Showing posts with label ipod. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ipod. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Apple iPod Event Details
By Benedict Wee
Here are the details of Apple's Rock and Roll Event.
iTunes 9
- 30,000 Ringtones for iPhones available in the iTunes store. US$1.29 each.
- Home Sharing: Copy songs, movies and TV shows amongst 5 computers in your house.
- iTunes LP: Flip though photos and individual songs which display lyrics directly in iTunes. Custom video interviews.
- iTunes Extras: DVD-like content for movies such as commentary and interactive menus.
- "Cleaner" looking iTunes Store.
- App Organization: Arrange apps the same way you do on your iPhone/iPod Touch.
- iTunes 9 is available today.
- Phil (Schiller) just compared games from the iTunes Store with the ones available on the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP. Ignorant prick, quantity is not quality.
iPhone and iPod Touch Games
- Assassin's Creed 2: Discovery. Side-scrolling action.
- Riddim Ribbon. DJ music-mixing.
- Nova. First-person shooter with multiplayer via Bluetooth or WiFi.
- EA titles: Madden, Need for Speed Shift, Command and Conquer and NBA Live.
New iPod Touches
- 8GB for US$199/NZ$286.
- 32GB for US$299/NZ$430.
- 64GB for US$399/NZ$574.
- 32GB and 64GB versions will be 50% faster and run OpenGL ES 2.0, the same as the iPhone 3GS.
New iPod Classic
-160GB for US$249/NZ$358.
New iPod Shuffles
- New colors: Black, silver, pink, green and blue.
- 2GB for US$59/NZ$85.
- 4GB for US$79/NZ$114.
- 4GB Special Edition made of polished steel. US$99/NZ$142.
New iPod Nano
- Camera for video.
- Microphone.
- FM Radio.
- Voiceover.
- 8GB for US$149/NZ$241.
- 16GB for US$179/NZ$257.
(Note: The NZ$ shown is based on a direct currency conversion of the US dollar. Expect the prices of the iPods to be higher.)
Source:
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Apple iPod Event On September 9 Instead.
By Benedict WeeMea culpa. Looks like the invitation I posted was last year's one.
This year's iPod even will be held on the 9th of September instead of the 5th, look for iPod Touches with cameras then.
Source:
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Danger! iPhone/iPod Touch Firmware 3.0 Email Security Flaw
By Benedict Wee
If you're using your iPhone/iPod Touch to manage your emails and you got the latest firmware upgrade (3.0) you might want to try this out.
- Delete an email with a subject line you can remember.
- Go to your trash and empty it as well so the particular email is truly "gone".
- Exit to the main Home screen and go to the Spotlight Search page on the left screen.
- Type in the words from the subject line.
- Watch in amazement as the email gets resurrected from oblivion.
This flaw in the system is so easy to exploit anyone can do it. All your private emails could be read by anyone!
Here's a video of how it works:
Let's chalk this one up to another reason why you shouldn't be using the iPhone for business purposes.
Source:
Monday, August 17, 2009
TomTom For iPhone Now Out In NZ App Store
By Benedict Wee
We've got an early surprise. There have been no announcements made yet about the popular navigation service but you can now download the TomTom application from the New Zealand App Store.
The maps/services are charged by region:
- New Zealand : NZ$119.99
- Australia : NZ$104.99
- Western Europe : NZ$179.99
- US & Canada : NZ$124.99
It seems that we're the first in the world to get this application. Whoo Hoo.
Source:
MacRumors - TomTom For iPhone Appears In New Zealand App Store
Monday, August 10, 2009
Apple Backlash: Jason Calacanis Gives Up On Apple
By Benedict Wee
High-profile US internet entrepreneur and co-founder of Weblogs, Inc. Jason Calacanis has publicly announced the end of his 6 year relationship with Apple.
