THE IPHONES

Fortune’s Lashinsky Penning an “Inside Apple” Book

2011-09-04T23:59:00.000-07:00

Fortune’s Lashinsky Penning an “Inside Apple” Book

by Kara Swisher

Adam Lashinsky, Fortune magazine’s high-profile Silicon Valley reporter, will be penning a book titled “Inside Apple: How America’s Most Admired — and Secretive — Company Really Works.”

An expansion of a well-read article that Lashinsky wrote for the publication earlier this year, the book

will be available on January 18, 2012 from Business Plus, an imprint of Hachette Book Group.

Lashinsky’s will be the second Apple tome to be coming out that will shed more light inside the workings of Silicon Valley’s most iconic company.

In November, former Time Inc. writer and editor Walter Isaacson’s much anticipated biography about Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs will be released by Simon & Schuster.

“Steve Jobs” has been written with cooperation from Jobs, who has not done so in the past.

Lashinsky said he did not garner Jobs’ help on the book in an interview today, but did manage to get a deep inside look at the company.

“Doing an unauthorized book is harder,” said Lashinsky. “But what you get is well-reported information, which is outside the message Apple wants to deliver, and there is so much good stuff, this company is worth far more than an article.”

Lashinsky has been a longtime reporter in tech, including covering Apple, a company that is notoriously secretive and difficult to report about.

Still, Lashinsky has written a lot about the maker of the groundbreaking Mac, iPod, iPhone and iPad devices, including a piece in 2008 about recently installed CEO Tim Cook, titled “The Genius Behind Steve: Could the Operations Whiz Run The Company Someday?”

“Inside Apple” will be more about the entire company, which has vaunted from near death only 15 years ago to become one of the most highly valued companies in tech and, in fact, globally.

The publisher promises a lot of insidery facts, including, “how Apple creates killer products, forges intense bonds with consumers, and gets what it wants from suppliers…the lessons about leadership, product design and marketing are universal, and they should appeal to anyone hoping to bring some of that Apple magic to their own company, career or creative endeavor.”

Lashinsky said these are important lessons for others to explore.

“So much of what Apple does stands decades of business teaching on its head, because they just don’t do things the way other companies do,” he said. “The rest of the business world might want to pay attention.”

Indeed, they should.

From http://allthingsd.com/20110903/fortunes-lashinsky-penning-an-inside-apple-book/?refzone=topics_iphone 05/09/2011

Did SFPD reveal that lost device is iPhone 5?

2011-09-04T23:49:00.000-07:00

Did SFPD reveal that lost device is iPhone 5?
By: Declan McCullagh and Greg Sandova

There's still some confusion surrounding the hunt by Apple and the San Francisco Police Department for a lost, unreleased iPhone, thanks in large part to conflicting statements by the police, as well as Apple's reluctance to discuss the matter.

Click on image to read story.

(Credit: James Martin)

San Francisco police confirmed yesterday that they "assisted" Apple internal security in a recent search of a home that was aimed at finding an unreleased iPhone owned by the company

and lost in a San Francisco bar. On Wednesday, CNET was the first to report the search for the errant phone.

Apple has declined to identify the lost device. But when distributing its statement last night through a Word file, a police representative labeled the file "iphone5.doc," according to the Reuters news service.

Immediately after CNET's initial story appeared, SFPD representatives claimed that they couldn't find any records that Apple had reported a lost iPhone or that any of its officers had assisted with any investigation. The SFPD made similar statements as early as yesterday morning.

But by yesterday afternoon, the SFPD had abruptly changed its story. It belatedly confirmed that as many as four policemen from the department's Ingleside station had escorted Apple internal security to a home in San Francisco's Bernal Heights neighborhood.

What changed in 48 hours to help the SFPD locate information about the police's involvement in the search?

"Apple," Lt. Troy Dangerfield told CNET this morning. "We needed information from Apple [to locate records of the investigation], and they didn't reach out to us until yesterday."

Apple declined to comment in advance of CNET's initial report or respond to other media inquiries, and the company even declined to respond to requests made by the SFPD when officers called to help check the veracity of CNET's story, SFPD representatives have said. Apple came forward only after SF Weekly published a story yesterday about Sergio Calderon, a 22-year-old man who told the paper it was his house that police and Apple employees visited late last month.

Calderon said he was led to believe the six people who arrived at his home were all policemen. He claimed he was never told that two of the people were Apple employees. Though he told the group that he didn't know anything about the phone, they asked to searched his house. He agreed.

According to the SFPD's Dangerfield, officers never entered the home and it was Apple's employees who went through Calderon's belongings--a search that included an examination of his computer--in search of the phone. Calderon told SF Weekly that he would not have submitted to the search if he knew that the people doing it were not policemen.

While Apple has not publicly announced any plans for future phones, unconfirmed reports in the last few weeks suggest the launch date for the iPhone 5 is likely to be in early October. Other reports from Taiwan have set the date at September or October. (See CNET's iPhone 5 rumor roundup.)

Last year, a prototype iPhone 4 went missing when Robert Gray Powell, an Apple computer engineer who was 28 years old at the time, left it in a German beer garden in Redwood City, Calif.

In early August, San Mateo County prosecutors filed misdemeanor criminal charges against two men, Brian Hogan and Sage Wallower, for allegedly selling Powell's iPhone 4 prototype to Gawker Media's Gizmodo blog. Both pleaded not guilty this week.

