I’m a technology news junky. From Apple rumors to new gadgets, I just can’t get enough. But there are so many websites that pump out information, how do you keep track of it all?

Well it’s no secret around iDB that I am a Pulse Mini fan. As far as RSS readers go, it’s amazing. Everything is graphic oriented, so no more sifting through lines and lines of RSS text feeds. Now after a significant update, my favorite RSS app just got better…

Just a few days ago, Alphonso Labs Inc posted a new version of Pulse News Mini to the App Store. The good news is it still won’t cost you anything to download. If you liked the old version of Pulse, you’re going to the love the new one.

After downloading the update, I could instantly tell that Pulse had gotten faster. RSS feeds refresh quicker and there is no lag when using Pulse and multitasking. A lot of the new found quickness is owed to the updated menu system.

It was like the user interface got a shave and a haircut. It looked good before, but now it looks great! It is so easy to add or remove RSS feeds, and even browse their RSS news sources. They have added tons of pre-made RSS feeds which is nice for those that are trying a feed reader for the first time.

If you already use Pulse, grab the update. If you haven’t tried Pulse News Mini yet, do it. This is the perfect time to see what a great iPhone app should look like. It’s no wonder that Pulse News Mini finds itself in the App Store’s Hall of Fame.

Has anyone used the new update? What do you think of Pulse News Mini? Tell us below!

PULSE NEWS FOR IPHONE RECEIVES MAJOR UPDATE is a post from: congelagro.com

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BMW GETS IPHONE COMPATIBLE WITH is a post from: congelagro.com

That is the sig on my outgoing emails on my current iPhone. My sis asked me why, or more directly if she could have any of the first four. Alas, I am afraid there are all gone, one way or another. Press on reader.

iPhone One
After taking home a brand new Sony Vaio so I could spend every waking hour modding my StarTac, I realized I had a problem.
I had spent many hours combing the deep dark avenues of motorola modding sites in order to have my StarTac customized with custom ringtones and a completely unique GUI, everything seemed hunky dory until I finally bricked my phone.

That was it, no more messing with cell phones.

I waited about a year into the iPhone frenzy, when one day I was walking by an ATT store and said, (methinks it was my birthday now), “I have been a good boy and not messed with my StarTac since I bricked the last one (and sent it in under a warranty for a full replacement), so I am gonna by me an iPhone. That was iPhone One.

iPhone Two
When the 3G iPhone came out I was anxious and I wanted it, but I waited. I was so in love with my iPhone by now, how could it possibly get any better? Lucky for me my girl freind (now wife) was in need of an iPhone. We decided to go and wait online at 7:30am on a Tuesday having already checked the “on hand” status light on the Apple web page for our nearest Apple Store. Before leaving I figured I might as well check to see what I could sell my old (could it already be old?) iPhone for. I could sell a new iPhone 3G unboxed for $1000 on eBay. Not feeling particularly greedy at the time, but certainly committed to the reality that I was about to get a new phone. I placed iPhone Two on eBay with a “Buy It Now” of $290. It sold in less than three minutes to a guy in Hawaii who was shocked at how lucky he was. I had just gotten iPhone Three for free.

iPhone Three
About a month later I was walking around the very mall where I had purchased iPhone Three. I dropped my iPhone, it landed flat on its face and spidrered the screen. I walked into the Apple store thinking I could talk my way into a free replacement, had no such luck. The best they could offer was a full hardware replacement for $175. The Genius assured me that this was a considerable savings off the $399 list price. The thing I never understood was that I had only spent (is only the right word!!) $175 in the first place? I plonked down more Apple funny money. My sickness was fully established.

iPhone Four
All was fantastic with iPhone Four, I bought a case and put on the best clear screen protector I could find. It was heaven, no issues, no signal, no problem. As we all know the iPhone is not a cell phone, if it were Apple would not have shattered an industry with them. It is merely the coolest gadget made by man and I use it all day long, period. Upgrades are now automatic, especially with the “sell previous one eBay, get the new one free” method.

iPhone Five
I am completely hooked, as soon as the iPhone 4 was announced, I placed an order on the website.

This is the iPhone I now carry and it continues to amaze me. I truly never believed that I would be carrying such a sleek, powerful, computer in my hand within my lifetime. I use my iPhone for almost everything. I could really care less about the signal issues and the supposed lack of service from ATT (I have a very long love/hate relationship with ATT which has been outlined here at interactive blog of hank) I feel totally at peace becasue I have the direct phone number of a customer service representative at the office of the President, but that is a different blog post.

