TomTom updated to support iPod touch and original iPhone
by Ross Miller 
posted Nov 18th 2009 at 7:09PM
[Thanks, Scott M]
[Thanks, Scott M]
O2 UK gradually rolls out iPhone unlock, forgot to give us the instructions
by Richard Lai posted Nov 17th 2009 at 7:57PM
Last week O2 UK announced that they will start unlocking iPhones while they lose the exclusivity deal with Apple. We signed up straight away (via the link below) and didn't hear anything until today -- just five days after O2 unlocked the first batch of iPhones, according to tweets from fellow users. As you can see in the picture half of our text message from O2 went missing for some reason, but luckily the procedure was easy enough for us to decipher: simply put in a non-O2 SIM card, then connect to iTunes and boom! You can see all this illustrated in the gallery. Sadly we're stuck with O2 for another twelve months, but are there any UK folks here planning to switch carriers soon?
Magellan debuts GPS app / car kit for iPhone and iPod touch
by Donald Melanson posted Nov 17th 2009 at 12:31PM
Magellan's new iPhone navigation app won't do much for the iPod touch on its own, but it looks like the company's forthcoming Premium Car Kit will in fact work just fine with the handheld out of the box, unlike TomTom's similar Car Kit. Otherwise, there aren't exactly a ton of surprises, but the cradle is fully adjustable to accommodate a range of sleeves or cases, and it'll of course also charge your iPhone or iPod touch, and give it some amplified sound courtesy of the built-in speaker. The navigation app itself also seems to be more than ready to challenge the competition, with it boasting spoken street names, NAVTEQ maps, 3D landmarks, in-app music control, a pedestrian mode, and a price tag of $79.99. No word on a price or release date for the cradle just yet, but Magellan says it is "coming soon" -- iPhone users can get the app from the App Store right now.
[Thanks, djphatjive]
[Thanks, djphatjive]
Walky robot understands iPhone gestures, football fanaticism (video)
by Vladislav Savov posted Nov 17th 2009 at 4:19AM
[Via HDBlog.it]
iPhone 'home' button earrings are for serious fangirls (and guys) only
by Laura June posted Nov 16th 2009 at 2:09PM
[Via Make]
iPhone app debuts for plastic surgery enthusiasts
by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 16th 2009 at 12:26PM
Dear reader, we think you're beautiful. We really do. But we hear you've got a "friend" who's been considering some nip / tuck action. Luckily there is now an iPhone app that will let him or her not only peruse the handiwork of a certain Steven M. Denenberg, M.D., of Omaha Nebraska, but it will put your friend in touch with him for a consult, if desired. Providing an important service? That's debatable. Worth the 99 cent price of admission? Probably not. PR after the break.
OnLive demonstrates iPhone app, set to redefine mobile gaming?
by Tim Stevens posted Nov 16th 2009 at 7:21AM
[Via Engadget Spanish]
Keepin' it real fake, part CCXLII: Aphone A6 is all about Android, aping Apple (video)
by Ross Miller posted Nov 16th 2009 at 2:49AM
[Via technabob]
Editorial: Hey, AT&T -- drop lawsuits, not calls
by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 13th 2009 at 1:33PM
- Verbiage on Verizon's site suggests that swaths of its 3G network are still running at EV-DO Rev. 0 speed: false. In fact, 100 percent of Verizon's 3G coverage has been Rev. A since 2007 -- the wording refers to 1xRTT, which is the transport technology in use where EV-DO hasn't been deployed.
- You can't distinguish between EV-DO and 1xRTT on Verizon's coverage map: false. Turns out Verizon has one of the more comprehensive coverage browsers among top-tier carriers. The technologies aren't called out by name, but they're there -- they list compatible features in different coverage zones, ostensibly to reduce customer confusion since your average Joe (not to be confused with our own Joe Flatley) doesn't know or care what "1xRTT" means.
- EDGE approaches the "low end" of EV-DO Rev. A: false. At the top end of the specification, EDGE can theoretically approach 500kbps in a cleanroom environment -- but in reality, it runs at a fraction of that and suffers more severe latency issues in practice (which is sometimes a greater detriment to a mobile web browsing experience than raw speed) than UMTS and EV-DO. Heck, AT&T itself claims 75-135kbps. Meanwhile, we got 823kbps on the downlink in real-world modem use on Verizon's Rev. A.
