TUAW’s Daily App: Squareball

Filed under: iPhone

Squareball is a weird one; it's probably best described as a platforming game, except that you move the platforms rather than the jumper. The main character is a little white ball (or square in this case -- the game has a retro blocky pixel aesthetic) that constantly floats from top to bottom on the screen, and you can slide (or tilt, according to whatever option you choose) the actual stage around the ball, moving it through various nooks and crannies while trying to "collect" colored blocks.

The concept is tough to explain, but once you see it in action, you'll understand right away. The goal is to move the stage at the right time in order to keep the ball bouncing around where you want it. It's actually really fun, despite the simplicity, and over the 20 various stages, there are some pretty clever puzzles. The game also has OpenFeint integration, and the 8-bit music is pretty catchy as well.

It's a good deal for only 99 cents. There's also a lite version to try out if you just want to see how it works. I can't see anyone really disliking the game, but it is fairly simple. Still, at just a buck, it's worth a purchase just to have it to pick up and play when you need a mindless little reflex game.

TUAW's Daily App: Squareball originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW's Daily App: Squareball originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chopper 2 out now

Filed under: iPhone, iPad

We've mentioned Chopper 2 a couple of times during development, once to show off the TV out function built into the game, and again when we met up with creator David Frampton at WWDC. Now, development has finally finished, and he's released the game out on the App Store. You can pick it up for a launch sale price of $2.99.

It's an excellent game, very polished, and while it starts out simply, the combat builds up well. It controls about the same as the last game (tilt to fly the chopper, and tap the screen to fire), but the firing controls have been refined. The presentation is probably the most amazing thing, actually -- the 3D world looks terrific, the music is excellent, and the titles on screen are in a kind of 3D as well, so that they seem to actually float in the game's real-world space. All in all, it's a very cool game and some excellent work by Frampton's Majic Jungle Software.

The game is universal for both iPad and the iPhone, and if you install it on both, you can actually play the iPad version with the iPhone or iPod touch as a controller. It's not a huge gamechanger, but it is a fun extra feature that probably required some coding work to get going. If you've been waiting for this one like we have, it's on the App Store ready for you right now.

Chopper 2 out now originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Chopper 2 out now originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chopper 2 out now

Filed under: iPhone, iPad

We've mentioned Chopper 2 a couple of times during development, once to show off the TV out function built into the game, and again when we met up with creator David Frampton at WWDC. Now, development has finally finished, and he's released the game out on the App Store. You can pick it up for a launch sale price of $2.99.

It's an excellent game, very polished, and while it starts out simply, the combat builds up well. It controls about the same as the last game (tilt to fly the chopper, and tap the screen to fire), but the firing controls have been refined. The presentation is probably the most amazing thing, actually -- the 3D world looks terrific, the music is excellent, and the titles on screen are in a kind of 3D as well, so that they seem to actually float in the game's real-world space. All in all, it's a very cool game and some excellent work by Frampton's Majic Jungle Software.

The game is universal for both iPad and the iPhone, and if you install it on both, you can actually play the iPad version with the iPhone or iPod touch as a controller. It's not a huge gamechanger, but it is a fun extra feature that probably required some coding work to get going. If you've been waiting for this one like we have, it's on the App Store ready for you right now.

Chopper 2 out now originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Chopper 2 out now originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MyTown adds product check-ins

Filed under: iPhone

Booyah's very popular MyTown app has updated again, this time bringing some more innovation to the "check-in" idea. Instead of just checking in to locations, the app will now "check-in" to various products with the iPhone's camera. So when you use a certain product, you can use the camera to scan a barcode, and presumably, MyTown will recognize it, add it to your check-in history, and then reward points and progress as usual.

Of course, this also means that Booyah will get a list of your favorite products and merchandise, which CEO Keith Lee says is "a holy grail for marketers and brands" in the press release. It seems a little unfair to take such valuable information from consumers while simply rewarding them with a few achievement points and virtual stickers, but MyTown definitely has a following, and the app's fans can't seem to get enough of their virtual collecting. The app will eventually include other types of gaming in the service, like scavenger hunt for certain items

On the plus side for Booyah, this just means that marketers and brands will be even more interested in supporting the app. We can expect to see even more agreements with real-world businesses from them in the future.

MyTown adds product check-ins originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MyTown adds product check-ins originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Survey: 73% of iPhone users are fine with AT&T’s service

Filed under: iPhone

If you're the kind of person who loves quoting that ".5%" number given by Jobs at the press conference a few weeks ago as proof that AT&T's reception problems are overblown, you'll love this. A new survey released by Yankee Group says that 73% of iPhone users polled are actually "very satisfied" with their cell phone service. In fact, only 69% of smartphone users in general say they're happy with their provider, so not only is AT&T's service satisfactory according to this survey, but it's actually better than other services. Why is AT&T so hated when their service is actually good?

