Little buzz ahead of iPhone 3GS Japan debut

There is little excitement ahead of the launch of the iPhone 3GS launch in Japan on Friday.

Video: iPhone 3GS gets professional shoulder mount, we giggle

[Via Wired]

Read - Video on the iPhone 3GS: How Far is Too Far?
Read - Video of iPhone 3GS with shoulder mount

Filed under: Cellphones

Video: iPhone 3GS gets professional shoulder mount, we giggle originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Missing Sync adds voicemail, memo support for iPhone

Missing Sync for iPhone 2.0.2 brings in support for iPhone OS 3.0 and the capability to synchronize voicemail and voice memos.

iPhone 3.0 Parental Controls Now Allows for Explicit Content on App Store [Updated]

We reported back in May that Apple might loosen the App Store content restrictions once the iPhone 3.0 software became available. iPhone 3.0 offers parental controls which allows you to set what level of content is permissible in your iPhone's Movie...

iPhone 3.0 Parental Controls Now Allows for Explicit Content on App Store

We reported back in May that Apple might loosen the App Store content restrictions once the iPhone 3.0 software became available. iPhone 3.0 offers parental controls which allows you to set what level of content is permissible in your iPhone's Movie...

Smartphone Experts Roundtable Invades TiPb Live! 8pm EDT/5pm PDT

Sorry everyone, no iPhone Live! this week. Nope. Not gonna happen. Instead, this week we’re bringing you — Smartphone Experts Roundtable Live!

Tonight, Wednesday, June 24 at 8pm EDT/5pm PDT, SPE Editor-in-Chief, Dieter Bohn (representing PreCentral.net, AndroidCentral.com, and WMExperts.com), Kevin Michaluk (fearless leader of CrackBerry.com), and Matt Miller (editor of NokiaExperts.com) will be joining yours truly (from theiPhoneBlog.com, ‘natch) to talk Palm Pre, BlackBerry Tour, Nokia N97, and our very own iPhone 3GS/iPhone 3.0.

As always, pre-show will start about 5 minutes before if you want to drop by early and reserve a space in our chat room. See you then!

Join in via http://www.tipb.com/live

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

Smartphone Experts Roundtable Invades TiPb Live! 8pm EDT/5pm PDT

WWDC Live: Joe Michels of Software Ops

Filed under: Software, WWDC, Developer, iPhone

This is video from a fast-paced chat with Joe Michels of Software Ops, creator of several iPhone apps. His lineup includes several applications for secure storage of information, such as My Eyes Only (iTunes link) and ID Lock (a "lite" version of My Eyes Only). There's also Aerochive on the Mac desktop, which allows wireless archiving and visualization of the information stored in the iPhone apps, which can include credit cards, passwords and notes, among other things. With your data fully encrypted and password protected, Joe's stated mission is to keep your info safe and away from prying eyes.

Joe also mentions an upcoming application, called My Eyes Only Photo, which brings My Eyes Only security to photo storage and browsing. There are screenshots of the soon-to-be-released application up on the Software Ops site. Check out the video to hear the developer's take on these apps.

Continue reading WWDC Live: Joe Michels of Software Ops

WWDC Live: Joe Michels of Software Ops originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

WWDC Live: Joe Michels of Software Ops originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Quick App 3.0: Apple iTunes/Apple TV Remote Adds Gesture Support

Went into the App Store and what did I see, why an updated Remote app for iTunes and Apple TV! One of the first apps in the App Store at launch, the latest update for Remote [free - iTunes link] turbo charges the cool factor with support for gesture-based Apple TV control. Very slick:

• Hold down “Menu” to bring up main menu. Swipe to move around.
• Tap to play or pause music or video.
• Drag left or right and hold to rewind or fast-forward music.
• Flick left or right for previous or next music track.
• Flick left or right or drag and hold to rewind or fast-forward video.
• Flick down to show chapter markers, then flick left or right to skip through video.
• Drag two fingers left for 10 second reply.
• Tap “Exit” or “Options” for those actions.

If you hit exit, you get similar functions, art display, etc. to the previous version of the Remote app. Hitting Options brings up a new overlay menu on the Apple TV. Speaking of which…

The new Apple Remote app’s gesture features require iPhone 3.0 and the latest Apple TV software update, also released today (which seems to have gotten a UI over haul as well). Get that, or you won’t get the nifty new interface.

I’m trying it. I’m liking it. How about you?

More screen shots after the break!

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

Quick App 3.0: Apple iTunes/Apple TV Remote Adds Gesture Support

HP releases iPhone versions of classic calculators

Hewlett-Packard has joined the iPhone-app parade, releasing official versions of several classic HP calculators as iPhone apps.

Review: Case-Mate Fuel Case for iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS

One of the biggest gripes a lot of iPhone 3G/3GS readers have is battery life. Now this is mainly due to not being able to put the iPhone down to give it a rest, but we now have another solution to your iPhone addiction. Enter Case-Mate’s Fuel Case for iPhone 3G/3GS, which is available in TiPb’s store for $74.95. For a full review, follow us after the break!

