Apple Says Netbooks Cramped, Terrible, Junky, Not Mac-Worthy — Buy an iPhone Instead!

Also covered on today’s Apple Q3 2009 financial results call were Chief Operating Officer, Tim Cook’s description of netbooks, as currently on the market, having:

cramped keyboards, terrible software, junky hardware, very small screens, and just not a consumer experience… that we would put the Mac brand on, quite frankly.

So where does that put all the rumors about an Apple netbook being all but imminent? Either once again shoved on the back burner like the iPhone nano, or — really imminent. (Apple has a history of trash talking product spaces and denying interest right up until they launch their own offering, like video on iPods, or, you know, smartphones).

Does this mean we’ll more likely see an Apple tablet? Mac OS X or iPhone OS X based? Opinions vary but Cook gave nothing away. Instead, to costumers who might want mobile web and email, he offered this advice:

They might want to look at an iPhone or iPod touch instead.

Okay, so I’ll admit that I leave my laptop at home now and just use an iPhone far more often than I ever would have guessed I would, but as a full on mobile replacement? Is it really there yet?

And what do you see, if anything, as Apple’s now near-mythical entry into the pseudo-netbook space? One of the above, or something else entirely?

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

Apple Says Netbooks Cramped, Terrible, Junky, Not Mac-Worthy — Buy an iPhone Instead!

Quick App: Currencies Currency Converter for iPhone

Currencies is a simple yet gorgeous currency converter that lets you quickly and easily find out how much that sandwich at Heathrow airport will really cost you in good old US greenbacks. (Hint: not cheap!)

Developer Luc Vandal shared his favorite feature with us, and we have to admit it’s ours as well:

there are no useless buttons. Just tap on a field, select currency or enter amount and everything gets updated on the fly. No Done button, no OK button, etc. Want to make sure you have the latest rates? Just shake to refresh and amounts are updated almost instantly.

He’s right; it works as good as it looks. Which brings us to the UI design, done by Cocoai’s Sebastiaan de With. His growing reputation is well deserved. Small but delightful little touches like the exposed electronics when rearranging the currency fields is especially artistic and appreciated (see above).

Who would have thought conversion apps would be leading the quality charge on the App Store?

Currencies is available via iTunes for $0.99

If you’ve tried it, let us know what you think. More screenshots after the break…

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

Quick App: Currencies Currency Converter for iPhone

Steve Jobs Returning “End of June” Makes WWDC 2009 Jobsnote Unlikely?

As covered in the Apple Q2 2009 conference call, Apple Chief Financial Officer, Peter Oppenheimer, repeated the company line that they “looked forward to [Steve Jobs'] return at the end of June”.

Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) — where in 2008 Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone 3G to the world — takes place this year June 8-12, which is decidedly before the end of June, and thus the end of Jobs’ leave of absence.

Does that make it impossible for Steve Jobs to pull out a surprise appearance, iPhone the Third Generation in pocket? No… but it makes it unlikely.

That leaves Apple marketing honcho Phil Schiller, who handled Macworld 2009, or iPhone marketing head Greg “Joz” Joswiak, who handled part of the iPhone 3.0 Sneak Peek as the likely suspects, doesn’t it? (Perhaps with Scott Forstall again on the 3.0 software?)

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

Steve Jobs Returning “End of June” Makes WWDC 2009 Jobsnote Unlikely?

Baby Shaker app approved, then removed

An iPhone app called "Baby Shaker" has drawn criticism from children's rights groups and parents. Apple has removed the app, but the groups want to know how it made it on the store in the first place.

Apple Wants You to Give Mom an iPod touch!

Not content with having only sold 27 million iPhone OS-based devices (which includes the iPod touch), Apple has set about stalking and capturing a whole new class of prey: our moms.

Fiendishly clever, Apple. Who’s mom wouldn’t want all those pictures of the kids (and maybe grandkids), home movies, email and chat access, and multitouch gaming hardcore enough to put the curl back in her beehive.

Only one problem, Apple. Our moms may jailbreak!

(Joking, we still have to help them start “the internet” with that little compass or curled fox icon… Sigh…)

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

Apple Wants You to Give Mom an iPod touch!

Hulu is coming

Silicon Alley Insider is reporting that a dedicated Hulu application is indeed on its way. An iPhone app should be here in just a few months. Hulu has been busy denying the rumors that an iPhone version of Hulu was coming. SAI says the application will work over Wi-Fi and AT&T's ...

Leaked AT&T Memo Compares Apple’s iPhone 3G with iPhone Killer - Palm Pre

Apple Questioned Again About a Mac Netbook

As usual, Apple executives were questioned about the possibility of an Apple netbook during today's financial results conference call. The issue has been raised a number of times but continues to be a hot topic given the fact that inexpensive netboo...

Apple Questioned Again about a Mac Netbook

As usual, Apple executives were questioned about the possibility of an Apple netbook during today's financial results conference call. The issue has been raised a number of times but continues to be a hot topic given the fact that inexpensive netboo...

Apple with “No Plans” to Change AT&T iPhone Exclusivity and Other Notes

Apple's Tim Cook and Peter Oppenheimer provided some insights behind Apple's iPhone strategy today during the Q2 financial results conference call.

