I was working on my daughter’s 20-ich iMac Intel Core 2 Duo 2.16GHz, and I wanted to use AirDrop to take some files and drop them onto my MacBook Pro 15-inch Quad-Core i7 2GHz. So, I venture to Finder, and lo and behold AirDrop is missing. I close Finder. At this point I’m thinking there is a glitch or bug on my daughter’s iMac. I open Finder again, and still no AirDrop.  I look at my MacBook Pro, and AirDrop is in Finder where it should be.

Enter Google to the rescue. I Googled, “AirDrop does not appear in Finder,” and I found an Apple Discussion Thread. As I parse through the thread I find an interesting bit of news when it comes to AirDrop. It will only work on newer Macs across the board. Basically, any Mac pre-late 2008 will not work with AirDrop. One commenter on the thread asks, “Why were older macs left out of the airdrop feature?” Another commenter responds by saying, “I think because their wireless cards don’t have the supporting chipset.” There you have it folks. The older Macs have wireless cards with chipsets that are not supported in AirDrop. Finally, the last commenter directs the readers of the thread to this OS X Lion Tech Specifications. The following Macs will support AirDrop:

• MacBook Pro (Late 2008 or newer)
• MacBook Air (Late 2010 or newer)
• MacBook (Late 2008 or newer)
• iMac (Early 2009 or newer)
• Mac mini (Mid 2010 or newer)
• Mac Pro (Early 2009 with AirPort Extreme card, or Mid 2010)

Hope this helps anyone that might be confused as to why one of their Macs has AirDrop and the other one does not. If you have encountered something similar to this, or might have more insight on the whole supporting of the wireless chipset, we would love to hear  from you in the comments below.

Via: Apple Support Communities
Source: OS X Lion Technical Specifications

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With iCloud right around the corner many believe that NAND flash sales will dip in the near future. The reason being is that they see consumers demanding less storage for their iOS devices as well as their Mac and Windows computers. Those MacBook Airs with 64GB or 128GB of storage will start to look more appealing. Since Apple makes up 28.3 percent of the Market for NAND flash purchases, you can see why some might be worried. But fret not. One thing that might help NAND flash is bandwidth restrictions. I will delve more into that in just a bit.

With the introduction of iCloud you will be able to listen to your music wherever you are. No longer will you be restricted by your iOS’s limited storage. Right now I have to chose what I can and cannot put on my iOS devices due to the limited storage. So this is a great idea to have your music in the Cloud and accessible to you wherever you are. Well, in a perfect world this would be true.

Remember I mentioned bandwidth restrictions. This is where it comes into play. If you have a new AT&T data plan, you are saddled with either 200MB of data or 2GB of data. In addition, if you have the hotspot feature added, you receive an additional 2GB of data. All in all, you have limited data. The same now goes for Verizon customers. This data will be eaten up real quick if you are continuously streaming from the Cloud.

Now the cell carriers will tell you that you can use Wi-Fi for those bandwidth intensive uses, such as streaming or downloading. There are two problems with that statement. The first being that you don’t always have access to a Wi-Fi hotspot. As much as AT&T would like you to connect to Wi-Fi, it’s not always practical. The second issue is that ISP’s, in particular the ones that have a vested interest in you purchasing their TV packages, i.e. Comcast and AT&T, have started to impose bandwidth caps. So even when you are at home your Internet is being capped. So this only goes to lessen the consumer’s desire to stream content.

I don’t believe the purchasing of NAND flash is in any danger of lessening. The amount needed on a device might change due to usage habits, and use of iCloud.  But, one thing that you have to keep in mind is that the iOS devices will require some sort of storage, be it NAND flash or some new storage medium, to house the OS and core apps.

Source: DigiTimes
Via: AppleInsider

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To run Rember you need to be running Mac OS X 10.5 or later. If you are on an earlier version of Mac OS X, you can click here to get those versions. You’ll find them about halfway down the page.

I ran it on my MacBook Pro Quad Core i7 with 4GB of RAM. I configured it to “Quit all applications” and to “Quit Finder”.  This way the test can run without anything else running in the background. I then ran the test with the defaults. The total test took about fifteen minutes to run. Once it was completed, it gave me an easy to read report.

Below are just a few key features that make using Rember a better experience:

• Easy to use testing console.
• Human-readable test report summarizes test results.
• Memory information window displays DIMM status
• And more…

Rember is an easy to use software that will allow you to test the memory on your Mac.  I would highly recommend that this be added to your arsenal of troubleshooting tools. You can download Rember for free by clicking here.

Via: OS X Daily
Source: Kelly Computing

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The rumor mill has apparently lost its collective minds with this latest rumor. Now take this with a fairly large grain of salt. Apparently Apple is going to introduce a 3D iPhone 5. That’s right, a 3D iPhone, complete “…with a 3D screen as well as a double objective on the back to take photographs in stereoscopic mode.” The question that begs to be answered is: why on earth would you want a 3D iPhone?  Is it because it’s the latest fad in video entertainment? Or, has the rumor mill simply run out of things to talk about?  I would say it’s a little bit of both.

Now some might love 3D and everything it has to offer. So far I have not been that impressed with it. Yes, they have made improvements in 3D. For example, there is depth now instead of the in-your-face objects. I’ll give them that, but there is nothing that screams I have to have it. In my opinion, 3D is another way for TV manufacturers to sell you a TV, or for Hollywood to charge you extra to watch a movie. I see it as no more than a gimmick. That is why I feel that it is a fad, and not sustainable in the long run.

As for the rumor mill having run out of ideas to talk about the new iPhone, it’s pretty evident that they have when you hear about a 3D iPhone 5. A few months back there was a rumor going around that the rumored iPad that is supposed to come out later this year will be sporting a 3D screen. I really don’t see Apple producing either of these two rumored devices anytime soon.

As I’ve said, 3D is a fad, nothing more. To give any credence to this rumor would be silly at best. If I were a betting man, I would say Apple would put Blu-ray players on their Macs before you would see 3D on iOS devices.

Via: Hardmac
Source: Slashgear

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In comes WiTricity, a new way to charge devices wirelessly without induction. It works as follows: “The magnetic fields of two properly designed devices with closely matched frequencies can couple into a single continuous magnetic field.” Basically they are creating a magnetic field between the device that requires charging, and the other device that is providing the charge. Apple is also looking at this medium for charging your keyboards and mice. This would be great — I finally won’t have to swap out rechargeable batteries on my Apple keyboard and mouse anymore.

I guess the real question is, will I need a new iMac to support this technology? And, the other question would be for the Windows users who use iOS devices. Will they simply be out of luck? Obviously this will be built into new iOS devices and Apple peripherals. Maybe Apple will provide a USB or even a Thunderbolt add-on for Macs that are not equipped with this technology. I would venture to say that they would not provide an add-on. Remember Apple is about simplicity, not complexity. Which leads to the second question for Windows users. Unless Apple provides an add-on solution, or PC manufacturers add this to their computers, they will still have to be tethered to their computers for charging.

It’s anyone’s guess at this point. In any case, I’m excited to see Apple looking into this new technology from WiTricity as a viable alternative to charging both iOS devices and their peripherals. Would this be something that would interest you in a “Post PC World”?  Let us know in the comments below.

Via: MacRumors
Source: Wall Street Journal

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

Apple has two new commercials out showing off FaceTime and AirPlay. These are two well known features which I personally use. I love the interoperability of FaceTime between Apple’s devices such as my iPhone to another Mac, or even using my iPhone to talk to my kids on their iPod touches.

As for AirPlay, I find it a great way to listen to my music through my AirPort Express, or when I want to watch my movies from any of my iOS devices on my TV through my AppleTV. So if you haven’t seen the commercials yet take a minute and sit back for two new Apple commercials.

Via: TUAW
Source: Apple’s YouTube Channel

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Frenzy is a small application that works in conjunction with Dropbox.  Yes, you will need an account with Dropbox to get this software to work. Basically, Frenzy brings a social aspect to sharing links, documents, and snippets of information with your colleagues and friends that you interact with in Dropbox. With Frenzy you can stop the incessant back and forth of emailing links and documents to one another, and start working with each other in real time.

For instance, if you are working on a collaborative project, and you need to send your colleague a few links to a site that has information pertinent to your project,  simply press a keyboard shortcut, and voilà, your links are ready to send.

Better yet, you have just finished doing your part of the write-up. Press a different keyboard shortcut and send your document to the team.  It can’t get any simpler than that.

Moreover, if you don’t have an Internet connection at the time you finish your project, that’s no problem. Because Frenzy uses Dropbox, it will save your document locally. Then when you have an Internet connection, Dropbox will instantly upload and send the file as if you were always connected to the Internet.

With applications like Frenzy, we can be more efficient through social interaction. Communicating in real time like this just goes to prove that email is going to go the way of the dinosaur. So let’s recap. First you will need a Dropbox account. If you don’t have one, you can get a free account by clicking here. Once you are all setup with your Dropbox account, you can download Frenzy by clicking here. So go now and be more productive and efficient with Frenzy!

Article Via Cult of Mac

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

Moreover, does this mean that MobileMe is going away? I don’t think so. I believe that iCloud will be added to MobileMe. You’ll have your mobile syncing service, and then you will have your music locker accessible from iCloud.com. As for cost for either service, it’s anyone’s guess at this point. It’s rumored that Apple will charge $20.00 a year for the music locker, but where does that leave MobileMe in pricing? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. I feel that Apple will announce the new domain and pricing at WWDC.

When I read this piece I decided to go to iCloud.com to see if it was still there. Well, it is, and it is not. The services that iCloud offers are still there just under a different name. Xcerion has rebranded itself as cloudme.com. The site has a very apple.com look and feel to it. Check it out for yourself. In any event, things are definitely looking up for Apple’s cloud services. I can’t wait to see what Apple will do with it.

