iPhone - page 420

As spotted by Apple Insider, Apple’s latest patent application to be unearthed describes a dock wit a “rotationally symmetric” port that allows you to sync and charge your iPhone or iPad in any orientation that you may choose.

The most interesting part about this application is that it isn’t a plug-in device: in other words, an iPhone or iPad could sync and charge just by resting against the surface of the dock.

Much as I would kill to see the end of the USB iPod Dock Connector Cable for inductive syncing and charging technology, It’s strange to see Apple trying to patent this: the Palm Pre‘s Touchstone Charger has done this same thing for two years, and HP presumably now owns the patent on it. If I had to guess, the difference here is that Apple’s patent covers both syncing and charging, while the Palm Touchstone can only do the latter.

How will Apple’s device sync information wirelessly, though? My guess is not through induction, but rather through WiFi… a capability of future iDevices confirmed just last month by Steve Jobs himself.

Yesterday’s iOS 4.0.1 changed the way the iPhone’s signal is displayed: previously, iOS corralled the upper 40% of the signal into the fifth service bar in the fifth signal bar, meaning you had to have less than 60% signal to drop below four bars. This exacerbated the perceived effect of the iPhone 4 “Death Grip” by causing more bars to drop when held “the wrong way” when there were four bars or less of signal, but also made the reception degradation invisible to people living in areas of excellent service because the fifth bar had so much wiggle room for signal degradation.

This is no longer the case. Anandtech has just done a comprehensive examination of the way iOS 4.0.1 displays its signal bars, and as predicted, they found that Apple is now translating signal strength into bars more accurately and with a higher dynamic range. In other words, you’ll require more signal to show higher bars than it once did. Or, as Anandtech puts it, “regardless of how tall the bars are, there are still going to be fewer of them virtually everywhere.”

The Firefox Home application from Mozilla that allows you to synchronize your Firefox desktop session with your iPhone & iPod Touch has finally been approved and is now available for download in the App Store.

It’s free and uses your Firefox Sync account to transfer your history, bookmarks and open tabs between your computer and your device, giving you easy access to all of your Firefox favorites wherever you are.

For more information and instructions on setup, visit Mozilla’s support page here. Download the Firefox Home application for your device from the App Store here.

Apple will not recall the iPhone 4 at it’s 10AM press conference tomorrow, the Wall Street Journal reports:

Apple doesn’t plan to recall the phone, a person familiar with the matter said.

The story has media-management written all over it. The leak is from Apple’s PR department; the company is setting expectations for tomorrow’s event.

WSJ: Apple Knew of iPhone Antenna Risks

Apple just released iOS 4.0.1 — the day before its big iPhone 4 press conference. The update fixes the signal dislay algorithm, which Apple has said is behind iPhone 4 reception issues.

So it seems likely that the 4.0.1 update — and this alone — will be the subject of tomorrow’s press conference. Steve Jobs will use the event to explain (slowly and carefully) how this bug update fixes the problem.

No recall, no free bumpers, no admission of a hardware issue.

Who do you guys think? Will the 4.0.1 update be the subject of tomorrow’s press conference?

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Audible.com, the provider of digital audiobooks and more, now have an application available for your iPhone & iPod Touch. It’s a free download and claims to deliver the “the most comprehensive audiobook experience ever.”

If you’re not already an Audible member, you can create a new account for free within the app, and as a bonus you will receive a free excerpt from The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company That Is Connecting the World. At present, only Audible.com accounts will work, however the description states support for Audible.co.uk, .de and .fr accounts is coming soon.

Noteable features include the ability to transfer your books wirelessly between your computer and your device over Wi-Fi; multitasking for background audio playback and background downloading for compatible devices with iOS 4; and the opportunity to connect to Facebook and Twitter to let your friends know what you’re listening to.

Another nifty feature is the ability to check out your listening stats and collect “badges” for your listening habits.

For more information and to download the Audible app, check out the App Store here.

Apple has just issued the 4.0.1 iOS update, which includes a new formula for displaying reception bars.

The update includes a new signal strength algorithm, which is Apple’s answer to the iPhone 4 death grip issue. It doesn’t appear to improve reception strength, just the way it is displayed. According to Apple, the iOS used an old, outdated algorithm that incorrectly calculated signal strength, a problem that was exacerbated when user’s cover the external antenna.

The update fixes this problem, and is available for iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and iPhone 3G. It can be downloaded through iTunes when the device is connected via USB. (Hit the “Check for Updates” button).

