News - page 2200

Take it from me: Germans love their iPods, and they love their hard-boiled eggs. The eiPott, then, is a cute little example of German kitsch: it’s an egg holder shaped like an abstraction of an iPod.

You’d think it’d be hard to get upset about such an innocuous little piece of dishware, but Apple apparently did, bringing a lawsuit against koizol, the manufacturer… and now a German high court says that koizol needs to redesign and rename the product, citing potential confusion.

This is ridiculous. While we certainly understand Apple needs to protect their trademarks and brands, the eiPott only shares the most abstract similarity in form to the iPod, and — needless to say — none of the iPod’s functionality. They’re not trying to confuse consumers: they’re trying to entertain them with a tongue-in-cheek homage to one of the most popular brands on Earth.

[via TUAW]

We’ve all seen what id software has in mind as far as bringing their upcoming Rage to iOS as a 60 frames-per-second FPS, but what about id’s classic games? They’ve already released incredible ports of Doom and Wolfenstein 3D to the App Store, and id’s engine-building maestro John Carmack had promised to bring Quake to iOS devices too, as well as the mobile specific title, Orcs and Elves. What’s the hold up?

TouchArcade got a chance to talk to Carmack, and it doesn’t sound good:

Currently, id is completely focused on Rage, and John isn’t sure when they will get back to the classic games “even though it makes a lot of sense.” He also explained that while both Doom II RPG [$3.99] and Wolfenstein RPG [$1.99] have done well on mobile phones, their performance on the App Store has been less than ideal, leading to the decision to not bring the Orcs & Elves games over to iOS.

That’s disappointing news, because both Doom II RPG and Wolfenstein RPG are great titles. Moreover, when Doom Classic was released, Carmack promised that it would soon be updated to allow in-app purchases of the sequels, Doom 2 and Final Doom. That update still isn’t out.

Rage for iPhone looks incredible, but id’s doing the best FPS ports on the App Store, and their classic library of games is non-pareil. Let’s hope id software figures out a way to get back to the App Store in earnest.

Remember the good ol’ days of sweatshops? People toiled long hours for very little pay, but gosh ‘darn it, they were happy to have a job. These kids today, they aren’t grateful for the $100 they earn each month assembling iPods. That seems to be the message coming from Apple supplier Foxconn about why it is introducing ‘entertainment’ to boost the spirits of otherwise-suicidal workers.

“Unlike the previous generation of workers that regarded work and basic necessities as top priorities in life, post 80s workers don’t just work for money,” a special assistant to the chairman of Hon Hai, which trademarks the Foxconn name, told the Wall Street Journal Friday. About three-quarters of Foxconn’s workers are between 18 and 24 years old.

Earlier this week, we reported that 2010 smartphone shipments rose by more than 50 percent over the previous year, now comprising 20 percent of all cell phone sales. Now comes the second shoe to drop: $2.2 billion in smartphone apps were sold in just the first six months of this year, German researchers say.

Indeed, the Apple iPad App Store alone may generate $1 billion in sales by 2012. In early 2010, Apple announced 3 billion apps were downloaded from its App Store within the first 18 months the marketplace was open.

Sonos’ awesome-looking iPad app has been delayed until the end of September, the company just said in a statement:

“Delivering the highest quality products that exceed our customers’ expectations has always been our mission at Sonos. Nothing less will do. Which is why we are postponing the shipment of our new Sonos Controller for iPad app until the end of September. We’re disappointed, but know that the result will be worth the wait. In the meantime, customers can continue to use the Sonos Controller for iPhone app on their iPad.”

We got a sneak peek of the app earlier in the summer and were very impressed. Sonos sells wireless music players that make it easy to get multi-room audio around your house. The iPad app that makes digital music very easy — especially listening to online music services.

Since Apple released iMovie for iPhone, the rumor mill’s been chattering about when we can expect other iLife apps to make an appearance. If Apple was considering GarageBand for iOS, it may as well not bother, because NanoStudio‘s not only beaten Apple to it, but it offers functionality and usability that in some ways puts it ahead of the Cupertino giant’s desktop music app.

