Apple’s Latest Ad Takes Aim at Microsoft’s ‘Laptop Hunters’ Campaign

Apple's latest "Get a Mac" ads seem to be taking direct aim at Microsoft's recent "Laptop Hunters" ads in which a customer is given money to pick out a laptop that suits their needs. Microsoft specifically criticizes Apple on price during these comm...

iPhone-controlled R2D2

Filed under: Hardware, Software, Hacks, iPhone

It's impossible not to love a blog post that begins, "I found a way to remote control my R2D2 with an iPhone."

The video above shows the author, ggpipe, using the iPhone's accelerometer to control R2's dome. Pretty cool. In the future, he plans to use the phone to send text to R2's logic displays. We love it and can't wait to see a fully assembled, iPhone-powered R2D2!

It's great to see people extending the iPhone's capabilities, and homegrown remotes are a cool choice. A couple of weeks ago, we posted a story about a guy who turned his iPhone into an R/C aircraft controller, and last year we saw Delphi's Wireless Vehicle Access software that lets you control many of your car's functions. Keep up the good work, everyone!

[Via Rick Yaeger]

iPhone-controlled R2D2 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 12 May 2009 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

iPhone-controlled R2D2 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 12 May 2009 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sling Media’s SlingPlayer Now Available in App Store

Given all the drama from the circumstances surrounding the SlingPlayer Mobile launch, we felt it newsworthy to post about the availability of Sling Media's app.

SlingPlayer Mobile is now available [liTunes ink] in the App Stor...

AT&T says it is to blame for the SlingPlayer fiasco

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

Engadget and other publications tonight are quoting AT&T saying it knifed the SlingPlayer for iPhone due to concerns over bandwidth.

"Slingbox, which would use large amounts of wireless network capacity, could create congestion and potentially prevent other customers from using the network. The application does not run on our 3G wireless network. Applications like this, which redirect a TV signal to a personal computer, are specifically prohibited under our terms of service. We consider smartphones like the iPhone to be personal computers in that they have the same hardware and software attributes as PCs.

That said, we don't restrict users from going to a Web site that lets them view videos. But what our terms and conditions prohibit is the transferring, or slinging, of a TV signal to their personal computer or smartphone.

The Slingbox application for the iPhone runs on WiFi. That's good news for AT&T's iPhone 3G customers, who get free WiFi access at our 20,000 owned and operated hot spots in the U.S., including Starbucks, McDonalds, Barnes & Noble, hotels, and airports. AT&T is the industry leader in WiFi."

Well OK, AT&T. You do allow Slingplayer to run on other phones on your system. A couple of weeks ago you apologized for the language in the Terms of Service that got such bad publicity and implied it wasn't talking about the SlingPlayer.

It's clear the popularity of the iPhone combined with massive streaming is not going to help a cellular network that drops calls on the best of days. Apple is stuck with these guys, and so are we. iPhone owners who pay a healthy charge for 'unlimited' data are getting a crippled app on what is apparently a crippled network. Perhaps Apple will think about the fun they've had with AT&T the last couple of years and think about offering some choice to iPhone customers.

AT&T says it is to blame for the SlingPlayer fiasco originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 12 May 2009 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

AT&T says it is to blame for the SlingPlayer fiasco originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 12 May 2009 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: AT&T Prevented SlingMedia Player from Running on 3G

Looks like our friend Phil over at WMExperts was right all along, Engadget has the scoop, and it’s pretty much what we expected. AT&T thinks their 3G network is just too fragile to handle the iPhone running SlingPlayer:

“Slingbox, which would use large amounts of wireless network capacity, could create congestion and potentially prevent other customers from using the network. The application does not run on our 3G wireless network. Applications like this, which redirect a TV signal to a personal computer, are specifically prohibited under our terms of service. We consider smartphones like the iPhone to be personal computers in that they have the same hardware and software attributes as PCs.

Check out the Engagdet link above for the full statement, which includes the hollow flattery of their considering the iPhone less a smartphone and more a computer…

What about Windows Mobile running SlingPlayer, you may ask? Why is that okay? They think it might be too difficult to police hundreds of individuals side-loading the application, whereas the App Store — controlled totally by Apple — is only a one phone call ban away.

However, the iPhone is also an unprecedented consumer success with millions of users on AT&T, using never-before-seen levels of mobile data, and proven track record for taking down AT&T’s — again fragile — network.

