Telus kicks off HSPA+ network with iPhone November 5th, HTC Hero, LG New Chocolate and more to follow

Posted on October 26, 2009 by Donald Melanson.
Categories: Uncategorized.
Telus already announced that it'd be launching the iPhone in November, but it's just now gotten official with an actual date: November 5th -- which just so happens to also be the day that it lights up its brand new HSPA+ network. Unfortunately for anyone hoping that a little competition would spark a price war, Telus is matching Rogers' prices across the board, starting at $99.99 for the basic 8GB iPhone 3G, and moving up to $199.99 for the 16GB 3GS, and $299.99 for the 32GB 3GS (all on a three-year contract, of course). What's more, Telus has also taken the opportunity to offer the first official confirmation of some of the other devices that'll take advantage of its new network, including the HTC Hero, the previously rumored LG New Chocolate (a.k.a BL40), the Blackberry Bold 9700, and the Nokia E71 (plus a USB stick, for good measure). No prices or release dates for any of those just yet, unfortunately, but the Hero and New Chocolate are apparently Telus exclusives.

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Telus kicks off HSPA+ network with iPhone November 5th, HTC Hero, LG New Chocolate and more to follow originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon Speaks: Interested in iPhone but Decision Up to Apple

Posted on by Rene Ritchie.
Categories: Uncategorized.
According to Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg, Verizon wants the iPhone, but Apple isn’t offering it yet. More precisely: “This is a decision that is exclusively in Apple’s court. We obviously would be interested at any point in the future they thought it would make sense for them to have us as a partner. And [...]

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Verizon Speaks: Interested in iPhone but Decision Up to Apple


Dreamr app: a relaxing experience?

Posted on by David Winograd.
Categories: Uncategorized.

Filed under: , ,

Dreamr [iTunes Link] is an app for the iPhone or iPod touch running OS 3.1 or better that turns your device into a dreamachine. And what exactly is a dreamachine (also known as a dream machine)?

A dreamachine is a strobing flicker device, invented by Brion Gysin and Ian Summerville, that pulses light in a frequency range relating to alpha waves present in the brain while relaxing. Originally created using a turntable, a bulb, and a cylinder, you close your eyes and and the pulsing of the lights as seen behind your eyelids is supposed to cause varying states of relaxation, sometimes creating colorful patterns of swirling lights.

Pulses from 1-4 beats per second are supposed to cause deep relaxation, while pulses from 8-13 beats per second are said to cause a waking sleep often with accompanied by psychedelic shapes and trippy colors.

Author William S. Burroughs, one of the first proponents of the dreamachine, wrote:

"Subjects report dazzling lights of unearthly brilliance and color. ...Elaborate geometric constructions of incredible intricacy build up from multidimensional mosaic into living fireballs like the mandalas of Eastern mysticism or resolve momentarily into apparently individual images and powerfully dramatic scenes like brightly colored dreams."

The Dreamr app tells you to turn the brightness all the way up, choose a number of beats per second and a color, and then to hold the device's screen up to your closed eyes and see what happens. The buttons to choose beats per second were quite small and hard to consistently tap.

I gave Dreamr two ten minute tests, both in a comfortable recliner with my iPhone resting on my eyes. At 13 beats per second I found nothing at all, outside of noting that the speed of the flickering seeming to slow down and speed up after about 6 minutes. At 4 beats per second I may have been a bit more relaxed after about 8 minutes but that could have been due the quality of my recliner. Overall, I wasn't affected. Your results, however, may vary.

The app comes with a warning that this should not be used by small children, photosensitive people, or those that react badly to flashing lights. The price is $US.99.

We'd be very curious to know of the experiences of anyone who has used Dreamr, or in fact, any dreamachine. And that, my friends, is what the comments section is for.

Dreamr app: a relaxing experience? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Dreamr app: a relaxing experience? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Win a copy of Distant Suns to see the night sky on your iPhone

Posted on by Victor Agreda, Jr..
Categories: Uncategorized.

Filed under:

We've covered Distant Suns before, and we missed the Galilean Nights, but we're giving away 10 copies of Distant Suns [iTunes Link] for your iPhone or iPod touch this week. It's always a good time to have the "universe in your shirt pocket," right? The rules couldn't be simpler (unless we allowed everyone to enter, but promo codes are US-only, sorry) so enter a comment to win!

  • Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 and older.
  • To enter, leave a comment below.
  • The comment must be left by Saturday, October 31 at 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time.
  • You may enter only once.
  • Ten winners will be selected in a random drawing.
  • Prize: Promo code for the Distant Suns app (US$4.99 value).
  • Click Here for complete Official Rules.

Win a copy of Distant Suns to see the night sky on your iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Win a copy of Distant Suns to see the night sky on your iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monoprice iPhone/iPod Battery Backup: Such a deal

Posted on by David Winograd.
Categories: Uncategorized.

Filed under: , ,

In a previous post about offshore iPhone chargers, a few astute TUAW readers mentioned Monoprice.com as a good source for chargers, connectors, and computer, TV and audio cables. In searching their site, I found a real deal.

The Monoprice Backup battery pack is the simplest of devices. When your iPhone or iPod is running low on juice, just plug this battery pack into the 30 pin connector. You can then either keep running with a fairly large dongle hanging off the bottom of your device, or wait and the battery pack will charge your device in 3.5 hours according to Monoprice (or about 2.5 hours according to my tests).

Yes, there are a lot of battery backups that do this, but how many are sold at US$14.50? You read that right, only US$14.50, and for that you get pack with a capacity of 2200 mAh.

For comparison, the capacity of the iPhone battery is 1150 mAh, so this battery should be able to charge your device twice. Due to my ignorance of the vagaries of electricity, mine winds up charging the iPhone about 1.75 times, which isn't bad at all.

Continue reading Monoprice iPhone/iPod Battery Backup: Such a deal

Monoprice iPhone/iPod Battery Backup: Such a deal originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Monoprice iPhone/iPod Battery Backup: Such a deal originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: myBatteryLife for iPhone

Posted on by Ben Boychuk.
Categories: Uncategorized.
This app, which shows how much battery life you have remaining, is a simple tool of somewhat debatable utility.

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Apple to Refurbish Subway Station Adjacent to Future Chicago Store

Posted on by MacRumors : Mac News and Rumors.
Categories: Uncategorized.
ifoAppleStore reports that Apple has agreed to spend nearly $4 million to refurbish a run-down subway station adjacent to its future retail store on Halsted Street in Chicago. In exchange, Apple will receive from the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) ...

Geohot Releases New Version of Popular iPhone Jailbreaking Tool - Blackra1n RC2

Posted on by iPhoneHacks.
Categories: Uncategorized.

Dear Aunt TUAW: Recovering iPhone data and media

Posted on by Erica Sadun.
Categories: Uncategorized.

Filed under: ,

Dear Aunt TUAW,

I'm from the Philippines and I would just like to ask for your help. I don't know if the news had reached you guys but there had been some massive flood lately in our country brought about by super typhoons storming over our land. Anyway, I own an iPhone and thank God I brought it with me when the flash flood came which sadly destroyed my PC and laptop. Now I have a new desktop which leads me to my problem. I'm afraid to install iTunes in it because if ever I'd sync my phone with the new desktop, I'm pretty sure all my iPod files will be gone. Are there any work around for it (so that I can still save my files on my phone)? Will jailbreaking help (as a last resort)?

Thanks and more power! =)

Best regards,

Rand B.

Read on for Auntie's answer...

Continue reading Dear Aunt TUAW: Recovering iPhone data and media

Dear Aunt TUAW: Recovering iPhone data and media originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Dear Aunt TUAW: Recovering iPhone data and media originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint plans to release Palm Pixi in mid-November

Posted on by John Cox.
Categories: Uncategorized.
Sprint will release the second Palm webOS device, the Palm Pixi smartphone, on Nov. 15, priced at $100, after $150 in rebates.

