iPhone 3.0 Firmware Antici…
Filed under: iPod Family, WWDC, iPhone
With WWDC just a short while away, iPhone users everywhere are looking forward to the upcoming 3.0 firmware release promised back in March. So when will 3.0 debut? Apple hasn’t said[1].
In March, Apple promised that 3.0 would appear this Summer, causing pundits to speculate that the firmware and a refreshed iPhone line might hit the streets in early July, around the one year anniversary of the 3G model. July 11 marks the date that the 3G iPhone and App Store finally launched.
Rumors have been flying in recent days that 3.0 might bow as early as next Monday. The recent release of iTunes 8.2 supports that idea, indicating that Apple may be closer to a 3.0 update than originally thought. TUAW readers point out that apps which have publicly announced remote notification support have begun appearing in iTunes, albeit in 2.x releases.
There’s no reason I can think of that Apple should have to wait for new hardware before releasing the 3.0 firmware to the general public. In fact, I’d greatly welcome an earlier release for enthusiastic reasons I cannot expand upon due to the ongoing NDA. Others have pointed out that a staggered software/hardware release might avoid the iTunes server capacity issues that plagued the 2.0 firmware release.
So when do you think Apple will start shipping 3.0? Let us know in the comments and cast your vote in this handy poll.
[1]…pation
TUAWiPhone 3.0 Firmware Antici… originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Trend: Company-specific apps and ads
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iPhone, App Store
Imagine this scenario: you’re watching the latest episode of “Mythbusters” on the Discovery Channel when an ad for Nationwide Insurance appears. Are they trying to sell you insurance? Of course, but they’re also touting their new Nationwide Mobile (click opens iTunes) iPhone app, which Nationwide policyholders can use to report accidents, start claims, and find local agents or repair shops.
Later, you’re watching NBA playoff action and you see an ad for E*TRADE that catches your attention. It’s not that you want to lose more money in the stock market, but you’re fascinated because the ad is talking about the E*TRADE Mobile Pro app for the iPhone. Banks have been doing iPhone apps for a while, with Chase and Bank of America taking the lead.
Are you beginning to see a trend here? Sure, maybe a handful of ads doesn’t make a trend, but more and more companies are delivering apps that provide a mobile solution for their customers, and then advertising that iPhone-based solution to a wider audience on TV. Why? The iPhone, despite being on the market for two years, is still considered to be leading-edge technology, and it has an unparalleled “cool factor”. Any company wanting to show that it’s cool and on top of current mobile technology is going to jump on the iPhone connection.
I wouldn’t expect to see any Microsoft apps for iPhone soon. What apps and related ads would you like to see?
Update: Thanks to the many readers who pointed out that there are two Microsoft apps available: Seadragon MobileMicrosoft Tag Reader. Of course, I seriously doubt if they’re going to tout either of these apps in a TV ad.
TUAWTrend: Company-specific apps and ads originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 18 May 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Why I’m Buying the New Mac Mini: Value Reconsidered
Yesterday, Apple introduced new hardware across its desktop offerings, and with one exception, the changes were pretty much hailed and welcomed by all. That one exception received, and continues to receive, fairly harsh criticism from all sides, including from our very own Tom Reestman, who argued that Apple really under-delivered with yesterday’s update to their tiny all-in-one. Tom’s main problem is with the value prospect of the new machine, since, as he rightfully points out, you don’t get very much bang for your buck when you drop $600 on the entry-level machine.
What’s Wrong With It
It is underpowered, it is overpriced, and, worst of all, as Gizmodo points out, it is not easily upgradeable after the fact, so most users would be advised to bite the bullet and pay Apple’s extortionate rates for in-house upgrades, or risk breaking something. The hard drive options are almost insulting, with the max available upgrade being 320GB. That seems pretty clearly intended to force your covetous gaze towards the higher-priced iMacs, if you ask me.
Even though I agree with Tom, and I truly believe everything I just said, I will still be buying a new Mac mini today…despite already owning an iMac and a MacBook. Maybe I’m masochistic, or just a compulsive shopper, right? While both of those things may be true, neither is the reason for my purchase.
What’s Right With It
The reason I’m buying the Mac mini is that for my needs (not as a small business owner, and not with such specific tastes as some), and with my existing setup, it is the perfect home theatre PC. Before you protest, let me explain. Afterward, you can protest till the cows come home.
