NTP sues smartphone makers Apple, Google and others

NTP files patent lawsuits against six vendors that make smartphones or supply related software.

How-to: resize your SIM, change your APN, and drink the sweet nectar of mobile freedom

Myriam Joire (tnkgrl) was born wearing combat boots and holding a keyboard; moments later she picked up a soldering iron. She's been stomping, typing and hacking ever since. In her regular series, she'll share her tips, tricks, and mods on everything from phones to netbooks -- and be sure to catch her weekly on the Engadget Mobile podcast.

Things used to be simple: you either had a CDMA device with no SIM, or a GSM device with a SIM. If your GSM device was unlocked you could swap SIMs between carriers, and if was locked, you could swap SIMs between accounts on the same carrier. Basically, an unlocked phone meant mobile freedom. At first, the only complication was the different frequencies used for GSM in different parts of the world, which was remedied with quadband radios. Then 3G was introduced, with different frequencies used by different carriers in the same geographic area, like North America. Today, this proliferation of bands makes it difficult to build universal radios, and makes it less appealing to switch carriers. In fact, the only phone that currently supports all 3G frequencies used in North America is the upcoming pentaband Nokia N8.

The second obstacle was the introduction of special data plans, either requiring additional service layers (such as BlackBerry or Sidekick plans) or restricting the types of devices permitted as the iPhone and iPad plans do. What used to be as simple as changing APNs is now a Kafkaesque nightmare, complete with nasty "you are using the wrong data plan and we are going to send you a bill" text messages from carriers. Strike three was the micro SIM (also known as the 3FF SIM), popularized by Apple's iPad and the iPhone 4. This smaller form-factor SIM is electrically compatible with the standard SIM we all know and love -- and as such, it's easy to convert a standard SIM into a micro SIM and vice-versa (but still, it's one more hurdle standing in the way of happiness).

Let's dive in and take a look at how it's done.

Continue reading How-to: resize your SIM, change your APN, and drink the sweet nectar of mobile freedom

How-to: resize your SIM, change your APN, and drink the sweet nectar of mobile freedom originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple takes a step toward adding Wi-Fi to Chinese iPhones

Apple appears to have moved a step closer to delivering an iPhone with Wi-Fi capabilities to the Chinese market.

Google Co-Founder Accuses Jobs of ‘Rewriting History’ of iPhone and Android

Reuters reports on comments from Google executives at this week's Allen & Co. media industry gathering in Sun Valley, Idaho, noting that Google co-founder Larry Page has accused Apple CEO Steve Jobs of "r...

Apple approving LED light flashlight apps for iPhone 4

Filed under: iPhone

It was questionable whether Apple would approve LED flashlight apps. After all, having used the LED as a flashlight recently, I can tell you it will drain the battery faster than not having a big honking LED burning brightly. Using the camera app as your LED flashlight was problematic too, because I set my iPhone to lock after 5 minutes, and had to keep tapping the screen to reset that timer.

The App Store is currently flooding with freshly approved LED flashlight apps. Let us know in the comments if you find any gems. But let's face it, the only task these are asked to do is turn on a simple LED. The differentiation is hilarious, at times. I've got a short list below.

• LED-Flashlight: Free. This is the app I use. So far I haven't had a problem and the app starts quickly, automatically turns the LED on and provides a white screen. The LED turns off if you move to another app.
• LED Light for iPhone 4 Free: The free version of this app. It has iAds. Seriously? Because what I want to do after crawling through the underground of post-apocalyptic New York is see an ad about insurance.
• LED Flashlight, only for iPhone 4: Catchy title aside, this one makes some fantastic marketing claims like other apps don't always work, or that they will continue to update and improve the app and that it looks gorgeous. As I said, it can be tough to differentiate yourself in this market. It costs US$.99.
• Actual LED Flashlight: Hey this one adds a strobe feature! It costs $.99
• LED-Torch: You have to double-tap the screen to turn the LED on/off, preventing light disasters. Also $.99
• Power LED Flashlight: I haven't the foggiest how this is different than anything else aside from the icon and interface. But it is $.99
• LED Strobe: And finally, an app that is just a strobe light. Also $.99, seemingly devoid of any actual flashlight setting...

