So on Friday we went down to New Orleans to celebrate my sister-in-law's birthday. I charged my iPhone 4 overnight like I usually do and we made the 2 hour drive from Hattiesburg where we are staying, to New Orleans. As we were driving, I noticed something odd was happening...my iPhone battery life was going down pretty quickly. By the time we got to New Orleans, I had about 70% of my battery life left after being off the charger for tops, 2 1/2 hours. This is very unusual, later in the day when my iPhone finally shut itself down when it reached 1%, I asked my wife how much her 3GS iPhone had and she said 85%.
Well, as it turns out, this makes sense in light of an article I read regarding iOS 4.3 and decreased battery life on the iPhone. My wife's 3GS has not been updated to 4.3 yet.
Hopefully an update to fix it will be around the corner, in the meantime, it is suggested to turn off Ping and Game Center in the Restrictions settings if you are out and about with your iPhone and far from a charger that is.
If you are having a similar issue, let me know.
Showing posts with label iphone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label iphone. Show all posts
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
AppleTalk Thursday #12
Hey everybody and welcome to another edition of AppleTalk Thursday. We got quite a bit of news to cover here and some app reviews too. Let’s get started!
iOS 4.3
Yesterday iOS 4.3 was made available in advance of tomorrow’s iPad 2 launch. Among the new features in the OS update is the ability to AirPlay third party apps and videos within Safari to your AppleTV. I did this last night when I was watching the iPad 2 guided videos Apple put on its website, I found that I had the ability to stream them from my iPad to my AppleTV...super cool!!
Also of note is the ability to Home Sharing between your Mac or PC and your iOS devices. Once again I tried this on both my iPhone and iPad and found once I selected one of my Mac’s that it would display the entire library content on my iPhone and iPad. Now you can only select one computer at a type to display content, but this is super cool if you want to watch a movie stored on your computer on your iPad without having to install it on the iPad...both a huge time and space saver as it simply streams the content similar to the current AppleTV.
Another update is Safari, it is now a whole lot faster on my iPad and iPhone, pages load so much quicker now...big difference! The Safari update runs JavaScript twice as fast as it did before.
On the iPad they have restored the ability to make the slider switch on the side either a mute or screen rotation lock...THANK YOU APPLE!!! I hated it when they took the screen lock option away in 4.2 and made it a mute switch, now you have the choice on if it will be a mute or screen lock switch. I never mute my iPad so the choice is easy for me...screen lock!
Finally, the update brings Personal Hotspot to the iPhone 4. What this means is if you are out somewhere with your iPhone and MacBook for example and you need to use your MacBook to access the internet, you can turn on Hotspot on your iPhone to share the connection with your MacBook basically creating a mobile WiFi network using 3G for data. It is available for Verizon and AT&T but beware if you are an AT&T iPhone user that is grandfathered in on the unlimited data plan, you will have to switch your data plan to either the 250MB or 2GB data plan for that feature and you can NEVER get unlimited data back. So I will not be using it but with my iPhone and iPad, I am never really in a spot where I would need my MacBook. I have DropBox on my iPad and iPhone so my documents are within reach when needed. But if you are not in an unlimited data plan, AT&T is making it pretty easy to add on when necessary and turn off without a penalty.
AppleTV gets Sports
In addition to the 4.3 update, Apple also pushed out an update to the AppleTV version 4.2. With this update it brings 2 new channels to it, MLB.tv and NBA League Pass. What that means is if you subscribe to those services, you can now watch live baseball and basketball games right on your TV without having cable or satellite TV services. Those 2 services have been part of Roku for quite sometime as well. Now if the AppleTV could get Hulu Plus on it. Also of interest is Netflix has been updated to support 5.1 audio.
iPhone 5 Rumors
With the new iPad 2 supporting an A5 dual core processor, speculation is the iPhone 5 will sport the same chip when it arrives in the summer. Also another story making the rounds is the iPhone 5 will sport an aluminum backing similar to the iPad.
Tablet sales to Steamroll PC Sales
Another bit of news is that Gartner expects PC sales to be slower over the next 2 years than previously expected as tablets such as the iPad continue to sale like gangbusters.
Apple introduces JointVenture
Apple is making it easier to get small biz up and running with their new Mac equipment with a new service called JointVenture. Under the plan, Apple will setup Mac and iOS equipment as well as train employees how to use them, and offer dedicated support. The cost is $499 and supports up to 5 systems. If you do have a system that needs repair, Apple will even loan you a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air with Mail, iCal, iWork, iLife, and Microsoft Office pre-installed, while your system is being worked on.
Apple in Discussions with Record Labels to Offer Unlimited Music Downloads
Apple is said to be negotiating with record labels to allow users to download multiple times a song they bought once. This is similar to the App Store which you pay once and download an unlimited number of times at no additional cost. This would line up with their much anticipated mobile revamp as part of their North Carolina data center that will go live this spring.
Apple most Admired Company
Forbes announced that Apple is for the 4th straight year, the world’s most admired company thanks to its constant innovations of products. Take that haters!!
More iPad 2 News
So as I said earlier the iPad 2 will go on sale tomorrow both online and at Apple Stores everywhere in the U.S. Online sales will begin at 1am Pacific Time and in store purchases will begin at 5pm local time. When I first heard this I thought, “boy I hope the 2 Austin, TX Apple Stores have a good selection as South by Southwest (SXSW) starts tomorrow. But Apple is going to open a pop up store on Congress and West 6th St. It will be inside a 5,000 square foot building so should be plenty of space for iPad 2 purchasing and within walking distance of SXSW.
Also if you are a current iPad owner but are worried about losing your unlimited data plan from AT&T when upgrading to the iPad 2, worry not as AT&T will allow grandfathering in like they do with iPhone upgrades. If you are not signed up with either AT&T or Verizon and are getting an iPad 2, then you may want to check out their data plans to see which one fits you best than buy either the GSM (AT&T) or CDMA (Verizon) based model.
Finally some of the first iPad reviews are starting to come out. Great reviews for the most part with the only criticism being about the quality of the cameras.
iOS App Reviews
DirecTV iPad Remote (FREE) - Last week I mentioned how DirecTV had released an app for the iPad that allows you to control your receiver from the iPad. Well since then, I have my modem and router relocated to the living room and now have it wired to my DirecTV receiver and it works as advertised. You can setup favorite channels, and view your DVR playlist and select which show to play. My only criticism is that you can’t play the recordings on your iPad but I guess they can always add that feature later.
TweetDeck (FREE) - Another app I tried out this week was TweetDeck, they have a version for both the iPhone and iPod touch as well as the iPad. With the iPhone version you can set it to post to both Twitter and Facebook and view your columns for lists and mentions. The Facebook feature though tends to have a lot of errors which may explain why they don’t have it in the iPad version.
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of AppleTalk Thursday. See you next week for another all things Apple report.
iOS 4.3
Yesterday iOS 4.3 was made available in advance of tomorrow’s iPad 2 launch. Among the new features in the OS update is the ability to AirPlay third party apps and videos within Safari to your AppleTV. I did this last night when I was watching the iPad 2 guided videos Apple put on its website, I found that I had the ability to stream them from my iPad to my AppleTV...super cool!!
Also of note is the ability to Home Sharing between your Mac or PC and your iOS devices. Once again I tried this on both my iPhone and iPad and found once I selected one of my Mac’s that it would display the entire library content on my iPhone and iPad. Now you can only select one computer at a type to display content, but this is super cool if you want to watch a movie stored on your computer on your iPad without having to install it on the iPad...both a huge time and space saver as it simply streams the content similar to the current AppleTV.
Another update is Safari, it is now a whole lot faster on my iPad and iPhone, pages load so much quicker now...big difference! The Safari update runs JavaScript twice as fast as it did before.
On the iPad they have restored the ability to make the slider switch on the side either a mute or screen rotation lock...THANK YOU APPLE!!! I hated it when they took the screen lock option away in 4.2 and made it a mute switch, now you have the choice on if it will be a mute or screen lock switch. I never mute my iPad so the choice is easy for me...screen lock!
Finally, the update brings Personal Hotspot to the iPhone 4. What this means is if you are out somewhere with your iPhone and MacBook for example and you need to use your MacBook to access the internet, you can turn on Hotspot on your iPhone to share the connection with your MacBook basically creating a mobile WiFi network using 3G for data. It is available for Verizon and AT&T but beware if you are an AT&T iPhone user that is grandfathered in on the unlimited data plan, you will have to switch your data plan to either the 250MB or 2GB data plan for that feature and you can NEVER get unlimited data back. So I will not be using it but with my iPhone and iPad, I am never really in a spot where I would need my MacBook. I have DropBox on my iPad and iPhone so my documents are within reach when needed. But if you are not in an unlimited data plan, AT&T is making it pretty easy to add on when necessary and turn off without a penalty.
AppleTV gets Sports
In addition to the 4.3 update, Apple also pushed out an update to the AppleTV version 4.2. With this update it brings 2 new channels to it, MLB.tv and NBA League Pass. What that means is if you subscribe to those services, you can now watch live baseball and basketball games right on your TV without having cable or satellite TV services. Those 2 services have been part of Roku for quite sometime as well. Now if the AppleTV could get Hulu Plus on it. Also of interest is Netflix has been updated to support 5.1 audio.
iPhone 5 Rumors
With the new iPad 2 supporting an A5 dual core processor, speculation is the iPhone 5 will sport the same chip when it arrives in the summer. Also another story making the rounds is the iPhone 5 will sport an aluminum backing similar to the iPad.
Tablet sales to Steamroll PC Sales
Another bit of news is that Gartner expects PC sales to be slower over the next 2 years than previously expected as tablets such as the iPad continue to sale like gangbusters.
Apple introduces JointVenture
Apple is making it easier to get small biz up and running with their new Mac equipment with a new service called JointVenture. Under the plan, Apple will setup Mac and iOS equipment as well as train employees how to use them, and offer dedicated support. The cost is $499 and supports up to 5 systems. If you do have a system that needs repair, Apple will even loan you a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air with Mail, iCal, iWork, iLife, and Microsoft Office pre-installed, while your system is being worked on.
Apple in Discussions with Record Labels to Offer Unlimited Music Downloads
Apple is said to be negotiating with record labels to allow users to download multiple times a song they bought once. This is similar to the App Store which you pay once and download an unlimited number of times at no additional cost. This would line up with their much anticipated mobile revamp as part of their North Carolina data center that will go live this spring.
Apple most Admired Company
Forbes announced that Apple is for the 4th straight year, the world’s most admired company thanks to its constant innovations of products. Take that haters!!
More iPad 2 News
So as I said earlier the iPad 2 will go on sale tomorrow both online and at Apple Stores everywhere in the U.S. Online sales will begin at 1am Pacific Time and in store purchases will begin at 5pm local time. When I first heard this I thought, “boy I hope the 2 Austin, TX Apple Stores have a good selection as South by Southwest (SXSW) starts tomorrow. But Apple is going to open a pop up store on Congress and West 6th St. It will be inside a 5,000 square foot building so should be plenty of space for iPad 2 purchasing and within walking distance of SXSW.
Also if you are a current iPad owner but are worried about losing your unlimited data plan from AT&T when upgrading to the iPad 2, worry not as AT&T will allow grandfathering in like they do with iPhone upgrades. If you are not signed up with either AT&T or Verizon and are getting an iPad 2, then you may want to check out their data plans to see which one fits you best than buy either the GSM (AT&T) or CDMA (Verizon) based model.
Finally some of the first iPad reviews are starting to come out. Great reviews for the most part with the only criticism being about the quality of the cameras.
iOS App Reviews
DirecTV iPad Remote (FREE) - Last week I mentioned how DirecTV had released an app for the iPad that allows you to control your receiver from the iPad. Well since then, I have my modem and router relocated to the living room and now have it wired to my DirecTV receiver and it works as advertised. You can setup favorite channels, and view your DVR playlist and select which show to play. My only criticism is that you can’t play the recordings on your iPad but I guess they can always add that feature later.
TweetDeck (FREE) - Another app I tried out this week was TweetDeck, they have a version for both the iPhone and iPod touch as well as the iPad. With the iPhone version you can set it to post to both Twitter and Facebook and view your columns for lists and mentions. The Facebook feature though tends to have a lot of errors which may explain why they don’t have it in the iPad version.
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of AppleTalk Thursday. See you next week for another all things Apple report.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
AppleTalk Thursday #10
Hello folks and welcome to another edition of AppleTalk Thursday. Got quite a bit of Apple news so let’s dive right into things.
iPad 2 coming next Wednesday
Apple has scheduled a press event for next Wednesday in San Francisco where it will announce the iPad 2. This has been a rumored date for the past week but it is now official. So based on what has been said about it the expectations are we will see a second generation iPad with a front and rear facing camera and a more anti-reflective screen to make it easier to read for long periods of time. One thing that will not be in the second gen. is a retina display but that is rumored for the iPad 3 which Apple may announce in the Fall. I also expect the new iPad to be sold at both AT&T and Verizon locations as well as the usual Best Buy and Apple Store locations.
iPad 2 coming next Wednesday
Apple has scheduled a press event for next Wednesday in San Francisco where it will announce the iPad 2. This has been a rumored date for the past week but it is now official. So based on what has been said about it the expectations are we will see a second generation iPad with a front and rear facing camera and a more anti-reflective screen to make it easier to read for long periods of time. One thing that will not be in the second gen. is a retina display but that is rumored for the iPad 3 which Apple may announce in the Fall. I also expect the new iPad to be sold at both AT&T and Verizon locations as well as the usual Best Buy and Apple Store locations.
A MobileMe Makeover
According to a report in Cult of Mac, Apple is about to totally rebuild MobileMe into a combination of Facebook, uStream, and FourSquare. Basically allowing you to have a dynamic website that is live. If they make good on only half of what is in the article it is totally worth the $99 I just paid again for it this year. Apple stated yesterday that their new massive Data Center in North Carolina will support iTunes and MobileMe when it goes live in the Spring.
