iPhone 4, iPad 2 & Me

How To Use Photo Stream On Your Desktop

2011-10-15T15:27:00.001-10:00

One of the features of iOS 5 I was really looking forward to was Photo Stream. For years, I've been manually transferring photos from my phone to my computer. Occasionally I'd e-mail them to myself. Maybe even use Dropbox. But, all of those methods feel like there is one or more extra steps to get it done. Also, you don't want your picture to degrade in quality.

That's where Photo Stream comes in.

You take a picture on your iPhone 4 and it automatically goes to your iPad, iPod Touch (with internet connection), Apple TV and desktop computer. If you have pictures taken with a camera, you can download them to your iPad or desktop computer and it can be uploaded to your Photo Stream that will be viewable on all of your iDevices. Imagine how much easier it would be to organize all of your vacation pictures!

It's easy enough to configure the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Apple TV to use Photo Stream. For the most part, it involves going to Settings, going to the iCloud section and turning on Photo Stream. But, there are no apparent instructions to see your Photo Stream on your desktop. It's not at iCloud.com. Here's how to do it:

GottaBeMobile did most of the work for me. There is information on the website on how to set up Photo Stream on your Windows PC or your Mac. Here are the links:

I have a Windows PC and it worked like a charm. I even copied a link of my Photo Stream folder to my desktop so I can get to it easily. It IS like magic!

One thing about Photo Stream on a Mac, you need the latest OS X Lion. That'll cost you $30 but so far I really love the iCloud features, especially Photo Stream.

iPhone 4S Release Day

2011-10-15T12:36:00.002-10:00

Two crazy iPhone days this week! First, most of us encountered trouble updating to iOS 5, although it sounds like I got the better end of the deal on that one. People - you need to BACKUP and then RESTORE that backup!

Anyway, yesterday was the release of the iPhone 4S. On most release days, there are oodles and oodles of lines waiting for the latest iPhone. At least here in Hawaii, lines were not that bad. Perhaps it's because many pre-ordered for mail delivery and you could get an iPhone at the Apple Store, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, Best Buy, Wal-Mart or Target.

The hardest part about the 4S release day was actually trying to activate your iPhone 4S. It seems like AT&T was the hardest hit since it has the largest base of iPhone users.

A member in my family ordered the iPhone 4S and I was given the task to make it come alive.

I was actually one of the lucky ones. I received the iPhone 4S from UPS at around 10:15 a.m. Hawaii time. I know some people received their package in the late afternoon. But, my headstart was all for naught because of the activation problems.

This was the first iPhone that you didn't have to use iTunes with to activate or activate in a store. And it looks like everyone was taking the route of activating over the air. I just wanted to do it because it's something that was never done before.

After the my initial failure, my Mom was bugging me to see if I wanted to have lunch with her or if she should come home on the bus. Since I was getting nowhere fast with the 4S activation, I decided to take the 4S with me and try to see if I could activate it on the road.

So, in between having lunch with my Mom and going to Costco there were many more activation attempts and many more failures. At least I was able to research the problem and I found out it wasn't the iPhone but rather AT&T's servers. At around 1:30 p.m. Hawaii time my activation got through!

I didn't want to set up too much because I would have to go home and put on a backup anyway. So, I just did enough to get it up and running.

I activated it while I was on my way to Costco, so that's where I was able to first use the iPhone 4S. I snapped a few pictures while I was there. The iPhone 4S still cannot take a great photo if you have shaky hands. But, here's an example of some of the photos I took. Not all of them are great but that's probably due to my camera-taking ability. They have not been retouched and use the HDR function in the camera app:

I love how you can now get better depth of field than the iPhone 4. To achieve that kind of results, I've had to use an accessory like the olloclip.
My current phone is the iPhone 4. A few days ago I heard about the slight hardware change between the 4 and the 4S and I was able to confirm it after receiving the 4S:

Okay, I took this picture with my iPad 2 so it's crappy. But it's enough to get my point across. On the left is the AT&T iPhone 4. On the right is the iPhone 4S. Amazingly, the volume control buttons match up perfectly. I found that out after putting the 4S into an iPhone 4 case which has an exact placement for those buttons. But, the mute switch has been moved. That's because there's new gaps in the antenna, similar to the Verizon iPhone 4, that fixed the death grip issue and improved the cell signal.
Finally, I was able to use Siri a little bit and I like it a lot. However, being in Hawaii, Siri doesn't yet know Hawaiian names or places so that's out of the question. Still, it comes in very handy when it is very hard to type. Here's my favorite Siri response:

iCloud Setup & Wireless Backup

2011-10-13T10:18:00.002-10:00

Wasn't that a crazy day? The iOS 5 launch was swamped with problems. Many of us won't forget Error 3200 anytime soon. But, anyone familiar with OS launch dates know that there is a rush for about a half day after it comes out. I was able to update my iPhone 4 by early afternoon Hawaii time and I updated my iPad in the evening.

The one thing I've been trying to do is have everything go to the cloud with the new iCloud service. We got a taste of that back in June when Apple enabled us to sync our apps, music and iBook downloads wirelessly. Plus, it became a lot easier to see our latest app purchases.

Now, the entire iCloud system has been rolled out. I'll walk you through the setup:

When you upgraded your device to iOS 5, there was a series of setup screens and a couple of them were iCloud-related:

So, I chose both to "Use iCloud" and "Back Up to iCloud." I'm totally iCloud committed! But, as I found out, that commitment would be tested.

To make sure you're using the parts of iCloud you want, go to the Settings app on your iDevice:

Hit iCloud and you come to this screen:

At this screen you can enable Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, Bookmarks, Notes, Photo Stream, Documents & Data, and Find My iPhone.

