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Hate the Rubber Bumper? Go for an iPhone 4 iBandage

July 29th, 2010

Before Apple can truly solve the antenna problems plaguing everyone’s favorite mobile phone unit, there are those who are still on a look out for a practical solution. Sure, the free bumpers are a good deal, but they were deemed to be too bulky and they seemed like they took away something from the iPhone 4’s sleek and clean design. This phenomenon can be likened to the way the Wii’s controller grip issue was solved by a rubber casing that made it look more horrible looking than it actually is.

Thankfully, there are products such as the iPhone 4 sticker pack that is designed to improve the reception problems experienced while still keeping the design snazzy. Sure there were some released in the United States such as the Antenn-aid sticker solution as well as the End Call decals, but it is the first time a sticker pack has been released for the UK.

Dubbed the iBandage, it works similarly to the products mentioned above. It is a product that does not just solve the pesky reception problems experienced by iPhone 4 users, it will also make the unit fashionable. For those who like funky, modern designs, there is one that says “fixed”, delivering witty humor on the side.

For those who do not care to see the product plastered on their sleek iPhone 4 devices, there is also a transparent one that blends in well with the mobile phone. Basically, there are a lot of stickers to choose from that are not even available stateside for the folks over at the UK.

The iBandage is a practical, cost effective way to solve those prevalent reception problems. A 10 pack of the product would cost you just around 4.95 GBP and it includes free shipping within the UK.

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Rumor Round Up: Apple Post September 2010

July 23rd, 2010

It is unmistakable, Steve Jobs specified September 30 as the date that they would stop giving out free iPhone 4 cases to buyers and stop refunding people who have already bought a case. This announcement from Apple came at the same time that they said they would be giving out the free cases: during the emergency conference.

Of course, this specific data naming has inevitably led to a whole host of theories and speculations about what Apple might be planning to do by the time October hits. Naturally, with so much fuss and rumors surrounding the situation, we should try making sense out of it all. Here is a quick list of possible scenarios that Apple might have planned for users.

Release of the iPhone 5 in October – as exciting as this may sound like, it is unlikely. The iPhone 4 has just been released and while it is plausible that they could release a second version (more on that), it is improbable that they would skip straight to 5.

An iPhone 4.5 launch (iPhone 4s?) – now here is something that could very well happen; a second version of the smart phone without the antenna issues and improved performance. Of course, Apple would fix the antenna secretly and state that there was never an issue in the first place.

Apple runs out of cases – not really, unless they signed up with a manufacturer that would only make cases until September 30th because Apple would stop paying more beyond that point. Cases are available as long as Apple wants to, and naturally giving them out for free (as well as offering case refunds) is costly –though not as bad as a total recall of all iPhone 4 devices for repair. Maybe someone should remind Apple that once the free cases run out, people will want the antenna on their iPhone 4 handsets fixed.

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Apple’s Mystery Date: September 30

July 21st, 2010

Steve Jobs stated that all iPhone 4 handsets purchased before September 30 will be valid for the casing refund.

For those who missed out on the news, the iPhone 4 has antenna problems. However, instead of dealing with the problem directly, Apple decided to ignore the situation making things worse for everyone. It was not until last Friday night that Apple finally decided that they should be doing something for the users; and declared that they would be giving away free iPhone 4 cases to current owners (and for those who already bought a Bumper, a refund).

While that is interesting and there are plenty of theories about Apple’s decision, what is more interesting is the fact that the refund is only good until the 30th of September. This would mean that by that date, the refund would no longer be needed and the antenna issue would be no more.

This may be because by that period, a new iPhone 4 would already be available –one with no antenna issues. At this point, this is merely a speculation –an observation based on the strange date that Apple has given to the crowd.

Of course, the company would not go out and say it in public: that a fixed iPhone 4 is going to be available soon. After all, if they did that, they would be contradicting everything that they said about the smart phone not having issues in the first place (if it did not have problems, they would not need a fixed version).

Once again: current owners of the Apple iPhone 4 (and new buyers) will have a choice of cases or Bumpers (or so Jobs states) and those who have already purchased one can just ask for a refund instead. It is not much of a solution for those who are willing to bear with the iPhone 4’s antenna issues, but compared to having the device sent back for a full refund, this is the only option available.

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YouTube Mobile Adapts HTML5 for iPhone 4 Users

July 13th, 2010

Now, it may seem like a tall claim to state that YouTube Mobile has switched from Flash to HTML5 just for Apple’s iPhone users, but the fact of the matter is, there are over 1.7 million iPhone 4 users now. Counting in all the existing iPhone 3G/3Gs users, then you have a massive population of users unable to access YouTube content without having to resort to specialized applications.

In many ways, Apple’s statement that the people will choose is indirectly coming true.