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SENT FROM MY FIFTH IPHONE  is a post from: congelagro.com

Review by Dave Greenbaum

The Griffin Survivor case is a welcome addition to the line of highly-protective cases for the iPhone 4. This case was literally designed for war as it meets US Department of Defense MIL-STD-810 and UK Department of Defense Def-Stan 00-35. For civilians it means extreme protection at a great price. This has replaced my Otterbox Defender and is the case I use to protect my own iPhone.

Similar to the Defender, this Survivor provides 3 layers of protection. The first layer is a shatter-resistant polycarbonate frame interior that wraps around most of the phone. The second layer is a clear plastic overlay that protects the screen without impeding audio or the camera. Finally, a thick silicone overlay protects every aspect of your iPhone including the dock and speaker jack (where the water sensors are located).

The silicone overlay is truly unique and reminds me of the earlier Otterbox Defender 3G cases. On each of the four corners (where impact is likely) the silicone is up to a quarter-inch thick and when dropped on this corner my iPhone literally bounced (the test was an accident, but I was nonetheless impressed). The flaps protecting the dock and headphone jack actually include a plug to form a tight seal when closed. According to Griffin, the ports block blown sand/dust (up to 18 m/sec for 1 hour). Water resistance isn’t claimed, but can be inferred given this sealed design. In a video shown on their website, the iPhone is dropped in a snow pack and still continues to work.

The belt clip is a great design with a minimal clip that attaches to the bottom of the case. It can be used in a vertical and horizontal position. You need to make sure it clips properly. I didn’t one time and learned the hard way how well the silicone bounces the iPhone when dropped.

An annoying flaw exists that may be a deal killer for some users. The flap protecting the rear facing camera is normally closed, is not removable and won’t stay open by itself. If you want to quickly snap a picture you need to manually hold the flap open. More than once I got a blank picture because I forgot to open the flap before taking a picture. I got used to it, but if you rely on being able to take a quick picture with your iPhone, this may not be the case for you. I didn’t mind, but other testers got quite frustrated and said they’d simply remove the flap if they used the case long term.

Despite the camera flap, I simply loved this case. Sure it adds heft and bulk to your svelte iPhone, but this isn’t about fashion, it’s about protection. Hands down, the Griffin Survivor is the best case to protect your iPhone 4. Its three layer protection, sealed flaps, and excellent belt clip make it an ideal choice for iPhone users needing ultimate protection.

Pros:  Great protection for your iPhone 4 from practically any mishapCons:  Annoying camera flap gets in the way, belt clip can be confusing, bulky

10 out of 10

Originally published and written for the Lawrence Apple Users’ Group 2.0 http://www.laugks.org/news and published by Dave Greenbaum at http://www.clickheretech.com

HARDWARE REVIEW: GRIFFIN SURVIVOR CASE FOR IPHONE 4 is a post from: congelagro.com

For starters, the iPhone 5 will be completely redesigned. It will run on a new, combined CDMA/GSM/UTMS internals set from Qualcomm, which will support both AT&T and Verizon within the United States, as well as multiple other carriers worldwide. It would also allow for a potential expansion to other carriers including T-Mobile, Sprint/Nextel, and even prepaid carriers as Tracphone if a deal arises that suits Apple.

Nonetheless, after the initial pricing issues with the iPhone in 2007, the official pricing of these phones seem to have been similar for each upgrade. The real catch has been the dependence of these phones on exclusive service providers like AT&T and now Verizon.

Numerous rumors exist as to which functions of this high-tech phone will be improved. Many believe that near field communication will become a part of this phone, that the silicon chip used will be much more appropriate for European markets, that the upgraded Apple processor will be used, that video-chatting will be a smoother experience, that the antenna and outer hardware will look completely different from previous models and that voice command will become better. If the majority of these guesses are correct, the iPhone five will certainly be a major improvement over previous versions.

In addition, it’s thought that the new version will have an option for 64 GB of memory, which will be a vast improvement over its predecessors. With this amount of storage space, there will be almost limitless storage for applications, documents and, needless to say, music. With this feature, the iPhone will truly be multi-functional.