I'm not using the Mail in iCloud because you have to have an @me.com e-mail address. My main e-mail is with Gmail and I'm not about to forward all of my e-mails to a @me.com account. I also use Google Calendar and there's no way to merge the iCloud calendar with my Google Calendar. Obviously, I can access Gmail and Google Calendar elsewhere on the web. The contacts on my iPhone synced successfully with iCloud. To save your Notes, you also need a @me.com e-mail address, so that's out for me as well.

So, I'm mainly using Contacts, Photo Stream, Find My iPhone and Documents & Data. All of this, especially Photo Stream, will make my life easier.

You can access your Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Find My iPhone and iWork documents at iCloud.com. I'll explain in a later article about how to get Photo Stream on your computer.

Scroll down and you'll find the Storage & Backup section of iCloud. Hit that.

In the Storage & Backup section, you see how much total storage you have, how much you have available and the ability to manage your storage and buy more storage. Every iCloud account comes with 5GB of storage for free. However, I found that if I wanted to backup a nearly-full 32GB iPhone 4 and a nearly-full 64GB iPad 2 I would need more storage than that.

I paid a $40/year for 20GB more. That brings me to a grand total of 25GB in the iCloud. So far, it looks like I'll be good with that. There's also a $100/year for 50GB option but that seems excessive. It also looks like you can get a full refund if you want to downgrade within 15 days of an upgrade or within 45 days after a yearly payment.

Even with the storage upgrade I want to maximize my storage so I hit the Manage Storage option. Here you can decide which apps get backed up and which ones do not. It separates your different iDevices.

Clicking on one of your iDevices takes you to a list of apps with data you want backed up. It shows how much data each app is worth. By default, ALL of your apps are ON so I had to go through each app to either turn it off or leave it on. That was a pain. But, my available storage went from 2.8GB to 5.5GB.

I'm trying to backup my iPhone 4 and iPad 2 wirelessly, but just like being wired it takes a long time. Probably even longer than being wired. My iPad 2 says there is 60 hours remaining. My iPhone 4 says about 5 hours remaining. I haven't fully backed up once yet on either device. It says your iDevice will perform a backup when your iDevice is plugged in, locked and connected to Wi-Fi. I'm not sure if I trust that.

To make sure you enable your iCloud backup, you have to also go to iTunes:

When you click on your iDevice icon in iTunes, there will be a new option to "Back up to iCloud." Make sure that is on.

So far, I'm not sure backing up to the iCloud is worth it because of its slow speed and the amount of storage you need. Hopefully, the iCloud backup will get faster.

UPDATE: Both my iPhone 4 and iPad 2 have finally backed up to iCloud. Perhaps that first day was just being bombarded by new iOS 5 users. The iPhone was considerably faster to backup. I did the automatic backup: plug it into a power source, make sure it's on Wi-Fi and lock the screen. So, I'm not sure how fast the iPhone backed it up but I would say it would definitely work overnight while you sleep. The iPad 2 took the better part of 24 hours to backup. And that was with me checking it every few hours. I guess that's the downside of having a 64GB iPad.

Leave a comment about what you think about iCloud and any questions you may have.

Getting Ready For iOS 5

2011-10-12T01:36:00.003-10:00

iOS 5 is almost upon us. I've heard rumors that it is dropping today at 1:00 p.m. EST. I'll be checking that out.

UPDATE 1: iOS 5 was indeed available at the time predicted above. There's a HUGE rush right now. If you're willing to wait hours for this, go ahead. If not, you can probably wait until you come home from work.

UPDATE 2: If you're getting an "Error 3200" or something similar all that means is that Apple's servers are getting pummeled. I did manage to get my iPhone updated to iOS 5 but not without a lot of headache. I actually disabled my firewall and virus protection. I also unplugged all of my USB devices except for my mouse, keyboard and iPhone. I'm not sure if that helped it or I was just lucky to get in. I never had to do that before. Even on an iOS launch day. Later tonight I'll update the iPad.

Here's a list of what you need to do:
Update iTunes to 10.5. If you already have iTunes, you can do a software check. In the Windows version, it's: Help > Check For Updates. Or you can download it at this page.

Transfer Purchases and Backup.
Restore As New; Then Restore With Backup. Sometimes you can let iTunes do everything automatically and it all works out for you. Sometimes it doesn't work that smoothly. If iTunes allows you, try to restore your device as a new device with iOS 5. Once that's done, restore the device again this time with your backup. Sometimes doing it in two steps has less problems than doing it in one step. Then again, iTunes may not let you do that. Just keep this in mind if you run into problems.

Here's a video of a more detailed way to backup everything on your iDevice from Nonstop Honolulu:

The iCloud website is also live for everyone. Right now, the only thing I can do is Find My iPhone or iPad since I already have that enabled. You won't be able to enable the rest of iCloud until you have iOS 5 on one of your devices.

For a rundown of what iOS 5 will do, you can check out my preview article here. As I use iOS 5, I'll be writing down my thoughts about each new feature on this blog.

While you wait for iOS 5, here's a video of the iOS 5 features to whet your appetite:

iPhone 4S Benchmarks - Impressive!

2011-10-12T00:50:00.002-10:00

I hate to bring up technical benchmarks because the selling point of the iPhone has never been about specifications.

But, I keep hearing, "specs this," and, "specs that," and, "Why does the iPhone 4S have terrible specs?"

Well, here's a report that you use when the "spec" army comes to your door. Anandtech posted benchmarks for the iPhone 4S compared with the iPhone 4 running iOS 5 and the iPhone 3GS in addition to popular Android smartphones. The results may surprise you.