Despite the fact that people are not really choosing (they would simply stick to whichever format is compatible at any time). Apple is simply interpreting the successful sales of iPhone products as a vote against Flash and a vote for HTML5; but in reality, people do not even know what is at stake –the Apple iBrand is simply too hard to resist for many.

Regardless, such really is the state of the smart phone industry –right now, there are millions of Apple device users that are unable to access Flash content. And since Apple is too stubborn to provide Flash support, there is only one other alternative: to make HTML5 the new standard.

YouTube Mobile has already taken the big step, but it is unlikely that non-mobile version of the site will be changing the Flash format anytime soon. At the very least, this move might as well mark the shift of made for mobile sites to HTML5. For those unfamiliar with the site, YouTube is a video sharing website that hosts millions of user-uploaded video clips that can be shared throughout the web.

In the meanwhile, Apple is celebrating the success of the iPhone 4. Many retailers and operators are struggling to keep up with the demand, and it seems that the next batch of iPhone 4’s will be arriving sometime this month.

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Apple Clears Up Steve Jobs Email Reports

July 5th, 2010

A recent new article from the Boy Genius Report is being used as a main source of news for many websites. However, the original article mistakenly quoted the Apple representative as saying that people should just relax because (the iPhone) is just a phone. The nonchalant and apathetic approach was thought by many to be quite the wrong attitude to show the public during the height of a major hardware issue in a new smart phone.

What made this even worse was that the emails seem to have come from Steve Jobs.

However, recent actions from Apple’s very own PR have come into play and the Boy Genius Report has updated their original article; first by properly placing the quote as one that is being said by the customer at the very end of the exchange (and not be Steve Jobs) as the man is obviously tired of having to deal with the issue. The second update confirmed that it was not actually Steve Jobs writing the emails.

In general, this is good, because it means that the email exchange does not represent Apple or the company’s stand regarding the issue. In fact, Apple is taking a very active role in trying to figure out what is wrong with the phone. Even if they are saying that the issue can be temporarily fixed by holding the device in a different manner, they know that an issue like this needs to be fixed.

At the same time, the prevalence of this news report –as errant as it may seem to be, is a reflection of how the tech industry views Steve Jobs. The man may be credited for being the business genius that he is, but at the same time, he is considered to be cold, brash and oftentimes, outright rude –to a point that when a news article depicts him as such, people are more likely to believe it.

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1.7 Million iPhones with Bad Receptions and Yellow Screens Sold

July 1st, 2010

Well, to be technically correct, not all of the 1.7 million iPhones have the issue with the touch screen having an ugly yellow smear. But yes, all these phones are affected by the bad reception bug. The 1.7 million sales all over the world may seem impressive when the initial numbers are mentioned and from the looks of it, it will be quite some time before a handset is able to meet and even beat this new record.

The issue stems from the fact that Apple has designed the handset’s antenna receiver in an open spot that is often a position that people would be pressing their fingers towards. In fact, anyone with a small understanding of ergonomics would not have made such a clumsy mistake, but as it is, Apple is still managing to sell millions.

Taking a couple of steps away from the iPhone 4’s issues, it is pretty impressive that the Apple handset managed to sell so many in such a short amount of time. More phones would have been sold had Apple been able to keep up with the production demand –but it is already a good thing that they stopped when they did as the quality of the devices is certainly underwhelming.

The first main issue is the yellow splotches on the screen. This is caused by a chemical solution that is present in the middle of two layers in the TFT capacitive touch screen. While some state that the issue should fix itself eventually, the fact stands that the rush in production might has also been a cause of this issue.

The bottom line here is that people buy the iPhone 4 not because of the specs or features; it is because people have come to know and want the Apple brand. Despite the iPhone 4 not being any better that most of the current Android smart phones, no other devices have as much visual and name recall as the Apple handset.

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Zynga Releases Farmville iPhone Port

June 28th, 2010

Flash may not be available for the Apple iPhone, but the handset will still get to enjoy the addicted virtual farming game, Farmville.

This Zynga developed browser game is a famous Facebook application that has had millions of users. However, since the app uses Flash content, it cannot be played on Apple’s iPhone, an issue that over 8 million players considered to be a bad thing (after all, they wanted to tend to their farms on their mobile phones). A recent announcement from Zynga gave many users hope: a new iPhone app version of Farmville will be made and it will hook up to an existing user’s Facebook account in order to carry over the game progress.

To make the whole deal a lot sweeter, Apple and Zynga are also bringing in a few items that are exclusive available to players accessing Farmville through their iPhone devices. For the most part, the new iPhone app stays true to the original Flash based game in terms of dynamics and game mechanics. According to Zynga, they have streamlined the crop harvesting feature in order to make it easier on the touch screen interface and have changed some in game settings as well.

