Apple Needs Memory Toshiba Has It; 1GHz iPhone Processor In The Works

Sources confirm that Apple Inc. is seeking flash memory for its future handhelds. Samsung is currently developing technology that will increase the speed of future iPhone models.

The Toshiba corporation may face an overwhelming task of fulfilling all of the memory requests by Apple.

Toshiba is rumored to have taken a large order for flash memory from Apple. It has been verified that the two companies have agreed to a $500 million contract.

Industry sources say that the Toshiba manufacturing division is running on all cylinders and that it will increase it's current output by 85 percent of its current level over the next 30 days. This focus on the Apple orders may hurt other companies who have smaller memory demands for their products, since Apple will require most of Toshiba's resources.

This is not the first time Apple has caused a flash memory shortage. Insiders speculate that this happens practically every time a new Apple product hits the market.

On to other somewhat related news...

Samsung shares details on the 1GHz Advanced RISC Machine micro-processor

Last week, Samsung upped the ante in the race for fastest mobile micro-processor. It went public with the news that it is producing the first ARM-based micro-processor based on the 45 nanometer assembly process.

As of now the micro-processor has been named the "Hummingbird", which speaks to the smaller size, and cooler running design. These changes will maximize the overall speed of the upcoming micro-processors to 1GHz, that will propel the speed well past Samsung's current 830MHz. It will hopefully achieve this new speed-record while not heating up and draining our iPhone 3GS batteries.

Who knows if the "hummingbird" processor will actually make it to future Apple devices. Apple which in the past has exclusively used Samsung micro-processors, is rumored to currently be courting the services of other similar companies.

Apple and AT&T Are Unloading Old iPhones - $49

Remember the old 8GB 3G iPhones from back in the day (sure you know months ago), well AT&T has quite a few in surplus and is unloading the refurbed smartphones for as low as $49 a pop

A recent scan of the iPhone 3GS availability tool shows that many of the Apple stores are stocked with plenty iPhone 3GS models , this availability is probably the reason for the older phone's price drop. If you want the reduced price 3G better act fast, $49 might be a little to hard to resist for most people.

9 Useful iPhone 3GS Accessories

Customizing your iPhone is the best way to make the most of it. . Adding iPhone 3GS accessories is a good way to add to your devices functionality . Here’s a list of 9 useful iPhone 3GS accessories you can purchase to make life with your iPhone a bit easier:

1. iPhone 3GS Retractable Car Charger, Plug in: The iPhone looks stylish and performs awesomely, but lets face it when it comes to battery life, it often falls short. Simply get yourself a mobile charger like this one. Powerful, and compact in size, this charger's wire is retractable. It boasts a Smart IC chip which automatically switches to saver mode when your battery is full.




2. Black Neoprene Armband for iPhone 3GS: In a word- sporty, this Neoprene Armband is great for use at the local gym. The Neoprene rubber is, waterproof and chemical-resistant. The vinyl protects the LCD, keypad and is scratch-proof.




3. Mirror Screen Protector for iPhone 3GS: Scratches on your new iPhone are unsightly and disappointing. This Mirror Screen Protector prevents these accidents from taking place. Completely clear and sturdy, this screen protector is specifically designed to fit your iPhone’s LCD screen.






4. iPhone 3GS Sliding Design Proguard W/Clear Transluce: We all know you hold your iPhone near to your heart. This Sliding Design Proguard protects it from scratches, everyday filth, and shocks. Easy-to-use, this proguard snaps in and fits perfectly on your iPhone. Absolutely clear, this shield also does not harm the aesthetic nature of your phone.





5. iPhone 3GS Retractable Home/Travel AC Charger: This travel charger takes up no space at all. The cable retracts to the necessary length and will let you to power up your iPhone, no muss no fuss. Just a push of a button and the cable is drawn back. With the the IC chip, you can plug the charger for a prolonged period of time, and you won't run the risk of killing your battery.




6. iPhone 3GS Red Rubberized Sliding Design Proguard: Maybe you need a little more style and you dislike the clear cases, then this is a great option. The Sliding Design Proguard is a vibrant red color, it makes your iPhone look hot. The rubber exterior coating protects your phone and also allows you to slip your iPhone in and out easily.





