Keepin’ it real fake, part CCXLII: Aphone A6 is all about Android, aping Apple (video)

Posted on November 15, 2009 by Ross Miller.
Categories: Uncategorized.
An Android and iPhone hybrid isn't exactly new (hello, OPhone), but at least we can say this has a trackball. In fact, you might even mistaken this for iPhone OS at first glance, it's just that kind of doppelganger. The fine details, you say? The GSM (EDGE only, no 3G) device sports a 3.5-inch LCD display with capacitive multitouch, 2 megapixel camera, WiFi, Bluetooth, and the part that really bests it over Apple's offering, a trackball! Huzzah! Video after the break.

[Via technabob]

Continue reading Keepin' it real fake, part CCXLII: Aphone A6 is all about Android, aping Apple (video)

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Keepin' it real fake, part CCXLII: Aphone A6 is all about Android, aping Apple (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Entelligence: Got game?

Posted on by Michael Gartenberg.
Categories: Uncategorized.
Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he'll explore where our industry is and where it's going -- on both micro and macro levels -- with the unique wit and insight only he can provide.


There was a lot of buzz last week when Apple announced that there now more than 100,000 applications in iPhone App Store, and more than two billion apps downloaded. Those are impressive numbers. A former Palm executive recently told me that in the heyday of Palm OS, two thirds of users never installed a third party app and the average "power user" installed around ten. That averages out to about two apps per device -- a pretty low number compared to most iPhone users, even novice users.

But that's only part of the story. A few months ago, I discussed the viability of multiple mobile OS platforms and how it's not likely that they all will survive long term, and one big reason Apple's platform looks better and better is entertainment apps. Looking at my own device, once you get past the three core apps I use all the time (Mail, Tweetie, and Byline, a Google Reader app), the bulk of my hundred plus apps are all entertainment related -- and most of them aren't available on any other platform.

When you look at the out-of-the-box experience of most smartphones today, they're all pretty good when it comes to basics. Email, web browsing, personal information management, and voice are all acceptable. What's missing are the applications and experience that make up mobile entertainment. Media and content consumption are one core pillar. Games are another.

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Entelligence: Got game? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best of Smartphone Experts, 15 Nov 2009

Posted on by Dieter Bohn.
Categories: Uncategorized.

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

Best of Smartphone Experts, 15 Nov 2009


How to Jailbreak And Unlock your iPhone With Blackra1n And Blacksn0w On Mac

Posted on by Andy.
Categories: Uncategorized.

How to Jailbreak And Unlock Your iPhone With Blackra1n And BlackSn0w on Windows

Posted on by Andy.
Categories: Uncategorized.

App Review: iXpenseit Expense Tracker for iPhone

Posted on by Chris Vitek.
Categories: Uncategorized.

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(iXpenseit Forum Review by cjvitek. For more Forum Reviews, see the TiPb iPhone App Store Forum Review Index!)

iXpenseit [$4.99 - iTunes link] for iPhone and iPod touch is a budget tracking app that has recently appeared on the iPhone commercials. It allows a user to track monthly and daily spending, breaking items down into categories, as well as allowing the user to see overall spending.

You start the app by entering various budget amounts for different categories. The default allows for a $1,000 monthly budget for all spending. You can also break down the budget into different categories: $200 for food, $50 for entertainment, $100 for auto, etc. This allows you to track overall spending as well as spending within each of the categories. (Interestingly, they have a specific budget for iTunes!!)

Once you have the budget set, you then simply start by inputting an entry everytime you spend some money. Went to the movies? Put it $10 for entertainment. Paid a $50 water bill? Put it in for utilities. Simply tap the “new” button on the main screen to input a new expense. Chose the category (like auto), subcategory (like gasoline), the amount, date, how it was paid (cash, debit card, etc), and the vendor. You can even include a little note for yourself.

As you spend money, you can track it with the “report” option. You can get a report on overall spending, or within a specific category. You can see reports as a bar graph, pie chart, a written summary. You can even export the data if you like! On the main home screen there is a “battery meter” showing your overall budget – you can see how much you have left, how much you have been spending per day, and so forth.

You have the option of searching for an item as well. Can’t remember how much you last cable bill was? Search for it, and you can see if your bill has somehow drastically increased (gotta stop watching those pay-per-view UFC matches!!). Or you can just browse through the calendar for the date the payment was made.

Various settings allow for different levels of detail in the budget, using a passcode, editing the various categories and sub-categories, and even importing data from a CSV file (via a wifi connection from your computer). You even have icons for the different types of expenses, so you can look easily and identify the kind of expense.

Conclusion

All in all, iXpenseit is a full featured budget tracking program. In some ways, it is almost too full featured. It you simply want to track spending, this app may be overkill. But if you want a detailed breakdown of where you money goes each month, I think this is the app for you. At $4.99, (make sure to list it in the iTunes category!) the price is reasonable for the number of features that is included. Because of the breadth of features that are offered, I give this app four and a half out of five stars, but make sure to spend the time to learn how to use it to the fullest!

Pros

  • Nice interface
  • Easy way to track spending and budget

Cons

  • None, except maybe too detailed.

TiPb Review Rating

4.5 Star App

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

App Review: iXpenseit Expense Tracker for iPhone


Review: Palm Pixi smartphone

Posted on by Ginny Mies.
Categories: Uncategorized.
Palm’s latest WebOS smartphone, the sprightly Pixi, is a slimmed-down version of the Palm Pre.

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Verizon iPhone Attack Ads Take the Gloves Off, Target Steve Jobs?

Posted on by Rene Ritchie.
Categories: Uncategorized.

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Verizon has unleashed yet another Droid-centric, anti-iPhone attack ad (YAAiPAA), a page in Sports Illustrated, that’s closer to the first tragic iDon’t commercial rather than the later, more clever “map for that” ones. And what’s more, CNET thinks they’re getting more personal, expressing feelings about their (ongoing) negotiations with Apple to bring the iPhone to Verizon, and perhaps even attacking Steve Jobs himself for his role in those negotiations. Here’s the text:

This is a world of “nope,” “nuh-uh,” and “sorry, Charlie.”

A world of smiling denial. Petty tyrannies that have made their way into our cell phones. Into the very way we choose to speak to another human being. There are dozens of doesn’ts. Doesn’t all customization. Doesn’t run multiple apps. Doesn’t allow you to swap out batteries. doesn’t allow open development. These arrogant little devices are barely worth more than the pocket link they rest upon. Because now there’s a phone so smart, so strong. So subservient to its user, it refuses to include “doesn’t” in its dictionary app.

In a world of doesn’t. Droid Does.

Also specifically targeted again are the commonly-voiced frustrations of certain power iPhone users, and those philosophically opposed to Apple’s iPhone model, with whom the above is certain to resonate. Who knows, maybe it will even push Apple to address some of those issues in a future product revision. Ultimately, that’s as good for consumers as Verizon ditching (mostly — yikes!) their own incredibly controlling, consumer-hostile practices in order to be able to make these claims in the first place. (Call us cynical, however, for not believing Verizon has had any huge philosophical turn-around beyond cold, profit-centric, anti-iPhone competitive positioning, though we’d love to be proven wrong).

But back to this specific ad. Is it effective, and is it personal? Did they just take it to the iPhone, Apple, and Steve?

[Thanks Icebike for the tip!]

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

Verizon iPhone Attack Ads Take the Gloves Off, Target Steve Jobs?