Archive for the ‘Apple’ Category
Thursday, March 19th, 2009 |
And it’s free - if you own an iPhone otherwise you’ll have to stump up $9.95 if you’re an iPod Touch owner. So, what are you going to get? Here’s a rundown:
Here’s just of a few of thing that you can expect to see when iPhone OS 3.0 arrives this summer:
- Search your iPhone
- Cut, copy, and paste
- Send photos, contacts, audio files, and location via MMS (not available on original iPhone)
- Read and compose email and text messages in landscape
..then there’s multi-player gaming, in-game chat features, a new API for streaming audio and video. In all, there about 100 new features availabe in the upcoming iPhone OS 3.0 plus a new SDK so everyday users and developers alike should be kept happy.
(more…)
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Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009 |
Rumours of a Mac netbook have been circulating for some time now, we reported on a possible release of a possible Apple netbook back in October of last year. Sadly though, nothing actually appeared. That said, there have been yet more whispers of a large form iPod sometime this year - again, no solid proof simply speculation.
If you’re tired of waiting for the next announcement and simply want to get your hands on an Apple netbook now, we have the answer. Adam over at LifeHacker has produced an in-depth tutorial on how to install OS X on your x86 hardware (the article is based on PC hardware but check out the comments to find plenty of info on notebooks - hint!).
Granted, to achieve the same results you’ll need to meet all the requirements - BIOS, motherboard etc but most of the latest hardware should cut it. Hmm, a HP 2140 mininote running OS X? 
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Tuesday, October 14th, 2008 |
There seem to be a number of reports about an $800 MacBook circulating on the web. Apple fans were getting flustered over the thought of being able to buy would could be a low end MacBook or even a netbook type device. It seems like macrumors have found some info that kills off the entry level MacBook myth.
Based on information that macrumors have gathered, it would appear that the $899 product (K29, MB382LL/A) on Apple’s product lists is likely to be LED Apple Cinema Display.
AppleInsider also thinks the $899 ‘thing’ could be a 24″ Cinema Display. This analysis casts a bit of shadow over some of the other predictions that are being thrown around by pundits. As yet, there’s still no word on entry level MacBook pricing - I’ll guess we’ll just have to wait for the big announcement.
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Monday, September 15th, 2008 |
Do the bugs in your iPhone 3G irritate you? Me too. Be irritated no more; Apple have launched firmware version 2.1 which should fix all your woes!
One of the most important fixes is the issue of battery life in the latest iPhone. According the firmware upgrade, most users will see significant improvements…the jury is out for now. In addition, the number of dropped calls and application crashes has been reduced.
Here’s the full list of fixes, pulled off the Apple site:
Update includes:
* Decrease in call set-up failures and dropped calls
* Significantly better battery life for most users
* Dramatically reduced time to backup to iTunes
* Improved email reliability, notably fetching email from POP and Exchange accounts
* Faster installation of 3rd party applications
* Fixed bugs causing hangs and crashes for users with lots of third party applications
* Improved performance in text messaging
* Faster loading and searching of contacts
* Improved accuracy of the 3G signal strength display
* Repeat alert up to two additional times for incoming text messages
* Option to wipe data after ten failed passcode attempts
* Genius playlist creation
You’ll also find a step by step on how to install the update here - scroll down to the bottom of the page.
Posted in Apple | 2 Comments »
Monday, August 4th, 2008 |
Ordinarily, I don’t get too excited by yet another announcement on the Apple front. Yes, I do like their offerings (I own an iPhone 3G) but there seem to be so many rumours around that it’s not really worth trumpeting until you see the real deal.
But the latest buzzing on the wire is a little more interesting; the Daily Mail, a UK newspaper, has an article suggesting that a minituarised version of the iPhone may be here by Christmas. The report also suggests that the iPhone nano will be available to O2 subscribers. The main downside to the rumour is the price; about £150 for a pay as you go model but I’m sure that won’t stop some buyers eager to have the latest gadget from Apple.
I’ll say this isn’t an unrealistic option for Apple. The iPhone has been hugely successful and a nano version may be just the thing that they need to add an extra boost to sales. Depending on the size, I really can’t see how an iPhone nano would give the same user experience as the current iPhones i.e. the current screen size is just right so would a miniature version match up to its big brother? Also, 3G was a big draw when I chose the latest version of the iPhone - would a nano version have the same capabilities?
For now we’ll let it run and see what happens. Keep watching.
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Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 |
Apple has been hugely successful over the past few years. If you don’t believe me just look the sales figures:
- 2.5 computers
- Over 11 million iPods
- 700k+ iPhones - before the iPhone 3G came to market!
So, what’s next for Apple? How about a tablet MacBook? Look at the current market; prices are dropping and many retailers/vendors will be offering deals to encourage consumers to buy - an ideal time for Apple to launch a new product. If you’re still sceptical, check out this Apple patent - the details would suggest that Apple are going after something a lot bigger than the iPhone. Think about it; a seriously cool piece of hardware with touch screen features. Bring it on.
