End User

New GPS Devices Right Around the Corner

GPS is becoming one of the hottest personal tech sectors this year, with more and more cell phones including location capabilties and portable navigation devices for the car hitting that sweet spot intersection of affordability and packed-to-the-gills features. This last month has seen a plethora of announcements for new GPS devices that will be coming out this autum, so let's take a look at what's coming on the horizon.

While not the household name that Garmin or Magellan is in GPS spheres, the German-based Navigon is trying to establish itself here in the U.S. with its latest round of releases, headed up by the 7200T. This portable 4.3-inch touchscreen-enabled device offers enhanced navigational views, from 3D landmarks to the addition of realistic road signs and guidance on what lane you should be in to make your turns (seen at right). The 7200T and the upcoming 2200T (with a 3.5-inch screen) also provide free real-time traffic updates for the life of the product (i.e., no trial subscription). Traffic update services (which are transmitted over an FM signal) are becoming one of the hottest must-have features for in-car GPS units, and coupled with Navigon's GPS units you'll be able to see upcoming congestion problems and create an alternate routing. The 7200T is currently available for pre-order, and it also features voice commands, Bluetooth connectivity to your cell phone for handsfree calling, and text-to-speech guidance (for audible directions with real street names, not just how many feet till your next turn).

Garmin's also getting in on the lifetime traffic bandwagon with its latest nüvi 7x5 releases (all of which have 4.3-inch touchscreen and include Garmin's HotFix satellite prediction feature for faster location acquisition). The nüvi 755T, 765T, and 775T all provide traffic updates via Navteq (check for coverage) for the life of the product, while the 785T offers connectivity and a three-month trial subscription to MSN Direct for its traffic updates (as well as movie showtimes, gas prices, stock quotes, news headlines, etc., etc.). Garmin's also been ramping up its interface to include lane guidance (seen at left) as well as a Junction view with photo-realistic 3D views upcoming turns including signage. The 765T, 775T, and 785T include Bluetooth connectivity, and the 775T offers both North American and European maps. All models are available for pre-order, with first shipments starting in early October.

Not to be left out of the party, Sony will be coming out with its second generation of portable GPS navigators in October as well, with the Sony NVU94T at the top of the line. It's got a 4.8-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth connectivity, text-to-speech directions, and gesture commands for controlling menu navigation and music playback (though it sounds like you'll have to memorize which movements are associated with a function--for instance, an inverted "V" starts the "take me home" feature). The NVU94T comes with a three-month trial subscription to TMC traffic updates, while its companion NVU84 model offers many of the same features but without traffic. Sony is also offering a more compact 3.5-inch touchscreen model in the NVU44.

Finally, if you're thinking that all these GPS units are starting to look the same, here's a shot of nostalgia for the 80s: Mio's Knight Rider GPS. While it might not have some of the higher end features that the others listed above do, it does come with voice directions provided by William Daniels, the original voice of K.I.T.T. and it includes an active LED voice synthesizer display that moves in sync with the voice. (Check out this video preview of the unit over at AutoBlog.) You can choose to be addressed as Michael (aka, The Hoff), or choose from the list of 300 (sadly, I don't think mine made the cut). It's also available for pre-order.

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Apple Announces New iPods and iTunes, Steve Jobs Still Alive

After so much hyperbole earlier this summer with the release of the iPhone 3G and MobileMe service, both of which brought more frustration than Apple fanboys/fangirls are used to, today's Apple event to roll out the latest iPods and iTunes software seemed rather subdued. Yes, there were some very interesting new features added (Genius automated playlist recommendations, shake to shuffle) and a mouthwateringly curvy iPod nano design refresh.

However, surveying a range of gadget and Mac sites liveblogging the event (including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, Engadget, iLounge, and Macworld), there didn't seem to be much excitement in the hall. In fact, a couple of the bloggers started fixating on the ubiquity of John Mayer throughout the presentation, with Gizmodo running a poll asking how many times he'd get a shout-out and Macworld wondering if Mayer appears in every Genius playlist. And for an event titled "Let's Rock!" the morning ended somewhat ironically with an acoustic performance by Jack Johnson.

But enough of the event-as-the-event analysis, let's get to the nitty gritty of new iPods. (If you just can't wait to see the new models, here's a page that pulls together the whole kittenkaboodle.)

The whole lineup got refreshed to some degree, with the biggest overhaul happening with the iPod nano. As expected, after a couple of weeks of leaks, this year's model slims up after 2007's fatty model (check out the image at right of the nano evolution, courtesy of Gizmodo). But more than just a thinner profile, a rainbow spectrum of colors and a curvier design, the new iPod nano gets an accelerometer to switch the screen view from landscape to widescreen Cover Flow mode (when sitting on its side) as well as to enable the new shake-to-shuffle feature (something that Sony Ericsson has been dabbling with in phones like the W580i). It comes in silver, purple, blue, green, orange, yellow, pink, and black hues (seen below in an image captured by the folks over at iLounge), and in either 8 GB or 16 GB capacities.

The iPod touch also got a design refresh with a sleeker, more contoured metal body and the additions of integrated volume control buttons and a built-in speaker (in addition to the Wi-Fi networking, multi-touch, and accelerometer features of its predecessor). It also now comes with built-in Nike + iPod software, which enables you to track the miles you run with the Nike + iPod shoe sensor (see image below, via Engadget). Gizmodo has confirmed this new feature only works with the 2G iPod touch and not the iPhone or previous iPod touch. The iPod touch will come in 8 GB, 16 GB, and 32 GB capacities.

But wait, there's more to these new iPods that involves the new iTunes Genius feature, which we'll cover after the jump.

New Zune on Monday: 120 GB Player Lands with Software Update for All

I hooked up with an old colleague on Facebook last week and was reminded that he works for the Zune team out at Microsoft, which of course prompted much ribbing ("Oh, they're still making those?"). Today, in an effort to blunt the massive press that Apple will assuredly get with its rollout of this year's iPod refresh and the unveiling of the new iTunes software, Microsoft reminded us that, yes, the Zune is still alive and kicking... and continues to innovate with its announcement of the third generation model. Yes. Innovate.

There's actually only one new physical model that's being released--a 120 GB hard drive-based player (which bumps up the storage by 50 percent from the 2G models). On the flash-based side of the Zune, Electronista reports that the 8 GB model is now the entry level player, and it will be complemented by a 16 GB model.

From a hardware perspective, it's not that terribly exciting. But it's what's been added to the feature set for the new model (a software download that will be available next week to all current Zune users). First and foremost, you can now download songs directly from the Zune Marketplace over a Wi-Fi connection (even when accessing a password-protected hotspot). CNet's MP3 Insider blog also notes that "Zune Pass users will get the most from this feature since they'll be able to stream as much music as they want directly from Zune Marketplace as an added value. Pair this feature up with a speaker dock and you've essentially got a killer commercial-free jukebox."

Also intriguing is the ability to tag and purchase songs heard on the Zune's FM radio. When connected to a Wi-Fi network, you can purchase immediately; if not, you'll be able to make those purchases when you next sync (as illustrated in the image below).

Other new features include a new "Device to Cloud" technology that enables you to exchange favorites with other Zune pals, Audible audiobook format support, and pre-programmed Channels (along with the ability to create Pandora-like custom channels around an artist or genre). MP3 Insider adds that "Zune Pass users will have the option to hold onto any of the Channel content, while non-subscription users will be bound by the Zune's 3-play rule." Oh yean, and there are two free games with the update--Hexic and Texas Hold 'Em.

Microsoft wasn't expected to be officially announced until next week, but it got leaked from a couple of sources, and Matt Rosoff at CNet's Digital Noise speculates that some leakers were concerned about the possibility of Apple announcing a subscription service tomorrow, and that the Zune's enhanced Wi-Fi capabilities for Zune Pass users would make a good preemptive strike. Check back tomorrow, and we'll let you know what Apple counters with.

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Bites from the Apple: Visualizing the New iTunes

As we alluded to earlier this week, new iPods are on the way after a gala announcement next Tuesday (September 9), and they're looking tall and thin for this year's model. But that's not the only unveiling we'll likely see, as the iTunes software looks to get bumped to version 8.0 (it's currently at 7.7). Kevin Rose of Digg.com fame fans the flames with rumors of new features, including a new Grid view, HD-quality TV downloads, and a new "Genius sidebar, which recommends music from the iTunes Store that you don't already have." He also notes a "stunning new music visualizer," which several sources believe to be Robert Hodgins' Magnetosphere. Check it out (BTW, that's Tosca's "Suzuki" playing to the visualizer):

Magnetosphere revisited (audio by Tosca) from flight404 on Vimeo.

As Macworld points out, it's not been the best of times for Apple these past few months, so here's hoping that the new iTunes software launch goes off without a hitch. We'll have more for you on Tuesday after the announcements, but for now let's take a quick swing through the late summer blooms of Apple-y goodness from the week:

• Seems that old Beatles-coming-to-iTunes rumor is back, at least for the next few days. After which, we can put it away until next January's keynote address. And you can probably dash those hopes of a subscription service right now as well.

   

• If you haven't heard, Amazon's Unbox video download service has now become Amazon Video On Demand--and it's now compatible with Mac users! Hulu, the conglomeration between Fox and NBC that provides streaming video of its programming with commercial breaks (and also Mac-compatible), is gearing up for some competition by offering season debuts such NBC shows as Knight Rider, Lipstick Jungle, Chuck, Life, and 30 Rock a week before they are broadcast on television (via Macworld).

   

• As we noted here at End User, Google released its Chrome browser this week--but only for Windows users. It seems, though, that Google cofounder Sergey Brin is a little embarrassed that no Mac client was available for launch, and that one should appear within months for Mac users. (Months?!?) Insanely Great Mac reports that one of the creators of the Camino web browser.

   

• Looks like the lightsaber-swishing iPhone app that my toddler loves is going to be making a comeback later this month as PhoneSaber Unleashed (it was pulled due to a request by the company that owns copyright over mobile gaming rights for the Star Wars franchise).

   

• Have you been experiencing inordinately long syncing of your iPhone? The folks over at UKMac.net suggest avoiding connecting your iPhone to your PC via a USB hub to speed things up.

   

• Woz watch: Uh oh, look who's gone and pwned their iPhone...

   

• And finally, check out this manga comic book version of the story of how Woz and Jobs created Apple, unearthed by the always wonderful Boing Boing:

  

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Bites from the Apple: Rock'n'Roll Dreams

Summer's over. You can tell by the passing of Labor Day on the calendar and the grim return to the workplace with the knowledge that we won't have another reprieve until Thanksgiving (unless, of course, you get the luxury of such governmental holidays as Columbus Day). And with the metaphorical passing of the season (since it won't become official until September 21), we also get another sign: the annual special event to announce refreshed iPods (which, of course, portends the coming of the holiday season). Bloomberg is reporting (and the gadgetosphere is regurgitating) that Apple will be hosting an event titled "Let's Rock!" at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Fransico next Tuesday (September 9) at 10 am.

Most likely, we'll be seeing a return of the slim iPod nano--which got fat last year as it added video playback to its feature set--in its fourth-generation (4G) incarnation. The evidence for this comes from leaked 4G case designs posted over at Mac Rumors and Engadget and even a sighting of a new case in the wild (pic at right comparing new iPod nano case to an iPhone via Engadget). Aside from the return to the iPod nano Classic looks, we might also see a price drop of the iPod touch to keep it competitive with the iPhone. We could also see new functionality coming to the iPod touch/iPhone with the first interactive album application that can run on the iPhone 2.0 software (which is also compatible with the iPod touch). Music Week is reporting that the band Snow Patrol will be the first to release such a product with its new album slated to come out in late October, and Gizmodo notes that it will deliver lyrics, artwork, behind-the-music photos and other bonus content. I'm guessing that since Apple likes to roll things out thematically, we'll have to wait a little longer till we see anything new for the MacBook line.

Now onto documenting some of the Apple-y goodness since last we met...

• Gizmodo has reprinted a letter from Steve Jobs to an iPhone user that pushes the rumor that iPhone tethering is being discussed between Apple and AT&T? If you're not familiar with the term, "tethering" refers to the capability of tying your laptop to your cell phone's 3G connection--via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or old-school USB--for access to email, Internet, etc. Recently, the NetShare tethering application made its way to the App Store but was pulled by Apple (most likely at the behest of AT&T, which is dealing with enough 3G problems without the added bandwidth used by tetherers).

   

• Until tethering is possible, AT&T has introduced the USBConnect Mercury USB dongle, which enables you to connect your laptop to AT&T's HSDPA 3G network--with downlink speeds of between 700 kilobits per second (Kbps) and 1.7 megabits per second (Mbps). Macworld reports that the device is essentially free after signing up for a two-year DataConnect plan of $60 or more.

   

• No, that's not an iPod added to the monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey. That's an iPod-equipped refrigerator that's being tested by appliance maker Gorenje. In addition to the docking station and integrated speakers, Slippery Brick reports that the iGorenj app (for iPhone/iPod touch) enables you to control other Gorenje appliances in your home (like the washing machine) via Wi-Fi.

   

• App Watch: Twittelator Pro is now available for $4.99 at the App Store (link requires iTunes). Compared to the bare bones simplicity of the free Twitteriffic (my choice for tweeting), Twittelator Pro beefs up your Twitter communications with the ability to add multiple Twitter accounts and limited copy/paste functions (via iPodNN). 

   

• BBEdit, the best text editor for the Mac (and the tool that I use the most), has just been updated to version 9, and Adam Engst at TidBITS has an extensive look at the update. I'm thinking the newly enhanced Find Differences feature--which "not only shows the changed lines, and the changed characters within each line, (but) also lets you see and replace individual spans of differing characters within each changed line"--might make this a very worthwhile upgrade for me (as I use BBEdit primarily for writing text, not coding).

   

• TUAW is getting into the back-to-school swing with tips on iPhone/iPod touch apps to help with school work as well as an overview of writing tool alternatives to Microsoft Word .