Virtual farming games have been around for quite some time. Japanese game developer Natsume is considered to be a pioneer in the genre with their Harvest Moon series. In fact, fans of Harvest Moon consider Farmville as a watered down version of the console title with less focus on farming and more about trading crops with online friends.

However, it is to be said that Farmville’s true charm is not with the actual game content itself, but the fact that users are able to link up to a network of friends, compare progress and feel the need and pressure to play.

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The Icon: Charge Up Your iPhone and Your Personal Style

June 16th, 2010

If you have several iPhone connoisseurs in your family and are looking for the perfect gift for them, well you may light up their world with this new product.

Essential TPE’s “The Icon” battery pack is not only an effective way of reviving your drained iPhone battery pack, it also manages to look good while doing it. The Icon got its name from, well, the battery icon located in our beloved Apple gadgets. It is simply a piece of art and Apple also deems it so, giving it the “Work with iPhone” license and certification. In short, it has the company’s seal of approval which is definitely hard to achieve these days.

Aside from that, it also got a Taiwan Good Design recognition due to its very unique, eye catching design.

Of course it does not simply look good, the best part is that it is able to indicate the remaining power of your “The Icon” pack with its very own set of EL indicator lights. What this does is to show you in real time how much more you can charge, making use of the familiar greenish glow of the battery indicator.

Using it is like how you would expect it. Simply plug it into the Dock Connector and you’ll be charged in no time. It is able to give an additional talk time of up to 3 hours, 5 ½ hours of web surfing and 18 hours of music playback for your listening pleasure.

iPhone 4 compatibility is still up in the air for now, but at least it is guaranteed to work like a charm on your 3G or 3GS iPhone.

Head to their site to see the latest on The Icon. If you are an international retailer, Essential TPE indicated that they are interested in global distribution as well.

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More Details on Next Generation iPhone Revealed

June 9th, 2010

With only a short while before the full details on Steve Jobs’ WWDC speech comes out, here are a few last minute rumors, presumptions and confirmed facts about the upcoming Apple iPhone 4G which is going to be revealed at the major Apple event.

First off, Apple really hates Google now. In fact, it has just been confirmed that Bing will be the primary search engine for the new Apple phone. While it is expected that other search engines will also be available, Apple’s decision to support Microsoft is a direct attack on Google –who is now the major competitor for the iPhone thanks to Google’s Android OS.

Another revelation about the new iPhone is that it will not have a touch sensitive casing. While the initial reports were full of rumors of this innovative new input system, it appears that Apple might have scrapped the idea entirely. Without any actual application of the technology on smart phones, it is hard to determine as to why the idea has been scrapped.

At long last, the new iPhone will be coming with a high resolution OLED capacitive touch screen display. This will provide the iPhone with better graphical capabilities. And with the announcement that the new phone’s display being the same size as the original iPhone’s, having better resolution is a logical next step. Still, with the large touch screen on new smart phones and many uses going for high resolution screens, the decision to keep the iPhone at 3.3 inches will help keep its appeal to the mid range market.

The front facing camera is now official. With all the leaked images of the handset and the many close ups of the device’s front face, it is hard to deny that the little hole on the top is a front facing camera for video chatting.

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OS Selection: Comparing the Google Android with the Apple iPhone

June 4th, 2010

The choice of OS between the Apple iPhone and the Google Android is as much as selection about which mobile phone to purchase as it is about which operating systems fits your needs best. This is mostly because Apple fully controls the use of the iPhone operating system whereas the Android is used in a wide variety of smart phones from different developers. This is why choosing between the two is not quite the same as choosing between the Android and the Symbian OS.

First off, the Apple iPhone promises users a consistent degree of performance. While the Android is known to suffer from varying compatibility issues (mostly due to the hardware differences of the various handsets that use the OS), the Apple iPhone is consistent and reliable. While the hardware of the iPhone is lower than the average modern day Android device, this level uniformity in performance means that Apple’s OS is still able to deliver speed and system stability that is comparable with newer and faster devices.

In terms of Apps, Apple has the larger library. The Android Market is still relatively new and is still growing. In terms of actual content however, the Android brings more to the table. While the iTunes App store is full of redundant applications, the Android market delivers more in terms of actual diversity of functions. This is expected to increase as more and more developers create apps for the Android OS.

Also, the Android supports Flash (well, as of version 2.2 that is), and pretty soon, most smart phones will be updated to the new OS. Google has also confirmed that version 3.0 Gingerbread will also have support for HTML5 –leaving the Apple iPhone behind in terms of web format compatibility.

Overall, the Apple iPhone is a good choice for anyone who is not too picky about additional functions and simply needs a basic reliable smart phone. But for those who want full functionality and support for web formats, as well as tolerate the occasional app instability problems, then the Android makes for the perfect OS.

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