Prosecutors obtained a warrant to search the home of Gizmodo editor Jason Chen, and indicated they might prosecute Gizmodo, but eventually decided not to file charges.

iPhone 5 launch date: Battle of the Best Buy leaks

2011-09-04T23:44:00.000-07:00

iPhone 5 launch date: Battle of the Best Buy leaks
By: Edward Moye

Depending on which of today's Best Buy-related iPhone 5 reports you want to give the most credence to, the highly anticipated gadget could launch during the first week of October, or a bit later, on October 21st.

Boy Genius Report's Jonathan Geller says a tipster handed the blog a leaked Best Buy document labeled "Promotional activity" and carrying a subheading of "Week 9/4."

The document, real or otherwise, says, "iPhone 5 product introduction expected, pre-sales begin for expected week 1 launch / Sprint launches iPhone 5." It also says "(Apple product information/Launch dates subject to change)."

On the other hand, This Is My Next's Chris Ziegler reports that TIMN received a tip about a mysterious "Apple fixture" that's scheduled to be installed at an unnamed Best Buy location October 21. The site displays a screenshot that shows what may or may not be an authentic online Best Buy "National Retail Calendar."

"Process Display or Granger will be installing an Apple fixture on the large C2 end displays. Please ensure a manager/key carrier is available at 6:00 am for access to the store," the retail calendar says, in a rather cloak-and-dagger fashion. This Is My Next says its tipster called the 6 am show-up time unusual--managers usually don't have to arrive till an hour later. The tipster also reported an October 10 meeting to "discuss BIG release dates."

As Ziegler points out, The Wall Street Journal has reported that Sprint Nextel will begin selling the iPhone 5 in mid-October. Other reports, though, have set the date as earlier in the month.

And, of course, my colleagues Declan McCullagh and Greg Sandoval recently broke the news that another unreleased iPhone prototype had apparently recharged itself a little two energetically while at a bar and had gone missing. (You'll recall, I'm sure, that it's not the first time such a thing has happened.) McCullagh and Sandoval also note that the file name of a San Francisco Police Department document seems to peg the prototype as the iPhone 5 and that Apple is taking unusual steps to get the gadget back.

All of this might mean the launch of a Sprint-friendly iPhone 5 is nigh. But we'll just have to wait a still-uncertain amount of time to find out.

iPhone 5 rumor roundup

2011-09-04T23:36:00.000-07:00

iPhone 5 rumor roundup

By: Kent German

As we wait for the official announcement of the next iPhone, we only can guess about what we're going to see. Apple, after all, always generates a ton of gossip in the absence of real details about upcoming devices. Some of the rumors about the new handset

contradict each other--one camp suggests a minor update with an iPhone 4S, while another predicts a big update with an iPhone 5--but disagreement, after all, is often what the rumor mill is all about.

Since all that conflicting information can be hard to track, we offer this handy timeline of iPhone 5 rumors so far in 2011. We'll add to it as we go along, and please let us know if we've left any juicy tidbits out.

iPhone camera being used for traffic light testing

2011-08-26T23:22:00.000-07:00

iPhone camera being used for traffic light testing

by Mike Schramm

A group of researchers at MIT and Princeton University are testing to figure out how to best save fuel when stopping and re-starting cars at traffic lights, and they're using the iPhone to do so. The smartphone is mounted on the car's dashboard, and uses the camera and GPS information in a system called SignalGuru that tells

the driver when it's best to slow the car down in order to save fuel (so you're not always revving up the engine and then having to put on the brakes when the next light pops up). The system works, apparently, and in Cambridge, MA testing, fuel consumption was cut down by 20 percent.

The system was also tested in Singapore, where most traffic lights change the length they're displayed based on the traffic around them. In that area, as opposed to the US (where lights are generally on fixed schedules), the prediction mechanism didn't work quite as well. It was off by up to two seconds, say the researchers.

It sounds like any indication can be helpful. It's hard to see if this is something that could eventually make its way to the consumer market -- more likely it would be used in commercial vehicles as a solution. But you never know -- if the system works on an iPhone and there's an in-car mount that's standardized enough to work at the right angles, your phone could be telling you when to slow down on the road, and saving you money at the same time.

From http://www.tuaw.com/2011/08/26/iphone-camera-being-used-for-traffic-light-testing/ 27/08/2011

iPhone hacker Comex takes internship at Apple

2011-08-26T23:13:00.000-07:00

iPhone hacker Comex takes internship at Apple

Geoff Duncan

Apple already has considerable engineering talent at its disposal, but the company is apparently adding another set of hands to the mix—just to keep things interesting. Nicholas Allegra—a.k.a. Comex—has revealed that he’s accepted an internship at Apple. It wouldn’t be terribly unusual to hear about a bright 19-year-old taking on an internship at Apple…except that Allegra is the author of JailbreakMe 2 and JailbreakMe 3, two hacks which enabled iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad owners to step outside of Apple’s curated application universe and run any software they like on their devices.

“It’s been really, really fun, but it’s also been a while and I’ve been getting bored,” Allegra wrote on his Twitter feed. “So, the week after next I will be starting an internship with Apple.”

