MobileMe Gives the thumbs up

Improvements now see Apple's MobileMe Web service worthy of checking out. The Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg now feels it worthy of a recommendation. Mossberg, whose opinion can make or break a product or service, has revisited his earlier take on the MobileMe service, which got off to a disastrous start ...

iPhone Not Expected on Verizon Until at Least 2010

AT&T rival Verizon says that the earliest the iPhone could appear on their network is in 2010, along with the rollout of their 4G network. Industry insiders say that with the advent of the 4G network, it will be easier to manage a common, standard cellular communication technology.Currently, there have ...

Quickoffice exec talks new iPhone suite, what’s coming

Quickoffice for iPhone lets users edit Word and Excel documents. Macworld spoke with Quickoffice, Inc.'s VP of Engineering and Product Development about working on the iPhone and what features are still in store.

iPhone OS 3.0 Reveals Possibilities of Voice Control Features?

Underworlds action RPG released for iPhone, iPod touch

Underworlds looks and plays like classic computer action RPGs of yore, like Diablo, Ultima and Wizardry.

More Details on AT&T Upgrading Network in Advance of Next Gen iPhone

We’d mentioned previously that AT&T is upgrading the ole rabbit-eared 3G network for Apple’s upcoming next generation iPhone, and WMExperts covered it yesterday, but it’s worth surfacing the details:

AT&T Mobility VP Scott McElroy says software updates will double the downstream speed to 7.2 megabits per second and are already being tested in two markets [...] But AT&T’s looking past that and toward HSPA+, which will increase speeds to 21 Mb/s. And looking even further into the future, tests with the 4G LTE standard should begin sometime next year.

A helpful commenter, Will, gave us the skinny on those phat pipes after the last podcast:

• Plain ‘ol 3G refers to the original WCDMA specs which gives a max throughput of 384 kbps.
• 3.5G in the UMTS world commonly refers to HSDPA which is already up and running.
• “3.75G” - 3GPP Revision 6 - HSDPA (max of 14.4Mbps) and HSUPA (max of 5.76Mbps), known together as HSPA
• “3.9G” - 3GPP Revision 7 - HSDPA (max of 42Mbps) and HSUPA (max of 11Mbps), known as HSPA+

Thanks Will. Well, by any other name, we hope these upgrades not only give iPhone users blazing fast speeds, but better reliability. Doesn’t matter how fast you go if you can’t connect, right?

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

More Details on AT&T Upgrading Network in Advance of Next Gen iPhone

Apple to Hit 1 Billion Apps this Thursday?

Ars Technica’s report on Mobile Squared’s projection that — at the current rate — the App Store will hit its one BILLIONth download sometime this Thursday:

Apple is currently averaging 5.1 million downloads per day. This is quite an increase from the 2.98 million downloads per day for the first 500 million, showing that the App Store’s offerings have indeed increased in popularity. Unsurprisingly, most apps were free downloads, though mobile squared’s data says that the average cost of a paid download is $2.20.

Now, we have to ask: if observing an event changes an event, does blogging about a projected download date increase downloads, moving the date sooner? Probably, but not as much as Apple has by offering a $10,000 iTunes gift certificate and a ton of great Apple prizes…

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

Apple to Hit 1 Billion Apps this Thursday?

Review: Dictionary.com for iPhone

This free dictionary and thesaurus from Dictionary.com works as advertised, with more than a quarter-million word definitions. But some features require a network connection, and sometimes, it feels like looking up a word online would be faster.

AT&T is testing bumped-up 3G speeds

Filed under: iPhone

Some people may not be happy with the iPhone running on the AT&T 3G network, but at least it appears that network will be running faster. AT&T is already in advanced testing of its new faster 3G network, which was first revealed by Scott McElroy, AT&T VP of Technology Realization, in an interview with Telephony Online.

AT&T says it is going to increase the downlink capacity on its high speed packet access (HSPA) from 3.6 megabits per second to 7.2 megabits per second by upgrading the software at the base stations. Currently, AT&T has the enhanced network running in two test markets, but plans to extend the faster spec to its entire network. Then, AT&T plans to start migrating its networks to 'Evolved HSPA' which would triple peak speeds.

Of course the big question for many of us is will the iPhone work with these enhanced speeds? AT&T says most of the data cards, smartphones, and the iPhone will support the new tweaked specs, at least up to 14.4 Mb/s. It's probably a good idea for AT&T to drastically improve its network, especially as it is begging Apple to renew its partnership for another year.

Maybe that will get the SlingBox Mobile app running happily if it ever arrives. Grrrr.

AT&T is testing bumped-up 3G speeds originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

AT&T is testing bumped-up 3G speeds originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Sway for iPhone

This platformg game features cute animals and original gameplay mechanics, but it's no cream puff -- it can be downright frustrating.

Quickoffice Mobile Suite for iPhone First Impressions

Yesterday we posted that Quickoffice Mobile Suite was (finally!) available in the iTunes App Store. Well, our good friend Matt Miller from sibling site NokiaExperts went one step further and provided a great overview via his ZDNet column.

After a couple hours of usage, I have to say Quicksheet is quite good while Quickword needs a couple of immediate updates.

Why does Matt feel this way? Check out his complete post for details as well as a comprehensive image gallery and video.

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

Quickoffice Mobile Suite for iPhone First Impressions

Do You Ever Leave Positive iTunes Reviews For Apps?