"Over the last 12-18 months, my love affair with Apple has waned. Steve Job's peculiar, rigidly closed, and severe worldview have started to cramp my style.""Steve's a great guy, and the love affair has been wonderful, but I'm starting to look past him and back to Microsoft for a more healthy relationship that is less-wait for it-anti-competitive in nature"
The astute businessman (whose first company was part of the dot-com era and who managed to capitalize on the growth of blogs) admitted that he used to buy every product (sometimes twice, for his wife) Apple made and was more than willing to over-pay for the premium price tag but has now decided that the company has turned into the monster they've depicted their competitor -Microsoft- to be.
Jason likened it to Apple's famous 1984 television advertisement where an Olympian (symbolizing Apple) destroyed a giant television displaying a dictator (symbolizing Microsoft) brainwashing the masses except now the person on the screen is Apple and the Olympian, the open-source movement.
Jason highlighted the 5 main reasons why he is giving up on Apple:
- They've destroyed MP3 player innovation through anti-competitive practices such as not allowing iTunes to sync with other players (which they allowed before) except their own high-priced iPods which possess limited features like the lack of a radio tuner. The public acceptance of this knowledge is a double standard as Microsoft wouldn't be able to get away with the same antics with their Zune player.
- The second reason is their monopolistic practices in telecommunications where their iPhone is only sold by one telco provider in the US. This practice happens on our shores as well with Vodafone being the only company selling the iPhone in New Zealand.
- The third reason is their draconian App Store policies that force developers into making applications that are creatively limited. Apple's excuse of restriction in order to protect a telco's network holds no water as there are other open phones in public today and networks are still standing. This is also a double standard against Microsoft as they won't be allowed the same freedom with Windows.
- The fourth reason is their hypocrisy by banning other mobile browsers with better functions like Opera on the iPhone despite criticizing Microsoft's early attempts at including Internet Explorer on Windows.
- The last reason is the Google Voice debacle to which Jason remarks: "This point is similar to the browser issue, in that Apple wants to own almost every extension of the iPhone platform. How long before Apple decides to ban a Twitter client in favor of an Apple Twitter-like product?"
Although not a proponent of government regulation like I am, Jason predicts that Apple will face a self-inflicted revolt when Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6.5 & 7 joins Google's Android in offering cheap, stable and open devices/smartphones to the market. He then sates the two cardinal rules about making great technology: 'Don't be evil' and 'Never get high on your own supply' from Scarface before asking questions that us consumers should think about:
1) Do you think Apple would be more, or less, successful if they adopted a more open strategy? (i.e. allowing other MP3 players in iTunes)
2) Do you think Apple should face serious antitrust action (the way Microsoft has experienced for years now)?
3) Do you think Apple's dexterity and competence forgive their bad behavior?
Source:
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Google CEO Steps Down From Apple Board
By Benedict WeeWell it was bound to happen.
3 years ago, Google CEO Eric Schmidt accepted a seat on the Apple's Board of Directors in what was thought by many to be an alliance against Microsoft. As the years passed, Google became a powerhouse unto itself with their heavy presence on web-based interfaces and the introduction of the Android mobile operating system, finally accumulating in their announcement of the computer OS; Chrome. They represented a whole new model of computing that neither Apple nor Microsoft subscribed to yet was gaining popularity from the masses.
I suppose it got pretty awkward for Eric at Apple as Google started to pose a real threat to them. Apple, being the closed and highly protective company that they are then began to act out against Google with inane requests such as requiring that Latitude be made a web app instead of a native one.
The situation finally exploded when Apple's App Store rejected the official Google Voice app and pulled all apps that had the Google Voice function, resulting in enough complaints by iPhone/iPod Touch users and developers (and probably Google) for the US government to step in and questions all parties concerned.
So it makes sense that Eric would step down from the board to prevent any further conflict of interests. Apple's statement on Eric stepping down does not directly address the Google Voice debacle but it talks about how it would be impossible for him to remain with the company.
