Articles by Casey Chan
We had mentioned the prototype of iControlPad more than a couple months ago, but it has popped up again looking a little bit more finalized and a lot BIGGER. Back in May, I had compared the original model to a PSP, but I think this edition looks more like the Sega Game Gear from years back. This thing is huge!
It promises to be glossier in the final production model and hopefully it’ll look a little bit nicer. Shouldn’t it look flush with the iPhone? At least steal some of the iPhone’s design cues! I will reserve my excitement and temper my expectations until I see the final product. Because even though it is kind of ugly, it might take iPhone gaming to another level.
Bluetooth headsets are becoming increasingly popular, on a common day you’d run into plenty of people using these hands-free devices. Some make you look like a bionic man, others simply look bland, but there are a rare few that makes your head turn. The Motorola H9 Bluetooth Headset ($89.95) falls in that head-turner, borderline sexy category.
Sculpted to be no larger than a quarter, the Motorola H9 is sleek, lightweight, and unmistakably TINY. How can they fit a capable Bluetooth Headset in such a small package? Does it sacrifice performance for the sake of good looks? Is it even useful?
Read on for the rest of the review!
The Advertising Standards Authority, which we at TiPb are going to (foolishly) assume is the executive power of advertisements across the pond, has deemed an iPhone Advertisement as misleading in the UK. The sticking point? When Apple said:
“…all the parts of the internet are on the iPhone.”And well, we know that isn’t exactly true. We still don’t have Flash or Java support on our iPhone and Flash and Java are a pretty big part of the internet. Apple claims that the advertisement implied the availability of webpages, rather than their specific appearance. Which honestly sounds like a cop out to us. But still, pulling the advertisement seems a bit excessive.
We think to please the guvnuhs on the other side, Apple will probably throw in one of them fine prints across the bottom of the page that specifies on what technology you ‘really’ do get. Does anyone know if Apple makes the same claim on the US commercials? Methinks yes.
Thanks Lee Richards!
If you’ve never played around with BeeJive’s JiveTalk, boy, you don’t know what you’re missing! Even though third party apps such as AIM and Palringo are available, I still prefer the look and feel of the JiveTalk WEB APP. I’m sure Crackberry Addicts can attest to JiveTalk’s IM supremacy. And you know what? BeejiveIM (formerly JiveTalk) is coming to the iPhone and from the looks of it, seems to better than ever.
It’s planned for Beta Release in September 2008 but the Boy Genius got his hands on it early and gave away a few details. It supports most IM programs, we’re talking about: AIM, Google Talk, ICQ, Jabber, Windows Live Messenger, MySpace IM, and Yahoo! Messenger. Plus, it looks like the clean look of JiveTalk extended over to BeejiveIM and it’s rock solid.
An added bonus, BeejiveIM is ready for Apple’s push notification, which will be a godsend for IM programs. Though there isn’t a current release date or price, BeejiveIM can’t come soon enough…AIM blows big time. Click on the Read Link for more pictures.
Photo Credit: Boy Genius Report
Think your iPhone 3G needs some sprucing up? Hate that the chrome bezel of the iPhone 3G scratches too easily? Well, for those who are wealthy beyond even the most wildest dreams, you can now get the diamond edition of the iPhone 3G. With only 50 being made worldwide, it’ll cost $10,000 for the first 10 customers with the other 40 being priced at a later point.
Here’s the lowdown on the diamonds:
- 475 Diamonds
- Brilliant Cut
- Color: F
- Clarity: VVS
- Carat 3.75ct
Cool. Who else loves this cat and mouse game that Apple and the iPhone dev team have with one another? First one goes and the other quickly follows, you gotta admit, at the very least it makes for good theater. At best? Well, a jailbroken iPhone of course!
This time around 2.0.2 has been pwned and is available to us via Pwnage Tool 2.0.3. It’s Mac-Only so Windows users will have to use QuickPwn. PwnageTool 2.0.3 includes the newest build of Installer.app. Heads up to those waiting for QuickPwn to come to the Mac (I am), they state that it’s about a week away.
