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Bill Gates: Steve Jobs Saved Apple

Stephen Antonucci — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:58:54 PST

Microsoft's Bill Gates nicely praises Apple's Steve Jobs for 'saving the company.' See Video.

Google Acquires Gizmo5

Stephen Antonucci — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:22:53 PST

From GoogleVoice Blog: Today we're pleased to announce we've acquired Gizmo5, a company that provides Internet-based calling software for mobile phones and computers. While we don't have any specific features to announce right now, Gizmo5's engineers will be joining the Google Voice team to continue improving the Google Voice and Gizmo5 experience. Current Gizmo5 users will still be able to use the service, though we will be suspending new signups for the time being, and existing users will no longer be able to sign up for a call-in number. We've acquired a number of small companies over the past five years, and the people and technology that have come to Google from other places have contributed in many ways, large and small, to all kinds of Google products. Since the GrandCentral team joined Google in 2007, they've done incredible things with Google's technology and resources to launch and improve Google Voice. We welcome the Gizmo5 team to Google and look forward to working together to bringing more useful features to Google Voice.

Well maybe GoogleVoice will now become a full featured VoIP app!

Fortune: Rarely Seen Steve Jobs Photos

Stephen Antonucci — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:56:36 PST

Fortune has named Apple CEO Steve Jobs "CEO of the Decade" for his phenomenal leadership at Apple. They have some rare photos worth taking a look at.

blackra1n & blacksn0w Jailbreak-Unlock iPhone 3.1.2

Stephen Antonucci — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:41:13 PST

If you've been holding off on updating your iPhone to OS 3.1.2 to keep your jailbreak or carrier unlocks, blackra1n and blacksn0w are here. blackra1n is the easiest jailbreak tool ever, 2 minutes and one-click hacktivation, unlocking (blacksn0w), and enabling tethering support all in one app. Don't expect the fun to last forever. Apple will be trying to ruin jailbreaker's day lby boosting the iPhone security. But for now, iPhone OS 3.1.2 and its updated 05.11.07 baseband can freed. Download blackra1n. Install it on your Mac or PC. Connect your iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS or iPod touch. Follow the easy instructions and in less than 2 minutes blackra1n will jailbreak your iPhone. Once blackra1n is installed on your iPhone you can install Cydia, Rock and blacksn0w. Cydia and Rock are unofficial app stores were you will find many apps Apple would not allow. Using blacksn0w you can unlock your iPhone for use on whatever GSM/UTMS carrier you prefer. Note US users only other option is T-mobile, which will only allow your iPhone to work on EDGE. blackra1n and blacksn0w only work in tethered mode with new iPhone 3GS and iPod touch models that use a different bootloader than older models. That means the device has to be tethered to a computer with blackra1n running whenever the device is rebooted; otherwise, the jailbreak is undone on reboot. Also, blacksn0w won't unlock the baseband on EDGE-only iPhones. For that, GeoHot blackra1n creator, recommends the BootNeuter tool. For more info see GeoHot's blog.

Google Dashboard

Stephen Antonucci — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 08:50:01 PST

Google Dashboard offers a single page view of everything connected to your Google Account.

There’s Now 100,000 Apps for That

Stephen Antonucci — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:21:13 PST

Its official Apple says there is now over 100,000 iPhone! Took only 481 days.

Verizon Brings Media Manager for Mac to FiOS TV

Stephen Antonucci — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:04:47 PDT

Verizon has released a Mac version of its Media Manager software that allows stream iTunes media directly to your TV via your FiOS TV DVR. Features include streaming your iTunes Music and Photos.

