iPod FAQ Reviews, information and rantings

Schiller to Demo Snow Leopard at Macworld?

2008-12-18T16:37:00.000-08:00

The Guardian claims that Apple and its partners have been privately dropping hints to developers that Mac OS X Snow Leopard will ship earlier than expected and suggests that Phil Schiller will show it off at Macworld.

The article also recaps the advantages of both Grand Central and OpenCL which will be introduced with the new operating system:

The first technology, Grand Central, is designed to make better use of the Intel processors that sit inside the current range of Macs. The other, OpenCL, could have a more dramatic effect on performance for some programs as it will tap into the power of graphics processors (GPUs) that now goes to waste.

Despite the early showing, actual delivery of the software is not expected for at least a couple of months later. This timeframe would still bring it into the 1st Quarter 2009 timeframe that was previously suggested by Apple's Director of Engineering of Unix Technologies.
All credits and information was found by macrumors.

Apple Broadens App Store Acceptance, Approves 'Pull My Finger'

2008-12-14T15:57:00.000-08:00

One of the major criticisms of the App Store has been a seemingly arbitrary rejection policy on the part of Apple. Air-o-Matic was one of the developers rejected by Apple for the reason of "limited utility" for his humor app "Pull My Finger". Sam of Air-o-Matic contacted us to let us know that Apple has now accepted "Pull My Finger" into the App Store [link, $0.99].

Sam apparently got a call from Apple about his app:

[Apple] told me that they are going to start approving a whole new "genre" of apps, and that Pull My Finger will be the first to be accepted in this genre. As of now Pull My Finger is available in the app store.

The very kind Apple Team Member told me that they didn't want to reject it originally, but that they were sorting out how this "genre" of apps were going to be handled. She told me they'd be lifting the restriction on them, and more apps will follow that may have been previously not allowed.

The App now appears in the App Store but without any special designation. Coincidentally, Apple also recently allowed in a game called Amateur Surgeon which was rated for ages 17+.
All credits and information was found by macrumors.

Apple Offering Free Licensing of Mini DisplayPort Spec

2008-12-01T16:49:00.000-08:00

Arstechnica points to Apple's mini Display Port license which is available as a "no fee" license to interested parties. Apple introduced the Mini Display port with its new notebooks and 24" LED Cinema Display in October.

This licensing news adds some clarity to the debate about whether or not the Mini DisplayPort was a proprietary solution from Apple alone. The no fee license should allow 3rd party manufacturers to integrate the port into their own products and also to develop additional useful adapters. For example, Apple currently doesn't offer the appropriate adapter to allow customers to connect older Macs to their new 24" Apple LED Cinema Display.

Apple has said that they will be integrating the Mini Display port into all future products.

All credits and information was found by macrumors.

Apple Releases Safari 3.2 with Improved Security, Anti-Phishing

2008-11-13T16:00:00.000-08:00

Apple has released a new version of Safari 3.2 through the Mac OS X Software Update. The latest version of Safari provides improved security as well as protection from phishing websites:

This update is recommended for all Safari users and features protection from fraudulent phishing websites and better identification of online businesses. This update also includes the latest security updates.

For detailed information on the security content of this update, please visit this site: support.apple.com.

Individual versions can also be downloaded for Windows, Tiger and Leopard.
All credits and information was found by macrumors.

Apple iPhone #1 Amongst U.S. Consumers in Q3 2008

2008-11-10T15:50:00.000-08:00

The NPD Group issued a press release today revealing that the Apple iPhone is now ranked #1 in consumer phone sales for the 3rd quarter of 2008. The iPhone surpassed Motorola's RAZR phone which had been ranked #1 for the previous 12 quarters.

"The displacement of the RAZR by the iPhone 3G represents a watershed shift in handset design from fashion to fashionable functionality," said Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis for NPD. "Four of the five best-selling handsets in the third quarter were optimized for messaging and other advanced Internet features."

NPD bases their data on online surveys each month that are projected to represent the entire population of U.S. consumers age 18 and over.

The iPhone and RAZR were followed by the RIM Blackberry Curve, LG Rumor and LG enV2 in the top 5 ranking.
All credits and information was found by macrumors.

AT&T Finally Offering Free Wifi for iPhone Users (Includes Starbucks Locations)

2008-10-29T16:37:00.001-07:00

AT&T provided a number of early hints that the service would be coming. AT&T has also sent out an SMS message to iPhone users announcing the plan.