There are easily a dozen more in the store right now, no doubt dozens more to follow. What have we learned from this tiny sampling? Well I wish there were video demos in the store, and you're likely going to have to spend a buck if you want anything more than an app which triggers the LED light -- even then you're not getting that much more.

Apple approving LED light flashlight apps for iPhone 4 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple approving LED light flashlight apps for iPhone 4 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IncrediBooth for iPhone 4 – app review

Remember the little photo booths at amusement parks you would cram into with a bunch of friends to get a strip photos printed? IncrediBooth is an app designed to mimic that experience. It uses the front-facing camera on the iPhone 4, so this app is only available for the iPhone 4.

IncrediBooth has a simple and strait forward design. The photo taking screen shows a little window that displays what your front-facing camera sees and underneath is red button with a black dial around it. The black wheel is labeled with 1, 2, and 3 and indicates which effect you’re using. IncrediBooth does not provide the description of each effect, but through experimentation I discovered that effect 1 is black and white, effect 2 is a red tint, and effect 3 is a green tint. Tapping the red button initiates the photo session. InrediBooth takes 4 photos for a strip; there is no way way change this.

To view your photo strips tap “photos outside”. Here you can scroll through all the different photo strips you have taken. Tap a strip to see more details and share to Facebook, email, or photo library. Tapping a specific photo on the strip will allows you to share that one photo instead of the entire strip.

IncrediBooth is a fun little app and does what it’s designed to do. The artwork and design is great and does a good job of replicating the photo booths that IncrediBooth is striving to imitate.

Pros

• Fun (and inexpensive) little app
• Strips looks great
• Share to Facebook and email
• 3 different effect

Cons

• No description of effects – just 1, 2 and 3
• Cannot choose the length of a strip

[$0.99 - iTunes link]

IncrediBooth for iPhone 4 – app review is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

TiPb iPhone and iPad wallpaper contest

Our new iOS 4 iPhones and iOS 3.2 iPads can have custom wallpaper, the only problem is the defaults are played out and we’re not getting new, great ones fast enough. So what are we going to do?

Why, run a contest of course!

Make us some awesome iPhone and iPad wallpapers and every week we’ll pick one, feature it on TiPb.com, and give out a prize.

You can make a wallpaper for just one device/resolution, or for all devices/resolutions (and increase your chances of being picked!) It’s up to you. Here are the specs:

• 640×960 for iPhone 4 retina display
• 768×1024 for iPad
• 480×320 for iPhone previous gen iPhone, iPod touch

When you’ve made your wallpaper, just attach it in a reply to our official iPhone and iPad Wallpaper Forum thread (no outside links — attachments only) and you’re entered to win!

Details after the break!

IMPORTANT: no copyright infringement. Only original works will be considered, so put away your Google Image Search and open up you favorite image editor. This is one for the creative types!

Also, accessory prizes typically require US mailing address, gift certificates typically require iTunes and/or Paypal account for redemption.

Help us TiPb nation, our iOS screens are naked. You’re our only hope!

TiPb iPhone and iPad wallpaper contest is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

Review: Zombile Bowling HD for iPad

Zombile Bowling HD, from AtlanticNet, combines the delightful tongue-in-cheek camp of a classic bowling alley with the grumbling, gurgling undead.

SonicPics iPhone App Updated for iOS 4

Humble Daisy today is pleased to announce the release of an update to its popular mobile recording tool, SonicPics to support several features in iOS 4. SonicPics is a tool for creating and narrating custom photo slide shows on the iPhone or iPod touch. It makes it easy to use images from the iPhone’s photo [...]

More photography with the iPhone

Filed under: iPhone

The above video shows a fashion photo shoot taken completely with an iPhone, and it isn't even the iPhone 4! The photographer uses only an iPhone 3GS. I think there might be a little cheating involved; the lighting is overdone and the photos were sent off to a retoucher, so it's not that surprising that they look as good as they do. Then again, considering that all fashion shoots probably have that kind of lighting and retouching applied to them, the fact that the iPhone can even compete is pretty impressive.