JailBreakMe 2 and 3 used Web-based exploits to unlock iOS devices with a single click to a specifically crafted PDF file that exploited a weakness in the iOS PDF interpreter. The result was a Web site that could break iOS devices free of Apple’s tether with a single click. Apple moved quickly to close the gaps, but last month the potential malicious use of same exploit caused Germany to issue a consumer alert for iOS devices.

Allegra didn’t say what he’ll be working on at Apple. The obvious guess would be mobile device security, but there are undoubtedly many projects at Apple that could hold his interest.

Allegra has admitted to being an Apple fan, and says he did not see his jailbreaks as an struggle against a Big Brother-like Apple.

From http://old.news.yahoo.com/s/digitaltrends/20110826/tc_digitaltrends/iphonehackercomextakesinternshipatapple 27/08/2011

Analysis: When a slimmer iPhone just isn't good enough

2011-08-26T23:08:00.000-07:00

Analysis: When a slimmer iPhone just isn't good enough

(Reuters) - Tim Cook has big shoes to fill and he can't do it by just pushing out snazzier versions of the iPhone or iPad.

Apple Inc's newly minted CEO needs a revolutionary product to prove he has the chops to succeed Steve Jobs, and that may be a full-on assault on the living room by as early as 2013, analysts and industry experts say.

Jobs has called Apple TV -- a 4-inch-square box launched in 2006 that connects your plasma or LCD TV to the Web -- a hobby, but it is also one of the rare missteps in the course of Apple's meteoric ascendance.

If Cook can succeed where Jobs has failed, he would put to rest questions over whether he has the vision to lead Apple, in addition to widely respected operational skills.

"The TV is the obvious gap in Apple's product line up," CCS Insight's John Jackson said. "There's pressure to constantly innovate, (but) there's more than sufficient momentum at Apple right now that they don't need to reinvent the movie screen the TV, the car or the horse and buggy in the immediate term."

Getting Internet programing off computers and onto television sets has long been viewed as the next big thing for consumer technology companies, but none has succeeded so far with a product that has gained wide appeal.

Cook and the $350 billion company he now leads would be jumping into a field crowded with Microsoft, Google, Sony and Samsung.

"The Holy Grail is the living room," said David Rolfe at Wedgewood Partners, which devotes 9.5 percent or about $1 billion of its portfolio to Apple. "They would get into it, only if they can make a significantly better product than what currently exists."

PROGRESS

It remains far from clear what Jobs -- and now Cook -- intends on the TV front. There are persistent rumors that Apple may produce an actual television to go along with content in an iTV, as part of the ongoing debate over whether the beleaguered television industry is ripe for an Apple-style shake-up.

The current market offers a confusing array of options -- from video streaming through game consoles like Microsoft's Xbox to Google-powered TV sets from Sony, Samsung and others.

Apple has "been the early follower in the iPad-tablet space, been the early follower in the music space, the early follower in the smartphone space," said independent digital media strategist Mark Mulligan. "They wait for a market to get primed, learn from the mistakes and then go and do everything better than anybody has done before."

Analysts estimate Apple takes roughly five years to develop a wholly new product, so either Jobs has already started down the TV road or Cook needs to start thinking now.

Chief among the obstacles would be concerns in the entertainment industry about potentially aggressive video licensing terms that Apple would seek -- and has gotten in the past for music and video licenses on iTunes. Executives say Apple had asked for 30 percent of rental fees for iTunes, which is blamed for smothering the music recording industry.

Jobs' charisma and negotiating power were crucial to the launch of iTunes in 2009 and the then-unprecedented sale of songs rather than albums on the Web. Cook remains untested on this front, despite his deft hand dealing with the supply chain partners that make Macs, iPhones and iPads.

"It was Steve's rock-star status that convinced these guys, they were in awe of him," said a former major recording label executive involved in the negotiations before iTunes was launched. "Without him Apple would never have been able to pull off that deal."

THE ROLE OF CHARISMA

There's some evidence that Cook can be as tough at the negotiating table. Peter Misek at Jefferies cites Cook's command of the iPad 2 rollout, and his firm stance this year when the Japanearthquake and tsunami threatened to turn off one of the world's largest semiconductor-component spigots.

"Cook was able to double or sometimes triple source component suppliers," Misek said. "To date, no competitor has been able to gain meaningful share in the tablet market and ... Cook's leadership during the introduction was critical to this."

Now, the former Compaq executive needs to prove that he can not only execute his boss's vision and keep Apple's fabled product pipeline alive, but that he can also make that intuitive leap to tell consumers what they want.

Wall Street will be watching.

"The market and the organization needs to see that Tim has the judgment to pick a winner," said Jane Stevenson, vice chairman of Board and CEO Services at Korn/Ferry International.

"The market will need to see a continued stream of innovation that has his fingerprints on it," ranging from launching new products to turning around products that haven't much success, like Apple TV.

(Additional reporting by Poornima Gupta and Sarah McBride in San Francisco and Yinka Adegokeand Jennifer Saba in New York, editing by Tiffany Wu; Phil Berlowitz)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/26/us-apple-cook-analysis-idUSTRE77P5L820110826

iPhone

2011-08-26T23:03:00.000-07:00

iPhone

In 2007, Apple's chief executive, Steven P. Jobs, introduced the iPhone, which instantly became one of the most talked-about consumer products ever. Thousands of customers lined up to be the first to buy the phones, which featured computing and Wi-Fi capabilities, along with a crisp, computer-like display on an innovative touch screen. Rivals rushed phones with similar features onto the market.