Article Via 9to5Mac

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With the new MacBook Pros released last week, I decided that it was time to upgrade my four year old MacBook. Now granted it still runs like a charm, but I felt I needed something that was a little faster and more up-to-date. Plus, the new MacBook Pros have the Thunderbolt technology that looks really great. My next step in my quest to upgrade my laptop was deciding which MacBook Pro I wanted, and how much I wanted to spend on it. I decided to go with the MacBook Pro 15-inchQuad Core i7. The final step now was deciding where I should by it from, and where I can get the best deal.

I looked first at Apple.com, and there pricing is pretty straight forward. They do, however, offer great discounts if you’re a student, work for an educational institution, or if you work for the government. Since I didn’t qualify for any of those discounts, I started to look elsewhere. Next stop was Amazon.com. This is actually where I purchased my two iMacs from a couple of years ago.  They offer great pricing, no tax, and free shipping. After seeing the pricing, they were only about $5.00 less than Apple was. However, there is no tax, so there is more of a savings to be had.

Still, I was not satisfied with the price point, so I ventured forth and found Macconnection.com to have an excellent price on the new 15-inch MacBook Pro. It was $100.00 less than what Apple is selling theirs for.  After looking over the site, I noticed that the $100.00 price difference was without a mail-in-rebate. This is a huge bonus that I got the savings instantly, instead of having to mail in for it and wait for my $100.00. So, I jumped on this great offer, and now I’m waiting for my new MacBook Pro to arrive.

After ordering my MacBook Pro, I found a post on 9to5Mac.com outlining the savings on all of the new MacBook Pros that can be found at Macconnection.com. So here are the different models along with their prices, and according to Macconnection.com, you can save up to $150.00 off the retail price. Oh, did I mention that Macconnection.com also offers no tax and free shipping.  So this is a huge savings. Well, with no further ado, here are the models and prices:

Apple MacBook Pro Core i5 Dual Core 2.3GHz 13-inch – $1149.99

Apple MacBook Pro Core i5 Dual Core 2.7GHz 13-inch – $1429.99

Apple MacBook Pro Core i7 Quad Core 2.0GHz 15-inch – $1699.99

Apple MacBook Pro Core i7 Quad Core 2.2GHz 15-inch – $2059.99

Apple MacBook Pro Core i7 Quad Core 2.2GHz 17-inch – $2349.99

Article Via 9 to 5 Mac
Photo Credit: MacBook Pro

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Now don’t get too excited about this new feature. Amazon’s library for Prime members is still pretty small compared to that of Netflix or even Apple’s offerings. The initial library will “start with a 5000 movie and TV Show catalog…”  The other caveat is that unless you own a streaming device that will play Amazon’s content, such as the Roku, you are out of luck on watching videos on your big screen TV. You will be relegated to your computer screen for watching a movie. Now, for some this might not be an issue, but I prefer to watch movies on my 50-inch Plasma TV. I also would not hold my breath for seeing this as a add-on feature to the Apple TV, as we have seen with Netflix.

This is pretty interesting that Amazon has now decided to offer their streaming video content for free. Could it be that Amazon is seeing a shift away from physical media, and they want to jump on the bandwagon that Apple and Netflix are riding? Will this cause Apple to start offering some of their content free for streaming only? Or, will Hollywood finally let content deliverers have first crack at the newest movies, instead of having them wait a year or more?  At this point it’s anyones guess. This is definitely a shift in the right direction for streaming content.

Article Via 9 to 5 Mac

Photo Credit: DigtialTrends.com

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

The one new feature that I love in the Mac App Store is now featured in the App Store on the iPad. It’s the button labeled “Installed.”  This button replaces the button next to the app that would show the price or the word Free. This way, you know that you have the app, and you don’t need to search you iTunes library before downloading the app. Another helpful feature Apple has implemented is the button labeled “Install.” This will let you know that you have already purchased this app; however, you do not have it installed on your iPad. At this point, if you want the app you can re-download it without having to connect your iPad to you computer.

Moreover, Apple has introduced new filters which include Category, Release Date, Customer Rating, Price, and Device, as well as a Reset Filters option. These filters are an excellent way for you to sort through the app results from your search. For example, I did a search for Twitter, and it displayed my search results like it normally does. But, this is where everything changes. As I mentioned before, you now have the “Installed” and “Install” buttons available to you. The first search result was Twitter, and it showed that it is installed on my iPad. The other search result shown for iPhone apps was TwitBird Pro for Twitter, which shows the “Install” button. Now I have the option to install TwitBird Pro for Twitter on my iPad without having to re-purchase it, or dock the iPad with my Mac and sync it with iTunes.

Another new feature I would like to touch on is the “Release Date.”  I think this is a great idea to have the release date show next to the app. This way you know if the app has just been released, or if it’s been around for a while.

Why is this important you might be thinking? Well, some people might like to wait for an app to receive a few updates before purchasing it. It goes back to the whole idea of “I’ll what for a few revisions of a device before I buy it.” However, for those that can’t wait, or this way of thinking is foreign for them, it’s nice to see when the app was released to the App Store.

It’s great to see Apple continuing to make updates and changes to both their iOS devices as well as the Mac platform. So, go on and play with all of these new features in the App Store on your iPad and have fun with them.  When you’re done, we would love to hear what you think about these new features.  Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Article Via TiPb

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

According to an Electronista piece, Sprint in their latest commercial is not targeting the iPhone. The commercial centers around the HTC EVO, where you see the little Android mascot zooming around reading all of the rave reviews about itself. Then the commercial introduces the all new HTC EVO Shift 4G. Not once is the iPhone, nor AT&T mentioned. Is this Sprint playing to Android’s strengths, or maybe they are playing nice with Apple?

Here is the Sprint commercial for your viewing enjoyment:

Does this mean that come June we will be seeing a Sprint or even maybe a T-Mobile iPhone? At this point it is anyone’s guess. But, I believe that Apple will be releasing the iPhone for the other two U.S. carriers. I think Apple let Verizon get a leg up on the competition by releasing the iPhone before the other carriers. It would be great to see the iPhone on all four U.S. carriers. This way we will start to have some true competition between carriers. When there’s competition between carriers, the consumers reap the benefits.

Article Via Electronista

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Piper Jaffray’s Senior Analyst Gene Munster “…believes Apple will enter the TV set market by the end of next year.”  Personally, I take this prediction with a grain of salt.  For starters, Munster has been predicting this in his research notes for quite some time now.  Either he knows something the rest of us don’t, or this is very wishful thinking on his part.  I personally like the fact that I can take my Apple TV and place it on any television I want in my house.  If I had an Apple Television, I would be bound to consuming content from that TV only.

Moreover, this is a device that is best suited to not being integrated into a Television.  I would say that is probably one reason why Apple sold one million Apple TVs since its release back in September.  They can sell more units because they are small and inexpensive.  This, in the long run, will be more appealing to customers.  I can outfit my three TVs with Apple TVs for $300.00, whereas if Apple only sold Televisions, I would be paying a lot more than $300.00.

Will Apple ever make a Television?  Your guess is as good as mine.  Do I think they will come out with one by the end of 2012, as Munster is predicting?  Probably not.  I feel that Apple will have to really turn its hobby around, and really start to invest more into it.  They have started by adding Netflix and other photo sharing services for the Apple TV, but not enough for a Television.  What are your thoughts? Are you pro or con?  Do you like the Apple TV in its current state, or do you want Apple to do more with it?  Let us know by sounding out in the comments below.

Photo Credit: Apple TV

Article Via cnet

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Enter Haystack Software

Haystack Software makes an application called iPhotoSync.  It does pretty much what the title implies: it syncs up your iPhoto libraries.  The developer basically had the same dilemma that I have, as well as many others.  So, he wrote iPhotoSync.  With iPhotoSync you have many ways to sync your libraries.  You can sync your entire library from one Mac to another, and this way all of your libraries are identical.  Another method is to only sync new content.  The final method is to chose the previous month, or two, three, six, and twelve months.  For my setup, I chose to sync my wife’s entire library to mine since I run a daily backup of my photos.  As for my wife’s, I chose to only backup new photos and videos from my library.

What’s Macgasmic

The way iPhotoSync works is by cataloging your existing iPhoto library, and it uses Growl which runs in the background alerting you when your library has been cataloged.  When you’re ready to sync new photos, a Growl message appears informing you that you can proceed with your import.  What is also great about iPhotoSync is that your don’t need to have the window open for all this to work.  iPhotoSync simply runs in the background along with Growl.

I would also like to take a moment and talk about Haystack Software’s tech support.  The only means of tech support is via email.  For some, this might not be their cup of tea.  Some people prefer phone support for that instant response to their issue.  Well, Haystack Software’s email support is pretty fast.  I emailed them with an issue I was having at 10:30 in the evening, and at 7:30 the next morning I had a response.  Now you might be thinking that is not as fast as calling someone, but most email tech support services take between twenty-four and forty-eight hours before you get a response back.  In any event, after a few emails back and forth, Haystack Software released an update for iPhotoSync that fixed the exact issue I was having.  I emailed them back after the update, and they said due to my email they found a bug that they were unaware of and fixed it.

Room For Improvement

After all the great things you have read, you might be wondering why iPhotoSync would need improving.  Well, I wouldn’t be giving the software a fair review if I didn’t show both sides.  To be fair in this case, I would say the software needs tweaking more than improving.  One thing I found to be an issue with iPhotoSync is that when I am syncing my new photos and videos to my wife’s iPhoto library, I would like to see some sort of order in the library list.  As it stands, there seems to be no semblance of order, be it alphabetical or by date.  I have to scroll through the entire list to find the one or two albums I want to transfer.  The other thing I would like to see improved upon is the way the albums are imported.  When I import the album, the album title doesn’t carry over.  It simply titles it with the date.  Also, if you import more than one album at a time, it imports it as one album, instead of the two or three albums that it is in the other library.  I am not sure if these are limitations of the software, or simply something that the developer never thought of implementing.

