News from category ‘Hardware’

All iPhones are manufactured in China. Probably that's why users can find so many iPhone clones. Here is the latest arrival: iFhone 3GS - one of the best iPhone clones ever.

The device is identical, however there is no Apple logo. Take a look at these interesting features:

• 3.5-inch touchscreen
• accelerometer
• WAP, GPRS, Bluetooth, WiFi
• 230MB of memory expandable to 15GB with a memory card
• VGA camera
• Java for games and apps
• Audio and Video support (MP3/3GP/MP4/JPG/TXT)
• Built-in FM Radio Tuner
• Voice recording

Even the interface of the springboard and the various applications is very similar to the original iPhone.

The box is identical, complete with Apple logo. Included: stylus, headphones, USB cable and an extra battery to attach to the dock. All this costs $123 without shipping charges.

More photos:

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French site Nowhereelse.fr has published a very cool video of what appears to be a multitouch tablet device. The user is browsing through an electronic version of an Ikea catalog. The device itself is very slim and has several Apple technologies: cover flow, shake to shuffle, etc.

Is this the Apple iTablet? That's how I imagine the interaction with the Apple Tablet. However the video is fake, a clever fake over a blue screen (as you can notice on the hands' edges and shadows).

Anyway, a good concept video. Let's watch it:

MarketWatch reports that Apple will begin mass production of its much-rumored iTablet in February ahead of a launch in late March or April.

The report claims that the device will include a 10.1" multi-touch LCD screen. There were rumors that iTablet will have OLED screen and therefore delayed till the second half of 2010.

Current rumors also say that Apple has begun contacting book publishers about distributing their books through Apple for consumption on the new device. Apple is reportedly proposing a similar business model to its App Store, where Apple would retain 30% of each download's sale price with 70% going to the publishers. Amazon, for example, uses 50/50 model.

The estimated cost of the future device is $1000. Apple may sell 1-1.5 million tablets per quarter. The name of the future device is still unknown. Rumors say different vartiants: iTablet, TabletMac, MacTablet or just Apple Tablet.

Magazine publishers seem to already be getting on board with the concept of a media tablet even based on just the possibility that Apple will enter the market in the near future. The latest concept design comes from Time Inc who developed this design prototype to show off their plans. They think that digital magazines will replicate the print version, including advertising, and will include add-ons like multimedia and links to the Web. The publisher imagines that it will port all its titles into the new format, which it says will be ready for primetime by the middle of next year or sooner.

The ultimate design is planned to run on "whatever tablet Apple or any[one] else has up their sleeves" according to All Things Digital:

Jack Dorsey, the founder of Twitter, launched the new service named Square (still in beta) that allows you to make or take payments using your iPhone.

All this happens through an accessory able to process credit cards that is connected to the the device.

User just need to enter the amount, the security code and the signature directly on the touchscreen. There are no charges of any kind, except a U.S. cent on every transition, which is donated to charity.

The system is able to display a bill with lots of information: the map, the amount, the number of times that we used this system of payments in that particular store, and much more.

The system is currently being tested in the US. Maybe one day we will all use it everywhere.

Fring has added video calling support to the iPhone and iPod touch via Skype. This is a huge step further. iPhone became a videophone!

It works on Fring to Fring, and Skype to Fring. Unfortunately, it's not bi-directional. You would be able to see whoever is calling you from a desktop, but you won't be able to transmit your image. The reason is because the iPhone doesn't have a front camera, so you can't do face to face. The application will support two-way video calling if the iPhone and iPod touch gain front-facing cameras in the future. The company already supports two-way video calling on several Nokia phones with such cameras.

A promotional video highlighting the new video functionality has also been released:

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A couple of years ago, a company called Axiotron announced an aftermarket modification for the MacBook that converted the Apple laptop into a tablet. The modification remains for sale at $699 and takes a stock MacBook, removes the keyboard and screen, and adds a Wacom pen-based screen to give the device a tablet form factor.

