Buyer’s Guide: Mac Sales Begin Ahead of Black Friday

The holiday season has become more relevant for those looking for a discount on Apple computers as there has been an increasing number of vendors willing to hold short term sales/rebates on Macs over the past few years.

Due to a vari...

Facebook for iPhone Updates to 3.03 “Minor Bug Fixes and Japanese Localization”

Facebook for iPhone and iPod touch [Free - iTunes link], by updating to version 3.03 for “minor bug fixes and Japanese localization”, but underneath that listing all the major changes from the original 3.0 release, has resulted in flood of tips to TiPb actual. Shows us a few things:

1. Wow but do people love that Facebook for iPhone app
2. Devs need to be careful how they list their changeroll
3. Users need to be careful how they read the changeroll

Still, if you’ve been experiencing bugs, or really wanted to get your Japanese on, this updated is for you!

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

Facebook for iPhone Updates to 3.03 “Minor Bug Fixes and Japanese Localization”

Zune HD Adds 3D Games, Windows Marketplace for Mobile Goes Phase II, and the Many Faces of Windows Mobile — Mega Competition Roundup!

So, yeah, Windows Mobile and Zune. In all the excitement over the Droid (and Pixi), Microsoft went and snuck in some new, competitive updates.

First, the iPod touch’s rival, and media darling, the Zune HD got a firmware update that enhanced the browser (though we still get shivers at any mention of IE6, mobile or otherwise) and paved the way for 3D gaming. (Check out the video, above). As with previous games, they’re free, but you might have to watch a 15-30 car commercial before the game (or calculator app) launches.

Second, Windows Mobile proper just saw the launch of Windows Marketplace for Mobile Phase II, including an on-phone update for the Marketplace App, and the ability to purchase apps right from a desktop PC browser. And, yeah, the new Marketplace security has reportedly already been cracked.

For the customization junkies, George at WMExperts has also run down some of the more popular UI layers currently available for WinMo, including manufacturers’ like HTC and Samsung, vendors’ like SPB and Vito, and, of course, Microsoft’s home grown.

So, anything Apple and the iPhone should be paying attention to? Any greener grass on Microsoft’s side of the road with these updates? Check out the links and let us know what you think.

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

Zune HD Adds 3D Games, Windows Marketplace for Mobile Goes Phase II, and the Many Faces of Windows Mobile — Mega Competition Roundup!

Review: iSing for iPhone

A combination of "American Idol" and a karoke bar, the slick iSing lets you compete in a global talent show.

Rogue Amoeba quits iPhone development over App Store issues

Established Mac and iPhone developer Rogue Amoeba walks out of the App Store after yet another botched app submission.

id Software’s John Carmack talks iPhone games, Doom

Few names are bigger gaming than John Carmack's. The co-founder of id Software talks to Macworld's Chris Holt about making games for the iPhone and what it took to bring Doom to Apple's mobile platform.

UnderCover iPhone App Helps You Recover Stolen iPhone

AT&T ’sets record straight’ in latest ad against Verizon

AT&T has sent out a letter to customers in response to a wave of negative advertising from rival carrier Verizon.

One Small App From NASA, One Giant Chemical Sensor for iPhone

NASA has created a chemical sensor accessory for the iPhone. Gizmodo calls this the day the first Tricorder was created, we call it cosmically cool in any time/space continuum.

The low-cost, low-power system can detect minimal concentrations of ammonia, chlorine gas, and methane, showing the values in an iPhone application. It can automatically communicate the results with other cellphones or the Enterprise’s computer using Wi-Fi or 3G, and order massive teleportation evacuations if needed. OK, not true. No teleportation yet, but we are getting there.

Okay, now where’s the transporter app?

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

One Small App From NASA, One Giant Chemical Sensor for iPhone

Facebook Clarifies App Developer’s Decision Does Not Mirror Official Position

O2 Begins the Great British iPhone Unlock

Chris from Mobiletech Addicts let us know that, as previously reported, O2 is coming through with the iPhone unlocks. Once their web form is submitted, they send a text (it took all of 15 minutes form him), then:

I put in a Vodafone Sim Card into the phone and fired up iTunes, a couple of minutes later and the [above] message appeared.

Congrats UK residents, you’re free at last!

(Now if only Rogers Canada would find a pair and do likewise right…)

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

O2 Begins the Great British iPhone Unlock

Whoa! AT&T has had enough of the Verizon slams

Filed under: Odds and ends, iPhone

AT&T is clearly not going to take it anymore. Today, they blasted back at Verizon for the nasty ads about AT&T coverage.