NBA Games Live on iPhone Over 3G

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:20:11 PDT

New iPhone app allows you to watch LIVE NBA games over 3G. NBA LEAGUE PASS MOBILE, $39.99 by MobiTV is the official app from the NBA that lets you watch same live games that are available on the TV and Broadband versions of NBA LEAGUE PASS, on your iPhone over WiFi or 3G connections. Seems the Apple/AT&T executives seem to allow "live" TV over 3G connection, for some apps and not others (EyeTV and SlingPlayer were not allowed on 3G). The MLB.com At Bat 2009, $9.99 also allows "live" games.

iTunes 9.0.2 Adds Apple TV 3.0 Support Breaks Pre Sync

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:56:42 PDT

Apple has updated iTunes adding support for the new Apple TV 3.0 software. iTunes 9.0.2 also adds an option for a dark background in the Grid view. See iTunes Prefs -> General -> Grid View. iTunes requires OS X 10.4.11 or later, and 10.5 or later to play iTunes LP or iTunes Extras content. Your iTunes LP and iTunes Extras will need to be updated before they will work with the Apple TV. Oh yeah, it breaks the Palm Pre syncing again. Your turn Palm.

Apple TV Update Reminds Us Its Still A Hobby

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:47:14 PDT

Apple has released Apple TV 3.0 (requires iTunes 9.02) today. This new version brings support for Tunes LP and iTunes Extras content for albums and movies, Internet Radio, Genius Mixes and Photo ‘09’s Events and Faces (but not Places) along with a new main UI. After updating the two Apple TVs in our house, I can tell you this update is nothing to get excited about. My take is the Apple TV is still nothing more than a hobby. Performance is still terrible with connecting to stream from your computers taking waaaay too long (especially for users with large iTunes libraries). Syncing still takes forever (even on my gigabit WIRED network). Apple TV still has no support for plugins, widgets, or new content. Note: For other frustrated Apple TV owners like myself, I would like to point out that your iTunes LP and iTunes Extras will need to be updated before they will work with the Apple TV. No rush for updating your Apple TV as you will need to wait for the updated Tunes LP and iTunes Extras. So I guess adding this support to the Apple TV was a bit of an after thought. The Apple TV is in dire need of a total revamp in my opinion. Just the fact that the Apple TV needs to have iTunes open and running just to get to your content is a bit ridiculous. While Apple continues to allow their "hobby" to languish with mostly useless updates that do not fix the Apple TV's core problems, Microsoft has made amazing inroads to "own" the living room. Why did adding Internet Radio to the Apple TV take so long? This feature should have been available on the first version. Actually this is not even a new feature as you could always play Internet Radio if you put the stations in a playlist. So this is hardly new content. Putting Plex (and or EyeTV) on a Mac mini makes a far better media PC for your home theatre than the Apple TV (at a far higher price however).

Android 2.0 Looks Hot

Stephen Antonucci — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:22:45 PDT

Google has unveiled Android 2.0. The software is expected to officially debut on Verizon's Motorola Droid smartphone announced today. Is Ballmer throwing chairs yet?

Google Navigation Is Game Changer

Stephen Antonucci — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:19:36 PDT

Verizon and Google unveiled the new Motorola Android 2.0 phone today. If I were RIM or Microsoft I would be very scared. Standalone navigation makers like Garmin and TomTom may also have just witnessed the end of their expensive standalone GPS navigation business. Google is delivering this at an unbeatable price, FREE. It is included in the new Verizon/Motorola Droid phone, but word has it this navigation app from Google will also end up on the iPhone as well. Microsoft, Windows Mobile standing still is NOT an option!

Here Comes The New Apple Ads – UPDATED

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:22:12 PDT

They are still great ads.

Microsoft Shameless Copy of an Apple Store

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:46:56 PDT

Microsoft seems to have no shortage of ideas - Apple's ideas actually. Examples, come to mind like the ZuneHD copying the most they could on the iPod touch, Windows 7 photo app and Dock, oops I mean task bar, and take a look at the new Microsoft Store. It is another example of the blatant copy machine Microsoft is. The employees may be wearing different color shirts and the tables are a bit darker, but the videos shows a retail store that looks like every Apple Store you have ever visited. Same decor, Gurus instead of Geniuses, they hired Apple executives and store staff, even the same opening store festivities. As I always say about Microsoft, years later and not as good!

ReelDirector Brings Better Video Editing to iPhone

Stephen Antonucci — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:15:33 PDT

ReelDirector, $7.99 now available in the AppStore is the closest thing to having iMovie right on your iPhone. Add titles and credits to your clips to editing and arranging clips to a timeline. Also add transitions, arrange positions for text, and offers four different text styles you can apply to your clip. Very cool see the video.