   

• The Make Use Of website rounds up five apps to add to your iPhone/iPod touch to transmogrify it into a power tool (including compass, flashlight, and level apps)

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Bites from the Apple: All You Can Eat

The autonomous breakaway Apple region of the gadgetosphere was up in arms this week over an anonymous email sent to several rumor sites (including Mac Daily News) that foretold of a new iTunes subscription service to be unveiled this fall. According to this scoop, the service would cost $130 a year, would provide subscription access to about 50 percent of the iTunes store, and would give you the option of buying and keeping (which, I assume, would allow you to burn to CD) rather than just renting. But wait, there's more slightly confusing details... if you have a MobileMe account, the subscription goes down to $99 a year (or bundled with MobileMe for $179), which points to a potential "expanded MobileMe service that would let you access 'the cloud' (Apple calls it iDisk) from your iPhone or iPod Touch," according to CNet's One More Thing.

For years, Steve Jobs has had nothing but contempt for subscription services, believing that iTunes users want to own their music outright. But could this be yet another moment where Jobs sees the market ripe for an Apple incursion and puts aside his past mockery? On one side, none of the major subscription-based models such as eMusic or Rhapsody have been doing gangbusters, but CNet's Digital Noise blog notes that the rumored $130 a year price tag would definitely undercut the competition while providing a familiar distribution point in the iTunes software. Additionally, Wired's Listening Post reminds us that Jobs has "(admitted) that the average iPod user has purchased only 22 songs from the iTunes music store. The ability of connected players such as the iPhone and iPod Touch to download new songs over the air may have convinced the Apple CEO that subscriptions could be the best way to get people to consume -- and pay for -- more music."

Several blogs like the Silicon Alley Insider who say this isn't happening, based on what they're hearing from sources. But would you be willing to fork over another $130 for an all-you-can-eat subscription? Personally, I'd probably shy away from it. I've tried a few of the services out there, and I just didn't utilize them as much as I thought I would. And, more often then not, I returned to the music that I actually bought because that was the stuff that mattered most to me. Anyhoo, let us know what you think in the comments while we take a swing through the Apple-y goodness that was this last week.

• AppleInsider reports that retailers are running out of current stocks of iPods, which points to something new on the horizon. But will that horizon be rainbow colored?

• Much has been made this week about the announcement of OpenClip, an open-source community project that would foster the Holy Grail feature that iPhone users have been clamoring for: copy and paste. This functionality would actually be implemented by applications taking advantage of a loophole within the iPhone OS in order to shuffle data from one app to another--thusly, it wouldn't be a global feature, and definitely one that wouldn't be found in Apple's apps (see more at IntoMobile and One More Thing). However, Gizmodo and John Gruber at Daring Fireball throw water on OpenClip's viability, noting that this loophole is getting closed in the next version (2.1) of the iPhone OS.

• What to do with that ExpressCard slot in you MacBook Pro? My pal Jeff Carlson has some suggestions for you in the latest issue of Macworld, including additional storage, connection to multiple monitors.

• When the iPhone 3G was unveiled just last month, there were lines of crazed buyers at Apple and AT&T stores everywhere on opening day. It seems that the iPhone craze isn't that great in Poland, where the territory's cellular operator has had to hire actors to stand in line to simulate the frenzy (via CNet's Crave).

• Last week we celebrated the iMac's 10th anniversary and noted how the iconographic computer had inspired gadget design for many years. Well, now the iPhone is doing the same, as we've seen from many iPhone-wanna-be-killers like the Samsung Instinct and LG Dare and now for your home's cordless phone. Wired brings us the details on the OpenFrame phone, which features a very familiar touchscreen landscape that also gets ported over to satellite handsets. But more than just telecommunications, the developer (OpenPeak) says the device can also be used as a digital picture frame and to listen to Internet radio.

  

• The Register is reporting that China may be banning access to Apple's iTunes Store, most likely due to the fact that it's been promoting a Tibet-themed album, which includes artists such as Sting, Ben Harper and Moby. (Frankly, Sting has been banned in my house since his Mercury Falling album.)

• Here's a very cool application that hasn't quite made it into official application-dom (either via iTunes or the jailbroken black market): David O'Reilly's iHologram, which takes the cat character from his Please Say Something web animation series and creates a 3D illusion of it walking on the iPhone screen (hat tip to my colleague, Aric). Check out the video demonstration:

  
  iHologram - iPhone application from David OReilly on Vimeo.

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Cell, Cell, Cell: New Treo Pro and T-Mobile Releases

As Labor Day approaches and we start to feel the ebb of summer, cell phone manufacturers and networks are getting ready for everyone getting back to school and to work with loads of interesting new announcements. One of the most interesting (and not the best kept secret of the past few weeks) is the Palm Treo Pro, which boasts a streamlined Treo case design and a sexy piano black look for its introduction. While the popular Centro is aimed more toward the youth market and smartphone beginners, the Treo Pro is shooting for MBA road warriors with its Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system and built-in Wi-Fi, GPS, and tri-mode HSDPA 3G network accessibility (allowing you to traffic international 3G networks as well as AT&T's 3G network). For a hands-on view, check out the Palm marketing video tour over at Engadget. CNet's Crave reports that it will get its first official network releases in Europe and Australia, while Electronista notes it will only be available here in the United States as an unlocked phone through Palm's store at some point before Christmas for $549.

In other cell-riffic news...

• It looks like Palm's Centro will be getting a facelift as well, thanks to a leaked ad from Bell Canada caught by the Treonauts blog.

• The proudly pink T-Mobile has been slow to roll out its 3G network, with just the New York City metro area currently lit up. But The Boy Genius Report (with its hands on a leaked report) says T-Mobile will be beaming with pride by the end of the year as it rolls out the 3G delight to another 27 cities by the end of the year, with Minneapolis (and I'm assuming the oft-neglected Twin City, St. Paul) launching today.

• With its 3G rollout, T-Mobile is going to need more 3G-enabled handsets, and the gadgetosphere has been bandying about rumors of its upcoming releases, including the iPhone-wannabe Samsung Tocco (which also sports Wi-Fi networking, GPS and a 5-megapixel camera; via IntoMobile and PhoneMag) and the sporty clamshell Sony Ericsson TM506 (which will launch in early September; via TmoNews)

• But more tantalizing, T-Mobile is pinker and prouder than ever after having scored an exclusive with the launch of Google's first Android OS-powered phone, dubbed the HTC G1 (or the Dream)--which just received a passing grade at the FCC. Much like other HTC offerings, Wired's Gadget Lab will have a sliding QWERTY keyboard, but it's complemented by a very impressive 5 x 3-inch touchscreen. TmoNews reports that it will go on pre-sale in the middle of September at a $150 price point for one week, which then gets elevated by $50 when it goes official on October 13. Here's a video of the dreamy new phone in the wild:

• On the non-3G tip, T-Mobile looks to be prepping some new Blackberry releases, including the Wi-Fi-enabled Pearl 8220 (formerly known as the Kickstart)--its first clamshell design--and the Javelin (via IntoMobile).

• AT&T has unveiled two new phones today. First up is the Sony Ericsson W350 Walkman phone, which returns to a classic flip-phone design (rather than more currently conventional clamshell) in three colors: black, white/gray, and ice blue. They measure 0.43 inches thin, are compatible with AT&T's music download services, include an FM radio, but are capped at just EDGE-speed data connectivity.

  Trying to broaden its Mobile TV service, AT&T also announced the LG Invision (seen at right), which has a smaller screen than its Mobile TV compatriot LG Vu, but also a smaller price--$99 with a two-year agreement. It's also packed with HSDPA 3G connectivity, Bluetooth stereo music streaming, and access to AT&T's music downloads, XM Radio service, and video share service.

• Pocket PC Central reports that Sprint looks to be the first U.S. carrier to offer the HTC Touch Diamond (previously only available as unlocked) in early September, with WMExperts saying a red model will be introduced in addition to the standard black.

• The iPhone isn't the only 500-pound gorilla that competitors are gunning for. Mobile Mentalism reports that Samsung is going after the Nokia 95 with its INNOV8 i8510, which offers many of the same specs including HSDPA 3G (though only on international frequencies), Wi-Fi, Symbian S60 operating system, and TV output but bumps up the camera's megapixels to 8. Also check out CNet Asia's first take on the INNOV8.

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Bites from the Apple: The Need for Speed

Have you been frustrated by the 3G speed or flaky reception of your iPhone 3G? You're not alone. Seems that a lot of users have been experiencing dropped phone calls and slow 3G download speeds, and it seems the culprit might be the 3G chip and antenna that's been placed into the iPhone 3G (from AppleInsider). The Wall Street Journal reports that "people familiar with the matter" are working on a software-related fix, to be released in the next few weeks (via MacDailyNews). If you want to check out your speed and add to a global iPhone study that Wired is conducting, head over to Testmyiphone.com to check your phone's connection speed (instructions here). In other Apple-y goodness...

• Happy anniversary to the iMac, which celebrates its 10th birthday this week. It's been quite the evolution from here...

  ...to here...

  

  ...and finally to here.

  

  For more on the birthday and what the iMac has meant to Apple and the computer industry (as well as design for all manner of products, including the George Foreman Grill), check out posts at Ars Technica, Macworld, MacUser, and Electronista.

• Rumor Watch: PhoneNews.com says that Apple is going to bring out a revision to the MacBook Air that will trade in its custom Merom-class Intel processor for one from the Penryn Core 2 Duo line and bump up its hard disk drive storage to 120 GB.

• What's on Michael Phelps' iPod?

• MSNBC reports that the big three GPS companies--Garmin, Magellan, and TomTom--are playing a wait-and-see game as far as providing an app with turn-by-turn voice directions for the iPhone--the main hold-up being whether Apple does anything on its own or how a third-party app of this kind might affect compliance with the iPhone SDK (software development kit). Dutch-based TomTom is the lone member of the three to say that they've tested their app and "it looks good and works very well."

• If you're an AT&T business customer, you can now purchase an iPhone 3G from AT&T's corporate sales web site rather than standing in line at one of its or Apple's retail locations (via MacNN). And Best Buy is going to become the first non-AT&T/Apple physical retail space to offer the iPhone 3G starting in September. No word on when other physical/virtual retailers will get their hands on it.

• If you're a Mac user who uses a Blackberry, TUAW notes the free PocketMac software that integrates syncing between the Mac and the Crackberry has been updated with support for syncing non-protected iTunes playlists, syncing photos from iPhoto, and syncing Notes from the Leopard Mail application. The latter being something even the iPhone won't do!

• The always helpful Adam Pash Lifehacker has just added something for my OmniFocus to-do list to be filed under my ongoing HomeTech project: turning my OG iPhone into a Sonos-like wireless remote control for my iTunes library (I've been too lazy, resorting to just an iPod and dock). He provides clear step-by-step directions, and all you need are a wireless router, Airport Express, and Apple's free Remote App iPhone application. (And yes, I've bitten the bullet and chosen OmniFocus as my task manager; more on that next week.)

• Alternatively and even easier (no tweaking of wireless settings), you can now download the Simplify Media iPhone app, which enables you to stream your music library stored in iTunes (save for DRM-restricted files purchased from iTunes), WinAmp or Rhythmbox wherever you have Wi-Fi, 3G, or EDGE connectivity on your iPhone. Additionally, you can choose music from libraries of up to 30 friends as well. Check out the video posted at Lifehacker to see how it works, and get to downloading this free app soon--it's only free to the first 100,000 downloaders (after which it's priced at $3.99).

• And finally, an extensive video walk-through of the now-notorious $999 I Am Rich iPhone app, which we noted last week got pulled from the App Store before ending up with 8 sales (hat tip to TUAW; also see this Onion What Do You Think page.). Seems to me that they could lose the jewel illustration, add in some dialogue from 2001: A Space Odyssey, and repurpose this as a HAL 9000 app for the iPhone. At a lower price point, of course.

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Bites from the Apple: The Riches

A couple weeks back, my Uncle called me from the Mall of America in Minnesota with a desperate sound to his voice. He was visiting our family in the Twin Cities and his WinTel laptop was repeatedly giving him the Blue Screen of Death and not connecting to the Internet. This was a fairly recent laptop purchase for him, and he was getting fed up with the intermittent hardware problems--both small and BSD--that he'd been experiencing for several months as well as the constant requirement to update security and OS patches. He was ready to go into the Apple Store and check things out, but wanted some baseline info from me. I licked my lips, thinking I might be scoring another family member switch.

Alas, after talking through the range of hardware, my Uncle decided that Apple's laptops were just too rich for his budget. And it's hard to really debate that--Apple hardware isn't inexpensive (the preferred word in the retail universe to "cheap"). I tried to argue that Apple hardware, by and large, offers a stable environment that would eliminate some of the downtime he'd been experiencing with his WinTel hardware, and that the laptops come loaded with very useful software (from multimedia apps like iPhoto to the Time Machine backup utility) that wouldn't be as seamlessly integrated as comparable software in Windows. And... you get to run both the Mac OS and Windows on the same machine. None of that worked.

I wish that I'd had this article from Tom's Hardware (hat tip to TUAW), which compares the prices of Macs and similarly specced Windows machines and finds that there's really not that much difference. However, Tom's Hardware also notes that an NPD Group study shows that Windows laptops cost significantly less than Apple's Mac lineup--a $700 average for the former versus $1500 for Apple. But it's important to note that this comparison is a bit apples-to-oranges (yes, pun intended), as Apple Mac hardware is typically specced out with more expensive, higher-end components. Thus the upfront cost is going to be greater than for a budget laptop such as this Compaq Presario, but it's still a rather high hurdle for many to make despite the fact that the Apple laptop will probably be productive for a longer time (as well as having a better resale value). Apple has had a string of successful years creating products marketed to an audience that appreciates and will pay a premium for well-designed PCs--both inside and out--but with the whole globe starting to face an economic downturn, I'd love to see Apple offer more of a range of hardware options and pricing to bring its prices down widen its user base even further.

• On the subject of exorbitant pricing, the gadgetosphere was up in arms over the inclusion of the I Am Rich iPhone app in the iTunes App Store, which cost $999.99 (the highest amount a developer can charge). When turned on, it displayed a glowing red ruby on your iPhone screen. That's it. The LA Times Technology blog notes that eight (!) people actually plunked down their credit cards for I Am Rich before it got yanked by Apple.

• If you are in the market for a new Mac laptop or desktop machine, Amazon has a number of rebates running until August 25 on the full lineup, including MacBook, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, and Mac Pro.