Axiotron originally began marketing the devices as a "TabletMac" and filed a trademark for the term. Sometime in the past year, however, the trademark was transferred from Axiotron to Apple, and Apple is now listed as the owner of the trademark:

Now Apple could potentially release a product called the TabletMac. So what name? iTablet, MacTablet, TabletMac or maybe MacBook Tablet?

iPhone developer Pandav informed MacRumors that they, thanks to the scripts of statistics included in their application, have managed to record tracks for a new iPhone model, not yet released.

PinchMedia, which offers a system of statistics and analysis on the use of software, has noticed the same thing and the new device is identified with the code iPhone3,1. The last iPhone released to the public was the iPhone 3GS which carries the identification string iPhone2,1. Apple similarly began testing the iPhone 3GS (iPhone2,1) back in October of 2008 about 8 months ahead of its launch.

The next generation iPhone might include a multi-core processor and Verizon compatibility. It might be released as early as mid 2010.

There were rumors, that iPhone 4G will have integrated RFID chip. The Wireless Dynamics company has already created iCarte, RFID reader accessory for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

With iCarte we can send and receive information via RFID or NFC. This could turn the iPhone into a real electronic wallet. Here are spec details:

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TomTom navigation application updated to version 1.2. Added features include updates to maps and IQ Routes, advanced lane guidance, text-to-speech, integrated iPod player support and support for the iPod Touch and first-generation iPhone 2G.

To use the app on iPod Touch and iPhone 2G, TomTom's car kit is required. This is due to the fact that both devices lack an integrated GPS receiver. TomTom's car kit is a cradle which contains a GPS module, integrated speaker, charger, and line out. It is not required when the TomTom app is paired with the iPhone 3G and 3GS. The cost for the kit without the app is $119.95.

Full list of what's new in 1.2:

• Improved search and route summary screens
• Updated map from v8.30 to v8.35
• Updated points of interest database
• Updated IQ Routes database with millions of new measurements
• Added Advanced Lane Guidance in both portrait and landscape mode
• Added Text-to-speech in English US, English UK, English Australia, French Canada, Spanish Latin America
• Added Help Me! emergency menu
• Added iPod player support
• Added support for original iPhone and iPod touch (all models)

The TomTom app is available in App Store for $49.99-$139.99 (link). Price depends on the map coverage. The highest price is for TomTom Western Europe. US & Canada costs $99.99. The cheapest version is for Hong-Kong - just $49.99.

Here's a cute little Walky robot controlled via iPhone. It is able to walk, run, jump and kick a ball.

This video demonstrates that with a proper implementation of controls we can obtain better results with the touchscreen of the iPhone than with a joystick from a PlayStation.

MIT student Chris Varenhorst developed a hydraulic system connected to some electronic components that allow you to open a door with the ability to control it with the iPhone.

The system is very simple, the mechanical part to open the door is connected to a PC with an Ubuntu Linux system from which it receives the commands. Application iDoor connects to a PC via an internet connection and sends the instructions for opening or closing the door.

Here is a video:

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Several NASA scientists are working on a project called Cell-All - compact, low-cost, low-power, high-speed nanosensor-based chemical sensor for cell phones.

The device is about the size of a postage stamp and is designed to be plugged in to an iPhone to collect, process and transmit sensor data. The new device is able to detect and identify low concentrations of airborne ammonia, chlorine gas and methane. The device senses chemicals in the air using a "sample jet" and a multiple-channel silicon-based sensing chip, which consists of 16 nanosensors, and sends detection data to another phone or a computer via telephone communication network or Wi-Fi.

Update: Here are new cool photos:

via nasa

Have you ever tried to imagine the iPhone with an operating system other than Apple's one? Here is an iPhone clone running Google Android OS (v.1.5).

This device is made in China. It has a 3.5" capacitive touchscreen screen, 130MB of RAM and 256MB of internal memory expandable with a memory card. There is also a 2 MP camera, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

Many users are unable to sync their iPhones on PCs equipped with Windows 7 and Intel P55 Express chipset. Gigabyte is the first company who fixed this issue. They've released a beta BIOS that addresses the problem. Asus and MSI, which also use the P55 express on their motherboards, haven’t issued any updates yet, but hopefully will soon.