Let's start with browser benchmarks. A SunSpider Javascript benchmark running the device's stock browser, the iPhone 4S is easily the best smartphone with a score of 2200 (lower is better). Only the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 running Android 3.1 scored better with 2130. That is oddly the only tablet that was benchmarked. The iPad 2 is nowhere to be found in this particular test. The iPhone 4 running iOS 5 (3545) is comparable, yet better, than the benchmark for both versions of the Samsung Galaxy SII. The iPhone 3GS running iOS 5 has a score of 4737, which is still better than the Nexus One running Android 2.3.6 (5375).

Using the RightWare BrowserMark, the iPhone 4S shot straight to the top of the list with a score of 89567 (higher is better). The Galaxy Tab is not far behind (88526) followed by the Galaxy SII (55144). The iPhone 4 with iOS 5 (51701) drops down to 8th place in this benchmark. The iPhone 3GS (37276) performs admirably besting the iPhone 4 with iOS 4.3 and just under the HTC Thunderbolt and the Nexus S.

Running some tests, Anandtech belives that the A5 chip in the iPhone 4S is running at 800mhz, slower than the 1Ghz in the iPad 2. This is because the 4S has a much smaller battery than the iPad.

The GPU in the 4S and iPad 2 smash the benchmarks compared with the Android phones and the Galaxy Tab 10.1. Again, the iPad 2 is better because of its higher clock speed.

You can check out the full benchmarks at Anandtech.

Facebook for iPad Is In The App Store

2011-10-10T12:04:00.001-10:00

The wait is over. The Facebook app for the iPhone is now a universal app that is optimized for the iPad.

Knowing the update was coming today, I installed the Facebook iPhone app on my iPad. Getting the iPad-optimized version was just a matter of updating the app.

You have to log in once with the new app to get it going. Once you're in, it's a great experience.

It reminds me a lot of MyPad+ with the swiping and sideloading windows. But it also keeps the Facebook look just like Friendly Plus.

I don't think the Facebook app has any special function that the other Facebook iPad apps do not have. But, I'm sure that will change in the future.

Here's more screenshots from the iPad app:

iPhone 4S Pre-orders Sell Out

2011-10-09T17:29:00.001-10:00

The way the world responded to the iPhone 4S announcement last Tuesday, you'd think that nobody wanted the newest iPhone.

Well, all iPhone 4S pre-orders have sold out.

UPDATE 10/10/2011: Apple has announced that iPhone 4S pre-orders topped one million in the first 24 hours. That broke the previous single-day order set by the iPhone 4.

What that means is you can't pre-order the iPhone 4S to get it on or around October 14 to be shipped to an address. If you want the iPhone 4S on launch date, your only option now is to stand in line at one of the stores that will be selling it.

Apple Retail Stores will be open at 8 a.m. to sell the iPhone 4S. Here's a list of the other stores selling the iPhone 4S according to the Apple press release:

AT&T
Sprint
Verizon Wireless
Select Best Buy, Wal-Mart and Target stores
Select Apple Authorized Resellers

As a buyer of the iPhone 3G and iPhone 4 and having to wait hours in line to get them, I wholeheartedly recommend waiting in line at the Apple Store. In fact, I would try to make a trip to the largest Apple Store in your area because that one will most likely be better stocked. Here in Honolulu, that would be the Ala Moana Center store.

The carriers seem to sell out VERY quickly. From what I've heard, stores like Wal-Mart sell out just as fast. But on the mainland where there are much more Wal-Marts than Apple Stores, there may be a chance you could get a really short line or no line at all. Still, selection of the model you want may not be good.

I'm going to check out one of the early lines, probably at Ala Moana. Then, I'll come home and wait for the iPhone 4S that will be going to one of my immediate family members. Yes, I've been charged with setting it up and I'm all too eager to do so.

Sprint Abandoning WiMAX

2011-10-07T10:52:00.002-10:00

Maybe sometimes it's not better to be first. Sprint was the first major wireless company in the U.S. to deploy a 4G network. Unfortunately, it chose the wrong type of technology. It went with WiMAX instead of the speedier LTE network. Today, Sprint announced it will no longer sell WiMAX phones after 2012. Sprint will deploy an LTE network in 2012 that will be as large as the WiMAX network by the end of the year (which is not saying much).
I'm a Clearwire customer, which uses the same WiMAX network. Sprint is a majority shareholder of Clearwire but does not run the company. I have the iSpot which is supposed to give me 6 Mbps down and 1 Mbps up. It does decent on the uploading. But, I have never gotten 6 down in Hawaii. I got that speed when I went to Washington state and Oregon. In the video above, it says 12 down in Chicago. That may be right. But, I'm not going to Chicago anytime soon.
All of this comes as Sprint begins pre-orders on the iPhone 4S. So, if you do have a Sprint 4G device, you WILL have to upgrade to an eventual LTE device.
I never believed in WiMAX. I knew LTE was the way to go. I bought the iSpot because it was on sale for $30 and I get unlimited data for $25/month without a contract. LTE hotspots go for at least $50 for the device and $50/month for around 2GB of data. And now Clearwire has an uncertain future. Will Sprint "share" its LTE network with Clearwire?
It's not always good to be first.

Real Racing 2 Gets Multi-Screen Update

2011-10-06T16:45:00.003-10:00

Apple Insider is reporting that the Real Racing 2 franchise on the iPhone and iPad is getting a major update next week as iOS 5 is released. You will be able to play with one to three other players in a multi-screen mode:

So what do you need to make this happen?

