BlindType vows to autocorrect all wrongs with your iPhone or Android virtual keyboard (video)

digg_url = 'http://digg.com/apple/BlindType_will_correct_all_wrongs_with_your_virtual_keyboard'; Remember that episode of The Simpsons where Homer gets too fat to be able to dial a number? Well, he wouldn't have had that problem had BlindType been around. This soft keyboard is described by its makers as being extremely resilient to inaccurate input and looking at the demo video after the break, you kinda have to agree -- it seems to have a pretty kickass predictive algorithm. Aside from that, the keyboard also dynamically adjusts to wherever and however you choose to type, meaning its size and orientation track along to your input, which goes some way to justifying the somewhat odd name (it's meant for blind operation, not blind people). Text can be inserted without the keyboard even being on screen, while spaces are added by swiping to the right. BlindType should be coming to Android and iOS devices some time in the near future.

[Thanks, Fadl]

Update: We asked BlindType's makers whether implementing their software will require replacing Apple's default button slate and they've confirmed that it would. They're making and submitting it for iOS use, nonetheless, "to put pressure on Apple to finally allow this kind of thing."

Continue reading BlindType vows to autocorrect all wrongs with your iPhone or Android virtual keyboard (video)

BlindType vows to autocorrect all wrongs with your iPhone or Android virtual keyboard (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 02:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone Coming To T-Mobile USA In Q3 2010?

iPhone-grabbing thief picks wrong phone at wrong time

Filed under: Odds and ends, iPhone

We love iPhone/iPad vs. unwitting criminal stories, especially ones that end happily. Across this category, though, it's hard to hold a candle to the story of Jordan Sturm, Horatio Toure, and one particular purloined iPhone.

As reported by the Chronicle, Sturm was standing on the street in San Francisco's SOMA neighborhood this past Monday when Toure rode up on a bicycle, grabbed the iPhone out of her hand and sped away. Most of the time, the phone would be gone for good, or (with luck) tracked down by Apple's Find My iPhone service. In this particular case, though, there was an easier way.

The iPhone in question is owned by Covia Labs, and it was being used to test the company's Alert & Respond software for police officers and military personnel. CEO David Kahn had asked Sturm to step outside -- with a phone running A&R's GPS live tracking app -- so he could demonstrate the geographic tool to his PR folk. Moments after she walked out the door, the system came to life... and showed an indicator heading off down the street at high speed. Oops.

Sturm ran back inside, they called police; Toure was arrested ten minutes later and about half a mile away, in possession of the stolen phone. Unlucky for him, but lucky for Covia Labs; they saved the cost of a new iPhone and gained a whole bunch of free publicity.

[via Techmeme]

Photo by oedipusphinx | flickr: cc

iPhone-grabbing thief picks wrong phone at wrong time originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

iPhone-grabbing thief picks wrong phone at wrong time originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple Promotes Jeff Williams to Senior Vice President of Operations

As noted by AppleInsider, Apple earlier this month promoted Jeff Williams to its ranks of senior executives, upgrading his previous position of Vice President of Operations to a Senior Vice President leve...

Jeff Williams promoted to Senior Vice President of Operations, taking charge of Apple product quality

AppleInsider is reporting that Jeff Williams, who’s been at Apple for over a decade, has just been promoted to Senior Vice President of Operations and tasked with making sure Apple products meet “the highest quality standards”.

It’s hard not to imagine this as anything other than a response to “antennagate” and other iPhone 4 problems, though there’s another theory afloat:



It’s believed Apple is grooming Williams to take on Cook’s role as chief operation officer in the event that Cook takes over Steve Jobs’ role as the company’s chief executive. Cook has been profiled as the most likely successor to Jobs when Apple’s iconic chief chooses to step down.



Either way, it’s great to have a targeted set of eyes in ops. Congratulations and here’s wishing him every success.

