shot photos anytime and save to your photos
- Record by movement sensor option
- Sound muting option both ways
- Lifetime support
The release of the iPhone 4 has not been without it’s fair share of criticism. Like any product launch the pros and cons are quickly established and shared in review after review after review. Still cons for any device should never be something that should have been addressed during production. This was the case with the iPhone 4 reception when holding it with your left hand. Due to the positon of the hand and the placement of the antenna, reception quickly worsened to one or no bars left on the device. This quickly created frustration and prompted an email to Steve Jobs where he essentially stated “just dont’ hold it like that.”
The callous remark seemed to many to be the official “screw you all” from the company that created the very device that everyone has been waiting with much anticipation for. In all seriousness the matter is not just about how you hold the phone, it has to do with left handed persons the world over not being able to adequately interface with their mobile devices.
Recently it seems as if Apple’s tone on the issue might be changing as it was recently reported by AppleInsider that Apple has posted five NEW positions, all dealing with antenna projects. Could this be the apparently elusive answer for Apple to set things straight. What seemed so apparent to us (just fix the damn thing) is now being taken seriously with the current posting.
“The listings, including three positions for an “Antenna Engineer – iPad/iPhone” and two for an “iPhone OTA Wireless Systems Engineer,” join nine other open positions related to antenna design and testing for iOS devices, with the oldest dating back to last summer.” – AppleInsider
Now officially Apple is not saying there is any product defect. As a matter of fact customers calling into the AppleCare hotline are being told that “gripping almost any mobile phone in certain areas will reduce its reception. This is true of the iPhone 4, the iPhone 3GS, and many other phones we have tested. It is a fact of life in the wireless world.”
Shifty responses to the public outcry or honest response with regards to the world of mobile devices. A case could be made either way, perhaps the cusp of this issue was in how it was handled initially from Steve Jobs himself. Would his handling of the situation made any difference in how this story is playing out?
Armor Games developed what they have called the game where it’s guaranteed you will fail; the name, of course, is The World’s Hardest Game.
The rules are simple: You are the red square starting in the initial green area, and you will need to get to the second green area passing some blue dots, trying of course not to be touched by any of them. Believe you me, the game is HARD… for real, really really HARD. Give it a try here.
They say also that there are 30 levels, but I really want to know these guys who can actually complete the first level.
Interesting notes about this game:
Mahalo has put together a great infographic that highlights the differences between the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 3GS.
Bheestie saves your wet digital devices.
If it has not happened to you, it’s happened to someone you know. A piece of digital technology that has somehow found its way into the sink, the toilet, dropped in a puddle, gotten wet in your bag, thrown in the sink, or any myriad of situations. As a former restaurant manager I’ve even seen phones fall out of shirt pockets into the mop bucket. The fear that grips your gut and prevents you from breathing is real as you scramble to retrieve your device. Most would consider it a total loss. Some of us are familiar with the rumor of tossing it into a container of rice to absorb the moisture (it really does work). Now there is an alternative…
REI is introducing the BHEESTIE, the super absorbant pouch which will capture all the moisture from your soaking device and hopefully return it to working order. For $20 it serves as the ultimate back-up plan for those of us that are accident prone. Even if you’re not, it would be nice to have one of these handy for those rare occasions when something does happen.
The BHEESTIE is reusable, lasting up to a year if the bag is resealed after use. It may not save your laptop, but it works great for PDA’s, iPhone, Mp3 players, watches, and other smaller electronic devices. There’s no guarantee that your device will be in full working order, but it’s a back-up plan, and it’s better than nothing. The bag has an indicator when it’s absorbed the moisture, and if you’re device is extremely soaked, it may shorten the lifespan of the pouch.