Sony backtracks on iTunes Crazy Talk
A Sony executive stated that it has no intention of pulling their music content from iTunes. Glad you bozo’s got your story straight! Any label pulling its music content from iTunes would be like a TV network pulling its shows from say DirecTV...it would only hurt their sales in the long run. Like it or not iTunes is the standard for digital music distribution, if someone can do it better then people will flock to that service in large numbers, but it hasn’t happened yet. Certainly Amazon does a good job with their music content but it is still not as simple as iTunes IMHO.
Apple Looking at Offering a Cheaper iPhone
Apple is said to be looking at developing a cheaper iPhone, one that can better compete with Android offerings. Presumably this lower cost iPhone could be free if signed with a 2 year contract with a carrier. Of course you can get the iPhone 3GS right now for $49 but only through AT&T. Another story floating around is that this cheaper iPhone would be more of a streaming device with content coming from a digital locker in the new MobileMe revamp as mentioned above.
AT&T Allowing Mobile Hotspot for 4.3 Users
Here is an interesting piece about how developers using iOS 4.3 are being allowed access to AT&T’s new Mobile Hotspot service. I hope this will be the case when iOS 4.3 goes live to the general public and that AT&T will allow an iPad for example to be a part of the hotspot. Why pay AT&T $25 for 3G access on the iPad when I can just use it as a device with a hotspot service?
According to a report in Cult of Mac, Apple is about to totally rebuild MobileMe into a combination of Facebook, uStream, and FourSquare. Basically allowing you to have a dynamic website that is live. If they make good on only half of what is in the article it is totally worth the $99 I just paid again for it this year. Apple stated yesterday that their new massive Data Center in North Carolina will support iTunes and MobileMe when it goes live in the Spring.
Sony backtracks on iTunes Crazy Talk
A Sony executive stated that it has no intention of pulling their music content from iTunes. Glad you bozo’s got your story straight! Any label pulling its music content from iTunes would be like a TV network pulling its shows from say DirecTV...it would only hurt their sales in the long run. Like it or not iTunes is the standard for digital music distribution, if someone can do it better then people will flock to that service in large numbers, but it hasn’t happened yet. Certainly Amazon does a good job with their music content but it is still not as simple as iTunes IMHO.
Apple Looking at Offering a Cheaper iPhone
Apple is said to be looking at developing a cheaper iPhone, one that can better compete with Android offerings. Presumably this lower cost iPhone could be free if signed with a 2 year contract with a carrier. Of course you can get the iPhone 3GS right now for $49 but only through AT&T. Another story floating around is that this cheaper iPhone would be more of a streaming device with content coming from a digital locker in the new MobileMe revamp as mentioned above.
AT&T Allowing Mobile Hotspot for 4.3 Users
Here is an interesting piece about how developers using iOS 4.3 are being allowed access to AT&T’s new Mobile Hotspot service. I hope this will be the case when iOS 4.3 goes live to the general public and that AT&T will allow an iPad for example to be a part of the hotspot. Why pay AT&T $25 for 3G access on the iPad when I can just use it as a device with a hotspot service?
Apple adopting Thunderbolt (Light Peak)?
Perhaps this will explain Apple’s reluctance to adopt USB 3.0. They appear to be adopting Intel’s Light Peak or High-Speed Connection Technology which offers a connection speed of 10Gbps (USB 2.0 is 480Mbps and USB 3.0 is 5Gbps). Apple would rebrand it as Thunderbolt, think for example how they renamed iLink (IEEE 1394) as FireWire.
Readability app Rejected and Resubmitted
Readability which is an application that strips away a lot of advertising junk from stuff you want to read as rejected earlier this week by Apple over the lack of in-app subscription, but the issue seems to have been resolved as it has been resubmitted. Readability is more of a Software as a Service app than say a subscription content something Steve Jobs stated in an email to a developer. Apple’s new in-app subscription policy has caught the eye of the FTC which is investigating the policy. From Apple’s standpoint I can see where they want to make it easier for the consumer to purchase content from within the app, but from a developer perspective it is more of a twisting of the arm to get to play in Apple’s App Store club and giving Apple a 30% cut of the in-app purchase on top of that. I think Apple should be more flexible on that percentage offer as Google’s new service simply takes 10%. I don’t have a lot of big beefs with Apple but this would be one of them.
24-bit Music coming to iTunes?
Apple is in discussions with music labels on offering 24-bit music in its iTunes music store. Currently it is only available in 16-bit format where 24-bit is a HiFi format.
Will OS X 10.7 Lion bring new UI?
Another bit of information here is will the upcoming Mac OS update of 10.7 Lion bring an updated user interface? Maybe something more iOS like? Will be interesting to see what Apple has up their sleeves for it.
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of AppleTalk Thursday. See you all next week where we will have a good breakdown of the iPad 2 announcement. See you then!
Perhaps this will explain Apple’s reluctance to adopt USB 3.0. They appear to be adopting Intel’s Light Peak or High-Speed Connection Technology which offers a connection speed of 10Gbps (USB 2.0 is 480Mbps and USB 3.0 is 5Gbps). Apple would rebrand it as Thunderbolt, think for example how they renamed iLink (IEEE 1394) as FireWire.
Readability app Rejected and Resubmitted
Readability which is an application that strips away a lot of advertising junk from stuff you want to read as rejected earlier this week by Apple over the lack of in-app subscription, but the issue seems to have been resolved as it has been resubmitted. Readability is more of a Software as a Service app than say a subscription content something Steve Jobs stated in an email to a developer. Apple’s new in-app subscription policy has caught the eye of the FTC which is investigating the policy. From Apple’s standpoint I can see where they want to make it easier for the consumer to purchase content from within the app, but from a developer perspective it is more of a twisting of the arm to get to play in Apple’s App Store club and giving Apple a 30% cut of the in-app purchase on top of that. I think Apple should be more flexible on that percentage offer as Google’s new service simply takes 10%. I don’t have a lot of big beefs with Apple but this would be one of them.
24-bit Music coming to iTunes?
Apple is in discussions with music labels on offering 24-bit music in its iTunes music store. Currently it is only available in 16-bit format where 24-bit is a HiFi format.
Will OS X 10.7 Lion bring new UI?
Another bit of information here is will the upcoming Mac OS update of 10.7 Lion bring an updated user interface? Maybe something more iOS like? Will be interesting to see what Apple has up their sleeves for it.
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of AppleTalk Thursday. See you all next week where we will have a good breakdown of the iPad 2 announcement. See you then!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
AppleTalk Thursday #9
Hello folks and welcome to another edition of AppleTalk Thursday where we discuss all things Apple. Let’s see what is going on in the world of Cupertino today.
iPad in the Enterprise Marketplace
The iPad which btw is still not even a year old yet, is making great strides not just with the general public but also in the enterprise market. In-fact 80% of Fortune 100 companies are already deploying or piloting the iPad according to Apple in its recent earnings call. Imagine what the 2nd generation iPad will do.
Apple could benefit from Nokia-Microsoft partnership
An analyst with RBC Capital Markets has speculated that with Nokia abandoning Symbian for Windows Phone 7, the move opens up possible significant gains for the Apple iOS, Google Android, and possibly BlackBerry (remember them?). Course he also stated that Microsoft could see gains as well (insert laugh track here).
MobileMe for FREE and the mini-iPhone Rumor
So lots of talk this past week of a possible smaller and less expensive iPhone and also an updated MobileMe that will not only may be free but will offer cloud based access to music and photos. This would seem to make sense as it would help Apple fight off the Android market and give that data center in North Carolina a purpose.
iPhone 5 with a Slide out Keyboard and a Bigger Screen?
Another rumor is that Apple is working on iPhone 5 prototypes one of which has a slide out keyboard while another model would have an 8MP camera but otherwise be the same as the iPhone 4. Yet another rumor speculates that the next updated iPhone could have a 4” screen up from the current 3.5” screen. I am not putting much stock into either rumor as this point, but it is a lot of fun to talk about.
Apple and Samsung, partner and competitor
Apple will soon be Samsung’s biggest customer with a $7.8 Billion deal for Samsung to manufacture the screens for the iPhone and the iPad’s. On the flip side of the coin, Samsung has announced a new 10” Galaxy tablet with 16 or 32GB configurations. No word on pricing yet.
Apple debuts App Store Subscriptions
On Tuesday, Apple made it official with App Store subscriptions from within the app or in-app subscriptions. The move opens up an area for content to digital newspapers, magazines, and music based services. Apple has also advised developers they have until 6/30 to comply with the new method in their apps. This of course is not making a lot of developers happy. On a side note, The Daily which has been plagued with crashing issues, has extended its free subscription to the end of February. I was really happy with it at first, but lately not so much. Will be interesting to see who follows The Daily with a similar app.
Kindle iOS Update
Speaking of developers that will soon be effected by Apple’s new rules, Amazon has updated their Kindle app with a couple of handy features. One shows the progress bar on the home screen of your book shelf showing where you are on your books, another now actually shows what physical page number you are on which makes it easier to site passages to people reading a physical book. This is also a feature Amazon just updated on their own Kindle devices as well.
Verizon handling iPhone Traffic Smoothly
There was a lot of talk on how the Verizon network would handle the iPhone’s once they got into the wild, well it appears it has met the challenge without a hitch. Very good news for Verizon there!
iOS App Reviews
So for this week’s app reviews I wanted to focus on online radio apps. There are quite a few of them out there and I use a few of them.
Pandora (FREE) - Course the most popular radio apps out there is Pandora. By choosing an artist or a song, it will play tracks similar to that artist or song for hours! They also have an iPad specific version as well. It is a free service however if you pay the $36 per year subscription, it allows you to skip more tracks up to 6 per hour I believe.
iHeartRadio (FREE) - This application allows you to listen to 750 radio stations across the US. I use it to listen to KFI out in Los Angeles, a station I listened to all the time when I lived out there.
TuneIn Radio (99 cents) - TuneIn Radio is similar to iheartradio but it tends to offer more radio stations so it might be worth the 99 cents to buy and use and it has an iPad version too.
SiriusXM (FREE) - If you are a subscriber to SiriusXM, then this is a nice app you have your stations with you all the time. This has been handy for me when I am driving a car that doesn’t have satellite radio. My truck was in an accident this week which does have an sat radio unit and since I am in a loaner, I can play the stations through my AirTrip device through the car stereo.
Well, that is going to do it for this week’s AppleTalk Thursday. See you all next week for another edition of all things Apple!
iPad in the Enterprise Marketplace
The iPad which btw is still not even a year old yet, is making great strides not just with the general public but also in the enterprise market. In-fact 80% of Fortune 100 companies are already deploying or piloting the iPad according to Apple in its recent earnings call. Imagine what the 2nd generation iPad will do.
Apple could benefit from Nokia-Microsoft partnership
An analyst with RBC Capital Markets has speculated that with Nokia abandoning Symbian for Windows Phone 7, the move opens up possible significant gains for the Apple iOS, Google Android, and possibly BlackBerry (remember them?). Course he also stated that Microsoft could see gains as well (insert laugh track here).
MobileMe for FREE and the mini-iPhone Rumor
So lots of talk this past week of a possible smaller and less expensive iPhone and also an updated MobileMe that will not only may be free but will offer cloud based access to music and photos. This would seem to make sense as it would help Apple fight off the Android market and give that data center in North Carolina a purpose.
iPhone 5 with a Slide out Keyboard and a Bigger Screen?
Another rumor is that Apple is working on iPhone 5 prototypes one of which has a slide out keyboard while another model would have an 8MP camera but otherwise be the same as the iPhone 4. Yet another rumor speculates that the next updated iPhone could have a 4” screen up from the current 3.5” screen. I am not putting much stock into either rumor as this point, but it is a lot of fun to talk about.
Apple and Samsung, partner and competitor
Apple will soon be Samsung’s biggest customer with a $7.8 Billion deal for Samsung to manufacture the screens for the iPhone and the iPad’s. On the flip side of the coin, Samsung has announced a new 10” Galaxy tablet with 16 or 32GB configurations. No word on pricing yet.
Apple debuts App Store Subscriptions
On Tuesday, Apple made it official with App Store subscriptions from within the app or in-app subscriptions. The move opens up an area for content to digital newspapers, magazines, and music based services. Apple has also advised developers they have until 6/30 to comply with the new method in their apps. This of course is not making a lot of developers happy. On a side note, The Daily which has been plagued with crashing issues, has extended its free subscription to the end of February. I was really happy with it at first, but lately not so much. Will be interesting to see who follows The Daily with a similar app.
Kindle iOS Update
Speaking of developers that will soon be effected by Apple’s new rules, Amazon has updated their Kindle app with a couple of handy features. One shows the progress bar on the home screen of your book shelf showing where you are on your books, another now actually shows what physical page number you are on which makes it easier to site passages to people reading a physical book. This is also a feature Amazon just updated on their own Kindle devices as well.
Verizon handling iPhone Traffic Smoothly
There was a lot of talk on how the Verizon network would handle the iPhone’s once they got into the wild, well it appears it has met the challenge without a hitch. Very good news for Verizon there!
iOS App Reviews
So for this week’s app reviews I wanted to focus on online radio apps. There are quite a few of them out there and I use a few of them.
Pandora (FREE) - Course the most popular radio apps out there is Pandora. By choosing an artist or a song, it will play tracks similar to that artist or song for hours! They also have an iPad specific version as well. It is a free service however if you pay the $36 per year subscription, it allows you to skip more tracks up to 6 per hour I believe.
iHeartRadio (FREE) - This application allows you to listen to 750 radio stations across the US. I use it to listen to KFI out in Los Angeles, a station I listened to all the time when I lived out there.
TuneIn Radio (99 cents) - TuneIn Radio is similar to iheartradio but it tends to offer more radio stations so it might be worth the 99 cents to buy and use and it has an iPad version too.
SiriusXM (FREE) - If you are a subscriber to SiriusXM, then this is a nice app you have your stations with you all the time. This has been handy for me when I am driving a car that doesn’t have satellite radio. My truck was in an accident this week which does have an sat radio unit and since I am in a loaner, I can play the stations through my AirTrip device through the car stereo.