Design & Usability

The Case-Mate Fuel Case for iPhone 3G/3GS is integrated with a 2300mA Lithium Polymer battery, Case-Mate says it will add up to nine hours of additional talk-time, up to seven hours of internet browsing, up to eight hours of video, 24 hours of audio, and 250 hours of extra standby time.

The times that Case-Mate claims are pretty much dead on. If you have trouble putting your iPhone down and typically end up with a dead battery sometime during the day, Fuel is the right case for you.

Usually when I get into my car after a full day at work I would have 20%-30% of my battery left. With the Fuel I’ve been leaving with anything from 80% to being topped off and that’s still with some juice left in the case itself. Not too shabby. I think it’s also important to note that you do not need to remove the phone from the case to use the iPhone in any way, including phone calls.

On the bottom front of the case you will find 3 built-in LEDs that allow you to see exactly how much “Fuel” you have left and a power button that allows you to turn the charger on or off as you see fit. Both of these are nice little bonus features.

To charge the case you only have one option — you must use a standard 5-pin USB cord. One is included but it would be nice to have the option to charge the case without using my laptop. On the plus side, Fuel fully supports syncing while iPhone 3G is docked into the case.

One nice features Fuel has that other iPhone charging cases lack is a belt clip that rotates 180-degrees. This sounds great but unfortunately Case-Mate dropped the ball on this one. I found myself worrying about the lack of protection on the upper half of my iPhone and the screen. Since you have to place the iPhone face-out, the screen is left completely unprotected. This means you have to be careful not to bump into anything or you will damage your device.

So, the next possibility would be to place the phone in your pocket. There’s only one thing wrong with that — the belt clip is not removable. Granted it still would be a tight fit without the clip due to the added size it gives the iPhone, but the option would still be better.

As to the belt clip itself, it does it’s job well. Rest assured, your iPhone is locked in place and will not fall out on you.

Conclusion

Even with the complaints about the belt clip, I still like this case. The pros outweigh the cons by far. I found myself using the case at work around my desk and at home when I was lounging around. Even though the size adds to the iPhone it still feels good in the hand while using it.

Overall the Case-Mate Fuel Case for iPhone 3G/3GS does it’s job and it does it very well. Since Apple chooses not to make the iPhones battery replaceable companies like Case-Mate have stepped up and offered us some solutions. For $74.95 you can’t go wrong with this one, Fuel will give your iPhone the boost it needs to easily make it through your entire day and, in some cases, days.

Pros

• Battery life as advertises.
• Feels good in the hand
• Reasonable price
• Ability to sync while your iPhone is in the case
• Works with the new iPhone 3GS

Cons

• Lack of screen protection
• Belt clip is not removable
• Case only chargeable via micro USB cable

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

Review: Case-Mate Fuel Case for iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS

Apple TV software update adds gesture support via Remote

Filed under: iPod Family, Software Update, iPhone, Apple TV

Apple has quietly pushed out software updates for both the Apple TV and the Remote application for the iPhone and iPod touch. The update, identified as version 2.4 for the Apple TV, and version 1.3 (24) for the Remote app, adds gesture support for controlling Apple TV from your iPhone or iPod.

Our in-house Apple TV geeks, Megan Lavey and Christina Warren, both installed the updates and gave them a try. Megan indicated the gestures were quick and responsive, and coupled with the ability to use the iPhone/iPod keyboard to search for shows, the new versions made it much less tedious to navigate through your shows.

Boxee users may wish to hold off on updating, however, as it seems that you may not be able to reinstall Boxee after completing the update. Also worth noting is that the new Remote app requires the 3.0 software update to be installed on your iPhone or iPod touch.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

Apple TV software update adds gesture support via Remote originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple TV software update adds gesture support via Remote originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TUAW First Look: Nike+iPod on your iPhone 3GS

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

When the second generation of iPod touch was announced, one slide on the presentation included built-in support for the Nike+iPod sensor. The cool thing was that you no longer needed the unsightly dongle hanging off your device. The touch just "sees" the Nike sensor and you could add it to the device quite easily. Plus, the app looked great on the bigger screen of the touch, and allowed you to multitask -- not that you should play Dizzy Bee while jogging, OK?

I hadn't thought about it until I got my phone home, but the sensor works just fine with the 3GS. As expected, the app is identical to that on the touch, although Apple posted a tech note regarding answering calls while using the Nike app, something you don't worry about on the touch. If you've never tried using the Nike sensor with either a touch or the iPhone, read on. Oh, and I don't have a Nike remote watch doohickey, but apparently those will work on the 3GS as well. If the Nike thing isn't your bag, we ran down some competitors a while ago.

To pair the device, go to Settings > (in App-specific settings) Nike+iPod and flip the switch to ON. At the bottom (you can see in our gallery) choose either Sensor or Remote, depending on what you've got, and you'll be prompted to move around (sensor) or press a button (remote). That's all there is to it -- the proprietary wireless connection kicks in and pairs the two devices instamagically.