• However, beware that there will most likely be new hardware coming down the pike in the near future. AppleInsider reports that investment bank Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster expects Apple to hold a special event sometime in September to unroll new MacBooks and iPods. And the UK's Electricpig blog has uncovered some curvilicious leaked shots at what is purported to be the new MacBook Pro aluminum case seen at right.

• That wasn't the only removal from the App Store this week. Seems that George Lucas and his lawyers weren't pleased with the Phonesaber app, which turns your iPhone into a swishing lightsaber. However, Gizmodo notes that the company that handles Star Wars paraphernalia for mobile devices wants to work with the software developer to release an officially branded version. Luckily, I still have it slicing away on my iPhone (it's my toddler's favorite app).

• And happily, I don't think that Apple is going to be able to dial into my iPhone and yank it off. There were rumblings this week about just that possibility with the discovery of a line of code in iPhone OS 2.x by an iPhone security expert that suggested that Apple could "blacklist" unauthorized apps. However, John Gruber at Daring Fireball throws water on this, noting that the coding most likely prevents certain applications from accessing the iPhone's Core Location services (i.e., your physical location as determined by GPS or Wi-Fi).

• Steve Jobs got in on the MobileMe bashing game this week, with an email of his leaked to the gadgetosphere that has him saying that "MobileMe was simply not up to Apple's standards" and that it "was a mistake to launch MobileMe at the same time as iPhone 3G, iPhone 2.0 software and the App Store.  We all had more than enough to do, and MobileMe could have been delayed without consequence" (via Ars Technica).

• And finally a blast from the past (unearthed by TUAW)--a video review of the very first 5 GB iPod done by the now defunct TechTV. I've still got my original model stored somewhere in my archives (aka, my old-and-cold gadget drawer)... might try and see if it's still workable (though, if I remember correctly, the battery was losing its kick).

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Bites from the Apple: Tether Ball

The gadgetosphere rose up in a unified high-five earlier this week to celebrate the arrival of Nullriver's NetShare application in the iTunes App Store. What this app does is enable you to "tether" your laptop to your iPhone's and use the iPhone's cellular connectivity (either 3G or EDGE) to access the Internet using an ad-hoc Wi-Fi connection between the two devices. Plainly put--you can now surf the Web on your MacBook without a Wi-Fi hotspot. Check out Engadget's hands-on video of setting up NetShare.

Many cell phones offer this feature using Bluetooth's DUN (Dial-up Networking) profile, but Apple has been very stingy in its inclusion of Bluetooth profiles for the OG iPhone and iPhone 3G, providing just the headset (HSP) and handsfree (HFP) profiles (ignoring other handy profiles such as A2DP stereo music streaming or BPP printing). And part of the reason might be pushback from Apple's cell partners who were wary of losing money to all the bandwidth hogged by iPhone users' insatiable hunger for Internet connectivity.

And as many predicted, the joy didn't last long as the NetShare app inexplicably vanished on Thursday, causing quite the rumble through the gadgetosphere. But as of late morning on Friday (as we're writing this post), NetShare is back and downloadable from the App Store, so the spigot is turned back on. But be wary: although the "unlimited" iPhone data plan is considered is considered all-you-can-eat, AT&T does restrict laptop users to 5 GB upload/download per month. Thus, if you start running up your usage to those heights, you might be hearing from AT&T. (Hat tip to all-things-wireless guru Glenn Fleishman, as tethered via Jeff Carlson.)

• Rumor Rundown: With Apple warning of upcoming shortages, it looks like we'll be seeing a MacBook/MacBook Pro refresh come September, with the possibility of a glass trackpad with multi-touch and gesture input (see Boy Genius Report). Slippery Brick counters with the possibility of a new 64 MB iPod touch with GPS capabilities. And iLounge adds that a new iPod nano may be in the works that moves away from its fatty redesign from last year and moves into tall, thin Zune territory (see iLounge's artist's rendering below). Then there's the rumor that the iPod shuffle is going to get a bump to 4 GB with a possible "slight redesign."

  

• Speaking of Microsoft's digital audio player, the most visible Zune fan out there (the guy who got the Zune logo tattooed to his arm) has fallen out of love and hooked up with an iPod touch on the rebound (via Cult of Mac).

• Hooray! A new iTunes update has been released (7.7.1) that fixes accented characters that the 7.7 update horked (which will happily restore readability to my Chanson Française playlist).

• Who needs an iPhone when you can get most of the functionality (sans cellular connectivity) with the iPod touch? asks Kevin Purdy over at Lifehacker (noting it will only set you back $300 compared to more than $1600 over the course of a 2-year iPhone contract).

• If you need to carry some electronic documents around with you, but don't want to haul your laptop, check out FileMagnet at the App Store (hat tip to ZDNet's The Apple Core). It enables you to synchronize files from your desktop to your iPhone/iPod touch, eliminating the hassle of the Gmail workaround (sending it to your Gmail account and then having to download it).

• And finally, Mad Magazine jumps on the Apple bandwagon with its Calvin and Jobs comic strip (via Macenstein):

  

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Bites from the Apple: Ghost in the MobileMe

Another week and Apple's launch frustration continues with the focus turning to MobileMe, Apple's replacement for the .Mac service. Despite not even focusing on MobileMe's seemingly uninterrupted string of service outages, Walt Mossberg still doesn't think it's ready for prime-time yet, due to sluggish syncing between iPhone and desktop PCs and unreliable synchronization. David Pogue chimes in at the New York Times, and gets fed up with the lack of communication about outages and fixes from Apple support, equating it to "an airplane that's stuck on the runway for hours with no food or working bathroom. And the pilot doesn't come on the P.A. system to tell the customers what the problem is...."

Oh yeah, it's still hard to get an iPhone 3G (though stock analysts say this is a good thing.) On the bright side, though, it's looking like stores are starting to receive more stock of the iPhone as of the end of this week. You can check out this handy web site created by Chris Barnes, which shows availability by store as compiled from an Apple data feed. (The caveat being Apple's feed isn't completely reliable--seems to be Apple's theme of the month--so you should call ahead to your Apple Store of choice.)

• Rumor Watch: Embedded within the conference call to announce Q3 earnings (good, with Mac shipments up 41 percent in year-over-year sales) were several comments alluding to a "state-of-the-art product" coming out later this year. Jason O'Grady over at ZDNet's Apple Core (which also provides the concept photo at right) is pretty confident it's going to be the long-rumored iTablet.

  We may also be seeing a (PRODUCT) RED version of the iPhone 3G by the holiday season (via CrunchGear).

• The first update to the iPhone 2.0 software (version 2.1) might be seeing the light of day for non-developers soon, and it might include the ability to copy-and-paste text as well as expanded GPS features that could allow turn-by-turn navigation (via MacNN).

• If you've got two iPhones in your house (or an iPhone and an iTouch), it looks like you can share applications downloaded from the iTunes App Store thanks to Apple's FairPlay DRM, which allows you to authorize up to 5 computer devices to access items purchased from the iTunes Store (via TUAW).

• How fast is the iPhone 3G on 3G networks? It depends on where you are.

• Nancy Scola over at one of my fave enviro blogs, World Changing, applauds Apple for getting greener with its twin iPhone product/software releases:

  Beyond the replaceable battery, the handset, headphones and USB cable are all now PVC-free. The circuit board is produced without bromine. The LCD is made sans mercury. And let's back up a bit -- buying a new iPhone might not even be necessary. The software 2.0 upgrade means that owners of first-gen phones don't even need to buy a 3G to get most of the newest functionality.

  But she thinks Apple could do better in trumpeting its gadget greenness (which includes a policy of recycling old cell phones and iPods, regardless of manufacturer) to better educate the public.

• Saul Hansell at the NYTimes' Bits blog wonders if Apple could emulate Microsoft's plan for distributing community games to Xbox 360 devices and provide an App Store for its Apple TV.

  This could serve as a basic game platform for Apple–not so basic if the company beefs up the graphic chip in the device. Moreover, apps for Apple TV could offer the sort of info snacking that iPhone apps do: weather, yellow pages, photo sharing, viral videos and so on. I assume video, photos and entertainment apps would be most popular, but there is someone who will do anything. And that’s the beauty of an open environment.

  As an Apple TV owner (and occasional user), I wholeheartedly endorse any idea to make it more usable. Speaking of which, Merlin Mann at 43 Folders notes that the aTV Flash collection of Apple TV hackery is back and includes new functionality such as USB Drive support.

• Adam Engst at TidBITS informs us that the latest iteration of the iTunes software (7.7) is removing accented characters from the names of songs and artists. I started noticing this earlier this week when I had some time to work on my personal iTunes clean-up project (caused by a failing hard drive), but hadn't put it together that the update was causing the problem. This is a big bummer for folks like myself who have a lot of non-English music in their collections (I now have loads of French albums that are unreadable), as it currently requires manual correction.

• I'm still in a quandary over what to-do application to get from the App Store for my iPhone. Macworld has a pretty detailed review of OmniFocus, which sounds like a very powerful task organizer that also requires adherence to the Getting Things Done (GTD) productivity world view (as well as a C-Note, as the iPhone app is $20 and the desktop application costs an additional $80). The review does note that the Things app from Cultured Code is a good GTD/tasking alternative that's not as robust and about half the price (for both iPhone and desktop apps).

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Bites from the Apple: All Apologies

Pulling out that ol' Dickens chestnut, this last week has been the both best and worst of times for Apple. True, Apple got the iPhone 3G out the door, launched the iPhone 2.0 software and App Store (helping to cement the iPhone as a true mobile platform), and transmogrified its .Mac service into the new, pushy MobileMe. The iPhone 3G has been a success, with sales of 1 million in its first weekend (though that number is disputed by Piper Jaffray's Mac man Gene Munster). But lines were excruciatingly slow thanks to frustratingly un-Apple in-store activations and worldwide server crashes (see last week's post), which The Boy Genius Report noted actually hindered sales (1 million in 21 countries this year compared to 700,000 OG iPhones in its first weekend last year). And now it's looking like we'll be seeing iPhone 3G shortages for the next month, frustrating those standing in line as well as AT&T's corporate customers.

Perhaps an even bigger snafu, and one that still hasn't been put to bed, is the MobileMe transition, which caused Apple to email an apology (and 30-day service extension) to all its customers earlier this week. (Having written one or two "How I Broke the Site" apology emails, I could certainly feel for the devs who were feeling the heat of Steve Jobs' seething fury.) Our pal Glenn Fleishman also notes in TidBITS that Apple is revising its use of the term "push," since MobileMe's synchronization isn't instantaneous but rather lags by about 15 minutes.

And while iPhone Atlas notes there has been some grumbling about the App Store from users (over updates) and developers (no capability to release review copies--definitely a gripe of mine), its release has certainly been the bright spot in Apple's week, with users downloading more than 10 million native applications to their iPhone and iPod touch devices last weekend.

I've taken a few out for a spin since last week's post, and have been pretty satisfied. I had to download Super Monkey Ball for some young friends to try, and their parents are no longer speaking to me since their kids won't stop asking for an iPhone/iPod touch. I've also been quite happy with the Facebook and Twitterific apps (which have reenergized my usage of those services). And I tried some fluff with the PhoneSaber, iBeer and More Cowbell apps (the latter of which is a hit with my toddler).

But the app I was most looking forward to was the NetNewsWire RSS reader, as a lot of my work revolves around keeping up with tech news articles. However, I found that if you have several hundred RSS subscriptions, the synchronization between desktop and online reader (NewsGator) and iPhone app is frustrating. I've since created a new account where I've cherry-picked my most accessed feeds, and that seems to be just fine. But using NewsGator's iPhone-designed web page (m.newsgator.com) might actually be a bit faster and provides more of an overview of the current news items on a single page (hat tip to Jeff Carlson for the tip).

Overall, it's a good start and I'm looking forward to exploring more and adding a few more arrows to my iPhone quiver. But I do have a gripe: there's still no way to synchronize notes or tasks between the iPhone and Apple's native applications on the Mac. I'm less cheesed off about the Notes on my iPhone than TUAW (though it would be good to have a back-up), but I am just perplexed about the seeming inability to capture to-do items created in the Mac's Mail and iCal applications and hook them onto the iPhone. Instead, I'm having to look into third-party options, ranging from free apps (like To Do) that are under-powered to paid apps (like the well-reviewed OmniFocus) that might be overly robust for my needs. I'm still deciding (this is where review copies of apps would be very handy), but I might go with the latter as it will sync with an application on my Mac.

But enough of my kvetching. Let us know about your favorite apps (or biggest gripes in the comments. For more Apple-y goodness from the week that was, join us after the jump...

Bites from the Apple: The Morning After

For the second straight year, I found myself traveling on the day that the new iPhone gets unleashed, and thusly I had to live vicariously through a colleague's experiences (not that I would have been in line, as I'm sticking with my OG iPhone). Last year my pal Glenn Fleishman dutifully stood in line for the iPhone when it went on sale at 6pm, and he walked out of his selected Apple Store toting his conquest after only an hour--with 300+ people in front of him.

That was not even close to being the case this year, as Apple and AT&T switched up the activation procedure where it had to be done in-store rather than at home via iTunes. And from the sound of my pal Jeff Carlson's Twitter log, it looks like it was quite the headache (to put it in family friendly terms). After arriving an hour before the 8am opening for the great iPhone 3G dash and standing in line with 350+ people, Jeff didn't get his phone (actually, his wife's phone, as he's sticking with the OG iPhone as well) until late in the afternoon. (At least he didn't face a bomb threat.) It seems this was due to the hands-on activation process in the store as well as Apple server crashes preventing the activation process for new iPhone 3G's as well as for OG iPhones that needed re-activation after installing the iPhone 2.0 software update.

Speaking of which, the release of the iPhone 2.0 software is probably the biggest news of this week, since my OG iPhone isn't going anywhere. Thanks to MacRumors, which found a link to the software on Apple's servers, I was able to grab the software a day early and start playing in the new App Store playground. Note, however, that MacRumors is recommending that anyone who updated their OG iPhone with this unofficial download should re-restore the software with the official update found via iTunes, as it seems the leaked download is for 3G models only.