In a press release today, the communications giant pulled out all the stops:

"AT&T's wireless data coverage reaches 303 million people - or 97% of the U.S. population, where they live and work.

AT&T is the #1 network for smartphones, with twice the number of smartphone customers than Verizon, our closest competitor. Some of the reasons include:

Most popular smartphones. Unlike Verizon, AT&T offers the most popular smartphones in the industry.

More wireless apps. Unlike Verizon, AT&T customers have access to more than 100,000 applications, more than with any other wireless company.

Talk and E-mail at the same time. Unlike Verizon, AT&T's 3G network lets wireless customers simultaneously talk and surf the web or do e-mail.

Fastest 3G in the nation. Unlike Verizon, AT&T has the nation's fastest 3G network."

It's a bold move to respond to someone doing a number on you. Microsoft tried to counter Apple pricing with mixed reviews, and AT&T, unlike Apple, has a lot of unhappy customers. This will be fun to watch, but one wishes AT&T was improving service and features (tethering anyone?) instead of getting into these lawsuits and public mud baths.

Whoa! AT&T has had enough of the Verizon slams originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Whoa! AT&T has had enough of the Verizon slams originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Editorial: Hey, AT&T — drop lawsuits, not calls

AppleInsider published a piece this week that does a good job rounding up the latest counterarguments we've been hearing against Verizon's claims in its suddenly ultra-aggressive attacks on archrival AT&T's network -- attacks that have offended AT&T right into getting the legal team involved. Both sides are applying enough spin to make you dizzy at this point, so let's break down the latest round of pot shots, shall we?

• Verbiage on Verizon's site suggests that swaths of its 3G network are still running at EV-DO Rev. 0 speed: false. In fact, 100 percent of Verizon's 3G coverage has been Rev. A since 2007 -- the wording refers to 1xRTT, which is the transport technology in use where EV-DO hasn't been deployed.
• You can't distinguish between EV-DO and 1xRTT on Verizon's coverage map: false. Turns out Verizon has one of the more comprehensive coverage browsers among top-tier carriers. The technologies aren't called out by name, but they're there -- they list compatible features in different coverage zones, ostensibly to reduce customer confusion since your average Joe (not to be confused with our own Joe Flatley) doesn't know or care what "1xRTT" means.
• EDGE approaches the "low end" of EV-DO Rev. A: false. At the top end of the specification, EDGE can theoretically approach 500kbps in a cleanroom environment -- but in reality, it's runs at a fraction of that and suffers more severe latency issues in practice (which is sometimes a greater detriment to a mobile web browsing experience than raw speed) than UMTS and EV-DO. Heck, AT&T itself claims 75-135kbps. Meanwhile, we got 823kbps on the downlink in real-world modem use on Verizon's Rev. A.
• AT&T's 3.6Mbps and 7.2Mbps deployments are significantly faster than EV-DO Rev. A: true, but only in theory. We're getting downlink speeds ranging from the low 100s -- yes, 100s -- to the high 800s in Chicago and New York; Chicago's got a trial 7.2Mbps network that's live, but even if we're not connected to it (hard to say), we should still be on 3.6. We seriously have no idea what AT&T's doing behind the scenes with these rollouts, but in urban areas, at least, they're not helping. At all. And that's assuming we can help ourselves from dropping down to EDGE.
• AT&T's service is augmented by the nation's largest WiFi network: we won't even justify that with a rebuttal.
• Verizon's gaming the system by comparing only their 3G networks: the truth hurts, AT&T. Verizon's commercials would have you believe that by comparing only 3G coverage, Verizon wins by a country mile. And guess what? They do. To AT&T's credit, the 3GPP's WCDMA technology path is considerably more advanced and extensible than EV-DO Rev. A is, but beyond UMTS's simultaneous voice / data capability, the end user's experience is pretty similar in day-to-day use. We go where the faster real-world speeds (and the reliable calls) are.
• Verizon is "defending steep losses" with its anti-AT&T, anti-iPhone commercials: false. Verizon added 1.2 million net customers in the most recently reported quarter, excluding acquisitions.
• LTE is "still years away from viable use" on Verizon: false. They'll have 20-30 markets commercially live in 2010, which is 20-30 more than AT&T will have. It's not nationwide coverage by a long shot, but it gives the carrier a notable lead in the 4G transition since AT&T has sparsely detailed its LTE plans and isn't expected to go live with any markets until 2011 at the earliest.

To be fair, Verizon's taking a questionable angle in its advertising by trying to associate 3G coverage with call reliability -- in AT&T's case, the two are totally, completely unrelated -- but the fact remains that for a bunch of New York, Chicago, and San Francisco-based Engadget editors, Verizon bests AT&T in both categories, and we're having a hard time arguing with personal experience.