The update can also be downloaded here:

• iPhone 4
• iPhone 3GS
• iPhone 3G

Thanks Don!

A wireless expert with ties to Apple’s senior antenna engineer says the company is in a pickle. It cannot fix the iPhone 4 antenna issue without completely redesigning the hardware.

Earl McCune, a leading RF expert — and former colleague of Apple’s Sr. Director of iPhone/iPod engineering, Ruben Caballero (who is in the news today) — says the iPhone’s antenna will have to be moved.

“The only way to solve the problem is to not have your hand within a wavelength of the phone — about a foot and a half away,” said McCune, a RF/wireless consultant, author and entrepreneur. “It’s the law of physics.”

McCune is the former boss of Apple’s top antenna engineer, Ruben Caballero. Last year, Caballero tried to warn Steve Jobs that the iPhone 4’s external antenna may drop calls.

Citing “reliable sources,” Greek iPhone site iPhone Hellas is reporting that iOS 4.0.1 might be released today.

The rumor doesn’t quite sound right: iPhone Hellas’ report suggests that yesterday’s iOS 4.1 beta seeded to developers might actually be iOS 4.0.1, which doesn’t make a lot of sense. “The final version of 4.1 will be released much later, probably in September, after several beta versions,” iPhone Hellas’ asserts.

That said, iPhone Hellas doesn’t have a completely ignominious background when it comes to iOS update predictions: back in 2008, they successfully predicted the released of iOS 2.2 over ten days ahead of time.

If the rumor is true, the best news of all might not be the much-talked about “software fix” for the iPhone 4 reception issues, but the fact that the jailbreaking community has been waiting on iOS 4.0.1 to release many of their new exploits, including an updated version of Spirit. Can’t wait!

[via Apple Insider]

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Apple has invited a select group of journalists to a press conference about the iPhone 4 on Friday.

The press conference will be held at 10AM at Apple’s Cupertino campus. It will likely address controversy surrounding the device’s antenna performance, which degrades if the phone is held in the so-called death grip.

It’s not clear if Steve Jobs will host the press conference.

No other information about the conference is available. According got Macworld, the invite simply says it’s a “press conference about iPhone 4,” nothing more.

The iPhone 4 Antennagate went into overdrive this week after Consumer Reports tests showed the issue is hardware related, and not a software problem as Apple had claimed earlier this month.

In a statement published on its website, Apple blamed a faulty reception algorithm for displaying incorrect signal strength. The company has promised a software fix.

Given the bad publicity surrounding the device, a voluntary recall is expected.

Macworld: Apple to hold iPhone 4 press conference Friday

As you can see in the above screenshot, Apple has delivered on their improved signal bar graphics. Only time will tell if this is an actual indication of signal strength. Other noticeable changes include a revamp of the Game Center app, the ability to add FaceTime favorites and the Camera app (incl. camera roll) auto-rotating in landscape. More screenshots after the break.

What a surprise: software updates don’t fix problems in hardware.

Check out our video above. An iPhone 4 running the 4.1 beta loses a couple of bars when held in a “death grip.”

Apple iPhone Configuration Utility hits version 3.0. The new version was released today and includes enhanced support for iOS 4 and bug fixes. I highly recommend this often under utilized tool as something to have in your arsenal of tools for advanced iOS troubleshooting.

Earlier today, Apple released an update to iOS 4 and the corresponding SDK to developers, bringing the current version of  both to 4.1 beta. The update follows the release of iOS 4 last month.

There are a plethora of problems being reported about the iPhone 4 and iOS 4 and I hope that this update will address them. I’d particularly like to see fixes for the sensitivity of my proximity sensor and the Jawbone bluetooth connectivity issues reported earlier on Cult of Mac. I’ve personally experienced both of these issues on my iPhone 4.

It will also be interesting to see if this update includes the new signal strength formula or not and what effect if any this will have on the problems reported with the iPhone 4 antenna.

Registered iOS developers can grab a copy of the new beta at developer.apple.com/iphone.

I have not yet heard about any new features in this beta, but these details will likely surface soon. If you find out anything new about this update feel free to tell us all about it in the comments.

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uH8K-TUhfk

The guys at ColorWare will take pretty much any gadget under the sun and dip it into a couple of cans of Pantone-coded paint for you. No surprise, then, that they’re now applying their multi-chromatic treatment to the iPhone 4.

Like usual, you just pick out a color scheme, write a check for $250, send them your phone and wait for them to send it back to you, as prettily painted as a surfer girl’s toe nails.