I've been loving my iPhone since I picked it up last September and felt no regrets at dumping the Treo 680 that I'd bought unlocked just a few months previous to that. But with the addition of native applications, I'm loving my iPhone even more as it starts to truly become the computing platform that it's promised to be since it was announced. I started out slow with free downloads of social networking and messaging apps like AIM, Facebook, and Twitterific (note that app links require iTunes). But I'm looking forward to adding the NetNewsWire RSS reader and Todo, which can hook into my Remember the Milk Pro online task list (though I'm hoping an app gets released that works directly with the task management in my Mac's iCal software). And sadly (for my personal productivity), Bejeweled is also available--it will take all my will not to download that one. Let's take a look at what others have spelunked from the App Store...

• The earth2tech blog found several apps that can help you track your gas mileage and graph performance--something quite handy as we head into a new era of high gas prices.

• The popular Pandora personalized online radio service has been ported to an iPhone app, and Wired's Listening Post notes it even streams over EDGE networks.

• TUAW rounds up a couple of app gems including File Magnet, which allows you to transfer files to and from your Mac (Leopard only) from your iPhone or iPod Touch over Wi-Fi.

• Apple also released Remote, a free goodie for all the good iPhone fanboys/girls, which adds an interface for controlling your computer's iTunes or an AppleTV that is nearly identical to the iPod interface on the iPhone (via BoingBoing Gadgets)

• My other handheld gaming obsession looks to be fulfilled by Aki Mahjong from Ambrosia Software, which also released solitair and sudoku apps (via MacNN)

• While not in the initial release of the App Store, it looks like TeleNav will be coming out with an iPhone app for turn-by-turn voice navigation, despite a clause in Apple's iPhone Developer's contract that prohibits sophisticated navigation software other than its own (via MacNN).

• Though it's not an iPhone app, it's good to note that Ambrosia has also released the latest version of its iToner software, compatible with iTunes 7.7 and iPhone Software 2.0, which allows you to create custom ringtones for your iPhone without having to purchase them from the iTunes Store (via Ars Technica)

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Bites from the Apple: Final Countdown to iPhone 3G

The day that iPhone fans have been waiting over a year for finally comes this Friday, as the faster, stronger iPhone 3G around the world, starting at 1 minute after midnight in New Zealand and at 8am in each local U.S. time zone. But you'll have to stand in line, as many have started to do this weekend in Manhattan, to get your hands on one as no online orders are being taken for the iPhone 3G at this time and activation (including credit checks) will be taking place in the AT&T retail locations or Apple Stores--where you'll no doubt be met with cheering Apple associates. For more on pricing, check out Aric's post from last week here at End User as well as this post at The Boy Genius Report, this FAQ at CNet's One More Thing blog, and this table of international pricing at Ars Technica.

The always snarky Macenstein noted that the "rational, civilized" Brits in the guise of cell provider O2 were offering the iPhone 3G as an on-line pre-order, "while we Americans act like a bunch of whooping, sweaty monkeys" standing in line. O2 promised to even hand-deliver the Holy Grail of cell phones (would that be the HG iPhone 3G?) to your home on the 11th. However, these civilized pre-orders only lasted a short while, as O2's systems buckled under the crushing demand.

• O2 in the UK also noted that the iPhone 3G will be offered to pay-as-you-go customers later this year. Hope are

• Guided tours of the iPhone 3G are available at the Apple site (as well as at Apple's Japan site, which shows off a new character-recognition feature built in to the iPhone 2.0 OS firmware). After watching the tour, the iPhone Atlas blog wonders if the two small screws at the bottom of the device might suggest the new model might portend a user replaceable battery.

• Check out this visual timeline of the iPhone's history, starting from 1999 when Apple registered the iphone.org URL, at iPhoneGold.com (hat tip to Wired's Gadget Lab).

• The gadgetosphere is swarming around a leaked photo that's supposedly of the newly redesigned aluminum MacBook Pro (posted initially in the MacRumors Forums). Over at Cult of Mac, two of the blog's writers are debating whether or not Apple should be refreshing the design of its high-end laptops, with Pete Mortensen saying yay (it's time to make a new statement) while Leigh McMullen goes with the nay (the MacBook Pro is too archetypal).

  

• In another point/counter-point article, Macworld's Christopher Breen and Roman Loyola debate the increased cost for the iPhone 3G's data plan on AT&T, with Loyola deciding to spend his money elsewhere but Breen ready to grab the new model based on its potential for improved location-based services thanks to its built-in GPS.

• Check out this iPod-themed USB thumb drive, available from BoysStuff in the UK, available in 1 GB and 2 GB capacities (via Gizmodo).

• The MacBook Air is getting a $500 price drop on its top-of-the-line model, and CNet's News Blog looks at what could be coming in the next rev of the Air lineup (mainly performance enhancements and better graphics).

• That giant sucking sound? That's Adobe's Flash player grabbing all of your CPU's resources thanks to its use in ubiquitous use in web ad spaces and the like (and one of the biggest reasons I use Firefox, for its Flashblock add-on). But MacUser notes that the next version of Flash might be more CPU friendly (fingers are firmly crossed).

• One of my favorite widget designers, iSlayer, is retooling its popular iStat Dashboard widget (one of my most-accessed widgets) into an iPhone app that can remotely monitor your Mac. Ars Technica has the details:

  Composed of two parts—an iStat server that runs on your Mac and the iPhone app itself—iStat remote works over your local network via Bonjour or over the Internet using SSL, so you can stay on top of your Mac's activity from virtually anywhere in the world that your iPhone has an Internet connection.

  The company also came out with a new widget called Organized, which combines all of Apple's PIM tools (calendars, tasks, notes, and clocks) into a single widget. I just started using it this weekend, but I'm already in love with it.

• As more and more people and businesses make the switch to Macs (with consumer usage approaching 8 percent), Walt Mossberg offers some general tips for Windows switchers.

• And finally, Macenstein collects the 21 worst Apple-themed wallpapers it could find, with this being my favorite (and I agree with the editors at Macenstein--it needs a unicorn):

  

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Washington and California Cell Phone Driving Bans Start July 1

One of my pet peeves (and I'm sure I'm not alone) when driving is having to navigate around other drivers who are paying more attention to balancing and adjusting a phone between shoulder and ear than to the road. But starting tomorrow (July 1) here in Washington state and in California, I'm hoping these juggling acts will diminish as both states have laws that take effect that make it illegal to talk on your cell phone without some kind of handsfree device--whether that be a wired or wireless Bluetooth headset, speakerphone, or a patch through your car's audio system. (If you're a resident of either of these two states, and this is news to you, check out this overview for Californians and this one for Washingtonians. To check on your state's laws, see this handy chart at the Governors Highway Safety Association.)

So it looks like it's time to buy stock in a handsfree company like Plantronics, Jabra or Parrot, as they're most likely going to be seeing an uptick in sales in the next few months. All-things-wireless guru Glenn Fleishman has collected brief list of recommended handsfree devices at the Seattle Times, and I recently tested one of the headsets he features for a review--the Plantronics Discovery 925.

Plantronics is positioning this as both a bit of a fashion accessory (it is one of the best looking headsets I've used) as well as a competitor to the Aliph Jawbone with its noise cancellation technology (which is good, but not as complete as the original Jawbone, which I've also reviewed). But the thing that I liked most about the 925 was how well it fit in my ear. Unlike many Bluetooth headsets, it doesn't offer any kind of loop around the ear to keep it stuck in your ear canal. Rather, the 925 comes with three sizes of gel ear pieces, which hook in comfortably to the ear canal and also provides a tab extension to fill the rest of the ear chamber. I've not had much success in the past with using earbuds or other loopless headphones/headsets, but the feather-light 925 stayed in my ear securely and comfortably for an entire day of testing.

I'd also recommend it for use when driving because it just pops into your ear, avoiding the dance of trying to attach a looped headset over your ear, which can be just as dangerous as handling a phone while driving. Sadly, I had to return my review unit, but because my current, much loved Bluetooth headset just went bust (see my video customer review of the Jabra BT5020, which was done in a fit of frustration), I'm ordering my own 925 so I'll be street legal.

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Bites from the Apple: iPhone Turns One

It's been one year since the iPhone was unleashed on a smartphone hungry public (which I had to miss as I was holed up on a secluded island here in the Pacific Northwest), and it's pretty amazing to look back on the hype and the crowds that attended the late afternoon debut of this $600 phone (which is the price some 16 GB models are fetching on the resale market). I doubt that lines for the iPhone 3G will be as long or as much of a party as they were for the initial launch (as my pal Glenn Fleishman documented in TidBITS and in photos last year), but there will be lines. And this year you might have to wait overnight to get a good spot, as it's rumored that iPhone 3G sales might start at 8am on Friday, July 11th--no doubt more time will be needed with each customer as it's also rumored that activation will have to take place in the retail store (either Apple or AT&T) rather than back in the comfort of your home as it was with the first generation (then there's also a rumored two-step activation dance...).

I'm going to stick with my piddly 4 GB/2.5G/OG iPhone (the metal-backed model on the left in the image above, sitting next to the new black hotness, via iLounge), as I just don't have much need for 3G speeds or full-on GPS and will be content with the iPhone 2.0 software upgrade and Apple's AppStore offerings to augment its functionality. But is an iPhone 3G in your future? Let us know in the comments. But now, let's get to covering the Apple-y goodness that was this last week.

• Speaking of the AppStore, the gadgetosphere is buzzing about the possibility (reported on MacRumors) that the new, upcoming version of iTunes (7.7) will include a very interesting freebie--an application that will allow you to remotely control your iTunes playback via either iPhone or iPod touch.

   

• Not everyone's a fan of the upcoming iPhone 3G: Dan Warne of APC lists his 10 reasons to hate the so-called Jesusphone (including lack of camera upgrade and instant messaging, incompatibility with Bluetooth stereo headphones, and no MMS).

   

• But Dan's list might go down to just a Top 9: According to an internal AT&T memo acquired by The Boy Genius Report, the iPhone 3G might include MMS (picture) messaging, a feature that wasn't included with the OG iPhone.

   

• The Examiner web site asked one of the most pressing political questions of the year: what's on Barack Obama's iPod. Seems it's a pretty eclectic mix of Bob Dylan, Yo-Yo Ma, Sheryl Crow, John Coltrane, and Jay-Z.

   

• Without a doubt, the big movie of the weekend is going to be WALL*E, and Pete Mortensen over at Cult of Mac notes that the film offers some nice easter eggs for Apple fans (aside from the Jonathan Ive-consulted design for WALL*E's pal, EVE).

   

• Learn more about the assisted GPS feature in the upcoming iPhone 3G at Ars Technica.

   

• Sprint's touchscreen competitor to the iPhone, the , has been garnering excellent sales in its first week (relatively speaking from an internal Sprint point of view) and decent reviews. But is the Instinct really so good that you'll want to smash your old iPhone to bits and swear allegiance to Sprint? That's what one Kansas City radio personality did after comparing the two. I have a feeling this won't become a widespread fad.

   

• I'm still using the Apple TV that I bought to work on updating Jeff Carlson's Pocket Guide, but the use is sporadic in part because I don't watch much TV but also because of its limitations. Andy Zaky at Seeking Alpha has a good wishlist of things he'd like to see adopted with future models, and I'd add acceptance of additional video file formats (though I doubt that'll ever come to fruition due to the closed environment Apple likes to keep).

   

• And finally, here's a MacGuyver tip to help keep your iPhone from sputtering through your computer's speakers involving a can of Red Bull (seen at right).

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Bites from the Apple: That Summer Feeling

The Summer Solstice arrives today (7:59pm EDT, 4:59 PDT), and Seattle is following along with one of the first truly sunny, summery days we've had in weeks. Thus, this week's round-up of Apple-y goodness will be slightly truncated (as it's been a bit of a slow news week anyways, as we all wait for the calendar to turn to July 11) as I get ready to take advantage of the day with my toddler.

• One of the most frustrating missing pieces to the iPhone (save for its lack of to-do synchronization) is the inability to view increasingly ubiquitous Flash files when browsing the web. Frankly, I'd be more than pleased if web designers didn't use Flash as much, as it can be distracting and unnecessary in many implementations as well as being a drain on the processor (and thusly on battery life). But I digress.

  This week, Adobe confirmed that it's "pleased" with the development of Flash for the iPhone, which Adobe hopes can get distributed through the upcoming App Store for the iPhone and iPod touch. Good news, yes? However, IntoMobile wonders if Flash (or even Flash Lite, its version for mobile phones) would even work with the iPhone's processor. And iPhone Central notes that Apple is possibly hooking up with SproutCore as an alternative (see Ars Technica for more technical details).

   

• If you're a current .Mac subscriber and are wondering what the new MobileMe will be bringing to your online doorstep, Macworld has a good overview of what the transition will bring (with an explanation on what MobileMe's "cloud" will push to your various devices, changes to iDisk, and more). Ars Technica adds that it looks like Apple is putting restrictions on browser compatibility with MobileMe--with Firefox 3 not making the grade currently.

   

• The New Scientist Technology blog discovered quite the nugget while reading through the iTunes end user license agreement (which I'm sure you all do with all of your software): you are prohibited from using iTunes to design or develop WMD.

   

• There were some complaints about the iPhone 3G's camera staying at a 2-megapixel resolution, but Ars Technica argues that it's a perfectly reasonable balance based on the limitations of the iPhone (no autofocus, no flash, and limited amount of memory).

   

• Might we see a new iPod touch by late summer? AppleInsider notes that stocks on the iPod touch are currently running low, and that analysts believe that Apple needs to do something that differentiates it from the iPhone (especially when it comes to price, as the current iteration of the 8 GB touch is about $100 more than the iPhone 3G hardware).

   

• An unexpected "feature" of the iPhone 3G: easier access to mobile porn.

  Leading porn purveyors see the iPhone as a dream come true. Its relatively ample screen size, speedy Web access and ease of use are just part of it. The device's miniaturized version of Apple's Safari software simplifies mobile access and streamlines the process of tailoring dirty sites for optimal viewing on the go.

   

• Dan Frommer at Silicon Alley Insider ponders whether the coming App Store will kill the jailbreak market. I think it will make a pretty good dent, but I agree that some functionality that Apple won't be supporting (VoIP, Gameboy emulators and, yes, mobile porn) will keep the jailbreak community going.