Apple Updates iMac, Mac mini, MacBook adds Magic Mouse

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:35:04 PDT

Busy day for Apple fans as they watched updates to iMacs with better displays, faster Mac mini with addition of a OS X Server edition and redesigned MacBooks with Unibody. Apple also released a new wireless mouse they are calling Magic Mouse and a new Apple Remote. Bad news is Blu-ray seems to STILL be a "bag of hurt" as it is nowhere to be found. See all the new toys after the jump. New iMacs Overhauled iMac comes in two new sizes - 21.5-inch and 27-inch models featuring a true widescreen 16x9 aspect ratio. The 27-inch model now includes the first quad-core processor ever in an iMac. The new iMacs seem to be all about the display and graphics. Both models are backlit by LEDs, the first time Apple has integrated this bright, instant-on lighting in a desktop computer. The 21.5-inch display has a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, the equivalent of a 1080p HDTV an the 27-inch model’s resolution is 2560x1440 pixels. Both use the IPS display technology giving them good color fidelity and a 178-degree viewing angle without color shift. Both iMac models feature an SD card slot right below the optical-drive slot on the computer’s right side, four USB ports, Firewire 800, built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi networking, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, Gigabit Ethernet, four notebook-sized RAM slots that handle up to 16GB of memory and Mini DisplayPort output. The systems now ship standard with the new version Apple’s wireless keyboard and the new Apple Magic Mouse. The new iMac line starts at $1,199 for a 21.5-inch iMac with a 3.06GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB of RAM, GeForce 9400M integrated graphics, a 500GB hard drive and a DVD burner. A higher-end version of the smaller system at $1,499 adds dedicated ATI Radeon HD 4670 graphics and doubles hard drive space to 1TB. 27-inch models begin at $1,699 with the same specifications as the higher-end 21.5-inch model. A $1,999 model brings a 2.66GHz Core i5 and Radeon HD 4850 video without changing other features. A build to order option exists for a 2.8GHz Core i7 processor. The iMac can now use its DisplayPort to turn it into a second screen, receiving video (but not audio) input from a MacBook, etc. Apple claims it was HDCP compliant so it should be fine for watching Blu-rays on, via the port, via a separate player. Mac mini - Server Edition Added The new Mac mini is now available with up to a 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo. A new Server Edition sports Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server pre-installed as well as with a second hard drive in place of the optical drive; the option gives those running clusters a much more capable computer. All versions have more RAM and hard drive storage than their predecessors. The "server" version may make many small business owners happy as well as power users looking for media servers for their homes. Mac mini starts at $599 for 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB of RAM, GeForce 9400M video and a 160GB hard drive. The $799 version is 2.53GHz chip, 4GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive, while the new "server" version is $999 with two 500GB hard drives. MacBook Goes Unibody The white plastic MacBook gets totally redesigned adding Unibody construction, LED monitor and an integrated seven-hour battery. The MacBook, $999 now uses a glass multi-touch trackpad, and a non-slip bottom surface. Internal specifications include a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo processor with 2GB of RAM, alongside an integrated GeForce 9400M video chipset from NVIDIA and a 250GB hard drive. Bad news is no FireWire, no SD card slot, no dedicated line-in. Just two USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet, Mini DisplayPort, and a combo headphone / line-in jack. Multi-touch Magic Mouse Arrives Magic Mouse, a new multi-touch Bluetooth wireless mouse, eliminating the need for a scrollwheel or any mechanical buttons allows users to taps and use swiping gestures. No pinch to zoom just in case you were wondering. The Magic Mouse requires Mac OS X 10.5.8, and is scheduled to ship in late October at a cost of $69. It is also ships standard with the new 21.5- and 27-inch iMacs, replacing the Mighty Mouse. New Apple Remote The new $19 remote is longer than the original model and aluminum still offers four directional buttons, a menu button, and a play/pause button. The only difference in layout is that the play/pause button has been moved out of the center of the directional buttons. The play/pause button is now located next to the menu button, right below the directional buttons. Apple Extreme and Time Capsule Tweaks AirPort Extreme Base Station (still $179) now has “improvements in antenna design” with up to 50 percent better Wi-Fi performance and up to 25 percent better range, according to Apple. Apple’s website claims that there are “new technologies in Time Capsule and refinements to Time Machine make backing up to Time Capsule using Snow Leopard up to 60 percent faster than before.” Prices remain at $299 for a 1TB model and $499 for a 2TB model. See more details on the Apple website.

