Qualcomm job listing for iPhone dev guru sets internet absolutely aflutter

"The iPhone has no secret for you? Well, that's what you think... join us and develop the most challenging product of your life!" So reads a now-removed job listing on Qualcomm's website for an "iPhone Developer Guru" (still cached, thanks to Google). Responsibilities will include "iPhone software design and development but not restricted to it" as well as some Android and... oh, you've already jumped to conclusions, have you? The forerunners of CDMA technology asking for iPhone software engineering? Teasing with the most challenging product of your life? We wouldn't fault for Qualcomm for a bit of boasting, and for all we know this could be much ado about nothing. Then again, we really don't know anything, and this isn't exactly some super clue in some giant mystery. Sorry, Encyclopedia Brown; don't get your hopes up.

Qualcomm job listing for iPhone dev guru sets internet absolutely aflutter originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 19:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone’s App Store ‘Try Before You Buy’ section isn’t exactly what you’re hoping for

We love Android's 24-hour app return policy, so when we heard about Apple opening a "Try Before You Buy" section in the App Store, we grabbed the closest iDevice in our proximity to see what exactly was up. Only, it isn't exactly what we expected given the name. Located under Features -> Free on the App Store, the new section serves only to highlight the free / "lite" edition of apps with premium older siblings. A smart and organized section, sure, but the for-pay programs without a demo will still be a risk your iTunes account will have to take. Them's the breaks; might as well add it to your personal iOS 5 wishlist alongside widgets and a new notification system.

iPhone's App Store 'Try Before You Buy' section isn't exactly what you're hoping for originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Aug 2010 20:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple investigating issues with iOS 4 upgrade on iPhone 3G

Back when we outlined the iOS 4 features missing from iPhone 3G, we forgot one key bullet point: performance. As more and more two-year veterans of Apple's phones have taken the plunge and upgraded to the latest firmware, slowdown and battery drain issues have become a common complaint, which is even more irksome when you think of just how little the update really adds to the UI. The Wall Street Journal reports speaking to an Apple spokesperson who said the company is looking into the matter. That doesn't necessarily mean a fix is coming anytime soon, but hey, at least you can hold the darn thing however you want.

Apple investigating issues with iOS 4 upgrade on iPhone 3G originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple iOS 4.1 beta 2 now available for developers

Developers, developers, developers: Apple is now seeding the second iteration of the iOS 4.1 beta your way. It's been just shy of two weeks since beta 1 hit the scene, which is about on par with the pace of revisions for previous beta releases. We haven't had a chance yet to dive in and see what changes are afoot, but we're downloading now and will be sure to let you know if we notice anything.

[Thanks, Brad]

Apple iOS 4.1 beta 2 now available for developers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple iOS 4.1 beta 2 now available for developers

Developers, developers, developers: Apple is now seeding the second iteration of the iOS 4.1 beta your way. It's been just shy of two weeks since beta 1 hit the scene, which is about on par with the pace of revisions for previous beta releases. We haven't had a chance yet to dive in and see what changes are afoot, but we're downloading now and will be sure to let you know if we notice anything.

[Thanks, Brad]

Apple iOS 4.1 beta 2 now available for developers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple iOS 4.1 beta 2 now available for developers

Developers, developers, developers: Apple is now seeding the second iteration of the iOS 4.1 beta your way. It's been just shy of two weeks since beta 1 hit the scene, which is about on par with the pace of revisions for previous beta releases. We haven't had a chance yet to dive in and see what changes are afoot, but we're downloading now and will be sure to let you know if we notice anything.

[Thanks, Brad]

Apple iOS 4.1 beta 2 now available for developers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple iOS 4.1 beta 2 now available for developers

Developers, developers, developers: Apple is now seeding the second iteration of the iOS 4.1 beta your way. It's been just shy of two weeks since beta 1 hit the scene, which is about on par with the pace of revisions for previous beta releases. We haven't had a chance yet to dive in and see what changes are afoot, but we're downloading now and will be sure to let you know if we notice anything.