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Verizon chief says offering the iPhone is Apple’s call

Posted on by Chris Ziegler.
Categories: Uncategorized.
Remember how in grade school, you usually made fun of the people you had crushes on? Verizon -- hot on the heels of some surgically strategic anti-iPhone marketing to promote its upcoming Android line -- is singing a very different tune in the corporate boardroom, with CEO Ivan Seidenberg (who has a storied reputation for running his mouth) saying during the company's earnings call today that the company "obviously would be interested at any point in the future that they would be interested in having us as a partner." He went on to say that the decision to bring the iPhone to Verizon is "exclusively in Apple's court," though we doubt that's entirely true -- Verizon has a reputation for putting manufacturers and devices through the wringer, and if any carrier in the world were to spike the iPhone for failing acceptance testing or throw its gargantuan weight and reputation around to put pressure on the contract, it'd be Big Red. Either way, though, it's an olive branch and a potential start to the near-constant cries of "if only the iPhone were on Verizon" that we've been hearing for the past two years; we're still having an awful hard time picturing a CDMA-equipped version ever happening, but with Verizon's LTE network progressively lighting up over the next few years, it might just be the perfect opportunity for these wayward souls to finally find common ground, especially with the tune AT&T's singing these days.

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Verizon chief says offering the iPhone is Apple's call originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is the Apple iTablet For Real? Rumors Say So

Posted on by Andy.
Categories: Uncategorized.

ReNu solar panels announced for iPhone charger, sound dock, LED desk lamp

Posted on by Joseph L. Flatley.
Categories: Uncategorized.
Sure, we've been frustrated by solar-powered iPhone chargers and amused by the irony of solar-powered lamps in the past, but that doesn't mean we're not looking forward to the day when we can meet our gadgets power needs without relying on fossil fuels. That's why we're pleased to note that a company called ReNu has just announced a solar panel that can be used to charge your iPhone or iPod, power the device's sound dock, or even keep your desk light shining sans mains power. Featuring a modular design, the panel can dispatched to your window to soak up the rays for 10 or 20 hours (depending on the amount of sunlight it receives) and then returned to your dock for about nine hours of music playback, recharge your iPhone (twice!), or provide about four hours of light with the LED desk lamp. Of course, most people are going to hang this thing in the window once, forget about it, and then spend the next several years powering their devices with the included AC adapter -- but at least they're trying, right? Available for pre-order now, the ReNu solar panel ($199) and the Renu panel / iPod dock combo ($249) both ship in February 2010, while the Side Light desk lamp ($89) ships in next March, and the Sound Dock ($149) should see the light of day sometime in April. Hit the read link to place that order, but not before peeping the galley below.

Gallery: PR shots for Renu's solar powered iPhone charger, desk lamp



[Via TreeHugger]

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ReNu solar panels announced for iPhone charger, sound dock, LED desk lamp originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York Times: Windows Mobile sinking, Android and Apple benefit

Posted on by Mel Martin.
Categories: Uncategorized.

Filed under: , ,

This morning, the New York Times had an interesting piece about the shift in cellphone momentum away from Microsoft to Android and the iPhone. The story refers to Windows Mobile as 'foundering,' which won't bring much happiness to Redmond. Of course, Microsoft already knows that they're quickly becoming a non-player in the smartphone market.

What's of interest beyond the basics is just how far the Windows based phones have slipped in terms of customer satisfaction. Quoting the story: "Indeed, a J. D. Power & Associates survey found that Windows Mobile had the lowest satisfaction rating among customers of any smartphone operating system. The iPhone has by far the most satisfying software, the study found. Android is a distant second, followed closely by BlackBerry's operating system."

"Windows Mobile scored below average on every attribute, said Kirk Parsons, director of the study, especially in ease of operation, speed and stability."

That was my experience -- I had two Motorola Q phones fail. They tended to lock up frequently, and one had to be replaced. I was on the Verizon network, which was very good, but when the iPhone came out the thought of having something designed to work well with a Mac, and something that had a certain well-thought-out elegance was just too much of a lure.

Microsoft owned the smartphone market for years, so it is a mystery to me why they fell so far behind. The entry of Android, and especially the new models, is welcome competition. Most cell phone makers are migrating to the Android platform, which doesn't require licensing fees. The iPhone design isn't for sale to anyone, and seems to be doing just fine. Apple could fall into the same somnambulant stupor that Microsoft seems to be in with smartphones, but the Android offerings should keep them scrambling. We'll all benefit from that competition.

What phone did you drop to get the iPhone? Do you think Apple will stay ahead? Leave a comment below.

New York Times: Windows Mobile sinking, Android and Apple benefit originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)New York Times: Windows Mobile sinking, Android and Apple benefit originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Robert Scoble: 85,000 reasons why the iPhone won’t be disrupted

Posted on by Steven Sande.
Categories: Uncategorized.