We've always known this would happen and it makes sense that it does now. The battle lines have been drawn and it's Microsoft vs. Apple vs. Google
Source:
Monday, August 3, 2009
iPod Touch 'Splode, Go Boom.
By Benedict Wee
We've got a China employee committing suicide, public denouncement of the iPhone by tech-celebrities, getting investigated by the US Government for being an asswipe, vulnerable iPhone security issues, crazy statements about cell towers crashing and now, an iPod Touch explodes.
Now we've all heard issues about iPhones overheating and causing minor burns or discoloration to the white plastic models but to explode?! That is a new one.
It all happened in Liverpool, UK when 47 year old Ken Stanborough dropped his 11 year old daughter's iPod Touch, it then made a hissing noise and vapor started to appear. He threw it out his back door before it popped and flew 10 feet into the air.
He then called Apple and was shot around different departments before talking to an executive who later denied any responsibility but offered a refund in exchange for their soul. Well, not soul exactly but it was a gagging order which would prevent Ken, his wife and his daughter from ever speaking about this matter under a threat of legal action.
162 GBP/NZ$409 for a lifetimes sentence of silence was not worth it so Ken declined. He also thought the wording on the letter by Apple stating the terms and conditions of the refund was pretty disturbing.
The paper which reported this story also mentions that it was revealed last week that Apple was trying to silence stories of iPod players burning their owners.
They also talked about how a reporter in the US had difficulty obtaining 800 pages worth of documentation on safety issues regarding Apple's products as their lawyers kept filing exemptions. This despite the Freedom of Information Act which allows the public the right to obtain information held by public authorities. In March this year a boy suffered burns when an iPod Touch allegedly exploded in his pocket.
In Japan, the government has warned that iPod Nanos provided a potential fire risk with 14 cases documented of players bursting into flame and two people suffering minor burns.
Well now, a Zii Egg anyone?
Source:
Microsoft Talks About Porting iPhone Apps To Windows Mobile
By Benedict WeeThe whole "Apple is being a jerk to developers and iPhone users to the point that the US Government has to step in" situation has given one of their potentially greatest threats an opening salvo in the smartphone application wars.
Microsoft's Windows Mobile Blog has written an informative and helpful article for developers about porting iPhone applications to the Windows Marketplace. Using a case study, it features developer Luke Thompson's experience in converting his Amplitude application from an iPhone App to a Windows Mobile one.
The article talks about the relative ease in porting the application using developer-friendly tools such as Visual Studio 2008 by Microsoft and by reading helpful programing sites like Code Gallery and The Code Project. It also took a quick jab at Apple by talking about how the iPhone does not allow applications to run in the background (apps are closed when you exit them) while Microsoft requires it.
You can follow Luke's porting journey here.
Source:
Windows Mobile Blog - Ready To Port Your iPhone App to Windows Mobile?
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Apple Backlash: An Example Of Apple's Ludicrous iPhone App Policy
By Benedict WeeTo add to their "Let's screw people cause we can" list, Apple wants the developers who made apps that have been pulled from the App Store to give refunds to the people who bought them.
Kevin Duerr and his team Riverturn (creators of the VoiceCentral app which has a Google Voice function and hence got pulled by Apple without explanation) talked to MacLife on Friday and explained how the lack of communication and the issue of the refunds have left a bad taste in their mouth.
“Apple made it impossible for our customers to receive the fixes, updates, and support by pulling the app. We were fulfilling our end of the bargain. Why should those refunds come out of our pocket?” says Duerr. “The refund issue and lack of respect for our mutual customers has further soured us on the belief that Apple cares at all about their developers … other than the dollars they bring in.”
Kevin also elaborated on the lack of any communication from Apple, only finding out that there was a problem when a potential customer emailed the team complaining that any attempts to purchase the app was met with an error message. Kevin thought it was just the occasional glitch and passed it off as such until a competitor posted a similar situation on his blog.