Three years later, seeking to fend off intensifying competition from Google and others in the smartphone business, Apple in 2010 introduced a new version of the iPhone that includes a front-facing camera for video chats. The iPhone 4 became Apple’s most successful phone introduction yet and sales were expected to accelerate when Verizon offered its version of the iPhone.

The long-expected arrival of the iPhone on Verizon ended years of exclusivity for AT&T and was likely to upend the smartphone market in the United States. Consumer surveys suggested that demand for a Verizon iPhone is large, as many people have held off from buying an iPhone simply to avoid AT&T’s much-publicized network problems, which include spotty coverage and dropped calls.

Despite icy temperatures in New York on Feb. 10, 2011, people eager to buy the new iPhone filed into Apple and Verizon stores. Many noted, however, that the stores seemed to have prepared for a much larger crush of customers than they received. The muted enthusiasm was in sharp contrast to the initial introduction of the iPhone 4 on AT&T’s network in June 2010.

A Verizon iPhone could help sell millions of new devices, continuing the iPhone’s strong momentum. It may also become an obstacle to the rapid rise of Android devices, most of which are sold by Verizon Wireless. While the iPhone remains the best-selling smartphone in the United States, many handset makers sell devices runningGoogle’s Android software. Collectively, those devices outsell the iPhone.

Verizon's iPhone version will work only on the carrier's current "3G" network even though the carrier has fired up a faster "4G" network in many cities. That super-fast wireless data network is available only to plug-in laptop modems for now, but Verizon will have smart phones for it by the summer of 2011.

Verizon's iPhone 4 has one feature AT&T's does not: It can act as a portable Wi-Fi "hot spot," connecting up to five laptops or other devices to Verizon's 3G network through Wi-Fi. It's a feature that's been offered on other smart phones, usually for an added monthly fee.

An Issue of Control

Apple likes to maintain tight control over what programs can appear on the iPhone — a task that became a little bit harder in July 2010, when the Library of Congress, which has the power to define exceptions to an important copyright law, said that it was legal to bypass a phone's controls on what software it will run to get "lawfully obtained" programs to work.

The issue has been a topic of debate between Apple, which says it has the right to control the software on its devices, and technically adept users who want to customize their phones as they see fit.

Apple has also said that altering the phones encouraged the pirating of applications, exposed iPhones to security risks and taxed the company's customer support staff. But iPhone hobbyists say they simply want to have free range to use certain features and programs on their phones that Apple has limited or failed to offer.

Can Apple win in an intensely competitive market against rivals that are openly licensing their software to scores of companies? It faces that challenge not only in phones, but also in the market for tablet computers, where the iPad is about to take on a similar set of rivals.

The stakes are huge, as the mobile computing market could prove to be larger than the PC market ever was.

That leaves little room for error at Apple. The company must continue to create hit products, as a single misstep could give Android and other rivals an opportunity to make inroads and steal market share.

Also, as the number of people with Android phones grows, Android will grow more attractive for app developers. For now, Apple’s App Store, with more than 250,000 applications, enjoys a large advantage over the Android Market, which has about 80,000. And those numbers don’t tell the whole story. Apps made for the iPhone tend to be of better quality, are more frequently downloaded and on average are more profitable for developers.

But that edge may not last, especially as many developers fret about Apple’s tight control over the App Store.

For now, the smartphone market is growing so rapidly that the rise of Android has not necessarily been at the expense of the iPhone.

From http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/i/iphone/index.html 27/08/2011

Aquapac iPhone: The Best Phone for Pool and Beach Lovers.

2011-08-26T23:00:00.000-07:00

Aquapac iPhone: The Best Phone for Pool and Beach Lovers.

You apparently have your whole life kept in the iPhone. All your friends’, officemates’ and family members’ phone numbers as well as files are there. It is your email, your digital camera and your personal assistant, all in one. It even carries a name!

With all the functionality and flexibility Apple iPhone offers, some individuals could not afford to miss theirs. The iPhone is probably the most frequently used mobile phones in the United States. You carry it with you to work, while you’re having a cup of coffee, you put it on your bedside table while you go to rest and use it being an alarm clock. You bring it to the restroom in the event it rings; you simply can’t leave it behind whilst you go for a bath and even during a storm, literally.

Although, when you declare your iPhone as your companion, you must understand the risks involved with this brand new companionship. One cannot merely tote around their own brand name spanking new iPhone without requiring even a slither of safety. This is a recipe for disaster. Water and iPhone is not a good blend of course. You say nothing is ever going to occur to your much loved phone because you would be protecting it along with your life. But that’s the reason there are particular things like mishaps and Mother Nature’s wrath.

Aquapac iPhone provides precisely that. Rain isn’t an issue if you could have an Aquapac. Featuring its airtight case material, you can telephone although inside the bathtub or when you’re away in the rain. And if you think that you’ll not hear a thing with all of that covers in the way, tests show that there are no changes in sound level. Plus, you would never ever be lost since the GPS is not disturbed.