Compatibility and Pricing

iPhotoSync is compatible with iPhoto ’08, ’09, and ’11, and will work with PowerPC and Intel Macs.  I have used iPhotoSync in both iPhoto ’09 and ’11.  In both versions the application worked well.  After I upgraded from iPhoto ’09 to ’11, I didn’t have to do any configuring of iPhotoSync.  It simply continued to work and catalog my library.  iPhotoSync comes in two different licensing schemes — the first is a two license pack, and the second is a five license pack.  The pricing is as follows – iPhotoSync 2-pack is $15.00, and iPhotoSync 5-pack is $25.00.  Both licensing packs are very well priced.  Haystack Software also offers a seven day free trial.  You can download iPhotoSync by clicking here.

Overall iPhotoSync is an exceptional compliment to iPhoto.  I would highly recommend that you download the trial if you have more than one Mac, and you want to sync your iPhoto libraries.  After you try it, you will definitely want to continue to use iPhotoSync.

Photo Credit: iPhotoSync

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

According to Engadget.com, later this year Amazon “…will let folks lend books they’ve purchased to other Kindle users for a 14-day period, during which the person that actually purchased the book won’t be able to read it themselves.”  I would have preferred that the purchaser still be able to read their eBooks, but alas, it looks as though DRM is still in full effect.  I guess book publishers could not really control what a person did after they purchased a traditional paper book; however, in this digital age we live in, they seem to have that type of control.

Moreover, this is a positive for eBook publishers and makers of eBook devices.  This will further assist in the transition from a paper to a digital medium.  However, there are going to be those who would prefer a traditional book over an eBook.  So there’s no way that you can persuade them to switch.  But, for those that are on the fence or willing to switch, this will make the transition that much easier.  Would this make you switch from traditional books to eBooks?  Let us know by speaking your mind in our comments section below.

Photo Credit: Kindling

Article Via Engadget.com

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If you have been living under a rock for the past couple of months, or just don’t keep up with the tech scene, you might not have heard about Apple’s Ping and Facebook integration talks.  Apple and Facebook had been in talks for about eighteen months to integrate Apple’s Ping service with Facebook’s network.  However, the two could not come to an agreement on the privacy terms.  Steve Job’s was quoted as saying that Facebook’s terms were too “onerous.”  Then, when Apple tried to have their customers link their Ping accounts to their Facebook accounts; Facebook blocked them from doing that right off the bat.

It would have been great if they could have come to terms on the agreement. This way, Apple would not have to build their own music social network from the ground up, which makes a lot of sense when you think about it.  Facebook has a large user base that Apple could integrate with, which would make it easy for Apple and their customers.  This way, Apple’s customers don’t have to maintain two social networks with two separate address books of friends.  I believe that is why Ping hasn’t taken off the way Apple had intended it to.

I started to use Ping when it was introduced in September for all of about two seconds.  I setup my account with Ping and added friends, but it would have been much better if I could have just integrated my Facebook friends with Ping.  I guess Steve Jobs is looking to be the bigger man here, and further Apple’s relationship with Facebook.  What better way to do this then having two of Silicon Valley’s giants breaking bread together; that could more than likely be financially beneficial for both parties involved.

Photo Credit: Facebook and iTunes work together

Article Via Gizmodo.com

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

According to Engadget, the rumors of a refreshed MacBook Air might actually come to fruition.  They have a couple of photos depicting what appears to be a prototype of the soon to be released MacBook Air. If you are not familiar with Apple’s MacBook Air, it is Apple’s lightest and thinnest MacBook sold to date. While it is not a power house, it is definitely a sexy looking device. When it was released in 2008, it defied what a traditional laptop looked like.  So much so that it held up blogger Michael Nygard at airport security. The TSA agents thought that the MacBook Air was a fake laptop.  Why, you might ask?  Well, when they ran it through the security scanner, they didn’t see a hard drive or a DVD drive. Several more agents came along, all looking at the MacBook Air in total confusion, trying to assert if it was a real laptop or a fake. Finally, another more informed TSA agent came by and told them that the MacBook Air was real and not a fake. Tthey somewhat believed him, but questioned the absence of a hard drive and DVD drive. The knowledgeable agent explained the hardware in the MacBook Air, and they finally gave the blogger his laptop back.  Unfortunately it was too late — he had missed his flight.  But, I digress.

The new MacBook Air looks to employ a 13.3-inch display instead of the 11.6-inch display, with which it debuted.  In addition, “…there are USB plugs on the left and right sides, Mini DisplayPort and an SD card reader on the left, and a power plug on the right.”  I would have liked to have seen a FireWire 800 port, but it might still make it onto the final MacBook Air. Another thing missing is a DVD drive, but that’s to be expected since it is a thinner laptop. To be honest, I rarely use my DVD drive, so if I had a MacBook Air, I wouldn’t miss it.  Plus you can always share out your existing DVD drive from your Mac, or you can purchase the optional external DVD drive.

One last rumor I wanted to talk about was the price. It appears that Apple will be lowering the price point of the MacBook Air. No price point has yet been rumored, but we will find out at the event. When the MacBook Air launched in 2008, it retailed for about $1799.00 with the hard drive option, and I believe with the SSD option it sold for $2799.00. My guess is that with the cost of the parts that make up the MacBook Air costing less, we will see that cost saving passed down to us in the way of a lower priced MacBook Air.

Like I said earlier, it is nice to see a rumor that isn’t related to a Verizon iPhone. It is also good to see that Apple hasn’t forgotten about the Mac, and that it still holds a place in Apple’s ever-growing ecosystem of computing devices. Many feel that Apple has forgotten about the Mac, but with Wednesday’s event coming up, it shows that they have not.

Photo Credit: Is this the new MacBook Air?

Article Via Engadget

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

This is big for FaceTime, because up until now you could only use FaceTime between the iPhone 4 or the iPod Touch 4th Generation.  This opens the door to the Mac community as a whole.  You won’t need the before mentioned iDevices to interact with them.  In addition, “Apple is offering FaceTime as an open standard…,” which means that other developers can incorporate FaceTime with their platforms or applications.  This is a very smart move for Apple in my opinion.  It will show Apple as an open company and not a closed one.  I can see this being used on the Android and Windows platforms, for phones and desktops, respectively.  I don’t think you will be seeing this on Windows Phone 7, but it’s too early to say.

I’ve used FaceTime a few times with my wife, and when I got my kids the new iPod Touch.  I’ve also used it with my cousin from across the country.  It worked seamlessly between all devices.  I could call my kids’ iPod Touches, and they could call mine and my wife’s iPhone 4s.  That’s the beauty of FaceTime — it’s simple, and it works.  Would you like to see FaceTime in iLife ’11?  If so, would you use it more than you are on the iPhone 4 or iPod Touch?  Let us know by sounding out in the comments below.

Photo Credit: 2010 iPod Touch 4 FaceTime on iOS 4

Article Via Macsimum News

Macgasm - Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything.

What’s Macgasmic

I have found Chapters to be very useful both in my professional and personal life.  I use Chapters at work to group meeting topics together.  For example, I have a Notebook for Staff Meetings where I can easily find notes I’ve taken from previous meetings by searching key words, or by simply selecting the meeting date.  This is invaluable when I’m in a meeting, I can quickly and easily lookup notes from past meetings.  In addition, I can also export my Notes as a PDF document, and email them to my co-workers.  This makes sharing notes more practical on the iPad.

I also use Chapters in my personal life.  I recently became my son’s Tiger Cub Den Leader for his Cub Scout Pack, and I have been attending quite a few meetings where note taking is beneficial.  I use Chapters much in the same way as I do at work; moreover, I can add photos to my Notes to make them more rich and add flare to them.  Another feature I found very useful is that I can export my Notes to Google Docs to share with other parents in the Den.  Now they can access my Notes from wherever they are.

Features

Here is a list of features you’ll find in Chapters:

• Protect private notebooks with a password
• Create backup files in case you ever lose your data
• Adjust font settings per notebook
• Bullet lists
• Pick a different background color for each notebook to color code them
• Choose to write on white or sepia sheets
• Fast search with contextual snippets helps you find things
• A calendar lets you browse entries by month
• Website export is perfect for zip archival or creating online travel blogs
• Quickly navigate to other entries with the up/down buttons, like in Mail
• Adjust the date of your entries by tapping the date
• Options to show and append timestamps

Room for Improvement

This is a well put together iPad app with lots of exceptional features.  With that said I would like to have more fine tuning options.  For example, I would like to have an option for a global change as well as an individual Notebook change.  I prefer all of my Notebooks to have the Sepia paper.  As it stands now I have to make this change in every new Notebook I create.  I would also like to have more options for the manipulation of photos in the Notes, such as watermarking a photo, or having text wrap around the photo.

Since using Chapters, I have all but ceased using the core Notes app that comes on the iPad.  I find this app to be useful in every aspect from using it at work to using it home.  When you find an app that is as well rounded as Chapters is, you definitely will want to download it.

Chapters for iPad Screenshots

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Fresnobee.com is reporting that Kings Canyon and Sequoia Middle school in the Fresno school district, along with schools in Long Beach, San Francisco, and Riverside school districts, will be receiving the iPad in lieu of traditional textbooks.  The purpose behind this is to see if the iPad can improve test scores where traditional teaching methods have failed.  An Algebra 1 app produced by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt will be on the iPad and used as a teaching tool.  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is also subsidizing the full cost of the iPad and the app.  This makes the barrier of entry non-existent for these schools who would have gone with the netbook route, or in some cases would have stuck with traditional textbooks.

I’m glad to see this type of technology make inroads into the schools.  I’m reminded of when Apple IIe’s and Apple IIc’s were first introduced in schools as an educational tool.  They introduced a whole new way to learn.  Back then computers were less interactive than today, but it gave us the tools we needed to learn at the time.  Just like the iPad’s Algebra app will do.  The Algebra app is “designed so students can use it for homework, note-taking, quizzes and possibly testing. The app includes tutorial videos that can help students at home and automatically lets teachers know how students are progressing.”

