Apple gets hit with another lawsuit

Apple is facing yet another lawsuit because of the new iPhone 3G. Its been a lot time since reports of the new iPhone 3G having construction issues causing the back casing to crack. This problem was more easily detected in the white version than the black. The lawsuit also lists ...

iPhone 3G hits select Wal-Mart store shelves on December 28th

We have been hearing rumors that Wal-Mart will be getting the iPhone 3G for several weeks now. It has now been confirmed that Wal-Mart will start selling the iPhone 3G in select locations on December 28th. Looks like a lot of people are out of luck with it landing on ...

QuickTime 7.5.7 for DisplayPort Allows Standard Definition Playback

Apple has issued a new QuickTime update for the new MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air which come equipped with the mini DisplayPort. The update addresses the issue of standard definition playback through the DisplayPort:

This upd...

Frenzic - A Fast-Paced Puzzle Game: One of the Best iPhone Games

Apple may be working on always-on status indicators for iPhone

A recent patent filing suggests Apple may be working on a way to get status information about your iPhone without activating the display.

iPhone Firmware 2.2: More Problems and Workarounds to Fix them

Review: More iPhone dictionary apps

Our look at dictionary applications for the iPhone and iPod touch continues, with a showdown between the Holy Trinity of Lexicons: The Oxford English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, and American Heritage.

Forum Review: Lie Detector for iPhone

Lie Detector Forum Review by msbaylor. (Visit the thread for video and more pics. For more Forum Reviews, see the TiPb iPhone App Store Forum!

The Lie Detector App claims that it can detect when a person is lying, 100% of the time I was unsuccessful in getting the app to work. When you open the app it tells you to input a few things about the person that is being questioned. And in the last blank, you enter the question you want to see if the person is lying about.

Once you hit “Save,” the app will ask the person that they should be truthful about, as it is supposed to calibrate the application for the one final question being asked.

I must say I do like the graphics in the application, and the sound meter seems to move adequately when speaking into the mic. However, every time I told the truth, I got this screen:

…and every time I was lying, I got:

Needless to say I haven’t got this app to work at all. I tried it on a friend and it worked 1 in 5 tries…after all I would have expected more…it’s a 50/50 chance…

I give it 1 star for graphics.

For $2.99 this is CrApp

Pros:

• Um…graphics?

Cons:

• Doesn’t work

Forum Review Rating

[Lie Detector is available from the iTunes App Store]

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

Forum Review: Lie Detector for iPhone

That iPod touch runs at 533 MHz

Breaking open the black box, computer geeks have discovered that the iPod touch does indeed have a 533 MHz processor and 128MB of RAM (probably).

Amazon denies consent for iPhone shopping app

Online retailer Amazon has rejected a third-party application that would have provided a native interface for browsing their site.

Price Matching at Apple Retail Stores?

ifoAppleStore claims that Apple retail employees have the authority to match prices of other authorized retailers.

Apple has apparently fired the first shot in the holiday shopping battle, by announcing internally that retail store ...

More DRM-Free Music and iTunes Beatles Update

Several readers have noticed that music from different studios have started appearing in iTunes with a DRM free option. This would seem to confirm rumors that Apple is in late stage negotiations with studios about launching more DRM free music.<br /...

Review: Naked Case Touch-Through Acrylic Case

[Ed: Wondering where you may have seen this case before? Look no further than our ongoing Smartphone Expert Round Robin! Yup, one lucky TiPb reader will be winning the Naked Case along with a shiny new iPhone 3G, both courtesy of Case-Mate! Huge thanks to them, and our new sibling store Smartphone Outlet for making all this possible! Now hurry up and read all about what you just might win!]

Need a new case that is light-weight, thin and protects the iPhone screen? Look no further than the Case-Mate Naked Case Touch Through Acrylic Case for iPhone 3G! This case is available for $34.95 from the Phone Different Store. This case totally encompasses your iPhone protecting it from any accidental damage. How does it work? Read on for more information!