[Thanks, Brad]

Apple iOS 4.1 beta 2 now available for developers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple iOS 4.1 beta 2 now available for developers

Developers, developers, developers: Apple is now seeding the second iteration of the iOS 4.1 beta your way. It's been just shy of two weeks since beta 1 hit the scene, which is about on par with the pace of revisions for previous beta releases. We haven't had a chance yet to dive in and see what changes are afoot, but we're downloading now and will be sure to let you know if we notice anything.

[Thanks, Brad]

Apple iOS 4.1 beta 2 now available for developers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone 4 for Canada gets unlocked price: freedom is far from free

Sure, we in the US are pretty much stuck with AT&T when it comes to iPhone 4 indulgence, but Canada gets to pick -- for a price. We knew the of the option up north but not how much, and according to CBC News, that'll be $659 for 16GB, $779 for 32GB, and $549 for the 8GB iPhone 3GS. All Canadian dollars, of course -- the US conversion would be about $637 / $753 / $530, respectively. Carriers are still offering it up for a discount on contract, and to be perfectly honest, we think that's probably the route most people will take anyway. All the same, gotta love having a choice.

iPhone 4 for Canada gets unlocked price: freedom is far from free originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 01:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple keeps antennagate alive with Droid X’s ‘kill switch’ (video)

We had a feeling Apple wasn't done showing off the apparent reception woes of its competitors -- after all, the company already updated once this week with the Nokia N97 mini. Now it's going after Motorola's celebrity of the moment (and known iPhone 4 bully), the Droid X. You can see Cupertino's results in the video after the break, but unlike Apple's other videos, we can't seem to recreate this one as easily with our Droid Xs. But hey, it's not like anyone's gonna buy a big phone anyway, right?

Continue reading Apple keeps antennagate alive with Droid X's 'kill switch' (video)

Apple keeps antennagate alive with Droid X's 'kill switch' (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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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Handy Light for iPhone’s dirty little secret: tethering (update)

You may ask yourself, why on earth would anyone pay 99 cents for an iPhone app whose sole purpose is to flash bright, solid colors? We certainly wouldn't recommend it, but Handy Light has a great little Easter egg that undoubtedly doesn't jive with the folks at Cupertino HQ. Like Nullriver's Netshare app before it, this little piece of software allows for SOCKS proxy tethering, without having to sign up for AT&T's tethering plan. Instructions available via the video below, and if you're looking to pick up the app yourself, better hurry -- we can't imagine Apple will let this one stay in the store for very much longer.

Update: Looks like the app's been pulled. Ye who snoozes, ergo must lose. If you did manage to nab and the video below isn't working (we see it just fine), check out App Shopper for more detailed, text-based instructions.

Continue reading Handy Light for iPhone's dirty little secret: tethering (update)

Handy Light for iPhone's dirty little secret: tethering (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 20:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple discussed Verizon switch ‘at least half a dozen times,’ and other stories about its AT&T relationship

"An iPhone, an iPhone, my carrier's reputation for an iPhone." Grab a cup of coffee and get yourself comfortable, fans of behind-the-scenes industry drama. Wired has published an exhaustive and fascinating expose on the "loveless celebrity marriage" that is Apple and AT&T -- all from sources familiar with the matters but who cannot (or will not) be named, of course. In other words, don't take this as gospel, but frankly, none of this sounds too crazy or outside the realm of what we've already surmised ourselves. In brief, the two companies have been contentious towards one another since just after the iPhone was unveiled. For AT&T's part, the carrier was reportedly taken aback when its requests (delivered by Senior VP Kris Rinne) to restrict YouTube's bandwidth usage (or make it WiFi-only) while the network infrastructure was built up fell on deaf ears in Cupertino. Word has it Apple also refused to allow its devices to be used in campaigns to combat Verizon's Map for That ads: "It was [effective] because of AT&T's network. We would have been letting them use the iPhone to put lipstick on a pig," remarked one anonymous Apple exec.