Apple Has Best Quarter In Its History in Worldwide Recession

Stephen Antonucci — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:48:37 PDT

Apple posted revenue of $9.87 billion and a net quarterly profit of $1.67 billion, or $1.82 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $7.9 billion and net quarterly profit of $1.14 billion, or $1.26 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 3.05 million Macs during the quarter, representing a 17 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. Apple also sold 10.2 million iPods during the quarter, representing an eight percent unit decline from the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 7.4 million iPhones in the quarter, representing seven percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. Amazing numbers.

Photoshop Arrives for the iPhone

Stephen Antonucci — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:11:11 PDT

When I saw this, my first reaction was, about time. Than I thought about the slew of apps for editing pictures already available for the iPhone and I realized this is actually a crowded field. I am happy to see Adobe jump in. Photoshop.com Mobile for the iPhone is free app that offers some nice touches including:

Basics: Crop, Rotate, and Flip
Color: Exposure, Saturation, Tint, Black and White
Filters: Sketch, Soft Focus
Effects: Vibrant, Pop, Border, Vignette Blur, Warm Vintage, Rainbow, White Glow, Soft Black and White

You can edit photos and upload them to your online account. Once the photos are uploaded, you will need to use a computer to use the Flash based Photoshop.com to continue to edit.

AT&T Says OK to VoIP for 3G Network

Stephen Antonucci — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:53:17 PDT

Maybe it was the FCC looking closely at AT&T and pushing for Net Neutrality for wireless networks or competition from Verizon Wireless which is adopting Android. Anyway, AT&T has announced prior to CTIA that they will allow Skype, Vonage, and maybe even Google Voice to operate on the AT&T 3G network. In the past VoIP apps were only allowed to use WiFi. AT&T is doing the correct thing here folks. Even if it now appears they have thrown Apple under the bus. Apple claims they will move swiftly to allow developers to update their VoIP apps for 3G. Now maybe Apple can get off the fence and accept Google Voice into the AppStore.

Palm Restores Pre Syncing With iTunes 9

Stephen Antonucci — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 17:09:52 PDT

In a move that is as juvenile as I have ever seen, Palm releases WebOS 1.2.1 update that restores syncing to the Pre with iTunes 9. Why is this juvenile you may ask? Because it does not help Pre customers or follow the policy of the USB-IF, the industry group that has already shot them down for using an USB ID to mimic an iPhone. Since the Palm Pre can not play back any DRM content like videos sold in the iTunes Store or use any apps sold, there is no reason to do this, but to annoy Apple. Maybe Palm should be working on apps and instead of wasting their time with this. All Palm needs to do is create their OWN desktop syncing software like RIM has for the Blackberry. Maybe Palm should worry more about all the units it has not sold and the heavy discounts being offered at Wal-Mart for the Pre ($79.99 after rebate). In fact Pre sales have been quite dismal, allowing Verizon Wireless to announce they are no longer interested in selling the Pre. OK, Apple what's next? Your turn.

Your iPhone Just Got 20-20 Vision with Eye Glasses

Stephen Antonucci — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:04:20 PDT

Freeverse has released Eye Glasses, $2.99 a very useful app for the iPhone that is ideal for trying to read that small print that seems to get smaller each year! Farsighted individuals can rejoice. No more searching your drawer for your reading glasses, bifocals, or magnifying glass. Eye Glasses uses the iPhone 3GS autofocusing camera to clearly display text or imagery. To use Eye Glasses, choose between 2x, 4x, 6x or 8x magnification and hold the iPhone camera about five inches away from the item you want to see magnified! Probably one of the most simple and useful apps I have bought for the iPhone. Now reading those tiny serial numbers, license keys and cooking instructions just got easier. Note: While Eye Glasses will run on any iPhone, we highly recommend the auto-focus camera on the iPhone 3GS for the best experience.