So if you are asked, ‘how much does an iPhone 5 cost ?’ at this point before its launch, it would be safe to say that it would be similar to the pricing of the iPhone 4. The iPhone 5 is likely to be launched sometime in June or July of 2011.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE IPHONE 5 COST is a post from: congelagro.com

The phenomenal success of the iPhone, iPad and the iPod touch has ushered in a gold rush for developers, but with well over 300,000 apps in the highly competitive App Store, it has become increasingly difficult for new apps to stand out in the crowd. Achieving consumer awareness and sales longevity for your iOS app requires a lot of organization and some strategic planning. Updated and expanded for iOS 4, this bestselling book will show you how to incorporate marketing and business savvy into every aspect of the design and development process, giving your app the best possible chance of succeeding in the App Store.

The Business of iPhone and iPad App Development was experienced developers with business backgrounds, taking you step-by-step through cost effective marketing techniques that have proven successful for professional iOS app creatorsperfect for independent developers on shoestring budgets. No prior business knowledge is required. This is the book you wish you had read before you launched your first app!

What youll learnAnalyze your ideas and competition, and identify your audience to evaluate sales potential.Protect your business and intellectual property and avoid potential legal hassles.Transform your iOS app into a powerful marketing tool.Build synergy with in-app cross-promotion and social media, and Apples Game Center.Utilize revenue-generating business models such as in-app advertising and In-App Purchase. Includes extensive coverage of the iAd framework and the Store Kit API.Improve usability and implement effective testing.Create a pre-release buzz online with Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and a dedicated web site.Successfully navigate the App Store submission process.Execute a post-release marketing strategy with press releases, app reviews, promotional sales and giveaways.

Download Links (clickable):

For more eBooks visit my Profile – click at my nicknameI share many new interesting eBooks every day

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THE BUSINESS OF IPHONE AND IPAD APP DEVELOPMENT: MAKING AND MARKETING APPS THAT SUCCEED is a post from: congelagro.com

We’re back again turning the valve of the ol’ rumour spigot to quench our undying thirst for all things secret. This week we’ve got an overflowing goblet of rumors straight from our most trusted industry insiders planted deep inside the world of iOS. Our first rumour comes courtesy of an unexpected agent we randomly found working the front lines of Apple retail at the Apple Store Friendly Center in Greensboro, NC. While casually wandering around the Apple Store looking to buy an iPod nano, we were approached and asked if we needed any help.

Naturally, we spotted our opening and went in for the kill, juicing the agent for every drop of rumour imaginable. When interrogated regarding the upcoming iPhone, we learned that Apple does in fact release new iPhones every year, confirming our suspicions that an iPhone 5 is in the works. Also, while we were unable to delve in to raw specifics, we confirmed that the device will likely be faster, potentially get better battery life, and even might have additional storage.

In other rumours, we’ve received direct confirmation from a Gameloft beta tester that the French mobile gaming giant plans to release additional iOS titles. Digging for more specifics we’ve learned that these future titles spread the gamut of first person shooters, third person action games, and even racing games. When pressed for further details we discovered that these games will not only include Gameloft Live, but also will be controlled using a variety of on-screen controls and even tilt.

Stay tuned for additional rumors.

THE RUMOUR SPIGOT: APPLE TO RELEASE NEW IPHONE, GAMELOFT TO RELEASE NEW GAME is a post from: congelagro.com

The happy hype machine

Ever since the introduction of the Android OS, the hype-machine has declared Android to be “open”. Hardly surprising when it was announced as Open Source (above). This has been repeated so often that it constitutes yet more of the Orwellian double-speak which seemingly characterizes our age.

See, for many folk Google’s assertion that its software was “open” confuses the status of the software with code from the Open Source movement. This situation is rather like the early days of OS X when Apple would explain how standards-focused OS X was, in the days before the Flash wars, HTML5 explosion and Java and Samba’s removal from the Big Cat room.

Yet another game of smoke and mirrors.

[This story is from Computerworld's Apple Holic blog. Follow on Twitter or subscribe via RSS to make sure you don't miss a beat.]

Ian Betteridge nails it when he reports the following statement.

“Looking back on Google’s statements over the years I’m struck by how rarely they actually describe Android as “open source” and how frequently they just referred to it as “open”, allowing everyone to assume they meant the former. Clearly they didn’t. They meant Android was open the way Windows is open – open to being run on different manufacturer’s hardware.“

Ultimately the doublespeak of the world’s biggest search engine was designed to strike a division between Apple’s iPhone (an OS which works on only Apple devices and is accompanied by a curated Apps market) and Google’s own offering (an utterly fragmented mess of phones from different manufacturers accompanied by a non-curated, insecure Apps market).

Google’s claimed openness was nothing but hype, and this week we learned that it intends changing its ways, enforcing more control on the software, more control of partnerships and demanding handset makers win approval from Google for their handset plans.