After days of emailing the various channels available at Apple, Kevin received a call from them "explaining" (used in a very liberal sense) the situation. Richard (from Apple) told them that their app was pulled because "it duplicated features of the iPhone... causing confusion in the user community". When Kevin then gave similar apps that duplicated iPhone features Richard replied that he couldn't discuss the other apps.
Richard also refused to provide any information that would make the VoiceCentral app compliant with Apple's newly-enforced policy or suggesting any avenues in Apple that would be able to help them. To visit the bizarre conversation Kevin had with Richard (who I honestly think is a robot) you can visit their blog here.
Till now, Kevin has not managed to attain any sliver of information about his dead application or how he should proceed with Apple.
Let this be a lesson to those app developers out there, Apple thinks you guys live on air. If you don't however and need to make an actual living developing, there's always Android, WebOS (for the Palm Pre), BlackBerry, Symbian and Windows Mobile (you could win a Surface!) that provide better developer support and an all-round positive experience.
Source:
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Apple Backlash! Tech-Celebrities Give Up On The iPhone.
By Benedict Wee
Steven Frank, Mac fanboy and co-founder of well known OS X development house Panic is giving up his iPhone.
The well-known developer wrote about his frustration over Apple's dismissive and biased attitude towards application developers of the iPhone and iPod Touch, not giving a clear explanation on why an app has been rejected from the store or pulling one that they've already approved before. App developers have been complaining about Apple's schizophrenic policy since day one of the app store's launch as they've put a lot of work into creating the applications but it wasn't till the company's latest fiasco that Steven decided enough was enough.
That fiasco being Apple's rejection of the official Google Voice app and the pulling of all other third-party apps that contained the Google Voice function which were already approved and in the app store.
Google Voice is Google's latest service which allows users to have a personal Google phone number that is not tied to any telco. The user has all of his/her contacts call that Google number while determining where a particular contact is allowed to be connected to.
The user can also make free calls by calling their own Google number and then inserting the number of the person that they want to call.
This new service is currently available only in the US and can be downloaded by Android and BlackBerry smartphones.
Steven downplayed AT&T's (the exclusive carrier of the iPhone in the US) culpability in forcing Apple to remove the apps by stating that they sell BlackBerries which can download the Google Voice application.
Despite being the rejected as a native application, Google Voice is still accessible by going though the iPhone's Safari browser. This is the same route iPhone owners have to go through to access Google Latitude as requested by Apple. This did not provide any solace for the frustrated developer of the Google Voice app however and he has released the application on the unofficial app store Cydia, available on jailbroken iPhones.
Steven also highlights that Apple still allows apps that let iPhone users send free texts to remain in the store. He also says that it is not only the developers who suffer from Apple's authoritarianism, but the iPhone users who are missing out on the great software available to other smartphone users.
Steven is not the only well known tech-celebrity to publicly denounce his iPhone.
Popular technology blog founder -TechCrunch- and creator of the Crunchpad web tablet Michael Arrington has also revealed in a post today that he is terminating his contract with AT&T and switching his iPhone to a myTouch 3G (a.k.a the HTC Magic). His reason: also not being able to use Google Voice.
Michael's public announcement was supported by sentiments of the readers who agree with his reasons as well as rival tech blog Gizmodo, who have also condemned Apple's approval process.
Steven is switching to a Palm Pre and he has sworn off buying any gadgets that carry the iPhone OSX (including the rumored Apple Tablet) and it is only a matter of time before the news of more people giving up the iPhone for similar reasons spreads.
Is the company that created the iPhone able to survive the seemingly unending PR nightmare? How long will the house of Apple stand before it comes crumbling down?
Source:
TechCrunch - I Quit The iPhone
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Apple Tablet News/Rumor Roundup: New Release Date Is September, New iTunes Markets, Toshiba Makes A Comment
By Benedict Wee
Let's add to the list of tablet rumors shall we? Gizmodo reports that the Financial Times has information that Apple is trying to launch the their tablets the same time as the new iPod Touches in September. It makes sense as the OCD-ness of Apple would want only two scheduled launch dates in the year (one in middle and one during the holidays).