The Current, Mac mini-less Setup
I currently don’t have a proper home theater receiver, or traditional book shelf or floor speakers or any kind of 5.1 surround setup. What I do have are two sets of Logitech X-series (two different incarnations of the same product, but released at different times) 5.1 computer speakers, three gaming systems (Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii), an HD cable box, and an LCD HDTV. To wrangle these mismatched, hodge-podge devices, I currently use a system of plugging and unplugging depending on what I intend to do, watch, or play, and what source I intend to use. Volume is controlled either remotely or manually, owing to my speaker sets lacking a wireless remote. I would provide a visual diagram, but I don’t want anyone to become terribly lost and confused.
There is one set of circumstances during which everything seems at peace with my home theatre setup. In order for everything to come together, I have to have my MacBook hooked up next to my TV, with both set of speakers attached to the headphone jack via a 2-mini stereo jack to 1-mini stereo plug adapter, and with the optical audio out from my TV attached to the MacBook input via a TOSLiNK to mini-TOSLiNK cable. Also, my MacBook’s video out is hooked up to my TV’s VGA input.
Still with me? I also need a software helper, the freeware app called LineIn that lets you pass audio directly through your computer from the input jack to the output. This means that audio from the cable box will play through the speakers, or, if I watch something from my MacBook, I can hear that too. It also gives me remote volume control, thanks to Apple’s own IR remote (of which I have many).
All that sweet synchronicity falls apart every time I have to unplug my MacBook to work, or to travel, and in the meantime I trip on all the cables it takes for me to be able to use my computer from the couch. Then it’s back to fumbling with plugs and switches, and turning dials to control volume.
The Setup With the Mac mini
The Mac mini will sit quietly in my TV console, nestled comfortably next to my cable box, all wires out of site. With the improved graphics card, it’ll be able to handle full 1080p HD video without issue, and maybe even some older games. Thanks to LineIn, it will be doing the duty of a receiver, and thanks to my existing external media hard drives, which will be plugged in behind it, it will provide access to my entire media library, including movies, TV shows, and music.
Buying a new home-theatre-in-a-box would cost me at least $600, and that’s not for a good one. I don’t need Blu-ray, because I’ve got it with my PS3, and even then, I suspect digital distribution will replace it in a few years anyway. I don’t need an HDMI connection, although it would be nice, because the PC-in on my TV, even if it does required two cables (gasp!) works just fine. I’d like a larger hard drive, but I can live without it, thanks to the FireWire drives I already own. I don’t want a screen, because that’s precisely what’s stopping me from using my iMac in the same capacity.
The new Mac mini may not be the ideal computer for everyone, and I fully acknowledge its many failings. For someone like me, however, who’s looking to leverage his existing components, and cares more about form factor than whiz-band features and specs, it might just be the perfect machine.
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Kindle + iPhone = Opportunities?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iPhone
Buried in the announcement of the Kindle 2, Amazon also released a small nugget of information that had been flying around the Web for the past few days - that Kindle content will eventually come to cell phones.
So, how would that work? According to the announcement, the new Whispersync technology would allow readers to pause in reading a book on the Kindle and pick it back up on either another Kindle or eventually a cell phone. Not much detail was provided, though Gizmodo did confirm with Amazon’s Ian Freed that Kindle content is on the way. Whether it’s for the iPhone or Google’s Android phone or the Blackberry, we don’t know.
On one hand, the announcement is a victory for those advocating that digital content be available on more than one device. Amazon’s already broken ground with music, and now wants to spread that to books. With more than 230,000 books currently available in the Kindle format, it’s an impressive library to suddenly have at your fingertips.
On the other hand, Apple could see this as Amazon infringing on a potential product that could be sold and keep Kindle content off the iPhone. Yes, there is the Stanza store, but Amazon is by far a more visible and well-known competitor. I hope that this won’t happen, as it’ll just erode good will toward Apple, but it’s by far not the first poor decision that Apple has made regarding what they feel belongs on the iPhone or not.
Continue reading Kindle + iPhone = Opportunities?
TUAWKindle + iPhone = Opportunities? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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An Apple in your kitchen
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Hardware, Apple
“Welcome to Audrey.” With those three words, I experienced my first Internet appliance. 3Com’s Audrey was meant to deliver lightweight “internet snacking” from a user’s kitchen, and offered email and internet access, a calendar and contacts database, plus synchronization of up to two Palm devices. It had a touch-sensitive screen, wireless keyboard and a clear plastic stylus that would glow green when new mail arrived.