7. Five Piece Set Black PDA & Cell Phone Holder: This is a universal smartphone and PDA car mounting system. It attaches easily to your car windshield and can be utilized as a air-vent mounted holder. Squeeze the mounts sides to hand-hold your phone, release it via a single button. This holder keeps your phone safe even on the bumpiest of roads.





8. iPhone 3GS Black Elite Car Charger with Smart Display & IC Chip Protection: Completely mobile with dual-color LCD indicator, it adjusts to 90 degrees, metal tips and contacts will make battery charging very easy on the go.




9. Mono Hands-free Headset for iPhone 3GS: Go hands-free for awhile, at work or when in the car. If clear communication is what you are looking for, this headset has it. It also has a push on/off button that will make answering calls even easier.

iTV App for iPhone

Includes an easy to navigate TV guide, movie listings, and Netflix browser.

Cost is FREE

From The App Developers:

"i.TV is the ultimate movie, DVD and TV guide for the iPhone and iPod touch—and it's FREE. Quickly and easily find out when and where your favorite movies and TV shows are playing anywhere in the US or Canada and find related DVD titles"

Similar Apps: Remote, Sketches, Shazam

Five free iPhone music apps

In a world teeming with increasingly similar tech products, Apple is one company that seems to have no problem churning out standout products. This might be attributed to sleek designs, fun features, and friendly interfaces--or maybe you want to chalk it up to good ol' marketing tactics. However, in the case of the iPhone and the iPod Touch, there's one attribute that undeniably separates these devices from the masses: the ever-expanding cadre of third-party applications. You can find everything from cookbooks and weight-loss trackers to games and productivity tools, but the area in which the iPhone and iPod Touch really excel is music, and there are hundreds of applications to choose from in this category.

To help you sort through the mass of options, we rounded up five of our favorite iPhone music apps. To keep things simple, we limited our scope to free selections that have a heavy focus on full music playback. Not everything included here will be a perfect fit for every iPod user, but you're sure to find something that will float your boat.

1. Pandora

Pros: Straightforward and easy to use; saves user data to account; nice interface with prominent album art; good music selection.

Cons: Skip limits; pop-up ads on every track; no community features.

The gist: If you only get one music streaming app for the iPhone or iPod Touch, make it Pandora--it's a great introduction for those who are anxious to hear some new tunes.

2. Last.fm

Pros: Plentiful community features and perhaps the best-tailored music recommendations; let's you add individual tracks to playlists for calling up later; lets you tag tracks and purchase directly from iTunes; no ads that we noticed.

Cons: Interface isn't as straightforward as those of Pandora and Slacker; not as valuable to users who aren't involved in the Last.fm community; a bit slower than other music apps listed here; skip limits.

The gist: With all its features, tabs, and buttons, the Last.fm application is one of the most in-depth and dynamic streaming music applications available for the iPhone.

3. Slacker

Pros: Straightforward and easy to use; saves user data to account; nice interface with prominent album art; heart and ban buttons to tailor playback to your liking; station listing page is graphically pleasing with album thumbnails.

Cons: Skip limits; no community features.

The gist: Sound quality, speed, and access to tunes are the most important ingredients in a mobile streaming radio app, and this app has them in spades--it's a worthwhile download for anyone who wants to less ads than found on Pandora.

4. imeem

Pros: Unlike other music apps, imeem gives you "cloud" access to part of your own library; includes useful sections that spotlight artists and recommend music based on your tastes; offers a sharing feature; has a nice interface that's easy to browse.

Cons: Limited by the usual Internet radio restrictions (skip limits, inability to play songs by the same artist back to back); access to your library is limited to 100 tracks unless you pony up a yearly subscription fee.

The gist: Beyond the appeal of streaming your music collection form the cloud, the rest of the Imeem application falls somewhere between the simplicity of the Pandora app, and the more personalized, social approach of Last.fm.

5. iheart radio

Pros: Let's you listen to radio stations from most major metropolitan areas across the U.S.; sound quality is generally better than standard FM radio; less commercials than standard FM radio; includes a fun "Shake It" feature that randomizes stations.