Customers can locate Wi-Fi spots through AT&T's online tool or can locate a Starbucks using this tool. In order to access AT&T Wi-Fi from your iPhone, you must follow these steps:

- Activate Wi-Fi from the settings icon on your iPhone
- Select "attwifi" from the list of available networks
- Enter your 10-digit mobile number and check the box to agree to the Acceptable Use Policy. Tap 'continue'
- You will receive a text message from AT&T with a secure link to the AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot. You will not be charged for the text message.
- The SMS link will only be valid for 24 hours at the location it was requested. Another request must be submitted when using another hotspot location.
- Open the text message and tap on the link for 24-hour access to the AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot.

All credits and information was found by macrumors.

Unannounced Apple Product Found in Web Logs?

2008-10-22T16:49:00.001-07:00

A NYTimes blog article by John Markoff (via AppleInsider) claims that Apple may already be testing a netbook-sized device. Markoff recaps Jobs' statements from yesterday's financial conference but adds this tidbit in an update to the article:

That would seem to confirm findings that a search engine company shared with me on condition that I not reveal its name: The company spotted Web visits from an unannounced Apple product with a display somewhere between an iPhone and a MacBook. Is it the iPhone 3.0 or the NetMac 1.0?

We're not sure what to make of this information. Had it was presented by someone other than the New York Times' John Markoff, we may have simply dismissed it.

Web user-agent identifications are easy to falsify. In fact, in many browsers users can enter whatever identifying string they would like. Similarly, display resolution is a self reported Javascript statistic from the user's browser.

No specific information is provided by Markoff and a quick perusal of our own web logs have not revealed anything noteworthy. Still, it would not be surprising that unannounced Apple products would be tested on live websites, though it's unclear how much identifying information Apple would include in such a device.

All credits and information was found by macrumors.

Apple Threatens to Close iTunes Store Over Possible Royalty Hikes

2008-09-30T17:44:00.001-07:00

According to Fortune, the Copyright Royalty Board in Washington D.C. is expected to rule on Thursday about a request by the National Music Publishers' Association to increase royalty rates for downloads from online music stores such as iTunes. The request asks for an increase in rates from 9 cents to 15 cents a track. It should be noted that this group represents the copyright holders of songs and is distinct from the record companies themselves.

Understandably, Apple is opposed to the rate increase and, in a statement submitted to the board, even suggested that Apple might close iTunes altogether:

"If the [iTunes music store] was forced to absorb any increase in the ... royalty rate, the result would be to significantly increase the likelihood of the store operating at a financial loss - which is no alternative at all," Cue wrote. "Apple has repeatedly made it clear that it is in this business to make money, and most likely would not continue to operate [the iTunes music store] if it were no longer possible to do so profitably."

Apple claims that the market would not accept an increase in the per-track price and that overall sales would decrease. The Fortune article writer doubts that Apple would take such drastic measures as closing the iTunes Store as Apple has used it to leverage hardware sales of iPods and now iPhones.

All credits and information was found by macrumors.

Apple iPhone Battery Lawsuit Dismissed

2008-09-28T16:56:00.000-07:00

Apple can be the target of many lawsuits, some more justified than others. One widely reported lawsuit at the time of the iPhone's initial launch attempted to sue Apple over the iPhone's sealed battery, limited number of charge cycles and fee for battery replacement.

Bloomberg reports today that the lawsuit has been dismissed without a trial in a summary judgement.

"Apple disclosed on the outside of the iPhone package that the 'battery has limited recharge cycles and may eventually need to be replaced by Apple service provider,'" Kennelly wrote in his Sept. 23 opinion, quoting the packaging. "Under the circumstances, no reasonable jury could find that deception occurred.''

All credits and information was found by macrumors.

Apple Releases MobileMe Control Panel and Bonjour Updates for Windows

2008-09-14T16:51:00.000-07:00

In addition to yesterday's previously-reported hardware and software releases, Apple also released two minor updates specifically for Windows users.

MobileMe Control Panel 1.1 (for Windows) weighs in at 1.6 MB and requires Windows XP Home SP2, XP Professional SP2 or Vista SP1 or later, iTunes 8.0 or later, and a MobileMe account.

