Articles by Dieter Bohn
So either Gear Live somehow managed to snag a leaked version of 1.1.3 or they’ve perpetrated perhaps the greatest “gotcha” in recent memory. Probably the former, as it’s looking more and more like 1.1.3 is the real deal. So what’s coming (and what’s likely to get a mention at MacWorld) is pretty neat:
- Ability to add bookmarks to the SpringBoard (homescreen)
- Ability to rearrange programs via the nausea-inducing “jiggle mode”
- Ability to (finally!) send SMSs to multiple people
- Google Maps gains the neat
tower-triangulationTower Tagging* location trick, plus a hybrid satellite/map directions
Of course, there are some things that we figured would be easy adds that a missing – namely Stereo Bluetooth support. Still and all, it looks like a decent enough upgrade and it’s clearly a step towards getting the iPhone ready for that upcoming SDK. As for when the rest of us will get to take this 1.1.3 step, that’s still shrouded in mystery.
*Edit: not triangulation, but ‘tagging.’ See comment by Archie (and septimus, in a minute). Thanks!
Here comes the synergy. Buying songs off the iTunes WiFi store while you’re at Starbucks is great and all – but it turns out that most people don’t go to Starbucks so they can freely surf iTunes’ selections. Instead, Apple has figured out that people go to Starbucks to buy coffee and coffee-flavored beverages (let’s face it, calling that mocha-double-frappa-whozit “coffee” is an insult to coffee and whozits). To that end, Apple has cagily filed a patent to allow you to order your coffee without having to actually talk to a human. Forbes describes it best:
Customers might tap a button to order their favorite drink, say a double-shot mocha, as they stroll up to the nearest coffee shop. When the drink is ready go to, the device–such as an iPhone–would chime or blink to let the thirsty one know it’s time to scoop up the order at the counter.
…In other news, Forbes is now reporting on Apple patents like a common rumor site. It’s almost like they have a guy on staff who’s obsessed with Apple.
Figure 1: Two Ways to use the Sidewinder
The Marware Sidewinder iPhone Holster ($24.95) is a great holster just by the standards of regular holsters, but it offers a couple of neat tricks you won’t see elsewhere – hence the “sidewinder.” Read on for our full review – including a coupon good for 30% off on the Marware holster, good this week only.
ApolloIM was the first native app to provide AOL Instant Messaging. Although it’s a little rough around the edges, it’s a solid first attempt at an IM client. It’s currently in version 0.1.2 and developing quickly. Read on to see what works, what doesn’t, and what we might expect from future versions.
figure 1: for Macs
Ever since the iPhone was announced, people have been clamoring to write native applications for it. Sadly, Apple has not yet released the tools necessary to develop those apps. However, if you’ve been following the iPhone news you realize that the iPhone has been “hacked.” What does this mean to you, the nonhacker? Well it means that thanks to the mighty efforts of many dedicated people, you can install applications directly onto your iPhone. The best part, it’s easy. Read on for our full How To on how to hack your iPhone so you can install applications.
The iPhone’s recessed headphone jack has been a headache for those who prefer to use their own headphones instead of the stock Apple headphones. The new Smartphone Experts Headphone Adapter ($9.95) solves that problem handily — and without sticking out too far either.
Read on for the full review.
That right. The first iPhone we got in our hands – we took the mother apart. Read on for pictures and (coming in just a bit) video of the guts of the iPhone. Hint: it’s tightly packed and uses an ARM processor with an Apple logo. Hint 2: This iPhone – it’s dead Jim.
Read on to see the fruits of our “IPHONE SMASH” labors and check back a little late tonight for the full take-apart video – including tips for how to (and how NOT to) take apart an iPhone.
Update: Ready to cringe? Check out our disassembly video, below. And by “disassembly” we really do mean “destruction.” But our pain is your gain – there’s plenty of great details in the vid.
Don’t forget – detailed photos of the iPhone’s innards after the break.
Mike’s in line at the Mall of America – lucky number 13! Which means that a) at least one of the proprietors this website, which is dedicated to the iPhone, will actually have an actual iPhone in their hands, b) he has been there since 7am CST, and c) he has a good long wait ahead of him.
As Mike mentioned in his post below, news is taking a back seat to getting an iPhone today. However, you can keep an eye on this post right here for more pictures and updates of the Mall of America’s Apple Store iPhone craziness throughout the day.
(Latest update: 4:45:00 CST)
This 20 minute video at Apple.com is nice, actually a little soothing. Goes through all the main functions of the iPhone. I’ll probably watch it every day for the next eight long days (well, 7 and a half now).
Near half of the people who signed up for email updates aren’t AT&T customers. Added benefit of pre-announcing: gave everybody a heads-up to run out their contracts with other carriers.