Cons: Station list is dominated by Clear Channel and other corporate offerings, meaning you won't find any cool, indie frequencies here; quality for some stations is poor.

The gist: If you love Top 40 and miss some of the hit stations from where you grew up (or where you went to school, etc.), iheart radio provides a portal for you to enjoy that content again.

Honorable mention: Shazam

Pros: Identifies songs playing over the air with the push of a button; shows album art for identified tracks; offers links for directly purchasing the song through iTunes or watching the video on YouTube.

Cons: Only works for recorded music; doesn't work well in noisy environments; often can't identify fringe music.

The gist: Shazam is a great download for people who are constantly wondering "what's the name of that tune?" while out and about.

article source: http://download.cnet.com/2300-13271_4-10001192-1.html?s=0&o=10001192&tag=mncol;page

Apple IPhone Application Downloads Top 1.5 Billion

Apple Inc. said users of the iPhone and iPod Touch media player have downloaded more than 1.5 billion programs from the company’s online store, signaling demand for the applications is accelerating.

The pace of downloads has picked up since Apple reached the 1 billion mark in April. The App Store now has more than 65,000 free and paid programs available, up from more than 500 when the site was introduced a year ago, Apple said in a statement today.

Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs said the application site’s success will make it “very hard” for competitors to catch up. Research In Motion Ltd. and Palm Inc. set up stores in recent months offering programs for their devices and lag behind Apple in the number of applications available.

RIM, which opened its App World in April, said the number of programs on the site doubled to about 2,000 as of July 6. Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM, maker of the BlackBerry, doesn’t provide download figures.

Palm, which began selling the Pre handset in June, has about 30 programs on its site. Several thousand developers have applied to build programs for the Pre, Pam Deziel, vice president of developer relations, said last month.

Apple, which also makes the Macintosh computer, rose 76 cents to $143.10 at 9:37 a.m. New York time in Nasdaq Stock Market trading. The Cupertino, California-based company’s shares had gained 67 percent this year before today.

Market-Share Gains

The iPhone went on sale in June 2007, and Apple added the App Store after developers clamored for a way to create programs for the device. Apple is the gatekeeper for the site, approving which programs are distributed. It takes a 30 percent cut of each application sold and distributes free programs at no cost.

In June, Apple released a faster version of the iPhone, selling more than 1 million in the first weekend. There are now more than 40 million iPhone and iPod Touch users who can download games and programs for the phone that do everything from tracking the weather to simulating a Zippo lighter to keeping tabs on calories consumed.

The iPhone’s share of global sales of so-called smart phones doubled to 10.8 percent in the first quarter, outpacing RIM’s growth, according to research firm Gartner Inc. RIM boosted its share to 19.9 percent. Nokia Oyj dominated the market with 41 percent, while Palm ranked outside the top five.

To contact the reporter on this story: Connie Guglielmo in San Francisco at cguglielmo1@bloomberg.net.

article source: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601082&sid=aUsY1IZ5TtyE#

Post Your Video Tweets to Twitter With TwitVid

An app called TwitVid launched on the iTunes App Store today, enabling iPhone 3G S owners to record "video tweets" and post them to Twitter just as they would with photos, links, and text. The app is one of the first to make use of the new iPhone's video capabilities, and is made by a pair of Canadian college students and their venture-backed startup EatLime. The app is tied to a companion site, TwitVid.com.

While EatLime and its video-tweet competitors can't be faulted for taking advantage of Apple's newly unlocked iPhone features, there's something to be said about the regressive nature of "video tweets." What was once hailed as rapidly consumable, quickly-written and unobtrusive, the text-based tweet is evolving into something entirely different: A multimedia note trailing a ten-second time-waster that has to launch a video site just to present itself. Keeping up with Twitter just became a lot less fluid.

As Digital Beat notes, the TwitVid news comes on the heels of a sizable $5.5 million fundraising round by mobile video site Qik.com.

http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/chris-dannen/techwatch/twitvid-brings-video-tweets-iphone

Brando- New iPhone mic gets improved reception over standard microphone

New iPhone mic gets 10X better reception than the built-in mic
Brando’s claiming 10x better audio reception on this external, swivelable iPhone microphone.