   

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Bites from the Apple: iPhone 3G Afterglow

Viva la Apple vida!

In some ways, it didn't seem like we got much from this week's announcements at the WWDC keynote. Sure, the iPhone 3G was finally announced and the MobileMe replacement for the .Mac service was there (as rumored), as well as a quiet launch for the next iteration of the Mac OS X operating system. For typical Apple fanboys/girls, the dearth of more hardware announcements can seem a little disappointing (and I must say, a new MacBook Pro would have been welcomed by me). But for hardcore Apple geeks, it's the devilish details that matter, and after a couple of days of sifting through the minutiae we're starting to get a handle on what the new announcements will be bringing to the Apple party.

• First off, the price. As mentioned earlier this week, AT&T will be increasing its data connectivity fee by $10, which pretty much erases the $200 savings on the new, lower-priced iPhone 3G. But Gizmodo's Jason Chen argues that the overall cost of hardware and 3G service is comparable to other 3G phones, if not a little lower. So while it's true that you'll be paying more than you would with the current EDGE-powered OG iPhone, the higher speed of the iPhone 3G (and the added GPS) should add some rationalization ammunition.

• While we're on the subject of the 3G network, the new iPhone might not be for you if you're in more of a rural setting, as AT&T's 3G coverage is currently limited to most major metropolitan areas (see map at iPhone Atlas).

• But back to the rationalization, Cult of Mac offers up some tips on how best to hide an iPhone purchase from your spouse.

• There was a rumor running 'round the Intertubes for a short while saying that current iPhone owners had to give up their hardware when upgrading to the iPhone 3G. Happily, that was squashed. But there is one (happy) instance where this comes into effect--if you bought an original iPhone after May 27, you'll get the option of turning it in for a new iPhone 3G (via TUAW).

• One of the most confusing and still open-ended questions revolving around acquiring the iPhone 3G is how it will be activated. With the OG iPhone, you got the phone either at an Apple or AT&T store or via Web purchase and then activated it using the iTunes software at home. This obviously led to many an iPhone being funneled to the gray market and overseas as well as just plain unlocked to be used on competing GSM networks.

  But with the iPhone 3G, it's looking like the activation will have to take place before you leave the retail location of your choice (currently, the new models won't be for sale online). The Boy Genius Report has a rundown of what this entails, via a leaked AT&T email, with Engadget rounding things out a bit more.

• Macworld gives and overview of the release of Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, which doesn't include any new features. At least no new glossy eye candy. What it will bring is an under-the-hood tune-up that includes built-in support for Microsoft’s Exchange 2007, support for more RAM, and optimization of multicore CPUs (which we'll be seeing more of).

• One of the biggest headaches of the original iPhone was its stupidly designed recessed headphone jack, which required purchase of a dongle, new headphones that would fit this jack, or careful surgery on headphones you already owned (I destroyed several sets doing the latter). But the iPhone 3G happily fixes this with a flush headphone jack. Rejoice!

• Will we see support for Flash content with the iPhone 2.0 software update? Some eagle-eyed observers at iPhone Atlas and think so, based on how some sample sites displayed in iPhone 3G marketing imagery are rendered. Or, it could be that the Apple marketing department got lazy.

• My colleague and all-around wireless guru, Glenn Fleishman (full disclosure: our toddlers play together from time to time), touched an iPhone 3G down in San Francisco this week and offers his thoughts at his Wi-Fi Net News site as well as on Seattle's local NPR station, KUOW (where he's the tech contributor to its show, The Beat). One point I found interesting is that he sees the iPhone becoming more and more a replacement for the laptop (if only it would include the Bluetooth HID profile for adding wireless keyboards and mice):

  The iPhone is much more like a full-blown computer than any smartphone I’ve used. It might be the superior browser, and the fact that a single company and design vision has ensured the maximum CPU is available for each current task, and that the interface and actions are nearly always consistent across every piece of software. Contrast that with many smartphones that don’t just have ugly interfaces, crippled Web browsers, and varying input methods, but also require you to learn a different approach to using nearly every different piece of software on the phone.

  Additionally, Glenn released two more ebooks (I don't know where he finds the time) for the Take Control juggernaut on using Back to My Mac and screen sharing in Leopard (which can come in handy especially if you're doing diagnostics on a parent's Mac from across the country). And you get a $5 discount if you buy them together.

• Gizmodo has a rundown of everything you always wanted to know about GPS on the iPhone 3G. For one thing, because the embedded A-GPS (A = assisted) relies on data from GPS satellites as well cell towers and Wi-Fi hotspots, you'll get a faster location lock.

• Ars Technica gets a peek at one of the applications I'm hungering for the most when the iPhone App Store is opened: Mobile Twitteriffic.

• Macenstein looks closely at the Coldplay's recent advert for Apple (screenshot seen above) and sees some subliminal Leopard imagery.

• Are you still happy with your Palm smartphone, but lament its oh-so-early 2000s user interface. You can kickstart your Treo or Centro with a bit of iPhone goodness with TouchLaunger, which emulates the iPhone's drag-and-drop icon interface (via IntoMobile).

• And finally, while you can view the entire WWDC keynote address at Apple (as well as download a podcast version of it), Mahalo Daily offers us a 60-second version of all the highlights (hat tip to Ars Technica).

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

HP Gets Touchy, Releases Some Voodoo

In conjunction with its Connecting Your World conference in Berlin, HP made some very interesting PC announcements. First up is its redesigned Touchsmart line of all-in-one PCs, which aims to compete with Apple's iMac by upping the ante with a touchscreen interface. As the press release notes, HP is aiming the Touchsmart to land in either your family room (as depicted in this HP photo at right) or your kitchen (though, with the mess that I typically generate while cooking, I wouldn't want this anywhere near my kitchen). Still, it's far sleeker than its predecessor and it features a larger screen size (22 inches). CrunchGear has a hands-on video demonstration of the interface, and UberGizmo adds:

The screen is very sensitive and the computer will sense even a very light touch. The main interface doesn’t run on windows anymore, but it is easy enough to switch to Windows, if you want to use it as a regular computer

It comes in two flavors: the iQ504 with a 320 GB hard drive and 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5750 processor, and the iQ506 with internal TV tuner and PVR capabilities, 500 GB hard drive and 2.16 GHz T5850 processor. Both also feature 802.11n wireless networking, dual-layer DVD burner, and Vista Home Premium, and are available for pre-order.

HP also announced some new releases from its Voodoo brand--the ultra high-end Omen gaming rig (which features integrated copper liquid cooling pipes and has a starting price of $7000) and the highly svelte Envy laptop (seen at right), which aims to compete with the MacBook Air. Weighing 3.4 pounds and measuring just 0.7 inches, the Envy is definitely in the ballpark as far as size when compared to the Air, but HP also aims to correct some of its competitor's missing features (via Electronista):

(It includes) a removable, 3.45-hour battery as well as both a dedicated USB port as well as a unique combination External SATA and USB port useful either for fast outside storage or more peripherals. Also unique is an Ethernet jack built into the power brick: connecting an Ethernet cable automatically sets up a wireless connection that allows use of the cable without having to build the port into the Envy itself.

Additionally, HP will begin selling its Voodoo-inspired Blackbird 002 gaming desktop more widely (it's previously only been available through the HP online store). Featuring a 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Processor Q9450, 500 GB of hard drive space (with four additional hard drive bays for expansion), 4 GB of Corsair Dominator overclockable system RAM, the Blackbird's specs also include two of NVIDIA's as-yet unannounced GeForce 9800 GT video cards paired up in SLI mode. It's now available for pre-order at Amazon.

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Touchscreens, Touchscreens Everywhere

Yesterday, Betsy Schiffman wrote that the iPhone, while being quite successful for itself and Apple, is actually a boon to the smartphone industry as a whole.

It's a standard line for companies to say they "welcome competition," but it's usually a throwaway meant to deflect attention from strategic vulnerabilities.

In the case of the iPhone, however, competitors earnestly have reason to welcome Apple to the market. Sales show that what's been good for Apple has been verrrry good for smartphone makers. Retail sales of the BlackBerry, for example, are up 38 percent in the year since the iPhone's introduction.
[...]
"What the iPhone did was make it cool to use smartphones," said Ramon Llamas, an analyst with research firm IDC. "Before, you had the BlackBerry, which mostly just resonated with enterprise users or business people. Now, there's a whole new market of smartphone consumers."

Thus, on a day where most companies would be more than happy to be hunkered down and out of the way of Apple's 800-pound gorilla, Samsung decided to roll out its own vaguely familiar touchscreen phone--the SGH-i900 Omnia (seen at right), which means "everything" in Latin and "wish" in Arabic (according to the Samsung press release found at Akihabara). As a counterpoint to the iPhone's OS X-inspired UI, the Omnia runs Windows Mobile 6.1 with Samsung's widgety TouchWiz UI running on top of it. It's got a 3.2-inch touchscreen, quad-mode GSM, tri-band HSDPA 3G connectivity, Wi-Fi, and a GPS receiver--much like the iPhone 3G. But it adds a 5-megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, microSD memory expansion, and an FM radio. The Omnia drops in Asia in the next week, and thenEurope later this summer.

And while it's not an official announcement, Research in Motion (RIM) was probably pleased to have its new touchscreen Blackberry, dubbed the Thunder, leaked to The Boy Genius Report. Obviously, it looks like it's coming to Verizon, with reports saying it will rumble on in sometime later this summer.

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Bits and Bytes from Today's Apple WWDC Conference

Having taken some time to catch my breath and thank my iPhone for seemingly getting horked yesterday just in time for the release of the iPhone 3G, let's take another dive into the gadgetosphere and get a fuller view of today's Apple WWDC announcements.

• Adam Frucci at Gizmodo lists some the wishlist items that didn't get delivered for the new iPhone 3G, including A2DP Bluetooth stereo music streaming, more megapixels in the camera, video capture, and copy-and-paste.

• Meanwhile, Gizmodo's Brian Lam gets some hands-on time with the new model, and finds it to be lighter and noticeably thinner and that the 3G speeds are definitely as springy as advertised.

• Ryan Block at Engadget also got some hands-on time and rounds out some of the tech specs: it's tri-band 3G (meaning you'll be able to go global and still and enjoy 3G in Europe and Asia), no 802.11n Wi-Fi, no dock included with the phone any longer (I never use mine), and photos can be geotagged using the GPS receiver.

• TUAW reports that Apple's non-disclosure agreement protecting the iPhone 2.0 software developmnt kit (SDK) is still in full effect until the iPhone 3G is released on July 11, so we may still be in for a few UI surprises (fingers crossed).

• The next edition of the Mac OS X operating system, dubbed Snow Leopard, will ship in about a year, but will be (as the rumors had indicated) more of a performance enhancement release rather than one bringing new user interface tools (via Macworld).

• While the iPhone 3G includes embedded GPS (and, to be more specific, assisted GPS), it doesn't include software for turn-by-turn navigation. However, it looks like TomTom is ready to roll with its navigation software (via Engadget).

• The iPhone 3G will launch initially on July in 22 countries (including Canada, Japan, Australia, Mexico, and a good chunk of Europe), and once it's been completely platformed it will have a home in 70 countries.

• One of the many applications that was demonstrated during the first hour of the keynote address was one by MLB.tv, which will keep baseball fans up to date with their favorite teams with individual box scores and pitch-by-pitch updates, along with current and constantly updated video highlights, minutes after the play happens (via CNet's Crave). CNet also provides some video footage from of a few of the other iPhone app demos, including eBay, the Loopt location-aware social network, and Super Monkey Ball.

• While the hardware has gone down in price (to $199 for 8 GB and $299 for 16 GB), AT&T (still the exclusive carrier in the US) is upping its data plan price--increasing to $30 from $20 per month on existing plans (via Electronista). Farhad Manjoo at Salon does some number crunching:

  Because AT&T will require iPhone customers to sign a 2-year service contract, the $10 per-month price hike adds $240 to the full cost of a new iPhone. That is, AT&T's data-plan price hike exceeds Steve Jobs' $200 iPhone sticker-price cut.

  Here's how the costs break down: For the old iPhone, AT&T's cheapest unlimited-data plan went for $59.99 a month. Over 24 months, that was $1,439.76. Add in the $399 price of the phone and you were looking at $1,838.76 for two years' of iPhone fun.

  AT&T's new unlimited data plan goes for $69.99 ($30 for data and $39.99 for its cheapest voice plan). For two years, that's $1,679.76, and then you've got the $199 phone -- a grand total of $1,878.76 for the iPhone over two years. So much for more affordable.

• Unlike the original 2.5G iPhone, which doesn't allow EDGE data connections while voice services are active, the iPhone 3G allows users to transfer data over the UTMS/HSDPA network while on telephone calls (via CNet's Crave).

• The new MobileMe service (which replaces .Mac) provides push email, contacts and calendars that synchronize to your iPhone as well as your home PC (both Mac and Windows platforms). AppleInsider has some details, including this:

  With a MobileMe email account, all folders, messages and status indicators look identical whether checking email on iPhone, iPod touch, a Mac or a PC. New email messages are pushed instantly to iPhone over the cellular network or Wi-Fi, removing the need to manually check email and wait for downloads. Push also keeps contacts and calendars continuously up-to-date so changes made on one device are automatically pushed up to the cloud and down to other devices.

  If you've already got a .Mac subscription, you'll just be ported over to MobileMe (I just got an email message from Apple telling me thus), and you'll be able to keep your .Mac email address but you'll also be given a me.com address. For more, you can watch a guided tour of MobileMe at Apple.

• Finally, here's the big question for you: black or white?

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

The New 3G iPhone in Black and White

Well, it's finally here: Steve Jobs announced the long-awaited, much-anticipated, highly coveted, and frustratingly late-by-a-year 3G-enabled iPhone today at Apple's WWDC software development conference. While the general appearance doesn't change drastically, the phone no longer has a matte silver back--it's been replaced by glossy plastic in either black or white.

Besides the cosmetic changes, the 3G iPhone (its official monicker) obviously provides much faster access to Internet and email over the AT&T cellular network. In onstage demoing (which I didn't get to see, since I was following text and audio updates from several sources), sites downloaded in approximately one-third the amount of time in 3G when compared to the pokey EDGE data network--which Jobs noted is approaching Wi-Fi speeds. Web site downloads are also touted as being faster than other competing phones, such as the Palm Treo and the Nokia N95.