When specifically asked about Apple's long term exclusivity with AT&T, Apple responded...

A nice way to spend Earth Day

Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, App Review

It's a bit hot today in Arizona so I stayed in for Earth Day -- I cut the air conditioning and ran the ceiling fans -- and spent part of this day looking at GreenSpot, [App Store link] an iPhone/ iPod touch app that keeps you up to date on all things environmental. It includes tips, podcasts, and articles about everything from food and agriculture to green architecture and buildings. There are also 'issue' areas, with details on climate and energy, the two green hot buttons of late.

The $1.99US app puts all the information in one handy place, and makes it easy to access by topic just about any information you may want.

Podcasts include Sierra Club Radio, and many radio stations that do green programming, as well as some independent audio productions.

It was pretty easy to update myself on the latest green news, but I have these nits to pick. I couldn't find many articles newer than a week old. I don't know if the app is feed based, or people are manually posting material, but the world changes pretty fast, don't ya know, and this app should be more up to date.

Some of the articles links are dead, so that's not such a good thing either. The podcasts I tried all played well, but not from within Greenspot. They launched the QuickTime player, so you then manually have to re-start Greenspot.

None of these problems put me off the application. We've seen how important these issues are, and having this info in your pocket is just another reason why we are so happy the iPhone exists.

There are far worse ways to spend Earth Day than by getting up to date on the latest green news. Most of us will choose those worse ways today, thereby making the point on why it is important to be environmentally conscious.

Screen shots below:

A nice way to spend Earth Day originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A nice way to spend Earth Day originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple Reports $1.21 Billion Profit for Q2 2009

Apple today announced financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2009. Apple posted revenue of $8.16 billion and net quarterly profit of $1.21 billion, or $1.33 per diluted share, compared to revenue of $7.51 billion and net quarterly profit ...

Updating: Apple Reports 3.79 Million More iPhone Sold in Q2, 11 Million iPods

UPDATING ON LIVE CONFERENCE CALL:

• Waiting for call to start, any minute now. Will post updates only when major iPhone-ish news is announced (or inner fanboy takes over).
• Covering Macs
• iPod touch growth, customers embrace superior features and apps.
• US market share for MP3 players 70%, gaining share in most international markets
• UK, France, Germany, Japan, Australia, China, growing.
• iTunes store had good quarter.
• DRM free now all 4 major labels and indies.
• App Store unparalleled succes.
• 35,000 apps, +20,000 since last call
• Almost at 1 billion downloads
• App Store key differentiator
• Still believe they are years ahead of competition.
• iPhone sold 3.8 million, 123% increase from a year ago
• iPhone reach now in 81 countries
• iPhone 3.0 and SDK being covered, highlighting features…
• (We’ve already done our massive coverage)
• Delaying recognition of revenue on all iPhones sold since March 17 delayed until 3.0 is released this summer. Prior sales not effected.
• Covering Apple Stores
• Margins 36%, driven by commodity costs being lower, sales of higher margin products like software and accessories, lower freight costs
• Cash for short term is 28.9 billion (!)
• Going to conserve capital
• Covering projections for next quarter…
• Predicting 7.7 - 7.9 billion (includes delay in iPhone revenue recognition)
• Can’t wait to get iPhone 3.0 into customer’s hands this summer. (er… and other stuff )
• (Giving iPhone the most love?)
• Q&A now beginning…
• Talking component prices, NAND memory prices might be going up…
• Bank of Montreal in the house! Asking about cash flow being down… snore.
• Talking about sales of desktops, laptops…
• Cook: For Apple is about doing great products, Netbooks are cramped, junky, small, not a consumer experience and not something they would put the Mac brand on. Not interested in it, don’t think long-term customers are interested either. Watching space, however.

UPDATE ON RESULTS: Apple has published their results:

• The Company sold 11.01 million iPods during the quarter, representing three percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter.
• Quarterly iPhone units sold were 3.79 million representing 123 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter.

Apple doesn’t break out iPod touch numbers, but last month during the iPhone OS 3.0 event, Apple did say 30 million iPhone OS units were sold, with 17 million being iPhone, leaving 13 million iPod touches on the market… and likely growing.

Original article after the break..

Apple will be reporting their Q2, 2009 financial results today at 5pm EDT/2pm PDT. While often tedious and filled with legally necessitated boilerplate responses, Apple typically discloses iPhone sales figures, App Store numbers, and other related metrics. TiPb likely won’t live-blog the call (which you can listen to via Apple.com if you really want to), but we will update this post any and all iPhone news, especially if we get some rumbling like last quarter’s veiled legal threats against the Palm Pre…

Remember, it’s all about the profits. Check back later this afternoon/tonight for the updates!

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

Updating: Apple Reports 3.79 Million More iPhone Sold in Q2, 11 Million iPods

Review: iGrip Custom Fit Sturdy Swivel Mount for iPhone 3G

The iGrip Custom Fit Sturdy Swivel Mount for iPhone 3G is available in the TiPb Store for $19.95. This mount is an excellent alternative to having your iPhone float freely within the cabin of your car. In a day when more focus is being placed on distracted drivers, this mount allows you to affix your iPhone 3G and view the display while keeping both hands on the wheel. How does it measure up? Read on for the full review!