Well, that is going to do it for this week’s AppleTalk Thursday. See you all next week for another edition of all things Apple!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Tuesday Tech Talk #80
Hello all and welcome to another edition of Tuesday Tech Talk. Can’t believe this is #80, only 20 more to go to numero 100! Let’s see what is going on this week!
Microsoft paying Nokia Billions to adopt OS
Wow, Microsoft, it has come to this, you have to pay people to be your friends? Generally speaking when you license out your OS to a hardware maker then you are the one getting paid...not the other way around. Oh Microsoft, just call it a day and just make X-Boxes, that is one thing you have excelled at.
Pandora going Public
Pandora announced on Friday it will be going public but did not specify as to when. They hope to raise $100 million in an IPO. This may be a great buy actually and I may add it to my portfolio, will probably fare better than my SiriusXM stock.
AT&T Rolls out Unlimited Calling to Any Mobile Carrier
Last week AT&T announced it will now offer its cell customers the ability to call any mobile phone no matter the carrier, for free, but there is one catch, you have to change your texting plan to an unlimited one. Haven’t decided if I will do it or not as most of my cell contacts are already AT&T users. Also if you send them a text message they will apply 1000 minutes to your plan if you happen to be an iPhone owner.
Kindle Getting Real Page Numbers
Kindle will be rolling out a software update to its devices as well as third party apps over the next few months that will add the actual page # on the page you are reading. Currently it just shows you the percentage of book you have read.
HP bringing WebOS to its PC’s
Wow, another hit to Microsoft possibly as HP is looking to deploy its in-house OS when it purchased Palm, into its PC’s. Join the club HP, it has worked for Apple for years!
Verizon Shows Off Voice-Over-LTE
Verizon this week is showing off the ability it will have to use voice and data at the same time when it makes the jump to LTE from CDMA, currently on the CDMA network you cannot do both, something AT&T has used against them in marketing. Can we say LTE iPhone 5?
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of Tuesday Tech Talk. See you all next week for more talk about things in the tech world!
Microsoft paying Nokia Billions to adopt OS
Wow, Microsoft, it has come to this, you have to pay people to be your friends? Generally speaking when you license out your OS to a hardware maker then you are the one getting paid...not the other way around. Oh Microsoft, just call it a day and just make X-Boxes, that is one thing you have excelled at.
Pandora going Public
Pandora announced on Friday it will be going public but did not specify as to when. They hope to raise $100 million in an IPO. This may be a great buy actually and I may add it to my portfolio, will probably fare better than my SiriusXM stock.
AT&T Rolls out Unlimited Calling to Any Mobile Carrier
Last week AT&T announced it will now offer its cell customers the ability to call any mobile phone no matter the carrier, for free, but there is one catch, you have to change your texting plan to an unlimited one. Haven’t decided if I will do it or not as most of my cell contacts are already AT&T users. Also if you send them a text message they will apply 1000 minutes to your plan if you happen to be an iPhone owner.
Kindle Getting Real Page Numbers
Kindle will be rolling out a software update to its devices as well as third party apps over the next few months that will add the actual page # on the page you are reading. Currently it just shows you the percentage of book you have read.
HP bringing WebOS to its PC’s
Wow, another hit to Microsoft possibly as HP is looking to deploy its in-house OS when it purchased Palm, into its PC’s. Join the club HP, it has worked for Apple for years!
Verizon Shows Off Voice-Over-LTE
Verizon this week is showing off the ability it will have to use voice and data at the same time when it makes the jump to LTE from CDMA, currently on the CDMA network you cannot do both, something AT&T has used against them in marketing. Can we say LTE iPhone 5?
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of Tuesday Tech Talk. See you all next week for more talk about things in the tech world!
Friday, February 11, 2011
AppleTalk Thursday #8
Hey everybody and welcome to the AppleTalk Thursday late late edition! We had another slow storm come through here that disrupted my blogging pattern and schedule. There is a lot of Apple related news so let’s see what is going on!
Netflix getting more user traffic on AppleTV than iPad
To me this is not a big story, I mean if you are watching video content you are more likely to want to view it on a bigger screen. Being that I own an iPhone, an iPad, and an AppleTV, I opt for the AppleTV every-time. I have Netflix on my iPhone but that is more to just add content to my queue while on the fly. Furthermore this should really inspire Apple and Hulu to get a deal done already to bring it to the AppleTV.
iPhone strikes again at BlackBerry in the Corporate World
Another blow to RIM in the corporate world as the iPhone continues to make strides in the Enterprise market. Deutsche Bank Equity Research announced it is switching to the iPhone and dumping their BB’s.
iPad 2 Rumor Rundown
Some of the latest information regarding the 2nd generation forthcoming iPad. One analyst with Concord Securities claims it will have a more anti-reflective screen providing a better reading experience, also the front and rear camera quality would be similar to that of the iPod touch instead of the iPhone 4. Meanwhile the Wall Street Journal is reporting they are in production and will be offered through both AT&T and Verizon. Both articles seem to hint that it will not have the retina display found on the iPhone 4.
Verizon iPhone 4 Followup News
Of course last week existing Verizon users got to pre-order the iPhone 4 and this week converts got their chance. A review from WIred of the Verizon iPhone even suggested it is an actual phone now...OUCH! My personal experience with my AT&T-based iPhone is a positive one. Granted it took them a long time to deploy 3G in the Tupelo area, but now they have gotten more aggressive with 3G rollout in the rest of Northeast Mississippi. So much so that even my parents little town as 3G now, something I never saw coming. Verizon stated it sold more iPhone 4’s on pre-orders in the first 2 hours than they have on any previous product launch in one day...yes that includes Androids! Another benefit of the Apple-Verizon partnership is that the iPhone is arriving in new areas that previously it could not. A recent survey found that 54% of Verizon’s BlackBerry and Android users are somewhat likely to switch to the iPhone as well which further hammers home Verizon’s thought that iPhone users are more loyal when compared to BB and Android users. I would tend to agree.
Apple sets 3/31 Deadline for in-app Purchasing for Periodicals
To follow up on last week’s Apple rejection of the Sony e-reader app, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple has set a March 31st deadline for periodical apps to offer an in-app purchase option for content. To me I like this idea as I hate leaving an app to purchase say an e-Book from Amazon via the Safari browser. One thing about iBooks is you don’t have to leave the app but the content is not as great as Amazon. I don’t really like the take it or leave it attitude Apple is giving the developers of such apps. But I think in-app is something a lot of customers will enjoy but from a developer perspective I can see where this would be an issue when it comes to revenue splits which is really the bottom-line of the story here.
iPhone and iPad Shifting Reading Habits
An interesting study here pointing to the ways iPhone and iPad users reading preferences have changed. I would tend to follow into this ground. I rarely read on my MacBook anymore and tend to prefer my iPad for that. My MacBook is pretty much for creating content such as blogging, but when it comes down to say reading others blogs, I grab the iPad and fire up River of News.
The Confession App
Ok so there has been a lot of news about a Confession app that is available for both the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Being that I am both a Mac geek and a practicing Catholic, I thought I would share my thoughts on it. First and foremost, this is NOT a replacement for confessing your sins to a priest and receiving the proper penance. It is instead a guide to helping you make a good confession and a handy thing to take with you into the confessional. It is an aide when examining your conscience prior to going to confession at your local parish. I have it myself and will use it at my next confession next month (I go monthly). For another take on the Confession app check out what the good folks at Southern Fried Catholicism over in Oxford, MS say about it.
Reagan Library adds iPod touch to Exhibits
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library now offers 250 iPod touch units as part of the museum tour. Pretty nifty and tech savvy to utilize.
Finally I wan to share an entertaining graphic on the different type of iPhone users. It is pretty interesting, I think I know which one I fall under. See you all next week for another edition of AppleTalk Thursday.
Netflix getting more user traffic on AppleTV than iPad
To me this is not a big story, I mean if you are watching video content you are more likely to want to view it on a bigger screen. Being that I own an iPhone, an iPad, and an AppleTV, I opt for the AppleTV every-time. I have Netflix on my iPhone but that is more to just add content to my queue while on the fly. Furthermore this should really inspire Apple and Hulu to get a deal done already to bring it to the AppleTV.
iPhone strikes again at BlackBerry in the Corporate World
Another blow to RIM in the corporate world as the iPhone continues to make strides in the Enterprise market. Deutsche Bank Equity Research announced it is switching to the iPhone and dumping their BB’s.
iPad 2 Rumor Rundown
Some of the latest information regarding the 2nd generation forthcoming iPad. One analyst with Concord Securities claims it will have a more anti-reflective screen providing a better reading experience, also the front and rear camera quality would be similar to that of the iPod touch instead of the iPhone 4. Meanwhile the Wall Street Journal is reporting they are in production and will be offered through both AT&T and Verizon. Both articles seem to hint that it will not have the retina display found on the iPhone 4.
Verizon iPhone 4 Followup News
Of course last week existing Verizon users got to pre-order the iPhone 4 and this week converts got their chance. A review from WIred of the Verizon iPhone even suggested it is an actual phone now...OUCH! My personal experience with my AT&T-based iPhone is a positive one. Granted it took them a long time to deploy 3G in the Tupelo area, but now they have gotten more aggressive with 3G rollout in the rest of Northeast Mississippi. So much so that even my parents little town as 3G now, something I never saw coming. Verizon stated it sold more iPhone 4’s on pre-orders in the first 2 hours than they have on any previous product launch in one day...yes that includes Androids! Another benefit of the Apple-Verizon partnership is that the iPhone is arriving in new areas that previously it could not. A recent survey found that 54% of Verizon’s BlackBerry and Android users are somewhat likely to switch to the iPhone as well which further hammers home Verizon’s thought that iPhone users are more loyal when compared to BB and Android users. I would tend to agree.
Apple sets 3/31 Deadline for in-app Purchasing for Periodicals
To follow up on last week’s Apple rejection of the Sony e-reader app, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple has set a March 31st deadline for periodical apps to offer an in-app purchase option for content. To me I like this idea as I hate leaving an app to purchase say an e-Book from Amazon via the Safari browser. One thing about iBooks is you don’t have to leave the app but the content is not as great as Amazon. I don’t really like the take it or leave it attitude Apple is giving the developers of such apps. But I think in-app is something a lot of customers will enjoy but from a developer perspective I can see where this would be an issue when it comes to revenue splits which is really the bottom-line of the story here.
iPhone and iPad Shifting Reading Habits
An interesting study here pointing to the ways iPhone and iPad users reading preferences have changed. I would tend to follow into this ground. I rarely read on my MacBook anymore and tend to prefer my iPad for that. My MacBook is pretty much for creating content such as blogging, but when it comes down to say reading others blogs, I grab the iPad and fire up River of News.
The Confession App
Ok so there has been a lot of news about a Confession app that is available for both the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Being that I am both a Mac geek and a practicing Catholic, I thought I would share my thoughts on it. First and foremost, this is NOT a replacement for confessing your sins to a priest and receiving the proper penance. It is instead a guide to helping you make a good confession and a handy thing to take with you into the confessional. It is an aide when examining your conscience prior to going to confession at your local parish. I have it myself and will use it at my next confession next month (I go monthly). For another take on the Confession app check out what the good folks at Southern Fried Catholicism over in Oxford, MS say about it.
Reagan Library adds iPod touch to Exhibits
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library now offers 250 iPod touch units as part of the museum tour. Pretty nifty and tech savvy to utilize.
Finally I wan to share an entertaining graphic on the different type of iPhone users. It is pretty interesting, I think I know which one I fall under. See you all next week for another edition of AppleTalk Thursday.
Googling Friday #20
Howdy folks and welcome to another edition of Googling Friday. I realize it has been a couple of weeks but family medical issues and a snow storm got in the way, thankfully both have resolved themselves. So lets get down to business!
Google to make changes to spur sales in Android Market
Google struggling with lacking sales compared to the iOS app store, are looking at ways to increase sales in the Android Market through methods such as in-app purchases something popular in the iOS apps already. Course this also re-enforces my belief that iPhone users on average have more of a disposable income compared to Android users. But we will see if these changes help.
Android 3.0 Honeycomb
Google recently previewed its Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet OS. At first look it is nice looking but tends to be more of a tablet PC look than an iPad killer. It focuses on running widget apps across several screens something Mac OS X and Windows 7 can do already. It seems more of a competition to Netbooks instead of the iPad at first look.
Gmail brings Priority Inbox to the iPhone
Google’s web-based Gmail on the iPhone now supports Priority Inbox. As discussed earlier, Priority Inbox uses an algorithm to determine messages that are of more importance to a user and keeps them separate from other emails in a users inbox.
Google Translate to iPhone Review
In addition to Priority Inbox, Google has also released an app for the iPhone based on their popular Google Translate app. Very handy if you are visiting a foreign country and not that familiar with the language of the locals. It has a record button to say a phrase you want to translate which is really cool if you just want to avoid typing words while on the go. It works with about 50 languages but audio wise only works with about half of them. But it is a free app and can be found here.
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of Googling Friday. See you all next week for another edition.
Google to make changes to spur sales in Android Market
Google struggling with lacking sales compared to the iOS app store, are looking at ways to increase sales in the Android Market through methods such as in-app purchases something popular in the iOS apps already. Course this also re-enforces my belief that iPhone users on average have more of a disposable income compared to Android users. But we will see if these changes help.
Android 3.0 Honeycomb
Google recently previewed its Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet OS. At first look it is nice looking but tends to be more of a tablet PC look than an iPad killer. It focuses on running widget apps across several screens something Mac OS X and Windows 7 can do already. It seems more of a competition to Netbooks instead of the iPad at first look.
Gmail brings Priority Inbox to the iPhone
Google’s web-based Gmail on the iPhone now supports Priority Inbox. As discussed earlier, Priority Inbox uses an algorithm to determine messages that are of more importance to a user and keeps them separate from other emails in a users inbox.
Google Translate to iPhone Review
In addition to Priority Inbox, Google has also released an app for the iPhone based on their popular Google Translate app. Very handy if you are visiting a foreign country and not that familiar with the language of the locals. It has a record button to say a phrase you want to translate which is really cool if you just want to avoid typing words while on the go. It works with about 50 languages but audio wise only works with about half of them. But it is a free app and can be found here.