Filed under: , , , ,

Whether you think he's the voice of reason on the Web or an annoying pest, when Robert Scoble over at the Scobleizer blog speaks, people listen.

Yesterday, a Twitter follower of Mr. Scoble stated that he thought "iPhone users were beyond reason," referring to the almost unnatural fixation that most of us have for our phones. Scoble brought up a very good point in his blogged response -- every app that comes out on the market (more than 85,000 at this point) provides another way to customize your iPhone to the way that you live and work.

In order for another manufacturer to come out with a device that will pry that iPhone out of our fingers, they're going to need to exactly duplicate or surpass the functionality that we've become used to. That's not likely to happen, in Scoble's opinion, because the 85,000+ apps that filter down to a couple of dozen (or hundred) apps on each iPhone turn that iPhone into something completely unique. It's not likely that any iPhone user is going to want to give up that up unless every app in the special combination on his or her iPhone is replaced by something better.

It makes sense. I've worked with all of the other smartphone platforms, and in no case have there been compelling apps that hold me to the platform. With the iPhone, I've tried thousands of apps, kept about a hundred, and those hundred apps let me work and play the way I want to. iPhone developers have also made sure that the apps are simple to use, too.

Perhaps the Android or some other smartphone platform will eventually evolve to the point that there is a critical mass of compelling apps that provides the same magical combination of power, ease-of-use, and fun, but until that time the iPhone will reign supreme. That's even despite Microsoft CEO and iPhone hater Steve Ballmer's recent assertion about the iPhone, "That's why they've got 75,000 applications -- they're all trying to make the Internet look decent on the iPhone."

Obviously Mr. Ballmer hasn't used an iPhone, or he'd realize that the iPhone is much more than Web apps. That might also give Ballmer a clue why Windows phones aren't even on the radar for most smartphone buyers today.

Robert Scoble: 85,000 reasons why the iPhone won't be disrupted originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Robert Scoble: 85,000 reasons why the iPhone won't be disrupted originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Medieval for iPhone

Posted on by Tim Mercer.
Categories: Uncategorized.
The App Store features plenty of castle defense games. Medieval is one of the more stellar offerings.

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Telus to start iPhone sales on November 5

Posted on by Ken Ray.
Categories: Uncategorized.

Filed under:

Rogers Wireless has a little over one week left of its Canadian iPhone exclusivity. Wireless carrier Teuls announced today that it'll start sales of the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS on Thursday, November 5, 2009.

While the Telus network has been CDMA-only, the carrier is not selling a modified phone. Rather, the company is launching its iPhone-compatible HSPA network, which it's marketing to consumers as 3G+.

Prices on the new network match what many expected from Bell, which is also starting Canadian iPhone sales soon. Telus will sell an 8GB iPhone 3G for $99 (Cdn$), a 16GB iPhone 3GS for $199.99, or a 32GB iPhone 3GS for $299.99 with three-year contracts. Minus the monthly plans the 8GB iPhone 3G will run buyers $599.99, the 16GB iPhone 3GS will run $699.99, and the 32BG iPhone 3GS will run buyers $799.99.

[via Telus]

Telus to start iPhone sales on November 5 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Telus to start iPhone sales on November 5 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Orange to offer iPhone in UK on November 10

Posted on by Carrie-Ann Skinner.
Categories: Uncategorized.
Orange will make Apple's iPhone available on November 10 in the UK, ending O2's exclusive partnership with Apple in that country.

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iPhone on Verizon: ‘A Decision That is Exclusively in Apple’s Court’

Posted on by MacRumors : Mac News and Rumors.
Categories: Uncategorized.
Verizon reported its quarterly earnings before the markets opened for trading today, showing increased revenue and subscribers, but decreased profit as the company worked to complete integration of former wireless competitor Alltel amid uncertain eco...

iPhone on Telus Canada Come November 5

Posted on by Rene Ritchie.
Categories: Uncategorized.
Telus looks to be launching the iPhone along with their new GSM/HSPA network on November 5, 2009, with BGR reporting pricing that’s pretty much spot on standard: same as it is for Rogers (and Bell, for that matter) with the 3G going for $99.99/$599.99 and the 16 and 32GB 3GS going for $199.99/$699.99 and [...]

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

iPhone on Telus Canada Come November 5