Quattro Wireless, the finger in Google’s advertising pie, will be all iAd all the time, after September 30. That’s the message visitors receive at the mobile ad firm’s website. It’s also a message to competitors that Apple continues on its path to becoming a vertical powerhouse: entertainment, mobility and advertising.

“We believe iAd is the best mobile ad network in the world, and starting next month we’re going to focus all our resources on the iAd advertising platform,” announced Quattro.

I’ve long been mystified by both Apple and Microsoft’s inability to put together a useable mouse. Consider my experiences with each company’s showcase mice. On the one hand, Microsoft’s Arc Mouse was a pleasant-to-use and attractive foldable travel mouse, which — like every wireless Microsoft mouse I’ve tried — mysteriously gave up the ghost and experienced catastrophic hardware failure within the first couple of months. On the other hand, Apple’s Magic Mouse is a reliable piece of kit, but it’s ergonomically terrible and nearly unusable for things like gaming.

If only these two mice could come together somehow. Unfortunately, what I want is the hardware reliability of Apple and the conventional feature set of Microsoft’s mice, not the other way around. Microsoft’s forthcoming Arc Touch Mouse is the latter sort of abomination, offering the Magic Mouse’s touch capability as re-imagined by one of the most inept hardware manufacturers on earth.

Even worse? Early rumors pegged Microsoft’s Arc Touch as not launching with the Magic Mouse’s robust multitouch gesture set, but being single-touch only. So what the heck’s the point? It doesn’t even look as good as the original Arc. Forget it. I’ll stick with my Magic Trackpad.

Nikon have just announced an incremental update to their beginner’s SLR called the D3100, and while it’s a marginal update over its superb budget predecessor, the D3000, it does add one feature into the mix that even their most expensive and pro-oriented cameras have yet to integrate: 1080p H.264 video at up to 24FPS, stored in a QuickTime .MOV file. It even boasts dynamic, constantly updating autofocus for video scenes.

The camera’s other specs are tasty: a 14.2MP, DX-format CMOS sensor, an 11-point autofocus system, ISO support up to 3200. The kit lens is the same old 18-55mm autofocusing kit lens, which — if you’re a beginner — you’re going to want to ditch for something like their classic 50mm 1.8f Nikkor lens as soon as you possibly can to see the real difference between this and a more expensive point-and-shoot.

I have a D3000, and I love it, but I’ve sometimes sorely missed video capability… a deficiency the D3100 ably corrects at a $250 premium: the D3100 will cost $700 when it’s available in September.

Elements is a fantastic new app for iOS devices that doesn’t really do anything new, except for how well it does it: it is a lovely and versatile text editor for iOS that deftly integrates with Dropbox and TextExpander to allow you to create and edit documents across multiple devices, from your iPhone to your Mac.

As a fiction tinkerer, I love it: Elements will slurp in any document in your Dropbox folder and allow you to easily edit it, versioning any changes every thirty seconds. It even gives you statistics on what you’re writing, like word and line count. The interface is just the way I like my text editors, devoid of any fancy rich text formatting. I’ve been using it in conjunction with my favorite OS X text editor, WriteRoom, and it’s like the two applications were umbilically entwined from birth.

Another fantastic feature? A scratchpad: a pop over panel where you can jot a note or paste some text for easy use later. As Gadget Lab’s resident hungover bike poloer Mr. Charlie Sorrel agreeably writes, this feature “should be standard in any app, mobile or desktop, which uses text.”

Elements is a fantastic program for any iOS writer. It can be purchased from the App Store now for just $4.99.

Yesterday, Apple chipmaker Intel announced a surprising move: they are buying for security firm McAffee for $7.7 billion.

It’s a curious move, and Intel’s motivations for buying McAffee are murky at best. Since McAfee is mostly known for its PC software line-up, which is practically infamous amongst Windows users for being an expensive, system-intensive hog of an anti-virus suite, many are seeing this move as a bet by Intel on Windows.