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of Googling Friday. See you all next week for another edition.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
AppleTalk Thursday #6
Greetings everyone and welcome to another installment of AppleTalk Thursday, a blog about all things Apple, from Macs to iOS devices and everything in between. Let’s see what is going on in the world of Apple this week!
Apple beats the Street
Results for Q1 sales are in and Apple easily beat the Wall Street estimates. Recording revenue of $26.7 Billion in the first quarter of 2011 with earnings her share of $6.43. During the quarter Apple sold 16.24 million iPhones (86% increase over last year Q1), 7.33 million iPads, 19.45 million iPods (a 7% decline over last year Q1), and 4.13 million Macs which is a 23% over the same quarter last year! Morgan Stanley analyst Kathy Huberty is estimated that Apple may sell 100 million iPhones and 40 million iPads in 2011. If you are an Apple stockholder like I am, this has to put a big smile on your face! That should be good enough for Apple to top Microsoft in quarterly profits for the first time in 20 years.
TiVo releases iPad app
Good news for TiVo users, there is an app for that...in the form of an iPad version. It acts as both a program guide and a remote so that is pretty cool. Let’s see if DirecTV can come up with something as cool for their users. It does require TiVo Premiere or TiVo Premiere XL box as well as a TiVo account to be of any use of course.
Tim Cook smack talks Windows and Android iPad wannabes
The more I hear from Steve Jobs stand in COO Tim Cook, the more I like him! He is willing to go toe to toe with Ballmer on smack talk. Here he refers to as the Windows tablet as big, heavy, and expensive and refers to the Android tablets as “scaled-up smartphones”. Keep it up Tim, I love it!
Apple and AT&T new deal great for consumer choice
Apple and AT&T have a new non-exclusive deal in place in the US which ends all exclusivity deals for the iPhone worldwide. So now Apple can offer the iPhone to any GSM and CDMA carriers in the US. Great news for T-Mobile, Sprint, CellularSouth, and other carriers. This is smart strategy for Apple as it will put it in a more competitive position against Android devices.
Giffords recovery and therapy includes an iPad
While we continually hear awesome news regarding the recovery of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, news last week that one of her doctors mentioned she is even able to scroll through an iPad makes it even more awesome! By having the ability to navigate through the functions of the iPad, it means her Fine Motor Skills are doing very well and she has since been moved to Houston for further treatment where her condition this week was upgraded to Good. We continue to pray for the full recovery of Congresswoman Giffords here at TupeloGeek Media.
Apple brings on former NSA analyst to head up global security
Apple has hired David Rice to be Director of Global Security starting in March. Previously Mr. Rice has worked at the National Security Agency as a Global Network Vulnerability analyst and for the Navy as a Special Duty Cryptologic officer. This will help Apple as it addresses security concerns with enterprise clients.
Verizon dangles the unlimited data carrot to iPhone 4 switchers, $20 hotspot tethering plan
So this is how Verizon will persuade users to upgrade or switch over to the iPhone 4 next month. For a limited time, Verizon will offer people buying the Verizon iPhone 4 the unlimited data plan. After that Verizon will indeed move to a tiered data plan similar to AT&T. In addition it also announced its Mobile Hotspot plan will be $20 per month with a 2GB data cap with each additional gigabyte costing $20. To counter the move of unlimited data plan, AT&T is quietly allowing users who once had the unlimited data plan but moved to one of their tiered data plans, is allowing users to switch back to unlimited data providing they had their iPhone prior to the June data plan change. This means if you got an iPhone with AT&T after June you are SOL...sorry! That being said, one analyst suggests Verizon could sell 19 million iPhones in 2011 alone.
iPhone and iPad extend lead over Android devices in Enterprise in 2010
Adoption of the iPhone and the iPad in the enterprise sector continues to do very well. Far outpacing Android devices while Windows mobiles devices decline in adoption according to Good Technology. Here are a couple of charts that puts things into perspective.
Pretty impressive if you ask me! I really love that Windows Mobile is imploding, payback is a...oh wait got to keep it clean here. ;)
The Daily to launch within weeks
James Murdoch, Chief Executive of NewsCorp in Europe and Asia and son of Rupert has stated that The Daily digital periodical for the iPad will be available in the US within the next 2 weeks initially followed by launches internationally, in addition he confirms it will cost 99 cents per week on a reoccurring subscription something that will be rolled out as part of the iOS 4.3 update.
Next gen iPhone and iPads supporting NFC?
Although slow to rollout in the US, the idea of Near-Field Communications is starting to catch on. Basically allowing a user to pay for items by a wave of their mobile device, the feature maybe built into the next generation of iPad and iPhone devices. This might be something I personally might use depending on the security of NFC when making a purchase such as what would happen if someone got a hold of my device and decided to go on a shopping spree? Something to consider.
Apple App Store approving 4.3-compatible AirPlay third party apps
Looks like the App Store is approving third party developers apps that take advantage of AirPlay. Hmm could Netflix and Hulu Plus app updates be not too far behind?
iOS App Reviews
So this week I thought I would focus on some fitness and health related apps as I know a lot of people have that at the top of their New Years Resolution list.
Lose It! (FREE) - This is a great app for tracking your calories! It allows you to enter in your exercise routine and your food intake so you know just where you stand on your daily calorie cap so you can hit your target weight loss goals. I am on a 2 pounds per week plan so I can hit my goal in 39 weeks.
RunKeeper Pro (FREE until end of January) - RunKeeper has an outstanding app to enter in your workout routine so you can see how your are doing on your workouts. It is usually $9.99 but if you get it this month it is FREE! Don’t let the name fool you though, it is not just for runners but also walkers and people using equipment at fitness centers too.
CalorieCounter by ShapeUp Club (FREE) - Another good calorie tracking app is CalorieCounter by ShapeUp Club. I have both Lose It and CalorieCounter as I haven’t decided which one works best for me. I will follow up with my decision soon but they are both good apps.
Nike+ GPS ($1.99) - Of course there is the Nike+ system which relies on the sensor in your shoe for records but Nike also has a GPS related app that is similar to RunKeeper Pro and cheaper on regular price by $8.
Well, that should give you a running start on fitness apps for the new year. That is going to do it for this extra packed issue of AppleTalk Thursday. See you all next week for another edition of all things Apple!
Apple beats the Street
Results for Q1 sales are in and Apple easily beat the Wall Street estimates. Recording revenue of $26.7 Billion in the first quarter of 2011 with earnings her share of $6.43. During the quarter Apple sold 16.24 million iPhones (86% increase over last year Q1), 7.33 million iPads, 19.45 million iPods (a 7% decline over last year Q1), and 4.13 million Macs which is a 23% over the same quarter last year! Morgan Stanley analyst Kathy Huberty is estimated that Apple may sell 100 million iPhones and 40 million iPads in 2011. If you are an Apple stockholder like I am, this has to put a big smile on your face! That should be good enough for Apple to top Microsoft in quarterly profits for the first time in 20 years.
TiVo releases iPad app
Good news for TiVo users, there is an app for that...in the form of an iPad version. It acts as both a program guide and a remote so that is pretty cool. Let’s see if DirecTV can come up with something as cool for their users. It does require TiVo Premiere or TiVo Premiere XL box as well as a TiVo account to be of any use of course.
Tim Cook smack talks Windows and Android iPad wannabes
The more I hear from Steve Jobs stand in COO Tim Cook, the more I like him! He is willing to go toe to toe with Ballmer on smack talk. Here he refers to as the Windows tablet as big, heavy, and expensive and refers to the Android tablets as “scaled-up smartphones”. Keep it up Tim, I love it!
Apple and AT&T new deal great for consumer choice
Apple and AT&T have a new non-exclusive deal in place in the US which ends all exclusivity deals for the iPhone worldwide. So now Apple can offer the iPhone to any GSM and CDMA carriers in the US. Great news for T-Mobile, Sprint, CellularSouth, and other carriers. This is smart strategy for Apple as it will put it in a more competitive position against Android devices.
Giffords recovery and therapy includes an iPad
While we continually hear awesome news regarding the recovery of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, news last week that one of her doctors mentioned she is even able to scroll through an iPad makes it even more awesome! By having the ability to navigate through the functions of the iPad, it means her Fine Motor Skills are doing very well and she has since been moved to Houston for further treatment where her condition this week was upgraded to Good. We continue to pray for the full recovery of Congresswoman Giffords here at TupeloGeek Media.
Apple brings on former NSA analyst to head up global security
Apple has hired David Rice to be Director of Global Security starting in March. Previously Mr. Rice has worked at the National Security Agency as a Global Network Vulnerability analyst and for the Navy as a Special Duty Cryptologic officer. This will help Apple as it addresses security concerns with enterprise clients.
Verizon dangles the unlimited data carrot to iPhone 4 switchers, $20 hotspot tethering plan
So this is how Verizon will persuade users to upgrade or switch over to the iPhone 4 next month. For a limited time, Verizon will offer people buying the Verizon iPhone 4 the unlimited data plan. After that Verizon will indeed move to a tiered data plan similar to AT&T. In addition it also announced its Mobile Hotspot plan will be $20 per month with a 2GB data cap with each additional gigabyte costing $20. To counter the move of unlimited data plan, AT&T is quietly allowing users who once had the unlimited data plan but moved to one of their tiered data plans, is allowing users to switch back to unlimited data providing they had their iPhone prior to the June data plan change. This means if you got an iPhone with AT&T after June you are SOL...sorry! That being said, one analyst suggests Verizon could sell 19 million iPhones in 2011 alone.
iPhone and iPad extend lead over Android devices in Enterprise in 2010
Adoption of the iPhone and the iPad in the enterprise sector continues to do very well. Far outpacing Android devices while Windows mobiles devices decline in adoption according to Good Technology. Here are a couple of charts that puts things into perspective.
Pretty impressive if you ask me! I really love that Windows Mobile is imploding, payback is a...oh wait got to keep it clean here. ;)
The Daily to launch within weeks
James Murdoch, Chief Executive of NewsCorp in Europe and Asia and son of Rupert has stated that The Daily digital periodical for the iPad will be available in the US within the next 2 weeks initially followed by launches internationally, in addition he confirms it will cost 99 cents per week on a reoccurring subscription something that will be rolled out as part of the iOS 4.3 update.
Next gen iPhone and iPads supporting NFC?
Although slow to rollout in the US, the idea of Near-Field Communications is starting to catch on. Basically allowing a user to pay for items by a wave of their mobile device, the feature maybe built into the next generation of iPad and iPhone devices. This might be something I personally might use depending on the security of NFC when making a purchase such as what would happen if someone got a hold of my device and decided to go on a shopping spree? Something to consider.
Apple App Store approving 4.3-compatible AirPlay third party apps
Looks like the App Store is approving third party developers apps that take advantage of AirPlay. Hmm could Netflix and Hulu Plus app updates be not too far behind?
iOS App Reviews
So this week I thought I would focus on some fitness and health related apps as I know a lot of people have that at the top of their New Years Resolution list.
Lose It! (FREE) - This is a great app for tracking your calories! It allows you to enter in your exercise routine and your food intake so you know just where you stand on your daily calorie cap so you can hit your target weight loss goals. I am on a 2 pounds per week plan so I can hit my goal in 39 weeks.
RunKeeper Pro (FREE until end of January) - RunKeeper has an outstanding app to enter in your workout routine so you can see how your are doing on your workouts. It is usually $9.99 but if you get it this month it is FREE! Don’t let the name fool you though, it is not just for runners but also walkers and people using equipment at fitness centers too.
CalorieCounter by ShapeUp Club (FREE) - Another good calorie tracking app is CalorieCounter by ShapeUp Club. I have both Lose It and CalorieCounter as I haven’t decided which one works best for me. I will follow up with my decision soon but they are both good apps.
Nike+ GPS ($1.99) - Of course there is the Nike+ system which relies on the sensor in your shoe for records but Nike also has a GPS related app that is similar to RunKeeper Pro and cheaper on regular price by $8.
Well, that should give you a running start on fitness apps for the new year. That is going to do it for this extra packed issue of AppleTalk Thursday. See you all next week for another edition of all things Apple!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
AppleTalk Thursday #4
Hey everybody and welcome to another edition of AppleTalk Thursday. We have a bit of Apple news to discuss this week so let’s get right into things.
Mac App Store is Here
Of course hours after last week’s AppleTalk Thursday went out, Apple rolled out the Mac App Store as part of the 10.6.6 update. Among the notable apps is Angry Birds and Flight Control HD which are popular games on the iOS devices and the Twitter app (formerly Tweetie). They also are selling the iLife (3 of them anyway) and iWork apps, although the iWork apps are still the ’09 variety and not the updated iWork ’11. iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand each sell for $14.99 which if you add them up, come up to $45, a single license copy of iLife ’11 sells for $49 in optical media format but you can actually install the apps on the Mac App Store on multiple computers so if you add in the Family Pack cost of $79 you are getting quite a deal. Pages, Keynote, and Numbers sell for $19.99 each compared to $79 for optical media single copy and $99 for Family Pack. Of course not all the developers have jumped on board yet, they maybe taking a wait and see approach. But I love it, it is like having one big software virtual mall. It also scans your other apps that you have pre-installed and will alert you to an update for it if that application is part of the store. Apple has reported it had 1 million downloads of apps in the first 24 hours of its launch.
Verizon gets the iPhone 4
I discussed this on Tuesday Tech Talk as it broke that day. I had quite a bit of information on it and you can find that post here. What has not been determined yet is the cost of the data plans from Verizon for the iPhone. One would think they would be the same as the data plans for their other smart-phones. But the fact they are throwing in a mobile hot spot device (MiFi) to connect up to 5 devices to it, is pretty sweet and reinforces Verizon’s confidence in their network where AT&T had to be dragged kicking and screaming to a still pricey tethering plan for the iPhone. Now comes word that the iOS 4.3 update will include mobile hot spot feature as part of the OS so clearly, Apple by teaming with Verizon can negotiate with AT&T from a position of strength for a more competitive tethering plan. The Verizon iPhone will go on sale on February 10th at Apple and Verizon store locations as well as their online stores. Also of note Verizon and Apple will sell a CDMA based iPad as well.
