Search results matching tag 'iPhone'

RE: Ballmer Confiscates iPhone at Microsoft Annual Meeting

mhenriday — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:09:26 GMT

That must indeed have been a real dilemma for Mr Ballmer - a choice between getting his picture taken with a competitors product (imagine what would have happened if the offending camera had been found on an Android !) or not getting it taken, which from what I understand, would not be an appealing alternative to a man with Mr Ballmer's need for the limelight. Presumably he resolved it by seeing to it that several photos were taken of him «stomping» on the phone....

Henri

Foxconn Officlal Disciplined Over iPhone Suicide

News — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:28:25 GMT

In the wake of a story about a Foxconn worker committing suicide after an iPhone prototype he was responsible for was lost, Foxconn's parent company Hon Hai has suspended a security official.

Sun Tanyong, 25, an employee at Foxconn, reportedly committed suicide by jumping off his dormitory roof on July 16th after one of the 16 iPhone prototypes he was assigned to mail went missing. He had reportedly been subjected to rather heavy-handed tactics and searches.

Bloomberg reports that the official has been identified only by the surname "Gu."

Foxconn Factory

In a statement, Hon Hai said it offered condolences to Sun’s family, and noted that Foxconn did not authorize anyone to violate the law.

Apple commented on the matter on Tuesday, with a spokesperson saying:

“We are saddened by the tragic loss of this employee. We require that our suppliers treat all workers with dignity and respect.”

However, many know that what companies that outsource to Asia and other low-wage countries require is not necessarily what they get. It's also the case that what some companies say they require is not really what they require.

iPhoneys Looking Impressively iPhone-ish

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 04:14:42 GMT

When Japan first started to produce goods, many said they marveled at how well Japan could copy things. Now many such knock-offs come from China. In terms of the iPhone, such replicas could easily spotted. Now, not so much.

A consumer delivered a device to MacMedics that he had purchased from eBay. While at first glance it sure looks like an iPhone, when running it sure isn't Apple-like: sluggish, clunky, and with an Apple logo on the back, a counterfeit rather than a clone.

Even the box looks pretty iPhone-ish. MacMedics said in the video below:

“As you can see it looks xactly like an iPhone. It does not work very well, and when it does work it is incredibly slow.

It comes with some weird accessories that should clue you into fake-ness. A dock (which Apple does not provide), a stylus (same), the dock even includes a speaker.

Lesson to be learned: don't buy an iPhone from eBay if the deal sounds too good. MacMedics has been asked, in this case, to write a letter to PayPal explaining why we think the "iPhone" is fake. Plenty of reasons, right?

Check out the video below:

(Please visit the site to view this media)

Band Records Entire Song On iPhone, Publishes It

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:52:25 GMT

A vast majority of iPhone applications may end up abandoned, but we know of at least one app that a Los Angeles-based band simply can't do without: FourTrack. As the iPhone continues to push the envelope of what's possible on a smartphone, the band--which goes by 'The 88'--has managed to record an entire track using Apple's smartphone. It's hard to believe, but it's true.

The app, which was crafted by Sonoma Wire Works, sparked an idea to jot down song ideas on the fly, and eventually the band simply used the 14 recorded tracks to create one of their published songs. The single is called "Love Is The Thing," and it's available now in the iTunes music store for $1. A video of the making process is posted below, and those interested to see how it sounds can catch a sample or make a purchase by visiting the band's website. The iPhone as a recording tool? Really, what will it do next?

AT&T won't bad-mouth tethering workaround

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:01:01 GMT

Though AT&T won't officially give you a way to use your iPhone to tether your laptop to an internet connection, it is looking the other way while an iPhone enthusiast has created a workaround.

Good thing too, now that Apple accounts for more than two thirds of all mobile traffic in the United States. According to stats released by AdMob and reported on by Electronista , in April iPhone requests accounted for 59 percent of mobile web traffic. In May? A whopping 69 percent. BlackBerries were 13 percent and Android 7 percent. And that was before the new iPhones came out, even.

Source: Admob report

So the workaround posted by Austrian blogger Benjamin Miller (his site's all in German) comes none too soon.

The good folks at PCMag.com managed to translate the directions on how to get to the tethering workaround, though, which is usable whether you connect your phone to the laptop via USB or Bluetooth:

To access, go to help.benm.at/help.php on your iPhone, and a mobile site created by Miller will pop up. Scroll down to "Tethering & Internet Settings" and click download. Select your country and then your provider and an install button will appear.

Once installed, return to the home page, and go to Settings > General > Network > Internet tethering. Turn on tethering and a pop-up window will let you choose between Bluetooth and USB only.

If you're using a USB, plug it into your Mac or PC and the computer will auto-detect the iPhone. Select your connection and you should be online.

AT&T wouldn't give an official thumb up to Miller's workaround, but also, notably, refused to say anything bad about it.

"We do not yet offer tethering on the iPhone ... [and] we do not guarantee the performance of any app we don't offer," AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel told PCMag.com. AT&T does, however, support tethering on the BlackBerry.

Outside the U.S., the iPhone and iPod Touch have snagged 50 percent of mobile requests, according to AdMob, while Nokia's Symbian phones dropped to 32 percent, BlackBerry to 7 percent and Windows Mobile to 4 percent.