[AppleInsider]

Jeff Williams promoted to Senior Vice President of Operations, taking charge of Apple product quality is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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iPhone is 3% of handset unit volume, 2x profit of RIM, Nokia, Sony combined. iPad next?

While iPhone accounts for only 3% of handset market share by unit volume, Finacial Times reveals some Goldman’s numbers that show it’s set to capture a stunning 2X the profit share of Nokia, RIM, and Sony — combined.

And Goldman only showed those numbers by way of saying how enthusiastic they are about iPad doing the same thing to the PC industry. That sounds crazy, but iPad almost equalled Mac sales numbers this quarter and while its margins are less than the Mac’s, they’re higher than the razor-thin netbook and bargain basement PC industry where much of the volume rests.

TiPb’s been saying for a while Apple only cared about market share as much as it meant increased profit share. Looks like that’s working out for them.

[Financial Times via Business Insider Daring Fireball]

iPhone is 3% of handset unit volume, 2x profit of RIM, Nokia, Sony combined. iPad next? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

HP quashes rumors of Slate demise

Hewlett-Packard on Wednesday said the HP Slate tablet is still under consideration.

Capcom iPhone games on sale

Filed under: Gaming, iPhone, App Store

Gameloft isn't the only company having a sale this week -- Capcom has also put most of its iPhone titles on sale for Comic-Con: You can pick up the great Phoenix Wright for just $2.99, Ghosts 'n' Goblins, Dark Void Zero and Mega Man 2 for just 99 cents, or Street Fighter IV for $6.99.

Good set of deals to choose from there. I think that big EA sale a while back set a precedent for price drops like this -- a nice discount on a game quite a few people have been waiting to play can definitely send it catapulting into the top lists on the App Store. Phoenix Wright is definitely worth $3 if you've never played it before, so that title specifically should really benefit from a sale like this.

Capcom iPhone games on sale originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Capcom iPhone games on sale originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Toodalu for iPhone

This mobile app for the Toodalu location-based social networking service is decent enough, but Toodalu itself doesn't measure up to similar services like Foursquare and Gowalla.

Skype For iPhone Now Supports Multitasking; Drops Plan To Charge Monthly Fee To Make VoIP Calls Over 3G

And cue the iPhone on T-Mobile US in Q3 rumors!

Cult of Mac is claiming an exclusive, highly placed source has told them iPhone 4 is coming to T-Mobile US as soon as Q3:

Talks between Apple and T-Mobile are at an advanced stage, our source says, and it’s 80 percent likely that the iPhone will be coming to T-Mobile in Q3.

The source works at T-Mobile but asked not to be quoted directly and to remain anonymous because they aren’t authorized to talk to the press.

T-Mobile is a GSM carrier, like AT&T, but they use a 3G band probably not even supported by iPhone 4’s 5-band radio (though rumors suggest Apple might simply have chosen not to list it). If it’s not supported, Apple will either have to add that band to future units, or produce a new model just for T-Mo.

So anyone believe this? Anyone at least appreciate the break from the usual Verizon rumors?

[Cult of Mac]

And cue the iPhone on T-Mobile US in Q3 rumors! is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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iPhone headed for T-Mobile USA in Q3?

We hear so many iPhone-Verizon-tomorrow-OMG rumors that our nation's brave also-ran carriers hardly get a word in edgewise. While Sprint remains a total longshot, T-Mobile USA is an interesting proposition for the mere fact that it's a GSM network, though its 1700 / 2100 3G network remains ostensibly incompatible with the iPhone 4's existing radio. According to Cult of Mac, a "highly placed source" at T-Mobile let it slip that they've got an 80 percent chance of getting the iPhone in Q3. Now, that's an oddly specific number, and we have no idea what it's contingent on, or how much exactly this source knows. Basically, we don't know a lot here. Of course, the biggest evidence of this possible T-Mobile coup remains the statement from Deutsche Telekom's CEO in March, saying that the USA branch is hoping to get the iPhone later this year. We really don't know who or what to believe, but we do know one thing: if Apple decides to sell a T-Mobile USA iPhone, there's an 80+ percent chance it will tell everybody.

iPhone headed for T-Mobile USA in Q3? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skype for iPhone gets iOS4 background multitasking in version 2.1

Filed under: iPhone

The free Skype app received a minor update today, but the impact to iOS 4 users is going to be impressive.