This is only the beginning. If these pilot schools do well, other schools will follow suit.  In addition the iPad makes for a better interactive experience than, say, a netbook would.  What are your thoughts on this?  Do you think technologies like this will improve test scores?  You can let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.

Photo Credit: a week with an iPad

Article Via fresnobee.com

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Cult of Mac is reporting that Vincent Hunter from Dallas used this trifecta of security to nab some unsuspecting criminals. Hunter watched on his iPhone as two men broke into his house. So, “He immediately called the police and officers were immediately dispatched to his home.”  He continued to watch the whole thing go down from his iPhone.  This is some pretty sweet tech, as well as being a very cost effective security system.  You already have a webcam on your Mac, and if you don’t, iCam works with any USB or network camera.  In addition the iCam app is only $4.99 in the App Store.

This sure beats paying for an expensive security system.  The iCam software will support up to four connected web cams, so you will want to strategically place the cameras around your home.  You can also set it to record and send push notifications when it detects motion, just like Hunter had setup in his home.

So criminals beware — you are being watched or tracked.  You better think twice in this day and age of remote security, because you will eventually get caught.  Have any of our readers used iCam or a similar type of security app for the iPhone?  How about Back to My Mac or Find My iPhone?  If so, sound off in the comments below. We would love to hear how these apps and services have served you.

Photo Credit: Burglar

Article Via Cult of Mac

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The Register out of the UK is reporting that Google is in fact working on a version of Google Goggles for the iPhone that should be out by the end of the year.  This opens a whole new arena for search.  I thought it was cool to use Google’s voice search on the iPhone.  In fact, the voice recognition was pretty spot on.  Rarely did it misinterpret what I was saying; however, like any other voice recognition application, it fell short in noisy areas.  I digress.  With visual search, the possibilities are as endless as Google’s database.  Basically, if Google has the image in their database, your search results will return fine.  However, if certain things, like food or plant life for example, are not in Google’s database, then your search will return with no results.  As this technology grows, I don’t see this as being an issue.

I am pretty excited that Google Goggles is coming to the iPhone later this year.  How about you? Do you think that Google Goggles is a useful tool, or simply a gimmick for Google to get more search hits or ad revenue?  Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.  I leave you now with a Google video that gives a small overview of what Goggles is capable of doing.

Photo Credit: Google-Goggles

Article Via The Register

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First off, I want to point out that their reasons for purchasing a PC really don’t hold water. They use the same old tactics in their reasons why PCs are better than Macs that the Windows platform has been using forever. Case is point, the old price chestnut. In my opinion, this point about price has been beaten to death.  I even wrote about the misconception of how PCs are cheaper than Macs some months back. When you come down to it, Macs are less expensive in the long run.

Microsoft’s PC versus Mac site lists off several topics on why Windows is better than Mac OS X. One of them is entitled “Having Fun”.  In this category, Microsoft holds back no punches. They rattle off a laundry list of items that PCs come with out of the box that Macs do not.  The first thing they mention is a Blu-ray player.  I’m not saying that it wouldn’t be nice to have a Blu-ray player on my Mac, but let’s be honest. If I’m going to watch a Blu-ray movie, I’m going to want to watch it on my 47” HDTV — not my 20” iMac.  They also mention how you have to purchase an add-on dongle so that you can watch TV on your Mac.  Again, another point that doesn’t hold water.  First being, when you buy your PC with the TV Tuner, it’s an additional cost.  It too is an add-on.  Yes, it might be standard with that particular model, however, your paying extra for that add-on with that model.  The second thing, if I want to watch a show on my computer I have Hulu, and an arsenal of other sites that have recently aired TV shows.  Some that come to mind are ABC.com, NBC.com, and the list goes on.

The last thing I would like to touch on is their topic on “Simplicity”.  The only sentence in this topic that has merit is – “Things just don’t work the same way on Macs if you’re used to a PC.”  This statement is true.  With that being said, of course the Mac is going to be different.  It’s a different Operating System.  So what Microsoft is telling us is that change is a bad thing, and that you won’t be happy with change.  Sounds like FUD to me.

I could go on and debunk every topic, but I won’t.  This is a perfect example of Microsoft fearing the worst.  Fearing that Apple is gaining ground in every market that Microsoft is in, and wants to be in.  Some might say that Apple did the same thing with their “Get a Mac” ad campaign.  In my opinion they didn’t.  However, I know that many will disagree with me on this.  Microsoft should focus their efforts on improving and innovating their products, not attacking Apple with claims that simply are not true.

Photo Credit: Mac vs PC

Article Via PC versus Mac

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Since I had my new service installed I haven’t been able to use Back to My Mac.  I had contacted AppleCare, and they were somewhat helpful.  However, they are not fully familiar with AT&T’s equipment, so they could only go so far with their support.  At this point I didn’t even bother with AT&T’s support.  Well, I decided to hold off since the weekend was over, and I didn’t have time to mess with it.  I got it working, but not the way I originally had it.

This past weekend I had extra time, so I Googled my issue and I found some great articles on how to resolve my issue.  After doing my research, I’m happy to say that I now have Back to My Mac working again.  So I’m going to do a layout for you on how to get Back to My Mac working for you if you have AT&T’s U-Verse Internet.

Let’s Begin

You will want to go into your U-Verse Router.  If your not aware how to do this, simply open Safari and type in http://192.168.1.254 in the address field.  Next follow these steps:

• Click on the Settings Tab
• Click on System Info
• Click on Event Notification

Your screen should resemble the one below:

If your screen is different, match what I have below, and then click on the Save button.

Configuring Time Capsule

Now you will access your Time Capsule.  By the way these following settings will also work if you have an AirPort Base Station, or an AirPort Express.  For the sake of this documentation I will be using the Time Capsule.  To access the Time Capsule perform the following steps:

• Click Applications
• Click Utilities
• Click AirPort Utility

Once in the AirPort Utility double click on your Time Capsule; then, click on the Internet tab.  Now you will want to select “Share a public IP address” under the Connection Sharing field as pictured below:

Now click on the TCP/IP tab.  You should use DHCP since you will be receiving your public IP address from AT&T.  I have masked out the IP address settings from AT&T, and the OpenDNS.com addresses.  Your TCP/IP tab should look like the picture below.

A side note I would like to bring up is the use of opendns.com as your DNS.  I have been using them, and their DNS servers are super fast.  You can visit OpenDNS.com to register for free with them and get their two DNS addresses.  Once you get the DNS addresses you can enter them in the “DNS Server(s)” fields.  In addition to providing free DNS servers they also provide free of charge Internet filtering.  This is good if you want filter content for your children, so they don’t go to websites that are not appropriate.

Next you will want to click on the DHCP tab.  You will choose your own subnet.  For example you can go with .1, or .2; whichever your prefer.  For the Beginning Address you can use 192.168.2.101.  As for the ending DHCP you can also set that to something low.  For example you can use 192.168.2.150.  Your screen should look like the picture below:

Finally, you will want to click on the NAT tab.  This tab is important because this Back to My Mac uses NAT Port Mapping, so that you can connect to your Mac when you are away.  It will autofill with whatever subnet you chose for example if you chose 192.168.2.253.  Your screen should look like the picture below:

Now you you are going to click on the “Update” button in the lower right hand corner.  This will update your Time Capsule with the settings you have changed.  However, if you changed your IP addresses third octet you will not see your U-Verse router.  The third octet is the “x” in the following example 192.168.x.150.  Each set of numbers is an octet going from left to right.  If you did this then you will want to unplug your Mac from the Time Capsule and plug it into the U-Verse Router.  You will want to plug it into the four port switch on the back of the Router.  However, If you did not change the third octet and left it with .1 you will not need to unplug from your Time Capsule.

Before I forget, the Time Capsule supports MobileMe accounts.  This is mainly for accessing the Time Capsule’s internal hard drive, and any other hard drives that are connected to the Time Capsule.  In here you will want to enter your MobileMe credentials.  Your screen should look like the photo below:

Configuring AT&T U-Verse Residential Gateway Router

The final step to get all of this working like a fine oiled machine, you will need to connect back to the U-Verse Router by typing into Safari http://192.168.1.254.  Once you’re in you will want to follow these steps:

• Click Settings
• Click Firewall
• Click Pinholes and DMZ

From here you will want to select your Time Capsule.  Then you will want to scroll to the very bottom, and click on the “Allow all applications (DMZplus mode)”.  Finally, you will want to click on the “Save” button.  If you are concerned about placing your Time Capsule in the DMZ, don’t be.  Just as long as you are using NAT and wireless encryption on your Time Capsule you will be fine against outside attacks.  Your U-Verse configuration screen should look like the picture below:

So, folks that’s it.  You can now test Back to My Mac.  Hope this helps you out in restoring Back to My Mac with your setup.

Photo Credit: AT&T U-Verse 2

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The LiveRider device is a rubber case with a transmitter dongle for your iPhone or iPod Touch which attaches to your bicycle’s handle bars.  The second part of this device is a remote sensor that attaches near the wheel to calculate “…max and average, time, distance, cadence, pace”, according to Cult of Mac.  This is a great device for anyone who likes to keep track of how far they have ridden.

The device itself costs $99.99 USD, however, the LifeRider app is free and can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store.  So, if you a ‘C Note’ to spare, and enjoy bike riding this might just be the device your looking for.

Photo Credit: New Potato Technologies

Article Via Cult of Mac

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Infineon chips are already found in iPhones and iPads.  The chips are used for the 3G antenna as well as the camera.  These little wonders of technology will soon be Intel’s if they complete the acquisition.  What does this mean for us the consumer?  Probably not a whole lot, since the chips will remain the same.  However instead of bearing the Infineon brand, they will probably bear the Intel logo instead.  With that said I don’t think it will happen on this go around of iPhones and iPads.  Because even if they acquire them, they still have a long way to go before names and logos change.