You need an Apple TV to wirelessly stream your devices through AirPlay.
You need an iOS device with an A5 processor. Right now, that would be the iPad 2 with iOS 5 or the iPhone 4S. That device needs to host the multi-player, multi-screen game. All other devices just need to have iOS 5.
The latest version of Real Racing 2/Real Racing 2 HD coming out next Wednesday.
A big screen HDTV. I have a 46" Sony. I think any smaller than 40" will feel cramped, especially in four-player mode.

I'm REALLY looking forward to this. I just need to find another person who has Real Racing 2 on iOS.

Steve Jobs (2/24/1955 - 10/5/2011)

2011-10-05T15:28:00.001-10:00

This was the final image of Steve Jobs that some of us will remember. His final appearance at an Apple keynote at the Worldwide Developer's Conference 2011.

He was given a rousing standing ovation. None of us knew back on June 6 that this would be one of his last public appearances.

Today, Steve Jobs said goodbye to the world.

Even if you never bought an Apple product, your life has been somehow affected by his presence on Earth. A computer with a mouse and "windows." Mp3 players. Your touchscreen phone. Tablet computing. Jobs did not invent any of this. But he took each computing paradigm to the next level. We all thought he was crazy most of the time. And then amazed when he was right.
As we remember Steve Jobs, here's a homemade documentary about his life pre-iPhone:

And here's his 2005 Stanford commencement address:

I never bought an Apple product until I bought an iPod Nano circa 2006. Then, I bought an iPhone 3G in July 2008, an iPad in April 2010, an iPhone 4 in June 2010 and an iPad 2 in March 2011.

Someday I will buy a Mac but not at the expense of my Windows PC.

As a teen I was an Amiga loyalist. I then turned to the PC by default. And now iOS is my dominant platform aside from Windows. I'm not a PC fanboy. I'm not an Apple fanboy. I pick and choose the different tools I want to use and, hopefully, creates a workflow in my life that is fun, engaging, and productive.

Thank you Steve Jobs for all of your passion and drive that have gotten us to where we are.

LIVEBLOG: Apple's iPhone Announcement

2011-10-05T06:00:00.000-10:00

There is no livestream of today's Apple event. I'm not at the iPhone announcement. So why am I doing a liveblog? To basically record my personal reactions to the information about the iPhone, iCloud and iOS 5 as it happens. Keep in mind, some of today's event may deviate to other topics like iPods and the Mac. But, it is called "Let's Talk iPhone." I will try to answer as many questions as possible.

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The iPhone 4S It Is

2011-10-04T14:34:00.003-10:00

It looks like an iPhone 4. It feels like an iPhone 4. For most anticipating the iPhone 5, it might as well be an iPhone 4. But it is the iPhone 4S.

Was there ever an iPhone 5? If there was, it hardly matters now. People are disappointed they didn't get their mythical iPhone 5. That teardrop shape is now in the shape of a real teardrop falling from their eyes.

Really, all of this grumbling is mostly over a cosmetic difference. A larger 4" screen and a slimmer, sexy exterior. I have to admit, I kind of bought into it myself. But, in the past month, I knew it was going to be the iPhone 4S alone because that rumor was the one that wouldn't go away. Plus, iPhone form factors usually survive for a full two years.

So what do I think about the iPhone 4S?

I have admit, the iPhone 4S is really hard to get excited about. iOS 5 is already bringing a lot of great features for the iPhone 4 and that update is free next Wednesday Why do I need to get an iPhone 4S?

I believe the feature that will blow everyone away is Siri.
Apple has taken voice recognition and voice commands on a smartphone to the next level. Check out this video by CNET:

Siri is the one feature that I really want to try out. I think that will be a great demo at the Apple Store.

The camera hardware is getting a better upgrade than I ever imagined. 5MP to 8MP. A fifth lens for better pictures. Better sensor. 1080p video recording. Image stabilization. Plus an improved camera app that comes with editing tools.

And especially for 3GS users, they will notice a really big performance boost with the A5 dual-core chip. That should last quite a while. I don't forsee smartphones getting into the quad-core chipset just yet.

If you're an iPhone 3G or 3GS user and need the performance boost or if you're a Sprint customer waiting all this time for an iPhone, I'd say it's time to upgrade to the iPhone 4S. Otherwise, most iPhone 4 users shouldn't feel the need to upgrade unless you REALLY want Siri in your life. Yes, this is an incremental upgrade from the iPhone 4, but I feel it's a better upgrade than the 3GS at the time that was released.

Crazy Sprint, iPhone News

2011-10-03T10:09:00.001-10:00

Don't you love wireless companies who do anti-iPhone ads and then clamor for the iPhone? Verizon did it first with its "iDon't" campaign and then with its "Pretty" commercial. Then Verizon finally made the deal with Apple to get the iPhone and iPad and now they brag about their shiny, new Apple products.

T-Mobile has taken shots at the iPhone. And now that it is on the verge of a merger with AT&T, T-Mobile is practically begging Apple for an iPhone.

And then we have Sprint. Sprint hasn't been as vocal against the iPhone, but its commercials are laced with subtle jabs. In one instance, a review liked the HTC EVO 4G more than the iPhone.

And it looks like a Sprint iPhone is a done deal. In fact, it looks like Sprint will be spending $20 billion over the next four years buying iPhones. It's a desperate move for a company desperate to compete.

And that's not even the craziest news about Sprint. There's a rumor that we should all take with a grain of salt that the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 4S will be unveiled tomorrow but the iPhone 5 will be exclusive to Sprint with WiMax 4G capability. The iPhone 5 will then be available in the first quarter of 2012 to Verizon and AT&T customers with LTE 4G capability. I have a hard time seeing that kind of favoritism, but it is $20 billion in the bank for Apple. This could piss off a lot of people wanting to upgrade to the iPhone 5 but don't want to leave Verizon or AT&T.