- AT&T's 3.6Mbps and 7.2Mbps deployments are significantly faster than EV-DO Rev. A: true, but only in theory. We're getting downlink speeds ranging from the low 100s -- yes, 100s -- to the high 800s in Chicago and New York; Chicago's got a trial 7.2Mbps network that's live, but even if we're not connected to it (hard to say), we should still be on 3.6. We seriously have no idea what AT&T's doing behind the scenes with these rollouts, but in urban areas, at least, they're not helping. At all. And that's assuming we can help ourselves from dropping down to EDGE.
- AT&T's service is augmented by the nation's largest WiFi network: we won't even justify that with a rebuttal.
- Verizon's gaming the system by comparing only their 3G networks: the truth hurts, AT&T. Verizon's commercials would have you believe that by comparing only 3G coverage, Verizon wins by a country mile. And guess what? They do. To AT&T's credit, the 3GPP's WCDMA technology path is considerably more advanced and extensible than EV-DO Rev. A is, but beyond UMTS's simultaneous voice / data capability, the end user's experience is pretty similar in day-to-day use. We go where the faster real-world speeds (and the reliable calls) are.
- Verizon is "defending steep losses" with its anti-AT&T, anti-iPhone commercials: false. Verizon added 1.2 million net customers in the most recently reported quarter, excluding acquisitions.
- LTE is "still years away from viable use" on Verizon: false. They'll have 20-30 markets commercially live in 2010, which is 20-30 more than AT&T will have. It's not nationwide coverage by a long shot, but it gives the carrier a notable lead in the 4G transition since AT&T has sparsely detailed its LTE plans and isn't expected to go live with any markets until 2011 at the earliest.
So listen, AT&T, we're sorry Verizon made you upset, but the solution's actually pretty simple: compete. Fix your network, keep scoring hot exclusives, and get hungry again -- because in a year or two, no one's going to give a damn that you used to have an exclusive on the iPhone.
NASA turns iPhone into chemical sensor, can an App Store rejection be far away?
by Tim Stevens posted Nov 13th 2009 at 7:36AM
Update: George Yu, a developer who wrote this implementation for Jing Li, commented to let us know that the choice to go with the iPhone was made because it was "cool," but he soon realized that choice was a "horrible mistake." We're guessing that could have something to do with an apparent lack of wireless coverage at Ames if the above screenshot is anything to go by.
Gallery: NASA iPhone sensor
[Via Gizmodo]
PhoneSuit Primo adds extra juice, minimal bulk to your iPhone / iPod
by Donald Melanson posted Nov 13th 2009 at 3:56AM
We were suitably impressed by Mophie's Juice Pack Air extended battery / iPhone case when we got a chance to try one out earlier this year, but if you're looking for an extended battery without the case you might want to consider this new Primo micro battery pack form PhoneSuit. Designed for use with various iPods in addition to the iPhone, this one packs an 800mAh battery inside its tiny enclosure, which promises to add up to 45 hours of music playback time to your iPod, or up to three hours of extra talk time to your iPhone 3G. Better still, it has a fairly reasonable price tag of $35, or you can snag a three-pack for $89.95 if you like to be extra prepared (or are looking for a few stocking stuffers). We'll also be checking this one out ourselves shortly, so stay tuned to see if it actually lives up to its claims.
TomTom to bring free lane guidance, text-to-speech, iPod control to iPhone GPS app
by Darren Murph posted Nov 12th 2009 at 12:12PM
Facebook app developer rejects App Store, irony ensues
by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 12th 2009 at 11:03AM
We always said that if Apple's arbitrary, inconsistent, and quite frankly baffling approval process didn't get straightened out soon, the defections were going to pick up pace -- and what do we have here? Joe Hewitt, the developer of the well-loved and highly regarded Facebook iPhone app, has flipped the script and rejected the App Store. And, as you'd expect, our man is not mincing his words, stating that his "decision to stop iPhone development has had everything to do with Apple's policies," and that he's "philosophically opposed to the existence of their review process." While Hewitt can't comment on specific future projects (he's still at Facebook, but the app itself has been handed off to another developer) he has mentioned that he'll be devoting his time to web development for mobile devices. As you know, there is no approval process for the world wide web (which is apparent if you've spent any time on Geocities back in the day). Way to give 'em hell, Joe!
[Via TUAW]
[Via TUAW]
Apple lets devs bite their nails in real time as iPhone apps navigate approval process
by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 11th 2009 at 8:11PM
iPhone gets live Sky Mobile TV, O2 offering 3 months' free access
by Vladislav Savov posted Nov 11th 2009 at 4:23AM
[Via Daily Telegraph]
Read - Sky Mobile TV launches on App Store
Read - O2 Sky Mobile TV 3 months free offer