Bonjour for Windows 1.0.5 weighs in at 2.1 MB and requires Windows 2000/2003, XP, or Vista. According to Apple's support article, the update addresses two DNS vulnerabilities.
All credits and information was found by macrumors.

Motorola ROKR E1 for Cellular One

2008-09-08T17:04:00.000-07:00

The Motorola ROKR E1 is the first non-Apple mobile phone that utilizes the iTunes music applications. As far as music is concerned, the Apple iPod has been very remarkably consistent on being the best portable music player. The fusion between Motorola and Apple to produce a very notable music phone is most likely a take on Sony Ericsson and Walkman's domination on that category.

But whether Motorola and Apple succeed or not, the Motorola ROKR E1 surely rocks! With built-in memory that can hold up to 100 songs, a very crisp voice quality on the headset and stereo speakers, and other features that, well, rock. Clad this mobile phone with Motorola cell phone accessories like cell phone cases, cell phone covers, etc. and you are good to go.
Cell phone batteries go a long way wit this mobile phone. Average talk time can go as far as 4 hours and 20 minutes. Stand by time can last for 230 hours.

Vigin Mobile Offering 3 Free Phones

2008-08-26T16:47:00.000-07:00

Virgin Mobile is holding a special promotion in which new users will receive a free phone when opening a contract due to the phones being bundled with $20 worth of airtime. This is a great deal if you're just about to switch over to Virgin Mobile because no one really wants to turn down anything free and the fact that you get great phones along with great service is a win win situation. The three phones included in this promotion include the Kyocera Oystr, Kyocera K10 Royale, and the Kyocera Shorty and the offer is valid through 6/24/2007.

Missing My L6

2008-08-24T16:43:00.000-07:00

I used to own a Motorola L6 from Cellular One once and I just have to say I had both good and bad times with this mobile phone. I just like the fact that it's not A RAZR, though there are similarities in their interface construction. Also, my L6 was given to me as a present, so there is what we call a 'sentimental value' attached to it. But sad to say, I had to part with my Motorola L6 when I need to upgrade to an advanced mobile phone.
I really had a hard time packing up all those Motorola cell phone accessories I have purchased throughout my time with my L6. I had customized cell phone cases of different designs and a couple of cell phone batteries I bought when my L6 accidentally fell to the floor. I did have my share of signal nightmares where I have to get to the roof in order for me to catch some reception.
Sure, I miss my L6. But life has got to go on, right?

HTC S621 for Cellular One

2008-08-11T18:32:00.000-07:00

Being able to take charge of your business and personal life at the palm of your hand is power. But you need to have the right gadget to do so. Juggling two or more phones is an obvious hassle. But during the course of time, along with communications technology breakthroughs, we have now what we call the smart phone. However, choosing the right smart phone that perfectly meshes with your lifestyle and can keep up with our varying pace is quite tricky, so to speak. Honestly, there is no 100% guarantee that you will pick up the perfect smart phone for you. There is always something better out there. Always.
But if perfection is not on your list and you prefer ultimate function instead, then I suggest the HTC S621 for Cellular One. Of course, there are smart phones which are way better in every aspect, but the HTC S621 is not far behind. Aside from decent performances on all its features, the HTC S621 also had a sleek design. Cell phone accessories for the HTC S621 are widely distributed so you won't have any problems getting cell phone cases and cell phone covers, and the likes.
Cellualr One offers the HTC S621 for as low as $279.95. For that price, the HTC S621 can be a good buy or a deal buster. But then, you are not aiming for perfection, are you?

3220 for Cellular One

2008-08-01T17:09:00.000-07:00

The Nokia 3220 is certainly one of the attractive mobile phones and one of the affordable phones as well. Along with the low-end price are features that are quite impressive for a small unit but useful at the same time. The outer casing of the 3220 sports a funky, sporty theme. Definitely not the kind of phone business executives would want to carry around. But it appeals to the young people of the market.

With an assortment of customized cell phone cases, cell phone covers, and other Nokia accessories, the 3220 is pretty much a fashionable mobile phone. But though the 3220 seems to be a youngster's mobile phone of choice, the features are also worth noting. The display is pretty much impressive. The picture quality is acceptable. Voice quality for phone calls is decent. Phone conversations with the 3220 are not that bad.