We'll see tomorrow. If I feel up to it, I'll be liveblogging my comments during the event tomorrow that starts at 10 a.m. PST.

New iPhone Announcement: October 4

2011-09-27T06:00:00.002-10:00

How about we all stop the iPhone rumors and wait until next week Tuesday to see what the latest iPhone announcement will bring us?

Yes, this morning Apple started sending out the invitations.

The graphic is not so subtle: "Let's talk iPhone" is the caption; there is a notification on the phone icon; the calendar icon simply shows the date of the event; the clock icon shows the time; and the map icon shows Apple's Cupertino campus (as the iPhone/iPad icon always does).

Since I'm not getting the next iPhone, I'm mostly waiting to see when iOS 5 will be released.

But for many, especially those with the iPhone 3GS who patiently passed by the popular iPhone 4 for this latest model, it is time to upgrade.

Although at one time it was believed that two iPhones would be released and the iPhone 5 would get a larger screen and a slimmer body, the consensus now is that there will be one new iPhone release (as usual) and it will not be a major redesign. This would be a big win for iPhone accessory makers who spent countless time and money to get products on the market. This would also be in line with iPhone history as major redesigns are usually every other year since the iPhone 3G was released.

Here's more interesting iPhone news as it relates to the new iPhone:

Leaked iPhone 5 Design?

2011-09-15T09:05:00.002-10:00

I've been following iPhone rumors since I decided in May of 2008 that the smartphone I wanted was an iPhone. At that time, the iPhone was in the $399-$499 price range; there was no App Store; pictures were 2MP with no autofocus, flash or HDR; there was no GPS; there no gyroscope; there was no multitasking (some say there still is none); there were no push notifications - well, you get the picture. The iPhone was in its infancy and although it gained a lot of notoriety, only those with deep pockets could afford one.

But, in those days, iPhone rumors were, more or less, spot on. I even told an AT&T employee that the iPhone's price would drop into the $199-$299 range and he said, "No way!"

In my pre-iPhone 3G posts, I already knew the features of the next iPhone. Since then, iPhone rumors have taken a life of its own. These days, I take each rumor with a grain of salt. But this morning, there may have been a leak of the real iPhone 5 design that we will eventually see when the product is unveiled in the coming weeks.

Case-mate put up an interesting iPhone 5/iPhone 4S page. Rumor has it that there will be up to two iPhones being released this fall with the 5 being the major upgrade and the 4S being the minor upgrade. The 4S will replace the iPhone 4 because it will have a GSM/CDMA chip in it becoming a true world phone. But, those who want to spend a little more for the very best will get the iPhone 5. Now, Case-mate seems to plead the 5th in all of this saying that they're not sure that there will be an iPhone 5 or an iPhone 4S. But, their "inside resources" have the details on the new form factor and launch date. Case-mate goes on to tell us the same information that we have been getting with all of the rumors from the tech blogs, so none of this is really new. But, it's interesting that an iPhone case manufacturer would reiterate tech blog blather.

What's even more interesting is that the Boy Genius Report found actual web pages and images of its forthcoming iPhone 5 cases. Case-mate took down the links to those cases, but I managed to find a few of them still online.

The images throughout these articles are screen captures from the Case-mate website. Although MacRumors seems to think that these mockups are based on a leaked design document used by Asian manufacturers, the fact that links to these picture have been taken down signals to me some kind of legitimacy and possibly an accidental posting of actual cases that will go on sale.

If these pictures are the real deal, then it looks like the iPhone 5 will indeed be thinner, have a metal backing, tapered edges, the same positioning of the camera flash, iPad 2-like volume controls, and the mute button on the opposite side of the iPhone.

Personally, I like this look. It definitely goes hand-in-hand with the latest version of the iPad.

Just a few days ago, there was a report that the iPhone 5 would NOT be redesigned. I was even ready to blog that we need to accept the fact that the next iPhone will be a relatively minor upgrade (like the 3GS).

I'm not getting an iPhone 5. I'll wait until my two year contract is up next year and perhaps by then there will be an LTE iPhone. But for those who are looking to upgrade now, it's looking better and better.

Hurricane HD for the iPad

2011-08-22T05:16:00.001-10:00

If you're even the least bit worried about the storms in your area and an iPad, you should get Hurricane HD [iTunes link].

It's $3.99 right now but how you can put a price on peace of mind? I have to admit, I did get it while it was on sale for $2.99 and when Fernanda started off in the Eastern Pacific.

Now, I am a former weather producer and I know a little something about weather. Although I'm not a meteorologist, I've used the tools they use to bring you latest about the weather and storm tracking.

I am very impressed with Hurricane HD. Once you enter the app, you see right away the current storms by name at the top of the screen. You see a storm track and the areas that might be affected. While this will not replace what a meteorologist uses, this is more than capable for the layperson who just needs to know how the storm is tracking.

A lot of information about storms is available by NOAA at the National Hurricane Center. But that website is made for meteorologists and it's hard to navigate if you don't know your stuff.

Hurricane HD makes everything a little simpler. Sure, there are sometimes names you don't recognize like "Floater." But, try and click it. There's a lot of satellite images and animations and I found them impressive while tracking Hurricane Irene.

I'm pretty sure I haven't yet accessed all of the great features of this app.

If you're looking for an iPad app that will track storms all over the world, this is it.

R.I.P. webOS (For Now)

2011-08-18T14:47:00.002-10:00

Okay, webOS isn't dead yet. But, it was barely alive anyway. Although webOS is regarded as one of the best, if not the best, operating system in the smartphone market neither Palm nor Hewlett-Packard could get traction in an industry already crowded by iOS, Android, BlackBerry and, most recently, Windows Phone 7.