To further back up this new rumor, CrunchGear reports that Toshiba will ramp up their production of flash memory chips during the month of August to 90%. Apple buys their memory from Toshiba so it makes sense that the increase in orders point in the direction to Apple's portables. But we don't know how many exactly they are ordering so it could just be memory for the new iPod Touches only.
The Financial Times also reports that Apple is in talks with record labels regarding a secret project code-named: "Cocktail" which will provide a full CD's worth of music instead of the current pick-a-track model on iTunes. The companies named in the project thus far are EMI, Sony Music, Warner Music and Universal Music Group.
This report follows the other rumor that the Apple Tablet will come with a Book Marketplace that will allow you to download books (what else?) at a cheaper price (since it doesn't use paper) to your tablet. E-book readers like the Amazon Kindle are hot gadgets in the US now so it makes sense that Apple would want a piece of that pie.
Source:
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Apple Tablet Due Next Year
By Benedict WeeCredible sources from the Apple camp have commented that the long rumored Apple Tablet will be hitting the market in the 1st quarter of next year. The tablet is said to be 10 inches and shaped like a jumbo iPod Touch and more interestingly, support a 3G connection. This would mean that that telcos could also be selling the tablet with a subsidy when singing up for a mobile broadband plan.
The Apple Tablet rumor has been wafting around the internet for as long as 2 years. The reason it took so long for the device to actually reach its final form might be due to big-boss Steve Jobs' perfectionism towards Apple products, causing the project to be restarted over and over when it did not meet his expectations. This is reflected in their current line of devices which have been mostly met with positive reviews.
The price of the tablet is said to be somewhere in between that of a high-end iPhone (US$599/NZ$913.18), and their most affordable MacBook Pro (US$999/NZ$1522.98). There is speculation that the tablet might also be named "MacBook" as all current Apple notebooks are now named under the "MacBook Pro" line.
The launch of the Apple Tablet might provide an alternative (and perhaps better valued) choice to its line of portable gadgets available to Kiwis as the current high-end iPhone sold by Vodafone - the 32GB iPhone 3GS- currently retails for NZ$1379.
Forex: US$1 = NZ$1.52
Source:
Friday, July 24, 2009
Google Latitude On The iPhone Is A Web App Because "Users Get Confused Easily"
By Benedict Wee
Google has released Latitude -their location-based network- for the iPhone and iPod Touches. Unfortunately it's not a downloadable application you can get from the iTunes store but a web application which you will have to launch via the Safari web browser.
It doesn't really matter though, since you can't run applications in the background of your iPhone anyway (Apple doesn't allow it). That means you'll have to fire up the application every time you want to use it which in turn, makes it impossible to provide continuous background updates unlike BlackBerry, Android, Symbian and Windows Mobile enabled phones which can.
Installing the web app is easy. Just go to http://www.google.com/intl/en_nz/latitude/intro.html using Safari and create an icon by pressing the bookmarks button (the "+" sign).
If you're wondering why the application isn't native (downloadable from the iTunes store) or integrated to the maps application of your iPhone/iPod Touch, it is because Apple thought it might confuse users says a Google representative:
"We worked closely with Apple to bring Latitude to the iPhone in a way Apple thought would be best for iPhone users. After we developed a Latitude application for the iPhone, Apple requested we release Latitude as a web application in order to avoid confusion with Maps on the iPhone, which uses Google to serve maps titles."
I'm going to go out on a limb and say iPhone users are smarter than that and Apple is being kinda patronizing.
Source:
iPod Cases Are Legion, For They Are Many
By Benedict Wee
How do you confirm a rumor about a yet-to-be announced gadget?
Look to China for cases of said gadget. The more similar the cases, the more the rumors are true.