Dropbox: There’s Now An App For That

Stephen Antonucci — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 07:31:19 PDT

Dropbox has just dropped a native app for the iPhone and it is free. For those of you unfamililar with Dropbox, it is one of the the best solutions for syncing and sharing files between computers and and now iPhones. This is one of my favorites. I like it much better than Mobile Me. Simplicity, is why. A quick install of dropbox and you will now have a folder on your computer. Whatever you put in that folder is synced. Simple, isn't it? You can easily share folders or files with others. You get 2GB of storage space for free, and can pay a monthly fee if you need more. Users of Drpbox have access to all their stuff via any browser or their iPhones. The new Dropbox iPhone app adds some cool new features; you can take a photo or video clip and upload them directly to your Dropbox account. Put them in the Shared folder and they’re instantly available to people you’ve granted Sharing privileges to. I like the way the photos are renamed with a time and date stamp, and not just left with the “Photo.jpg” filenames created by the iPhone’s camera app. Get a Dropbox account now.

EyeTV Comes To iPhone

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:30:41 PDT

Elgato has just released an EyeTV app for the iPhone, $4.99 [iTunes link] as an extension to EyeTV desktop software. iPhone users can now watch both live (WiFi Only) and recorded TV. While connected to your home WiFi network, the new iPhone app can uses Bonjour to discover local Macs running EyeTV.

Google ChromeOS Preview Video

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 06:37:55 PDT

Take a look at one of the first previews of the Google ChromeOS. See video.

MMS for iPhone Finally Coming This Friday

Stephen Antonucci — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:12:04 PDT

AT&T: New carrier settings for the iPhone 3G and 3GS will be available "late morning" Pacific Time (which would be early afternoon Eastern) on Friday, September 25, which will finally enable MMS support. iPhone owners will have to sync up to iTunes to install those settings. Any bets on how well MMS will work on the first day?

USB Industry Group Calls Palm Out For Breaking Rules

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:38:37 PDT

USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), the industry group that oversees the Universal Serial Bus standard, has spanked Palm for their alleged use of Apple’s Vendor Identification Number (VID), which it says violates the USB-IF policy. Palm was the company that complained to the USB-IF claiming Apple is “hampering competition” by repeatedly disabling the Palm Pre’s ability to sync with iTunes. It amazes me that Palm thought they would win with this strategy. Well it does not look good for Palm.

iTunes 9.0.1 Arrives With Fixes

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:17:28 PDT

iTunes 9.0.1 has arrived in Software Update bringing some much needed bug fixes and tweaks. The update's fixes include:

Resolves issues browsing the iTunes Store.
Addresses a performance issue where iTunes may become unresponsive.
Fixes a problem where iTunes may unexpectedly quit.
Fixes a problem syncing Podcasts in playlists to iPod or iPhone.
Fixes a problem sorting albums with multiple discs.
Addresses an issue with the Zoom button not switching to Mini Player.
Improves application syncing for iPod touch and iPhone.
Genius is now automatically updated to show Genius Mixes.

iTunes 9.0.1 update restores 'maximize' button behavior. Hooray! The update is close to 90 MB, and like the previous iTunes 9 build it requires Mac OS X 10.4.11 and up, or Windows XP + newer. Note that the Mac version requires Safari 4 as well as QuickTime 7.6.

Did Apple Just Lie to The FCC? Maybe?

Stephen Antonucci — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 08:39:23 PDT

Google has released a copy of the letter they sent to the FCC in regard to the Google Voice fiasco with previously unpublished information. In the prior version of the letter some information was redacted. The new information shows that Apple's and Google's answer to the FCC differs greatly - someone is lying. Here's the skinny: Apple: “Contrary to published reports, Apple has not rejected the Google Voice application, and continues to study it.” Google: “Apple representatives informed Google that the Google Voice application was rejected because Apple believed the application duplicated the core dialer functionality of the iPhone” However, Apple is standing firm, and even today told the press that they haven’t rejected the Google Voice application, despite what Google says. What else can Apple do? Tell the FCC and all iPhone users, that they don't like competition and are protecting their partner AT&T against Google's phone innovations? Sure would have been better if Apple took the high road here. Trying to make the argument that we have not rejected the official Google Voice app - we just have not accepted it yet, while REMOVING three third party Google Voice apps that were in the App Store for months is quite weak! TechCrunch claims that Google may release proof in the form of a screen shot of Apple's formal rejection!