Fear is seldom rationale. We’re guessing AT&T is banning first, asking questions later. It’s much easier to take the heat for preventing it now, then allowing it, seeing Sling adoption rise, network traffic suffer, and taking even more heat for removing it later (or — gasp! — having to build out their network reliability faster).

What’s your take?

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

Official: AT&T Prevented SlingMedia Player from Running on 3G

SlingPlayer Mobile Now Live… in the UK!

Presumably other regional App Stores will come on line as the night wears on. If you’re happy with a Wi-Fi only version, go get it!

SlingPlayer Mobile ($29.00/£17.99 - iTunes Link)

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

SlingPlayer Mobile Now Live… in the UK!

AT&T issues official statement on SlingPlayer’s 3G blackout for iPhone

digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gadgets/AT_T_issues_official_statement_on_SlingPlayer_s_3G_blackout'; Sweating bullets over network saturation, are we? AT&T's obviously taking a good helping of heat today over Sling's rock-and-a-hard-place decision to remove 3G streaming capability from its SlingPlayer Mobile build for the iPhone -- a decision that gets at the very heart of several hot-button issues plaguing AT&T and Apple alike -- and the carrier understandably felt the need to release an official statement to address the situation. Unfortunately, it prompts as many questions as it offers answers. It starts off simply enough, stating that apps like SlingPlayer could create congestion on the network that denies services to others -- and while a truly trivial number of users own Slingboxes, we understand what they're getting at; no amount of tweaking or fudging of a modern HSPA network can withstand the traffic onslaught generated by wildly popular streaming video services.

Here's where we start to lose our way, though. AT&T cites a portion of its wireless terms and conditions -- "Applications like this, which redirect a TV signal to a personal computer, are specifically prohibited under our terms of service" -- and says that it considers "smartphones like the iPhone to be personal computers in that they have the same hardware and software attributes as PCs." Sure, guys, but a RAZR shares 85 percent of its DNA with a PC and an iPhone shares 87 percent, so we're splitting hairs here -- never mind the fact that you've inexplicably labeled the S60-powered Nokia 6650 (which can run SlingPlayer, by the by) a dumbphone simply because it lacks a QWERTY keyboard. Furthermore, AT&T specifically points out that it doesn't restrict users from downloading streaming videos, which is the very problem SlingPlayer generates -- the upload from the user's TV on the far end is the ISP's concern, not AT&T's, and we figure that the network pressure generated by the download is roughly equivalent to watching a whole bunch of YouTube videos. It doesn't add up.

Next, the carrier uses the opportunity to pimp its extensive WiFi network and says that you're welcome to use SlingPlayer there; that's all well and good, and yes, it's cool that AT&T gives iPhone users free access to the hotspots, but it's no substitute for the mobility of streaming Sling over the WWAN, which works really freaking well -- just ask countless BlackBerry, S60, WinMo, and Palm users who are using SlingPlayer as you read this. The only material difference is that they can't be touched -- not as easily, at least, as iPhone users who are bound to the whim of Apple's singular, all-powerful clearinghouse.

Look, AT&T, just tell it like it is: you're saying your 3G network would fold like a cheap suit if these apps took off. Thing is, it already has in some places -- trust us, we've experienced it firsthand -- so let's make sure the blame gets distributed appropriately here.

Follow the break for AT&T's full statement.

Continue reading AT&T issues official statement on SlingPlayer's 3G blackout for iPhone

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Portable Video

AT&T issues official statement on SlingPlayer's 3G blackout for iPhone originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 May 2009 19:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple’s New iPhone Specs Leaked? Faster Processor, More RAM, Better Camera & Larger Storage

Research firm: Android poised for massive growth

Research firm Strategy Analytics predicts that global shipments of Android-based smart phones will grow 900 percent this year.

AT&T Releases Statement on Lack of 3G Streaming for Upcoming SlingPlayer Mobile

Earlier today, we reported on the impending release of SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone. To the disappointment of many who had been eagerly awaiting release of the application and contrary to announced plans, it appears that video streaming will be lim...

SlingPlayer Mobile app for iPhone Available on the App Store Now; AT&T confirms it will Work only Over Wi-Fi

iPhone OS 3.0 beta 5 released to developers

Wow. The new iPhone is just around the corner? Just a week ago iPhone OS 3.0 Beta 4 released, MacRumors reports that Apple already released iPhone OS 3.0 Beta 5 and a new version of the iTunes 8.2 pre-release to developers. Today's release is a bit of a surprise, coming just ...

iPhone OS 3.0 Beta 5 Released & AT&T to Lower Monthly Fees?