Microsoft fights Apple on “App Store” trademark
Microsoft being the crybabies they are (see Paul Allen and Steve Ballmer), have filed an objection with the US Patent & Trademark Office over Apple’s plan to trademark the term “App Store”. Hey Microsoft, it sucks to be dominated doesn’t it? In my opinion, Apple was the first to launch such a store way before Android and Windows Phone 7, and BlackBerry so they should get the right. Be creative enough to come up with your own name losers..oh wait this is Microsoft we are talking about...they have no imagination!
Jobs and Murdoch to launch The Daily on January 19th?
The much rumored iPad only digital magazine The Daily is expected to be announced on January 19th in San Francisco. If it is anything like NewsCorp’s Wall Street Journal app for the iPad, then it would be well worth subscribing to at the 99 cents per week expected cost.
Apple eliminated restocking fees
Wow, first Best Buy and now Apple will be eliminating restocking fees according to an article from 9 to 5 Mac starting this past Tuesday. Not heard anything confirming this so take the article for what its worth.
AT&T and Apple lower price of 3GS iPhone to $49
If you just want to get an iPhone but don’t need the latest and greatest there is good news, both Apple and AT&T have dropped the price from $99 to $49 on the 8GB 3GS iPhone. So if you missed out on the Radio Shack and Best Buy offers, the deal is here to stay. iPhone 4 pricing remains the same though.
iOS App Reviews
Apple Remote (FREE) - If you have an AppleTV did you know that with the Apple Remote app you can control it from your iPhone or iPad? I have used both for controlling mine and I actually prefer it over the line of sight based remote that comes with the AppleTV. Course it can also play iTunes content from your Mac(s) while you are sitting in the recliner or pulling into the garage and pulling a nice prank on your unsuspecting significant other who thinks your Mac is possessed all of the sudden (Yes, I did this once.)
Goodreads (FREE) - If you are a user of Goodreads and have an iPhone, then this app is a must have! For those that don’t know, Goodreads allows you to share what books you are reading, have read or want to read with other friends that are book readers. Think of it as Facebook for book worms. So sign up for the service which is free and download the app. You can find me here to see what I’ve been or will be reading.
Green Bay Packers (FREE) - Ok so I am a bit bias here as Green Bay is my team in the playoffs right now being that my Chargers and Titans failed to make it this year. But this is a good model for how any sports team thinking about making an app should follow. Videos, schedule, injury updates, etc. it is all there.
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of AppleTalk Thursday. Look forward to sharing more Apple related news with you here same time next week!
Mac App Store is Here
Of course hours after last week’s AppleTalk Thursday went out, Apple rolled out the Mac App Store as part of the 10.6.6 update. Among the notable apps is Angry Birds and Flight Control HD which are popular games on the iOS devices and the Twitter app (formerly Tweetie). They also are selling the iLife (3 of them anyway) and iWork apps, although the iWork apps are still the ’09 variety and not the updated iWork ’11. iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand each sell for $14.99 which if you add them up, come up to $45, a single license copy of iLife ’11 sells for $49 in optical media format but you can actually install the apps on the Mac App Store on multiple computers so if you add in the Family Pack cost of $79 you are getting quite a deal. Pages, Keynote, and Numbers sell for $19.99 each compared to $79 for optical media single copy and $99 for Family Pack. Of course not all the developers have jumped on board yet, they maybe taking a wait and see approach. But I love it, it is like having one big software virtual mall. It also scans your other apps that you have pre-installed and will alert you to an update for it if that application is part of the store. Apple has reported it had 1 million downloads of apps in the first 24 hours of its launch.
Verizon gets the iPhone 4
I discussed this on Tuesday Tech Talk as it broke that day. I had quite a bit of information on it and you can find that post here. What has not been determined yet is the cost of the data plans from Verizon for the iPhone. One would think they would be the same as the data plans for their other smart-phones. But the fact they are throwing in a mobile hot spot device (MiFi) to connect up to 5 devices to it, is pretty sweet and reinforces Verizon’s confidence in their network where AT&T had to be dragged kicking and screaming to a still pricey tethering plan for the iPhone. Now comes word that the iOS 4.3 update will include mobile hot spot feature as part of the OS so clearly, Apple by teaming with Verizon can negotiate with AT&T from a position of strength for a more competitive tethering plan. The Verizon iPhone will go on sale on February 10th at Apple and Verizon store locations as well as their online stores. Also of note Verizon and Apple will sell a CDMA based iPad as well.
Microsoft fights Apple on “App Store” trademark
Microsoft being the crybabies they are (see Paul Allen and Steve Ballmer), have filed an objection with the US Patent & Trademark Office over Apple’s plan to trademark the term “App Store”. Hey Microsoft, it sucks to be dominated doesn’t it? In my opinion, Apple was the first to launch such a store way before Android and Windows Phone 7, and BlackBerry so they should get the right. Be creative enough to come up with your own name losers..oh wait this is Microsoft we are talking about...they have no imagination!
Jobs and Murdoch to launch The Daily on January 19th?
The much rumored iPad only digital magazine The Daily is expected to be announced on January 19th in San Francisco. If it is anything like NewsCorp’s Wall Street Journal app for the iPad, then it would be well worth subscribing to at the 99 cents per week expected cost.
Apple eliminated restocking fees
Wow, first Best Buy and now Apple will be eliminating restocking fees according to an article from 9 to 5 Mac starting this past Tuesday. Not heard anything confirming this so take the article for what its worth.
AT&T and Apple lower price of 3GS iPhone to $49
If you just want to get an iPhone but don’t need the latest and greatest there is good news, both Apple and AT&T have dropped the price from $99 to $49 on the 8GB 3GS iPhone. So if you missed out on the Radio Shack and Best Buy offers, the deal is here to stay. iPhone 4 pricing remains the same though.
iOS App Reviews
Apple Remote (FREE) - If you have an AppleTV did you know that with the Apple Remote app you can control it from your iPhone or iPad? I have used both for controlling mine and I actually prefer it over the line of sight based remote that comes with the AppleTV. Course it can also play iTunes content from your Mac(s) while you are sitting in the recliner or pulling into the garage and pulling a nice prank on your unsuspecting significant other who thinks your Mac is possessed all of the sudden (Yes, I did this once.)
Goodreads (FREE) - If you are a user of Goodreads and have an iPhone, then this app is a must have! For those that don’t know, Goodreads allows you to share what books you are reading, have read or want to read with other friends that are book readers. Think of it as Facebook for book worms. So sign up for the service which is free and download the app. You can find me here to see what I’ve been or will be reading.
Green Bay Packers (FREE) - Ok so I am a bit bias here as Green Bay is my team in the playoffs right now being that my Chargers and Titans failed to make it this year. But this is a good model for how any sports team thinking about making an app should follow. Videos, schedule, injury updates, etc. it is all there.
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of AppleTalk Thursday. Look forward to sharing more Apple related news with you here same time next week!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
AppleTalk Thursday #3
Hello all and welcome to the first AppleTalk Thursday of 2011! Got a lot to get into over the last 2 weeks so let’s dive into it!
McAfee warns Apple users of viruses in 2009...2010...2011
Yeah, we have heard this before, a company who makes money by selling antivirus software warns of how the Mac will be targeted for viruses, yet the threat never materializes as compared to a company in the Pacific Northwest that makes an inferior OS. I have never bought an antivirus program for my Mac and don’t intend to start now. Go scare someone else McAfee!
iPhone maintains lead over Android and BlackBerry in the US
Despite what Apple haters and Andorra fanboys say, the iPhone is still king in America over the Android and BlackBerry smart phones. Yeah all that talk about the iPhone 4 antenna issue was overrated too. A recent story said it was the biggest tech disaster of 2010, I disagree...that belongs to GoogleTV IMHO.
Mac and iOS alternatives to Delicious
Concerned about Yahoo’s long term prospects? Yeah, you are not alone. MacWorld recently wrote a great article about alternatives to Yahoo’s Delicious service. I really don’t use Delicious, but I know many of you might so it might be worth checking out.
Skype brings video chat to iOS devices on WiFi AND 3G
To quote VP Biden, this is a pretty big @#$% deal! Skype has a lot of users and now if you are out and about with your iPhone, you can now Skype video chat with friends on other iOS devices or desktop clients of Skype and you can do it on 3G as well. Which begs the question, when will FaceTime support 3G? Yahoo also supports video over 3G and WiFi as well with its Messenger app. But Skype is a bigger deal as it is based on audio and video communication. If you have an iPod touch and in a WiFi zone you can also join the party, The iPad can view video but until it has a camera (which is rumored in the iPad 2), then you can only watch one way on it.
Verizon iPhone by Valentine’s Day
Yes, another rumor regarding the iPhone for Verizon, but again it is coming from a reliable source. The timeline makes sense too and this will only help Apple maintain the iPhone lead over the Android and BB throughout 2011 in the US.
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of AppleTalk Thursday. The rumored Mac App Store may arrive in time for next week so I will have a review about it. See you next week!
McAfee warns Apple users of viruses in 2009...2010...2011
Yeah, we have heard this before, a company who makes money by selling antivirus software warns of how the Mac will be targeted for viruses, yet the threat never materializes as compared to a company in the Pacific Northwest that makes an inferior OS. I have never bought an antivirus program for my Mac and don’t intend to start now. Go scare someone else McAfee!
iPhone maintains lead over Android and BlackBerry in the US
Despite what Apple haters and Andorra fanboys say, the iPhone is still king in America over the Android and BlackBerry smart phones. Yeah all that talk about the iPhone 4 antenna issue was overrated too. A recent story said it was the biggest tech disaster of 2010, I disagree...that belongs to GoogleTV IMHO.
Mac and iOS alternatives to Delicious
Concerned about Yahoo’s long term prospects? Yeah, you are not alone. MacWorld recently wrote a great article about alternatives to Yahoo’s Delicious service. I really don’t use Delicious, but I know many of you might so it might be worth checking out.
Skype brings video chat to iOS devices on WiFi AND 3G
To quote VP Biden, this is a pretty big @#$% deal! Skype has a lot of users and now if you are out and about with your iPhone, you can now Skype video chat with friends on other iOS devices or desktop clients of Skype and you can do it on 3G as well. Which begs the question, when will FaceTime support 3G? Yahoo also supports video over 3G and WiFi as well with its Messenger app. But Skype is a bigger deal as it is based on audio and video communication. If you have an iPod touch and in a WiFi zone you can also join the party, The iPad can view video but until it has a camera (which is rumored in the iPad 2), then you can only watch one way on it.
Verizon iPhone by Valentine’s Day
Yes, another rumor regarding the iPhone for Verizon, but again it is coming from a reliable source. The timeline makes sense too and this will only help Apple maintain the iPhone lead over the Android and BB throughout 2011 in the US.
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of AppleTalk Thursday. The rumored Mac App Store may arrive in time for next week so I will have a review about it. See you next week!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
AppleTalk Thursday #2
Hello everybody and welcome to the second edition of AppleTalk Thursday. Just a quick note, I am taking a Christmas and New Years break next week so there will be no AppleTalk Thursday next week. With that said we got a lot to cover here so I’m going to dive right in!
iPad 2 Rumor Roundup
Lot of stuff out there on what might be in the upcoming iPad 2 so here is a quick rundown of rumors regarding the tablet. DigiTimes is reporting Apple has added 2 new touchscreen suppliers for the iPad. The article goes on to say that Apple is expecting to ship 6 million iPad 2’s per month. The Unofficial Apple Weblog explains that DigiTimes is hit and miss on rumors so only time will tell. Another source, a Japanese Mac blog named Mac Otakara states that it will sport a larger “wide-ranged-speaker” and a flatter backing to it similar to the new iPod touch. They have an image of the reported speaker as well. Again this is speculation and rumors, but here is the photo of what they claim is the new speaker.
Course the at this point it is a safe bet that the iPad 2 will sport both a front and back facing camera. Not sure if it will sport a Retina Display like the iPhone 4 does, but it would be nice if it did. But that is a run down of the latest iPad 2 rumors. Sounds like we could see it ship around February.
Apple TV News and Notes
Apple announced that this week it expects to sale its one millionth new AppleTV. For those that don’t have one, I can assure you it is worth the $99! We have enjoyed watching Netflix on it, renting movies from the iTunes store that are not available on Netflix yet (Inception and A-Team), and with AirPlay now out, I can stream Pandora from my iPhone and iPad to my stereo system. It also works with apps like iheartradio and TuneIn Radio as well. As long as you have an HDTV already and a broadband connection, then you are good to go with one. In addition, it has also been a boom to Roku sales as well. If you don’t have an HDTV but have RCA connections, then Roku is the way to go although it doesn’t have access to iTunes movie rentals and lacks AirPlay support, but it does have Hulu and MLB as apps among others. Another bit of AppleTV news is this story on how using Google’s public DNS address for your internet can hinder the AppleTV’s performance on iTunes movie rentals. Now this could be just a fluke, but if Google is doing this then isn’t Google breaking their own “Don’t be Evil” policy? Oh, maybe not. Then again maybe it is just sour grapes over the failure that is GoogleTV. Another interesting note is according to a DirecTV survey, they may soon offer their popular and exclusive NFL Sunday Ticket to AppleTV users. This would be huge if it were to happen!
Apple removes Unofficial WikiLeaks app from Store
This week Apple chose to remove the Unofficial WikiLeaks app. I agree with this decision, Apple is choosing to be a responsible party here in removing an application that supports a service that could cause severe harm to our troops overseas. If you still want the app I’m sure you can get it on the Android market next to the porn section which Apple also does not allow thankfully.