Even if it doesn’t get 10x better reception, it should get perhaps 2x better reception, which is worth $14 for most people.


Here’s more detail from their website:

“Voice and video recording on iPhone 3.0 brings iPhone owners to the new mobile multimedia era. Yet, sound quality is not the best. Try out the NEW Flexible mini capsule microphone which is especially designed for new iPhone 3.0. It enables you to record better sound quality. Instead of receiving sound from the iPhone speaker at the bottom, your iPhone can receive sound from any direction. It is especially useful while shooting video as the microphone and the camera can be pointed to the same direction. Bend and turn the microphone to the desired direction to focus sound source. Flexible mini capsule microphone gains 25+ dB, sound clarity increases as well as sound quality improves. It works on iPhone 3G S, iPhone 3G, iPhone 2G and iPod Nano 4G.”

article source: http://www.iphonestalk.com/new-iphone-mic-gets-10x-better-reception-than-the-built-in-mic-5522/

Apple iPhone Applying For More Patents

Apple has filed for a brace of patents that give some insight about what could be in future iPhone smartphones. The July 9 patent application came a week after Apple applied for touchscreen-related patents.

One of the patents is called ID App, and it would enable an iPhone, or other portable device, to display various amounts of data on nearby objects. The device could use the camera, an RFID reader, or a GPS chip to identify objects, and then compare those against multiple databases. For example, a user could take a picture of a landmark, and the app could use meta-data along with GPS to determine what it is, and then bring up the landmark's Wikipedia page.

"After an object has been identified, the portable electronic device can provide additional information about the identified object," the patent application said. "In some embodiments, the portable electronic device can search for the additional information based on the previously defined mode. In some embodiments, the portable electronic device can provide additional information with incrementally increasing levels of detail."

Nokia (NYSE: NOK) has released something similar with its Point & Find program. Users can snap a picture of a movie poster with their phone's camera and then receive a movie trailer, information, or directions to the nearest theater playing the film.

Another filing suggests future Apple devices could have facial-recognition technology. This could be used for security purposes by limiting who can authorize the device. Most Macintosh laptops already come with built-in cameras. For this to be effective with the iPhone, a future version would likely have to have a front-facing camera.

The company also filed for patents that could filter text messages for obscene content, better manage visual voicemails, and changing the voice output on iPhones. The patent application may be seen here.

article source: http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/business/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=218401418

iPhone not the best choice when work needs to get done

by Joshua Topolsky, posted Jul 10th 2009 at 3:10PM

The other day, whilst sitting in the waiting room of a doctor's office, awaiting the inevitable bad news to come down the pipeline (you're dead, you're dying, no that rash can't be treated), I attempted to do something daring with my iPhone 3GS. I attempted to work. I say attempted, because what dawned on me -- separated from my laptop, a netbook, or any viable computing system -- was that I couldn't really get much of my work done on Apple's bundle of joy. It wasn't the first time I tried to get work done on my phone, but it was one of the first times that I really thought about how frustrating the experience is. What follows is my heartbreaking tale of staggering lameness. Or staggering tale of heartbreaking lameness. Your pick.

Before I even got to the "work" part of my experience, I realized I had serious problems. AT&T's service is never anything to write home about in New York City (in fact, it's usually embarrassingly bad), but I found that my 3G connection seemed especially weak in this Manhattan doctor's den. Oh, I had five bars all right, but trying to load just the iPhone-formatted version of Engadget tested my will to live. After nurses denied my requests for assisted suicide, I resigned myself to dealing with the network issues. Honestly, a lot of what I do during the day (namely, hanging out in a chat room and commanding the team to help me pick the perfect pizza toppings) doesn't require the highest-test connection -- though I certainly put pedal to floor at times.