Yesterday in an somewhat out of normal release schedule, Apple released iPhone OS 3.0 Beta 5....just 8 days after the release of Beta 4. This is most likely due to the upcoming World Wide Developers Conference in early June as Apple needs to complete the OS's feature set. As some ...

TUAW Bookshelf: Inside Secrets to an iPhone App

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, Books, Developer, iPhone, App Store, TUAW Bookshelf

Many TUAW readers have probably bought an iPhone app and had the thought "I could do better than this!" go through their minds. Sometimes you're wondering when someone else is going to write an app to do just the thing you want to do with your iPhone or iPod touch.

Carla Kay White was one of these people. She had an idea for a "Gratitude Journal", where you keep track of the everyday things you're grateful for. It's a great concept, and it can keep your spirits up when a prescription antidepressant fails you. Carla was writing her gratitude into a paper journal when she realized that her iPhone was just the platform for this tool. One problem, though - Carla didn't have any iPhone programming skills.

What she did have was a good idea, a background in project management, and some minor funding to bring her concept to light on the iPhone. Inside Secrets to an iPhone App is a short (88 page) tome that not only tells the story of how she brought Gratitude Journal (click opens iTunes) to market, but how anyone with an idea for an iPhone app can do the same.

Continue reading TUAW Bookshelf: Inside Secrets to an iPhone App

TUAW Bookshelf: Inside Secrets to an iPhone App originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 12 May 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW Bookshelf: Inside Secrets to an iPhone App originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 12 May 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Backdrops for iPhone

This superb utility makes finding great wallpapers for your iPhone or iPod touch a snap.

Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.7 Now Live! Let the Note Syncing Resume!

Apple has just released Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.7, and incremental update to their current desktop and laptop operating system (widely expected to be supplanted later this year by Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard).

Why does this matter for iPhone users? When iPhone 3.0 Beta 4 arrived, note syncing — which worked fine under Betas 1-3 and OS X Leopard 10.5.6 — was suddenly gone, replaced with a statement saying simply that OS X Leopard 10.5.7 would be required for note syncing from then on. Beta 5 arrived with nothing but the same warning. Hopefully with 10.5.7 now available, note sync — still something of a sore spot having taken 2 years to deliver — will be restored.

Apple has also been known to sneak other iPhone friendly features, like Google syncing, into previous updates — and not so friendly bugs into others that made Jailbreaking more difficult — so we always keep our fingers just a tiny bit crossed.

Mac users, let us know if you find anything!

(Thanks daveizzle and sil3ntrid3r11 )

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

Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.7 Now Live! Let the Note Syncing Resume!

Ooooo nooooo! SlingMobile for iPhone won’t work on 3G

Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

At least, that's what our sister publication is reporting. If true, there will be a tremendous firestorm of anger from iPhone customers who expected to use this app the way the Sling app runs on other devices, including some cellphones on AT&T that are able to use 3G. Using this $30.00 app on just Wi-Fi is a real turn off to many users. This app has had its share of ups and downs, with Sling confidently predicting it was on the way. It may be on the way, but it appears to have been seriously crippled.

Engadget is saying the app will be released after midnight EDT tonight. They also say older Sling hardware WILL work with the mobile app, albeit unsupported.I would think hardware stores will be busy today with sales of pitchforks and torches.

We have calls into Sling for confirmation and explanation. I don't think this is going to be pretty.

Ooooo nooooo! SlingMobile for iPhone won't work on 3G originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 12 May 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ooooo nooooo! SlingMobile for iPhone won't work on 3G originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 12 May 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands On: SlingPlayer for iPhone

After much anticipation, Sling Media's SlingPlayer for the iPhone and iPod touch is expected to arrive on the App Store by early Wednesday. Jason Snell shares his experiences with a beta of the app that lets you view live TV streamed from the Slingbox family of place-shifting video hardware.

Apple Releases Mac OS X 10.5.7 and Safari Updates

Apple has launched the long-awaited 10.5.7 Mac OS X update to customers today through Mac OS X's Software Update utility. The new update is said to provide general fixes to the operating system:

The 10.5.7 Update is recommended for a...

Apple Releases the Mac OSX 10.5.7 Update

Apple has launched the long-awaited 10.5.7 Mac OS X update to customers today through Mac OS X's Software Update utility. The new update is said to provide general fixes to the operating system:

The 10.5.7 Update is recommended for a...