Yankee Group explains: it's not that the service is great, it's more that the phone is awesome. Customers really love their iPhones, and so even when the reception isn't very good, the overall experience scores high. AT&T says it's just a perception problem: "There's a gap between what people hear about us and what their experience is with us. We think that gap is beginning to close," according to a spokesman.

I'll say this: I carried my iPhone all over San Diego at Comic-Con last week, and the reception I got was just plain terrible. My net connection barely worked, calls were dropped, and I couldn't check email even when I needed to. But I'll admit that the AT&T problems exist in a strange place -- not only does the iPhone's otherwise shining example of user experience helping to outweigh AT&T's problems, but customers' high expectations for the iPhone probably have something to do with all of the complaining as well.

Survey: 73% of iPhone users are fine with AT&T's service originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Survey: 73% of iPhone users are fine with AT&T's service originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vaja introduces new iPhone 4 cases

Filed under: iPhone

Yes, you're getting a bumper for free, but why not wrap your iPhone 4 in something a little more stylish and original? Vaja has released a line of its great premium leather gadget cases for the iPhone 4 -- I love these things, as they're made out of high-quality premium leather, and add an extra little bit of class to a device that already feels like a luxury phone.

I do have to say that I don't really like that flap -- I use a Vaja case on my iPod, and in that case, the magnetically-fastened flap comes in handy, since I don't usually have my iPod open. But on the iPhone, I interact with the touchscreen so much that the flap would get in the way. But Vaja also has some excellent cases (like the iVolution Grip) that just slide onto the iPhone and stay out of your way.

They're not cheap -- the Grip runs $65, and they go up from there. But they are a quality product. While the bumper cases are all right, if you want something really nice to wrap your iPhone in, give Vaja's cases a look.

[via MacNN]

Vaja introduces new iPhone 4 cases originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Vaja introduces new iPhone 4 cases originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TUAW’s Daily App: Super Badminton 2010

Filed under: iPhone, App Store

I can say, without a doubt, that Super Badminton 2010 is the best badminton video game I've ever played. Then again, it's the only badminton video game I've ever played. Still, Indian developer Rolocule has done a pretty excellent job on the game. I don't know how much it actually relates to the real life game (I don't think I've ever played a whole real life game before), but the controls are responsive, the graphics are just about right for the iPhone, and the back and forth tennis-like gameplay is a lot of fun.

There's an awful lot of game here, too, with multiple players and modes to choose from. It's pretty easy to master; just move your player where the shuttlecock is headed and time your hits. Added features (like a tilt function to aim shots and a really powerful smash that requires expert timing) give some nice depth to the gameplay, and multiple tournaments to play through will put your skills to the test.

I only wish the app had a free version available; while I'm sure that the game is worth US $4.99 to those who are in the right mood for it, a trial version with a game or two to play would help potential customers figure that out quickly. If you're on the fence about this one, it's probably best to wait for a trial or a sale. However, if you've been craving a good game of badminton (for some unforeseeable reason), Super Badminton 2010 is a nicely done App Store title.

TUAW's Daily App: Super Badminton 2010 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW's Daily App: Super Badminton 2010 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TUAW’s Daily App: Pilgrim’s Punch Out

Filed under: iPhone, App Store

Comic-Con starts in San Diego today, and I'm down here wandering the aisles, looking for geeky gear and cool games. Scott Pilgrim is already one of the stars of the show, with the excellent comic series having finished up, a new console game coming out soon, and of course the Michael Cera-enhanced movie in theaters in a few weeks. To celebrate, NBC Universal has released this free retro Punch-out game starring the characters from the movie. It's not quite as good as the upcoming console game, but it's an amusing little retro distraction that fans of the movie will get a kick out of.

The app's also connected up for Comic-Con -- it's got news and updates straight from the convention floor, and there is a trailer and gallery from the movie to unlock. Yes, it's adware -- if you have no interest in the movie, there's not really a reason to download the app. But if you're already interested in Scott Pilgrim and want a little more fun from the franchise on your iPhone during Comic-Con, definitely check this one out.

TUAW's Daily App: Pilgrim's Punch Out originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW's Daily App: Pilgrim's Punch Out originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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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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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DIY steadicam for the iPhone

Filed under: iPhone

This is really awesome. While there are rumors that an iPhone 4 steadicam is in production, Spencer Watson didn't wait -- as you can see above, he went ahead and built a steadicam rig for his own iPhone out of some parts he had sitting around. As you can see from the video it takes, it works pretty well. While you probably wouldn't want to use it in place of a professional rig (the iPhone isn't really meant for high-motion video, and it looks like he's applied some other stabilization filters), it definitely looks better than if the iPhone was on its own.