The new model will also have an embedded GPS chip for live location tracking and turn-by-turn directions. And of course it's ready for big enterprise business usage with compatibility with Microsoft Exchange and ActiveSync. Apple also announced today the revision to the .Mac service, dubbed MobileMe, which offers some enterprise-level features such as push email and over-air synchronization of calendar events and contacts between the iPhone 3G and Mac and Windows-based computers.

But the big news is that the price has come down dramatically to $199 for the 8 GB model and $299 for the 16 GB model (as denoted from the keynote in the image below, supplied by Engadget). The current model sells from AT&T for $399 and $499 respectively. No details yet on what kind of contract that might entail from AT&T. The iPhone 3G will be available starting on July 11 from Apple Store and AT&T retail store locations. The iPhone 2.0 software/firmware upgrade will also be coming in July and will be free to all current version 1.0 iPhone owners. (Owners of iPod touch devices will once again have to pay for the privilege of installing the new software.)

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Preparing for the Apple WWDC Keynote

Steve Jobs will be taking the stage at San Francisco's Moscone Center at 10am PDT (1pm EDT, 6pm GMT) and will be unleashing some new toys for all the good Apple fanboys and fangirls. Tops amongst the expected crop will be the 3G iPhone, which will have a global launch this time around, as well as the new iPhone 2.0 software with native applications from the new iPhone App Store (with Sling Player coming soon). We'll also be looking for revisions to the .Mac service, hopefully longer movie rental time periods (Canada just got movie rentals with a 48-hour rental period, compared to the 24 hours here in the US), and perhaps a mysterious "one more thing." I'll be sitting at my desk in Seattle following liveblogging feeds from a variety of sources, including:

• MacRumors
• MacWorld
• iLounge
• Gizmodo
• Engadget
• TUAW (via IRC chat)

Later this afternoon, we'll bring you a comprehensive look at what got announced. In the meantime, enjoy this little ditty (which is a bit NSFW) from Boing Boing Gadgets, "Apple Store Is Down."

[UPDATE 10:25am PDT] The WWDC is definitely geared more for the propellerheads as we're nearly a half-hour into the keynote and the main topics have included how to create user interfaces for the new iPhone 2.0 software using Cocoa Touch and other Core Services. No iPhone hardware announcement yet, but we have gotten confirmation from Mr. Jobs that Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard will be covered today.

[UPDATE 10:59am PDT] The last half hour has been devoted to some of the applications that will be ready for the iPhone App Store, including an app for medical students to learn about the parts of the body, a Major League Baseball app that shows live scoring as well as real-time video highlights, Cow Music with virtual instruments, a location-aware social network called Loopt, and Sega's Super Monkey Ball.

[UPDATE 11:15am PDT] We're getting to the consumer-level stuff for the iPhone. The iPhone 2.0 software will be available in July for free for all iPhone users, and for $10 for iPod touch users (image via Gizmodo's live feed).

[UPDATE 11:33am PDT] Steve's back after the introduction of the Mobile Me service (which replaces .Mac), and here comes the news we've been waiting for... iPhone 3G with glossy plastic back, flush headphone jack (the audience erupts in applause), solid metal buttons... developing...

[UPDATE 11:38am PDT] One word: GPS.

[UPDATE 11:43am PDT] The 3G iPhone still has great battery life:

[UPDATE 11:47am PDT] Happy birthday to me -- the 3G iPhone gets released on July 11 (day after my birthday, actually). The 8 GB model will sell for $199, and the 16 GB will sell for $299. There will be white and black models (image via Engadget).

[UPDATE 11:51am PDT] And that's all from Mr. Jobs and company. No MacBooks, nothing about iTunes movie rentals, and curiously nothing about the 10.6 Snow Leopard release in the keynote. Again, we'll have more in-depth reports throughout the afternoon.

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Bites from the Apple: The Final Countdown

I'm not the most patient person when it comes to opening gifts. In my youth, I had been known as being quite sly in sneaking about the house and getting a sneak preview of what would be under the Christmas tree. In my adult years, my wife has helped to temper that side of me (as well as played upon my insatiable need to know just to get my goat from time to to time), but if I were faced with the dilemma of receiving some mystery boxes from Apple in the week leading up to the virtually guaranteed release of the 3G iPhone, I think I would revert to my youthful indiscretions. So it's a good thing I don't work for any of the Australian resellers who did receive such boxes this week, which were marked with a very clear warning not to open until June 10 or feel the wrath of an Apple NDA.

Sometime after 10am PDT at the WWDC keynote address on Monday, Steve Jobs will surely be unveiling the next generation of the iPhone hardware in addition to the iPhone 2.0 software and the iPhone Apps Store (which looks likely to launching immediately thereafter). And Engadget tempts us with some juicy details from a leak of the phone's firmware via a reliable source that points to inclusion of A-GPS and tri-band UMTS/HSDPA 3G connectivity, which would cover just about all 3G flavors currently used by cellular carriers.

The questions that remain are whether we'll see multiple iPhone models released (as iLounge suggests with a photo of two touchscreen displays culled from a Taiwanese company) and whether carriers here in the US and Europe will lower the cost of the 3G iPhone by subsidizing it (as suggested by the Financial Times). And the 3G iPhone most likely won't be the only new new thing, with the possibility of new MacBooks, the next revision of OS X (10.6, possibly code-named Snow Leopard to denote it not being a great leap from the previous version) and, of course, the rebranding and enhancement of the .Mac service (as noted earlier this week). It sounds like it could be a very busy keynote, and we'll have a rundown of Steve's booms and one-more-thing shortly after the keynote ends on Monday. (If you want to follow along live with the proceedings, my fave spots are MacRumors and iLounge.) Till then, enjoy some pre-WWDC video fun from Gizmodo ("How to Launch an Apple Product in 5 Easy Steps") and a Just One More Thing... timeline from Cult of Mac (complete with some video excerpts) as you contemplate how best to sell off your current first-generation iPhone.

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Bites from the Apple: It's Not You, It's Mobile Me

It's one week till 3G day, and it can't come soon enough after weeks of swirling rumors about the iPhone 2.0 (it'll be subsidized by AT&T! Or not. But maybe outside the US). I'm ready to get this thing announced and move on. And one rumor that surfaced this last weekend has certainly piqued my curiosity: the revamping of Apple's .Mac service. I've been a subscriber to .Mac for many years, but I haven't been using it to its full potential and thus not getting the full value of the subscription I pay annually. (Here's a money-saving tip: buying the subscription through Amazon or other retailers, rather than directly from Apple, can save you between $20 and $30.)

First off, it looks very likely that .Mac is going to be rebranded as Mobile Me and hosted at Mobileme.com (and possibly Me.com). MacNN highlights the coding in the recent iPhone SDK (software developer's kit) that points to this possibility, Ars Technica delves into the domain name registration angle, and Macenstein offers its take on what an Apple ad for the rebranded/rebooted service could look like (at right). Well, a new name would definitely be better than the clunky .Mac, but what would the new service provide? Wired's Gadget Lab has a couple items on its wish list, including Back to My Mac for the iPhone and over-air synchronization. I'm hoping for far more online storage space so I can truly back up my most important data (family photos and videos as well as all my professional bits and bytes), which takes up far more than the 10 GB of space that .Mac currently provides.

• It's looking like GPS on the 3G iPhone is all but confirmed, but Brian Lam points out a few reasons for not wanting GPS (slow signal lock, bad battery life).

• Speaking of moving on, iLounge recently held a contest for its readers to design the next iPhone, and the Grand Prize winner was the iPhone twist design by Christopher Doan, which doesn't really seem that far-fetched based on the various twisting screens and QWERTY keyboards that we're now seeing in cell phones.

  

• If you're a Mac user and a Twitter-er, O'Reilly's Mac blog has a couple of suggestions for native Twitter applications you can use rather than the Twitter web site. I've been using the old version of Twitterific, but I might give Thwirl a whirl.

• Looks like AT&T is getting ready for the 3G iPhone release with some updating to its 3G network. Electronista notes that the upgrade is already up and running in the New York City area, and the HSPA network speed has now jumped from an average peak of 800Kbps to as much as 1.5Mbps, or slightly more than the 1.4Mbps promised by the company.

• Matt Asay, who writes for for CNet's Open Road blog ponders why Microsoft always gets the shaft while the secretive, close system-loving Apple gets a free pass, and comes up with this: Microsoft makes products that people have to use. Apple makes products that people want to use.

• The previously mentioned aTV Flash, which was supposed to provide easy hacking access to your Apple TV, has been pulled from the market due to some legal questions (as well as complaints that it wasn't quite the easy peasy solution as advertised).

• If you've got a load of Palm software from your old Treo, you might be able to use it if the StyleTap Palm OS emulator makes its way to the iPhone (though iPhone Atlas notes it has a few hurdles, mainly the fact that "Apple's iPhone software development agreement implies that no emulators will be allowed on the platform").

• John Gruber at Daring Fireball found that the recent 10.5.3 Mac OS X update has brought some fixes to the Spaces feature of Leopard. You can now select an option that enables you to switch to (or open a new) application without switching to another space.

• I've recently run into a problem where parts of my iTunes library has been corrupted (both on my main hard drive and on my back-up drive -- looks like I should have taken the time to back up to disc), but luckily the files are just fine on my iPod. However, Apple prevents you from just grabbing those files off of the iPod due to DRM reasons. But there are third-party options for transferring those files, and Gina Trapani at Life Hacker rounds up the best methods

• And finally, a hidden feature (discovered by HP employee Rahul Sood) of the MacBook Air's Ginsu-like thin edge: cake cutting!

  

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Bites from the Apple: Come What May

As I seem to be on my death bed with consumption (a la Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge), I'll keep this week's round-up of Apple-y goodness brief and to the point.

• Here's a shocker--the announcement of the 3G iPhone is confirmed by anonymous sources to Gizmodo to be happening on June 9, the opening day of the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). Who could have guessed?

• Piper Jaffray senior analyst Gene Munster believes the upcoming 3G iPhone will be fairly identical to the original model, though a bit thicker to accommodate the 3G chip. He sees more "dramatic changes" (i.e., multiple models) next January (via AppleInsider)

• Fortune paints the globe apple red, noting the countries that the iPhone will be invading soon

• Will we see over-the-air (OTA) music downloads when 3G comes to the iPhone? Will anybody care?

• And the latest iPhone OS 2.0 beta hints at geotagging support (via IntoMobile)

• Dan Frakes at Macworld sets out to build his own DIY iPod stereo system (complete with dock, amplifier, speakers)

• If you're interested in hacking your Apple TV in order to watch non-supported video codecs like DivX, but you're not too adept at hacking, TUAW points us to the aTV Flash, a USB flash drive that can be inserted into the Apple TV and does all the dirty work.

• If a Twitter user tweets when your screen saver comes on, how will you be able to respond quickly and pithily? With the Status Screen Saver, you can follow along with your Twitter feed as you twiddle your thumbs watching your screen saver. It can also display RSS feeds and show how many unread emails are piling up (via TUAW).

• Wired reports on Forrester Research's look into Apple's future (2013, to be exact) and sees digital frames and a networked clock orbeting the "venerable Macintosh."

• I'll leave you with this extended mega-mix of the recently released Sad Song commercial in the Get a Mac ad series. I'll be back next week. Hopefully.

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Bites from the Apple: The Waiting Is the Hardest Part

Choose your countdown widget wisely.

The iPhone 2.0 beta software includes the ability to toggle 3G connectivity on and off.

The 3G iPhone. We all know it's coming, what with all the leaks from Apple's European partners to evidence hidden within the iPhone 2.0 beta (see right). We all know when it's coming--or at least when it will be officially unveiled--with strong odds for Steve Jobs' keynote at the WWDC on June 9 (just 23-and-a-half days or so, depending on your countdown widget). So rather than fuel the wild and wide-eyed speculation that seems to be gripping the gadgetosphere (there might be an iPhone tablet, or not; there might be multiple colors, or not), we'll try to focus on other found objects of Apple-y goodness from the week that was:

• Another possibility for announcement at the Worldwide Developer's Conference is a Macbook Pro (as postulated by Wired's Gadget Lab and commented on by Boing Boing Gadgets).

• French cell provider Orange announced today that it will be bringing the iPhone to several other territories, including Jordan in the Middle East and the African countries served by Orange. While Macworld writes that the iPhone may have an uphill battle in some of those territories, MacNN reports that the iPhone is still quite popular within the worldwide gray market. Foreign Policy also has a short article on the iPhone gray market and theorizes that Apple has been using this as a way to test markets that haven't been given an official introduction.

• Proving that it's the little things that add up to Apple-y goodness, Lifehacker lists the top 10 things you forgot your Mac could do.

• Another attempt at launching its iPhone Wi-Fi service has gone awry for AT&T--this time, it's been put on indefinite hold.

• As a freelancer, I'm always on the hunt for a better way to coalesce all the competing cries for my attention from my tasks and calendar items. MacUser points us to the new 1.1 version of Today from Second Gear (hat tip to TUAW), which places both your daily events and tasks into one easily readable and accessible (via a user-defined keyboard command) application that allows you to keep iCal closed. On the plus side, it helps you focus on what needs doing for the day, and it allows you to create both tasks and appointments. However, you need to open iCal to do any editing. A better option for managing tasks is the DoBeDo dashboard widget from Blue Henley, which offers editing capabilities.

• Have you seen the trailer to Wall-E, the new Pixar movie coming this summer? If you wondered about the hint of Apple-y design in Wall-E's love interest Eve, it comes from a very Apple-y source: Jonathan Ive, the man who helped design the iMac and iPhone (via Fortune).

• Tip of the week: how to burn multiple CDs from iTunes.

• For Jailbreakers Only: Go really old school with your unlocked iPhone when you add rotary dialing to your screen with iDial.

• Weekend reading: London's Guardian newspaper has a pretty interesting article written by Tim Anderson on the state of DRM (digital rights management) and music. The most eye-opening tidbit is that since EMI when DRM-less with Apple (and subsequently with the Amazon MP3 store, where it was joined by many other major labels), there's been no astronomical increase in file sharing (one of the main worries from the labels about going to DRM). And with more and more sources for legal DRM-free downloadable music, Anderson sees Apple turning back to DRM to counter its rivals with a subscription service.

