Archive for July, 2010

CNet made a quick testing of one of the most interesting smartphones on the market today: Apple iPhone 4 and HTC Evo 4G. Guess who is the winner? Let's take a look:

You can find spec comparison here.

CNet specialists will show us what is Firefox Home for iPhone:

You can download Firefox Home for iPhone free of charge here.

Today Apple released new version of iTunes 9.2.1. Here is a changelog:

• Disables older versions of some incompatible third-party plug-ins
• Addresses minor issues with dragging and dropping items
• Addresses a performance issue when first syncing to some devices with iTunes 9.2
• Addresses an issue upgrading to iOS 4 on an iPhone or iPod touch with encrypted back-ups
• Addresses other issues that improve stability and performance

You can download iTunes 9.2.1 here.

Another group of creative guys continues to make videos on latest Apple's events and releases, and here is their video on iPhone 4 antenna issue that was recently discussed on Apple's press conference.

Yesterday new unknown Apple product was approved by Federal Communications Commission.  Page 45 in the FCC documents reveals that the product is named as a"Bluetooth Trackpad". It's a rectangular shaped device with a model number of A1339. It can connect to a MacBook via Bluetooth, but Wi-Fi or cellular data wireless radios were not mentioned in the filings.

The documents about this device were submitted to the FCC last October, the same time when its initial testing was completed.

Last year it was rumored that Apple prepares a multi-touch standalone trackpad style device which was called as the "Magic Trackpad". Looks like this is finally it.

Last week organization Americans for Fair Patent Use filed a lawsuit in a U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Texas. Apple, Samsung Telecommunications America, Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel Corp. are named as the defendants. The lawsuit says that these companies produce and/or sell falsely marked products with a patents that are expired or do not cover these marked products, with a purpose "to deceive the public about the patent coverage for their products."

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This is an interesting interview with Joshua Topolsky, Engadget editor in chief, where he comments the iPhone 4 antenna issue and the recent Steve Job's press conference.

Taiwan's NMA News has posted a video animation of the iPhone 4 and antenna story:

Research in Motion's Chief Executive Officers Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie have released an official statement on the Apple's latest press conference, where the company showed the antenna issue on BlackBerry 9700 to prove that such a problem a normal thing for every smartphone. Both of the directors were stunned that Apple mentioned RIM in order to justify their mistake:

"Apple's attempt to draw RIM into Apple's self-made debacle is unacceptable. Apple's claims about RIM products appear to be deliberate attempts to distort the public's understanding of an antenna design issue and to deflect attention from Apple's difficult situation. RIM is a global leader in antenna design and has been successfully designing industry-leading wireless data products with efficient and effective radio performance for over 20 years. During that time, RIM has avoided designs like the one Apple used in the iPhone 4 and instead has used innovative designs which reduce the risk for dropped calls, especially in areas of lower coverage. One thing is for certain, RIM's customers don't need to use a case for their BlackBerry smartphone to maintain proper connectivity. Apple clearly made certain design decisions and it should take responsibility for these decisions rather than trying to draw RIM and others into a situation that relates specifically to Apple."

Yesterday Steve Jobs told many interesting facts about antenna issues and iPhone 4. Those who doesn't want to watch the video from the event here, you can study the next list:

• Over 3M iPhones 4 were sold since its release three weeks ago;
• The antenna issue can be reproduced on any other phone. The details can be found here;
• Apple has special testing rooms, which cost it $ 100 million. You can learn more about it on Apple's new webpage here;
• Only 0.55% of all iPhone 4 users complain on antenna issue;
• AT&T return rate with the iPhone 3GS was 6.0%, with the iPhone 4 - 1,7%;
• The proximity sensor problem will be fixed in the next update;
• White iPhone will be shipped at the end of July;
• On July 30th iPhone sales will be launched in 17 more countries.

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So yesterday Apple had a press conference in its campus in Cupertino to talk about iPhone 4 antenna issue. It was revealed that every new iPhone user will have an opportunity to order free case for his smartphone through Sept. 30. Because Apple cannot produce enough number of cases at the moment, it will source cases from other vendors and then give customers a choice so they would be able to pick the one they like.

Jobs said that the cases will be available for order on the Apple's site in the end of the next week.

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This week Steve Jobs had been seen enjoying his vacation in Hawaii. According to Gawker.com, which in turn referred to some tipster, who actually saw Apple's CEO, the latter had a lunch at Kona Village Resort with his family. The spy also heard that Jobs was explaining the positive uses of LCD to his kids, the subject which was described earlier in the latest issue of Vanity Fair.

Though nobody else did not confirm this information, the news are certainly entertaining.

Yesterday popular UK band "Squeeze" played their song "Pulling Mussels From The Shell" on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. The video is pretty interesting because one of the band members was using an iPad all along and even made a solo during a second minute.

The app he was using is MooCowMusic's Pianist Pro.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NctJy9SxSds

In the latest episode of The View (ABC's TV show) Whoopi Goldberg told about her experience of using iPhone 4, which eventually ended by its "murdering". As she speaks about Apple products, it looks like her problems weren't about antenna issues - she just bought a faulty device (at least, as she said, she didn't have any problems with her previous iPhone).

“The people couldn’t get a hold of me…my phone would ring and ring and ring to them, but wouldn’t do anything to me... My phone was bad; it wasn’t just that the antenna was bad, it was bad!”

Well, that's not a lucky situation for Apple at all.

French TV channel Canal+ has recently released its new iPhone app which is now available in App Store. To promote it, the company decided to air very original commercial.