Now, we understand when movies started they were just filmed stage productions, and so it makes some sense that this looks a lot like scanned magazine pages made slideshow — with a nice interactive map thrown in. The good news is that Apple’s iTablet is still unreal, so there’s plenty of time for content providers to play around with ideas on how to better present it dynamically, not quite like the web or even iPhone apps or iTunes LP/Extras, but a hybrid of all the above and more. Something next.
Wired’s blog picked up a story from iPhone Atlas today about a minor MobileSafari browser UI change that sees the (defaults to Google) search box surfaced right on top beside the URL address box (currently it only pops up when the top box is activated to save on vertical real estate). To compensate, the Refresh button gets demoted and tucked inside the refresh box. Not sure about the usability on this change yet…?
The more interesting speculation is about cut and paste, which Wired claims NO specific info on, but offers this as part of the ongoing search for some reason why Apple hasn’t yet implemented this seemingly core functionality:
It’s possible that Apple is taking so long to implement copy and paste not because it is difficult, but because Apple is reinventing it. Imagine a system-wide menu added to all applications which, instead of shuffling items off to a clipboard, lists all the places you can send that file (or text string). This would be like the existing “Open with” option available in the Mac’s right-click menu — each application effectively reports to the OS exactly what kind of files it can handle and the OS remembers this. Thus a picture could be sent to not only the Photo app, but to any other photo program. Text could be sent directly to any open dialog box in, say, Safari.
Remember the Wired.com Global iPhone 3G Study Casey posted about a week or so back? Well, the results are in, and Wired’s conclusion is interesting to say the least:
In our view, this data is a strong indicator that performance of the mobile carrier’s network is affecting the iPhone 3G more than the handset itself.
Wired further cites the recent Swedish engineering tests, run by Bluetest, which showed that the iPhone 3G’s eponymous radio and antenna performed roughly the same as those of the other handsets they tested.
So where does this leave the last, 2.0.2 firmware tweaks from Apple, and hopes that 2.1 would further fix 3G connection problems? Chipset and firmware finger-pointing may have been misplaced, or at least been only part of a larger overall 3G connectivity knot. Either way, it looks like the tennis ball has just been rocketed back into AT&T (and the other carriers’) court for now.
From an end-user’s perspective, however, especially if you’re one of the unfortunate 2%, other than providing some entertaining distraction, does the blame game really help us? Or do we just want it fixed, like, yesterday?
(Thanks Bad Ash and yc for the tips! Thanks to the TiPb faithful who went over there to help out with the study, and thanks to Wired for recognizing them!)
Have you run into any 3G connection issues? Do you notice a slower tick than expected with your iPhone 3G? Well, take a part in Wired.com’s global study so you can see if your iPhone is the slowest horse in the race or if it’s just your area. Just point your iPhone Safari browser to TestMyiPhone.com and start a download and upload test and remember your location to import into Wired.com’s interactive ZeeMap.
Maybe all this data won’t amount to anything but it sure is cool to see how blazing fast 3G is in different parts of the world. Also, it serves as good reference to see if your iPhone 3G is part of the unlucky 2%. Click the Read Link for more info.
“Inside Steve’s Brain” author Leander Kahney of Wired magazine is reporting a programmer source inside a major software house has revealed that the next generation iPhone 3G will thinner — we’re talking Paris Hilton thinner — by a whopping 22%.
Not only that, it will sport better battery life than the already impressive 8 hours talk time of the first gen model, and twice the NAND flash capacity, topping out at 32GB. (Paving the way for 64GB iPod Touch’s?)
Still not enough, echoing Kevin Rose (historically not the most reliable of iPhone prognosticators), Kahney thinks the phone may be heavily carrier subsidized — down to the $200 level in some cases — in an effort to put the hurt on Blackberry.
Okay, fess up, who left the rumor mill jacked up to max?!
