Google Wave Available on the iPhone As a Full-Screen Web App

The Competition: BlackBerry Storm 2 — Do Over?

BlackBerry Storm2, RIM’s second bite at Apple’s multi-touch, black slab iPhone form factor, is just about ready for prime time, and as always, our sibling site CrackBerry.com has the complete Storm2 review. Kevin sums it up thusly:

The Storm2 fixes many of the BlackBerry Storm’s outstanding issues and makes a ton of incremental improvements, all of which add up to something that feels noticeably better. In a way that never quite applied to the original Storm, the Storm2 could legitimately be called the flagship BlackBerry.

Sounds fair to us! The Storm too got little-to-no love for RIM, even from RIM, but Storm 2 sounds like it fixes a lot of what went wrong the first time around. The build quality is better and that monstrous single-button screen of carpal tunnel has been replaced by a more sophisticated, and natural-typing friendly multi-press technology.

Sure, it’s still got that trusty, rusty BlackBerry J2ME OS and middling browser (for now) but with App World this time around, and Verizon’s network power (hey, it’s better than their chart-making power!) behind it, those users whose venn-diagram intersects CDMA with BlackBerry with touchscreen might finally have a usable option.

Check out the full review, then let us know if Apple has anything to worry about, berry-wise…

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

The Competition: BlackBerry Storm 2 — Do Over?

Layar now adding layers of augmented reality to iPhone

Filed under: Cellphones

Layar now adding layers of augmented reality to iPhone originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Next-Generation Mac Pro to Receive Temporary Exclusive of Six-Core ‘Gulftown’ Processor?

Hardmac reports that an early 2010 revision to Apple's Mac Pro may see the inclusion of Intel's forthcoming six-core "Gulftown" processor as a temporary exclusive prior to the full mass release of the processor in the second quarter of 2010.<p class=...

Waze for iPhone has a ways to go

Filed under: iPhone, App Review

Several of our readers suggested that we take a look at Waze, a free navigation app [iTunes link] that depends on other users for reports of traffic tie ups, accidents, and speed traps. It also functions as a turn-by-turn navigator with spoken directions, although it doesn't have text to speech capabilities for naming streets or points of interest.

As a navigator Waze is fine, but it seems to be missing a lot of residential addresses. Waze had a nasty habit of jumping my vehicle icon to a nearby parallel street, and while it was nice to have both 2D and 3D maps, the software seemed to change the zoom factor without me telling it to. This erratic zooming seemed to happen when I went to a menu and then returned to the map.

The maps aren't very attractive. There are both day and night views for the Waze maps, but even when set to 'auto,' the night map comes up no matter what time of day it is. The maps and POI data are all downloaded from the internet, so if you're in a "dead zone" for data, you have no navigation.

As for the social functions of the app, they are a great idea, but in reality you're only going to get information in a densely populated areas. Even then, you may not get much of anything in terms of reported incidents. If you go to the Waze web page and look at the national map for reported incidents, it is pretty lightly populated. Of course, that should get better as more and more people use Waze. A clever aspect of the app is that it keeps track of where you are while you're navigating, and uses your speed to add to its database of road conditions.

I think Waze is promising, and if you don't want to spend money on a turn-by-turn nav app, it's a start. To be really useful some of the bugs need to be fixed, the address data needs to be more complete, and there need to be a heck of a lot more people using Waze so there is more incident reporting.

This app is free and implements some creative ideas. If you're thinking about getting a nav app, but you're on the fence, make the risk-free download of Waze and see if it enhances your driving.

Waze for iPhone has a ways to go originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Waze for iPhone has a ways to go originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone MMS showing incorrect sender number? (poll)

It all started with an iPhone-borne MMS video of a Kirby plush toy that I tried to send. You see, I don't have a 510 number -- that AT&T mobile number belongs to a friendly gentleman living in Fremont, CA, about 40 miles from where I reside -- but that didn't stop the message from going through the airwaves with his number listed as sender. Confused? Yeah, so are we, and a quick look through various forums say we're not alone. We've contacted AT&T for more information, but in the meantime, let us know if you've noticed any similar problems.

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Read - MMS messages I send showing received from different phone number iPhone

Filed under: Cellphones

iPhone MMS showing incorrect sender number? (poll) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Appswell’s looking for a few good app ideas

With the newly launched Appswell app, users can submit their own ideas for iPhone apps and vote on the ones they like. The developer will pick a winner based on user votes and build the app, with the person who suggested the idea getting $1,000 plus a 10 percent share of the profits.

Offshore iPhone/iPod USB power adapters: Caveat Emptor

Filed under: Accessories, iPod Family, iPhone

When I opened my iPhone 3GS, I was surprised to find that the power adapter was nothing but a little 2-prong AC plug (I live in the US) that allowed you to plug in the standard USB to 30-pin connector to charge the phone.

I wanted to get a spare and checking online told me that the Apple Store wanted US$29 for the little plug which just seemed like too much for too little, so I went shopping.

On eBay I found a bunch of auctions based in Hong Kong selling what looked like the exact same thing for anywhere from under around $2-4 and often included the USB cable to boot.

I ordered four from a vendor and after a few weeks received them. They looked perfect, right down to the little green dot but none of them worked. They might start charging, but after a few minutes the iPhone would beep a few times and I would be informed that "this accessory is not compatible." And so it went for all four pieces. After sending some pictures back and forth and reading a few emails containing a combination of surprise and amazement from the vendor, I was refunded.