In today's HP earnings call, the company revealed it is spinning off its PC division and no longer making hardware for webOS. Although it is no surprise that the TouchPad was selling so poorly, it is surprising that HP is giving up so early in the game. The Pre3 hadn't even been released in the U.S. yet. Anybody admit to buying the Veer? Even with this dismal news, webOS could rise from the ashes yet a third time.

Remember when I said that webOS isn't exactly dead yet? Well, it's just interesting that this happened the very same week that Google bought Motorola Mobility possibly leaving other Android handset manufacturers a little leery. Techcrunch has outlined a scenario that webOS could continue as an open platform. I doubt Samsung, HTC and the like would abandon Android but rather they could just add webOS to its lineup. I especially like the prospect of HTC trying its hand at webOS. HTC, in my opinion, is the best hardware manufacturer for Android. An HTC handset with webOS could be... well, magical.

But the biggest hurdle webOS has is being the fifth major smartphone OS on the market to develop for. iOS and Android dominate the app development. WP7 is looking to join the top ranks by leapfrogging over BlackBerry as the third major mobile platform (if it already hasn't). A Windows 8 tablet could help Microsoft to do that. From day one, Palm faltered by releasing a platform that did not have widespread developer support. This needs to change for webOS to survive. And I think it could if Samsung, HTC, LG, and Sony Ericsson jumped on the webOS bandwagon.

Rest in peace, for now, webOS. Hopefully, your heaven is less creepy than this early Palm Pre commercial:

Photovine Goes Public!

2011-08-17T16:21:00.002-10:00

Google has officially entered itself into the iOS photo sharing race. That's right. Google. The company that owns the mobile operating system called Android that's going head-to-head against iOS in the mobile phone universe. An app called Photovine is out of beta and now available to the general public. Interestingly, the app is NOT available for the Android OS. Only for iOS (for now).

So, that means Photovine is not trying to compete against multiplatform apps like picplz or even Flickr. Google is looking straight at Instagram.

Both Photovine and Instagram are apps that appear only on iOS. There isn't even a way to upload to either social network via a web browser (as far as I know). When Instagram first appeared in October of 2010, I thought it might have a small, but loyal, following. I always felt that having it only on one platform, iOS, would limit its growth. 7 million users and 150,000,000 photos later, I was proven wrong. Instagram is simple. It's a photo sharing social network that allows you to post a square photo with several filters to choose from. People can "like" your photo and comment on it.

Photovine, on the other hand, is very different. Any user can start up a "vine," which is basically a theme. People add photos to the vine and the community watches it grow. Photovine, as of this writing, does not feature filters. But it has similar features to Instagram, such as the "likes," comments, and a listing of the popular photos or vines.

I've been using Photovine for almost a month and it's very much like using an app like Piictu. I initially didn't want to get into Piictu because I didn't want to feel constrained by the themes that were already in play. I just like to shoot interesting photos and post it. However, the Photovine community was very creative and I think it spurred some creative juices in me to try to add photos to vines. I also conveniently used some of the same photos from Instagram since followers in the two social networks were, for the most part, different people.

I think there's definitely room for both of these apps to succeed. Well, Instagram is already being lauded as a monumental success. Photovine? We'll wait and see.

UPDATE: A little more than a week after the iOS was made available to the public, the head of Slide (the division of Google making Photovine) decided to leave Google and the Slide division is slated to be dissolved. Personally, I don't see investing more time in Photovine which is most likely at its end. Sorry, Photoviners.

Wolverine Invaded My iPhone 4 Case!

2011-08-15T18:08:00.010-10:00

I ordered a new iPhone case from Performance Designed Products which is part of a line of Marvel Comics-themed cases.

The $29.99 cases are 20% off for the month of August if you use the code "comiccon2011." I thought, "Hey, they're cool!" so I bought one. I originally wanted the Captain America shield case but it was sold out. So, I got the next best thing - The Wolverine Red Rage case.

While this is a very nice case, there is a HUGE problem with these hard cases. I'll explain after I give some thoughts about the case itself.

The case has a very nice feel. It is similar to the feel of the red Mophie Juice Pack Air for the iPhone 3G/3GS I bought a while ago. I love it.

I also love how the art on the case appears to be cut up by Wolverine himself!

Although the case covers the iPhone's bezel/antenna on its sides, the top and the bottom of the iPhone is not covered at all. For those seeking maximum protection this could be a problem. For those who want a minimal case, this is good news.

There's a large hole in the case for the camera and the flash. I took one picture with the flash on and it seems to work okay. There's also a cutout for the volume buttons and the mute button. The case is compatible with both the AT&T and Verizon versions of the iPhone 4.

For me, there are some glaring problems with this case.

For starters, the case does not protect any part of the iPhone's front glass. My everyday iPhone 4 case is the Griffin Motif. The case wraps over the edges of the front glass and provides minimal protection for the glass screen. The PDP case does not.

So, if you were to put your iPhone face down on the table the glass screen will be touching the table. I don't like that. Many cases I have bought keeps the glass screen off of the table. If you were to drop your iPhone with the glass screen facing down onto concrete, you'd be lucky if your glass didn't shatter. So, this case wasn't made for people who constantly drop their iPhone.

This case was also not made for people who need to take their iPhone in and out of the case often.

Because the Verizon iPhone differs slightly from the AT&T iPhone, case manufacturers have had to adopt a generic design that will fit both phones. And it seems this type of hard case is popular amongst the manufacturers.