Apple TV Gets Price Cut

Stephen Antonucci — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 07:16:41 PDT

Apple has discontinued the 40 GB Apple TV and is now offering the 160 GB model only. The 160 GB Apple TV is now available for just $229, down $100.

iTunes 9 Adds Home Sharing and iPhone App Management

Stephen Antonucci — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:05:06 PDT

Most of the announcements today at Apple's "It's only rock & roll, but we Like it" event were a big yawn. No Tablet, No Beatles, No surprises really. Just a basic update of the iPod line with better price points, iPhone 3.1 update, and iTunes 9. Pretty boring stuff. I was happy about two things, seeing Steve Jobs is recovering and a few useful features in iTunes 9. New Home Sharing feature in iTunes 9, allows you to easily transfer content between five authorized computers connected to your iTunes account. No more screwing around with network shares or USB drives. Also finally a better way to manage your iPhone or iPod touch apps directly in iTunes. See videos.

Apple Brings New iTunes, Updates iPods

Stephen Antonucci — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:19:53 PDT

Glad to see Steve Jobs on stage today in San Francisco. Apple has announced iPhone 3.1 update, iTunes 9, updated iPod nano with slightly larger screen that sport video camera and FM radio, updated iPod shuffle and new iPod touch pricing. Looks like Apple is ready for the holiday season.

Beatles Remastered Comes to Amazon

Stephen Antonucci — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:58:25 PDT

Get The Beatles Remastered collection at Amazon now.

Beatles Coming to iTunes Tomorrow? Maybe?

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:11:13 PDT

OK, the facts, or should I say factoids are in. The Beatles catalog may come to iTunes tomorrow, maybe? Bottom line is Yoko said yes, EMI said no, everyone else says maybe. I just wanted to have an excuse to post the Beatles Rockband video, which I love. Since I probably own most every track the Beatles and the fab four independently recorded, it really does not matter much to me. Watch the video and enjoy.

AT&T’s ‘Blogger Guy’ Explains Why They Suck!

Stephen Antonucci — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:40:17 PDT

AT&T is plagued with problems including high prices, poor connectivity, missing functionality, and slow speeds. Especially, for iPhone owners. The same customers that helped AT&T make billions in profits. Apple does its own advertising and support saving the carrier large barrels of cash. AT&T has been free to FOCUS on one thing, their network. BUT, have they? Seth the 'blogger guy' claims so. Let's take a look. In two years of having the iPhone AT&T still suffers from dropped calls. In my New Jersey/New York area I have noticed this has not only not improved, it has actually gotten worse. No MMS. Finally MMS is coming on September 25, LATE! Most cheap cell phones available, on AT&T have had MMS for years! There is no tethering for the iPhone with no announcement of a plan in sight. Yet if I bought a Blackberry on AT&T, I would have the choice of a tethering plan! I can not use SlingPlayer Mobile on AT&T's 3G network on my iPhone, but it is available on Blackberry and Windows Mobile phones offered on the same AT&T network. Upgrading your iPhone from 3G to 3GS was a bit steep as AT&T, even with all their lousy service, cut customers little slack on the price. Google Voice and many other apps have been rejected, removed, or banned from the iPhone. Sure Apple is taking the blame, but most of these apps are available on other mobile phones, again, offered on the same AT&T network. Many iPhone customers are paying over $140 a month to AT&T. What does AT&T do with all this money? They spend it on PR, not the network it seems. Even the NY Times seemed to blame iPhone owners for actually expecting to use what they are paying for. They call it a data guzzler. So I guess they expect people to spend $199 plus a two year contract, spending over $100 per month, and NOT USE IT! WTF? The iPhone is NOT a car from ObamaMotors or the Hummer! It's a smartphone. AT&T's excuses have already worn thin. What's is the point of upgrading a network for future customers if when that time comes you won't have any customers left? AT&T, stop wasting your money on silly graphics, stupid graphs and dopey so called bloggers - FIX the F-ing network. Excuses are like a$$holes, everyone has one and they are all cracked. If you do not turn this thing around by improving your service ASAP, their will be a MASS EXODUS to whatever carrier gets the iPhone, which will happen soon enough! iPhone owners should tell Apple NOT to renew any exclusive agreement with AT&T - ONE thing that will work is competition!