So, stoically accepting the fate of thin 3G, I set about firing up the apps I would need to actually tend to Engadget. First up, I required an IRC session. That's no problem, because the App Store is filled with useful tools for chatting with good buddies. I prefer Mobile Colloquy, so away I went, happily bounding into the Engadget chat room to direct the editors and get the latest gossip about Gyllenspoon. Of course, it took an exorbitant amount of time to actually connect, but once I did it's a reasonable experience... save for one big issue. The iPhone keyboard truly sucks if you're trying to type words it might not be familiar with. You know, like tech terminology which isn't exactly part of its native dictionary. Additionally, typing quickly during a conversation with lots of people is severely hampered by the inaccuracy of the on-screen keyboard.

I would have left it at that, but my work requires that I use a bunch of web tools, look at lots of news sites, and have a feed reader open... basically, things that would require some level of multitasking. Imagine the frustration of having to constantly break the connection in chat to go look at a site or work on a post. It's frustrating, let me tell you. The idea of jumping into and out of applications -- of having to actually quit an app to move to another one -- is "We don't work like this on our computers -- why does Apple think we want to work like this on our phones?"
an incredibly outmoded and foreign idea in 2009. Additionally, the email experience on the iPhone is brutal -- and to get anything done in a day as Editor-in-chief of Engadget, you need your mail. As a Gmail user, the way the native iPhone mail application handles messages is counterintuitive at best. Google presents a lovely browser-based solution for email, but it is markedly hampered by the browser environment itself. It's slow and inaccurate to navigate, though obviously better if you need to bounce between an open page and your mail. Funnily, the Safari experience provides better multitasking than the phone itself. Adding insult to multiple injuries, the system of notification for SMS, calendar events, or even push IM messages (which still gives you limited options) is intrusive, productivity-stalling, and frankly upsetting. It doesn't aid productivity if you're constantly being hammered with pop-ups.

The whole, painful experience set me thinking. Is this really what Apple wants me to be doing with my phone anyhow? The company has added lots of features -- like decent Exchange support -- so that its phone will appeal to enterprise and business users, but can these users really get what they need out of the device? Basic functionality, like calling people, email, and certainly document editing still feel inelegant and clunky due to the onscreen keyboard, and the lack of multitasking makes moving around through those typically important tasks difficult to say the least. The experience on an Android device, S60, the Pre, a BlackBerry, or even Windows Mobile just makes more sense. Let me say that again: those experiences make more sense. Now I'm not saying the execution of those experiences is better across platforms, but the philosophy of letting users multitask is more natural to us. The iPhone doesn't even have a method for switching between recently used or favorite applications.

We don't work like this on our computers -- why does Apple think we want to work like this on our phones?

Well that's the thing -- maybe they don't really care about how we work. Maybe they don't want us to work at all. If you take a look at the App Store, it's fairly obvious where the cash is going -- and it's not to productivity or enterprise apps. Where is it going? To Doom Resurrection, frankly (sorry, not for me -- I hate games on rails). At the end of the day, it's nice to stick the "we love business users" line into your PR, but it's quite another thing to make it real.

Keep this in mind: I'm not a Wall Street lifer -- I'm a guy in new media who needs to get things done. I should be part of Apple's target market.

So, what's the fix here? Well for Apple, the solution is simple -- the virtual keyboard problem is annoying, but not a deal breaker necessarily. The lack of multitasking is. The fact that Apple won't let end users decide to run down their battery with these dangerous, experience-ruining background tasks is galling, but the fact that the company doesn't seem to recognize how important the concept is is even worse. Giving users the option to select even a few apps to juggle would alleviate this problem instantly, but you've still got the hurdle of notifications which are difficult to manage, and an email platform which feels woefully behind the curve. Until the company finds some new paths to beat in those departments, the iPhone -- for all its apps and all its uses -- still doesn't hit the sweetspot for a lot of users who need to work.

For me? Providing this heart holds up the way doctors say it will, I'll be keeping a keen eye on Android developments. But seriously guys... put a keyboard on those things.

article source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/editorial-taking-the-iphone-3gs-off-the-job-market/

America Movil To Launch IPhone 3GS In Six Nations By End Of July

America Movil SAB (AMX), ,largest mobile operator, said Friday it will launch Apple Inc.'s (APPL) iPhone 3GS in six countries in the region at the end of the month.
In a press release, the company said starting July 31 the iPhone 3GS will be available in Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala, El Salvador, Uruguay and the Dominican Republic.