• Finally, I'll leave you with the video for "Again and Again" by The Bird and the Bee, which makes extensive use of Mac OS X Leopard (via Boing Boing Gadgets).

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

The Bold and the Beautiful: New Blackberry Announced

The cell phone industry is aiming for a big summer, what with the impending release of the long awaited and much salivated over 3G iPhone. But there's been a slew of announcements of new smartphones in recent weeks, with more on the horizon, as the competition tries to play catch-up. Research in Motion with its Blackberry line, still the biggest player in the smartphone market (at 40 percent market share, though down from 45 percent), today officially unveiled the rumored 9000-series Blackberry, dubbed the Bold.

At first glance, it doesn't look like that much of a radical departure and more an amalgam of the Curve and the 8800 series. Yeah, it's got a "stylish leather-like backplate" (according to the press release), but it's what's under the hood that makes the difference. The biggest news is that this is the first Blackberry to include 3G network connectivity. And it packs in both a GPS receiver and Wi-Fi, adding the corporate-friendly 802.11a variant to the usual 802.11b/g suspects. It also includes a 480 x 320-pixel screen (though at just 65K colors and no touchscreen capabilities). The Boy Genius Report says that we'll be seeing the Bold first make its mark at AT&T this summer, though a 1700 MHz 3G network-friendly version should also show up at T-Mobile at some unspecified point in the future. For more on the Bold, check out Wired's hands-on, first-look report and Gizmodo for a rundown of the main specs.

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Bites from the Apple: Countdown

Another week, more iPhone rumors. But, it looks like the end may be in sight with what seems to be the most definitive tip of the 3G iPhone's release in June: a memo (acquired by The Boy Genius Report) to AT&T employees that no vacations can be scheduled between the dates of June 15 and July 12. Wired's Gadget Lab takes a look at some of the most recent rumors (including the photographic "evidence" of a new, rounded plastic case for the 3G iPhone, seen at right, and the possibility of multiple models). For a pretty complete rundown of what seems likely to be included in the new model, check out Charles Starrett's summary over at iLounge.

• The iPhone might not be the only thing to get revamped come June--TUAW has a tipster who says that the .Mac service could be getting push email, over-air syncing of calendars and contacts, and compatibility with Windows. Scott Kleinberg at the Chicago Tribune's iPhone Therefore I Blog blog sees this as a big deal.

• Gizmodo plays risk with all the countries across the globe that have done deals with Apple to sell the iPhone.

• In addition to push email, Ars Technica reports that the newest round of the iPhone SDK (software developer's kit) includes better YouTube integration in Safari.

• CNet's Crave blog argues that Apple needs to have a game console in its linupe.

• After a leak that seemed to confirm free Wi-Fi access at AT&T hotpspots for iPhone users, AT&T has backpedaled and yanked that portion of the iPhone plan from its site.

• Thinking of selling your first generation iPhone in preparation for the new 3G model? Leander Kahney found out that you can get up to $1000 for one in the Ukraine (though you're better off selling one on eBay or Craiglist here in the States).

• For Jailbreakers Only: Record video clips with your iPhone's camera using the aptly titled iPhoneVideoRecorder (via Into Mobile).

• Speaking of jailbreaking, the iPod Touch Hacks blog has two words for those who are considering it: DO IT. The reasons include adding applications that take your iPhone to the next level and the ability to add games--something that's seriously been lacking so far. I've stayed true to my Apple warranty and haven't done anything to unlock my phone. A fellow dad (who used Ziphone to jailbreak his iPhone) in my parents' group pesters me every time we get together to bust out, but I think I'll keep it that way until I see what gets released in the first rounds after the iPhone 2.0 platform gets official.

• It's been 10 years since the iMac was first released. Ars Technia and TUAW look back on the long, strange trip it's been from blue and green bubbles to svelte aluminum (and black turtlenecks).

  

• Oh, inverted world... O'Reilly's Digital Media blog accidentally found out how to invert your screen to black by pressing Command-Option-Control-8. Give it a try.

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Shut It Down on Saturday (If You Can)

This Saturday (May 3) is the second annual Shutdown Day, which encourages everyone to turn off their computers and electronic gadgets for an entire day. According to the Shutdown Day site, the purpose of this exercise is to spread "awareness about the pitfalls and dangers that lie in the excessive use of television, computers, and computing equipment like game boxes, cell phones, music players, online social websites, etc. that impinge on social space and interaction amongst our communities."

I definitely can see in my own home how my son's eyes light up any time I pull out a laptop or my phone or camera (or camera-phone) and then distracts him from everything else in the room, and that it might not be all that bad to take a day's holiday from the gadgetry. So I'll be turning off my computers, my Apple TV, our iPods and their associated speaker docks, and the HDTV. I'll also use my iPhone only for making necessary calls (no texting and no checking in on the Chelsea and Man United football scores... that will indeed be a sacrifice). And instead I'll focus on doing some yard work, playing Legos with my toddler, and heading out to IKEA.

Luckily, this is taking place on a Saturday, so I'm pretty confident of my sucess. But if it were a weekday, this whole notion would be a non-starter as my entire work as a freelancer revolves around my gadgety tools. So what about you: can you shut it down for a day this weekend? (Hat tip to Web Worker Daily.)

[Addendum] Well, it turns out that I can't shut it down. My wife thought it would be the soccer scores that would break my resolve, but it was the overwhelming temptation to use my iPhone's camera to capture furniture possibilities during my morning IKEA visit. But I did well for most of the rest of the day until, after a long day with the toddler and work on her own laptop (she didn't join in my fervor for Shutdown Day), my wife made a stern request that we turn on the Apple TV.

Did I learn anything from this ultimately failed exercise? It seems that I possess OCD-like urges to turn to my iPhone or laptop to check on every little whim that crosses my thoughts--from the day's weather to adding a book to my Amazon wishlist to checking my Twitter feed. And it was a good thing to tamp down those urges just a titch and focus on the blocks and Legos that were much more important to my son. But there's no denying that some of my gadgets--my iPhone in particular--are very useful tools that make life in this modern world easier and more productive.

So going forward, I'm going to be more conscious about dialing my urges to fiddle with my gadgets just for the sake of them being there and try to be more in the moment. Though with the Euro 2008 championships coming up, that's gonna take some willpower...

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Bites from the Apple iPhone: I Want to Believe

It seems that iPhone phanatics are starting to feel the need for some 3G speed, as all manner of hopeful rumor seems to be flying about this week, culminating in a somewhat convincing but ultimately Photoshopped fake of a 3G iPhone in the wild (it's most likely the new LG Vu, which comes to AT&T next week).

But the look of the fake does seem to fit with the prevailing rumors out on the gadgetosphere, with iLounge reporting that the next-gen iPhone will have a glossy black plastic body, and it includes some graphical specs purportedly leaked from some accessory manufacturer that points to slightly different body designs. AppleInsider reports that the 3G iPhone will be much lighter--110 to 120 grams (3.9 to 4.25 ounces) compared to the current model's 158 grams (5.6 ounces)--and that Taiwan Economic News has its sources saying that the new iPhone will be manufactured by Foxconn with initial run of 300,000 to be followed by 3 million in June (and up to 25 million orders overall). And Ars Technica reports confirmation (via CNet.com.au) that Australia will be getting the 3G iPhone by the end of June and has a rundown on the likely 3G frequencies that will be built into the new model.

But the week's juiciest rumor comes from Fortune magazine, which says that AT&T will be subsidizing the cost of buying a 3G iPhone by $200 for those who sign up for 2-year contracts--bringing the price down to $199 for an 8 GB model. The catch being that you'd only get this by purchasing through AT&T, and not via Apple (online or at one of its mall stores). CNet's One More Thing blog posits that this may point to Apple selling unlocked models at a higher price, and letting AT&T gather two-year subscribers with the subsidized price. The Fortune article's anonymous source also pointed to a release date around June 27 (close to the original iPhone's 1-year anniversary) and that it will be 2.5mm thinner and include a GPS chip.

Finally, it seems that Jobs and Apple might have even grander plans for the iPhone, according to Newsweek/Forbes:

Apple is knitting together a broad coalition of companies around a vision of computing that goes far beyond today's hot-selling iPhone and toward a future that combines wireless broadband and touch-sensitive interfaces with built-in motion sensors.

Cisco is experimenting with software that will allow users to "flick" documents from their iPhones to their desktop computers. Intel, which supplies the processors for Apple's desktop and laptop computers, is experimenting with ways to tie motion sensors to maps, allowing users to "fly" through the landscape. Electronic Arts and Sega are building games that can be manipulated by players waving their phones through the air.

In other bits and bites from the week that was in Apple-y goodness:

• Apple's near weekly release of new and refreshed product brought us new iMacs that have been upgraded to Intel's Penryn line of processors. PC Magazine has already put the new model to the test and, compared to other all-in-one machines like the Gateway One and Dell XPS One, retains its title as "king of the all-in-one."

• If you want to get your Star Trek geek on, check out this tricorder iPhone web app (sadly, it doesn't provide any true scanning features like a true Starfleet issue medical and engineering tricorders).

• AT&T is starting to roll out free Wi-Fi for iPhone users (membership as its privileges) at its hotspots at Barnes & Noble and Starbucks (which AT&T recently took over from T-Mobile). But even if you don't own an iPhone, Insanely Great Mac shows you how to get the free Wi-Fi on your laptop (as long as you are able to get the digits off of a friend who owns an iPhone).

• Apple's iTunes Store this week gained access to new movies for purchase and rental on the day of their release from a good range of major studios (including Warner Brothers and 20th Century Fox). Does this mark the tipping point toward the death of the DVD?

• PC World lists 18 features that Windows Vista doesn't have but should--Mac OS X has 16 of them already, including virtual workspaces, screen sharing, built-in podcast capture, etc.

• Online backup service Mozy has finally finalized the version 1.0 of its backup application for Macs, enabling you to back up your most important files (whether they be financial or your collection of family photos) to an off-site/online location. You can get 2 GB of free storage, or unlimited space for $5 a month (via TUAW and TidBITS).

• In other backup fodder, Matt Neuburg at TidBITS highlights a modified version of the GrandPerspective utility, which allows you to visually identify large chunks of data being backed up by Time Machine that you might not want (i.e., they were one-time chunks that don't need backing up) in order to open up some room on your external hard drive.

• Looking for a new RSS reader? Check out Times, which is designed to present your feeds in the style of a newspaper--which might be just the thing for users new to RSS (via TUAW).

• Weekend reading: BusinessWeek's cover story on how Mac usage is accelerating in enterprise/corporate environments.

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Baby Steps: T-Mobile Launches 3G Network in New York City

Yesterday saw a flurry of blogging over the rumored launch of T-Mobile's long-brewing 3G network today in New York City on May Day, and speculation that the launch would be voice only--neglecting the data capability that is really central to 3G usage. Well, the 3G network did indeed launch today and Electronista is reporting that data is included:

Tests in New York City's Brooklyn borough using phones already capable of supporting the carrier's unique 1,700MHz UMTS Internet service show downloads at 300Kbps or more, pushing past the 200Kbps or less normally available on the EDGE (2G) network. Data can also pass through at the same time as calls -- a feat normally impossible with EDGE, which blocks phone service during heavy use.

T-Mobile's 3G network will be rolled out to at least 20 more markets by the end of the year, and no doubt their selection of 3G-capable phones will increase dramatically. Only a handful are currently offered, including the Nokia 6263 (seen at right) and 3555.

Despite the kleenex-ized generic monicker of 3G, there are actually several flavors of 3G connectivity as defined by the frequency that the cellular network uses. AT&T, T-Mobile's main GSM provider in the United States, offers dual-band connectivity on the 850 and 1900 MHz bands. However, T-Mobile's 3G network runs on the 1700 MHz frequency--thus a 3G-enabled phone that you may have picked up from AT&T won't get past the ropeline at T-Mobile's 3G party should you decide to switch networks.

This also prevents many current unlocked 3G-enabled phones from utilizing 3G on T-Mobile, as those that are geared for the American 3G audience currently offer connectivity to the 850/1900 MHz frequencies like the US network-enabled Nokia N95s. (Most unlocked 3G phones made for the European and Asian markets can't access either AT&T's or T-Mobile's 3G networks as those international networks run on the 2100 MHz spectrum.) But it does look like some new phones coming down the pike--such as the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1--are integrating 1700 3Gness in order to roll with T-Mobile.

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

It's Dead, Jim: Dreamweaver Finally Puts End to Adobe GoLive

I got my feet firmly planted in the tech book biz when my colleagues Glenn Fleishman and Jeff Carlson asked me to work with them on writing a book about Adobe's newly acquired WYSIWYG HTML editor that had been redubbed GoLive (from its original CyberStudio name). I was responsible for researching and writing up the initial foundation chapters on the basics of the UI, and I have some very fond memories of sitting on a verandah of a coffee shop in Australia's Hunter Valley (where I was visiting my Mum) and getting loads of curious stares as I tapped away on my PowerBook G3 (laptops certainly weren't as ubiquitous back in 1999). It was an awesome experience that helped shape my career, and it allowed me to express some of my obsessions in example illustrations (including gnomes, which I slip into every book I work on).

So, today's a bit of a sad day for me after learning that Adobe has officially discontinued development and sales of GoLive, which barely survived Adobe's acquisition of Macromedia in 2005. But Dreamweaver, the people's choice, finally put the nail on GoLive's coffin thanks to Dreamweaver's support for AJAX and CSS Starter Points as well as dynamic content.

Interestingly, Glenn noted in a recent post over at TidBITS that folks who deal with template-based Web publishing systems (that are usually employed on dynamically changing sites like the New York Times) tend to stick with the old-school hand coding method rather than building in WYSIWYG editors because of faster results. I frankly have eschewed using GoLive for many years (though it's still taking up space on my hard drive) for that reason--I'm much more adept at templatizing and hard-coding and don't have the time as a freelancer to learn the eccentricities of GoLive or Dreamweaver.

But, if you are still a GoLive practitioner (there must be a few out there) and are looking to trade up, Adobe is offering a $200 upgrade to Dreamweaver for registered GoLive users.