Taking images underwater is also possible while using Aquapac iPhone. It’s possible to be sunken for 15 feet underwater. The Aquapac iPhone also offers a LENZFLEX windowpane that enables you to get images around wet surroundings without worrying it will ruin the system of your phone. Once you unintentionally drop it forever to be lost at Davy Jones’ locker, it’s going to float at the area so that you can retrieve safely.

Anyone don’t have to be worried about exposing the case out in the sun, considering it is UV-stabilized; Thermoplastic Polyurethane wouldn’t normally melt or lose their shade to daylight. Not only does the Aquapac protect your iPhone from liquid; it also keeps dirt and fine sand out of your phone. It may be tough to slide your iPhone in and out because of its stickiness however it would not influence the phone in any way and the stickiness would wear off with use. In addition to that, because of its roomy interior, you can also pack in your wallet, keys and camera together with your iPhone.

This article has been written by the author, Eric James. Should you require anymoreIphone Job Search Appplease visit his Job Search resources!

From http://articlesbases.info/technology/aquapac-iphone-the-best-phone-for-pool-and-beach-lovers/ 27/08/2011

Apple iPhone 4 Black Smartphone 32GB

2011-08-26T22:58:00.000-07:00

Apple iPhone 4 Black Smartphone 32GB

Below is my review of the 16GB model that I purchased in September. The two models are completely identical with the only exception being the additional 16G of storage space. Performance is totally unaffected by this....... Please note that this is strictly my opinion of the phone itself, I have no knowledge of this seller or the condition of the phones they sell.

I had the 8GB 3G model and thought that was great, until I got a demo of the iPhone 4. Man is this version is light years ahead of the original model.

With a 1Ghz CPU, and 16GB of flash memory, this thing is a portable office/entertainment center par excellence. I've had this phone for 3 months without a single problem, the display is nice and sharp, the apps load very fast, and I now have over 130 apps to perform just about every duty you could possibly think of with absolutely no impact on performance. And on the ATT 3G network, I average download speeds of around 1.8Mbps, and over 1M upload speeds....and how do I know that, cause I got an app that tells me that's how. BTW, the display is the equivalent of a 960x640 on your desktop (double the 3G model) so what you see is essentially a high res yield and page loads are superfast. And resident memory, after a full days use I just checked and still had 120Mb of Ram available. On the 3G model that number was usually down around 4Mb by the end of the work day and had to be refreshed.

I was in the computer/design/manufacturing business for 20 years, and this is by far the most amazing piece of technology I have ever seen or imagined. Even the battery life is 3x better than the previous model, and thats a good thing cause its integrated but a full charge should yield and entire days work of calls, emails, surfing the web, SMS messaging, and play. I no longer need my laptop cause there's nothing I cant do with the iPhone, and that includes sending faxes, editing Excel or Word documents, and even printing. A flash for the 5MP camera, an HD video camera, and even real time video conferencing over a wireless network, and Bluetooth that unlike the 3G model is actually compatible with everything you throw at it, including Garmin GPS....just amazing. This thing even has 2 mics with noise suppression so calls are clearer on the other end. Man, Apple hit this one out of the park.

BTW, with all the apps, music, and videos I've got loaded on this thing I've still got 10GB of flash memory remaining. I cant imagine why anybody would need more storage, and the 32GB model isn't any faster and doesn't have any more features. You'll need iTunes on your desktop to get the most out of this phone and iTunes can be a little intimidating at first but its worth the trouble, and all the instruction you need can be found on the web or Youtube for transferring photos, videos, music, apps, etc.

Update 12/09/10: I've been reading up on the "antenna problem" with the iPhone 4G and have this to say.... It is easily cured by slapping on a hard case or shell on the phone, which eliminates the issue I see some people complaining about. I have personally never experienced this issue because I left the AT&T store with a protective shell on my phone which virtually everybody I've ever seen with an iPhone has anyway. Very simply you CANNOT replicate the reported "death grip" problem with a shell around the outer frame. Cant be done. And BTW, I don't know if its due to network improvements or what but lately I'm getting 4Mbps download speeds so if anything I'm happier with my purchase now than I was 4 months ago. Zero complaints, and that's something most smartphone users of other OEM products can't say.

A final word: Beware negative reviews on here that are filled with bad English and are authored by individuals who have written only one review (on the iPhone) and posted it in several locations on Amazon's site. Its easy to pick these out, and they have no doubt been written by the same person. See the comments section for a definitive review on the Iphone 4 and the overblown "antenna issue" from Anandtech.com

A final final word: Apparently this phone from Worldwide Distributors is LOCKED! If you plan to use this phone outside AT&T's network you are screwed. All the one star reviews are from idiots that paid $800 for this phone without doing proper due diligence.

Oh wait, I do have one complaint about the iPhone 4. Several times a month my girlfriend gets mad at me and hangs up in the middle of the conversation so I guess I'm suffering from this "dropped call" thing after all. haw haw

From http://www.amazon.com/Apple-iPhone-Black-Smartphone-32GB/product-reviews/B0041E5G32/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1 27/08/2011

Apple iPhone 3gs accessories Change your Apple iPhone

2011-08-26T22:49:00.000-07:00

Apple iPhone 3gs accessories Change your Apple iPhone

Apple iPhone 3gs accessories include wandering phone cases, mains device, screen protectors, batteries, data cables, Bluetooth and so on. Apiece one of the accessories offers identifiable as intimately as functionality from country bushel of scope. These accessories are high way to add new functionality to your iPhone. These accessories are also fashioned so that every movie of the iPhone can be enjoyed to the fullest.

