Sep 5, 2010
Yes, That's a Horse Inside an Apple Store
Sep 4, 2010
The Struggle To Find Where The Sticky Tape Begins Could Be Over
The V-Tape concept design is pretty basic. It's just a plain ol' roll of tape with a little v-shaped cut along one edge. Thanks to that cut, you'll tear off the tape in the same spot each time and know where to find the end.
Sep 3, 2010
Steve Jobs on iTunes 10 Icon Lambasting: "We Disagree"
Kopac:
Jobs:Steve,Enjoyed the presentation today. But…this new iTunes logo really sucks. You're taking 10+ years of instant product recognition and replacing it with an unknown. Let's both cross our fingers on this…
Well, I must admit that I completely agree with Steve Jobs and disagree with Joshua Kopac. The iTunes 10 icon doesn't "suck" and this is not about brand recognition. The iTunes 10 icon is an inane, insipid piece of shiny bore that one of the designers for Windows Vista vomited after having an orgy of sex and tropical cocktails with a stock clipart rep back in 1994. Someone found it fossilized in a dumpster, polished it, and then shoved it inside the resources folder of that bloated piece of software that some people call iTunes and I call iTurd.We disagree.Sent from my iPhone
Yes, I feel much better now, thank you very much.
R2-D2 Droid 2 Comes With Themed Dock
A collection of new images of the R2-D2 skinned special edition Droid 2 have been unlocked on Verizon's advertorial web site, showing the phone in much more detail—and revealing this rather nice themed dock.
There's a cool etched circuit board effect beneath the space where the Droid 2 sits, plus the back of the dock has the Star Wars logo on it, just in case you don't get the amazingly obvious reference. Isn't it nice to see Android accessories in white for once?
Walkman Outsold iPod in Japan During August
It's party time for Sony, as the planets of consumerism aligned to earn it a rare win over Apple's iPod music-playing range. It's the first time Walkman has outsold Apple's music players in the region since iPod arrived in 2001.
Sony had to make a few sacrifices in order to win back musical market share, though, aggressively under-cutting the price of its rival. Also, according to analyst Eiji Mori, the month's drop in iPod sales has been partly brought about thanks to buyers waiting for Apple's newest ranges to hit the country.
Sep 2, 2010
Energizer's New Inductive Charger Is the First To Use the Qi Standard
Inductive chargers have been kicking around for a while now, but Energizer's new charging platter is the first to utilize Qi technology—the new universal standard for inductive charging. That's one small step closer to total freedom from cables.
Qi, which was recently approved as the inductive standard by the Wireless Power Consortium, will allow any Qi-equipped gadget that requires less than 5 Watts to power up on any Qi charging surface. Energizer's new charger is the first to support the new standard, but eventually the idea is that you'll be able to toss your phone or MP3 player on a charging station at your friends' house, even one made by a different manufacturer, and they'll just work, no fuss.
Energizer's charging station is launching with a Qi sleeve for the iPhone 3GS and a replacement Qi battery for the Blackberry Curve 8900, though before long, Energizer's hoping, manufacturers will start building Qi right into the gadgets themselves. Then we'll really be cooking with this whole wireless charging thing.
The Qi-ready Inductive Charger will be available in October for $89; the cases for the iPhone 3GS and Curve 8900 will run $34.99 each.
iPhone Users Eat Chicken, Android Users Eat Pork
Android users are "manly-scented, pork-eating, news-reading, bird lovers." Well, I guess that clears things up, if you read the news and eat pork you're Android all the way. But I wonder where I fall, I'm a scent-less, beef-eating, everything-but-fiction reading, no pet-having person. Is that Blackberry?
Sep 1, 2010
All the Cool New Stuff From Apple Today
Apple's music event was so full of shiny gadgets and awesome news that your head might still be spinning. In case you struggled to keep up with everything or want a review, here are all the highlights:
Netflix on Apple TV May Finally Make It a Success
Among many other new features, Apple is including Netflix support straight into their new Apple TV. At last, they are getting the message: It's not all about their iTunes store. Good.
The New Apple TVApple has revealed its streaming-only new Apple TV, successor to the oft-maligned original. And it's just 1/4 the size of the old one. The new version will pack built-in power supply, HDMI, ethernet, and 802.11n wireless, priced down to $99.
The Complete Guide to the New iPod Touch
The new iPod touch is like an iPhone 4, without the phone part. Even thinner than the original, has a 326ppi Retina display, Apple A4 processor, gyroscope, and a digital camera, both on the back and for FaceTime. Updating live.
Dear iPod Classic, RIP
The new iPod lineup has been announced-fresh and awesome new nanos, touches and shuffles-but nary a word about the iPod classic. Goodbye, old friend. It was your time. Update: It is still for sale, though, $250 for 160GB.
The New Multitouch iPod NanoThe new iPod lineup has been announced-fresh and awesome new nanos, touches and shuffles-but nary a word about the iPod classic. Goodbye, old friend. It was your time. Update: It is still for sale, though, $250 for 160GB.
The new iPod Nano hardly bigger than an oversized stamp. It does away with the click wheel (and all things video) in favor of a multitouch screen. But how do you use it?
Apple will release a new version of iOS4, adding a fix for proximity sensor issues, HDR photos, and long-awaited Game Center support. The 4.1 update will be available next week for iPhone and iPod touch (though not all models).
Internet-Connected TV Apps System Renamed to "Smart TV" by LG
Smart TV will be launching in early 2011, but there's already a peripheral available today that will be able to support it—the Magic Wand remote, which we saw back at CES. LG described it then as "mirroring a "Wii-like" experience," and by the looks of LG's press release (below), it sounds like they intend on stepping on even more of Nintendo's turf. Would you use the remote to color in a coloring book, or show you yoga positions? Maybe if you were too cheap to buy a Wii.