First Impressions

This is my second iGrip review of an iPhone mount and it is very different from the first. This mount comes with the detachable sled for the iPhone, a posable swivel neck mount and adhesive suction cup. I was a little concerned about the mounts overall height when I took it out of the box. My first thought was, “Where is the extender”, “This is it?”. However, there was no need to worry, this swivel mount does the job.

Daily Use

The first quandary I had with the iGrip was its size. Unlike the goose neck, this device was not very “long”, it is more on the “stubby” side. I decided to attach the mount to my Honda Element.

First I tried to to attach it to the windshield.  I ran into an issue since the mount is so short I could not reach it from the drivers seat. So I had to look at other alternatives. I then affixed the suction cup to the mount and decided to place it on the dashboard directly above the instrument panel. This proved to be an excellent idea! The iPhone is now clearly positioned so I can view it easily if someone calls, or I am using GPS (yes, there GPS apps on non- jailbroken iPhones). So first up, the phone call test.

If someone is calling you, ya just can’t miss it, the screen is directly in front of you. The mount does not grip tightly to the iPhone. You can very easily grab the iPhone with one hand from the mount and answer your call. You could even answer it with speakerphone, but while driving it makes it difficult to hear the other person. Answering a call with a Bluetooth headset was simple as well.

Next was GPS and it was an absolute dream. I use G-Map for iPhone and it worked perfectly (the mount of course). The maps were at eye-level and were in the best possible position.

Using music on the mount was easy too. Click the iPod app and flick to the music I wanted… nice.

Because the iGrip Swivel is not a gooseneck-style mount, it does not bounce; there is no limp part or the ability to move accidentally.

Conclusion

I really liked this mount. It is tough to say which I like better; the swivel or gooseneck-style mounts. I think it really depends on the vehicle you have. I prefer the gooseneck on my Honda Accord and the swivel on the Honda Element. At the end of the day, this is a solid mount that does not bounce, holds its position and will not budge. One of the more important aspects to mention is that it is a breeze to remove the iPhone; simply lift it out of the sled. The iPhone does not snap into place, it is simply held securely by molded plastic.

Pros:

• Rock-solid
• No bounce
• Can be tightened to a position you want
• iPhone fits securely with out snapping into place, it can be lifted out easily

Cons:

• No landscape orientation
• No extra “adhesive sticker” if you use the base mount to adhere to a dash
• Does not work well for windshield mounting, I found it worked best on the dashboard

TiPb’s Rating:

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

Review: iGrip Custom Fit Sturdy Swivel Mount for iPhone 3G

Com2us releases 9 Innings: Pro Baseball 2009

9 Innings: Pro Baseball 2009 is now available for download from the App Store, a new baseball game for the iPhone and iPod touch.

AT&T now offering refurbished 16GB iPhone for $149

Filed under: Cellphones

AT&T now offering refurbished 16GB iPhone for $149 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T reports 1.6 Million more iPhone activations; data revenues make a big leap

AT&T said Wednesday that although first quarter profits slipped 9 percent, its wireless data revenues grew nearly 40 percent as it was able to achieve its third consecutive quarter of double-digit postpaid net subscriber additions on the back of 1.6 million new iPhone 3G activations. The telecommunications firm said the quarter was highlighted by improved postpaid [...]

Leaked AT&T doc slams the Palm Pre

Need more proof that Apple (and AT&T, by proxy) is taking the Pre kind of seriously? Enter this internal document from the iPhone carrier exposing the Palm phone for what it really is -- a second-rate claptrap that is doomed to failure because of its inferior and stupid design. Among the highlights in this no-holds-barred slamfest -- similar to this Verizon / G1 hit piece -- is the comparison between WiFi (somehow the Pre has "limited WiFi access" because it can't connect for free in Starbucks), and the nasty burn which points out that the Pre is available "in black only." Ouch... Palm might want to stock up on aloe vera. In truth, though, the doc does point out some issues with the Pre that are very real, namely its lack of roaming capabilities outside of the US and an SDK which thus far won't allow for CPU-intensive apps like 3D games. It's significant that AT&T has deemed the phone worthy enough to address (internally at least), but it's also significant to see just how far the company seems to be reaching on a handful of these points. Just remember guys -- competition is a good thing.

Filed under: Cellphones

Leaked AT&T doc slams the Palm Pre originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Latest reports indicate iPhone usage, app development surging

A mobile analytics firm has published new findings which show the iPhone taking the majority of the app market — especially when it comes to the sheer number of users. Examining 8 million users and 100 apps, researchers at firm Flurry hint that Apple’s handset has a conspicuous market share lead among developers, the number of [...]

WSJ releases free iPhone application

Wall Street Journal has launched an iPhone app for free [iTunes link], while their web version costs $103 per year, even on Amazon's Kindle the Journal is $9.99 a month. (The similar app, but for the BlackBerry, has been released last August.) A bit late jumped on the mobile content bandwagon ...