In the years before iPhone, my smartphones had replaceable batteries and I usually carried a spare, especially on trips. Inexplicably, the iPhone doesn’t afford this “luxury” — the battery is not user-replaceable and when it’s dead, it’s dead. If you don’t have a charger handy, you are out of luck. This can be particularly frustrating if you are taking a long flight, want to watch a movie on your iPhone’s expansive screen, and still have enough juice left to call someone when you get to your destination.
Enter the mophie Juice Pack Battery Pack/Case for iPhone, available now at TiPB store for $99.95. Read on for the full review!
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iPhone SDK and Firmware 2.1 Beta 1, released to a very small group of developers just last week brought us rumors of direction and speed based GPS (turn-by-turn?), Notification Server API’s, and the holiest of holy grails, cut, copy, and paste. Now Ars Technica reports Apple has dropped Beta 2, and while the hints hold true on the Notification “Push” technology, what else will our deep diving developers discover in the coming days? (I’m hoping for video recording!)
While Apple went through 8 betas for version 2.0 between March and the July 11 release, two updates for 2.1 in two weeks is a brisk pace, probably necessitated by Apple’s pledge to have the Notification Service — which allows developers to “push” alert badges, sounds, and popups — out to users as a way to prompt applications that aren’t running, simulating multi-tasking but without the negative impact of task management or resource obliteration that have plagued WinMob and Palm (though BlackBerry’s NOC outages and Apple’s own MobileMeltdown are harbinger that no scheme goes unpunished).
Also over night, Apple seeded the first beta for Mac OS X 10.5.5 to developers, which may portent further 2.1 related news, and for security conscious Mac users (and that should be all Mac users), Apple released Security Update 2008-005, which among other things patches the nasty DNS vulnerability that’s been all over the news recently, and the more Mac-specific ARDAgent issue. Rev up Software Update now.
I’m an apps guy. Since the App Store in iTunes rolled out, I’ve been downloading like a maniac. I knew there would be consequences, like slower backup during my iPhone syncing. Then, I synced for the first time after my iPhone was bloated with apps. A snail crept across the sidewalk faster than the syncing status bar. Seriously? Am I resigned to syncing my iPhone overnight so, hopefully, it will be ready to go by morning? Is there someone (or someones) out there who has wrested the baton from Apple’s clutches and done what Apple should have in the first place by allowing syncing without backing up?? Read on to find out in this week’s Tip!
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Patent filings sometimes clue you in to the direction a company is headed with their devices. Sure, some are crazy and others are ridiculous, but you can get a general sense of what the company is trying to accomplish in those stencil-like drawings and comic-like blurbs.
Well, Apple has filed a patent that strongly hints toward developing an add-on/dongle/hub/dock-type device that will accept AM, FM, HD, or satellite radio along with cable TV, satellite TV, antenna, or IPTV. The multiple connecting devices, as shown in the patent filing, could range from being a dock, a stereo, or even a computer.
What makes this Apple patent unique is its ability to “tag” information about the current movie, TV show, or song, allowing you to save the information presumably to let iTunes develop a list of movies, shows, and music you might be interested in.
Honestly, I’m lukewarm about this “media extender” device coming into fruition partly because I would hate to have a dongle attached to my iPhone and more importantly, can’t imagine Apple pushing media that isn’t sold through their iTunes pipeline.
Either way, this patent filing makes for good conversation. What do you think?
ReadVia
Steven Smith, infamous for actually buying a Zune has — Oh, wait… editor’s correcting me here… seems he… what? — actually buying a Zune and tattooing it’s irrelevant logo and nonsensical branding onto his body (seriously?) — has broken up with the derivative little mp3 player of his affection, and splashed the sordid aftermath all over the intertubes.
For Smith, the bottom line was lack of innovation, current and future, in the face of Apple and Sony, and more: Smith thinks Ballmer is getting ready to bail.
Yeahbuwhy are we covering this? It’s a warning people. Smith’s special form of… er… product enthusiasm may soon be coming our way. See, some non-briefed third party retailer slipped up and sold Smith an iPod Touch. Smith tells iPhoneSavior:
It’s super thin and does some really neat stuff like tilting to go into cover flow. I also like watching movies on it. I can go anywhere to get iPod accessories, that’s not the case with Zune stuff in Iowa.
Brilliant, salestard, that’s only one short step away from an iPhone! Sound red alert and prepare to duck and cover! It’s Switchpocolypse now-ish!
See Smith’s “it’s not me, it’s you” video after the break. (Warning, occasional language and fanboy heartache).
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