Verizon sees iPhone as “Essential to Future Success”
Continuing the long rumors of the iPhone to Verizon stories, comes this article on how Verizon which apparently has seen its Android unit sales decline, very much sees the iPhone as vital to sales and market share. This story kind of surprised me as I thought Android was going to take over the world according to what its proponents have been stating. Apparently the numbers just don’t add up in Verizon’s case anyway. Full disclosure, before I upgraded my 3GS to an iPhone 4 at Radio Shack, I did research the Android phones and was just not impressed in how it would relate to my Mac hardware such as syncing my iTunes music library and such. Plus their battery and network icons at the top of the screen just look tacky and not as smooth as the iPhone icons. Ok, I have said enough, I’m sure I am going to hear from the Android fanboys and girls out there now.
Sam’s Club selling iPhone 4 for $147
Well, if your reading this on Thursday or Friday and missed out on the Radio Shack deal, Sam’s Club is selling the iPhone 4 16GB model for $147 and the 8GB 3GS for $47. No word on the price of the 32GB model though. Hurry!
iWork ’11 to arrive in Early January?
Based on limited retail copies of iWork ’09 and the launching of the Mac App Store on January 6th, there appears to be growing speculation that iWork ’11 will make its debut as part of the App Store. This would certainly entice people to come check out the Mac App Store on launch day and maybe even buy some apps for their Mac. Sure makes sense to me.
Skyfire coming to the iPad
Yes, it is finally coming soon, Skyfire which allows you to view Flash content on the iPhone using its browser, will soon have a counterpart on the iPad. Should arrive any day now and sell for about $5. It will also have social network quick view for Facebook and Twitter updates.
iOS App Reviews
CNN iPad app (FREE) - CNN has launched an iPad only app. Of course it already offers an app for the iPhone and iPod touch. The view on the iPad app is very nice as you scroll down to view photos of stories with captions over them. Selecting on the photo opens the story up, it is like reading Flipboard almost in terms of how it displays.
MobileNavigator ($44.99 North America) - MobileNavigator recently updated their app to include some new goodies, among them is an iPad version, also Active Lane Assistant which gives a more accurate view of the road you are on in terms of lanes on the road. Also offers Travel and Restaurant guides via in-app purchases, and sharing favorites between iOS devices via email, and MyReport which allows you to leave feedback on a route that is no longer accurate on MobileNavigator which will allow it to be more responsive with map updates.
Flipboard (FREE) - Speaking of Flipboard, it has been updated to support Google Reader and Flickr. If you have never tried Flipboard then you really should. It is like reading your social media in a magazine form. Please note, this is an iPad only app though.
Voices 2 (99 Cents) - If you have ever tried Talking Tom Cat, then you will love this app. It gives you the ability to record your voice and then add about 26 different effects to your voice. My favorite is Max which basically makes you sound like Max Headroom.
Emoji (FREE) - This is a nice free app that allows you to add emoticons to your text messages. It was one of the first apps I added to my wife’s iPhone so she could insert the smileys she had on her old flip phone. It is very cool and for a free version, it includes a lot of icons to use.
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of AppleTalk Thursday, A lot of news this week but you got 2 weeks to digest it all before another edition of AppleTalk Thursday on January 6th which will be the same date the Mac App Store launches. So now doubt we will have a bit more news then over the course of 2 weeks. See you then and have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
iPad 2 Rumor Roundup
Lot of stuff out there on what might be in the upcoming iPad 2 so here is a quick rundown of rumors regarding the tablet. DigiTimes is reporting Apple has added 2 new touchscreen suppliers for the iPad. The article goes on to say that Apple is expecting to ship 6 million iPad 2’s per month. The Unofficial Apple Weblog explains that DigiTimes is hit and miss on rumors so only time will tell. Another source, a Japanese Mac blog named Mac Otakara states that it will sport a larger “wide-ranged-speaker” and a flatter backing to it similar to the new iPod touch. They have an image of the reported speaker as well. Again this is speculation and rumors, but here is the photo of what they claim is the new speaker.
Course the at this point it is a safe bet that the iPad 2 will sport both a front and back facing camera. Not sure if it will sport a Retina Display like the iPhone 4 does, but it would be nice if it did. But that is a run down of the latest iPad 2 rumors. Sounds like we could see it ship around February.
Apple TV News and Notes
Apple announced that this week it expects to sale its one millionth new AppleTV. For those that don’t have one, I can assure you it is worth the $99! We have enjoyed watching Netflix on it, renting movies from the iTunes store that are not available on Netflix yet (Inception and A-Team), and with AirPlay now out, I can stream Pandora from my iPhone and iPad to my stereo system. It also works with apps like iheartradio and TuneIn Radio as well. As long as you have an HDTV already and a broadband connection, then you are good to go with one. In addition, it has also been a boom to Roku sales as well. If you don’t have an HDTV but have RCA connections, then Roku is the way to go although it doesn’t have access to iTunes movie rentals and lacks AirPlay support, but it does have Hulu and MLB as apps among others. Another bit of AppleTV news is this story on how using Google’s public DNS address for your internet can hinder the AppleTV’s performance on iTunes movie rentals. Now this could be just a fluke, but if Google is doing this then isn’t Google breaking their own “Don’t be Evil” policy? Oh, maybe not. Then again maybe it is just sour grapes over the failure that is GoogleTV. Another interesting note is according to a DirecTV survey, they may soon offer their popular and exclusive NFL Sunday Ticket to AppleTV users. This would be huge if it were to happen!
Apple removes Unofficial WikiLeaks app from Store
This week Apple chose to remove the Unofficial WikiLeaks app. I agree with this decision, Apple is choosing to be a responsible party here in removing an application that supports a service that could cause severe harm to our troops overseas. If you still want the app I’m sure you can get it on the Android market next to the porn section which Apple also does not allow thankfully.
Verizon sees iPhone as “Essential to Future Success”
Continuing the long rumors of the iPhone to Verizon stories, comes this article on how Verizon which apparently has seen its Android unit sales decline, very much sees the iPhone as vital to sales and market share. This story kind of surprised me as I thought Android was going to take over the world according to what its proponents have been stating. Apparently the numbers just don’t add up in Verizon’s case anyway. Full disclosure, before I upgraded my 3GS to an iPhone 4 at Radio Shack, I did research the Android phones and was just not impressed in how it would relate to my Mac hardware such as syncing my iTunes music library and such. Plus their battery and network icons at the top of the screen just look tacky and not as smooth as the iPhone icons. Ok, I have said enough, I’m sure I am going to hear from the Android fanboys and girls out there now.
Sam’s Club selling iPhone 4 for $147
Well, if your reading this on Thursday or Friday and missed out on the Radio Shack deal, Sam’s Club is selling the iPhone 4 16GB model for $147 and the 8GB 3GS for $47. No word on the price of the 32GB model though. Hurry!
iWork ’11 to arrive in Early January?
Based on limited retail copies of iWork ’09 and the launching of the Mac App Store on January 6th, there appears to be growing speculation that iWork ’11 will make its debut as part of the App Store. This would certainly entice people to come check out the Mac App Store on launch day and maybe even buy some apps for their Mac. Sure makes sense to me.
Skyfire coming to the iPad
Yes, it is finally coming soon, Skyfire which allows you to view Flash content on the iPhone using its browser, will soon have a counterpart on the iPad. Should arrive any day now and sell for about $5. It will also have social network quick view for Facebook and Twitter updates.
iOS App Reviews
CNN iPad app (FREE) - CNN has launched an iPad only app. Of course it already offers an app for the iPhone and iPod touch. The view on the iPad app is very nice as you scroll down to view photos of stories with captions over them. Selecting on the photo opens the story up, it is like reading Flipboard almost in terms of how it displays.
MobileNavigator ($44.99 North America) - MobileNavigator recently updated their app to include some new goodies, among them is an iPad version, also Active Lane Assistant which gives a more accurate view of the road you are on in terms of lanes on the road. Also offers Travel and Restaurant guides via in-app purchases, and sharing favorites between iOS devices via email, and MyReport which allows you to leave feedback on a route that is no longer accurate on MobileNavigator which will allow it to be more responsive with map updates.
Flipboard (FREE) - Speaking of Flipboard, it has been updated to support Google Reader and Flickr. If you have never tried Flipboard then you really should. It is like reading your social media in a magazine form. Please note, this is an iPad only app though.
Voices 2 (99 Cents) - If you have ever tried Talking Tom Cat, then you will love this app. It gives you the ability to record your voice and then add about 26 different effects to your voice. My favorite is Max which basically makes you sound like Max Headroom.
Emoji (FREE) - This is a nice free app that allows you to add emoticons to your text messages. It was one of the first apps I added to my wife’s iPhone so she could insert the smileys she had on her old flip phone. It is very cool and for a free version, it includes a lot of icons to use.
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of AppleTalk Thursday, A lot of news this week but you got 2 weeks to digest it all before another edition of AppleTalk Thursday on January 6th which will be the same date the Mac App Store launches. So now doubt we will have a bit more news then over the course of 2 weeks. See you then and have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
AppleTalk Thursday #1
Hey everybody and welcome to the first edition of AppleTalk Thursday. Over the past year or so, I have written a blog called Tuesday Tech Talk. When it first started out, it was all things technology. But as Apple and Google continue to grow with exciting products, it began to dominate Triple T. Earlier this year, I launched Googling Friday to talk about all things Google related and now this will be the blog to talk about the Macintosh and iOS devices like the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad as well as the AppleTV. This I hope will allow Tuesday Tech Talk to focus back on general technology and even offer more time to things not Apple and Google. So, that is my intro, lets get down to business!
Verizon and iPhone Update
Yes, another week of Verizon and the iPhone uniting rumors. One source saying Verizon may get the iPhone as soon as after Christmas as part of Verizon’s LTE “4G” network. Although it is just a rumor, it also offered plenty of details and an analyst at Asymco states that Verizon really needs the iPhone to help catch up with AT&T in smartphone sales. I think it is only a matter of time before Verizon gets the iPhone, just a matter of if it will be in January or late June-early July when the iPhone 5 arrives with a dual chip capability to run on GSM and CDMA networks as well as LTE.
iPad Biggest Tech Winner of 2010 and other iPad News
Business Insider has named the iPad the Biggest Tech Winner of 2010. This is not a surprise at all, since it launched in April, Apple has sold over 10 million units. It will be interesting to see what the iPad 2 brings in the Spring or maybe even earlier. Also of note, the iPad is now available from Best Buy’s online store. In addition, it is quickly catching up to the Kindle as an ebook reader. I’m sure Amazon doesn't mind that though as it offers a Kindle ebook reader app for the iPad which is what I use to read books with.
MobileMe to get a lot Better Next Year says Jobs
In response to an email regarding MobileMe,Steve Jobs stated that the service will be even more better in 2011. This has me curious enough to go ahead and continue for another year on the service.
Verizon FiOS coming to Mac and iOS in 2011
Verizon announced they are working on a Mac and iOS application for their FiOS TV service. It will require a Verizon internet connection, but they hope to have it launched in the early half of 2011. Are you listening DirecTV?
Google Voice updated to support iPad and iPod touch
On Tuesday Google updated its Google Voice application to support iPad and iPod touch devices. It has an option called Click2Call which you can choose which phone to ring to call out to.
Well, that is going to do it for this first edition of AppleTalk Thursday. Next week I will add some app reviews. See you next week!
Verizon and iPhone Update
Yes, another week of Verizon and the iPhone uniting rumors. One source saying Verizon may get the iPhone as soon as after Christmas as part of Verizon’s LTE “4G” network. Although it is just a rumor, it also offered plenty of details and an analyst at Asymco states that Verizon really needs the iPhone to help catch up with AT&T in smartphone sales. I think it is only a matter of time before Verizon gets the iPhone, just a matter of if it will be in January or late June-early July when the iPhone 5 arrives with a dual chip capability to run on GSM and CDMA networks as well as LTE.
iPad Biggest Tech Winner of 2010 and other iPad News
Business Insider has named the iPad the Biggest Tech Winner of 2010. This is not a surprise at all, since it launched in April, Apple has sold over 10 million units. It will be interesting to see what the iPad 2 brings in the Spring or maybe even earlier. Also of note, the iPad is now available from Best Buy’s online store. In addition, it is quickly catching up to the Kindle as an ebook reader. I’m sure Amazon doesn't mind that though as it offers a Kindle ebook reader app for the iPad which is what I use to read books with.
MobileMe to get a lot Better Next Year says Jobs
In response to an email regarding MobileMe,Steve Jobs stated that the service will be even more better in 2011. This has me curious enough to go ahead and continue for another year on the service.
Verizon FiOS coming to Mac and iOS in 2011
Verizon announced they are working on a Mac and iOS application for their FiOS TV service. It will require a Verizon internet connection, but they hope to have it launched in the early half of 2011. Are you listening DirecTV?
Google Voice updated to support iPad and iPod touch
On Tuesday Google updated its Google Voice application to support iPad and iPod touch devices. It has an option called Click2Call which you can choose which phone to ring to call out to.
Well, that is going to do it for this first edition of AppleTalk Thursday. Next week I will add some app reviews. See you next week!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Tuesday Tech Talk #71
Hello folks and welcome to a late edition of Tuesday Tech Talk. A lot of news since last week so let’s dive right in.
iOS 4.2 has Arrived!
The big news for iPad users is iOS 4.2 is here! What that means is if you have an iPad, you can now arrange apps into folders saving you lots of screens to slide through to find your favorite app (I reduced my screen from 6 to 1) and you can also multitask on it as well. It is awesome to run Pandora in the background on the iPad now especially when you consider the speakers on the iPad are much better than the speaker on the iPhone (on my 3GS anyway). In addition the update is also for the iPhone and iPod touch, it allows all of the devices to perform AirPlay and AirPrint operations. With AirPlay, if you start to watch say a YouTube or iTunes video on your iOS device, you can choose to switch it over to your AppleTV device. It works pretty awesome as I like to browse YouTube videos on my iPad and play them to my TV. Also it works for music as well. With AirPrint, if you have a supported printer (currently 11 HP printers with ePrint), then you can print documents and photos from your iOS devices. However, if you don’t have one of those 11 printers, there is a sweet workaround from Printopia. For $9.95, it will allow you to print to any printer that is shared on a local WiFI network. They also offer a demo version so you can try before you buy, but it is worth the $10! It also allows you to send files right to your DropBox or directly to the desktop of your computer, so it does more than just print.