You can pick up some of the parts he used in his online store, but it all looks pretty easy to put together. All together, he says it was about $40 of parts from Home Depot or a skate store, and I'm betting it's about a weekend of work. Very cool.

[via Make]

DIY steadicam for the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

DIY steadicam for the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Redeye mini dongle out now

Filed under: iPhone, App Store

We posted about the Redeye mini a while back -- it's an IR dongle that hooks up to the audio port on the iPhone to let you control any IR device (your TV, DVD, or whatever else you've got) with the touchscreen on your phone. You need a free app from the App Store to use the dongle and it doesn't look like much, but ZDnet actually says it works great, controlling multiple devices with ease. You can also set up various activity settings on the remote, and then customize buttons to do whatever you want to do.

So it looks like this is a very workable solution if you're interested in using your iPhone as a remote, especially compared to something much more expensive. At just US$49 (though of course you'll need an iPhone), this easily beats most other touchscreen remotes. Thinkflood is taking orders on the dongle right now.

Redeye mini dongle out now originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Redeye mini dongle out now originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TUAW’s Daily App: Dungeon Hunter

Filed under: iPhone, App Store

Gameloft's Dungeon Hunter is probably the best Diablo-esque action RPG on the App Store right now -- it looks great, and plays just about as well as any touchscreen controlled action game can. As a Warrior, Mage, or Rogue, you can hack and slash your way through a fantasy world, picking up armor, earning XP and exploring a serviceable (if not particularly gripping) story. The save system is a little annoying, and the inventory can be a bit overwhelming, but the presentation does justice to the genre on Apple's small screen.

In accordance with an ongoing sale, Gameloft has the title priced at just 99 cents. For cheap action gaming thrills on the iPhone, things don't get much better than that. There's no word on exactly how long the game will be so cheap, but if the idea of a portable Diablo clone appeals to you, open this treasure chest right away.

TUAW's Daily App: Dungeon Hunter originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW's Daily App: Dungeon Hunter originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple details location information sharing

Filed under: Apple, iPhone

Apple had to do some explaining recently -- after a House of Representatives probe into the company's privacy policy came up, the company sent a twelve-page letter to the members of Congress, going into detail on what all of the legalese in the company's privacy policy actually means. The biggest takeaway is that Apple does collect location data from your iPhone -- every 24 hours, an encrypted batch of locations for cell towers, Wi-Fi access points, and GPS coordinates are hooked up to a zip code and sent back to Apple. This is all true -- we've heard from customers who've noticed the daily batch of information sent out over their iPhone's data plan.

Why does Apple do all of this? The company claims that it's all necessary to account for "the ever-changing physical landscape, more innovative uses of mobile technology, and the increasing number of Apple's customers." Of course, if you don't want to be a part of this system, you can shut all of the location tracking down right inside the phone's preferences -- either phone-wide, or on a per-app basis depending on what version of iOS you are using. Version 3 and below requires a visit to each app, iOS 4 allows you to shut it off at the OS level. Just go to Settings>General>Location Services and turn location data on or off. The problem then, of course, is that you won't have access to those services while you use your phone.

Apple also notes that it collects the same data from Macs who use location-based services (like automatically setting your time zone), and the iAd network also sends location information every time an ad is requested. In short, Apple knows where you are, and in return, you get the benefit of location-specific information. Worth it?

Apple details location information sharing originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple details location information sharing originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ngmoco’s We Farm now available in Canada

Filed under: iPhone, App Store

Ngmoco has released the followup to its popular We Rule game on the Canadian App Store. We Farm is, as you can see above, very similar to We Rule, with the main difference being that the game is set on a farm rather than in a medieval fantasy world. You'll be able to raise animals, plant vegetables, build up a barnyard, and of course, trade and share with friends to earn experience. We Rule originally launched in Canada back in February (Ngmoco likes to use America's neighbors to the north as a testing ground before releasing their apps worldwide), and then it was released to everyone in March, so we can probably expect the same time frame for We Farm.

Will it be as big a hit as We Rule was? It's hard to tell; the gameplay is certainly proven already, but one of the draws of We Rule was that it wasn't just a FarmVille clone, and obviously, this seems to be borrowing at least the setting from Zynga's popular title. Of course, another reason that We Rule was so popular was because it had the iPhone all to itself, and now FarmVille is up and running.

We'll see, though. Ngmoco has certainly shown that it's constantly learning about how to find success on the App Store; I'm sure the company has taken lessons from We Rule and GodFinger, not to mention that their development method allows for plenty of quick updates and changes if things don't work out right away. It's been fascinating to watch Ngmoco's experiment, and We Farm (along with We City, another adaptation planned for release soon) is their next step.