So listen, AT&T, we're sorry Verizon made you upset, but the solution's actually pretty simple: compete. Fix your network, keep scoring hot exclusives, and get hungry again -- because in a year or two, no one's going to give a damn that you used to have an exclusive on the iPhone.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Editorial: Hey, AT&T -- drop lawsuits, not calls originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T Publicly Responds to Verizon Ad Campaign

AT&T today published a public response to a recent series of advertisements from rival Verizon attacking AT&T's 3G network coverage. The latest spat between the two companies began last month with Verizon ads using map-based representations of AT&T'...

A new accessory for your iPhone: a NASA-developed chemical sensor

Filed under: Hardware, Odds and ends, iPhone

What's better than a handful of sensors for determining if some hostile enemy has set off chemical weapons in a city? How about hundreds of thousands or millions of sensors? If research being done by NASA Ames Research Center under the Cell-All program in the US Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate is taken into production, your next smartphone might contain chemical-sensing circuitry.

A recent article in OnOrbit described a proof of concept that was developed by Jing Li, a scientist at Ames, and a group of other researchers. In order to test out the tiny nanosensor-based chemical sensing circuitry, Li and his team created a device that plugs into the dock port of an iPhone.

To quote the original post,

The new device is able to detect and identify low concentrations of airborne ammonia, chlorine gas and methane. The device senses chemicals in the air using a "sample jet" and a multiple-channel silicon-based sensing chip, which consists of 16 nanosensors, and sends detection data to another phone or a computer via telephone communication network or Wi-Fi.

A newer version of the sensor has 64 nanosensors built-in and is less than 1 cm on a side. Isn't it cool that your iPhone is getting to be more like a Star Trek tricorder every day?

[via Gizmodo]

A new accessory for your iPhone: a NASA-developed chemical sensor originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A new accessory for your iPhone: a NASA-developed chemical sensor originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple Quietly Adds Browser-based iTunes Preview

AppleInsider is reporting that Apple has updated links within iTunes to redirect the user to a browser-based preview page called “iTunes Preview“. So now you can send a link for a certain album to a friend and they can view it regardless of whether or not their computer has iTunes installed. Previously a link would recognize iTunes was missing and require that iTunes be installed.

These iTunes preview links can be found in the iTunes “Copy Link” feature. From there you can browse customer reviews, albums, artists, and tracks directly from the web. The only thing missing is the App Store, perhaps that is something Apple is currently working on.

So for those of you who hate opening iTunes to view a link or simply don’t have it installed, Apple has just given you one more option.

[Via AppleInsider]

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

Apple Quietly Adds Browser-based iTunes Preview

iPhone 3GS shortage in Australia appears over

Despite a shortage earlier this year, Australia's major telcos have said they may have enough iPhones in time for Christmas.

It’s about time: TomTom submits updated nav app to Apple

Filed under: Software, Odds and ends, iPhone

Very welcome news for owners of the TomTom iPhone nav app [iTunes link for U.S. version]; the company has announced a free update that includes many of the features that people were craving.

• Advanced lane guidance giving drivers extra clarity when navigating difficult junctions. For the first time this is in both landscape and portrait mode.
• Text-to-speech helping motorists to keep their eyes on the road by enabling street names and places to be read aloud as part of the spoken instructions.
• "Help Me" providing direct access to emergency numbers and directions to the nearest emergency providers.
• Updated map and safety camera database (Europe only)
• Customizable audio warnings when approaching safety cameras or driving over the speed limit, increasing driver safety and saving money.
• iPod player control ensuring drivers can conveniently control their music from within the application.

TomTom submitted the new version to Apple yesterday, and as usual, it's anybody's guess when it will emerge. It won't be fast enough for TomTom owners, who have seen their app fall behind the feature rich Navigon app and other GPS offerings.

The joker in this particular deck is still the free Google Navigation app, which is trying to get onto the iPhone and will have a gaggle of features no one else is offering.

[via Engadget]

It's about time: TomTom submits updated nav app to Apple originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's about time: TomTom submits updated nav app to Apple originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple Deploys Web-Based ‘iTunes Preview’ Content

Macworld reports that Apple has quietly rolled out "iTunes Preview", a Web-based listing of iTunes Store content that allows users to browse the store's offerings without the need for an iTunes installed on their devices. While iTunes is sti...

Storm8 says phone-number lawsuit lacks merit

The company claims legacy code meant to identify iPhones mistakenly used phone numbers instead of device codes.