We know our readers are far too savvy to ever fall victim to the “greater internet ****wad theory“, but a couple posts today made us stop and think about App Store reviews, how the system works (or doesn’t), and whether we ever take the time to leave positive reviews for developers of our favorite apps, or just tear off in a fury when we think we’ve been badly done by?

Last things first, is iTunes stacked against developers? Maniacal Rage (via Daring Fireball) has highlighted an issue also raised today on Twitter by Craig Hockenberry, and submitted to Apple via Radar, namely that the iTunes review system, which may work well for music and other media, breaks down when it comes to the back-and-forth requirement of the app ecosystem.

Says Garrett Murray:

But my favorite part of this whole experience is that there’s no way for me to respond to reviews as the app creator. So I can’t go in and say, “Hey, by the way, version 1.3 fixes all this and we’re just waiting on Apple’s ridiculously slow and convoluted approval process!” I just sit by and watch.

Murray’s deeper contention is that, through a one-way review system on iTunes, and a fart-app-driven, race-to-the-bottom rewarded ecosystem, Apple is fostering exactly the kind of that developers don’t want to have as customers. Yep, the dreaded appsholes.

Perhaps developers, many of whom treat their creations as dearly as children, aren’t thick skinned enough to handle the greater pressure — and greater odds of negative pressure — that came with the 20 million iPhone OS (including iPod touch) ecosystem. Maybe users like us forget there are real, living, breathing people on the other end of our “send” buttons. Maybe anger and bad experience are greater motivators than appreciation and great experience. We don’t know.

But here’s what we’re interested in finding out: do you leave positive reviews for the apps you love? Of your top 5 favorite all time iPhone (or iPod touch) apps, how many have you left rave reviews for? And to help grow and support the developers behind those great apps, would you consider doing so now if you haven’t already?

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

Do You Ever Leave Positive iTunes Reviews For Apps?

QuickOffice Word and Excel now available for the iPhone

If you are interested in an app for the iPhone/Touch that can edit both Microsoft Word and Excel documents along with file sharing and content management capabilities, Quickoffice is now available via the App Store for $20. This is basically an abridged version of Office for the iPhone, which could useful for a variety of applications: [...]

Report: AT&T doubling 3G capacity for iPhone, new devices

Are you an iPhone owner who has not quite seen AT&T's promise of "more bars in more places?" The wireless carrier is rushing to double its 3G network capacity to better handle the data-heavy demands of devices like the iPhone.

iPhone 3.0 will have “voice control” included, similar to new iPod Shuffle

Various sources are reporting that buried in the iPhone 3.0 OS is evidence of voice control features that are codenamed “Jibbler,” as well as synthesized voice responses from the phone, like the new iPod shuffle. It looks like Jibbler is an “enhancement” to the iPhone’s SpringBoard app - the essentially invisible app that manages the homescreen [...]

Convertbot updated to 1.1, adds more units to convert

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Software, Odds and ends, Developer, iPhone, App Store

I haven't had much use for Tapbots' Weightbot, even though I actually am currently watching my weight, but I really appreciate the look and feel of the program -- it's one of the most polished apps on the App Store. And Convertbot is no different -- while the actual situations where I need to convert units are pretty few and far between, the app is just so intuitive and polished that you look for ways to use it, from the stylistic user interface to the little beeps and clinks that make the buttons feel as tactile as they can on the iPhone's touchscreen.

And now there's even more opportunities to use the app: with the newest version 1.1, out now in the App Store, you can convert more than 100 different units, everything from angles to lengths to cooking volumes to even speed, time, and work (I can't remember the last time I had to convert BTUs to Joules -- high school? -- but this app can do it).

At just 99 cents, it's definitely worth trying out, if you're a fan of quality iPhone apps at all. I kind of wish Tapbots would aim a little higher, but then again, this is kind of their thing: taking really simple apps and polishing the heck out of them until they shine way past their basic functions. It would be interesting, though, to see what they could do with a bigger concept.

Convertbot updated to 1.1, adds more units to convert originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Convertbot updated to 1.1, adds more units to convert originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget’s recession antidote: win a mophie Juice Pack Air for iPhone 3G!

This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day (except for weekends) to lucky readers until we run out of stuff or companies stop sending things. Today we've got one of the first mophie Juice Pack Air units on the market (they just went on sale today, ya know!), which promises to provide lots of extra iPhone 3G runtime while doubling as a case. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Hooray for free stuff!

Major thanks to mophie for providing the gear!


The rules:

• Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too.
  
• You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.)
• If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine.
  
• Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
  
• Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one (1) mophie Juice Pack Air iPhone 3G case / battery extender in Black. Approximate retail value is $79.95.
  
• If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
• Entries can be submitted until Tuesday, April 21th, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
• Full rules can be found here.

Filed under: Announcements, Cellphones, Peripherals

Engadget's recession antidote: win a mophie Juice Pack Air for iPhone 3G! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Going Global with iPhone, Verizon

Verizon Communication's CEO Ivan Seidenberg said the company believes it is on solid footing in the U.S. From this, it will begin to evaluate growing its business outside of the U.S with iPhone. Speaking in an interview, Seidenberg said that the company is not interested in getting into the wireless retail ...

Is this an evolution? Apple files iPhone patents

Apple has been busy with some paperwork recently. Potentially pointing toward new features, a couple of patent applications were recently filed. According to the patent filing: There is a need for providing a user interface in a personal media device that minimizes either or both a user's physical and visual interactions with ...

Report: iPhone 3.0 may include voice recognition, synthesis features

Frameworks uncovered in the beta version of iPhone 3.0 suggest that the update may also include voice recognition and synthesis.