Just like previous iterations of the Nike system, you can change the PowerSong, voice, and units. One new twist: a new Lock Screen pref that will alter the locked-screen display to read in portrait or 2 available landscape modes. Very handy if you have a mount on your treadmill. What, you don't have a mount on your treadmill? Me either.

Now, after pairing, you should have a shiny new app on your screen that has the Nike logo and a plus sign. Unfortunately, my sleepy morning eyes couldn't find the app, but a Spotlight search found it for me. Here's Apple's notes on setting things up.

Keep reading for a short round-up of how the unit works while running.

Continue reading TUAW First Look: Nike+iPod on your iPhone 3GS

TUAW First Look: Nike+iPod on your iPhone 3GS originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW First Look: Nike+iPod on your iPhone 3GS originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 4 Ingredients for iPhone

This recipe database offers more than 400 recipes, each with four ingredients or fewer. But some categories are too broad, searching is not terribly easy, and the results are pretty hit-or-miss.

Confirmed Again! iPhone 3GS Beats Pants Off iPhone 3G, Android, Palm Pre at Javascript

Once again validating Dieter’s iPhone 3GS vs. Palm Pre web rendering smackdown, MacRumors reports on Medialets‘ latest Sunspider Javascript tests pitting the iPhone 3GS against the iPhone 3G (both on 3.0 and 2.2.1), Palm Pre, and Google Android G1.

As MacRumors points out, not only is iPhone 3GS’ clear, current speed advantage impressive, but the 3x improvement iPhone 3.0 gives the iPhone 3G is most impressive as well.

Bill Gates’ “power of software” indeed…

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

Confirmed Again! iPhone 3GS Beats Pants Off iPhone 3G, Android, Palm Pre at Javascript

iPhone 3GS Performance Comparison: iPhone 3GS beats Palm Pre, G1 and iPhone 3G

Google Announces Adsense for Mobile Applications for iPhone

We all know Google isn’t a search engine company, they’re a company that makes googzillions of dollars monetizing search (and trying to monetize other things) via their AdSense advertising platform. For iPhones, this was previously constrained to the browser window of Mobile Safari (or Chrome Lite for Android users). Now, however, the Official Google Blog announces:

AdSense for Mobile Applications allows developers to earn revenue by displaying text and image ads in their iPhone and Android applications. For our beta launch, we’ve created a site where developers can learn more about the AdSense for Mobile Applications program, see answers to frequently asked questions and sign up to participate in our beta. Advertisers can also learn about the benefits of advertising in mobile applications.

Advertising lets Google and others supply lots of free services to users. Will it be as successful embedded in apps as it is in the browser? Developers, are you interested in Google AdSense monetizing your apps? Users, would you put up with Google advertising if it meant cheap or free apps?

[Thanks to Icebike for the tip!]

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

Google Announces Adsense for Mobile Applications for iPhone

Charge your iPhone wirelessly

Filed under: Accessories, iPhone, iPod touch

Do you have Pre-envy due to the Touchstone and wireless charging capabilities? Well, good news then. A company called WildCharge has stepped in to give you similar charging capabilities with your original iPhone or iPod touch. The bundle is just shy of $80 and includes the charging pad and a gel skin that needs to be attached to your phone. Once installed, just lay your phone on the pad and get your charge on.

The skin unfortunately adds an unsightly hump at the base where the dock connector is, but that may be a small price to pay if you really need your iPhone charged sans wires.

The iPod touch version is available now with the iPhone version coming next month.

Charge your iPhone wirelessly originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Charge your iPhone wirelessly originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why the iPhone 3GS Doesn’t Cost Apple $179

iSupply gets a lots of headlines, like this one from Reuters, guestimating the raw component costs of popular gadgets like the iPhone 3GS. And good for them.

Media literacy 101, however, demands we remind again that the iPhone 3GS didn’t pop into consumers’ hands fully formed from a Star Trek transporter or the toes of the frost-giant Ymir (Bing it). It cost money to research and develop both hardware and software, to design and prototype, to test and certify, and it cost money to manufacture, to ship, to stock, to advertise, and to sell.

Even if we stick to iSupply’s guesstimates of raw component costs, to paraphrase Aaron Sorkin’s hyperbole, while the second iPhone 3GS may have cost $179, the first one cost a billion dollars.

So take that $179 number you’ll see all over the net with a grain of salt before you start knocking on the door at 1 Infinite Loop demanding your iPhone 3GS at “cost”.

[Thanks to the Reptile for the tip, image via rapidrepair.com]

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

Why the iPhone 3GS Doesn’t Cost Apple $179

iPhone 3GS: $179 to build says iSuppli

Filed under: Cellphones

iPhone 3GS: $179 to build says iSuppli originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Competition: HTC Hero (Android)

Our sibling site Android Central is all over the new HTC Hero announcement — the latest Android smartphone and one that looks decidedly different from its G1 predecessor.

We weren’t exactly fond of the G1’s user experience, but did lust after their notification system and push Gmail. Does this latest entry, with its Senses UI, up the ante? And should Apple be worried yet, or is Microsoft and Windows Mobile still the low-hanging fruit in Google’s sights?

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

The Competition: HTC Hero (Android)