I wonder if Intel will add or innovate on what Infineon has already done.  This would be in the best interest of Intel, one would think.  Otherwise, we will get the same chips just with Intel’s brand on it.  We have a while till this comes to fruition, we will just have to wait and see.  The rumor mill will be moving ahead at full speed with this one in the months to come.

Photo Credit: The Intel Apple

Article Via CNET

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Apple wants to put a stop to this, so they are suing several accessory makers to put a stop to them selling non-approved Apple accessories.  Some might think that Apple is only doing this because they get a 20% to 25% kick back from accessory makers they partner with. The reason why these accessories bear the “Made for iPod” logo is because these companies adhere to Apples policies.  If Apple makes a change to the cable or power charger, these companies will change their products to meet Apple’s standards.

A few years back Apple decided to add a chip to their USB Dock cables, so when you output video from your iPod or iPhone with a non-approved cable, it would not display any video on your television.  This was done so that you would use sanctioned cables.  Another example would be Apple’s power adapters for their iOS devices.  Non-approved chargers can cause irreparable damage to your iOS device, or simply not charge it.  Case in point, I have a non-approved car charger that I got as a gift.  It would only charge my iPhone if it were fully charged.  However, if it were at 30% or less it would not charge my iPhone.   If I had an approved car charger I wouldn’t have had this issue.  Luckily my iPhone is fine, because I didn’t continue to use the charger.

Something else to keep in mind when you see the “Made for iPod” logo on an accessories packaging:  Make sure your iOS device is displayed as a compatible device.  Just because it says that it will work with your iPod Nano, it doesn’t mean it will work with your iPhone.  Certain devices will only work with the device they have been approved for.  Moreover, there are other accessories that will work with all of your iOS devices.  So, the next time you think you saving on that non-approved accessory; just think how much it will cost you to replace your iPhone because you bought that $10.00 charger that fried it.

Photo Credit: This accessory is not made to work with the iPhone

Article Via AppleInsider.com

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Well, if it’s the purported MS Slate, I would have to say they have nothing up their sleeve.  I am not saying this to bash Microsoft, but to illuminate how they are bringing a tablet to market.  The original specs for the Slate were basically a Netbook without a keyboard.  It was using a Intel Atom processor instead of an ARM chip. Heck, the price point was even higher than the low end iPad.  Microsoft has to hit one out of the park with whatever they bring to market, or they’ll just have another Kin on their hands.

So, in true Ballmer fashion when confronted with a challenge from Apple, he responded to investors with – “Apple has done an interesting job of putting together a product — they’ve certainly sold more than I’d like them to sell.”.  Really, Ballmer, more than you’d like to have seen them sold.  Sounds to me like someone is being a sore loser.  If I were Ballmer, I would focus all my attention and resources to building a tablet device that is built from the ground up.  Consequently, Microsoft doesn’t have time on their side.  If they want to keep their investors happy they’ll probably slap a light version of Windows 7 with touch on a tablet.

Moreover, Ballmer tells the investors the tablet “…is job one…”.  In my opinion, Microsoft is playing catch up.  They are scurrying to stay relevant in a world were they are being left behind by the likes of Apple, Google, and HP/Palm.  Maybe it’s time for Microsoft to go back to their core competencies, and develop software.  If their hearts are truly set on putting out a tablet device, take the time, and do it right.  Look at what Apple has done.  It took them years to get where they are today — it didn’t happen over night.  Microsoft has to realize this.  Maybe they need to fall like Apple did before they can be a true competitor in the tech consumer market.

Photo Credit: Steve Ballmer

Article Via 9to5Mac & MarketWatch.com

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Why would the iPhone 3G suffer slow performance if Apple said that iOS 4 could run on it?  As I noted earlier, iOS 4 is designed to run on hardware that supports a faster processor and more memory.  Consequently the iPhone 3G falls short in both of these departments.  The iPhone 3G only has 128MB of memory, whereas the iPhone 3GS has 256MB of memory.  Moreover, the iPhone 4 trumps its predecessors with 512MB of memory.  Are you getting the picture now?  In my opinion, the iPhone 3G should have been excluded like the original iPhone from running iOS 4.

In the name of customer service, Apple probably felt that they should at least have iOS 4 on the iPhone 3G.  This decision is proving to be an issue with most consumers.  Digits is reporting that consumers feel that the “phone has gone from being a dream to constantly annoying…”.  Unlike Antennagate where only a small fraction of users were reporting issues, this is an issue that all iPhone 3G users are experiencing.  Like Antennagate, Apple is aware of the issue and they are investigating what can be done to resolve it.

A couple of things can be done on your own to boost performance a little bit.  The first would be to perform a hard reset.  This is done by holding down on the home and on/off buttons.  During this process you will see the screen power off, and then the iPhone will go black.  After this happens you will see the Apple logo.  Once you see the logo you can let go of both of the buttons.  Don’t release the buttons before that.  Think of this as restarting your computer to restore performance.  The other option is to wipe your iPhone, and then load the new iOS 4.

One final option is to Jailbreak your iPhone 3G.  Many people have done this and said that their iPhone 3G works fine.  Since the iPhone 3G is out of contract and warranty, Apple cannot be held responsible, nor would they if it were still under warranty. So feel free to Jailbreak to your heart’s content.  I would like to leave everyone with this. Computers, or any electronic devices for that matter, are obsolete before you know it.  Even though Apple makes top notch hardware that lasts a long time, the unfortunate truth is that more sooner rather than later your device will need to be replaced.

Photo Credit: iPhone 3G official pics

Article Via WSJ Blogs Digits

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AppleInsider has a few tidbits of information in regards to the updated hardware.  The new iMacs will have both the Intel Dual Core and Quad Core i5 and i7 processors.  This is a nice upgrade from the Intel Core 2 Duo processors that Apple is currently using.  Back in May Apple upgraded their MacBook Pro line to Intel Core i5 and i7 processors.  It also seems that Apple might be using AMD processors in their Macs.  It’s not clear if Apple is replacing the Intel processor with the AMD processor, or if it will be an option to choose.  Personally, I’ve never been a big fan of AMD processors.  I know back in the day you could over-clock the processor, and they were first to offer a 64-Bit processor for Windows-based computers.  However, I had an AMD processor that was equivalent to a Pentium II processor, and I had more headaches with that chip than I care to explain.  In any event, I think it’s too soon for Apple to switch to the AMD processor.  Intel seems to be a good fit for Apple computers.

Let’s switch gears here, I want to talk about the updated USB that Apple will be using.  They will be employing USB 3.0.  USB 3.0 can transfer 5 Gbps of data.  The current USB Hi-Speed 2.0 standard can only transfer 480 Mbps.  This makes FireWire 800 look like USB 1.1 (USB 1.1 only transferred 12 Mbps).  The only negative I can see is that currently there is no hardware that will support it.  Personally, I think it’s great that Apple is putting this in their computers.  This way when the devices start coming out, your iMac will be ready to support them.

Whenever I am thinking about upgrading my Macs, I refer to MacRumors Buyer’s Guide.  It’s a great resource to see if you should hold off, or go out and buy your new Mac computer.  Also, if you are thinking about selling your old iMac so that you can put some money towards your new iMac, you can check out Mac2Sell.net.  Mac2Sell.net will give you a quote based on your iMacs specs.  I use this site to get an idea of how much I can get for my iMac.  Now, it’s not only good for iMacs, but any Mac computer will be listed on this site.  If you don’t want to hassle with selling your iMac on eBay or Craig’s List, you have other options, one being Gazelle.com.  At Gazelle.com you can enter in your iMac’s specifications, condition, and the items you have for your iMac.  With this information they will generate a quote for your iMac that they will pay you for.  This can be the simplest way to offload your iMac.

The new school year is just right around the corner, and a new iMac would make a nice addition to any dorm room.  The only question is, will Apple release the new iMac in August, or will they release it in September with the new iPods?  If I were to have to bet on when, I would say that they would release it in August.  Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Photo Credit: My New iMac Photography Workspace!

Article Via AppleInsider

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The question that is on my mind, and probably yours too is, will Apple only be giving out the Black iPhone 4 Bumpers, or will they give you a choice of all six colors?  My guess would be that you will have a choice of all six colors, since all of them are showing a $0.00 price tag and are “Currently Unavailable.”  However, I wouldn’t wait too long after they update the site with the information on how to get the iPhone 4 Bumpers.  Steve Jobs has said that they can’t make enough to keep up with the demand, so supplies will more than likely be limited.  You also have a choice of a third party case if they run out of Bumpers, or if the Bumper is not your thing.  Finally, if you have purchased a Bumper, you will have the option of receiving a refund, but keep in mind, if you purchased a third party case, you will not receive a refund.  This might change between now and when the site is updated with the new information.  We’ll just have to wait and see.

A week after I bought my iPhone 4 I purchased the Bumper.  I had looked at different cases, and I didn’t like any of them.  I wanted something that was going to show off my iPhone 4 and not hide it.  The iPhone 4 Bumper does this very well, while giving it an extra layer of protection.  This is why I chose the Bumper over a case.  What do you prefer, a Bumper or a case?  You’ll be able to make up your mind for free later this week.

Photo Credit: The Apple Store Online

Article Via Cult of Mac

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Boy Genius Report was kind enough to share Senator Schumer’s open letter in its entirety:

“July 15, 2010

Dear Mr. Jobs,

I write to express concern regarding the reception problem with the Apple iPhone 4. While I commend Apple’s innovative approach to mobile technology and appreciate its service to millions of iPhone users nationwide, I believe it is incumbent upon Apple to address this flaw in a transparent manner. According to Consumer Reports’ review, released Monday on its website, the iPhone 4’s signal-strength problem is a hardwire glitch triggered by gripping the device in a particular manner. This finding, according to Consumer Reports, “call[s] into question” Apple’s recent claim that the problem is “largely an optical illusion caused by faulty software.” Consumer Reports declined to recommend the iPhone 4 because of this hardware design flaw.

