Macgasm

When you think of the technologies in your home that are in need of an upgrade, I’m sure the thermostat isn’t the first to come to mind. Well, former Apple iPod/iPhone hardware chief Tony Fadell has spent some time thinking about how to improve it; in fact, he’s taken things a step further by reinventing the device altogether. Nest, the touch-controlled thermostat system, learns your warming and cooling habits, learns when you’re not at home, and then processes this information to cut your energy bill significantly. The best part?  You can control and monitor everything this thermostat does via the iPhone or iPad.

The Nest takes about one week to “learn” your habits. After that initial time investment the thermostat will automatically control your home’s climate. Why would Tony Fadell design a new-age thermostat? It turns out that your thermostat is responsible for 50% of your energy bill. When you leave the house without turning off the heat, you’re wasting energy.

That’s where Nest comes in handy:

The U.S. EPA says that a properly programmed thermostat can cut 20% or more off your heating and cooling bill. With its Apple-like design, passionate team, and technology of tomorrow, we should be on our way to a cheaper future. If not, at least you’re still getting an aesthetic upgrade over the ugly beige thermostat on your living room wall.

It should come as no big surprise so soon after legendary Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs’ death that a movie is in the works, and it sounds like Sony would like to see Aaron Sorkin (the man who gave us The Social Network and The West Wing) take the reigns. Purely rumor at this stage, but The Los Angeles Times is saying anonymous sources put Sorkin at the top of the short list. Even so, it sounds like Sorkin is still only “considering” the project.

(more…)

One of the more common complaints floating around with regard to Apple’s new iPhone 4S is the battery (and, to be specific, its meager lifespan), but there may be hope. Macworld has a new article about this precise problem, offering a few tips — most of them painless — to keep your little buddy chugging.

(more…)

The iPhone 4S has an amazing camera. We’re all aware of that. But what we seem to forget is just how far the camera in the iPhone has come since the very first iPhone. Lisa Bettany has posted an interesting side-by-side comparison of all of the iPhone cameras released to date.

It’s a pretty nice roundup, and we would recommend checking out her full article over on the Camera+ blog to see full versions of the photographs so you can make your own conclusions.

Are you a photog? We’d love to hear your thoughts on the iPhone 4S in our comments. Consider it research for a future article

It hasn’t taken long for Whale Trail to crack Apple’s prestigious Game Of The Week rankings. In fact, it only took four days. Whale Trail has sold 38,000 copies of the game on the App Store. Day one was October 20, and today it’s officially Apple’s Game Of The Week.

Matt Mills, co-founder of ustwo, has spent £150,000 ($240,000) on the game, and needs to sell 300,000 copies just to break even.

From The Guardian:

Still, hitting 38,000 downloads in four days without a lot of press coverage is pretty amazing. Whale Trail is currently raking in the 5-star reviews on the App Store. It’s not surprising considering the gameplay is fantastic, the visuals are stunning and the music, written and performed by Gruff Rhys, rounds out the experience nicely.

So, what’s the game about?

Think Tiny Wings, but instead of planes, you’re Willow the Whale flying through the clouds, dodging angry Thunder Bros (clouds), and escaping Baron von Barron while collecting coloured bubbles along the way.

Note: We’re working on a review of this bad boy. It’s that much fun.

Sprint and their slow data speeds on the iPhone is still a hot topic on the #twitters. An Internal email that has been circulating through Apple and Sprint sheds light on the fact that the companies are aware and working to solve the problem.

The Next Web first reported about the email, which all but confirms the slow speeds Sprint iPhone 4S users have been complaining about since the launch on October 14th. This has become a sore spot, considering that most of Sprint’s new users switched for the speedy unlimited plans being offered.

(more…)

The Apple TV speculation got a little more fuel added to the fire today, as Bloomberg is reporting that according to anonymous sources familiar with the project, Apple has tasked Jeff Robbin, the software engineer who developed iTunes, to lead the team working on Apple’s TV.

If indeed the case, it seems a natural fit for Robbin to take charge. Since being hired by Apple in 2000 to work on iTunes (which not coincidentally was based on the SoundJam Music Player which Robbin also developed), Robbin was also involved in the development of the iPod, as well as convincing Steve Jobs to make iTunes available on Windows. These moves cemented Apple’s place beyond personal computers and into the mobile and personal electronics markets. Many of these details have come to light in Steve Jobs biography, released yesterday. Robbin was so valuable to Apple that Jobs only allowed Time magazine to interview him on condition that only his first name, Jeff, was used, for fear of other companies trying to poach him.

Apple is trying to bring simplicity and elegance to yet another area, should it release a TV. While it’s still not a given that Apple will actually make one, it would match up with the way Apple approaches new markets. It’s not necessary to be the first, but to take an existing product, and refine it until it’s perfect. Apple did not make the first mp3 player, nor the first smartphone, nor the first tablet, but undeniably it has been successful at making them better, and then dominating that market.

Let’s hope that Apple can continue its run, and reinvent another market once again.

Source: Bloomberg

AT&T has made some changes to their data plans and appears to be poised to yank the rug out from its customers, again. The new data plans include several enterprise options, including unlimited enterprise. This “un”-limited plan carries the cost of $45/month, $15/month more than the standard (unobtanium) unlimited version that some users are locked into currently.

I’m unsure just how “new” these plans are, but what is really concerning is the description of the new plans.

(more…)