According to the release notes, you can now run Skype in the background on the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS running iOS4. This means that Skype users can now receive Skype calls and instant messages while other apps are running or the iPhone is locked. As with the iPhone's Phone app, you can continue your call while you switch to another application.

The update is free, and those who are already using the app should see an update appearing in iTunes on their iPhones soon.

Thanks to Michael, Gabriel, and Gary for the tip!

Skype for iPhone gets iOS4 background multitasking in version 2.1 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Skype for iPhone gets iOS4 background multitasking in version 2.1 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kensington releases six iPhone 4-certified accessories

Kensington has released six iPhone 4 certified accessories meant to keep your iPhone 4 charged and audible in your car.

Skype updated for iOS 4, background VoIP is a go

Well, it's about time. Touted back in March as one of the pillar apps to benefit from the new multitasking API, Skype has finally been updated to iOS 4 compatibility. We're seeing crisper, more retina display-friendly graphics and, more importantly, background VoIP (not for iPhone 3G, naturally). A notification window will pop up when you're called or messaged, and you can use other apps while on the line chatting to international friends at reduced rates. Even on the lock screen, if you receive a call, sliding to unlock will take you immediately into the call. Video chat still isn't here -- a darn shame given the lack of other options now -- but now you've got even more of a reason to rack up those rollover minutes on AT&T's voice plan. Download away!

[Thanks, Tyler C]

Skype updated for iOS 4, background VoIP is a go originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ABC News for iPad features innovative interface

ABC has released a news app for the iPad that features an innovative interface and a number of useful features.

iPhone Coming to T-Mobile in U.S. This Quarter?

Cult of Mac reports that the iPhone will be coming to T-Mobile's U.S. network during the third quarter of this year, which runs through the end of September, according to a "highly placed source" at T-Mob...

Apple posts video showing antenna issue on Nokia N97 mini

Filed under: Apple, iPhone

Apple hasn't traditionally been a company that calls out its competition by name, but that's not the case with this Antennagate campaign -- it's posted a video and added information to its page calling out the Nokia N97 mini for suffering from the same issues the iPhone 4 is getting complaints about. In the video above, you can clearly see that yes, holding the Nokia phone by its antenna will cause the signal bars to drop.

Honestly, though, I'm not really sure what Apple is trying to say with this page and these phone comparisons. Yes, Apple, you win -- your phone is just as bad as everyone else's? Don't get me wrong -- I haven't picked up an iPhone 4 yet, but only because I haven't been able to find one. The reception issues don't really bother me. Still, I think it's the wrong tack for Apple to take just putting their phone alongside everyone else's and saying this is an industry-wide issue. I bought my original iPhone (and will buy the iPhone 4) because it's better than everyone else's, and it's weird to see Apple apparently trying to convince me otherwise.

[via Engadget]

Apple posts video showing antenna issue on Nokia N97 mini originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple posts video showing antenna issue on Nokia N97 mini originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skype update adds multitasking support for iPhone

Voice over IP provider Skype has finally updated its iPhone application to add multitasking capability, which it first demonstrated earlier this year.

Skype updated to support iOS 4 background VoIP multitasking

Skype for iPhone has just hit version 2.1 and brings with it the ability to run iOS 4 background VoIP multitasking. Yes, you finally have the ability to leave Skype running and answer calls as an almost equal citizen to the built in, old-school Phone app.

Hurrah.

If you try it out, let us know how it works for you.

[iTunes via BGR]

Skype updated to support iOS 4 background VoIP multitasking is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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