If you like iPhone photography, you might want to check out the eyephoneography blog; it's a site that features some great photographs that are taken strictly with mobile phones (including the iPhone). They just announced an exhibit that will take place next September in Madrid, Spain, and they're also working with another blog called iPhoneography to spotlight and show off some of the best iPhone 4-based photography on the Web. It's pretty cool stuff. The iPhone's mobility and interface have always made it a pretty good camera, but with the arrival of HD on the iPhone 4, it's turned into an even better tool for photographers.

More photography with the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 09 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

More photography with the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 09 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fortune Names Steve Jobs ‘Smartest CEO’, Jony Ive ‘Smartest Designer’ in Tech

In a new survey released today, Fortune has chosen Apple CEO Steve Jobs as the smartest CEO in tech. The survey drew upon 100 advisers and experts for nominations in ten different categories, who were then evaluated based on their perceived ...

iPhone live podcast #107: Hold different

• Our podcast feed
• Download Directly
• Subscribe via iTunes

iPhone 4 one week later, antenna and proximity problems, $99 iPhone 3GS review, does Google have a plan, and multitasking glitches and gaffs. Listen in!

Credits

Thanks to the TiPb iPhone accessory store for sponsoring the podcast, and to everyone who showed up for the live chat!

Our music comes from the following sources:

• I Called You — iPhone Remix by Pete Leidy
via Sneakmove iPhone Ringtone Challenge

iPhone live podcast #107: Hold different is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

iPhone OS 2.1 on 3G had signal problems too

Filed under: iPhone

Once upon a time, iPhones had an OS update known as version 2.1, and there was much rejoicing. Actually, there was a little bit of the rejoicing and a bit more of the griping.

What was the griping about? Well, some of you kiddies might not remember this, since it was so two years ago, but the story may ring familiar: it was all about degrading signal indicator issues with the iPhone 3G.

Part of what that article notes is the existence of the field service test mode that was, then, present in the iPhone OS. It used to be pretty trivial to access this mode, which would give us gadgety techno-nerds information like more detailed signal strength. A feature like that would be dandy for troubleshooting the iPhone 4's recent disappearing bars problems, but Apple decided to remove access to test mode in iOS 4.

Seeing as this issue cropped up in the early days of the iPhone 3G, AT&T's response to it then seems to indicate that, quite simply, a software update will fix the signal strength indicator problem in the iPhone 4. Let's just hope it comes out sooner than later so that we can stop talking about this issue already.

Thanks Ilkyone for the tip!

iPhone OS 2.1 on 3G had signal problems too originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 09 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

iPhone OS 2.1 on 3G had signal problems too originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 09 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple and Other Tech Companies Face Lawsuit Over Wireless Email Patents

Noted patent holding firm NTP today announced that it has sued Apple, Google, Microsoft, and several other technology companies for infringement of its patents related to wireless delivery of email.<p cl...

Great Tank War brings Realistic WWII Warfare to the iPhone

Nate Games, creator of dozens of exciting mobile gaming apps for the iPhone and iPod touch, today is pleased to announce the release and immediate availability of Great Tank War 1.0, their newest action-packed game. Great Tank War is a fully-rendered 3D arcade-style combat game that takes players on a historically accurate journey through the [...]

Metaio offers iOS 4 augmented reality for iPhone

Metaio has launched its Unifeye Mobile Software Development Kit (SDK) 2.1 for iPhone, following Apple's approval process. Metaio says the new camera API access and gyroscope on the iPhone 4 has opened up the opportunity to do real augmented reality campaigns on the smartphone.

3×3cm Apple touchscreen spotted… Yeahbuwhy?

If this is indeed a 3×3cm Apple touchscreen (multitouch screen?) then what’s it for? New Apple TV? New Apple TV remote? New MacBook Pro multitouch trackpad with display? iPhone nano? iPad nano? Secondary display? Unicorn HUD?

Give us your best guess!