The return of a king

Bloomberg tells us the company has said there will be no more “willy-nilly tweaks” to Android. Companies seeking early access to the most up-to-date versions will need their plans approved by Andy Rubin, Google’s chief. The aim is to tighten Google’s policy on “non-fragmentation“. (Not that the Phandroids would ever accept Android was a fragmented market).

In one fell swoop Google’s Android leader, Andy Rubin, has become the king of the Android world, the Dalek Davros, seeking to assimilate an entire budding mobile phone industry to his robotic will — not that he’s a robot — this is an ANALOGY to his position of control over the Anrdoid market. In future, he’ll be making the final decision on what goes forward on Android, and what does not, if I understand the report correctly.

[ABOVE: An extremely poor image made by me to illustrate my point. Perhaps an artist out there will take pity on my poor Photoshop skills and do it better. Please?]

It is also an interesting analogy to consider that at this point Apple’s 1984 ad is once again relevant, with Google cast as the Orwellian Big Brother on the screen.

Why the surprise?

Given a choice between following the lead of Steve Jobs, or this Andy Rubin character, who would you choose? The innovator, or the follower?

Who can ignore the moment in October last year when Steve Jobs noted that Android’s openness was just a sham?

“Google loves to characterize Android as ‘open’ and iOS and the iPhone as ‘closed’,” said Jobs. “We find this a bit disingenuous, and clouding the real difference between our two approaches.

“Android is very fragmented. HTC and Motorola install proprietary user interfaces to differentiate themselves from the commodity Android experience. The user’s left to figure it all out. Compare this with the iPhone, where every handset works the same.“

Who can forget when Rubin countered the Apple CEO’s claims with a Tweet in which he demonstrated how easily anyone could download and compile the latest build of Android. Of course, Rubin didn’t actually claim any openness, he simply left it to the Apple-bashing media to make that claim for him.

Not so open any more, Rubin.

Over to John Gruber at Daring Fireball, who writes: “So here’s the Android bait-and-switch laid bare. Android was ‘open’ only until it became popular and handset makers dependent upon it.

“Now that Google has the handset makers by the balls, Android is no longer open and Google starts asserting control. Andy Rubin, Vic Gundotra, Eric Schmidt: shameless, lying hypocrites, all of them.“

You make your own decision on Gruber’s vitriol.

Don’t hope on hype

Naturally as an Appleholic, I’ll be picking up an iPhone when they turn up later this year, but to those considering ‘openness’ as the big reason to pick up on Android, don’t bother: just compare the features of the phones you’re interested in and get the one you like the best. If you don’t like Apple, don’t buy Apple, but buy on the features and not the hype. You’ll be happier.

Probably.

This has always been the case of course. After all, Android was and is only open to device makers and carriers to tweak and tease. For consumers this ‘openness’ only extended to giving you a choice of different products running the same OS. For handset makers it just gave an illusion of a future business proposition while they tried to remain current in a deeply competitive industry.

The Nokia/Microsoft detente shows my predicted consolidation within that space has now begun.

Underestimating Microsoft

Speaking of which, other than the lack of licensing fee, I fail to see how Android is any more open than Windows Mobile. In a few months time Nokia will come to market with a handful of devices implementing the Windows OS. Nokia will be fighting for its life, so expect these devices to be of high-quality, heavily subsidized and feature-packed.

This will challenge Android’s partners and could decimate ABI’s market prediction yesterday that Google’s smartphone OS would take 45 percent of the market by 2016. I think ABI Research underestimate just how tough a fight Microsoft now knows it needs to put up in the mobile arena. I think the research also underestimates just how hard Nokia will kick as it attempts to regain market momentum. Think about it: How tough a fight would you put up to save your own business?

Interestingly, of course, the first of Nokia’s new offerings will reach market shortly before or at the same time as Apple’s iOS 5 and iPhone 5 are now expected to debut.

Did Apple change its schedule in order to give itself space to react to the new Microsoft challenger? I don’t know, but I imagine Apple will be focusing much of its research and development in the mobile sector. It will aim to remain the premium smartphone choice, leaving Windows Mobile battling Android for the middle ground.

Let’s change the conversation

I’ve said before that I’m saddened by the polarized coverage of the highly disrupted smartphone industry. There’s no one true path in handsets, there’s no one true path in anything. It isn’t about one side “beating” another. Nokia’s experience shows that marketshare is no protection against the next big disruptive wave. This isn’t a game of winners and losers, this is a never-ending realtime strategy game, a dance in a ballroom that’s big enough for everyone.