Undaunted, or maybe just dumb, I went back to eBay and found another vendor that claimed to be selling, "100% Brand New Original OEM Charger and Original OEM USB Cable for iPhone/iPod" for around US$4. I just checked eBay and found this same vendor raising the price to US$10 in one auction and lowering it to $US.01 in another.

Continue reading Offshore iPhone/iPod USB power adapters: Caveat Emptor

Offshore iPhone/iPod USB power adapters: Caveat Emptor originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Offshore iPhone/iPod USB power adapters: Caveat Emptor originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geohot Releases blackra1n to Jailbreak Any iPhone Running iPhone OS 3.1.2 for Mac

Apple Updates Boot ROM in new iPhone 3GS Models to Prevent Jailbreaking

Apple Continues to Demonstrate Sales Growth in Third Quarter 2009

Research firms Gartner and IDC today both released preliminary reports detailing U.S. and worldwide PC shipments for the third quarter of 2009, revealing modest growth by Apple amid an uncertain market.


Apple's U.S. Market Shar...

Appirion’s iDriver app lets iPhone control minivan (video)

Believe it or not, a device-controlled car isn't exactly fresh. In fact, we've actually seen a PSP control a Civic before Barack Obama was even a glimmer in the media's eye. That said, we're always willing to give credit where it's due, and the iDriver app just might be the most impressive use of Apple's smartphone... well, ever. As the name implies, this here app is able to control a heavily wired vehicle seemingly with ease -- the accelerometer handles the steering, and two soft buttons on the screen handle braking and acceleration. We'd bother explaining more, but we know you've already clicked past the break to see the whole thing demonstrated on video. Right?

[Via Engadget German]

Continue reading Appirion's iDriver app lets iPhone control minivan (video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Software

Appirion's iDriver app lets iPhone control minivan (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone Live! Tonight at 8pm ET/5pm PT

Join Chad, Rene, and Dieter tonight for all the week’s news, views, and rants. If you have any questions, leave a comment below, hit us up on Twitter @theiphoneblog, or better still — join us live in the chat room via http://www.tipb.com/live

Chat with you soon!

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

iPhone Live! Tonight at 8pm ET/5pm PT

Ace Combat XI coming to iPhone

Namco is using its Facebook fan page to communicate more and more about its upcoming titles these days, with a post this week promoting the upcoming release of Ace Combat XI for the iPhone.

Verizon BlackBerry Storm 2 vs. iPhone Chart, like Cake, is a LIE!

Our good friends over at CrackBerry.com found and posted up this handy chart from Verizon, meant to serve as a point of comparison between the upcoming BlackBerry Storm 2 and competitive devices. The problem? Like cake, the CHART IS A LIE!

The sad part is that the dodgy folks at Verizon are comparing the latest BlackBerry Storm 2 against last year’s iPhone 3G. The really sad part is even if it’s fairer to compare the upcoming Storm to the outgoing iPhone, the chart is STILL A LIE. The iPhone 3G has had OTA 3G/EDGE music downloads since Macworld in January 2009. Likewise, the GPS in the iPhone 3G (and iPhone 3GS) is assisted (aGPS). Swap in an iPhone 3GS and there goes the camera megapixel advantage.

(Never mind the exclusion of important factors like 75,000+ apps, digital compass for augmented reality (Storm 2 has?), app integration with peripherals, a browser that can properly render AJAX, unicorn tears?!)

So what’s left? If the Storm 2 can’t even compete honestly on Verizon’s own chart, they’re in for some trouble. Of course telcos need to give their reps something to answer legitimate consumer questions about how their new devices compare to existing ones. However, Verizon would likely do better with a chart that won’t get the rep laughed out of a sale by any savvy Smartphone Experts reader.

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

Verizon BlackBerry Storm 2 vs. iPhone Chart, like Cake, is a LIE!

AT&T Continues to Temper Expectations for iPhone Tethering in 2009

9 to 5 Mac reports that it has received a note from an AT&T spokesperson asking the site to remove a reference suggesting that the company would support Internet tethering via the iPhone by the end of 2009.

We believed it was coming l...

Recent iPhone 3GS shipments block jailbreaking, jailbreakers still in business

Well, if you can't beat 'em, then just keep 'em busy. That seems to be the thinking at Apple these days at least, which has ratcheted up its fight with the iPhone jailbreaking community once again by updating the bootrom on iPhone 3GS units that started shipping in the past week. That was apparently first discovered by Mathieulh and later verified by iPhone Dev Team member "Muscle Nerd," who confirmed that the update (iBoot-359.3.2) renders the iPhone 3GS "impossible" to jailbreak for the time being. Of course, that time could well end up being fairly short, but if you just have to jailbreak a 3GS right now, you'll probably want to try to track down some old stock or snap up a refurbished unit.

[Via Daily Tech]

Filed under: Cellphones

Recent iPhone 3GS shipments block jailbreaking, jailbreakers still in business originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Runner’s World Shoe Shop for iPhone

Much of the information found in this free running shoe-shopping app can be found elsewhere. But Runner's World Shoe Shop does a better job at presenting data and providing ways to drill down to the crucial information.

Battle Bears takes top spots on App Store

The game app called Battle Bears has proven to be very popular. The game has you as a bear in a sandbag hideout shooting teddy bears that come stumbling towards you in an attempt to hug you to death. The game has proven to be so popular since its launch on ...

iPhone apps are legal for business use

There were reports filtering out that iPhone apps may not be legal for business use. Those stories are untrue according to PC World at least for users of the App Store in the US. Those original reports were from language in the terms for Sweden and the UK that said ...