America Movil said the iPhone 3GS will be made available in the rest of the region at a later date.

The Mexican wireless carrier launched an older version of the popular handset, the iPhone 3G, in July of last year.

America Movil, which is controlled by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, had 186.6 million wireless clients in 17 countries in the Americas at the end of March.

-By Ken Parks, Dow Jones Newswires; 52-55-5001-5723, ken.parks@dowjones.com

iPhone 3GS Upstream Speed Limited to 384Kbps

While the iPhone 3GS got a download speed boost—to 7.2Mbps—it didn't get any upload power-up, according to PC World: Its upstream speed is limited by its hardware to 384Kbps. But don't get out the torches and pitchforks yet.

Most GSM-based cellphones suffer the same problem: No matter how fast they are at download, they will upload at only 384Kbps, or less, as you can see in our iPhone 3GS network test. This is because the hardware doesn't support the HSUPA (High-Speed Uplink Packet Access) standard, created by Nokia—the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) refers to this standard as Enhanced Uplink.

Some would say that this is not needed because Enhanced Uplink—which runs at 1.4 and 1.9Mbps—is not supported by AT&T yet, but in Europe there are networks that already support this standard. I would imagine that users of the popular JesusPhone would love to upload their photos and videos to Facebook and YouTube as fast as possible.

On the other side, with AT&T still struggling to get 7.2Mbps off the ground and most of the other networks having problems and slowdowns everywhere, I would be happy if they all just managed to actually deliver their advertised download speeds.

article source: http://gizmodo.com/5311116/iphone-3gs-upstream-speed-limited-to-384kbps

iPhone 3GS: Video editing and a friendly warning

One of the great new features that comes along with the iPhone 3GS is video recording as well as the ability to edit and easily share it while on the go. Well, in this case, I am using the term edit with a little sarcasm because it seems to be more like trimming instead of editing.

Without getting to far into the how to side of video editing, this post will remain a little simpler and just offer a friendly warning so others will not lose any video footage — like I did. Thankfully, in my case, the footage was not all that important, but still.

Anyway, getting back to the term edit, it seems that the iPhone more specifically does not edit video, but instead it actually trims the video. All in all, that is fine by me, but be prepared that when you make any edits, or trim that video on your iPhone that you are going to lose the parts you trimmed.

You see, when you trim the video it discards the trimmed portions and leaves you with just your edited version. What would be ideal, is if Apple would save the original file and then save a second (editing) version as a new file.

That said, think twice before you edit trim your precious videos on your iPhone 3GS because you may end up tossing that special moment.

article source: http://www.iphonefreak.com/2009/06/iphone-3gs-video-editing-and-a-friendly-warning.html

Road Trip To Find The Best iPhone 3GS Apps

For almost a year, I've owned an iPhone 3G. I've done lots of things with it and loaded a lot of apps on it. But now, Apple has released the iPhone 3GS, and it's got new features--including a compass, voice commands, video recording, and auto-focus.

This iPhone 3GS has only one new app on it. I want to learn about the best apps that specifically take advantage of 3GS features. If you are the first one to suggest an app I try and keep, you win a prize.(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

Luckily for me, I'm on Road Trip 2009 and am testing a number of gadgets, including an iPhone 3GS that Apple lent me for my journeys through Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Colorado.

I've already downloaded Brushes, the amazing painting app that was used to draw the cover of a recent issue of The New Yorker. But that's all I've got. What I want are the best apps that specifically leverage the new features available only on the 3GS.

And so I'm asking: do you have a favorite? If so, let me know. Over the next few days, I'll be trying out a number of apps on this iPhone, and if you're the first one to suggest an app--paid or free--that I download and keep, I'll send a nice little gift your way.

Remember, I'm not interested in things for the iPhone in general. Well, I am, but in this case, I only want to know your thoughts on apps that have been designed with the 3GS in mind. They can, however, be apps that have updated features available only on the new phone.

If you'd like to send me an idea, please do so at daniel--dot--terdiman--at--cnet--dot--com by Monday, July 13, and include "iPhone 3GS app" in your subject line. If it's an app you designed, I may still try it, but you won't be eligible for a giveaway.