In the past, hard cases were usually in two pieces so it was easy to take the iPhone in and out of its cases. Soft cases are usually in one piece and are even easier to put on and take off. But, this type of hard case is really tough to get your iPhone in and out without damaging your nails or your case. I sort of figured out a way to get my iPhone out of the case after watching this video and this video. My technique involves a combination of both of those videos plus using a card like a gift card. Not easy even after knowing how to get it off.

If I knew it was this hard to get the case off, I wouldn't have bought it. I love to use third party equipment with my iPhone like the olloclip, the Steadicam Smoothee, and the Glif.

I'm going to use the Wolverine case for a day or two to see how it goes. I hope I don't drop my iPhone.

Google Buys Motorola Mobility

2011-08-15T09:02:00.000-10:00

The story sending shockwaves throughout the tech industry today is Google's acquisition of Motorola Mobility to strengthen the Android ecosystem.

Now, for the record, although I am an iOS user I support anyone who wishes to use the Android ecosystem. I always tell people that I feel iOS works best for me and it may not work well for everyone. I don't feel there is a mobile operating system that is better than all other operating systems, although some may disagree with that statement.

I applaud Google shoring up 17,000 patents with Motorola Mobility to defend itself from other companies like Microsoft and Apple. That is smart.

After reading the news, I thought the take on all of this would be that Google is standing up to the tech giants like Apple and Microsoft and becoming a bigger player in the world tech market. Sure, I found some of that take. But, I was surprised that people are now worried that the Android ecosystem will be drastically changed. And some of that is from the Android community itself. Articles like this one could be spreading the panic amongst dedicated Android users. I've even seen some Android users say that the reactions from the different Android vendors are so alike that it's obvious that Google gave them a cut-and-paste reaction.

I really don't want to buy into the panic. I think what Android has done is good for the marketplace. And this is from an iOS user. What do you think?

What To Expect From iOS 5

2011-08-14T15:31:00.002-10:00

It's been more than a year since a major revision of iOS has been released. We're ALL waiting for iOS 5. We're also ALL waiting for the announcement of the next iPhone.

Those who saw the iOS 5 announcement at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June can't wait until it arrives.

And to this day, my most popular post is "What To Expect From iOS 4." It's probably not because everyone wants to read about an operating system that's more than a year old. It's because people are searching for hints about the NEXT operating system. I've held off going over all of the features of iOS 5 because we've been bombarded by them in the mainstream tech websites. So, now that all the hoopla is over and we're just waiting until Apple sets a date for its Fall Apple Event I guess it's time for me to remind you what we're all waiting for.

Notification Center

This is probably the most wanted feature ever since the initial push notifications were added to iOS. While I still find pop-up notifications very useful, it is incredibly intrusive for many people. And since push notifications were enabled, I've been using Boxcar which is basically an app that keeps track of your push notifications and enables push notifications for other apps.

But, Notification Center in iOS 5 is a much more elegant solution. By swiping down (yes, like in the Android operating system), you will be able to see a list of our notifications. Also, you can choose your notifications to appear at the top of the screen instead of middle of the screen. That was demoed at the WWDC:

I have been told by those who have the beta version of iOS 5 that you will be able to choose between the pop-up appearing at the top of the screen or the middle of the screen. I think the top looks much better and is a a lot less intrusive. There's also a stock and weather widget in Notification Center.
iMessage

Notification Center may have taken a cue from Android. If that is the case, then iMessage probably took a cue from BlackBerry Messenger. iMessage is basically text messaging through the Internet between iOS devices. iPhones can message each other without using up valuable text messages. iPhones can text iPad and iPod Touches with Internet connections and vice-versa. While apps like Beejive, Kik, and, to some degree, Facebook Messenger are trying to replace traditional communications via texting or emailing, iMessage just goes that extra step to providing a comprehensive text communications system to an entire platform of devices.

I love this because I think this is the first step to someday not needing to pay for texting plans. I only purchase a texting plan for those who don't have smartphones and can only rely on texting. Text messaging in iMessage is only one of its features. You will also be able to send pictures, videos, locations and contacts. Group messaging is also supported. I wonder if you'll also be able to transmit audio files? Many messaging apps do provide that function. You can also track your messages with delivery receipts and optional read receipts. iMessage will also give you the flexibility to message on one device and easily switch to another. That's cool.
Now, iMessage will be integrated into current Messages app. So, there might be some confusion at first. How do you know if you're using your texting plan or if you're using free iMessages? Well, the person you are messaging will have either blue or green bubbles. If they are green, like they are right now on your iPhone, you're using your texting plan with that person. If the person's text bubbles are blue, then you're using the free iMessage.

Newsstand

Since I am a subscriber of at least two digital publications, I can't wait until the Newsstand feature is unveiled. It is basically the iBooks equivalent for newspapers and magazines.
Right now, different newspapers and magazines for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch are separate apps. Each issue has to be downloaded separately by opening each app. (Although the recent Editions app for the iPad let you set when the issue can be downloaded in the background.) Especially when it comes to daily publications, this can be very tiresome. With Newsstand, all of your newspapers and magazines will all be in one app and each issue will be downloaded in the background as soon as they are ready to be "delivered." In the same app that you read the publications, you can also subscribe or buy more publications. Multiple digital subscriptions will be less of a pain and it will all be organized nicely in one app.
Reminders
To-Do lists will be integrated into the iOS Calendar app with Reminders. Although it's nice not having to download another app to have to-do lists, the best part of reminders are the location-based reminders.