Given the discrepancy between Consumer Reports’ explanation of the reception problem and the explanation provided by Apple in its July 2 letter to customers, I am concerned that the nearly two million purchasers of the iPhone 4 may not have complete information about the quality of the product they have purchased. The burden for consumers caused by this glitch, combined with the confusion over its cause and how it will be fixed, has the potential to undermine the many benefits of this innovative device. To address this concern, 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. The solutions offered to date by Apple for dealing with the so-called “death grip” malfunction-such as holding the device differently, or buying a cover for it-seem to be insufficient. These proposed solutions would unfairly place the burden on consumers for resolving a problem they were not aware of when they purchased their phones.

I also encourage Apple to keep its promise to provide free software updates so that bars displayed accurately reflect signal strength; I further urge Apple to issue a written explanation of the formula it uses to calculate bar strength, so that consumers can once again trust the product that they have invested in.

I look forward to Apple’s swift action on this matter, and once again laud Apple for its innovative efforts and service to millions of Americans.

Sincerely,
Charles E. Schumer”

This guy really takes the cake.  After reading this all I can think of is an election year is coming, and this guy wants to look hip to his constitutes.  I love how Schumer cites Consumer Reports.  Really, did he even read the report, or did one of his assistants paraphrase key points, and the Senator just ran with it?  Let’s move on.  The good Senator then proclaims that he wants Apple to remedy the situation for free.  The only thing I can think of is that he wants Apple to give us all Bumpers, or recall two million iPhone 4s.  Schumer continues along the same vein when he states, and I quote, “I also encourage Apple to keep its promise to provide free software updates so that bars displayed accurately reflect signal strength…”  WOW!!!  Senator, if you even understood one iota of how Apple has been doing iPhone updates, you would realize that all iPhone updates have and continue to be free.  Why would Apple charge for an iPhone update?  This one statement proves that the Senator has no idea what he’s talking about, and renders his point moot.

I think there are bigger issues going on in the US right now that could use the Senator’s attention rather than an issue with a phone.  He should focus his attention where it is truly needed, not for nonsense like this.  As I write this I have just finished updating my iPhone 4 from firmware version 4.0 to 4.0.1, and I continue to have no issues.  In addition, I did this free of charge, compliments of Apple.  This should make the Senator feel better.  For every complaint I hear or read about, I also hear or read about how other people’s iPhone 4s are not having any issues.  These issues are relegated to a small few, who seem to be very vocal and are making a mountain out of a mole hill.

Photo Credit: Senator Schumer holding a press conference with the families of Flight 3407 in the Senate Rules Committee hearing room (05/18/2010)

Article Via Boy Genius Report

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John Brownlee of Cult of Mac goes on to cite a Jawbone forum response from one of their spokespeople:

“We are aware of and concerned with the user frustration surrounding the issues affecting all Bluetooth devices (headsets, car kits, and speakers) connecting to the iPhone 4 and iOS4 updated phones. We know users have come to expect the freedom of hands-free and we are working night and day with our partners, Apple and AT&T, to resolve the issues as quickly as possible.”

This is yet another issue I am not experiencing with my iPhone 4.  I actually have improved Bluetooth performance over my iPhone 3G.  With my iPhone 3G I could only have one Bluetooth device as an audio source.  However, with my iPhone 4 I can have my Samsung WEP490 earpiece as well as my Prius’ Bluetooth running simultaneously on my iPhone 4.  In addition, I can pick up or make a call from either my car’s Bluetooth, or my Samsung earpiece.  On two occasions I did have my call automatically switch from my Prius’ Bluetooth to my Samsung earpiece, but that’s it, no other issues.

With iOS 4.1 coming out, let’s hope it resolves this issue for those who are having an issue.  Are you having an issue with your iOS 4 device and Bluetooth?  If you are, we would love to hear from you.  Even if you are not experiencing this issue, we would still love to hear you thoughts about it.

Photo Credit: iphone bluetooth headset

Article Via Cult of Mac

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Personally, I have not had an issue with the antenna that everyone is up in arms about.  Let me elaborate my point.  In strong signal areas I can hold my iPhone 4 with the “death grip” for two minutes before my bars drop, and when they do, they only drop by a few bars.  In moderate to low signal areas my iPhone 4 bars do drop off.  When this happens, I simply loosen my grip, and voilà, the bars move back up.  This has all been done without a case or a Bumper.  With this said, I have better reception and significantly less dropped calls with my iPhone 4 than I did with my iPhone 3G.  In areas where I normally would drop a call while driving, I no longer drop calls.  I have also seen in areas where I could not hold a 3G signal with my iPhone 3G, I now can with my iPhone 4.  None of my tests are scientific, nor do I claim them to be.  These are simply my observations from my experiences.

So, I wanted to find someone who knows a little more about radio antennas and the like.  I trolled the Internet and I came across a personal blog post by Bob Egan titled “Viewpoints by Bob Egan“.  Bob Egan has worked as an electromagnetic engineer in this field.  He has some insightful points on why Consumer Reports tests are not truly scientific.  Here is what he has to say on this:

“Consumer reports “RF” engineers should know better than to think they can run an engineering grade test for an issue like this in a shielded room. And certainly not one with people in it.

To even reasonably run a scientific test, the iPhone should have been sitting on a non-metallic pedestal inside an anechoic chamber. The base station simulator should have been also sitting outside the chamber and had a calibrated antenna plumbed to it from inside the chamber.

I have not seen (update: i have seen the full video since yesterday afternoon) CR’s claim directly that the finger effect reduces the iPhones sensitivity by 20db as reported elsewhere, but unless CR connected to a functional point inside the iPhone that number is fantasy. Even the way they seem to have tested the change – by varying the base station simulator levels – seems to assume the iPhone receiver and/or transmitter operate in a linear fashion (the same way) across all signal strengths – bad assumption.

Bottom line. From what I can see in the reports, Consumer Reports replicated the same uncontrolled, unscientific experiments that many of the blogging sites have done.”

This is the what I’ve been wanting to read — a second opinion.  For some people Consumer Reports is an end all.  They choose not to look at other sources, and for them that is good enough, but not for me.  That’s why I wanted another opinion.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to bash Consumer Reports in any way.  I just don’t think people should take what is spoon-fed to them and run with it.

Moreover, you can say that Apple is doing the same thing, and you would be right.  First they said we’re holding the phone wrong.  Then they said that it’s a software issue with the signal bars, which will be resolved with a firmware update due out soon.  That is why I take what comes from Cupertino with a grain of salt, and I’m waiting to see what fix they will be coming out with.  Has Apple handled this whole situation very well?  No, they have not.  Is Apple trying to resolve the issue, or simply blow their customers off?  I feel they are doing the former, while others feel that they are doing the latter.  Should Apple be giving out the $29.00 Bumpers for free?  In my opinion they should.  This would go a long way for most people.  I purchased two bumpers, one for my wife’s iPhone 4, and one for mine.  Not to fix the antenna issue, but to give our iPhone 4’s a little more protection.

One last subject I want to touch on is the class action lawsuit over the antenna issue.  Let’s all be honest here. The only people that will truly benefit from this lawsuit are the lawyers.  They are the ones who will be raking in the dough, while you and I will get a gift card or some other minor compensation.  Let’s stop all this nonsense, and see what Apple is going to do.  If you’ve purchased an iPhone 4 and you are truly this unhappy with it, return it. It’s that simple.  If you haven’t bought it yet, wait.  See what happens next.  Finally, if you’re on the fence, then you probably really didn’t want one in the first place.

Photo Credit: iPhone 4 Bumper

Article Via Viewpoints by Bob Egan

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Smile

I can definitely see me doing this with my daughter.  Actually she would be the one telling me to smile, because I would be crying after seeing the bill for her braces.

Big News

Now if we had this nine and a half years ago, I could see us using something like this.  Come to think of it my wife would have wanted to tell me in person.

Meet Her

This is a great way for family to see your child after they are born.  This would have been nice for my relatives that are out of state to see my daughter and son after they were born.  I’m going to be an Uncle in a couple of months, and I would love to see my new nephew over FaceTime.

Haircut

To be honest I don’t have one for this, so you can add your input on this one.

What to you think of these ads?  Do you feel that they are targeted towards you?  Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.  Personally I would like to use FaceTime over 3G as well.  I’m not always near a Wi-Fi hotspot, AT&T.

Photo Credit: FaceTime (main)

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I asked the Genius whether I would get a new or refurbished Time Capsule if it had to be replaced.  He said that Apple will replace it with a new one.  He also stated that Apple generally will not reissue the Time Capsules as a refurb.  I guess I’ll find that out if and when I have to have my Time Capsule replaced.  With that said, I’m going to be backing up my sensitive data to be on the safe side, just in case my Time Capsule decides to go south.

Has anyone encountered the same type of response from Apple?  If so, let us know by leaving a comment below.

Photo Credit: Apple Genius @ SF Apple Store

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Symptoms

Some Time Capsules sold between approximately February 2008 and June 2008 may not power on or may shut down unexpectedly after starting up.

Products Affected

Time Capsule

Resolution

Affected Time Capsule models
Some Time Capsules with serial numbers in the following range may be affected:
XX807XXXXXX – XX814XXXXXX

How to find the serial number on your Time Capsule.

If your Time Capsule falls within the serial number range above and it does not power on or shuts down unexpectedly after starting up, it may be eligible for repair or replacement.

Contact the Apple representative most convenient for you:

• Apple Authorized Service Provider. Find one here.
• Apple Retail Store. Set up an appointment with a Genius (available in some countries only).
• Apple Contact Center. Find the phone number for your region.

If Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider confirms that your Time Capsule is affected, Apple will repair or replace it free of charge.

Note: If you need to retain the data that is on your affected Time Capsule, Apple provides options depending upon where you live.

If you live in the U.S. or Japan and want to retain the data on the affected Time Capsule, contact Apple to arrange for mail-in service.   Turnaround time for mail-in service will be 3 to 5 days.