Unfortunately for 3Com, the Audrey was launched immediately prior to the dot-com collapse, and was discontinued just seven months into its initial run. I picked one up on eBay a few weeks ago for ten bucks, and it’s been fun to play with. I can’t help but wonder what would have become of it if 3Com had received user feedback and time to develop a second version. We’ll never know, but perhaps the Chumby holds hints.
My experience with the Audrey has got me thinking about the inevitable synergy between computers, household appliances and many of the tools we use every day. For instance, my car told me that one of its tires needed air recently. A friend’s refrigerator has been beeping to get her attention since Monday (she’s a very patient person).
TiVo has completely changed the way I consume TV shows, as the Apple TV has for others. How many of the shows you watch are “time-shifted?” For me it’s at least half. As we said in a recent talkcast, the computer and television will eventually merge into a single device. The process has begun for sure, but I don’t think it’s complete.
But let’s get back to the kitchen. Like many of you, that’s where my day begins. Upon waking, the first thing I do is make breakfast for myself and the kids. Then I glance at the calendar on the refrigerator, as well as any flyers, etc. that have been posted there. As the pancakes are sizzling, I’ll wander over to the computer to give the morning’s email a cursory glance, and maybe hop on Newsvine. Then it’s back to the stove to flip the pancakes.
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Continue reading An Apple in your kitchen
TUAWAn Apple in your kitchen originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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iMac, Mac Mini Updates November 11 According to… Pure Speculation
When it rains it pours, and the current outlook is calling for torrents of speculation regarding iMac and Mac mini updates from Apple. Just to show how desperate people can be for any shred of “information” regarding Cupertino, let’s look at the latest bit of “news” making the rounds.
Yesterday, Macsimumnews.com published a piece in which editor David Sellers claims to be “pretty sure” that the iMac and Mac mini will see updates on or before Tuesday, Nov. 10 (it’s actually the 11th). He makes no mention of sources, and the article is categorized as an opinion piece.
Which didn’t stop 9to5mac from posting about the piece under the banner “iMac, Mac Pro upgrades loom?” Loom? It hardly seems valid to suggest updates are “looming” based on the guesswork of a single Apple journalist, even if he does have experience in the industry.
MacDailyNews opted to use as their headline the prediction even Sellers himself believes to be a stretch, boldly proclaiming “Apple to debut new Mac Pro at Macworld in January?”. In a move typical of Apple rumor sites, MacDailyNews opts for the more sensational and attention grabbing headline, regardless of the facts.
(more…)
Do your kids play with your iPhone?
Filed under: Odds and ends, iPhone
Once my kids were beyond putting random technology into their mouths, I have let them play with gadgets. But what about my iPhone? It started innocently enough: a Leapster for a birthday. Then I cleaned out the garage and let them “borrow” a few antique Palm devices. Then I got them hooked on an old iBook G3 running OS 9 and some great old classics (the original “Toy Story” interactive storybook is a nearly-perfect example of the genre). A Palm T|X loaded with games, music, photos and movies might have been a step in the wrong direction, as was the Dell Axim with the same. Access to those was limited until the iPhone came along.
Once a kid has used iSaber (currently unavailable from the iTunes store) or played DizzyBee, it’s over. When you show them you can add yet more fun diversions the question becomes “got anything new on your iPhone?” By then it’s over.
Now the question becomes, what’s the harm? Is there harm? I’ve limited their use to the inevitable “we’re waiting right now” moments. But still, no matter what we’ve done that day that was new and exciting, if my son plays with the iPhone for 5 minutes that’s all Mom hears about when he’s going to bed.
I grew up with an Apple ][ in the house and I’m sure that had a hand in my love of tech. But there’s also a case for letting kids find their own way, at an age-appropriate level. I cringe when they swing my naked iPhone around using iSaber, expecting Wii-style damage to our windows and the device itself. Yet I can’t help but think that getting used to technology early — something that will increasingly invade their lives as it becomes more embedded in our world — is maybe a good thing. Everything in moderation, of course. I certainly don’t want them erasing my high scores; I’ll let iTunes do that.
Son’s favorite games: Cannon Game and MotionX Dice. (iTunes links)
Daughter’s favorite games: DizzyBeeFree (guess I better buy it!) and aSleep (iTunes links)
We’ve covered MotionX and aSleep before.
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