What's most interesting to us here is the ongoing reported discussion to drop AT&T in favor for Verizon. That chapter apparently begins just months after the original's launch, with an investigative team (including Scott Forstall) ultimately concluding that Qualcomm's CDMA (or CDMA / GSM hybrid) chips would require a complete redesign of the device, not to mention a nasty lawsuit with AT&T over its exclusive contract (perhaps a minor issue, knowing Apple). Back then, Verizon wasn't seen as a guaranteed improvement, and according to one executive privy to such meetings, the carrier switch has been discussed at least a half dozen times, with the general consensus always being that it would "cause as many problems as it solved." We can't imagine this is gonna help stem the perpetual VZW iPhone rumor mill.

Hit up the source link for the full tale, which does hit on a fundamental issue of the mobile industry going forward: as smartphone makers continue to push their devices' capabilities, bandwidth concerns will continue to grow and carriers are likely to take the majority of the blame. If you ask us, David Fincher has just found his ideal follow-up to The Social Network -- we'd especially love to see someone film the part where AT&T asks Steve Jobs to ditch the turtleneck and wear a suit when meeting with its board of directors.

Apple discussed Verizon switch 'at least half a dozen times,' and other stories about its AT&T relationship originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Citrix enlists iPhone 4 in its quest for ‘Nirvana phone’ portable desktop client (video)

Critix has been touting its "Nirvana phone" concept -- a handheld device that can be paired with a monitor / keyboard for remote desktop use -- for quite some time now. Back in February, the minimum hardware specs were nothing to challenging, and as it turns out, Apple's iPhone 4 pretty much exceeds 'em by a long shot. And it has VGA out capabilities and Bluetooth keyboard support. So, you can imagine where this is going. The company is back in what looks like the same depressing cubicle space to show off what looks to be a mature demo of the Receiver 4.0 virtual desktop client on an iDevice, pushing 1024 x 768 resolution and some gesture integration as a mouse replacement. There's definitely some noticeable lag, but hey, you gotta start somewhere. Video after the break.

Continue reading Citrix enlists iPhone 4 in its quest for 'Nirvana phone' portable desktop client (video)

Citrix enlists iPhone 4 in its quest for 'Nirvana phone' portable desktop client (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 10 Jul 2010 08:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Facebook for iPhone / iPod touch now iOS 4 compatible

We'll get right to the point: the Facebook app for your iPhone / iPod touch is now drinking the iOS 4 Kool-Aid. Fast app switching, high resolution icons (better than the one seen above, since that's pre-update), Korean / Russian localizations, and... that's about it for now. Maybe background image / video uploading is on the list of to-do's, but at least it won't look quite as pixel-deficient on the home screen next to Twitter.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Facebook for iPhone / iPod touch now iOS 4 compatible originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 22:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Poll: is your iPhone 4 retina display seeing yellow spots? (update: losing bars in the hand?)

Out, damned spot! out, I say! One; two: why, then, 'tis time to do 't. Hell is murky! Fie, my lord, fie! Reports are coming in from some of those lucky early iPhone 4 users that there may exist a not-so-lucky yellow coloration in the bottom right corner of the IPS LCD. We haven't seen this ourselves on any new iPhones, but maybe you've had different experiences. Tell us, is your iPhone 4 seeing yellow?

Update: As a number of readers have pointed out, there seems to be an issue with how many bars are displayed on screen -- perhaps even a correlation to how it's being held in the hand. According to Walt Mossberg's review, Apple has acknowledged the issue as something that has to do with "the way the bars are presented, not the actual ability to make a call," and that a fix is forthcoming. Indeed, as noted in our review, we've had "far, far fewer dropped calls than we experienced on our 3GS." We're not seeing very many videos showing more dropped call, but the bar change is interesting. Still, to be sure, we're adding another poll.

View Poll

View Poll

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Poll: is your iPhone 4 retina display seeing yellow spots? (update: losing bars in the hand?)