In all other countries, an Apple Retail Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) can transfer your data from the affected Time Capsule to a replacement Time Capsule if desired. Your Retail or AASP representative can provide specific turnaround times for this service.

If you believe that you paid for a repair or replacement Time Capsule due to this issue, contact Apple regarding a refund.

As always, Apple recommends that you back up your data. Learn more about other back up options while you are without your Time Capsule. Apple is not responsible for data loss.

This program covers affected Time Capsule models for 3 years from their original date of purchase. Apple will continue to evaluate the service data and will provide further updates to the program if needed.

I’ll keep everyone apprised of what transpires during my process with Apple.  If anyone else has this same issue, we would love to hear your experience.  Just leave a comment below, and let us know how your service or replacement has gone.

Photo Credit: Apple Time Capsule

Article Via 9to5Mac

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Kim Da-ye of The Korea Times gives us some insight into why Woz likes his iDevices:

“Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, likes his three iPhones and iPad, but not so much the competitors’ Android phones…”

“”First, I liked a lot of things that were built into Android phones. Voice recognition and noise cancellation on my Nexus One phone were great. I still like to speak things. For instance, navigate to John’s hardware store. It gets the wording right – no matter how you say, it works like Google search,” said Wozniak who founded the darling of the technology industry with Steve Jobs, its current CEO, and Ronald Wayne.”

This is what I love about Woz. He will always give you an unbiased opinion on a device. As I mentioned earlier, Woz doesn’t hold an allegiance to any one company or device, so you know when he says he likes something, it is because he genuinely likes it.  Woz goes on to show the similarities between Windows and Android:

“”It’s difficult to find where things are (on Android phones). More and more, I feel like it is more like (Microsoft’s) Windows in which many different hardware vendors have installed different equipment on the same platform. The (Windows’) platform has to be very neutral and cannot be special. That’s the similar problem Android phones have,” he said.”

Woz brings up a very good point in regards to Android paralleling Windows. In my opinion this is why Windows is such a hassle and has so many issues. They try to please everyone, but they don’t focus on what matters, which is making sure that the software is stable and not half-baked. Or, that applications will work on one device and not another.

Bottom line is that companies need to make their products simpler, not more difficult.  As Woz puts it, “…If you look at an Apple product including design and functions, the message it gives your eyes as soon as you see the product is ‘beautiful.’ You pick up some products and there are buttons, buttons, buttons, words and words. It looks ugly, and it tells you it is not human,…”.  That’s what makes Apple’s devices that much more appealing—they have a simple yet intuitive design to them.  Anyone from your two year old child to your 90 year old grandparent will be able to easily and quickly use an Apple device.

Photo Credit: WOZ

Article Via The Korea Times

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Just Another iPad Blog, explains how this nifty glove is used to show others your iPad with just one hand:

“The Apple iPad™ is an amazing device, but for all its beauty and functionality, it’s difficult to hold with one hand for more than a few minutes. Why is that a problem, don’t you use your iPad on your lap or a table? Normally, but what about those times when you’re presenting information to coworkers, giving a presentation with your iPad, showing lab results to a patient, or giving the financial analysis to your boss. In fact, if you use your iPad for work, this accessory is going to make your life easier.

The Onhand X-Band glove for the iPad couldn’t be simpler to use.  Just put it on the iPad, do a quick adjustment to make sure it’s fastened securely, and slip your hand in. Now you’re ready to use your iPad with confidence and without fatigue. The “Hand Free” technology lets you operate the iPad with your other hand while you hold it worry free.”

This is a pretty good accessory for those board presentations, or for small meetings.  Plus you won’t have to worry about dropping it because it’s secured to your hand.  What you think about the X-Band Glove for the iPad? Would you buy one?  Or, is this an accessory you can do without?  Leave a comment below, and let us know what you think.  However, if you are interested in getting one for yourself, you can click here and be taken to the X-Band Glove for the iPad’s site.

Photo Credit: Onhand

Article Via Just Another iPad Blog

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AppleInsider points out the new features, and let me tell you they look really good:

• Beautiful new web application: The Calendar beta includes a new web application at me.com with great-looking calendar views. You’ll find redesigned day, week, and month views, as well as a new list view to make scanning your events easier. Your calendars will also load faster, thanks to improved performance. The new web application works best with Safari 5, Firefox 3.6, and Internet Explorer 8.
• Share calendars with family and friends: You can easily share your calendars with one or more MobileMe members to keep everyone on the same page. For example, create a shared calendar called “Kids” for school and weekend activities. You can allow the person you’re sharing a calendar with to edit events, and set up email notifications to tell you when they make a change.
• Publish a calendar for a group or team: The Calendar beta lets you share a read-only public calendar that can be viewed by anyone, perfect for publishing an events calendar such as a soccer team schedule. After setting it up you can send the team members a link to view the calendar on their iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or PC.
• Event invitations with RSVPs: Inviting any guest to an event is easy from the MobileMe Calendar beta. Just add their email address to the event (they don’t have to be a MobileMe member) and your guests will get an invitation email they can respond to directly by clicking a link. Your event then automatically updates, making it easy to track RSVPs right in your calendar.
• Works on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac: The MobileMe Calendar beta uses the CalDAV standard so you can view and edit your calendars using the built-in calendar applications on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac. Please note that support for PCs with Microsoft Outlook is coming soon.

Finally, I can use the Calendar in MobileMe like I use iCal, which is very exciting. To top it off, I can also use it on my iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. AppleInsider also mentions the requirements for use with your iDevices – “The MobileMe Calendar beta requires users to be running iOS 4 on an iPhone or iPod touch, iOS 3.2 on the iPad, or Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.4.”

Apple keeps on adding value to MobileMe with updates like this.  Wonder what they will be rolling out next?  It’s anyone’s guess at this point. I hope to see Apple integrate their still un-announced music streaming with MobileMe.  Are you a MobileMe user?  If you are, do you like the additions that are being made?  Let us know by leaving a comment in the comments section below.

Photo Credit: Thanks

Article Via AppleInsider

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9to5Mac’s Jonny Evans, gives us the scoop on why Mr. Purple Rain is against the digital revolution:

“The internet’s completely over,” Prince says, “I don’t see why I should give my new music to iTunes or anyone else. They won’t pay me an advance for it and then they get angry when they can’t get it.

“The internet’s like MTV. At one time MTV was hip and suddenly it became outdated. Anyway, all these computers and digital gadgets are no good.”

Well, it sounds like the Internet is a fad because Prince is not happy with the way iTunes and the Internet conducts business. Not sure how that translates into being a fad, but he seems to think it is. Prince goes on to mention how computers and digital gadgets are no good. I think he is still railing from the days when music piracy was big on the Internet. Come to think of it, wasn’t it Apple and its digital gadgets that in large part decreased music piracy online? So in effect what he thinks to be no good essentially stopped people from stealing his Little Red Corvette.

Prince has his reasons for not wanting to sell his music digitally, and he is entitled to his opinions.  However, I can’t remember the last time I bought a physical CD.  I buy all my music either on iTunes or on Amazon MP3.  Some might say, “If your hard drive fails you will loose all of your music.”  That is why I make backups of my media library to prevent that from happening.  So, while Prince is Partying Like it’s 1999 with his CDs; I’ll be rocking out in the 21st Century with my digital downloads.

Photo Credit: ‘The Artists Formerly and Currently Known As Prince’ by Troy Gua

Article Via 9to5Mac

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Below are list of commands for voice dialing, playing music, and additional voice commands.  But before we start with those commands, here is how you initiate Voice Control:

Use Voice Control: Press and hold the Home button until the Voice Control screen appears and you hear a beep. You can also press and hold the center button on the iPhone earphones (or the equivalent button on a Bluetooth headset).

Voice Dialing

• Call someone in contacts

Say “call” or “dial”, then say the name of the person.  If the person has more than one phone number, you can add “home” or “mobile,” for example.

• Dial a number

Say “call” or “dial,” then say the number.

Playing Music

• Control music playback

Say “play,” or “play music.”  To pause, say “pause” or “pause music.”  You can also say “next song” or “previous song.”

• Play an album, artist, or playlist

Say “play” then say “album,” “artist,” or “playlist” and the name.

• Shuffle the current playlist

Say “shuffle.”

• Find out more about the currently playing song

Say “what’s playing,” “what song is this,” “who sings this song,” or “who is this song by.”

• Use Genius to play similar songs

Say “Genius,” “play more like this,” or “play more songs like this.”

Additional Voice Commands

• Find out the current time

Say “what time is it?” or “what is the time?”

• Cancel Voice Control

Say “cancel” or “stop.”

One thing, though: I wish that I wouldn’t be taken out of iPod mode to enter the voice commands.  With that said, I hope you find these voice commands as helpful as I did.

Photo Credit: Apple, Voice Control

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Cult of Mac’s John Brownlee gives us some information on Apple’s new iPhone 4 return policy:

Apple’s response to the ongoing iPhone 4 “death grip” debacle is largely cosmetic, but at the end of the day, Cupertino’s made sure that everyone knows that “if you are not fully satisfied, you can return your undamaged iPhone to any Apple Retail Store or the online Apple Store within 30 days of purchase for a full refund.”

This is excellent news for the people who have been on the fence about purchasing the new iPhone 4.  Now they have a 100% guarantee, without any penalties.  My brother who lives in San Francisco and has terrible AT&T coverage has been debating if he wants to upgrade his iPhone 3G to the iPhone 4, or look elsewhere for a cell provider.  I did tell him how my reception has improved with the iPhone 4’s newly designed antenna in areas where I would normally get dropped calls.  Now he can test drive the iPhone 4, and see if he has improved signal quality.

You might be asking yourself, “If I bought my iPhone 4 at an Authorized Apple Reseller, will I be able to return my iPhone 4 without paying a restocking fee?”  As far as I know, this only applies to the iPhone 4s purchased from the Apple Retail or Online Stores.  You would be wise to consult with the store where you’re buying your iPhone 4 to see if they have the same policy.  If they do, then you’re golden.  If not you might want to think about getting your phone at the Apple Store.