With the iPad and iPhone’s increasing popularity in enterprise environments, Apple might finally be ready to take serious steps to beef up iOS device security: a new patent titled “Systems and Methods for Identifying Unauthorized Users of an Electronic Device” describe future iPhones and iPads that could bond with its owner and initiative security measures if an unknown person was trying to access it.

According to the patent, future iOS devices cold use voice print analysis, face analysis and even the rhythm of a user’s heartbeat to determine whether or not the current user was the one that device has been paired to. It would also be able to detect suspicious activity like hacking attempts, or “particular activities that [indicate] suspicious behavior.” Presumably, that could be anything, from the order in which apps are launched to the speed and staccato of a user’s typing.

If an unauthorized user was detected, the iOS device in question could then go into lockdown mode, taking a FaceTime snapshot of the user’s face while simultaneously logging all keystrokes and phone calls made, as well as the GPS location of the device at the time of the unauthorized entry. Furthermore, a warning could be pushed into the cloud to the user’s authorized owner, as well as the automatic uploading of sensitive data and then a complete, spontaneous device wipe.

It’s an interesting patent, and it would certainly go a long way to satisfying the security misgivings many corporations have about iOS devices. Unfortunately, Apple patents just as often as not flow forth from Cupertino like corporate fever dreams; until we actually see these features in action on a real-world device, there’s no telling how serious Apple is taking this parent.

[via Ars Technica]

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE7LY5lq9mc&

Today, I was burned by this Qrank question: “Apple has delayed the launch of the white iPhone 4. Why?” I answered because of a manufacturing defect in the hardware, but the answer Qrank wanted was that Apple was unhappy with the color. I suppose both are true, but only as much as the iPhone 4’s ivory veneer (and its reportedly associated light leak) counts as a “color” and not a “hardware defect.”

Either way, 9to5Mac just posted this great video of a white iPhone 4 unboxing, the origins and appropriation of the elusive handset still being unknown.

It certainly seems to be legitimate and not just a skinjob, but it raises maddening questions about the imminency of the white iPhone 4’s launch: if the videographer had chosen to film the white iPhone 4 in the dark, we’d be able to tell if Apple had fixed its production problems related to light seepage in the white iPhone 4, and therefore be able to predict whether or not this would be hitting AT&T Apple.com soon. In the meantime, we just have to speculate, and hope that this is just the first of a veritable deluge of white iPhone 4 unboxings that you and I will experience sooner rather than later.

Once the most profitable cell phone company in the world, and still the largest, Finnish telecommunications giant Nokia has seemed so utterly unprepared for combating the game-changing iPhone that their corporate confusion could only be matched by someone flipping the gravity switch to the off position in the middle of a basketball game.

It’s no wonder that Nokia is trying to copy Apple’s success, but as these recently leaked shots of their upcoming N9 prestige phone is anything to go by, their strategy seems to be to petulantly ignore Apple’s revolutionary advances in the smartphone arena while rather lamely aping the brushed aluminum and black chiclet aesthetic of the MacBook line.

The result is a confused mishmash: a smartphone that wants to be a MacBook when what Nokia needs is a handset that makes the iPhone want to be more of a Nokia. Come on, Nokia: once upon a time, you made the best phones on Earth. You can do better than this.

Figuring out which Mac you want to drop your moist wad of bills upon just became a little easier thanks to a new addition to the online Apple store called Compare Macs.

The feature offers a tri-paned juxtaposition of the hardware, software, storage, environmental impact, communications and display of any OS X machine sold by Apple online. The option becomes available in the top menu bar once you select a Mac.

Although there’s nothing particularly revolutionary about the feature, as usual, Apple has managed to execute the new option with such perfection that the HTML5 seems to shiver. Each genre of juxtaposition — Hardware, Software, Technical Specifications, And Configuration Summary — is delineated into specific sections that collapse as you scroll down the page, with each point of comparison flushly horizontal with its comparable brethren. The pie charts under the Environmental Status Report section are particularly well rendered, using different patinas of oak and walnut to attractively convey the green-friendliness of each model.