Cult of Mac, the tech website for all things Apple has photos of bazillions (not really, but it is a lot) of ipod cases for the new Touch and Nano due to be announced in September with camera holes in them.
As previously speculated, the Touch's camera will be situated in the top-middle of the player which will differentiate it from the iPhone 3GS which has theirs on the top-corner.
The camera on the Nano is put in a slightly different place however. Located on the bottom left, the iPod will need to be rotated horizontally so it'll resemble a digital camera. Makes sense as the Nano's display would turn into a widescreen when turned on its side.
The case industry is a thriving one in China and it's not only for media players. Handhelds like the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP, all manner of mobile phones, digital cameras and even notebooks have their own cases. They range from cheap silicone and acrylic ones to the more up-market brands like Griffin and Case-mate.
The badly-kept secret of the iPod cameras is due primarily to the China case manufactures getting the specs of the new media players early. This is because consumers are more likely to buy the cases along with the iPods rather than a couple of months later which is what would happen if the case manufacturers got the details as the announcements were made.
In keeping with the Apple pricing structure, expect the cost of the iPod Touch/Nano to remain the same (NZ$249-NZ$659) while the storage space doubles and the new features are added.
Source:Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Updated Rumor: iPod Touches To Have Cameras and Microphones
By Benedict Wee
A well-connected source has told Wired that Apples factories in China have already begun manufacturing iPod Touch models with integrated cameras and microphones. These iPods are expected to hit in a couple of months during Apples second annual announcement of upgrades to its line of products.
The inclusion of a microphone to the iPod Touch might mean a huge shift in the way we do voice communications. With apps like fring that already provide voice-over-IP and Skype due to be released soon, future iPod Touch users would be able to make calls whenever WiFi is available just like iPhone users. So this means not needing a home phone line and the ability to call overseas for cheap. You could even use the WiFi available in public places like the library to make calls.
Adding this function to the camera (which will be able to take pictures and video) and you'll have an all-in-one multimedia device costing from $389 to $659. A significant price gap between them and the $1179 and $1379 iPhone 3GS Vodafone is asking for.
Source:
Friday, July 17, 2009
Resident Evil 4 For iPhone Soon
By Benedict WeeCapcom announced yesterday that the mobile version of their popular survival horror game will be released for iPhones in Japan via the App Store at the end of the month with the rest of the world to follow soon.
Resident Evil 4 marked a significant change in the RE series when they introduced an over-the-shoulder shooting style gameplay, a vast improvement to its previous "tank controls" interface. This gave the series a new lease of life and was highly acclaimed by both gamers and critics to the point that it spawned Playstation 2 and Wii iterations in addition to the original GameCube version. The new Resident Evil 5 game for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 also uses the same game controls.
A video of Resident Evil 4 on the iPhone was leaked earlier in the week.
Source:
Capcom - Twitter
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Rumor: new ipods to have cameras (Update)
By Benedict Wee
TechCrunch's sources in Asia have reported that Apple has ordered a significantly large amount of cameras, the same ones that they use in the iPhone which will go into future ipods. This rumor is based on the size of the order which fits the number of ipods manufactured in its annual cycle.
To strengthen the rumor, MacRumors.com has pictures of massively produced (and cheap-looking) ipod cases with a hole in the back, an obvious feature for a camera lens.
Update: More cases have resurfaced though the camera hole is in a different position. It's still not determined where the lens would be should the rumor be true but it's not stopping those manufacturers in China from making them and poking random holes.
Inserting a camera is a logical step for Apple since the iPod Touches already possess most of the functionality of the iPhone. By having this added feature, Apple could pose a credible threat to the digital camera and portable camcorder industry which caters mostly to the regular "not a photographer" public.
Now all they need to do is insert a GPS and a compass and we'll have a much cheaper alternative to the iPhone 3GS.
Sources:
TechCrunch - Prepare yourself for iPod Video
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