If you're worried nigh the mobile sound budget then you can select stingy iPhone 3gs accessories. The literal accessories low this aggregation are kept at cheap price range to insure that budget-conscious human can sure get all of them without exploit worried nearly the value factor.

You can purchase Apple iPhone 3gs accessories perchance finished browsing websites and portals on cyberspace. Select depends upon you as per your responsibility and budget. If you are employed with bit duties, then with few clicks of mouse you can request these accessories opportune at your doorstep. Within Apple iPhone 3gs accessories, you can superior accessories which superior suits your pauperization and budget as recovered.

Among the first iPhone 3gs accessories, one of the most helpful is the seaborne sound housing that complex as an must constituent which safeguards your perambulating sound. These kinds of maneuverable phone cases are fashioned to protect your nomadic phone towards impairment, scratches, abrasions, grime as fountainhead as from else external factors. Dominant quality materials are utilized in making these types of cases. These kinds of Cooperative with country perspective, these types of motile covers elevate the pretence of the Apple iPhone 3gs. Covering protectors are utilizable component which book as a preventive protect for your oversensitive sieve. Bluetooth and accumulation cable are also primary accessories. Bluetooth enables users to transfer information with else Bluetooth harmonious devices and with aggregation cable you can shift files to PC and from PC to iPhone as comfortably. In this way, both the accessories foster the aim collection active prizewinning Apple iPhone 3gs accessories, you can nosh different websites and online portals on internet and can wax content or details regarding these accessories.

From http://articlesbases.info/technology/cell-phones/apple-iphone-3gs-accessories-change-your-apple-iphone/ 27/08/2011

Apple's iPhone 4: Thoroughly Reviewed

2011-08-25T07:55:00.000-07:00

Apple's iPhone 4: Thoroughly Reviewed
by Brian Klug & Anand Lal Shimpi

I'm not sure how this keeps happening. The first year I waited at a mall for 5 hours to get the original iPhone. The following year my friend Mark Rein convinced me to see a midnight showing of Hellboy II and then wait outside of an AT&T store all night to get the iPhone 3G. You'd think I'd learn by the third year but once more I was in line at the mall hours before the Apple store opened to get the 3GS.

This year I thought it would be different. Apple offered free overnight shipping to anyone who wanted to pre-order the iPhone 4. Figuring everyone would go that route I decided to beat the FedEx trucks and just show up at the mall at 6AM. I'd be in and out in a little over an hour, which would give me a head start on battery life testing on Apple's 4th generation iPhone.

I promise that not all of my decisions play out this poorly. Those who pre-ordered the 4 and requested overnight delivery got their phones early and my one hour wait turned into six hours at the mall, for the fourth year in a row.

Apple's iPhone 4 with Bumper Case

It's a self fulfilling prophecy. Steve gets up on stage, proclaims the iPhone 4 to be the biggest introduction since the original iPhone, and the public flocks to Apple stores to fork over $200 on day one and around $2500 over the course of two years for the privilege. But this isn't 2007. Apple has real competitors in the smartphone space. Android phones have grown in features, polish and popularity. Even Palm entered the race with a competant offering, and Microsoft isn't far behind. It's easy to start a revolution when everyone else is doing the wrong thing, but what about when more companies actually get it? Was Steve justified in his excitement over the 4? That's what we're here to find out today.

Straight on it looks like just another iPhone. You get the black face with a shiny trim. From the side it is the redesign that Apple has needed for a while now. It’s not revolutionary but it’s the type of improvement that makes its predecessor feel old. And that’s exactly what this does. Have a look for yourself:

iPhone 4 (left) vs. iPhone 3GS (right)

The straight lines, smaller dimensions and lack of unnecessary bulk make the 3GS feel like a car from the 90s, unnecessarily curvy. The styling is now so much more compact. Compared to the iPhone 3GS the 4 is around 5% narrower (but no more difficult to type on) and nearly 25% thinner. It even makes the Nexus One look dated:

The iPhone 4 is slightly heavier than the 3GS (4.8oz vs. 4.7oz). You feel the added weight but I wouldn't call it heavy. The front and the back of the iPhone 4 are both made out of glass, and they protrude beyond the stainless steel band that wraps around the phone (more on this controversial decision later). While this gives the 4 an amazing finish, it also makes carrying the phone nerve racking. Coupled with the smaller, more dense form factor I’m now deathly afraid of dropping and shattering this thing. Apple has done a lot to reinforce the glass, however there have been enough reports already of shattered iPhone 4s for me not to feel very safe. Only Apple would think to make the two surfaces most likely to hit something out of glass. It's like making mouse traps out of cheese, something bad is bound to happen.

iPhone 4 (left) vs. iPhone 3GS (right)

The physical buttons (but not their layout) have changed on the 4. The ringer switch has shorter travel and feels sturdier as a result. The volume rocker has been replaced by discrete volume up/down buttons, also very sturdy in feel. The power/lock button is also now made out of stainless steel. Only the home button remains unchanged, although it does seem to make a deeper click when you use it.

The speaker moved to behind the right grill at the bottom of the phone instead of the left. The dock connector thankfully remained unchanged. It looks like Apple is committed to maintaining this connector until it makes the jump to something wireless (or optical?).