Please help me make the iPhone 3GS more interesting. I look forward to your suggestions.
For the next several weeks, Geek Gestalt will be on Road Trip 2009. After driving more than 12,000 miles in the Pacific Northwest, the Southwest and the Southeast over the last three years, I'll be writing about and photographing the best in technology, science, military, nature, aviation and more in Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota and Colorado. If you have a suggestion for someplace to visit, drop me a line. And in the meantime, join the Road Trip 2009 Facebook page.

Daniel Terdiman is a staff writer at CNET News covering games, Net culture, and everything in

between.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-10281756-52.html

iPhone Could Make Flip Cams Obsolete

I reviewed the Flip Mino HD video camera December 2008 and was impressed by its sleek design and excellent video quality calling it “ultimate accessory for any self-respecting Mac head.” Then the iPhone 3GS came out — and I haven’t thought about it since.

Much has been written about how the iPhone 3GS effectively killed the Flip Mino, after all, who would pay $230 for a single-purpose device when the $199 iPhone 3GS records video and can edit it and upload it to YouTube? For starters, anyone that is locked in a mobile phone contract with a carrier other than AT&T and people that don’t want an iPhone. A formidable bunch.

Then comes word that Apple is in the process of adding a camera to the iPod touch which is sure to evoke fear in some Cisco executives after the ink barely dried on its acquisition of Pure Digital Technologies (makers of the Flip Mino HD) in March 2009 for $590 million.

TechCrunch, courtesy of a source in Asia, is reporting that Apple has placed an order for a massive number of camera modules like the ones in the iPhone, concluding that the cameras are destined for the iPod touch. Adding more fuel to the fire, MacRumors reports that a “third generation” iPod touch case has been spotted with a hole in the rear for what could be a camera lens.
If the iPhone 3GS didn’t kill the Flip Mino HD, then a third-generation iPod touch with video could be the final nail in its coffin.

Jason D. O'Grady is the editor of PowerPage.org, which has been publishing daily mobile technology news since December 1995. For disclosures on Jason's industry affiliations, click here or to view Jason's full profile click here.

iPhone OS 3.0 and 3GS - 5 Apps To Check Out

Apple Inc. has an interesting pie-slicing problem coming as far as developers of iPhone (and iPod Touch) applications are concerned. All of those first- and second-generation iPhones run the same operating system -- the just-released iPhone OS 3.0 -- as the new 3GS model. But the latter includes new hardware such as a magnetometer, a faster CPU and faster GPU, as well as more memory. If developers build shiny new apps with only those features in mind, they'll limit their market. What to do?

So far, most developers seem to be focused mainly on expanding existing apps to incorporate iPhone OS 3.0-enabled capabilities, such as push notifications and MMS support (in some markets). They're evolutionary changes, much as the newest iPhone itself is evolutionary, but still offer an interesting look at where the iPhone hardware/software combo is headed.
Here's a quick look at five applications iPhone and iPod Touch owners should consider. The easiest way to track them down is by accessing the App Store on the iPhone and searching for the app title. (You can do it in iTunes, too, if you want.)

1. Push to Jive: BeejiveIM 3.0 with Push
Price: $9.99From: Beejive Inc.
Beejive Inc. was an early developer for the iPhone; it even had a Web-based instant messaging client before Apple released the APIs for building "real" iPhone apps. What's new in Version 3.0 is push notification, one of the premier new features enabled with the release of iPhone OS 3.0.
What this means is that BeejiveIM 3.0 will let you know whether any of your IM accounts -- AIM, iChat, MSN, Yahoo, GoogleTalk, Facebook IM, ICQ or Jabber -- has an incoming message, whether you're currently running BeejiveIM or not. Though there are other (and free) IM clients, BeejiveIM has one of the more integrated user interfaces, as well as a wealth of options, such as SMS out, hyperlink support, chat histories, and pop-up-ad blocking.
Though some people might not want to be available this way 24/7, it's nice to know you can be. (Note to BlackBerry and Windows Mobile users: Beejive has you covered as well.)

