Sony BMG to Offer DRM-Free Music on Apple’s iTunes?

9to5Mac believes that Sony BMG will soon begin offering their music catalog to Apple in the iTunes Plus format. iTunes Plus is Apple's marketing term for higher quality (256kbit) audio tracks without any copy protection (DRM). Apple first started ...

Say Who Brings Voice-Dialing to the iPhone for Free

Judge Orders Apple’s New Hire to Stop Work

The drama continues for Apple's new employee Mark Papermaster who recently took a job at Apple to replace Tony Fadell. The transition has received more attention than usual due to a lawsuit filed by IBM.

Papermaster was said to have a...

SquareTrade Study: iPhones more reliable than BlackBerry, Treo

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, iPhone

Independent warranty provider SquareTrade has released a report showing that iPhones are more reliable than either BlackBerry or Palm Treo devices.

The report, titled "iPhone More Reliable than BlackBerry, One Year In", analyzes failure rates for more than 15,000 new cell phones covered by SquareTrade warranties. SquareTrade found that after one year of ownership, iPhone owners were half as likely as BlackBerry owners to have a phone failure, and one-third as likely as Treo owners. After 12 months, slightly over 16% of Treo owners had experienced a failure, while just less than 12% of BlackBerry owners had their smartphone die on them. Only 5.6% of iPhone owners had a critical failure.

SquareTrade's report also shows the types of failures most common for the various devices. The iPhone's Achille's Heel appears to be the touchscreen, while other devices saw problems with keyboards, software, and call quality.

When it comes to problems not caused by handset malfunctions, the iPhone is much more prone to accidental damage. 12% of iPhone owners reported failure due to dropping accidents, which SquareTrade attributes to the small size and slippery case of the iPhone.

Apple has made no comment on the report.

SquareTrade Study: iPhones more reliable than BlackBerry, Treo originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 08 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

SquareTrade Study: iPhones more reliable than BlackBerry, Treo originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 08 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Phone Different Podcast #30

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• Download Directly
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This week: Google Earth, Contest updates, iPhone developer noodling, and your emails. Listen in!

News

• Site News
  • TiPb on Facebook, Phase 2
  • Official contest page
  • Mike’s Pick: V-Moda Vibe Duo Headphones
  • How to win this week: Tweet @theiphoneblog on Twitter! Best tweets: questions for our next iPhone Live! podcast.
• Google Earth for iPhone
• Google Earth vs. Earthscape
• Official Tethering coming to AT&T
• TiPb Interview: PCalc
• TiPb Interview: Weightbot
• Opera Mini drama and resolution
• Security Hole
• Apple continues to fight jailbreakers
• AT&T Free WiFi is back. Here’s how to set it up

How To

• Hosted Exchange for iPhone

Community

Thanks to Aidan, Frank, and Karen for contacting us!

• Awesome forums reviewers are reviewing
• Who is to blame for iPhone 3G reception
• Mobile Me Alternatives (related to the earlier how to)

Credits

Thanks to the the iPhone Blog Store for sponsoring the podcast.

Our music comes from the following sources:

• I Called You — iPhone Remix by Pete Leidy
via Sneakmove iPhone Ringtone Challenge
• Relaxation Spa Treatment by Dan the Automator via Wired 12.11: Sample the Future
• Wataridori 2 by Cornelius via Wired 12.11: Sample the Future
• DC 3000 by Thievery Corporation via Wired 12.11: Sample the Future

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Phone Different Podcast #30

DIY: iPhone Game Accessory

Homebrew iPhone External Keyboard

Dying for an external keyboard on your iPhone? Well, you’re in luck! This proof of concept shows that if you’re an electrical engineering genius — or more likely a teenager — you can hack together one of your very own! Engadget says this solution involves Ruby code on a jailbroken iPhone, so it’s definitely not plug n’play (or better yet, Blue Tooth!) so for now only the hardcore need apply.

Anyone want to try it?

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Homebrew iPhone External Keyboard

Apple Slimming Down AC Adapter Recall Packaging?

When Apple began their recall program for the iPhone 3G AC adapters, some noted that the massive packaging the new adapters were sent in seemed to be running in stark opposition to Apple’s newly stated “greener” goals.

Ginormous would be one word for them. Wasteful, another.

Could things have changed however? While we received three of the huge boxes only a couple of weeks ago, this week we received two much smaller padded envelopes instead. Did Apple and/or their shipping company respond to the concerns, or just realize how insane the previous packaging was?

Anybody else getting the newer, slimmed-down packaging? Anyone still getting the huge boxes?

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Apple Slimming Down AC Adapter Recall Packaging?