Ngmoco's We Farm now available in Canada originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ngmoco's We Farm now available in Canada originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TUAW’s Daily App: Articles

Filed under: iPhone, App Store

We've talked about Articles here on the site before. Out of all of the apps that won Apple Design Awards this year, I would say it's probably the most underrated and most useful. It's a Wikipedia reader, which doesn't sound like much since the mobile version of Wikipedia is pretty good already. Having a dedicated app for the open source encyclopedia makes a surprising difference, though, and it allows you to consume all of that content in a really focused way. There are integrated maps and photos and lots of different ways to browse information, including shaking the iPhone to see a random page.

The new update doesn't hurt either; version 1.3 adds a language picker, a new Table of Contents sheet, and an orientation lock that even works on the iPhone (a previous update already made the app all ready for iOS 4.0 and the Retina Display). Articles is US$2.99, which might seem pricey to browse content that you can already read for free. However, if you've participated in a few marathon Wikipedia sessions just by following a few random reference links, it's well worth the purchase.

TUAW's Daily App: Articles originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW's Daily App: Articles originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wrap your iPhone 4 in Swarovski crystals

Filed under: iPhone

Wrap your iPhone 4 in Swarovski crystals originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Wrap your iPhone 4 in Swarovski crystals originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Crisis expert says Apple gets a C on iPhone 4 PR

Filed under: Apple, iPhone

Hilarious Taiwanese videos aside, just how did Apple do with last week's touchy press conference? Patrick Kerley, a communications strategist for a firm in Washington, DC, tells Computerworld that Apple actually did very well -- only it might have been too late already. He said that Jobs was very on message at last week's press conference, and that walking on stage and telling everyone that all phones have reception issues was actually a brilliant move. Seth Weintraub of Fortune agrees -- while he doesn't think that Apple and other cellphone makers actually share the same problems, he does say that Jobs' reframing of the reception issue was so effective that other cellphone companies actually sent out their own press releases on Friday, responding to Apple and becoming part of the issue.

On the other hand, Kerley says that while the press conference did its job, Apple should have stepped up sooner with a statement about the iPhone 4's reception -- just staying back from the issue allowed others like Consumer Reports to step up and fill the informational void. While there was a risk of responding too soon and making a problem even bigger than it should be, Kerley believes Apple gets a C on the issue overall, and that it should have come out with a "We're working on it" statement way before it did.

Of course, this is all PR analysis about spin -- the best case scenario is that there shouldn't have been a problem in the first place. Hopefully, with the refunds available and the free bumpers shipping, everyone's iPhones will receive and send calls freely, and we can all get back to our favorite pastime: waiting for the next version to be announced.

Crisis expert says Apple gets a C on iPhone 4 PR originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Crisis expert says Apple gets a C on iPhone 4 PR originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jobs clears up proximity sensor fix, white iPhone 4, and international plans at press conference

Filed under: iPhone

Steve Jobs cleared up a few pending iPhone 4 issues quickly near the end of today's press conference today. First, he said that Apple would be releasing a software fix soon for the proximity sensor issues customers have been experiencing. A fix for that problem would be available in the next software update.

Second, the white iPhone 4 is still due out by the end of this month, so if you've been waiting for that version, you won't have too much longer to wait. And finally, the iPhone 4 will come, Jobs said, to 17 countries on July 30th, as you can see above. Congratulations, international customers -- your release day is coming soon!

Jobs clears up proximity sensor fix, white iPhone 4, and international plans at press conference originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Jobs clears up proximity sensor fix, white iPhone 4, and international plans at press conference originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chuck Shumer writes open letter to Steve Jobs

Filed under: Steve Jobs, iPhone

Just in case you missed it yesterday, one New York Senator Chuck Schumer wrote himself an open letter to Steve Jobs asking him to deal with the ongoing iPhone 4 reception issues. "To address this concern," Shumer wrote, "I ask that Apple provide iPhone 4 customers with a clearly written explanation of the cause of the reception problem and make a public commitment to remedy it free-of-charge." Shumer cites the Consumer Reports posts about reception issues, and suggests that Apple both provide free software updates to make sure bars correctly reflect signal reception (which it did yesterday), and provide the actual formula it uses for bar strength (which it probably won't do).

Politics aside (and please don't argue politics on our Apple blog, thank you -- if the comments get out of hand on this one, we'll just close them), I can't see how this is much more than Schumer jumping in on a cause that's already rolling along fine without him. Even before his letter went out, today's press conference had been scheduled, and the issues were well documented. I guess we appreciate the sentiment and all (we do want these issues fixed), but Jobs was probably going to do today whatever he was going to do without hearing from a New York Senator.

Thanks anyway, Chuck. Probably time to leave the iPhone 4 issues to Apple and its customers, and get on back to, you know, governing the country.

Chuck Shumer writes open letter to Steve Jobs originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Chuck Shumer writes open letter to Steve Jobs originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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