Aug 31, 2010
What Will Apple Announce at Their Music-Centric September 1 Event?
Some possible announcements:
• New, Facetime-ready iPod Touches?
• A 1.7" touch screen iPod Shuffle? (And some cases to add gas to the speculation havealready started popping up.)
• The feverishly anticipated cloud-enhanced iTunes?
• The long-rumored $99 Apple TV?
• 99 cent TV show rentals through Apple TV?
The Apple-sound-hole-guitar suggests that Apple's music making products might get updates—perhaps new versions of Logic and Garage Band? I certainly wouldn't mind if they were overhauled to take advantage of the Magic Trackpad's multitouch goodness. Or how about Garage Band for the iPad? Hell, I'd just take some news on the iPad's jump to iOS 4.whatever.
And perhaps at this event we'll finally find out the answer to the mystifying question: Why on Earth did Lady Gaga visit the Apple offices? If Gaga and Steve Jobs appeared on stage together, the combined reality distortion would be so great that I'm not sure our planet would ever recover.
Aug 30, 2010
Aug 29, 2010
Aug 28, 2010
Ugly iPhone 4 Case Comes With Built-In Dual-SIM Adapter
The adapter unfortunately doesn't allow both SIM cards to be active at the same time, but it's still a clever—albeit somewhat sloppy-looking—design. I'd just prefer the SIM cards to be hidden by an opaque case.
Aug 27, 2010
Why the Netflix iPhone App Makes Me a Happy Zombie
My Netflix Instant queue is long. Very, very long. And because I'm not a quitter, I'm determined to watch every last bit of it. Attacking it from my iPhone actually gives me a fighting chance.
Here's a confession: I don't own an iPad. So while the rest of you have been have been luxuriating in the Dexter back catalog since April on 9.7 inches of portable Netflix goodness, I've been eying my 3GS with a mixture of contempt and disappointment. But it was like getting mad at a goldfish for not learning how to roll over. Different beast, different skill set.
But to be honest, even if I had an iPad, I'd still need the Netflix app on the iPhone. Watching movies on the iPhone has never been ideal. The screen's a bit too small, the battery drain's often not worth it. But here's the thing: the movies on Watch Instantly aren't so hot anyway. Netflix gets consistently boned with delays, up to and including their deal with Paramount, Lionsgate, and MGM that kicks in next week. Short of the often random Starz selection and some worthy oldies, the movies are pretty much bunk.
But fact, the reason my queue is so backed up isn't movies at all. It's the season upon season of bygone TV shows loaded on there, that I either missed the first time around or miss today. Firefly. Black Adder. Fawlty Towers. The Riches. Dollhouse. I already mentioned Dexter, which my reliably informed parents insist is a must-watch. And for the small screen experience, my iPhone is perfect. To carry and to display the kind of fidelity I need for TV. And to grab bits of TV any time an opportunity presents itself. On the train, the bus, while waiting in line with a bag in one hand and a video playing in the other.
Here's how Netflix streaming works on my 3GS: silky smooth over Wi-Fi, gimped over 3G. And I'm way more relieved about the former than I am concerned about the latter. Streaming video over 3G has always been untenable; I'm just glad they even offer up the option. But the interface is easy, the video is clear and crisp enough to make dream of retina displays, and it played back the first five twenty minutes of Futurama: Bender's Game.
Can I fawn some more? I'd like to if you've got a minute. But not just about Netflix on the iPhone. That's just one slice of the pie. It's been on the iPad for months. It looks like it'll be gorgeous on Windows Phone 7. Android can't be far behind (right?). Then throw in WiMax and LTE speeds. Maybe a future in which studios embrace broad distribution instead of fight it—or Netflix pays up for earlier distribution rights, given how much money they save streaming rather than shipping. That's when we can watch whatever we want, whenever we want, wherever we want. That's the dream. And we're so close.
For now, though? I'm about to go on vacation for a week. And I'm going to spend a lot of it catching up with Mal Reynolds and Manuel and some serial killer my parents watch week after week. I'll won't have to pack anything more than my phone to do it. I couldn't do that yesterday.
Never Swim Without a Soundtrack Again
Think about the last time you went swimming. Now think about what else you were doing the last time you went swimming. Nothing! Panicking, maybe. This waterproof Bluetooth headset from the boys at Brando brings multitasking into the deep end.
Whether you want to gab with your friends, orchestrate your next million dollar business deal, or just listen to the Little Mermaid soundtrack, you're only $57 away from adding Bluetooth to your backstroke. Specs:
IPx8 Certified to waterproof (3-metre/24-hours)
"Noise Rebound" technology makes clear talk
Touch Functionality through case surface
13 hours extra long talk and music time
Easy to detach and rotatble clip
Light reflective
Battery – 360mAh Li-polymer
A2DP / AVRCP / HF
Standy by 240-hours
Version 2.1 + EDR
Of course you could use it to listen to music while you were in the shower, too, but that'd be totally dorky.
Apple Wants to Remake the Audio Jack
Apple Wants to Remake the Audio Jack
Simply put, Apple wants fewer holes in its devices. Headphone jack—that's a hole. Microphone—that's a hole. According to a recent patent filing, Apple is looking to consolidate by combining the functionality of the two into one unified jack.
The patent argues that "in addition to using housing real estate, sound input apertures and electrical connectors introduce openings in the housing and breach the barrier that protects components inside the housing." So, fewer holes in the device itself, fewer ways for dust and other gunk to find their way inside. It also jibes completely with Apple's obsessively minimalist design ethos. Another potential perk of the two-in-one design would be enhanced voice quality, thanks to the addition of an extra noise-snuffing microphone—what Apple calls "audio beamforming."
Aug 19, 2010
Jul 2, 2010
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