Skype for iPhone Gets Nice Update

Stephen Antonucci — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:34:37 PDT

Skype for iPhone Version 1.2 was just released with the following new features and improvements:

Set up call forwarding from your iPhone – forward Skype calls to a phone number when you're not signed in.
Improved performance and better audio quality on Skype-to-Skype calls.
Even easier to send text messages (SMS) - Send SMS from the Call tab.
Calls are connected much faster.
Status of your contacts is updated more often.
You can now decide whether you want to stay online/offline when the iPhone is locked. We've added this into settings.
Contact groups are now supported, making it easier to see who is online and separate your saved phone numbers.
You can now edit the name of your saved phone numbers.
Added support for skype: URL schemes in Safari.
When creating a new account the country in your Skype profile is taken from the language used on your iPhone.
Group chat profile pictures are now shown.
You can now remove your profile picture.
Added a 'Help' link to 'Forgot your password'.
Improved support for proxy configurations.

Makes this a much strong application than before.

AT&T: They Missed By THAT Much!

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:53:24 PDT

AT&T said that iPhone owners will FINALLY get multimedia messaging or MMS on September 25th, missing summer by few days. A notice on the AT&T website, says that a software update enabling MMS will be pushed to iPhones (3G and 3GS models) with no additional charge (beyond existing messaging fees) for MMS service. Apple promised both iPhone MMS service and tethering (which lets you use your phone as a modem for a PC on a 3G network) back in January for "late" summer. Most carriers around the world have implemented MMS and many also offering tethering, but AT&T even missed summer. And as it now looks iPhone users will have to wait longer for tethering. An AT&T spokesman says there is no date yet for the feature, which is available now—at an additional monthly fee—for other devices such as BlackBerrys.

Hilarious: Will AT&T FINALLY Bring MMS to iPhone?

Stephen Antonucci — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:26:18 PDT

I loved this vide. Thanks Glenn for sending it to me! think if AT&T does not get MMS going next week the torches and pitchforks will be coming their way.

OS X 10.6 Tip #3: Quickly Get MobileMe Sync Info

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 19:27:24 PDT

OS X 10.6 Tip: Quickly Get MobileMe Sync Info

Blackberry Storm vs. Storm 2

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:47:59 PDT

Looks like the forthcoming Blackberry Storm 2 will be a nice improvement over the first generation. Adding WiFi alone is worth the upgrade. Funny how many Crackberry addicts claimed it wasn't needed. Some even claimed it couldn't be added to a CDMA phone. Maybe now I could consider upgrading my Blackberry Curve when this arrives. See video.

OS X 10.6 Tip #2: Minimize Windows by Double Clicking Title Bar

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:31:44 PDT

OS X 10.6 Tip: Minimize Windows by Double Clicking Title Bar

OS X 10.6 Tip #1: Easily Switch Sound Inputs/Outputs

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:40:56 PDT

OS X 10.6 Tip: Easily Switch Sound Inputs/Outputs

Apple Event for September 9th Confirmed

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 07:05:51 PDT

Apple’s annual iTunes and iPod Special Music Event is now official for Wednesday September 9th. They are calling this year’s event “It’s only rock and roll, but we like it”, and it will take place at the Yerba Bueana Center for the Arts Theatre in San Francisco, California at 10am PT/1pm ET . Let the rumors fly. It is expected to see iTunes 9 with added social connections and new iPods with cameras. What else? Beatles? iPhone 3.1? The fabled iTablet? MMS and tethering FINALLY? New Apple TV? An appearance by Steve Jobs?