As for flaws, I am pretty sure there some but who cares? For $99.99, this mobile phone is the bomb!

U.S. Cellular Teams Up With Product Red

2008-07-22T16:41:00.000-07:00

U.S Cellular is doing a good thing by teaming up with Motorola in their national campaign for Product Red. The campain essentially donates a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the phone to help the global fund in helping women and children affected by HIV and AIDS in Africa. This is a great thing to partake in and I'm glad to see U.S Cellular is doing their part in this global effort. The V3m is the current flagship phone for Product red and can be found at all U.S cellular dealers nationwide. Please check their websites and try your best to contribute to such a good cause.

Samsung R500 for U.S. Cellular

2008-07-10T16:43:00.000-07:00

U.S. Cellular has now included the Samsung R500 in their list of mobile phones. For as low as $99.95, it might be a good deal. But before you shell out your bucks, it is imperative that you know beforehand, good or bad, what this mobile phone is all about.
As for the visual details, this clamshell from Samsung looks like it has been cloned from the Motorola RAZR. But looks can be deceiving, too. Though it's possible that the Samsung R500 is the RAZR's long lost identical twin, the R500 trumps the RAZR both on features and performance.

The Samsung R500 is packed with a huge assortment of features. Weighing at 95 grams, it is one of the lightest phones ever. It is Bluetooth-enabled, so you can connect, share, and download with ease. The photos taken with its 1.3 mega pixel camera are very good. Probably the best picture quality I have seen from a mobile phone so far. Phone conversations with the R500 reveal the crisp and clear sound quality from both ends. There might be a little background noise but not enough to cause any distractions. The R500 has also players for music and videos. Nice.

On talk time, the R500 gives you a decent 3.5 hours. The R500 can also go on stand by for 20 days. Cell phone batteries should last like that. You can also customize the R500 with interchangeable cell phone cases from a long list of Samsung cell phone accessories. From my point of view, the Samsung R500 certainly delivers the good withouth any hitch. That said, the $99.95 deal seems a good buy.

Virgin Mobile to offer IPO.

2008-06-30T16:39:00.000-07:00

Virgin Mobile, in a move to strut their status, has filled for an IPO which will take the company public and launch its shares for the public to trade. It's no surprise to anyone that Virgin Mobile is a highly successful virtual operator over here in the states, so this move only shows us the level on which this company has grown. Virgin Mobile will be listed under "VM" respectively and it has been predicted that they will generate an estimated $100 million with their entrance into the marketplace. Sprint / Nextel, the carrier representative for their American branch, will probably receive a nice amount of that $100 million, but we all know that when one gets a large sum of cash debt is the first place we go. Good job Virgin Mobile, you've not let everyone know how successful you are.

Cellularone FAQ here we go.

2008-06-24T16:37:00.000-07:00

Cellularone service by dobson is provided roughly 16 states in the U.S. Services are very limited with using GSM technology. Before going GSM, Cellularone had used TDMA services.
As always, buy Cellular One Accessories from Accessorygeeks.com.

Audiovox 8910

2008-06-23T16:48:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of good mobile phones out there. That is, if you are looking for a mobile phone with one purpose only: to make and receive calls without the wires. Mobile phones with advanced features are pretty much of no use to some percentile of the world's population. For those who belong to the said bracket, I present the Audiovox Flasher for Virgin Mobile.
The Audiovox Flasher has nothing to bring on the table when it comes to design. It is quite unremarkable in that aspect. But call quality, signal reception, and battery life are very astounding.
Hoarding cell phone batteries, cell phone antenna, and other cell phone accessories is not necessary for this mobile phone.
But look for somewhere else, if you a want 3G mobile phone with EVDO, web browser, and other bunch of techno craps.

It's iPhone day

2008-06-08T17:39:00.003-07:00

It's June 29th and Apple is finally ready to let the public play with the iPhone. The past six months have shaped up to be the highest profile mobile phone launch ever, Apple has conjured up an amazing amount of buzz for a device that only a handful of people have actually held. While the early adopters are busy waiting in lines across the country to be the first iPhone users, others are busy betting (real money!) on what bugs will be found.

AT&T came out in support of its EDGE network today amid heavy criticism from the first round of iPhone reviews. The combination of a "2.5G" data technology and a HTML/CSS compatible browser can mean some heavy wait times (expect about a minute to render a complex page like nytimes.com). Most phones, even many inexpensive models, from competitors Verizon Wireless and Sprint ship with 3G data support.

