Ed Sutherland - page 78

Are you looking for a way to keep you iPod or iPhone charged, but not happy with the bulky options out there? PhoneSuit introduces the Primo battery, a compact mini battery unit that attached to your dock connector port. The unit’s 800mAh battery claims to power your iPod for up to 45 hours of music playback, or three hours of talk time on your iPhone 3G. The lithium-ion battery is good for 500 charges, according to PhoneSuit.

To charge the Primo, simply use the included USB cable to plug into any USB 2.0 or USB 1.1 outlet. A LED meter displays the battery’s remaining charge – when the LED turns blue you are fully charged.

The Primo costs $35 per unit or $89.95 for a three-pack. The mini charger comes with a 1-year warranty.

[Via Company and Engadget]

We end the week with three hardware deals. First up is a 120GB iPod classic for $189. Next is Apple’s 24-inch Cinema HD Widescreen LED display for $800. Our top trio rounds out with a 500 GB Time Capsule. Along the way, we talk about various accessories, discounts and skins for your favorite iPhone or iPod.

As always, for details on these and other items (like Logitech’s Pure-Fi Elite Stereo System for the iPod or iPhone, check out CoM’s “Daily Deals” page right after the jump.

AT&T has fired back against Verizon Wireless, telling customers its rivals’ recent ads “are so blatantly false and misleading, that we want to set the record straight about AT&T’s wireless data coverage.”

The letter to AT&T customers claims that it covers 97 percent of the U.S. population and has twice the number of smartphones than Verizon.

Rogue Amoeba becomes the latest developer to quit the App Store in frustration over Apple’s lengthy review process. The developer “no longer has any plans for additional iPhone applications, and updates to our existing iPhone applications will likely be rare,” according to a Friday blog post.

On Thursday, Joe Hewitt, developer of the iPhone Facebook app, announced he’ll stop developing for the iPhone out of a “philosophical opposition” to the reviews. Like Hewitt, Rogue Amoeba developer Paul Kafasis told App Store customers the Cupertino, Calif. company was “acting as a gatekeeper” and preventing developers from getting software to users.

Just in time for iTunes Store customers to send family and friends links to their favorite songs, Apple has created the iTunes Preview Web site. Now clicking on links to iTunes media no longer requires launching the full iTunes media software suite.

iTunes Store customers can use the “Copy Link” feature to send links to an iTunes Preview page.

The iTunes Preview Web page allows you to browse artists and albums, read biographies and get more information on song prices or customer reviews. Browsers will still need the iTunes software to listen to song snippets. The iTunes Preview site includes a “View in iTunes” button. Although the iTunes Store offers music and movies, the new Web site currently supports only music.

Apple updated its iTunes 9 software in October. The iTunes 9.0.2 included support for the new Apple TV 3.0 and gave customers the option of also viewing iTunes LP or iTunes Extras through Apple TV.

[Via AppleInsider and 9to5Mac]

Today’s bevy of bargains starts with a bundle of nano applications from MacHeist. Included in the offer is VirusBarrier X5 for free. The VirusBarrier barrier is part of MacHeist’s nanoBundle: twitterific, mariner write and four other applications. To partake, you’ll need to register and post a Facebook announcement. The deal ends today. Also on tap: an iPhone 3GS for $149 and a number of MacBook Pro laptops, including a 1.83 GHz version sporting a 15-inch screen for $750.

As always, for details on these deals and more, check out CoM’s “Daily Deals” page after the jump.

Apple’s iPhone now accounts for 17 percent of global smartphone sales, propelled by a nearly 50 percent growth rate for the third quarter, new research released Thursday indicates. Cupertino’s rising star in worldwide smartphone demand is expected to only increase as the iPhone becomes available in China and more carriers begin offering the popular cell phone.

During the September quarter, Apple shipped an estimated 7.04 million iPhones – a 49.2 percent jump over last year, making the company the third-largest smartphone maker behind Nokia and Research in Motion. Apple had 12.9 percent of the market during the same period in 2008, according to Gartner.

Microsoft has blamed one of its own, calling “inaccurate and uninformed” comments Wednesday that its new Windows 7 operating system was inspired by the Mac. Wednesday, Microsoft partner group manager Simon Aldous told a magazine the software giant’s OS aimed to mimic the Mac’s graphics.

“Unfortunately this came from a Microsoft employee who was not involved in any aspect of designing Windows 7,” Brandon LeBlanc wrote at the Windows Blog Wednesday evening.

This latest comment appears to back-pedal on an interview Aldous gave to PCR, in which he stated: “What we’ve tried to do with Windows 7 – whether it’s traditional format or in a touch format – is create a Mac look and feel in terms of graphics.”

Consumers have commented on how some graphic elements – such as the Windows 7 taskbar and the Mac OS X doct – behave alike. Wall Street Journal columnist Walt Mossberg had also noted the similarities.