In truth, Apple’s computer line-up is so well branded that it’s usually pretty clear what performance you’ll get from each computer simply according to where the line model falls within Apple’s spectrum of products. But that’s besides the point: ultimately, “Compare Macs” is just another example of the exemplary interface polish that Apple is known for whether in software, hardware or HTML.

Desperate for a real keyboard on your iPhone?  Indian industrial designer Altamash Jiwani was too, and created a prototype of a snap-on sliding QWERTY keyboard for the iPhone 4:

[The] keyboard offers a QWERTY slider tactile keyboard and a stylish impact case to protect your Iphone from bumps and bruises along with access to all the switches and jacks on your Iphone. Just fit your Iphone in the case while connecting the QWERTY keyboard’s port to the dock connector of your Iphone.

Design also incorporates a finger rest at the lower end bottom of the case to get a comfortable hold while typing. If you don’t open the slider, you still have access to whole Iphone screen and the QWERTY keyboard for quickly typing something.

Jiwani put significant thought into choosing among three possible form factors: a flip keyboard, an elongated iPhone frame, or a sliding keyboard.  He documented the design process on his blog.

Like prison cakes, iOS updates tend to have secret files baked into the firmware, each capable of sawing through the bars of Apple’s own internal clampdown to free details on upcoming products. The latest beta of iOS 4.1 is no exception, offering a tantalizing first glimpse of three upcoming iOS devices.

The first two tipped products aren’t particularly surprising: a reference to an iPod 4,1 is clearly pointing towards next month’s updated iPod Touch, which is likely to boast an A4 CPU, FaceTime support and a Retina Display.

Similarly, once you know that iProd 1,1 was the internal Apple coding reference to the first-gen iPad, iProd 2,1 is easy to peg as a second-gen iPad. What’s curious here, though, is the fact that Apple’s officially programming support for a second generation iPad at all into iOS 4.1. If Apple sticks to a yearly product update for the iPad, we’re eight months away from an update to the tablet; does the reference to iProd 2,1 in an iOS update scheduled for next month indicate a surprising hardware refresh for the iPad line later this year, possibly fixing the begrudged lack of FaceTime support?

The final reference, though, is the most intriguing: an unknown device described as “unknownHardware” tagged with a unique Apple product ID of 20547. Smart money is this being an iOS-driven update to the AppleTV, although we’ve all been surprised by Apple before. Only September’s annual iPod event will give us partial answers.

We all hate chores. Whether it’s taking out the trash, washing the dishes or any other number of horrifyingly dull tasks. Game developer Rexbox aims to inject some fun into these mundane tasks with the release of EpicWin for iPhone, which turns your to-do list into a game.

Brandon Smith is in jail accused of ripping off Bill Jordan’s pinky while snagging his iPad outside a Denver Apple store. Smith is also now accused of putting out a hit on Jordan from jail to stop the trial.

Smith spoke to CBS about the whole mess the day before his appearance in court. (Yes, CoM has gone all iCrime central this week with the news of Apple-related mayhem. Once you get started, it’s hard to stop).

Smith has still not confessed to the crime — either the iPad theft or the murder plot — but did say:

“I’m sorry for whatever, and for him losing his finger. That’s awful from just a theft. That’s a bad theft gone wrong, you know what I’m saying.” And adds that if he could give him his own finger he would.

Smith, who just turned 21, says he was jacked up on drugs (speed and heroin) at the time of the crime and while he admits to desiring Apple’s latest device, he still will not say he committed the crime.

“I wanted one but I’m not going to say that I ripped one off and everything.”  Smith also denies writing the hit letter, saying his cellmate did it. Smith’s brother turned him in after seeing the video surveillance footage on crime stoppers.

Ugh. Maybe he should think about changing lawyers for a more coherent strategy (is he apologizing to the victim for the crime or not?) before appearing in court today.