Apple has not announced how many units it has on hand, but analysts believe it's around 3 million. Steve Jobs noted that Apple has "built factories to build these things" so supply may not be an issue despite the lines outside stores. Apple employees are set to get free iPhones starting in July.

Get it tonight starting at 6PM. If you're an early adopter and would like to share your iPhone impression with us, get in touch.

Update: After getting a chance to sit down with the iPhone, our first take is that it's a big step forward in the industry and should help force all the major players in the space to focus on software and user experience. There are a number of serious limitations with the iPhone, but it's a solid first try and we're excited to see future revisions.

All credits and information was found by mobiletracker.

Audiovox PPC-6700

2008-03-17T00:35:00.000-07:00

The Audiovox PPC-6700, acquired by Sprint last 2005, remains today as one of the most widely-used smart phones. Quite surprising, especially since the Audiovox PPC-6700 is really not much of looker. The Audiovox PPC-6700 is both on the heavy and the thick side.

What makes the Audiovox PPC-6700 a very serious contender among the smart phones of then and now, are the very easy-interface it employs, the big screen, and the sliding keyboard. Hook the Audiovox PPC-6700 the compatible Sprint accessories such as cell phone cases, cell phone covers, and you got yourself a Treo-killer.

Audiovox G'Zone

2008-03-10T16:09:00.000-07:00

I have never been a fan of Audiovox’s line of mobile phones and their mobile phone accessories. But the recent release of their G’Zone for Verizon has got me hooked and hooked lovingly. It is one ugly mobile phone but the ugliness has its benefits. The thick exterior is designed to protect the G’Zone from the elements, large amounts of shock, and bad falls. Still works even after being submerged in the water. Cool, isn’t it?

Personally, I think the Audiovox G’Zone has got Nextel phones and Nextel phone cases on the run for their money. Or any heavy-duty phone and heavy-duty cell phone accessories for that matter. The G’Zone is the ultimate outdoor phone and built for the rugged outdoors.

So the next time you go trekking, spelunking, or river rafting, take the Audiovox G’Zone with you. You might need to make a call while you are out there.

ADVW721 from Advent Wireless

2008-02-21T01:35:00.000-08:00

Advent Wireless, a sister brand of Audiovox, has produced impressive wireless products all through its existence. And for the music-gravitated individuals and those who just want to look cool, the Advent Wireless headset (model: ADVW721) offers more than just selfish music-listening experience. Be warned though, this is not one of your cell phone accessories.

The ADVW721 boasts of 900 MHz wireless connection (sorry, no Bluetooth), which is great for those solo acoustic sessions or music jams. The bass is great and the subtle background music is pretty much clear. And overall, clarity is excellent with some negative comments on the side.

The cons: No audio control on the headset itself. The wireless aspect of this device beats the purpose if you have to go to your amplifier to make some minor adjustments and tuning. Otherwise, the ADVW721 would have been a great headset. Also, batteries only last 4 hours of continuous usage. Wish they can last as long as cell phone batteries.

Hail Audiovox MP3 players

2008-02-14T20:49:00.000-08:00

The portable music scene is dominated by Apple and its legions of iPods and iPod cases and iPod accessories. And for a good reason at that. The iPod line of portable music players have taken the mobile music aficionados by surprise and with its continuous onslaught of top-of-the-line music players and the release of portable video players as well, Apple has got a monumental lead over other manufacturers in the mobile entertainment industry.

Audiovox, on the other hand, have its arsenal of high end music products such as speakers and huge sound systems. It is worth noting that Audiovox's quest to get a slice in the portable music business is quite ambitious, especially against Apple's iPod. Duking it out with the Apple brand is already a Herculean task; knocking the iPod out of the music scene is entirely out of the equation. But Audovox did deliver some good punches, though not good enough. But still, good punches do hurt.
The Audiovox's line of mp3 players has their own unique flavor. The designs are not that bad and the memory size is also remarkable. Audiovox also have accessories for these mp3 players so personalizing is a guaranteed breeze. Admittedly, these mp3 players are not at par with the Apple's iPod, but they sure will provide a good sound trip for those who are just in it for the music and nothing else.