[Via Apple Insider]

Joe Hewitt, the developer behind the iPhone Facebook app, the most popular application on the App Store shelves, announced he’s had it with Apple’s review policy. Hewitt, also known for his work on the popular Firefox browser, told his Twitter audience he blamed the review policy required to approve apps.

“My decision to stop iPhone development has had everything to do with Apple’s policies,” Hewitt told TechCrunch. “I am philosophically opposed to the existence of the review process,” he said.

Are you tired of the giggles elicited by your upscale friends when you whip out your zebra-striped iPhone that burps each time a call is received? Maybe your handset needs a classier grill rather than yet another skin? If that’s the case, we might have your ticket to the technological upper-class: the Appstand.

Positioned as a great $20 Christmas gift for the iPhone 3G or 3GS owner, the Appstand from Thunk let’s you display your handset in the provided frame and start a series of calming slideshows (how about the sounds of wind or the lapping water from a koi pond?) It’s enough to make a subdued BlackBerry look downright scandalous.

The Appstand will be available December 1st.

[Via Gadget Lab, iLounge and Thunk]

We’ve reached Wednesday and celebrate by offering a top trio of hot bargains for Mac, iPod and iPhone fans. Let’s start with some Mac Pro Xeon workstations (2.66 – 2.93 GHz) beginning at $2,149. For iPod owners looking seeking a new look, there’s a deal on 3-packs of Kroo silicone skins for the nano. We wrap up our featured deals with a freebie from the iTunes music store: Serabee’s “Driving Me Stupid” album.

For details on these and other Mac bargains (such as the iLuv Hi-Fi alarm clock for iPod and iPhone owners), check out CoM’s “Daily Deals” page after the jump.

Apple has begun shipping the 27-inch iMacs with Intel’s Core i7 processor, according a Cult of Mac reader. The i7 is Intel’s beefier update to its Core 2 Duo, running 2.66 – 2.8 GHz.

The i7 27-inch iMac shipped today and is expected to arrive in the U.S. by Nov. 17, according to the email. The unit had been ordered nearly one month ago on Oct. 23.

Earlier this week, word leaked out that Apple had begun shipping orders for the 27-inch iMacs with Intel’s 2.66 GHz i5 processors.

The i7-based 27-inch iMacs retail for around $2100.

We all know that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Now software giant Microsoft admits it had Apple’s OSX in mind when creating the Windows 7 operating system.

“What we’ve tried to do with Windows 7 – whether it’s traditional format or in a touch format – is create a Mac look and feel in terms of graphics,” Microsoft partner group manager Simon Aldous said in a Wednesday interview.

Apple is now the most profitable player in the cell phone business, overtaking giant Nokia for the crown, reports said Wednesday. Apple earned $1.6 billion in profits during the last financial quarter, besting Nokia’s $1.1 billion for the same period, according to estimates.

Apple also overtook Samsung, according to research firm Strategy Analytics.

We start off with a hardware trio: The Apple store offers a number of MacBook laptops, starting at $749 for a 2.1 GHz, 13-inch machine. Next up is an 8GB iPod touch for $139 and an 8GB iPhone 3G for $49. Along with hardware, we have several cases for your iPhone or iPod, both of the hard and soft variety. To wrap-up today’s deals, we list a couple chargers and bluetooth stereo connectors for good measure.

As always, for details on these bargains and others, check out the CoM “Daily Deals” page after the jump.

The Video Electronics Standard Association (VESA) Tuesday formally approved the Mini DisplayPort standard. The move to standardize the technology first licensed by Apple could prompt low-cost alternatives to displays made by Cupertino.

Any devices or cables using the Mini DisplayPort connector must meet DisplayPort 1.1a standards. VESA previously announced the Mini DisplayPort connector would be rolled-into the upcoming DisplayPort 1.2 standard that expects to increase bandwidth to 21.6GB per second. The upgrade would support multiple monitors, 3D displays, high resolutions and more colors.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment Tuesday introduced a bevy of iPhone and iPod touch tie-ins with a number of holiday Blu-ray titles. The DVDs come with the pocket BLU app, enabling iPhone and iPod users to enhance the Blu-ray experience. Another app, social BLU, lets Blu-ray users more ways to interact on Facebook and Twitter using Internet-enabled Blu-ray players.

The titles offering the iPhone and iPod apps include the Blu-ray versions of Bruno, Funny People, 9, American Pie Presents: The Book of Love, Public Enemies and Inglorious Basterds.

Remember the hoopla over Boston’s giant iPod billboard we reported on back in October? Questions arose whether a mayor’s aide had helped a business group obtain permission to erect the ad, despite the objections of the state’s outdoor advertising board and the mayor’s own historic reluctance for such things? The billboard was quietly removed, replaced by a public service mural.

Key to the decision was the Massachusetts Outdoor Advertising Board “deemed [the billboard] illegal because it advertised a product the storage business didn’t sell,” according to the Boston Herald. The ad was located on the side of a self-storage building that along with packing tape and locks, sold iTunes gift cards.