The back of the phone is pretty. Apple broke with tradition and finally included a single LED flash on the phone. The flash comes on in low light conditions and is enough to take shots in total darkness.

The camera has been upgraded to a low noise 5MP sensor. It can shoot stills at up to 2592 x 1936 or video at 1280 x 720 @ 30 fps. We’ll go into greater detail on its quality in the camera section. The iPhone 4 also adds a front facing camera capable of shooting both photos and video at 640 x 480.

Apple quotes contrast ratio as 1000:1, in our measurements we got very close (952:1). A significant improvement over the 188:1 ratio of the 3GS. Apple achieved this by both dropping black levels and increasing the white levels on the display. Improving both is always fine by me.

Internally the iPhone 4 uses Apple's new A4 SoC, built around an ARM Cortex A8 CPU and a PowerVR SGX GPU. The new SoC is built on a 45nm process and features 512MB of memory on the package. Apple hasn't made CPU clock speed public, but I'm guessing around 800MHz compared to the iPad's 1GHz for reasons you'll see later. GPU clock speed is unknown as well. Having more memory on package is an interesting move by Apple as it makes the iPhone 4 better suited for multitasking compared to the iPad. Also implying that shortly after the iPad gets multitasking it'll be updated to a version with more memory as well.

The iPhone now has an gyroscope as well the rotation sensors of its predecessors. Developers are given full access to the gyroscope making the iPhone 4 capable of becoming a very expensive Wii-mote.

Physical Comparison
	Apple iPhone 4	Apple iPhone 3GS	HTC EVO 4G (Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8650)	HTC Droid Incredible (Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8650)	Google Nexus One (Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8250)
Height	115.2 mm (4.5")	115 mm (4.5")	121.9 mm (4.8")	117.5 mm (4.63")	119 mm (4.7")
Width	58.6 mm (2.31")	62.1 mm (2.44")	66.0 mm (2.6")	58.5 mm (2.30")	59.8 mm (2.35")
Depth	9.3 mm ( 0.37")	12.3 mm (0.48")	12.7 mm (0.5")	11.9 mm (0.47")	11.5 mm (0.45")
Weight	137 g (4.8 oz)	133 g (4.7 oz)	170 g (6.0 oz)	130 g (4.6 oz)	130 g (4.6 oz)
CPU	Apple A4 @ ~800MHz	Apple/Samsung A3 @ 600MHz	Qualcomm Scorpion @ 1GHz	Qualcomm Scorpion @ 1GHz	Qualcomm Scorpion @ 1GHz
GPU	PowerVR SGX 535	PowerVR SGX 535	Adreno 200	Adreno 200	Adreno 200
RAM	512MB LPDDR1 (?)	256MB LPDDR1	512MB LPDDR1	512MB LPDDR1	512MB LPDDR1
NAND	16GB or 32GB integrated	16 or 32GB integrated	8GB micro SD	8GB micro SD	micro SD
Camera	5MP with LED Flash + Front Facing Camera	3MP	8MP with dual LED Flash + Front Facing Camera	8MP with LED Flash	5MP with LED Flash
Screen	3.5" 640 x 960 LED backlit LCD	3.5" 320 x 480	4.3" 480 x 800	3.7" 480 x 800 AMOLED	3.7" 480 x 800 AMOLED
Battery	Integrated 5.254Whr	Integrated 4.51Whr	Removable 5.5Whr	Removable 4.81 Whr	Removable 5.18 Whr

The iPhone 4's logic board shrinks in size thanks to further component integration, making room for a much larger battery. The 5.25Whr battery in the iPhone 4 is a 16% increase from what was in the 3GS, and 95% of what HTC put in the EVO 4G. While raw performance improved, it's clear that Apple's focus this time around was battery life. Again, we'll dive into specifics later in the review.

Moving back outside Apple surrounded the phone with a stainless steel band. This band doubles as the 3G, WiFi and Bluetooth antennas. And if you hadn't noticed, it also moonlights as a giant elephant. Let's talk about it.

From http://www.anandtech.com/show/3794/the-iphone-4-review 25/08/2011

iPhone 4 Technical Specifications

2011-08-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

iPhone 4 Technical Specifications

Size and weight¹

Height:: 4.5 inches (115.2 mm)
Width:: 2.31 inches (58.6 mm)
Depth:: 0.37 inch (9.3 mm)
Weight:

Capacity³16GB or 32GB flash drive

4.8 ounces (137 grams)

Camera, photos, and video

Video recording, HD (720p) up to 30 frames per second with audio
- 5-megapixel still camera
- VGA-quality photos and video at up to 30 frames per second with the front camera
- Tap to focus video or still images
- LED flash
- Photo and video geotagging
Display
- Retina display
- 3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen Multi-Touch display
- 960-by-640-pixel resolution at 326 ppi
- 800:1 contrast ratio (typical)
- 500 cd/m2 max brightness (typical)
- Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating on front and back
- Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously
more http://www.apple.com/iphone/specs.html
25/08/2011

iphone 4g

2011-08-25T07:28:00.000-07:00

iphone 4g

For the last 2 years I have been carrying a cell phone, an iPad Touch, an iPad Shuffle, and (when I thought I would need it) a camera. I was waiting for a device that would do it all in one, but without forcing me into an unwanted 2-year cell phone contract (I use an AT&T prepaid GoPhone account). The iPhone 4 is that device. For the most part, I adore my new iPhone. Only the substandard built-in software keeps it from being a 5-star product, IMHO. More on that later.

