UPDATED: European Union: One Phone Charger Shall Rule them All

Posted on June 29, 2009 by Rene Ritchie.
Categories: Uncategorized.

UPDATE: Engadget is reporting micro-USB vs. the BBC’s mini-USB. Also, that Apple, among others, is backing the standard.

ORIGINAL: We’ve discussed this before, but now it looks like Europe has gone ahead and done it. Mini-USB is going to be the “one size fits all” universal charging standard for phones. The caveat:

The deal isn’t legally binding though and, at this stage, is only voluntary.

Translation: Apple’s 30-pin dock connector likely isn’t going any place, any time soon.

Are we happy about this? Are we wondering why it wasn’t micro-USB? Or do we really not care one way or another about it at this point?

[via the BBC, thanks sambell for the tip!]

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

UPDATED: European Union: One Phone Charger Shall Rule them All


Top 5 Cases for the iPhone 3GS - TiPb Picks

Posted on by Rene Ritchie.
Categories: Uncategorized.

tipb_case_picks

Nothing makes people more paranoid than a shiny new gadget, especially if it’s an expensive-to-replace shiny new iPhone 3GS gadget fresh from Apple. Cases can’t work miracles, but they can go a long way towards helping you avoid dust and dirt, nicks and scratches, and — depending on how hardcore you go — cracks and breaks. Oh, and they can also stylize your iPhone beyond Apple’s iconic black and white, if that’s how you want to roll.

We’ll be rounding up some accessories for new iPhone owners in the coming days, and because we’re just as paranoid, we’re starting with cases.

Luxury Leather: Sena Elega Case

Sena Elega CaseJeremy loves the Sena Elega Pouch Case ($39.95 - TiPb Store link). Napa leather on the outside, velvet on the inside, with shock-absorbing padding and a belt clip, this top loader also has cut-outs so your speakers don’t get muffled when listening with the case on.

Get a Grip: Seidio Innocase II

4073Dieter still likes the grippy goodness of the Seidio Innocase II [$29.95 - TiPb Store link] because, let’s face it, the plastic backing of the iPhone 3GS might not blend, but it doesn’t exactly stick to the hand either. With a soft-touch, “rubberized” finish, and ultra-slim profile, the Innocase II provides just enough protection without getting in your way about it.

Layered Protection: OtterBox Defender

OtterBox DefenderCasey called this one protection without compromise, and certainly if you need to keep your iPhone 3GS safe come rain or shine (light rain, not the pool!), Otterbox Defender [$44.95 - TiPb Store link] brings it like armor. Rather than chain and plate, however, a polycarbonate sheet covers the screen, a polycarbonate skeleton provides crush-protection, and a silicone skin finishes off the impact-proofing.

Charge and Go: Mophie Juice Pack

Mophie Juice PackJames still won’t leave home without the Mophie Juice Pack ($99.95 - TiPb Store link). What with push notification, video shooting and sharing, and faster, better processors, the iPhone 3GS is even harder to put down, and that means even harder to keep charged. If you need a case, and want to keep going, and going Mophie Juice Pack can give you 6 additional hours of 3G talk time and 8 hours of video watching.

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

Top 5 Cases for the iPhone 3GS - TiPb Picks


Smartphone Experts is Looking for a Developer!

Posted on by Rene Ritchie.
Categories: Uncategorized.

Around SPE

Got mad developer skills and a deep, enabling love for smartphones and their communities? Well, Smartphone Experts, the network behind theiphoneblog.com and many of your other favorites like CrackBerry.com, PreCentral.net, and a host of others, is looking for YOU!

For more info, check out Dieter’s post in the forums.

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

Smartphone Experts is Looking for a Developer!


Apple and Google Propose Standardized Encoding for… Emoji!

Posted on by Rene Ritchie.
Categories: Uncategorized.

emoji

Love them or hate them, miracle or menace, Emoji are standard message elements in Japan and have caught some favor among internet iPhone users (and TiPb Forum staff…)

The problem, however, is that there’s currently no standard way to encode the little mega-smileys across different carriers and platforms, leading to a lot of “translation” work in between. The solution?

engineers from Google and Apple have got together to try to propose an encoding for these emoji (they have identified 674 of them!) that can be added to the official standard ISO/IEC 10646, as can be seen in this document, Proposal for Encoding Emoji Symbols.

Maybe next Apple could work on not requiring complex, app-bound Emoji activation processes for non-Japanese iPhones? Sumo, tiny red cars, and weirdly smiling brown piles for everyone!

[Via What Japan Thinks, thanks Georgia for the tip!]

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

Apple and Google Propose Standardized Encoding for… Emoji!


A Farewell to iPhone Bob

Posted on by Jeremy Sikora.
Categories: Uncategorized.

buh-bye-iphone-bob1

Some of you on the TiPb Forums have shown some concern over Nelson and the iPhone 3GS tour video. Our question is — what ever happened to iPhone Bob?

Bob Borchers, if you weren’t familiar with the name, starred in the original iPhone and iPhone 3G tour videos on the Apple website.

Well it pains me to say this but according to the WSJ Bob has left Apple to join venture-capital firm, Opus Capital.

Bob, a former executive at Nokia, Nike, and Apple (since 2004, working on the iPod and iPhone) said he enjoyed his time with Apple but the venture capitalists at Opus have given him an opportunity he simply could not pass up.

TiPb and many of your fans will miss you greatly! (It’s really a shame you can’t take Nelson with you…)

Good luck Bob!

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

A Farewell to iPhone Bob


Monday Fun Video: Aqua iPhone or Human Farce?

Posted on by Rene Ritchie.
Categories: Uncategorized.

Either an iPhone 3GS was dropped in a pool and kept on recording, or as Richard Lai demonstrates in this second video [NSFW-L] someone was smart enough to cover it in plastic wrap first.

You can decide for yourselves, but we’re not letting our iPhone’s anywhere near water without full deep sea gear and a mini sub…

[Thanks everyone who sent this in!]

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

Monday Fun Video: Aqua iPhone or Human Farce?


Review: Flickit for iPhone

Posted on by Jeff Phillips.
Categories: Uncategorized.
Uploading photos to the Flickr photo-sharing service from your iPhone or iPod touch should be simple. Flickit gets it right.

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