The billboard’s removal comes less than a half-year after the property owner and others paid $110,000 to obtain a one-year extension on a city permit.

In 2008 Apple opened its flagship Boston store.

[Via Boston Herald and 9to5Mac]

Apple reportedly has begun shipping its 27-inch iMacs with Intel Core i5 quad-core processors to consumers who ordered the new desktop Macs in October. The company is now notifying buyers the iMacs have shipped from Shanghai. Apple had said it would ship the new Core i5 and i7 quad-core Macs in November.

The new iMacs include a 27-inch screen with 16:9 ratio and 2560×1440 resolution. The 2.66 GHz Core i5 750 iMac retails for $1,999 with a $200 build-to-order alternative includes a 2.8 GHz Intel Core i7 860 processor. Both quad-core iMacs sport 8MB L3 cache with the “Nehalem” Core i7 reportedly 2.4 times quicker than the Core 2 Duo.

Along with a 27-inch screen, the new iMacs offer 4GB SDRAM expandable to 16GB. The desktop machines also include an ATI Radeon HD 4850 discrete graphics, 1TB Serial ATA hard drive and a slot-loading 8x SuperDrive.

[Via AppleInsider]

We start another week with more deals on MacBook Pro laptops. This time we feature a 2.26GHz 13-inch machine from the Apple Store, starting at $999. Also available: 2.53GHz and 2.66GHz MacBook Pro laptops with prices ranging from $1,299 to $1,949. You can also get a $10 extra gift card when you bundle a $25 iTunes gift card along with a $25 Best Buy card. We round out the top trio with a 3-in-1 FM transmitter for the iPod or iPhone.

For details on these and other bargains (including a new round of App Store freebies), check out CoM’s “Daily Deals” page after the jump.

UK carrier O2 will unlock iPhones once subscriber contracts expire, allowing customers to use the Apple device on rival networks. The decision by Telefonica chairman and CEO Matthew Key could preview how carriers respond to the shrinking number of exclusive iPhone contracts.

“Once the iPhone becomes available on other UK networks, we will allow O2 customers to unlock their iPhones, although of course they will still need to honor any outstanding contract period they have,” Key told the Times. “At the end of their contract period, they are entirely free to move to another operator.”

Verizon has released three new ads attacking AT&T, the latest labeling the iPhone as a “Misfit toy.” The ad charges the handset belongs on the “Island for Misfit Toys” because of AT&T’s lack of widespread 3G coverage. Two other Christmas-themed ads take aim at the rival carrier’s coverage.

This latest round of ads differ from Verizon’s iDon’t Droid spots which highlighted the handsets limitations. Instead, the newest ads make a point of praising the iPhone while  taking to task AT&T’s coverage.

The first worm aimed at the iPhone has appeared. The worm is described as mostly innocuous, initially targeting unsecure jailbroken iPhones in Austrialia.

The worm’s creator, a hacker identified as “ikex” switches your wallpaper for an image of Rick Astley, a 1980-era pop star. Astley, who sang the 1987 hit “Never Gonna Give You Up,” may be better known for the Internet prank known as “Rickrolling.” The bait-and-switch replaces an ordinary video with one of Astley.

In the iPhone’s case, the hacker displays “ikex is never gonna give you up,” followed by comment’s in the worm’s source code urging people to upgrade their phone’s security.

“The world’s first iPhone worm is hardly a true criminal exploit,” according to Forbes. “Instead, it seems to be half warning, half prank.” In the source code, the hacker wrote: “People are stupid, and this is to prove it so.” The worm affects only iPhones using the default SSH password allowing phone-to-phone file transfers.

We close out the week with deals on iMacs, including a desktop Mac with 3.06 GHz processor, 27-inch screen, 8GB of Ram, plus Parallels with Windows 7 for $1,977. Also on tap: a number of iPhone cases and a deal on VMWare’s Fusion 3 for the Mac.

For details on these and other bargains (such as Apple’s 500GB Time Capsule), check out CoM’s “Daily Deals” page after the jump.

Apple is the defendant in a number of lawsuits, the latest from Nokia. However, a bizarre lawsuit has appeared, naming the Cupertino, Calif. company and ‘Sex in the City’ actress Sara Jessica Parker in a lawsuit claiming the two attempted to steal trade secrets involving the iPhone, iPod and iTunes.

The lawsuit brought by Miami, Fla. resident Franz A. Wakefield claims after a 1989 meeting with Parker, the self-described “trade secret and copyright owner” “made a trade secret deal” with Parker to commercialize the iPod classic, nano, mini, shuffle, video, touch and photo, along with iTunes and the iPhone. As part of the deal, Parker supposedly would get 2 percent of gross revenue. Wakefield, who claims he named all of the products 20 years before their release by Apple, asked the FBI to watch over his security, according to the lawsuit.