Poll: is your iPhone 4 retina display seeing yellow spots? (update: losing bars in the hand?) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 19:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone 4 teardown underway, 512MB RAM confirmed

With nary hours since the reviews went live, the gang at iFixit -- no doubt blessed by the hands of early deliveries -- have procured an iPhone 4. And as is their modus operandi, they wasted no time tearing that sucker apart screw by screw. The teardown is still ongoing, but here's what we got so far: 512MB RAM (confirming earlier rumors), a 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor (same as the Samsung Wave S8500, they say), and chemically-strengthened Gorilla Glass for a more torture-friendly front panel. Those two screws on the bottom of the phone can be removed to excise the real panel, but the site says the front glass "will likely be rather challenging [to remove]." The battery, looking rather large even in the pictures, is a whopping 1420mAh Li-Polymer -- comparatively, the Nexus One is 1400mAh and the HTC Droid Incredible is 1300mAh. There's no SIM eject tool with this phone, but a paper clip should work just fine. As for the much-ballyhooed side panel antennas, the phone apparently now "[utilizes] whichever network band is less congested or has the least interference for the best signal quality, regardless of actual signal strength" -- in other words, better call reliability (hopefully). Also helping with overall voice quality is a dual microphone setup for suppressing background noise. Peruse on over if you're interested in seeing a bare Apple device at its most beautiful.

iPhone 4 teardown underway, 512MB RAM confirmed originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Jun 2010 23:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone 4 arriving one day early on June 23rd, says Apple email

var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/apple/iPhone_4_arriving_one_day_early_on_June_23rd'; Well, here's an interesting turn of events. Apple has apparently sent out emails notifying at least some of those who ordered iPhone 4 that it'll be arriving June 23rd. (Well over three dozen people have tipped us to this in the last 30 minutes -- thanks, by the way.) Hard to say if the delivery man will keep to this early gifting notification, but keep hoping, true believer. Full text of email after the break.

Update: We just received our email as well.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading iPhone 4 arriving one day early on June 23rd, says Apple email

iPhone 4 arriving one day early on June 23rd, says Apple email originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Jun 2010 01:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Poll: is iOS 4 causing you grief?

To say our tip box has been inundated with reports of iOS 4 issues today would be something of an understatement. So far, those on staff seem to be running cool (with the exception of some slow down on our gold build downloads), but obviously you're a larger sample size with so far widely disparate reports. So tell us, is iOS 4 causing you grief? If so, how? (Note: if you're having multiple problems, pick what you'd consider most troublesome.)

View Poll

Poll: is iOS 4 causing you grief? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Jun 2010 21:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone 3G, iOS 4, and you — what’s missing (spoiler: multitasking)

digg_url = 'http://digg.com/apple/iPhone_3G_iOS_4_and_you_what_s_missing'; While iOS 4 is delivering on every promise for the iPhone 3GS users out there, as we were all told up front, the iPhone 3G would be missing some of those touted new features. Granted, we knew such disparities would exist but were never given the finer details. Now that the final build is percolating through the internet, we decided to take a look at what features are and aren't working on the earlier year's model.

What works

• Folders
• Threaded mail
• iTunes playlist creation / editing
• 5x digital zoom: just tap on the display near the capture button, but be warned, it doesn't paint a pretty picture
• iBooks: we were having issues with the earlier build, but it seems to be running fine after today's official download -- PDFs work, too.
• Photos: you can now sort by albums, events, faces, and places
• Game center: the icon is present, but as of this writing we're unable to connect to the servers.
• Spell check has been updated

What doesn't work

• Multitasking: this is the big one. Double-tapping the home button doesn't give you the handy menu, there's no fast app switching, and background use is missing in action.
• Screen lock: normally in the multitasking menu (which isn't available on 3G), it's nowhere to be found, even under Settings. Bummer.
• Home screen wallpaper: you'd think this simple addition would make the cut, but sadly no. The dock has been given a visual upgrade, though.
• Bluetooth Keyboard support: we haven't tried this ourselves, but an influx of reports from Twitter suggest this is also a no-go.
• Spotlight: the iPhone 3GS can search the web and Wikipedia from the homescreen. The 3G? Not so lucky.

We'll keep testing, but be sure to let us know your own discoveries below!

iPhone 3G, iOS 4, and you -- what's missing (spoiler: multitasking) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Jun 2010 19:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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