Design

Case-Mate’s Naked Case comes in a few different colors; black, white, grey, pink and clear. In this review, we are looking at the “clear” case. The design allows for a simple two-piece solution. The two section of the case slide together, seamlessly snapping at the bottom of the case, by the iPhone’s dockng port. The top half has openings for the front sensors, power button and volume controls. It also have an elegant black outline covering the perimeter of the device. The translucent top piece is not only a protectant, but it is an electrostatic membrane that allows you to touch the screen. More on this later.

Daily Use

Once your iPhone is encapsulated by the case, it is fully protected. That doesn’t mean you can drop it in water, it means that 95% is covered. There are still needed openings for the Home button, speakers, power button, etc. How does this device work on a daily basis? Let’s start with the basics: the touch screen.

I have to admit I was a little leery of using a case that covered my touch screen. However, there is no need to fear, the device responds perfectly fine. The case is designed with such precision, the touch screen lines up beautifully with no gaps; even the home button is exact. Kudos to Case-Mate. The only distractor I could find is sometimes that the too screens just barely touch, So sometimes, there are sections of the case and touch screen that meet and it can leave a somewhat distracting “bubble” on the screen. To be honest though, if you touch it, it typically disappears and probably won’t cause too much distraction.

I have myself trained that I use the power button to turn by iPhone on and off. I don’t use the home button, just the power button. This has been a challenge because I find the the power button is recessed a little too far for my “fat” fingers. But hey, I embrace change, and pressing the home button to boot up is a satisfactory second place. 

I have found all of the other opening sufficient for what they do. I can easily access the ringer switch, volume controls, camera lens, headphone jack and docking port with ease. 

The case adds minimal bulk to the iPhone. I am not one to usually have a case attached to my phone all the time; I typically slide it in and out of a case. However, with the very thin form factor of the Naked- Case, I could still easily slide it into my pocket with no worry of it being uncomfortable or bulging out too much from my pocket (ok, no jokes here). 

Conclusion

Overall, I like this case, I really do and this is a first for me with this type of case enclosure. Sure there are a few distractors, and a couple nagging idiosyncrasies such as the Apple logo is completely obscured when using one of the colored cases. However, what is gained is awesome; a lightweight case that protects your iPhone top, front and back. The electrostatic membrane is responsive and works like a charm. All ports are assessable and is easily taken off and removed. Oh, that part reminds me of something; durability. I can’t say I feel that I were to drop the iPhone on concrete the case would live to see another day, but I sure feel the iPhone will. Oh, and check out the gallery and YouTube video at the bottom

Pros

• Solid
• Touch screen works great with case!
• Easy to snap on and off

Cons

• Not dockable with case
• Some iPhone buttons are hard to access

TiPb Rating:

 

   

 

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

Review: Naked Case Touch-Through Acrylic Case

Apple Announces Black Friday Sale

Apple has begun sending out notices about their annual “Black Friday” sale, so named because it’s theoretically a shopping day so monumental it tips the retail balances out of the red (losing money) and into the black (making profit). Years past have seen $100 off MacBook’s, for example, though rumors this year suggest Apple might be more aggressive with their sale.

Cyber Monday, the trendy follow-up where people have mulled over everything they didn’t buy on Black Friday and make use of once-were-faster office internet connections to order stuff online, is typically ignored by Apple, so those wanting even a little savings should definitely not miss out Friday.

Will iPhone’s see any discount love? We don’t expect so, given their already hugely subsidized price, but we remain ever hopeful!

So far we’ve gotten notices in the US (where it follows the Thanksgiving holiday), and Canada (where it follows just another work day). Anyone else get a notice for their country? Please post in the comments!

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

Apple Announces Black Friday Sale

Economy Now: Apple’s Non-Layoff Cost Cutting

Apple Insider is reporting that, rather than layoffs like Palm or unpaid vacation like Dell’s exploring, which would certainly paint a less-than-rosy glow about the company, Apple:

…plans to scale back the hours worked by its part-time Mac Specialists that greet customers and promote products. This would keep them on the store floors while trimming employment costs, those aware of the changes say. To compensate for the shortfall, Geniuses normally assigned to servicing products and answering questions will be asked to spend four of their weekly hours in the Mac Specialist role. Creatives manning the Studio sections of some stores will be asked to work as many as eight hours selling products.