But bad news for those still looking for a baseband unlock of the iPhone 3G since there are no significant updates on that front. Well, I guess we can’t have everything right?
Bluetooth headsets often offer the same feature set, the same styling, and the same performance. Plantronics is known for offering unique takes on Bluetooth Headsets and often add a new wrinkle to each headset in their product line. Popular because of their comfortable fit and Audio IQ technology, the Plantronics line constantly innovates.
With the Plantronics Voyager 815 Bluetooth Headset ($89.95), the innovation is an in-ear earbud and a sliding boom mic. Do they create a better Bluetooth Headset? Or are these features just bells and whistles? How does the Plantronics Voyager 815 perform?
Read on for the rest of the review!
One thing the FCC is really good at: unknowingly or “accidentally” leaking information about heavily anticipated, top-secret technology. At the very least, you gotta love them for that. There latest misstep? Leaking the size of the fabled HTC Dream, which you may remember as the world’s first Android device. Yeap, that Android.
Surprisingly, it looks like it’s going to be a wee bit shorter and a wee bit skinnier than the iPhone 3G. However, it is expected to be thicker than the iPhone given its inclusion of a full QWERTY keyboard in some way, shape, or form. Even though we are the iPhone blog, we give credit where credit is due: HTC must’ve done a helluva job making the Dream a bit smaller than the iPhone. I guess the Dream is making no secret about going after the iPhone
Now about that big slow fatty Blackberry Bold…
Have you checked out our forums lately? The community is growing and the commentary is getting better and better each day. Unconvinced? I’ll bring out a thread, a post, a topic, or a comment directly from the forums and post it on TiPb’s front page every week to prove it to you. We here at TiPb love the interplay, quid pro quo, repartee with our readers, so step up your creativity and tighten up your diction, you could be next!
This week we have a great and interesting thread going on in our forums. CharlieBall asks when did your iPhone make your life easier? Obviously, we all know that the iPhone is a multipurpose tool that’s the best iPod, best internet device, etc. but what about those little, less important times where the iPhone just made your life easier? The current answers range from trivia questions to phone saber battles, directions to movie times. So, when has the iPhone helped you out?
For me, I always Shazam songs that play on the radio and play games to kill the dead time. How about you?
Go Read CharlieBall’s post on when the iPhone made your life easier!
So while Apple is ramping up production of the iPhone 3G, it looks like the rest of the cell phone industry is in a serious slump. Kind of. According to the NPD, (via Ars Technica) only 28 million cell phones were sold this quarter representing a 13% year-to-year decline. But looking specifically at the model-by-model numbers, it looks like everyone is enjoying success on Motorola’s dime.
“Quarterly unit-sales of handsets fell to their lowest level, since NPD begin tracking the category in 2005,” NPD director of industry analysis Ross Rubin said in a statement. “Even so, most major manufacturers picked up market share that was lost by Motorola.”But it’s not all bad news for the industry. Phones with QWERTY keyboards saw a 28% increase in sales and smartphones increased sales by 9%. The average price of a cell phone sold increased by 14% to $84 year-to-year. Consumers are more likely to spend more money on a handset since the iPhone was introduced and that feeling extends toward Blackberries, HTC devices, etc.
In related news, MobileSafari has been on an absolute tear since the release of the iPhone 3G. According to Analysts, (via MacDailyNews) MobileSafari has nearly doubled its market share to 0.31% since the launch. Doing rudimentary math, having more handsets on the market that are twice as fast as the old one, well, I guess it adds up.
And to top it all off, our friends at Engadget have created an iPhone specific web page. Why, you ask? Because in 2008, the iPhone/iPod Touch Family has accounted for nearly 96% of all mobile views on their full Engadget site. That’s just jaw dropping.
So that’s the state of the industry. Surprised that the iPhone 3G has had such an effect on the numbers? What’s to come?