If you pull into the supermarket parking lot, you can set a reminder to tell you something before you get in the door. You can also set a reminder as you're leaving a location so you won't forget to buy milk or some other task. Reminders can also sync with iCal, Outlook and the Calendar in the iCloud.
I could go on forever like this. Just to save all of us some time, I'll list the rest of the major features of iOS 5:

Believe it or not, there are still many more features that I haven't mentioned here yet. There's a lot to take in as we get ready for iOS 5. After iOS 5 is released, I'll write some blogs about which new features I found particularly useful.
To me, iOS 5 is trying to level the playing field with Android, BlackBerry and even Windows 7 Phone. While all of these features are not revolutionary, they are sorely needed in iOS to be successful and competitive. And somehow, Apple manages to take an idea that has been done over and over and make it new again. Hopefully, that is how iOS 5 will be.

Level HD for the iPad

2011-08-11T13:45:00.002-10:00

I was able to hook up with one of my Instagram friends and try out a new iPad app called Level HD [iTunes link].

It's basically a trio of levels, inclinometer and rulers. It's really that simple. On one hand, it's really precise. If you have an iPad 2, it appears to make full use of the accelerometer and gyroscope. On the other hand, it's $4.99.

Talking with one of my woodworking friends, he said at the $4.99 price point it's a little too expensive for something you'd use only around the house. Unless you like to take chances and are willing to use your iPad in your wood shop.

UPDATE 8/13/2011: The app is now 60% off at $1.99! If you want this app, NOW is the time to get it!

If you are willing to spend $5 and don't want to go to the store for levels and an inclinometer to use around the house, then this is the app for you.

Google+ Took A Leap In Usability For iOS

2011-08-08T16:55:00.002-10:00

This morning, the big news about the Google+ [iTunes link] iOS app is that it gained support for the iPad and iPod Touch. Like everyone else, I thought it was going to be an iPad-specific app. But, no. It's just the iPhone app on the iPad. Strangely enough, the first two revisions of Google+ could not be installed on the iPad without some hacking.

Here's the list of features added with today's update:

Huddle settings
Aggregated circle add notifications
iPod Touch & iPad support
Performance and stability improvements

All of that sounds good, but I found a game-changing feature that will help me to use Google+ on the iPhone and iPad a lot more.

First, make sure you update your app to version 1.0.2.1966.

Now, open the app and look for the light gray bar under the word "Stream." It has words like "Circles," "Nearby," "Incoming," etc.
Tap the light gray bar and you will get a new screen called "Choose views."

This is a listing of your circles. Tap the blank circle on the left to add a circle to the light gray bar.
The three lines on the right of each circle allows you to set your default stream and the order it goes from there. So, if you put the "Friends" circle at the top, your app will launch with that stream automatically.
The next circle you choose goes to the right of your default stream and so forth for each of your selected circles.
The last selected circle will end up to the left of your default stream. So, I feel the first, second and last selected circles on this list should be most important to you since they will be easiest to get to when you first open the app.
When you go back to your Stream view, all you have to do is swipe to the left or right to change your streams.

I hope my instructions were understandable. From day one, I had been pining for a way to set the default stream since seeing all of your circles in one stream is not very useful. Now we have it! At least on the iOS app.

I'm expecting to use Google+ a lot more because of this change. I apologize in advance if this feature was already there and I didn't know about it.

Skype for iPad Released! (Then Pulled, and Back Again)

2011-08-01T18:42:00.009-10:00

Skype for iPad has been released in the U.S.!

I tested the mic using the iPad 2's mic and it sounded super clear.

My co-worker tested the video calling with her sister who is in New York and it worked well! She was on it for 15 to 30 minutes. Her sister has a Verizon iPhone so it was a solid signal but Verizon's 3G is slower so it looked more pixelated when there was a lot of motion. But, it's a good alternative to FaceTime!

UPDATE: While testing the link I posted above, I realized that it doesn't work. When I went back to search for Skype, I couldn't find it. Maybe it's been pulled? Anyway, I'll leave the link up in case it comes back. I'll still test the video calling tomorrow.

Here's proof it actually was on the App Store. I was able to go back to my Purchased apps and pull up the Skype for iPad page:

UPDATE 2: Confirmation that the Skype for iPad app has been pulled from the App Store via Twitter:

UPDATE 3: August 2 - Skype tweeted out that that Skype for iPad is now back in the App Store!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

iCloud Webapp Goes Live

2011-08-01T16:15:00.002-10:00

iCloud.com is now live. This is where your can get your .me email account, your contacts, your iCal calendar, Find My iPhone and your iWork documents on the web - no matter what type of computer you're using.

Only developers have full access to the iCloud now. ~~But, if you have an Apple ID, you can still browse around.~~

I don't have a .me email account so I can't go into the Mail app. Although my contacts are not backed up with Apple's MobileMe, I can still go into the Contacts app. It looks just like the Contacts app for the iPad. I don't have a Mac so I don't have iCal. Still, you can go into the Calendar app and check it out. This also looks just like the Calendar app for the iPad.

Find My iPhone has been available on the web for a while even without a MobileMe account. This is just put in a better place with all of the other apps. And then there's the iWork app. Even though I do have Pages on the iPad and iPhone, this feature does not work for non-developers. Can't wait until this goes live with iOS 5. I won't have to use Dropbox anymore.

iCloud.com is a bit buggy. Even if you check the box that says "Keep Me Signed In For 2 Weeks" it won't keep you signed in. At least not from my experience.

I also noticed for some reason I kept typing in my password and it wouldn't accept it. I eventually got it to work, though. I also found this cute response if you don't type in your password correctly:

UPDATE: The day after I was able to get in, Apple locked it down for only developers. I didn't think I was going where I'm not supposed to go but I guess the whole shebang was only for developers. Since many websites got screenshots, I never thought to take my own since I didn't think I'd lose access to it. Anyway, iCloud.com isn't really "magic" unless you have iOS 5.