Netflix offers streaming only plan
On the same day as the iOS 4.2 release, Netflix revealed a $7.99 streaming only plan for US customers. They also raised prices on the disc plans as well, but with more and more content available via streaming, we decided to drop our plan down from 3 discs to 2 and save about $3 a month.
Stuck at JFK on Delta, play with an iPad
Some eateries at the Delta terminal at JFK airport now have iPad’s at booths where you can order food and drinks from it and use it for general browsing. The good news is you don’t have to order food to use the devices. Course with 10 million iPad’s sold now, chances are you probably already have one.
Microsoft stores not matching Apple Store success
To the surprise of well nobody, Microsoft’s retail stores are not coming close to matching the success of Apple retail locations. Could it be that people know a rip off when they see one and will visit the genuine article? I mean what will Microsoft offer at its stores that is Microsoft made beyond Windows and Office? The computers they sell are third party brands you can find at Best Buy.
Windows Phone 7 a Flop?
Developers are quite concerned about building apps for a phone that despite much publicity, has not had the sales impact it had hoped for. Quite frankly, they are fighting an uphill battle, you have the iOS, Android, and Blackberry fighting for market share and that is not including HP’s PalmOS, all fighting for market share, it is hard to carve out your own with that much competition. Not to mention the interface on the phone is not appealing at all as compared to an iPhone or Android device. Only time will tell but as of right now, they are slow out of the gate.
Well, that is going to do it for this week’s Tuesday Tech Talk. See you all next week back on the normal time frame.
iOS 4.2 has Arrived!
The big news for iPad users is iOS 4.2 is here! What that means is if you have an iPad, you can now arrange apps into folders saving you lots of screens to slide through to find your favorite app (I reduced my screen from 6 to 1) and you can also multitask on it as well. It is awesome to run Pandora in the background on the iPad now especially when you consider the speakers on the iPad are much better than the speaker on the iPhone (on my 3GS anyway). In addition the update is also for the iPhone and iPod touch, it allows all of the devices to perform AirPlay and AirPrint operations. With AirPlay, if you start to watch say a YouTube or iTunes video on your iOS device, you can choose to switch it over to your AppleTV device. It works pretty awesome as I like to browse YouTube videos on my iPad and play them to my TV. Also it works for music as well. With AirPrint, if you have a supported printer (currently 11 HP printers with ePrint), then you can print documents and photos from your iOS devices. However, if you don’t have one of those 11 printers, there is a sweet workaround from Printopia. For $9.95, it will allow you to print to any printer that is shared on a local WiFI network. They also offer a demo version so you can try before you buy, but it is worth the $10! It also allows you to send files right to your DropBox or directly to the desktop of your computer, so it does more than just print.
Netflix offers streaming only plan
On the same day as the iOS 4.2 release, Netflix revealed a $7.99 streaming only plan for US customers. They also raised prices on the disc plans as well, but with more and more content available via streaming, we decided to drop our plan down from 3 discs to 2 and save about $3 a month.
Stuck at JFK on Delta, play with an iPad
Some eateries at the Delta terminal at JFK airport now have iPad’s at booths where you can order food and drinks from it and use it for general browsing. The good news is you don’t have to order food to use the devices. Course with 10 million iPad’s sold now, chances are you probably already have one.
Microsoft stores not matching Apple Store success
To the surprise of well nobody, Microsoft’s retail stores are not coming close to matching the success of Apple retail locations. Could it be that people know a rip off when they see one and will visit the genuine article? I mean what will Microsoft offer at its stores that is Microsoft made beyond Windows and Office? The computers they sell are third party brands you can find at Best Buy.
Windows Phone 7 a Flop?
Developers are quite concerned about building apps for a phone that despite much publicity, has not had the sales impact it had hoped for. Quite frankly, they are fighting an uphill battle, you have the iOS, Android, and Blackberry fighting for market share and that is not including HP’s PalmOS, all fighting for market share, it is hard to carve out your own with that much competition. Not to mention the interface on the phone is not appealing at all as compared to an iPhone or Android device. Only time will tell but as of right now, they are slow out of the gate.
Well, that is going to do it for this week’s Tuesday Tech Talk. See you all next week back on the normal time frame.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Googling Friday #12
Hello folks and welcome to another edition of Googling Friday.
Edit your Google Docs on your mobile devices
Google announced this week that you will now have the ability to edit your Google Docs on your iPhone, Android, and iPad devices. I tried it on my iPhone just a few minutes ago and when you highlight say like a header, it creates an edit box within that same line of the header, so you can edit the header or add to it. This is welcome news and am looking forward to trying it out on my iPad. I am moving more of my documents to the cloud and a lot of times I am just taking my iPad with me instead of my MacBook to different places.
Google Voice for iPhone at last
On Tuesday, the official Google Voice app for the iPhone appeared in the iTunes app store. It offers everything the desktop client does at the same price as the desktop client (FREE!). I absolutely love Google Voice! It is our default long distance carrier now on our landline and has allowed us to drop our landline to the basic service like a dial tone.
Google Maps review
You have read here back in Googling Friday #7 of my thoughts on Google Earth, there is also Google Maps. What I like about Google Maps is if you have it say on an iPhone which is one of the included apps for it, it will show you as a moving blue dot and you are able to see just where you are even by walking. A case in point, when my wife and I went to Oxford, MS a few months ago, we were looking for Ajax Diner on the Square. By walking around the square and pulling up their location in Google Maps, we were able to quickly locate it and enjoy a nice lunch there (try the Southern Pecan Beer and the Deuce burger btw). I do find that it is often better updated than TomTom when it comes to rural areas. I was using the TomTom app on my iPhone to drive out to my friend Kenny’s place and it took me out to some backwoods country where the only thing missing was a banjo playing. Luckily, I switched over to Google Maps which accurately got me to his house. Needless to say, Google Maps has helped me out several times and is worth every penny it costs which btw it is free.
Well that is going to do it for this edition of Googling Friday. See you all next week!
Edit your Google Docs on your mobile devices
Google announced this week that you will now have the ability to edit your Google Docs on your iPhone, Android, and iPad devices. I tried it on my iPhone just a few minutes ago and when you highlight say like a header, it creates an edit box within that same line of the header, so you can edit the header or add to it. This is welcome news and am looking forward to trying it out on my iPad. I am moving more of my documents to the cloud and a lot of times I am just taking my iPad with me instead of my MacBook to different places.
Google Voice for iPhone at last
On Tuesday, the official Google Voice app for the iPhone appeared in the iTunes app store. It offers everything the desktop client does at the same price as the desktop client (FREE!). I absolutely love Google Voice! It is our default long distance carrier now on our landline and has allowed us to drop our landline to the basic service like a dial tone.
Google Maps review
You have read here back in Googling Friday #7 of my thoughts on Google Earth, there is also Google Maps. What I like about Google Maps is if you have it say on an iPhone which is one of the included apps for it, it will show you as a moving blue dot and you are able to see just where you are even by walking. A case in point, when my wife and I went to Oxford, MS a few months ago, we were looking for Ajax Diner on the Square. By walking around the square and pulling up their location in Google Maps, we were able to quickly locate it and enjoy a nice lunch there (try the Southern Pecan Beer and the Deuce burger btw). I do find that it is often better updated than TomTom when it comes to rural areas. I was using the TomTom app on my iPhone to drive out to my friend Kenny’s place and it took me out to some backwoods country where the only thing missing was a banjo playing. Luckily, I switched over to Google Maps which accurately got me to his house. Needless to say, Google Maps has helped me out several times and is worth every penny it costs which btw it is free.
Well that is going to do it for this edition of Googling Friday. See you all next week!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Tuesday Tech Talk #69
Hello folks and welcome to another edition of Tuesday Tech Talk. I apologize for the later posting but the Fab Four is always worth waiting for I believe. So lets dive into the news.
Ladies and Gentlemen...THE BEATLES!!!!
Yes, earlier today The Beatles catalog became available in the iTunes Music Store. The long wait for the Fab Four has finally arrived! Now based on Apple’s homepage yesterday, a lot of people were expecting something big like maybe a cloud based iTunes. But considering the announcement went up yesterday on the Apple.com site and wasn’t a scheduled press event based invite a week or so ahead of time, I wasn’t thinking cloud and had a suspicion it was The Beatles based on them having 4 clocks one of which was London time. My first download was Hey Jude followed by Let it Be and The Long and Winding Road with more tracks and albums to follow I’m sure.
Facebook rethinks Messaging
Yesterday Mark Zuckerberg announced a new messaging system for Facebook that will be rolled out over the next couple of months. It basically adds IM, texting, and email into a single communication model. You will get a @facebook.com style email address as part of it but it is more of an informal communication model with no subject line like in email. Once I get an invite, I will play around with it and write more about it later.
iOS 4.2, where art thou?
There was much speculation last week that iOS 4.2 would arrive on Friday but then news broke of the iPad having WiFi issues with the developer gold master which a updated version was seeded to developers but this will probably push back the release date to hopefully sometime this week. Apple has officially stated 4.2 will be released sometime in November so they really have 2 weeks left to stay within their promise, but I think iPhone and iPad users will be using AirPlay on Thanksgiving Day myself.
New York Times to rank E-Book bestsellers
With more and more people buying their books on Kindle, Nook, iPad, and other electronic devices, the New York Times early next year will rank E-Book fiction and non-fiction bestsellers. This is long overdue considering the Kindle has been around for quite sometime. I myself use the Kindle app on my iPad and looking to get the new Kindle itself early next year for my reading in long sessions.
Next generation iPhone and iPad may support glove use
Hitachi is developing a new touch screen that recognizes insulator based touching (gloves or stylus), this technology could then be based in the iPhone 5 next summer. Not really a big problem down in these parts, but for people in the Midwest or Northeast, this might be welcome news during those harsh winter months.
This Week’s iPhone/iPod touch/iPad apps
Talking Tom Cat (FREE) - This cute basic app is really fun! My friend Dave alerted me to this app. Basically you can speak things to it and it will repeat what you say in a cute high pitched voice. You can also pet it, “stomp” on its paw or just slap it around a bit...yeah it’s weird and would offend PETA, but it is free.
Facebook (FREE) - I may have discussed the Facebook app before but it has been updated since. One of the new features is Places, similar to FourSquare you can check into places but Facebook has used its popularity to partner with business to have special offers at places. For example, my wife and I were in Nashville this past weekend and when we checked into Chipotle, there was a Post-it icon next to Chipotle in the list of locations. Upon clicking on Chipotle, it described the offer which was when you buy a burrito, burrito bowl, salad, or taco, you get a second entree free. Being that it was my wife and myself, it was perfect as we saved about $6 on the second entree. It was a weekend offer only but it looks like Chipotle will be offering it again this weekend. This is how location checkin will take off in the mainstream. FourSquare is nice but it is just a competition to become mayor of places.
Nightstand Central for iPad (FREE) - This is a handy app for anyone staying at a hotel or with family. Just load up the app before heading to bed and set your alarm if you want. It has several alarm options, my favorite is Church Bells. It will also display the current city or town you are in and the temperature outside. Another nice feature is sliding your finger up and down the display will brighten or dim the screen so it isn’t glaring as you try and sleep. There is also an iPhone version as well. But the iPad version gives you more of a standard alarm clock feel.
Windowshop by Amazon (FREE) - This is how browsing the Amazon Store should look like on an iPad! It is like browsing the Amazon Store on a desktop or laptop computer but fully customized to the iPad. Trust me, wants you try it, there is no other way to browse Amazon. I actually use it anytime I want to look at Amazon.
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of Tuesday Tech Talk, see you all next week for #70! Wow, I had no idea when I first started to write Triple T over a year ago, it would reach 70 posts. Just proves how much I love to blog and how much I love technology.
Ladies and Gentlemen...THE BEATLES!!!!
Yes, earlier today The Beatles catalog became available in the iTunes Music Store. The long wait for the Fab Four has finally arrived! Now based on Apple’s homepage yesterday, a lot of people were expecting something big like maybe a cloud based iTunes. But considering the announcement went up yesterday on the Apple.com site and wasn’t a scheduled press event based invite a week or so ahead of time, I wasn’t thinking cloud and had a suspicion it was The Beatles based on them having 4 clocks one of which was London time. My first download was Hey Jude followed by Let it Be and The Long and Winding Road with more tracks and albums to follow I’m sure.
Facebook rethinks Messaging
Yesterday Mark Zuckerberg announced a new messaging system for Facebook that will be rolled out over the next couple of months. It basically adds IM, texting, and email into a single communication model. You will get a @facebook.com style email address as part of it but it is more of an informal communication model with no subject line like in email. Once I get an invite, I will play around with it and write more about it later.
iOS 4.2, where art thou?
There was much speculation last week that iOS 4.2 would arrive on Friday but then news broke of the iPad having WiFi issues with the developer gold master which a updated version was seeded to developers but this will probably push back the release date to hopefully sometime this week. Apple has officially stated 4.2 will be released sometime in November so they really have 2 weeks left to stay within their promise, but I think iPhone and iPad users will be using AirPlay on Thanksgiving Day myself.
New York Times to rank E-Book bestsellers
With more and more people buying their books on Kindle, Nook, iPad, and other electronic devices, the New York Times early next year will rank E-Book fiction and non-fiction bestsellers. This is long overdue considering the Kindle has been around for quite sometime. I myself use the Kindle app on my iPad and looking to get the new Kindle itself early next year for my reading in long sessions.
Next generation iPhone and iPad may support glove use
Hitachi is developing a new touch screen that recognizes insulator based touching (gloves or stylus), this technology could then be based in the iPhone 5 next summer. Not really a big problem down in these parts, but for people in the Midwest or Northeast, this might be welcome news during those harsh winter months.
This Week’s iPhone/iPod touch/iPad apps
Talking Tom Cat (FREE) - This cute basic app is really fun! My friend Dave alerted me to this app. Basically you can speak things to it and it will repeat what you say in a cute high pitched voice. You can also pet it, “stomp” on its paw or just slap it around a bit...yeah it’s weird and would offend PETA, but it is free.