When I was reading reviews before my purchase I wanted to know if "factory unlocked" really meant what it said. Yes, I would have to say that it does. This was clearly a brand-new phone in factory packaging, not a phone that had been unlocked illegally. On the down side, because it had been packaged for the UK market, it came with a British-style plug on the wall charger! This didn't matter to me because I always charge my device from my computer, but the vendor should have mentioned it.

The important part was whether it was really mine to do with as I pleased. I took the AT&T SIM card out of my old Motorola phone, cut it down to size with a SIM cutter, and popped it into the iPhone. When connected to a computer running iTunes, the phone immediately started working with my same old phone number. It was that simple.

So now I have a $750 phone with a $100/year prepaid phone plan. But that's not as silly as it sounds, because I also have the following:

1) The world's best PDA. The high-resolution screen is so beautiful that I just want to sit and stare at it. The built-in apps are pretty lame, but the unbelievable bounty that is the iTunes app store more than makes up for that.

2) An astoundingly good camera. At 5MPs I expected it to be barely adequate as a camera, but I think it takes better pictures than my 10MPs point-and-shoot. Whatever it uses for a light meter is miles ahead of any camera I have ever owned. It takes the best low-light pictures I have ever seen, and when the flash IS needed it is never too bright. I love being able to operate the flash control, auto-focus point, and digital zoom right on the touch screen. The HDR feature is subtle, but amazing. And the 3rd-party apps (many of them free) - just SOOO much fun. This is not a professional quality camera, of course, but it just might be all the casual camera you will ever need.

3) An Internet connection device. Because I don't have a real phone plan, I mostly use wi-fi for my networking needs. But I also have a limited 3G data plan as a backup if I'm not in wifi range. Getting a prepaid data plan to work is a little tricky. You have to set the APN, and neither AT&T nor Apple will tell you how to do this. It's easy, though - just google it.

4) An OK music machine. It works as well as any iPod, but at 16GB it doesn't have the capacity to hold my whole music collection. If I'm just going to load music temporarily for on-the-go use I prefer my little Shuffle. If there were some way to pause the music on the iPhone with a single button press I would find it much more usable as an iPod.

5) An adequate phone. Honestly, the weakest function on the iPhone is the phone. The shape is awkward for a telephone and the sound is nothing to brag about. On the other hand, I have not had any problems with dropped calls or weak signal. I like the big lighted virtual buttons, and the fact that it integrates with my main address book. Mainly, as an infrequent cell phone user at best, I like the fact that I have a cell phone if I need it without having to carry an additional device.

6) A bright, directional LED flashlight. The LED bulb used for the new camera flash also works as a nifty little flashlight! How cool is that? Apple did not see fit to include a flashlight app as a built-in, so the first thing the new user should do is download the excellent free iLED Flashlight app.

7) A surprisingly effective eBook reader. Sure the screen is small but the resolution is so exquisite that you really can read on it. I read "Moby Dick" on my iTouch, and the screen resolution is even better on this device.

Downside - the built in apps are TERRIBLE. The contacts manager, notepad and calendar are primitive. There is no standard way to backup/restore application data, even for built-in apps. The built-in photo manager is jaw-droppingly bad. All pictures taken with the iPhone camera go into one huge folder called "Camera Roll." They can't be moved into sub-folders, renamed, sorted, or rotated if the orientation ends up backwards (which occasionally happens). And what excuse can there be for not including a flashlight app to go with the new LED light?

Fortunately, I had been through this with my iTouch, so I already had a nice set of apps for managing lists, contacts, appointments, recipes and so on. However, it took me a couple of weeks of experimentation and research, plus a small outlay of money for paid apps, to turn the magnificent iPhone4 camera hardware into a device that really can be used as a camera substitute. In short, the iPhone 4 is a device that is good but not great right out of the box. But if you are willing and able to spend a little time installing apps, it can be massively customized to make it the best electronic friend you ever had.

by sharoo

From http://www.amazon.com/review/R3CUWJHEDC0EHP/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#R3CUWJHEDC0EHP 25/08/2011

iPhone 4

2011-08-25T07:18:00.000-07:00

iPhone 4

I ordered this phone and it arrived on time.

At first, I read a lot of bad comments about this phone, especially the so called "antenna problem" and the "low volume speaker", I was hesitating of getting one.

But since Amazon.com offers a 30 days free return, I gave it a shot and ordered this phone. It turned out all these rumors are indeed, just rumors!

The phone is working great, and satisfy all my needs. I'm a part time musician, I installed a lot of apps to assist me in my composition, and at the same time I still can listen to songs etc. using the ipod feature.

BY THE WAY, THOSE WHO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE POOR VOICE QUALITY - MAKE SURE YOU REMOVE THE PLASTIC PROTECTION COVERING THE PHONE BEFORE MAKING A FALSIFIED COMMENT HERE!
http://www.amazon.com/Apple-16GB-Quadband-Manufacturer-Unlocked/product-reviews/B00414WBT4/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

William CH

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Size and weight1

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by sharoo

iPhone 4

iPhone 4

Size and weight¹