However, what makes the ColorWare treatment more interesting this time around is that a coat of paint on the antenna might be just enough to thwart the iPhone 4’s infamous ” grip of death” reception issues.

ColorWare’s not promising anything just yet, but they are testing their latest iPhone 4 coloring process in the lab to see if it has measurable effect on reception. Either way, this might be the first ColorWare paintjob that transcends the decorative for the prophylactic.

Apple’s antennagate issue has been in the news for weeks now. It’s the dominant story about the iPhone 4. This is why PR experts have compared Apple to Toyota. Not because the two problems are equivalent — they aren’t — but because the media equates Prius with dodgy brake pedals, and the iPhone 4 with dodgy reception issues. Note: No one said it’s a Prius-style problem; they said it’s a Prius-style PR problem.

Apple’s stock is taking a pounding today after Consumer Reports‘ negative iPhone review, and our story that the company may have to issue a hardware recall.

Apple’s share price fell 3-4% in heavy trading today, reports VentureBeat:

Apple’s stock price fell 3 percent on Tuesday after Consumer Reports gave a negative review of the iPhone 4 because of its reception problems.

… In the wake of the Consumer Reports review, experts speculated that Apple would have to recall the units it has sold to fix the antenna problem, which may be more complicated than the software fix that Apple talked about on July 2.

VentureBeat: Apple shares slide after bad iPhone 4 review, recall concerns

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_TFHqIHBqM

A lot has been made of the iPhone 4’s incredible Retina Display, but the handset’s unprecedented screen clarity won’t do you any favors if you’re blind.

Even so, it seems like iOS might be built from the ground-up to support blind users, as this video from musician Victor Tsaran reveals: he was able to effortlessly pair his iPhone 4 with a Bluetooth Braillant 32 display. Coupled with iOS’ innate (and somewhat hyperactive) voice-over accessibility feature, Victor is able to easily take advantage of most of his iPhone 4’s core functionality. Now that’s an attention to detail.

[via Gadget Lab]

Having issues getting FaceTime to work on your home network? Your firewall might be the problem. Apple’s just posted a note to their support website giving tips on getting FaceTime through your router’s prophylactic layer.

According to Apple, the ports FaceTime needs to be open are 53, 80, 443, 4080, 5223 and the 16393 – 16472 UDP block. Obviously, opening these ports up is going to differ according to your network setup, so check your router’s manual for instructions before fiddling around.

Last week, the Fring iPhone application supported Skype video conferencing over 3G. This week, it doesn’t, ending a four year relationship between Fring and Skype. What the heck happened?

According to Fring, their recent update to the iPhone app resulted in such a huge volume of video calls that they needed to temporarily “reduce support” for Skype, after which point, Skype demanded Fring not restore connectivity.

But that’s not what Skype is saying. According to the VoIP company: “There is no truth to Fring’s claims that Skype blocked them, it was their decision and choice to withdraw Skype functionality.” They then go on to say that Fring “misus[ed] the Skype software in ways which it was not designed for and which does not scale to meet consumer demand.”

It’s really hard to parse this bickering. Was Skype just upset that Fring beat them to the 3G video-conferencing punch, using their own API? Or was Fring’s decision to pull Skype support violate their licensing agreement somehow?

Either way, the only clear winner here is Apple’s FaceTime. The cross-platform video chat providers just can’t seem to get their act together.

Animated Knots by Grog is a great app that teaches you to tie all kinds of handy knots. This is the first app we’ve reviewed to earn five Black Turtlenecks using our rating system!

Apple will be forced to recall the iPhone 4 following Consumer Reports tests proving the “Death Grip” antenna issue is not software related, but a hardware flaw, PR experts say.

“Apple will be forced to do a recall of this product,” said Professor Matthew Seeger, an expert in crisis communication. “It’s critically important. The brand image is the most important thing Apple has. This is potentially devastating.”

A number of Cult of Mac readers, and numerous more on Apple’s Discussion boards, have reported a bevy of problems–some large, some small–after upgrading to iOS 4 or the iPhone 4. I don’t plan on boring you with a list of what users were complaining about. Instead, I will give you four troubleshooting tips that generally fix most, but not necessarily all iPhone and iOS problems.

Consumer Reports‘ conclusion that the iPhone 4 Death Grip is hardware-related is a huge blow for Apple. This isn’t something Apple can ignore — or brush off as a software problem that is easily fixed. Consumer Reportsis too big and important. Apple must respond.

But is the Death Grip a fuss about nothing? Given all the complexities of cell-phone networks, is the Death Grip something that doesn’t have much effect in day-to-day use?

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