AT&T says it will offer tethering on the iPhone ... sometime.

iPhone 3G S Sells 3 Million, Says Jobs

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:07:34 GMT

Quite a poignant announcement, not because of the content, but because of the messenger. Apple’s money making iPhone franchise has now sold over 1 million iPhone 3G S devices, announced the company today.

Just three days into the iPhone 3GS rat race, Steve Jobs himself - back from a life-threatening health problem - has come forward to announce the record sales and Palm Pre-squashing factoid that the iconic Apple device is an overwhelmingly sales hit.

“Customers are voting and the iPhone is winning,” said Jobs, “With over 50,000 applications available from Apple’s revolutionary App Store, iPhone momentum is stronger than ever.”

The iPhone 3GS starts at $199 for the 16GB version and $299 for the 32GB or even the original iPhone 3G for just $99, but AT&T will own you for two years.

Apple stock should shoot skywards on the announcement today and tomorrow, as the fact that Jobs is back dawns on investors and consumers alike…

"Never-Locked" iPhones Offered by Buy.com

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 03:26:10 GMT

An inventory clearing tactic? Undoubtedly. If you need any more reason to expect a new iPhone this year, here it is. Buy.com is offering "never-locked," meaning not jailbroken and unlocked, but totally legal and updateable, 16GB iPhone 3Gs for the primo price of $799.

The site says there are very few left, however. Here's what else Buy.com says about the "never-locked" version:

The Never Locked iPhone!!

Apple iPhones have typically been locked to only use on the AT&T network, so they are not capable of being used on other GSM carriers such as T-Mobile or for overseas travel.

Hackers were able to break the software to use the iPhone on carriers other than AT&T, but any connection to iTunes or any software updates provided by Apple lock the iPhone and render it useless.

Now the iPhone is available without any locks or restrictions to any GSM carrier.

Also, the Apple guarantee is valid for all never-locked iPhones.

You are now able to:

Connect the iPhone to iTunes

Update the iPhone software when the updates are available from Apple

Purchase apps from the iTunes library or the Apps store on the iPhone

Use AT&T or T-Mobile in the USA Or one of the 30 different GSM carriers all over the US.

Use with any GSM carriers globally

It's unclear if any other retailers will carry these or if Buy.com will get additional stock once they run out. So, if you have a ton of money to waste, er, spend, this might be your only chance.

Ustream Viewing Application is in the Apple App

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 03:51:10 GMT

Those who desperately need to watch tomorrow's inauguration on their iPhone are in luck.

Just in the nick of time, Apple's App Store approved the Ustream iPhone Viewing Application. It's only available in WiFi "to ensure the highest quality broadcast on the iPhone." That may change in the future, the company says.

Of course, it's not only for watching the 44th president take the oath of office. iPhone users will be able to "watch and chat with any Ustream show" via their phone. You can download it here. All sorts of events, from big-time concerts to high school football games (some of which may be at least as popular as a Taylor Swift concert), will be available via Ustream.

Ustream.tv was founded in 2006 to help soldiers overseas more efficiently connect with their families. It's evolved into a way for anyone with a camera to broadcast online. Check out their backstory here.

RE: Apple Blocking iTunes Competition for iPhone?

Dave_HH — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 06:07:50 GMT

I think you better re-read the title of this article, though I'm glad it has spurred such lively discussion. There is a question posed here for all to ponder and no judgment passed per se. Devin poses the question with respect to Apple's resistance to let folks take their music to another machine that they may own or use it with other software. I personally ("full disclosure") own an iPod and feel it's a joke that I can't take the music on it to any other machine or software player I own. I own the machines, I own the music, why can't I play it on any machine/platform I want?

The article is not ridiculous. It's merely exposing the situation as it stands today. However, being blinded to both sides of the equation, that is ridiculous, with such a passionate post like this. If you owned an iPod and experienced some of the limitations first hand, you might realize this.

That said, I buy DRM free music and use that on my iPod (which is a nice player of course) and wherever else I want and don't often buy from the iTunes store, just because of the lack of flexibility.

Fake Calls for the iPhone Rescue Bad Dates

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:33:31 GMT

Ever had a bad blind date? Or, here's a different way of looking at it: have you ever worried about a blind date and set up a call from your friend, just in case it was bad, so that you had an excuse to leave? Well, with Fake Calls, an iPhone app, you don't need to infringe on your friends' spare time any longer.

The idea is the application will simulate a call to your iPhone, and you can customize the time, caller ID, number and more. Of course, the developer doesn't use a bad date as an example, rather an annoying conversation, but come on! This is perfect for bad matchmaking. The developer (Magic Tap) says:

Simulate calls with this great application! Have you ever been in the situation where you need the perfect excuse to get out of the room or step out of an annoying conversation? Easy: Open FakeCalls and within seconds or minutes the application will simulate a fake call. (No real calls are made; this is just simulation. Good news is: you are the only one who knows that!). Then answer the call, decline it or just let the phone ring to fake a missed call.

You can customize caller name or number, time to receive the call, vibration and wallpaper: just go to the Settings icon on your device and find FakeCalls there. It was made in this way so the fake call activation is really just one click.

This could really be a great application for Match.com or eHarmony.com users. Hey, maybe they should partner with those sites (not that those sites would like to advertise bad dates)!

Nicely, Magic Tap also donates 10% of their earnings to charity. Here's the link to the App Store.