[tw.apple.pro via MacRumors]

3×3cm Apple touchscreen spotted… Yeahbuwhy? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

TUAW’s Daily App: Nimble Strong: Bartender in Training

Filed under: iPhone

This app comes highly reviewed from my colleague Justin McElroy over at Joystiq. Nimble Strong: Bartender in Training isn't just a fun bartending game; it actually teaches you to make drinks. It plays out like a Pheonix Wright game, so as bartender wannabe Nimble Strong, you'll be faced with a little bit of hardship, and then you'll have to pull yourself up from the bottom of the 'tending game, learning how to pour drinks along the way.

The app is very, very well done. The touch controls are a great metaphor for filling the cups, and there's just the right amount of repetition and practice to actually teach you the finer points of pouring drinks and tending bar (the game's script was co-written by an actual cocktail journalist). And completely outside of the core gameplay, the story and characters are hilarious, and the art and music create the perfect mood of being behind a counter and dealing with waitresses and regulars.

Nimble Strong is quite a gem, and if you're leery about jumping in on the full US $4.99 version, there's a free version to try as well. Playing the free version for just a few minutes will probably sell you on the real thing, though. With drink recipes available as you unlock them, it's like taking a bartending class, without the spilt booze all over the place.

TUAW's Daily App: Nimble Strong: Bartender in Training originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 09 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW's Daily App: Nimble Strong: Bartender in Training originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 09 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When can we expect iOS 4.0.1 and iOS 4.1?

There’s a rumor going around that iOS 4.0.1 and/or iOS 4.1 have been delayed by Apple in order to combat potential Jailbreaks.

Firstly, Apple is secretive to the point that no one outside the iOS team and top brass likely knows when they’re planning on releasing any iOS update, ever. There are plenty of bugs like the antenna reception, the proximity sensor, 3G speeds, the camera roll, etc. that need to be fixed before it can even be scheduled. Everyone else is guessing or passing on heresy, including Apple Store employees, carrier reps, and internet aficionados.

Secondly, Apple is almost as cyclical as they are secretive, so while we don’t know the precise day iOS 4.0.1 or iOS 4.1 will be released, we know when iOS x.0.1 and iOS x.1 have been released in the past.

Neither iOS 1.0 nor 2.0 nor 3.0 were bug-free and while it’s easy to forget, users were clamoring for fixes almost as much in years past as they are now. That said, iOS (iPhone) 3.0.1 was released July 31, 2009. 2.0.1 was August 4, 2008. 1.0.1 was was July 31, 2007.

So if Apple sticks to end of July/beginning of August, we have several weeks to go before we’ll see iOS 4.0.1, or see if anything has been “delays”.

iOS 4.1 is even further out. Heck, iOS 4.x hasn’t even gone into beta for iPad yet!

Apple typically releases those x.1.0 updates to coincide with new iPod touch generations at the iTunes/iPod Special Music Events held in the fall, and then follows with an x.1.1 update for iPhone shortly thereafter. iOS (iPhone) 3.1.0 was released on September 9, 2009. iOS 2.1.0 was September 9, 2008 and 2.1.1 was September 12. 1.1.0 was September 14, 2007 and 1.1.1 was September 27.

So if Apple again sticks to the September schedule it will be a few months before Steve Jobs takes the stage to show off new iPods and whatever new features come with the next minor iOS bump.

As of now we’re taking any reports of iOS delays with huge, Cupertino-sized grains of salt. Sure, if a Jailbreak is released that will highlight a major security exploit in iOS and Apple will have to patch it. That’s been true in the past and will be true in the future. It’s why the Jailbreakers often wait until after iOS releases to go public with their exploits.

Other than that, there’s been no date other than “a few weeks” that could be delayed, and the usual schedule is far out enough that it’s take a while before even internal delays can be guessed at.

Now, with that out of the way, we’re free to speculate wildly about what just might make it into a fall iOS 4.1/4.1.1 update — but we’ll save that for weekend post…

When can we expect iOS 4.0.1 and iOS 4.1? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

Review: TouchOfColor for iPhone

This app attempts to help you accent colors in your mobile images, and while its results are decent, this may be an image-editing activity that's better suited for another device.