Facebook (FREE) - I may have discussed the Facebook app before but it has been updated since. One of the new features is Places, similar to FourSquare you can check into places but Facebook has used its popularity to partner with business to have special offers at places. For example, my wife and I were in Nashville this past weekend and when we checked into Chipotle, there was a Post-it icon next to Chipotle in the list of locations. Upon clicking on Chipotle, it described the offer which was when you buy a burrito, burrito bowl, salad, or taco, you get a second entree free. Being that it was my wife and myself, it was perfect as we saved about $6 on the second entree. It was a weekend offer only but it looks like Chipotle will be offering it again this weekend. This is how location checkin will take off in the mainstream. FourSquare is nice but it is just a competition to become mayor of places.
Nightstand Central for iPad (FREE) - This is a handy app for anyone staying at a hotel or with family. Just load up the app before heading to bed and set your alarm if you want. It has several alarm options, my favorite is Church Bells. It will also display the current city or town you are in and the temperature outside. Another nice feature is sliding your finger up and down the display will brighten or dim the screen so it isn’t glaring as you try and sleep. There is also an iPhone version as well. But the iPad version gives you more of a standard alarm clock feel.
Windowshop by Amazon (FREE) - This is how browsing the Amazon Store should look like on an iPad! It is like browsing the Amazon Store on a desktop or laptop computer but fully customized to the iPad. Trust me, wants you try it, there is no other way to browse Amazon. I actually use it anytime I want to look at Amazon.
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of Tuesday Tech Talk, see you all next week for #70! Wow, I had no idea when I first started to write Triple T over a year ago, it would reach 70 posts. Just proves how much I love to blog and how much I love technology.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Tuesday Tech Talk #64
Greetings everyone and welcome to another edition of Tuesday Tech Talk. Please excuse the late edition this week, I had some lower back pain that made it difficult to sit in a writing position for an extended period of time. The good news is I am much better now and Phillip Rivers I am not apparently when throwing around a football on a beach. So with that in mind, we have a lot of tech news to catch up on.
iPhone to Verizon...No, Seriously This Time
So I have tried to stay away from the whole “when is the iPhone coming to Verizon” chatter in this space because quite frankly it was a whole lot of rumor and speculation from less than credible sources. But now we have the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times saying that in fact, Apple is preparing a CDMA based iPhone for Verizon in the early part of next year. To add further credibility, Verizon brick-and-mortar stores will start selling the iPad on October 28th in conjunction with MiFi mobile hot spots.
So what does this mean for me personally? Well, my contract with AT&T expires in June which is right around the time of the 5th gen iPhone which no doubt will sport a GSM and CDMA-based models. I will let my contract run out and then decide at that time who to sign up with. Verizon no doubt has better coverage but the drawback of CDMA is you are not able to access data and voice at the same time...that is a major issue for me. If they can work out that issue, then it is a no brainer, I will sign up with Verizon whom I had when I lived in L.A. and Nashville before moving to Tupelo where at the time Verizon didn’t have coverage until they bought Alltel in 2008. Not to mention that as of right now, Verizon still offers an unlimited data plan to new customers where AT&T does not (I am grandfathered in with them on that right now). So that is my take on the Verizon iPhone talk, what do you think?
Apple “Back to the Mac” event
Next Wednesday, Apple will be hosting a Mac based event on its campus. Speculation is we will see iLife ’11 and iWork ’11 make their debut along with possible upgrades for the MacBook Air and a sneak peak at OS X 10.7 (Lion). I will either delay Triple T next week or have a special blog about the event on Wednesday.
Steve Ballmer Speaks Idiot Again
Every time Baldo Ballmer says something stupidity comes out. Yes, Steve it is true the Microsoft brand does mean something to users...CRAP! Even fertilizer can have a brand Steve, doesn’t mean I want to smell it just the same as a lot of people don’t want to use Windows but have to because of a backwards thinking business culture.
iPad All time fastest selling gadget
Speaking of fat Dr. Evil, this will not make him a happy camper. Yeah, how many Kin’s did you sell again Steve?
Facebook introduces Group Chat
Facebook has announced a new feature called Groups. It allows you to create a group of friends to share posts of common interest. For example, I can create a group called Football to basically post all my NFL and College football updates in and it would only be viewable to people that also like football. I really like this new feature and can’t wait to use it.
This Week’s iPhone/iPod touch/iPad apps
GetGlue (FREE) - This new social media app allows you to share just what your watching, reading, playing, listening to, wine your drinking, or topic you are thinking about. Also has an iPad version.
Tango (FREE) - So you don’t have an iPhone 4 or the newest iPod touch for FaceTime? Well no problem Tango is here. It even allows you to use a 3G connection too. Course if you have an iPhone 3GS or earlier it does make it hard to chat without the front facing camera, but I am willing to try it.
Angry Birds HD($4.99)- I have heard Fr. Roderick and others talk about this game for the longest time but never tried it...until now. Boy is this game both fun and a major time suck. No I mean it really is, I was playing it until 4am last night and only stopped because my iPad battery drained and had to recharge it. This is crack on an iPad. Oh yeah, there is an iPhone/iPod touch version for 99 cents too. No, I am not buying that version cause then I would really have no life.
PlainText (FREE) - This is great for making quick notes while on your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. It also syncs with your DropBox account too. I use it to make notes for my blog without using my BlogPress app.
Justin.tv (FREE) - If you want to live video stream right from your iPhone, then you should check this out. I have tried uStream’s app and found it to crash or not work, but Justin.tv works like a snap and it is easy to find anyone that is streaming live on Justin.tv, on your iPhone as well. With uStream it only list the “popular” streams. In addition, my live chat room stream is now Justin.tv based.
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of Tuesday Tech Talk. See you all next week for news from the Apple event.
iPhone to Verizon...No, Seriously This Time
So I have tried to stay away from the whole “when is the iPhone coming to Verizon” chatter in this space because quite frankly it was a whole lot of rumor and speculation from less than credible sources. But now we have the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times saying that in fact, Apple is preparing a CDMA based iPhone for Verizon in the early part of next year. To add further credibility, Verizon brick-and-mortar stores will start selling the iPad on October 28th in conjunction with MiFi mobile hot spots.
So what does this mean for me personally? Well, my contract with AT&T expires in June which is right around the time of the 5th gen iPhone which no doubt will sport a GSM and CDMA-based models. I will let my contract run out and then decide at that time who to sign up with. Verizon no doubt has better coverage but the drawback of CDMA is you are not able to access data and voice at the same time...that is a major issue for me. If they can work out that issue, then it is a no brainer, I will sign up with Verizon whom I had when I lived in L.A. and Nashville before moving to Tupelo where at the time Verizon didn’t have coverage until they bought Alltel in 2008. Not to mention that as of right now, Verizon still offers an unlimited data plan to new customers where AT&T does not (I am grandfathered in with them on that right now). So that is my take on the Verizon iPhone talk, what do you think?
Apple “Back to the Mac” event
Next Wednesday, Apple will be hosting a Mac based event on its campus. Speculation is we will see iLife ’11 and iWork ’11 make their debut along with possible upgrades for the MacBook Air and a sneak peak at OS X 10.7 (Lion). I will either delay Triple T next week or have a special blog about the event on Wednesday.
Steve Ballmer Speaks Idiot Again
Every time Baldo Ballmer says something stupidity comes out. Yes, Steve it is true the Microsoft brand does mean something to users...CRAP! Even fertilizer can have a brand Steve, doesn’t mean I want to smell it just the same as a lot of people don’t want to use Windows but have to because of a backwards thinking business culture.
iPad All time fastest selling gadget
Speaking of fat Dr. Evil, this will not make him a happy camper. Yeah, how many Kin’s did you sell again Steve?
Facebook introduces Group Chat
Facebook has announced a new feature called Groups. It allows you to create a group of friends to share posts of common interest. For example, I can create a group called Football to basically post all my NFL and College football updates in and it would only be viewable to people that also like football. I really like this new feature and can’t wait to use it.
This Week’s iPhone/iPod touch/iPad apps
GetGlue (FREE) - This new social media app allows you to share just what your watching, reading, playing, listening to, wine your drinking, or topic you are thinking about. Also has an iPad version.
Tango (FREE) - So you don’t have an iPhone 4 or the newest iPod touch for FaceTime? Well no problem Tango is here. It even allows you to use a 3G connection too. Course if you have an iPhone 3GS or earlier it does make it hard to chat without the front facing camera, but I am willing to try it.
Angry Birds HD($4.99)- I have heard Fr. Roderick and others talk about this game for the longest time but never tried it...until now. Boy is this game both fun and a major time suck. No I mean it really is, I was playing it until 4am last night and only stopped because my iPad battery drained and had to recharge it. This is crack on an iPad. Oh yeah, there is an iPhone/iPod touch version for 99 cents too. No, I am not buying that version cause then I would really have no life.
PlainText (FREE) - This is great for making quick notes while on your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. It also syncs with your DropBox account too. I use it to make notes for my blog without using my BlogPress app.
Justin.tv (FREE) - If you want to live video stream right from your iPhone, then you should check this out. I have tried uStream’s app and found it to crash or not work, but Justin.tv works like a snap and it is easy to find anyone that is streaming live on Justin.tv, on your iPhone as well. With uStream it only list the “popular” streams. In addition, my live chat room stream is now Justin.tv based.
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of Tuesday Tech Talk. See you all next week for news from the Apple event.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Tuesday Tech Talk #60
Hello folks and welcome to another edition of Tuesday Tech Talk. Kind of a light week this week after the Apple announcement last week, but let’s see what is happening in the news.
Intel moves into mobile chip market
Intel is moving into the mobile chip market with the acquisition of Infineon’s Wireless Solution unit which coincidently is an iPhone supplier.
Flash on Android...not so nice
Let me start off by saying this is not a knock on the Android phone, this is however a knock on Adobe and their continue to be crappy and out of date Flash application. If there was an argument to back up Steve Jobs well publicized disapproval of Flash, it is this...go ahead...give the video a look over and then come back.
iOS 4.1 under the hood
Of course Apple announced last week that the iOS 4.1 update will be released this week. Great article here on the features 4.1 will include.
Netflix comes to the iPhone and iPod touch
Great news for iPhone and iPod touch owners, Netflix has created an app for those devices as it does for the iPad. There is one key difference though, the app for the iPhone and iPod touch does not have a DVD queue manager. It is strictly a streaming application with all the content on it as instant watch. But still pretty cool none the less.
Well that is going to do it for this short version of Tuesday Tech Talk. If you haven’t done so yet, read my reaction to the Apple event here and you can also read my good friend Jeremy’s reaction as well here. See you all next week!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Tuesday Tech Talk #58
Hello folks and welcome to another edition of Tuesday Thursday Tech Talk. I apologize for the late arrival this week but I was busy the early part of this week. Well lets see what is going on this week in technology.
Facebook says Places everyone
Last week Facebook introduced a new feature that allows you to check in at places on your mobile phone that has the Facebook app. The one feature of it I find questionable is the ability to tag others at that place. That being said it will alert that user if they have been tagged and gives them the option to remove the tag. The difference between it and Foursquare is you don’t get to be mayor of a place on Places like you do on Foursquare and Foursquare doesn’t have tagging.
Intel buys McAfee
News from out of the blue last week as the big chip maker purchased the anti virus software maker for $8 Billion! Wonder if AMD will now look for a dance partner?
Couple uses iPad to marry them
Ok as someone that loves both technology and marriage, this article caught my eye. A couple used the iPad to read their vows and the bride even used the iPad to compose her vows and then the wedding official (not a priest as the linked article states) read it as well to officiate it. All that being said, to each their own but no way would I have done that at my wedding in 2001 even if an iPad existed then. Full disclosure, I used Mac Office PowerPoint to propose to my wife back in 2000 on my beige G3 desktop that ran on a 266 MHz processor.
Verizon bringing FiOS TV to mobile devices, DISH goes online
The world of mobile TV viewing continues to evolve with Verizon announcing it will soon offer an app that will allow you to view FiOS programming on your iPad, Android, Blackberry Storm, and Windows Mobile 6.5 devices but ONLY from within the home. Which kind of makes no sense. I mean really the purpose of such an app would be if you are not at home. In other content provider news, DISH Network is bringing a handful of channels to its Dish Online service.
Western Digital introduces HomePlug device
Western Digital is making a plunge into home networking by allowing you to extend your WiFi connection to electrical outlets allowing you to connect your HDTV for example to the internet. The Livewire will sell for $140.
Apple negotiating $1 TV show rentals
Ahead of the expected AppleTV revamp next month, Apple is in negotiations with FOX, ABC, and CBS to allow consumers to rent TV shows for a 48 hour window for a dollar each episode.
Jail breaking your iPhone won’t send you to jail
I have never really felt the need to jail break my iPhone. Believe it or not I am a happy AT&T customer since 3G arrived in Tupelo. Don’t get me started with Comcast though. But if one wanted to, well #1 you are on your own if you want tech support from Apple but #2 it is legal.
This Week’s iPhone/iPod touch/iPad apps
Madden NFL 11 ($12.99 iPad, $7.99 iPhone/iPod touch - I have to admit I have never really used my iPad or iPhone as a gaming device beyond using Farmville or Solitaire. But I am really enjoying playing Madden on my iPad. There is a learning curve to it especially on defense, but once you play a couple of games it gets pretty easy (hint: rush the quarterback on defense to force incomplete passes or even interceptions and the possible sack). I don’t have the iPhone version but my friend Dave does and he tends to love it. So far my Chargers are undefeated and winning by 35 or more points, I even beat the Seahawks 76-21...in Seattle.
We Rule (FREE) - I have heard Fr. Roderick, Cliff Ravenscraft and Leo Laporte all mention this app so I finally downloaded it. The best way to describe it is English village meets Farmville. You have a castle that you can expand the more levels you go up and plant crops, collect taxes from the citizens, and continue to expand your landscape as you advance in levels. My username is tupelogeek if you want to add me as a neighbor.
Well that is going to do it for this edition of Triple T. See you all next week back on our regular schedule.
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