Some might say that Apple is doing this simply as a PR move to make themselves look better.  This might be true, but in my opinion Apple doesn’t have to change their policy.  As I mentioned earlier, Apple is giving us a test drive with the new iPhone 4.  In my book that’s a win for Apple.

Photo Credit: Fifth Avenue Apple Store Visit 5/29/06 -12

Article Via Cult of Mac

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Electronista details what the new Apple TV will be:

“While the NYT wasn’t certain what the product would be, the device is expected to largely be an iPhone 4-sized box with an A4 processor and 16GB of storage that would focus on streaming rather than local caching. Although smaller and just $99, it would be more powerful and could support 1080p video.”

If this is what the hardware and software turns out to be, it will be a welcomed upgrade in my opinion.  The current Apple TV is running a stripped down version of OS X; while it is suitable for what it can currently do, I would like to see it running Apple’s iOS.  As for the storage, I would normally squawk at 16GB, but my Apple TV has 40GB, and I’m only using about 10GB of it.  This new device is meant for streaming and not storage, which leads me to the processor.  The A4 processor is an excellent processor that is in the iPad and now in the iPhone 4.  If it performs half as well as it does on these devices, it will make the current Apple TV look like a G3 Mac.

Is competition from the likes of Sony, Microsoft, and now Google in the living room arena pushing Apple to turn their “hobby” into a strong competitor in this market?  I would have to say yes.  Personally, I am glad that there are these other devices out there that are pushing Apple to get off of their laurels.  Competition is good for everyone, even the consumer.

Photo Credit: Apple TV

Article Via electronista

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They recorded the entire music video for their song “Enemy Eyes” on their iPhone 4; however, they did all the editing on their MacBook Pro i7.  Brandon Smith the lead singer of Anix explains the process they went through to film and edit this music video:

“We filmed this entire video using only one iphone 4, literally minutes after taking it out of the box. All we had were tri-pods that we would tape the phone to or anything we could use to keep the phone steady. The song was recorded using Logic 9, on a MacBook Pro i7. As a disclaimer, this was my first attempt at editing/shooting a video, so if it looks like I have no clue what I am doing, you are right.”

It would have been great if they had also edited the video on the iPhone.  But, iMovie might have been too limiting for them.  Below is the video they shot. Enjoy:

This past Sunday my family and I went to Disneyland, and I tried out the video recording capabilities on my new iPhone 4, and I have to say I am really impressed with the video quality that the iPhone 4 outputs.  I filmed and edited the below 32 second clip on my iPhone 4 using iMovie for the iPhone:

This clip was not uploaded from my iPhone to YouTube.  The clip that was seemed to be grainy and hazy.  Even though I exported the video in 720p from iMovie, it didn’t seem to look as good.  I’m guessing it was using compression and that’s what gave it the grainy look. So, I uploaded it from my Mac to YouTube and the results were better.

Photo Credit: overview-hd

Article Via macenstein

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Multitasking has an imminent downside as you already know.  When you have too many background processes running, your iPhone will tend to be sluggish, plus it will take a toll on the battery.  These two factors will affect the iPhone 3GS more than the iPhone 4; however, there is a simple way to close these running applications.  You will free up memory, and save on battery life.

Follow these few simple steps:

• Press twice on the Home button to reveal your running applications
• Now swipe your finger on the row of applications from right to left to get to the end of the open applications.
• Press and hold on the icon.  The icons will begin to jiggle, and they will have a red circle with a minus in the top left corner of the icon.
• Press the red circle with the minus until all the applications are gone.

That’s it!  Now you have freed up memory on your iPhone as well as conserved the battery life.  You can check in from time to time and perform the above steps if you notice that your iPhone is becoming sluggish.  If all else fails, you can always reboot your iPhone to give it a new spring in its step.

Photo Credit: iPhone Multitarea Multitasking

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Photo Credit: iPhone 4 32GB: First Photo

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I would like to preface the following by telling you that my impression of the iPhone 4 is based off of my experience with the iPhone 3G.  I did not own the iPhone 3GS, so I can’t really compare that to the iPhone 4.

Performance

First off, I just want to say how impressed I am with the performance of the iPhone 4.  Everything is so much faster on the iPhone 4, from websites loading incredible fast, to the apps simply responding with little to no wait time.  A good example of this is the “We Rule” app.  On my iPhone 3G, it could take up to a minute for the app to load, and once it did, it would take forever to move around on the screen.  I also noticed that typing on the iPhone 4 is like typing on the iPad.  It is so responsive with no lag time.

Battery Life

The battery on the iPhone 4 has exceeded my expectations.  On my iPhone 3G, the battery would last till about lunch time, at which time I would have to charge my iPhone 3G so that it would last the rest of the day.  My iPhone 4’s battery by lunch time showed that it still had 70% of the battery remaining.  I know that the iPhone 4’s battery is larger than that of the iPhone 3G, but I will not have to worry that my iPhone will die on me half way through the day.  Since we’re talking about the battery, I would like to now focus on the iPhone 4‘s antennas.

Antennas

Apple has done an excellent job with placing the antennas on the outside of the iPhone 4.  I am getting better 3G signals in places where I got either poor or no 3G signal, which is a plus in my book.  However, since the iPhone 4 launched on Thursday, a lot of people have been complaining of dropped calls when holding the iPhone 4 in their left hand.  Personally, I haven’t experienced the drop call issue.  I noticed in certain weak signal areas when I hold the iPhone 4 in my left hand that my signal will decrease; however, it increases quickly when I move my hand away.  Also, in stronger signal areas, when I hold my iPhone 4 in my left hand and cup the antenna, I get no 3G signal loss at all.  Apparently, Apple will be releasing iOS 4.0.1 as early as Monday to address this issue.  I’ve been reading a lot about this issue, and it appears to be a hit or miss thing.  There are people like me who are not experiencing this issue at the same level as other people are.  In any event, I would be an un-happy camper if I were having these antenna issues.  With that said, let’s move on to the iPhone 4’s cameras.

Camera

The iPhone 4 has two cameras — a rear 5-megapixel still camera as well as a front-facing camera.  The rear camera is a video camera as well.  The one thing that I am very excited about on the iPhone 4 is the same thing that has left me somewhat disappointed.  I’m talking about FaceTime.  I’m excited for the fact that I can make a video call with FaceTime and have some great video quality.  However, I’m disappointed that I have to use Wi-Fi to achieve this.  The initial call is made with your 3G connection, but then it switches to Wi-Fi when you activate FaceTime.  I put the blame for this squarely in AT&T’s lap.  In the past four years they have not been able to keep up with Apple’s iPhone customers’ data needs.  I know if any other cellular company had exclusive rights to the iPhone they would be experiencing the same issues.  However, I feel that they would have done something about it by now.  Anyways, I digress.  I find FaceTime to be a great feature added to the iPhone 4.  I also like the fact that I can record a video from my iPhone 4, and then edit it in iMovie and upload it to MobileMe or YouTube.

I have only had the iPhone 4 for three days, but I am more than pleased with it.  As I said earlier I had the iPhone 3G and it was slow and outdated.  The iPhone 4 is a breathe of fresh air.

Photo Credit: New iPhone 4 Details, Features & Specs

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Cult of Mac’s John Brownlee tells us that a Gizmodo reader named Erica had this same question. She decided to add herself to the list of people who have emailed Steve Jobs with their queries. Below is what transcribed between Erica and Steve Jobs:

“Hey Steve! I just upgraded my iPhone 3G to iOS 4 and was really looking forward to setting a background on my home screen. Guess that’s not happening, but I’d like to know why.

See, I get why you don’t include multitasking. My iPhone gets pretty hot when certain apps run, couldn’t imagine how multitasking would fry my phone.

But the background thing, I don’t see how that would be memory intensive and/or battery draining. It doesn’t seem like that feature needs to be exclusive to the 3GS and 4G.

Jobs’ response:

The icon animation with backgrounds didn’t perform well enough.”

Now this really doesn’t answer the question because jailbroken iPhones are capable of wallpaper.  However, Apple wants to give their customers a device that will perform. Not one that might have issues.

Brownlee further clarifies that wallpaper works on jailbroken broken iPhones:

“Noting that some background wallpaper images can make it hard to see icon text and even icon apps, Apple chose to put a drop shadow for each icon and its label… something Winterboard doesn’t do. Hence the extra overhead.”

So, it’s the drop shadows and not the wallpaper that is causing the issue.  I’m glad that Apple has recognized this to be an issue and has left it out.  This time Apple has chosen function over form.  Usually it’s the other way around.  Have you upgraded your iPhone 3G to iOS 4?  If so, we would like to hear about your experience, be it good or bad.  So drop us a line in the comments section, and let everyone know your iOS upgrade experience.

Photo Credit: Just installed iPhone iOS 4

Article Via Cult of Mac

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Ed Sutherland of Cult of Mac explains how the process will work:

““The voice call ends as soon as the FaceTime call connects,” an Apple representative told Silicon Alley Insider Sunday. Because FaceTime uses Wi-Fi, no carrier minutes will be used.”

It’s great to hear that the FaceTime video call will switch off the voice call and only use the Wi-Fi connection.  It’s also good to know that it won’t use your data plan either , and since new iPhone customers will have limited data, it is good news for them as well.

Apple did say that they are working with the carriers to have FaceTime on the carrier’s network, so that you will not need to use your Wi-Fi network. I can only speak as an AT&T customer when I say, I don’t see that happening in the immediate future. It took AT&T a year to get tethering when the rest of the world had tethering for the iPhone 3GS.  So I think it will be a while before we see this transition.

On a positive note, I am excited about FaceTime.  Apple brought us the future with the iPad and it’s touch interface, and they have done it again with FaceTime.  This will change how we communicate.

Photo Credit: phone-facetime

Article Via Cult of Mac

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