Via CBS

Research in Motion reportedly is shopping for a mobile ad platform to help the BlackBerry maker better compete with Apple’s iAds and Google’s AdMob. The only hitch: the company that tops RIM’s list of candidates — Millennial Media — just isn’t that interested in being acquired.

Millennial Media CEO Paul Palmieri told the Wall Street Journal the company wants to launch an initial public offering and remain independent. If snatched-up by RIM, Palmieri’s company would lose all the opportunity to serve ads to the lucrative iPhone, iPad and other iOS devices protected by Apple’s iOS developer agreement. The agreement, initially aimed at Google, denies ad network access, unless approved by Cupertino. Since Apple has its own ad network – iAd – its unlikely Millennial would get another bite of the Apple.

Ok, here at CoM we know Apple makes must-have technology. We really do get it. But c’mon people: don’t get yourself thrown in jail to prove Apple makes coveted gadgets that people will sometimes maim other people to get.

Case in point: Tyanthony Devon Dunbar, 28, now sits in jail slapped on an attempted murder charge after allegedly shooting his 26-year-old cousin Antonio Maurice Harley following a morning scuffle (no, not shuffle) involving an iPod. The incident took place in Colleton, South Carolina; the report doesn’t mention what kind of iPod it was.

Does anyone ever get into this much trouble over a Zune or a Blackberry?

Via Post and News

Facebook just dropped version 3.2 of their iOS app onto iTunes, bringing an interesting new feature to the mix that seems like a direct challenge to the likes of foursquare’s location-based dominance: Places, a feature which lets you “check-in” to your current location and share it with friends.

Other new features in the update include the ability to set privacy of individual status updates, see all the recipients on any inbox messages, and even upload photos and videos in the background taking advantage of iOS4’s nifty multitasking abilities.

Facebook for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad is available free for download, and the 3.2 update should have rolled out to App Store users internationally. Just hit refresh.

If you’re a true Star Wars fan interested in supporting the franchise, on one hand, you could get yourself a Motorola Droid 2, which passes on a small sliver of a royalty to LucasFilm with every handset sold thanks to George Lucas’ trademark on “droid.”

On the other hand, that would stick you with using Android, and luminous beings are we. So fly your geeky colors proud and true by instead purchasing this official $30 R2-D2 iPhone case. It won’t snuggle your iPhone 4, but it’ll shell your iPhone 3G or 3GS like an astromech, making it very much the droid you’ve been looking for.

It’s becoming a trend with iPhone 4 pre-sales: huge demand equals overwhelmed sites. It was no different in Korea, where consumers deluged carrier KT’s website. Before the site went down ,the carrier (and its 2900 retail locations) Wednesday pre-sold 130,000 iPhone 4s in 13 hours – or 10,000 Apple handsets per hour.

The 130,000 figure pales in comparison to the 600,000 first-day U.S. pre-orders, but is a dramatic increase over initial demand of Apple’s previous handset, the iPhone 3GS. When the 3GS launched in 2009, KT accepted 14,500 pre-orders on that first day.

If you’ve ever hit Craigslist or eBay looking for an iPhone, you’re probably used to seeing ads for new, unlocked iPhones from mystery dealers. You might see less of them for the time being, though: London detectives have arrested nine members of an international iPhone resale ring.

The suspects in question are alleged to have taken advantage of the UK’s extremely subsidized iPhone rates to purchase thousands of new handsets through a middleman boasting a fraudulent credit card or identity. They would then sell those iPhones internationally for a healthy profit, sticking local British iPhone carriers with the tab.

That’s not all: the same criminals stole over £1.2 million in July from wireless carrier O2 by hooking up SIM cards to automated dialers to call premium phone lines in their control which charged ten pounds a minute. They then simply abandoned the contracts by disappearing without a trace.

It was that latter crime that actually prompted the City of London detectives’ month-long investigation, which ultimately netted them nine collars. At one home, they also confiscated over £15,000-worth of iPhones still in their boxes.

[via Apple Insider]