Apple Posts List for Snow Leopard Incompatible Software

Stephen Antonucci — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 09:38:42 PDT

Looking to upgrade to Snow Leopard today? Well make sure to BACKUP your Mac and check the list Apple has posted on application that are NOT compatible with Snow Leopard at this time. In another document Apple outlines printer and scanner software that is compatible with Snow Leopard. I suggest you clone your Mac's hard drive using a USB or Firewire (preferable) external hard drive using Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper. Then make sure an app you must have is not on the Snow Leopard incompatible list before you upgrade.

Apple’s Well-Timed Letter of Rejection For the Week

Stephen Antonucci — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 07:36:45 PDT

Here is yet another ridiculous rejection for an application called Convertbot. Version 1.4 has been rejected for using a clock icon to represent “time”, even though the exact same icon was used for versions 1.0 through 1.3. Read developers page. I can feel his pain.

Spinal Tap’s New Short Film Makes Debut on iTunes

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:49:13 PDT

Spinal Tap's new short film, Stonehenge: 'Tis a Magic Place, is available for download exclusively on iTunes [$1.99]. I just downloaded the 7 minute short. Spinal Tap must live near Stonehenge because they lasted so long.

Mac Ad Making Fun of Windows 7?

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:11:31 PDT

I thought this Mac ad just released by Apple, made me think of Windows 7. Many have claimed Windows 7 was trying to be OS X in disguise. What do you think? See video.

Apple Taps Seinfeld Show for Latest Ad

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:02:53 PDT

Cleverly Apple features Patrick Warburton, best known as “Puddy” on the old Seinfeld Show, a minor character from the sitcom. Many will not even notice, but this is like a small kick to the failed Microsoft ads that had Jerry Seinfeld appearing with Bill Gates. See video.

Parallels Desktop Switch to Mac Edition

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 08:49:14 PDT

Parallels has introduced an all-in-one solution for Windows users thinking about making the switch to Mac much easier with their new Parallels Desktop Switch to Mac Edition. This version helps PC users make the switch without losing the applications and data they already have on their Windows systems. It also includes two hours of video tutorials for new Mac OS X users. See demo video here. Parallels has developed a "plug and click" system that moves the entire PC (licensed operating system, applications, files and data) to the new Mac. This includes the Parallels High Speed USB Transfer Cable that connects the two machines and the Enhanced Parallels Transporter: simple, wizard-driven software that walks the user through the move in a few easy clicks. Parallels Desktop 4.0 Switch to Mac Edition is available from today at Apple stores, at Apple.com and through other preferred retail partners in English, German and French. It costs $99.99.

One Reason Why Windows Laptops Are Pain in the Ass!

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 08:33:07 PDT

All I could think of was Ouch! What does this say for MSI laptops? Do they want you to stick up your butt? See video.

Camtasia Screen Recording Available for Mac Users

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 08:21:24 PDT

TechSmith has announced the release of Camtasia for the Mac. It will cost $149, though is now available for $99 as an introductory price. A 30-day free trial version is available for download. Camtasia is “screencasting” software that can record everything that’s going on on your Mac’s display. Edit, include mic audio and share it. Create marketing, sales and training videos is made easy with Camtasia. Camtasia will face some competition from Telestream's ScreenFlow ($99) that has version 2.0 coming in September and ShowU HD Pro ($59.99) which offers some of the features of Camtasia. Camtasia has long been available on that other platform so we are happy to see it made available for Mac users. Camtasia includes 2GB of storage and 2GB of monthly bandwidth on the Screencast.com Web site. The original quality and size of the video is maintained online, so you can generate “high definition” videos. Camtasia for the Mac also lets you share files using YouTube, burn them to DVD or CD, share them on iTunes, and export them to the iPod or iPhone. Features include “SmartFocus,” which helps draw the reader’s attention to specific areas on the screen, and Flash compatibility. System requirements call for Mac OS X 10.5.6 or later. TechSmith says Camtasia is compatible with Mac OS X 10.6 “Snow Leopard,” which makes its debut Friday, August 28.