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Tomorrow's Storage Today: Holographic Drive to Debut in May

While it's been on the list of technologies that have been "right around the corner" for many years (joining hydrogen cars and jet packs to name just two), holographic data storage is about to make its debut in the marketplace in May. Holographic storage has been a bit of a Holy Grail as its method of writing data to disc as light patterns in three dimensions can store hundreds of gigabytes of data onto a disc the size of a standard DVD/CD. (In comparison, a Blu-ray disc can only hold 25 GB on a single layer.)

Robin Harris over at ZDNet's Storage Bits blog explains how this technology works and one of its most interesting features:

Holograms use 2 coherent laser beams - a reference beam and an illumination beam - to create an interference pattern that is recorded on photo sensitive media. Shine a laser on the recorded interference pattern and the original image is reconstructed in glorious 3D. As the laser moves around - or you do - you see the image from different perspectives.
[...]
Another factor: photographic media has the longest proven lifespan - over a century - of any modern media. Since there's no physical contact you can read the media millions of times with no degradation.

InPhase Technologies is set to release its first holographic-based storage device in May, dubbed the Tapestry, and it touts a disc capacity of 300 GB with up to 50 years of archive life--which certainly kicks butt over the usual 2 to 3 years I've been getting from my hard drives. And Richard Grigonis over at TMCnet adds:

The Tapestry can handle a 20 MBps-120 MBps transfer rate and can access data in milliseconds. It's less expensive than any magnetic hard drive RAID solution. The device supports four levels of error correction, so you won't be losing any data unless you nuke the device or throw it into an active volcano.

However, as per usual, there's a price to pay for early adoption, and this one's a doozy: $18,000 for the Tapestry drive and $180 for the 300 GB discs. Suffice it to say, my wife can breathe a sigh of relief to know that this won't be coming home with me any time soon. But it's definitely an exciting step into the future (if you're one, like me, who gets excited over data storage).

~Agen G.N. Schmitz 

Bites from the Apple: The 3G Gorilla

While it's not official, analysts at Citibank seem very sure of themselves with their prediction that Steve Jobs will be unveiling the 3G iPhone at the Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC) on June 9th. And not only that, but the 3G iPhone will be the "first of an impressive wave of new products" from Apple and that the current 2.5G iPhone might get a "minor casing change" and a price drop. While nothing is set in stone quite yet (though the cement does seem to be hardening), AT&T and RIM is clearing a path for the Apple's 800-pound gorilla by pushing back the first 3G-enabled Blackberries from June to August.

It's still a ways till the calendar rolls around to June 9, but in the UK several retailers have run out of stock on the current 8 GB iPhone (though this may also have something to do with the recent price drop, which increased sales in the UK). In other international 3G iPhone dribs and drabs, it looks like it's going to be dropping in both Belgium and Italy in June. But here's the interesting part--it won't be tied exclusively to a carrier.

• Just imagine how excited these Lego people will be when they get to unbox the new 3G iPhone (via Wired's Gadget Lab):

  

   

• Speaking of unboxing, relive the thrill of unboxing the 1st generation iPod via this Flickr photo set (hat tip to Wired's Gadget Lab once again, who remind us how things have changed in the nearly 7 years since the iPod was released)

   

• From The Register:

  Announcing its second quarter financial results today, Apple confirmed the obvious by saying a "significant" number of iPhones are being purchased from its outlets with the express intention of unlocking them. That trend, coupled with higher-than-expected demand, has resulted in inventory shortages, the company claimed.

   

• Rumor Dept.: Loads of gadgetosphere players are touting a rumor from GeekSugar that has new iMacs rolling into your favorite retailers starting next week (with Insanely Great Mac throwing in the possibility of a revised Mac mini). No word on prices or Penryn-ized processor speeds.

   

• Learn more about the capabilities of your iPhone's SMS application with this article taken from his Take Control eBook and how you can use free alternatives to texting through AT&T by using the Safari web browser and your email. Speaking of Take Control books, they're taking part in the celebration of the 18th anniversary of the Mac newsletter TidBITS (of which Take Control is a subsidiary) by offering their entire selection at 50 percent off through April 29.

   

• If you're thinking of jailbreaking your iPhone, Web Worker Daily offers its tips on the best productivity applications you can add to your arsenal once you've unlocked.

   

• The Mac is officially not just for Mac users any more: Parallels--the emulator software that lets Windows coexist with all of your Mac software--just crossed the 1 million copy threshold.

 
• In a positive follow-up from last week, it looks like Safari won't be one of the browsers cut off from using the payment service.

 
• And finally, here's an iPod accessory that completely disturbed my pescetarian wife: iPod cases with the look of marbeled Kobe beef. Sadly, they're only available from Japan.

  

~Agen G.N. Schmitz

Bites from the Apple: Another Week, More 3G iPhone Rumors

Waiting for the more-than-likely arrival of the 3G iPhone in June is starting to get like the long lead-up to the Pennsylvania Democratic primary--a wearying slog punctuated by occasional scraps of real intel, but mainly covered over in a fog of inertia. This week's morsel of hope comes from the London Times, which reports that European operators are losing bundles on the current EDGE-y iPhone and the recent spate of price slashing is indeed an effort to clear inventory ahead of the 3G iPhone release. That's been pretty well speculated, but there are a few other eyebrow-raising tidbits:

Times Online understands that Apple has placed an order with its Asian suppliers to produce 200,000 of the new 3G iPhones by the end of May, rising to 2 million - 500,000 per week - in June.
[...]
Industry sources told Times Online that the device will have a "radically different" appearance to the current device, which has a 4.5 inch screen and slick, aluminium backing. Among the possibilities are flip version, which would enable the screen to be larger, and a sliding model with a regular qwerty keyboard - as opposed to a touchscreen one.

• In other speculative news, AppleInsider reports that orders have been placed for aluminum shells for the newly redesigned 13-inch MacBook and that a manufacturer has been selected for the 3G chip that will be powering the new iPhone.

   

• For Jailbreakers Only: If you've used one of the several available methods for unlocking your iPhone (such as Ziphone, as covered at Lifehacker), you can now install a native iPhone app version of Dope Wars, called iDope. This was one of my few gaming addictions on my Palm Treo, and it's certainly tempting me to try jailbreaking my iPhone. In other news, your unlocked iPhone can now do VoIP thanks to the Fring native application, which can do Skype voice calls as well as connect to chats using MSN, GTalk, Twitter, Yahoo!, and AIM.

   

• If you use PayPal in Apple's Safari browser, you might need to switch browsers. Seems the company is planning to lock users out of browsers that don't have filters to stop phishing--including Safari, which does not support Extended Validation SSL (Secure Socket Layer) Certificates, issued to Web sites that have been vetted as legitimate. Perhaps you might want to try the new flavor of the Camino browser (which just got bumped up to version 1.6).

   

• Wi-Fi guru Glenn Fleishman over at his new PC World blog suggests using Apple's Airport Express (recently upgraded to 802.11n) as an affordable way to extend your Wi-Fi network at home or in your office. Glenn also covers the Express as well as reviews the Time Capsule base station/backup solution over at the Seattle Times.

   

• If you're interested in modding a Mac mini to become your media center, check out this post at Hickdesign, which goes through some of the software and hardware options to consider (including the Elgato EyeTV tuner)

   

• In other modding tidbits, Lifehacker provides a detailed step-by-step instructional on turning your iPod touch into an iPhone, using a freeware application called SIP-VoIP. Over at MacMod, Richard Hunt shows us how he turned an old PowerBook into a desktop. But the prize of the week goes to Ben Heck, who turned an Apple ][ gs into a laptop (via Wired's Gadget Lab).

  

   

• And one last modding item: O'Reilly is about to release the newest edition of its Hacks series of books--the Big Book of Apple Hacks by Chris Seibold. Ars Technica notes that "all the hacks in the book are self-contained with plenty of background information, so anyone from a power user to a recent switcher should find them doable." I've got mine on pre-order.

Snake on a Street (and Over a Pool and in a Phonebooth)

If you've ever owned a Nokia phone, chances are you may have whiled away some downtime playing the video game Snake. In a ploy to publicize its N-Series phone gaming capabilities, some clever marketers came up with the idea of using 1000 real people to play a game of Snake (hat tip to IntoMobile):

You can also download an HD version of the clip (QuickTime file) at Nokia's Get Out and Play site, as well as download a making-of video (QuickTime file).

9 Inch Nailed as New Eee PC Gets Official

Since we seem to be closely following the growing category of subnotebooks (see last week's post on the HP Mini-Note), we should note that the newest version of the Eee PC has been made official. As previously reported, Eee PC 900 has a 9-inch screen and larger hard drive storage (up to 20 GB of solid-state flash memory). But, as Laptop Mag notes, it's also got a multi-touch trackpad that Asus calls FingerGlide (and what Apple calls copy-catting), which "will allow for different finger movements on the touchpad. Users will be able to zoom in and out of pictures or scroll up and down for easier document viewing." CNet UK has already gotten its hands on the 900, and they find much to like about it, though they're still not enamored with the keyboard and the fact that it's been released before the Intel Atom processor could be added. Most likely, we'll see an Atom-ized Eee PC 900 in time for the holidays.

Bites from the Apple: From a Whisper to a Screaming 3G

Another week, another slew of 3G iPhone hypotheses. In an earlier cell phone post this week, I noted that the latest iPhone software development kit (SDK) included revealed that the 3G iPhone will be powered by the Infineon S-GOLD3H chip, which offers support for such features as two-way video telephony, ability to stream as well as record video, GPS, and a camera with up to a 5-megapixel resolution. Now, Apple can always pick and choose what features it wants to include, but those are some promising specs. Electronista also adds that A2DP Bluetooth audio streaming might be included, as well as a YouTube plug-in for Safari.

But what about the design? Richard Felton over at TGDaily has been collecting some gossip and says that the new version will be slimmed down by 2.5mm (about a tenth of an inch), but its look won't change significantly and it still won't include a changeable battery. He goes on to say that it will be released around the time of the Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC), which starts on June 9, and the iPhone will be available in at least two configurations--"one with 8 GB and one with 16 GB memory, priced at $399 and $499, respectively." Ars Technica offers up a rumor that follows the June release timeframe where Australia would get finally get the iPhone at the end of June with no carrier lock-in. And since all of Australia's various cell networks use 3G networking technology (with only Telstra offering an EDGE network compatible with the current model), it would seem that they'll be getting the new 3G hotness.

Now onto more Apple-y goodness (and frustration) from the week.

• A couple weeks back, I mentioned that a software/firmware update had been released for Apple's Airport Extreme wireless base station that would allow you to make wireless backups to connected USB hard drives. Well, Wi-Fi guru/super-sleuth Glenn Fleishman made some contacts at Apple who told him that this was actually an unsupported feature, meaning that it's a byproduct of some of the update's code that may or may not work for you. Sigh.

   

• The VentureBeat blog notes that the iPhone in Europe hasn't been quite the success it's been here in the States, and suggests that Apple's requirement of tying it to a single carrier has been to its detriment.

  While US customers are used to choosing a carrier and accepting that not all phones will be available through that carrier, Swedish customers are used to having whatever phone they want with any carrier.

  Must be nice.

   

• Speaking of redesigns, AppleInsider reports that both the MacBook and MacBook Pro will be undergoing some major design changes upon their next refresh.

  Of the two, the 13-inch consumer MacBooks will undergo the most significant metamorphosis, shedding their plastic enclosures for ones constructed from more eco-friendly materials such as aircraft-grade aluminum and stainless steel, people familiar with the matter say.
  [...]
  Similarly, the MacBook Pro is also bound for aesthetic revisions, which like their upcoming MacBook counterparts are described by those familiar with the products as borrowing several design cues from the August 2007 aluminum iMacs and all-new MacBook Air. The end result, those same people say, will be a more uniform Mac product matrix in terms of design and material usage...

  And Crave adds:

  It's also expected that the new notebooks will use Intel's Montevina notebook technology when they arrive, although that would be a quick turnaround from the Penryn notebooks Apple released earlier this year. And this would also be a likely time for Apple to add the multitouch trackpad found on the MacBook Air and newest MacBook Pros to the regular MacBook.

   

• Accessory maker Macessity introduced two stands that can be used with the Mac mini--one with a USB hub and one without--that place the desktop underneath and provide a platform for an HDTV up to 60 pounds (via MacNN).

   

• Two words to make you shudder: iCal spam.

   

• If you're interested in getting in on some Windows virtualization fun, Amazon's running a $20 rebate on VMware Fusion.

   

• The CBS show Numb3rs is coming back from its writer's strike hiatus and using some very Apple-y ads to promote its return. Speaking of which, there's a new Get a Mac (I'm a Mac/I'm a PC) up over at Apple.

   

• And finally, Microsoft is rumored to be getting into the physical retail store game to counter the popular Apple Store, and Adam Frucci over at Gizmodo offers a Simpsonian take on what an MS-Store might look like:

Making Flippy Floppy

A couple weeks back, I was driving through Seattle and was left a bit slack-jawed at a four-way stop intersection after watching a car completely covered in old-school, 5.25-inch floppy discs make a turn. I was reminded of that incident by some pics posted today at The Stranger's Slog:

Apparently, it's also got some great detailing around the windows with keys from a computer keyboard laid out in QWERTY order. Here's a bit more on the car and its creator, Lara Weigand, from Real Change News:

Weigand painted each disk and glued them to every visible surface of the car. She lined the windows with keyboard keys, decorated the dash with sheets of old punch cards, adhered “esc” keys to the door locks, glued processor chips to the hubcaps and added a personalized license plate that reads “DISKDRV.”

For those of you who don't remember or came of computer age too recently (i.e., the early 1990s), the 5.25-inch floppy disc--which was indeed quite flexible--held either 360 KB (double density) or 1.2 MB (high density). And that was certainly adequate for storing most of a semester's worth of college term papers back in my day. For a trip down memory lane, check out the Wikipedia entry, as well as this article from DesignBoom on how floppy discs have been incorporated into design and artwork. Think I'll slip out New Order's "Blue Monday" from its Peter Saville sleeve and give it a spin (I didn't realize it was such a collector's item) while I rip a few more of my DVDs onto my 1 TB hard drive.