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Tuesday, July 15th, 2008 |
I’ve got one! The Apple iPhone 3G has been prodded by me for a few hours now. What’s it like? Well, to be fair, it’s ok. Not the world changing device you’d expect based on the pre-launch hype but it’s still pretty bloody good.
The first to note is this: all men, if not already a techie, are closet techies - so who needs an instruction manual??? Err, I did. Yes, the iPhone is pretty easy to use out of the box but you’ll still need to check the manual for some of the finer points. Trust me, it’s well worth it once you’re up and running with your snappy new Apple iPhone 3G. That said, a number of sites out on the web are already offering free help if you get really stuck.
Design
As you would expect, the iPhone 3G is a very attractive piece of hardware - it make the original iPhone look dated. The rear of chassis is curved making the iPhone 3G comfortable to hold. Further improvements can been seen in the ringer switch, volume buttons, and the sleep/wake button which all have a metallic chrome finish. The only problem with this layout is the ringer switch which is a little stiff when the handset is fresh out of the box. A really good piece of news is the change to the headphone jack - no more adaptors needed as the jack is now flush with the case. The 3G and WiFi features in the new iPhone make it more than worthwhile to upgrade (I did have some problems with 3G connectivity initially but this seems to be ok now).
The GPS capability is fantastic - a huge improvement over the old ‘Locate Me’ application which used WiFi (what good is a GPS feature that gives your location to the nearest x000 metres?). Using AGPS makes the iPhone 3G very accurate. A nice touch here is the display; when you’re ‘found’ you the circle will pulsate, followed by a blue pinpoint indicating your location. After a brief pause, arrow closes in on your location.
The screen seems clearer than the last iPhone but that could just be me being loved up with the iPhone 3G. There is a slight tint to the screen but this makes the display easier to view (a bit like those shooting glasses everyone used to have).
Call quality is simply amazing - crisp, audible tones even on 3G. Nothing more to say here!
Email support has seen a massive improvement with the ability to connect to Microsoft Exchange server which will make the iPhone 3G very appealing to companies using MS products.
App Store is effectively a suite of applications available to all iPhone users. Simply browse the store for applications, read the user reviews, install (you’ll be billed for this) and continue to use - nice and easy.
The camera is a bit of a let down - it’s only 2Mpxs. Some people have reported crisper images in the camera but I didn’t really notice the difference - come on Apple, you can do better than that.
Battery life has been improved. You’ll get about 8 - 10 hours life when using EDGE but be warned; 3G eats batteries so turn off 3G when you don’t need it.
The iPhone 3G comes with a range of other features that will appeal to both businesses and day to day users such as support for PowerPoint, Numbers, Keynote, and Pages attachments (you can only look at these docs, not edit them).
Conclusion
I love the iPhone 3G. Ok, there are a few things that Apple could do to improve the device but, on the whole, I’m very impressed.
Downside
It’s only available with an O2 contract, there’s no Flash or Java. Finally, the most annoying point - you can’t replace the battery yourself! Ah well, can’t have it all.
If you’re looking for more reviews on the iPhone 3G, you could try looking over at Test Freaks.
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Friday, July 11th, 2008 |
The iPhone 3G page on O2’s site has been updated following huge demand for the new Apple handset. Basically, the iPhone 3G is available for sale but only to existing customers (no problem for me).
When you select ‘Buy now’ on the O2 home page you’re presented with a screen showing all products as being sold out!
I’ve also tried to call O2 about an upgrade but all their lines are busy! I wonder why?
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Wednesday, July 9th, 2008 |
O2 has officially announced tariff pricing for the iPhone 3G. The latest Apple iPhone handset will be available from 02 on Friday, 11th May 2008.
You’ll be able to pick up 3G iPhone for as little as £30 per month for both the 8GB and the 16GB models although there is upfront charge of £99 and £159 respectively. This tariff will include 75 minutes and 125 texts.
For £45 per month you’ll get the 8GB iPhone for free (free in the sense that you don’t pay extra for the handset!). For the ’small’ sum of £59 you’ll get a 16Gb iPhone 3G with 1,200 minutes and 500 free texts.
All O2 contracts run for 18 months. A nice bonus here is the inclusion of unlimited data and free Wi-Fi via ‘The Cloud’ hotspots.
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Thursday, July 3rd, 2008 |
No matter what you think of Apple it certainly looks they’ve captured the markets imagination with the iPhone 3G.
A survey by RBC Capital Markets shows that 63% of its Technology Adoption Panel are planning to buy a smartphone in the next 90 days (the panel consists of 3600 members so we’re not talking small beans here). Of those numbers, 56% have said they plan to buy an Appl iPhone 3G. This is contrast to a study in March that showed only 35% of respondents considering the iPhone. The most significant reason for shoppers wanting an iPhone 3G is the price - £0 with some of the contracts being offered by O2 (you can’t really argue with that, can you?)
Other factors that influenced buying decisions were; 3G (63%), GPS (47%), enterprise e-mail (35%) and 20% percent citing third-party software capablities.
All this is a bit of sore subject for RIM whose Blackberry handsets only polled 23% in the survey!
Viva Apple.
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