It really is time to cease the “Android is open” mantra.

Surely we should seek an intelligent new language to describe usability, customer experience, reliability and device capability for the benefit of mass market smartphone consumers?

We are defining a new age

Media coverage needs to get wise and accept the high importance of the battle that is being fought. Consumers need the best information to make the best decisions for a new computing Century.

This is because computing in the 21st Century isn’t just for geeks, has an ever-decreasing need for a PC, and is more intrinsically powerful and personalizable than anything we have seen before in technology.

Is it time we looked at what’s behind Google’s hype? Or is Apple still the public enemy? Let me know in comments below.

Please follow me on Twitter so I can let you know just as soon as I post new reports here first on Computerworld. 

Article source: http://blogs.computerworld.com/18066/apple_iphone_googles_and_the_open_android_lie?source=rss_blogs

APPLE, IPHONE, GOOGLE AND THE ‘OPEN’ ANDROID MYTH is a post from: congelagro.com

9to5mac reports Sony CEO Howard Stringer, in an interview with Walt Mossberg at Carnegie Hall in New York City, said shipments of camera sensors to Apple will be delayed due to Sony’s facility in Sendai that was affected by last month’s earthquake and tsunami. Stringer’s statements come as a surprise considering Sony has never been a supplier for Apple’s camera-enabled mobile devices (iPhone, iPad 2, iPod touch 4th gen) as the company chose to implement Omnivision’s image sensors in the past years. Omnivision’s lens modules are used in the iPhone 4 (5 megapixel sensor), iPod touch and iPad 2.

Stringer just said that their camera image sensor facility in Sendai was affected by the tsunami. Getting image sensors to Apple will be delayed.

MacRumors also points to a transcript of the interview by the Wall Street Journal itself, which seems to confirm Stringer’s hints at image sensors set to be shipped to Apple in the near future:

Early on, he raised the irony of Sony supplying camera components for Apple devices. It “always puzzles me,” he said. “Why would I make Apple the best camera?”

It is unclear what devices he was talking about as Sony isn’t known to supply key camera components, known as image sensors, to Apple; A Sony spokeswoman declined to comment and an Apple spokesperson couldn’t be reached for comment.

Following Stringer’s interview, speculation is running wild on the Internet about whether he was referring to a brand new Apple product still in early production stages, or a new version of the iPhone or iPad. A report from April of last year, however, provides more insight into Stringer’s mention of image sensor for Apple: analyst Ashok Kumar claimed that Apple had signed on with Sony for an 8-megapixel camera lens to be used in the “2011 iPhone” — which would be the iPhone 5 set to be announced sometime between summer and fall. The report from Kumar also correctly indicated that Omnivision would be the supplier of a 5-megapixel sensor for the iPhone that Jobs would announce at WWDC 2010 — indeed, the iPhone 4 with a 5 MP camera module from Omnivision. In the past months, several bloggers also speculated Apple could implement Omnivision’s new 16:9 CMOS image sensor in the iPhone 5, although the reports didn’t provide any additional details. The iPhone 5 is also rumored to feature a bigger screen, the same Apple A5 processor seen in the iPad 2, NFC capabilities and a new aluminum design with internal antenna.

Source : MacStories

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IPHONE 5 TO FEATURE 8 is a post from: congelagro.com

The homepage icons now have text descriptions and are more intuitive to use, like a Map for “Nearby,” a Globe for “Feed,” a Calendar for “History” and a Letter for “News” (the fade text descriptions also really help).

The bizarre revolving 69 button has been split into two buttons, the Map and Globe. The Heart button, which allowed users to share photos via Facebook and Twitter, has now been replaced by a more reasonable Paper Airplane button. A Home button also brings users back to their homepage, like it should.

Color 1.0.2 also makes it a lot easier to delete a photo, block a user or see more or less of a person (+,-) and view user profiles. In addition you can now choose a Color profile image from your iPhone photo library, which means no more dark, less than ideal profile images. The phone also now comes localized in French, Japanese and Chinese.

Color is like Rebecca Black’s Friday video: People hate on it in public but keep going back to it privately. And while this is an improvement over what existed before, Pham tells me there’s an even larger (“pretty major“) re-vamp to come. “This is just the beginning,” he said.

The Android app is coming tomorrow.

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COLOR UPDATES ITS IPHONE APP WITH MORE INTELLIGIBLE ICONS, NAVIGATION AND FASTER SPEED is a post from: congelagro.com