Articles by Casey Chan
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?
Hmm. YESSIM has claimed that they can unlock iPhone 3Gs using a YESSIM SIM card for all the unlocking purposes. They have video-proof complete with convoluted instructions and a dodgy FAQ on their website. The Sim Unlock was developed in Europe and requires a jailbroken iPhone 3G. Are we taking this with an ordinary grain of salt or a Mt. Everest sized one?
What raises TiPb’s eyebrow is the fact that their website has common spelling and grammatical errors. Plus it seems like they’re pimping their product more than showing the process. But hardware Sim Unlocks do seem to be from foreign countries and use some mysterious, voodoo magic to unlock the iPhone. So I guess if they’re right, we can forgive them for everything.
What do you think? Is this legit? Or should we wait until a non-SIM Unlock method?
So there have been some reports that the white iPhone 3G has been showing cracks in its plastic housing already. From the pictures shown, some look like it could be scratches while others look almost, definitively cracked. I knew that the plastic would not be as durable as the original iPhone’s but cracks in the casing? That’s a lot worse than I ever imagined.
Is this a case of internet propaganda or could this really be happening? Anyone with white iPhone 3Gs like to tell their side of the story?
At the TechCrunch Mobile Web Wars event (basically a Silicon Valley roundtable discussion), the topic of conversation often turned towards, you guessed it, your favorite gadget, the iPhone. Many Execs were claiming that the traffic generated by the iPhone is extraordinary and the amount of apps downloaded in a matter of weeks are jaw-dropping.
Here are the notable facts and figures:
- Pandora has been available for 18 months in other mobile platforms which resulted in 12,000 monthly subscriptions to the service. In 6 days with the iPhone…350,000 installs on the iPhone.
- And before you cry foul because of the paid vs free debate, Pandora says that the App Store lets the company make money through ads whereas on other devices they were forced into a subscription method.
- 1 million Facebook users downloaded the Facebook App
- Average iPhone user is 47 times as active on Loopt as those on other phones
Right now the iPhone does. And everyone else doesn’t. Zing.
Are you a frequent international traveler? Are you always confused by international electrical outlets? Have you realized that there are a gazillion different electrical outlets requiring a gazillion different plugs? Well, the Mobi Products World Wall Adapter for S&C Cables for iPhone 3G, iPhone ($34.95) tries to simplify the tangled messy world of cables by giving you almost every solution in a simple adaptor. How does it perform?
Read on for the rest of the review!
Need a place to keep your hands free when you hit the gym? Looking for the ideal workout case for your iPhone? The Marware Sportsuit Convertible case for iPhone 3G ($34.95) and original iPhone ($34.95) is a workout case that keeps your iPhone always within reach and your hands free to lift weights, use the yoga ball, run faster etc. It also doubles as a slim-profile sleeve case. And even triples for a clip-on case that is attachable via belt clip. How does it all perform? Does it hold up over time?
Read on for the rest of the review!
A reporter over at one of those reputable, printing companies recently received a phone call from Steve Jobs and this was his opening line:
“This is Steve Jobs,” he began. “You think I’m an arrogant [expletive] who thinks he’s above the law, and I think you’re a slime bucket who gets most of his facts wrong.”You gotta hand it to him, even if he is feeling a little down, Steve will still serve you a new one if he wants to. But there has been a lot of speculation lately on what’s affecting Steve Jobs’ health and it’s making investors worried.
The whole conversation with Steve Jobs was off the record so we still don’t know the nitty gritty details but according to the New York Times, it’s more than just a common bug but isn’t life threatening and it’s not cancer.
Some think his health should be a private matter, which makes sense because we should all have some level of privacy. Some think his health should be public knowledge if it is serious enough, which also makes sense because of Steve Jobs unique role in Apple and Apple being a public company.
We at TiPb just want him to get better and hopefully the rest will handle itself.
What do you think?
So a new employment opportunity popped up at Apple’s job listings the other day and Apple is looking for an experienced iPhone Security Engineer to create “proof of concept” attacks on current security mechanisms and provide risk analysis of potential security threats. Basically, Apple needs an iPhone Hacker to prevent future jailbreaks, unlocks, and security breaches.
So if any of you are good at what you do and want to work for the “good guys”, go give it a try. Apple is trying to ramp up security to protect enterprises who are adopting iPhone 2.0 and more selfishly, protect their own App Store from competition ahem Cydia & Installer. Either way, Apple is getting serious about security and the iPhone.
What do you think?
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!
We’re going to start with Trevor’s post detailing reasons why the iPhone replaced his Crackberry. Trevor didn’t just blast his Crackberry into outerspace or dump it in the Hudson River, he provided reasons why his iPhone isn’t perfect as well. More than a few of his reasons supporting the iPhone have to deal with its role in the Mac ecosystem and I’d have to agree, the ‘it just works’ feeling is how technology should be.
However, Trevor, being a former Crackberry user, listed durability as a concern. No worries there Trevor! That glass screen is as resilient as it is pretty!
Go check out Trevor’s reasons why the iPhone replaced his Crackberry and tell him what you think!
Installer.app, the app store before that other app store, is coming back for firmware 2.0 and being re-fashioned as Installer 4. Currently, jailbroken 2.0 iPhones are using Cydia as their main app pipeline but when Installer 4 is released, well, they’ll likely play nice with one another and especially nice with that other app store.
The RiP Dev Blog has a lot of complicated, programmer’s type language describing the updates for Installer 4.0 so I’ll try to translate to more understandable, layman’s terms: It’s going to be faster, safer, and more integrated. Bang.
The release of Installer 4.0 seems to be imminent but well, really, there’s no rush, many of the apps that were available for 1.1.x aren’t quite ready for the big time yet. So take your time with Installer 4.0. We here at TiPb would almost always prefer a little delayed polished product over a rushed, rough, not as advertised..yeah, we’re looking at you MobileMe.