2. Fight the Flip: FlickitPrice: FreeFrom: Green Volcano Software LLC
This app for mobile shooting and uploading to Flickr will surely benefit from the iPhone 3GS's new and improved 3-megapixel camera -- and possibly from the additional onboard RAM and added storage space.
Flickit allows you to take, tag, title and geotag multiple photos for uploading to your Flickr page. I've managed to avoid the Flickr phenomenon, since I'm not a shutterbug, but I can see how this would be wicked useful for those who are.
Best of all, it's even compatible with all previous hardware models and iPhone OS 2.2 or later.

3. News You Can't Lose: AP Mobile
Price: FreeFrom: The Associated Press
You have to be a bit careful setting up AP Mobile initially -- it takes advantage of the iPhone OS 3.0 push feature, so top stories can pop up at any time, requesting your attention, even when you're using another app, or no app at all. You might want to disable that feature before going to, say, a job interview or a funeral.
Otherwise, this is a great, free way to keep on top of breaking news. ESPN ScoreCenter (also free) will soon get a similar push feature, pinging you every time some overpaid jock makes a basket, scores a goal or hits a home run. Vital for sports fans.

4. Star Defense
Price: $5.99From: NGMoco Inc.
From the same company that brought out other amazingly creative offerings like Dropship and Rolando comes this tower defense game. Not only does it benefit from the iPhone 3GS's souped-up CPU and GPU chips, but it uses push notifications to send out challenges to friends and other Star Defense players within virtual earshot.
The Nintendo DS family of handheld game devices were immensely successful in their P2P play over Wi-Fi. There's no reason the iPhone and the iPod Touch can't also grow into using peer-to-peer/player-to-player networking for collaboration and challenges, opening up new modes of gameplay and productivity. One hopes.

5. What Now?: Remember the Milk
Price: Free, but requires $25 "Pro" accountFrom: Remember the Milk Pty.
Remember the Milk is a to-do productivity application that can get around one of the big weaknesses of most to-do lists -- you have to look at them. I know that's a problem for me. For example, iCal can send you e-mail or desktop note alerts, which helps -- but it only works if you are at your desk.

This app will display an alert at user-defined times before a task must be done. The alert will arrive via IM, e-mail or SMS. It works with Google Calendar, and you can manage tasks even if you're offline and you can share them, as well. It's like the way your mom would remind you to do homework when you were a kid.

These five are just the tip of the iceberg, given the thousands of apps available already and the countless others in the works. It took a little while after the initial APIs were released for developers to start really taking advantage of the iPhone's initial features, like multitouch functionality. We'll be seeing more as time goes on, especially since by most metrics, the adoption rate has been fabulous for the new operating system -- more so with iPhones, where it's free, than on the iPod Touch, for which there is a $9.95 charge because of the way Apple accounts for revenue.

Let's just hope developers and users don't go overboard with the pushing. It could make a crowded train car quite annoying.

article source: http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=Default&articleId=9135057&taxonomyId=0&pageNumber=1

iPhone performs better than Palm Pre and BlackBerry in Consumer Reports Testing

Apple's recently released iPhone 3GS pulled out a victory in Consumer Reports' latest smartphone showdown.

In handing the iPhone the top spot in this year's smartphone list, Consumer Reports on Wednesday praised the iPhone 3GS for its "superior display, reinforced by top-notch multimedia, navigation, Web browsing, and battery life." However, the iPhone didn't win in all of the categories.

Consumer Reports gave high marks to the Palm Pre and BlackBerry for their messaging functionality. The organization also praised the Pre as a "superior multitasker" for its "deck-of-cards handling of multiple applications."

In light of the changing features and needs of the smartphone category, Consumer Reports changed some of the criteria for this year's showdown. The changes helped some older phones--like the iPhone 3G--move up in the rankings, while other phones--like the Samsung Blackjack II and BlackBerry Pearl Flip--dropped due to the changes.

Changes include putting more emphasis on things like the display, navigation, multimedia, and messaging, while putting less of an emphasis on features such as talk time and voice quality.
It's unclear how the iPhone 3GS would have rated, had MMS messaging been available from AT&T at the time of the tests. AT&T said functionality would be available sometime this summer.
article source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10278119-37.html