Less person hours, however, is still less person hours. Here’s wishing all the ever-helpful staff at Apple Retail, the great folks at Palm, and everyone at Dell a speedy return to the work they love (and need!), and everyone a little global confidence, a modicum of collective good fortunte, and a lot of responsible leadership moving forward!

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

Economy Now: Apple’s Non-Layoff Cost Cutting

State of the Apps: Mail App Slips Through, Rejection Re-Do’s, Paying for Reviews, and NDA Over for 2.2!

First up, with the previous rejection of Gmail client MailWrangler, Engadget says another app which also dares to “duplicate features” found in a Dock App (Apple’s own MobileMail) has actually been accepted into the App Store. Did BdEmailer slip through the cracks? Or is this a sign of inconsistency on Apple’s part? Hot on the heels of the controversy surrounding Google’s Advance Voice Search using non-public API’s, developer confidence in the approval process might drop even further…

…Though Ars’ own Erica Sadun reveals the story of one developer who, after initially having their App rejected by Apple, tried and tried again, and without making a single change to the app, had it approved the second time around. Embarrassing for Apple, if the policies really are that inconsistent.

Speaking of embarrassing, Wired reveals that one developer actually got Amazon’s mechanical turk involved in paying for reviews. Users who get $4 — $2 to “buy” the app, and $2 in bonus for leaving a 5-star review.

Lastly, Erica Sadun is back to remind us that, with the release of iPhone OS 2.2, the NDA is now lifted regarding that firmware, and the public dumping can begin! Any guesses as to what goodies will be found?

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

State of the Apps: Mail App Slips Through, Rejection Re-Do’s, Paying for Reviews, and NDA Over for 2.2!

The Blackberry Storm - An iPhone ‘Killer’?

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iPhone

Like many of you who read TUAW, I use an iPhone 3G as my day-to-day cell phone, mobile email and SMS device and to watch videos, listen to music and generally be entertained while waiting at the doctor's office, in line for a movie or when I need to kill some time. As many of you also know, there's another company out there besides Apple who's had a pretty tight hold on the "smart" phone market until recently, especially when it comes to mobile email and generally taking care of business as a professional on-the-go. That company, of course, is RIM and their device is the Blackberry.

As of last Friday, RIM has released a new Blackberry they consider a potential "iPhone Killer" or, at the very least, a serious competitor for the iPhone -- the Blackberry Storm. As a Blackberry user prior to switching to the iPhone, I was of course very interested in seeing if the Storm would, in fact, offer any sort of competition to the iPhone. So, to find out, I got a Storm last Friday and spent the weekend using it alongside my iPhone to see how both devices compare when performing many of the tasks I use on a daily basis.

What follows is by no means scientific, nor is it an in-depth review of the Storm. I'll leave that to Engadget. These are just my observations and impressions as an iPhone and Mac user when also using a Storm to accomplish the same tasks.

Continue reading The Blackberry Storm - An iPhone 'Killer'?

The Blackberry Storm - An iPhone 'Killer'? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Blackberry Storm - An iPhone 'Killer'? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Rolando trailer says release in December

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Software, iPhone

Last we heard from Rolando, perhaps the iPhone game we're most excited to play, ng:moco had announced that they were still aiming for a release date of "Holiday 2008." And now it's looking like that holiday is Christmas rather than Thanksgiving, because over on their site, they've put up a new video for the game, and they're now saying there will be a "December" release (strangely enough, Touch Arcade's URL for the story says "December 12th" at the time I write this, but that could have been just an error on their side).

Oh well. At least we've got the new trailer, which shows off some more of the way gameplay works, including the 2D physics, the great colors and art, and the use of the touchscreen to not only control characters, but sometimes rearrange and manipulate the game world.

Rolando continues to look impressive (rumor has it that it'll come with a $9.99 price tag, but hopefully we'll get a demo to try out first). We've waited months for the game already, so a few weeks probably won't be so bad, right?

[via Touch Arcade]

New Rolando trailer says release in December originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

New Rolando trailer says release in December originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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