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| iPhone 4S with Steve Jobs |
Showing posts with label iPhone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label iPhone. Show all posts
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Apple iPhone 4S Preorders a Hit, Pushing Delivery Dates Back
Thursday, May 5, 2011
iPad 3 Feature Details: To Offer 3D Display?
It’s never too early to start iPad 3 rumors. The general assumption is that it will not release until next year. Since iPhone 5‘s release date is delayed, who knows if the next iPad will release this year? RCR Wireless (via Macrumors) is reporting it will offer 3D display!“The fact that the iPad 3 is 3D is a dead cert, one Hollywood insider close to the big movie studios told RCR, adding that the screen would be the real magic. She went on to say that the big film studios were currently running around like blue arsed flies trying to gear up to release plenty of 3D content in time for Apple’s next launch.”
Considering the next iPad would be iPad 3, wouldn’t it timely to offer 3D and call it iPad 3D instead? This is Apple’s response to the fast surging 3D market. And no, this isn’t a response to the 3DS which pretty much bombed.
3D would be really awesome on the iPad since the screen size is a lot bigger than the 3DS. The effects would be much improved. How about you? What do you think of iPad 3D?
Sunday, April 24, 2011
IPhone, Android location-logging feature sparks privacy concerns
Revelations about how Apple iPhones and Google Android phones keep precise track of each user's whereabouts every day is sending shock waves through the tech and privacy communities.
Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., and Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass.,sent separate letters late last week to Apple CEO Steve Jobs asking him to supply details about how and why iPhones and iPads compile and store detailed time-stamped logs of each user's location.
And Markey on Saturday called for a formal congressional investigation of both Apple and Google. "Unprotected personal location information could be a treasure trove for troublemakers," says Markey.
The letters to Jobs came after two British researchers, Alasdair Allan and Pete Warden, revealed their discovery of a location-logging mechanism quietly introduced by Apple for iPhones and iPads in early- to mid-2010.
On Friday, Google came under scrutiny. The Guardian disclosed the existence of a similar location-logging feature on Android phones, a discovery made by a Swiss researcher, Magnus Eriksson; and the Wall Street Journal verified evidence gathered by Los Angeles-based researcher Samy Kamkar, showing how most Android phones worldwide have been actively sending GPS location coordinates, as well as the coordinates of any nearby WiFi networks, back to Google for at least the past six months.
Apple did not respond to interview requests. Google's senior manager of public affais, Chris Gaither, said the company is not doing interviews. Instead, the search giant issued a brief statement confirming that location data is being transmitted back to Google servers but asserting that it refrains from tracing such data to specific individuals.
Meanwhile, the tech and privacy communities are abuzz with discussions. One big risk for Apple patrons is ifyour iPhone or iPad is lost or stolen, says IDC applications development analyst Al Hilwa. "It makes it super easy to come up with schemes to spy on users, such as people spying on spouses or bosses spying on employees," says Hilwa.
Apple and Google are in an intense competition to dominate one of tech's hottest new sectors: services pivoting around knowing the precise location of the consumer. Revenue derived from so-called location-based services are expected to swell to $8.3 billion by 2014, up from $2.6 billion in 2010, according to tech industry research firm, Gartner.
Allan, the British researcher, last week stumbled upon a file stored on the hard drive of his MacBook laptop containing 29,000 time-stamped locations—a log of everywhere he had traveled in the previous 300 days. The file originated on his iPhone and was automatically copied to his laptop when he synced the two devices.
Alan's research partner, Warden, created a software application that plots the time-stamped location data on an interactive map. The application is simple to download and free to use by any Mac owner. Warden is working on a version for people who sync iPhones to Windows PCs.
"We don't know exactly what triggers the logging," says Warden. "We see logging happening with intervals as frequent as every couple of minutes to much longer, and we don't know what the pattern is."
It is not clear whether Apple intends to somehow make this data available to location-based marketeers. Location data is being increasingly used to personalize online ads, to help parents keep track of their teens, and to help prevent mobile payment scams, says Chenxi Wang, cybersecurity analyst at Forrester Research.
"None of these scenarios justify storing a year's worth of location data," says Wang. "It continues to surprise me how companies always elect the privacy-invasive features as default."
Kankar, the Los Angeles researcher, says he has discovered that all recently purchased Android phones are set up to continually report specific GPS coordinates as well as the coordinates of WiFi networks in nearby homes and businesses back to Google.
He says Google can correlate timing and frequency of phone usage to pinpoint an Android owner's home address. "If your phone is at the same location during night hours, they know where you live," says Kankar. "If your phone location is on the move, they can guess that you're in a car and even calculate how fast your car is moving."
Kankar says Android handsets also continually track coordinates of any nearby WiFi systems, even those that are encrypted. "If you have an Android phone, Google knows where you are," says Kankar. "Even if you don't own an Android phone, but your neighbor does, Google can triangulate who you are by tracking your wireless network."
The only way to disable such tracking by your Android phone is to disable the GPS and Wireless functions, he says.
But most people, especially those under 30, aren't apt to disable cutting-edge features, says Fran Maier, president of TRUSTe, which certifies website privacy programs.
On Wednesday, TRUSTe plans to release survey results showing 44% of 18- to 20-year-olds say they feel secure and in control when using their mobile devices. "Privacy is a big deal now, even among younger people," says Maier. "But they believe they're smarter and more adept at managing their information than older people."
Even so, Sen. Franken notes in his letter to Jobs that "there are numerous ways" location data "can be abused by criminals and bad actors." And Rep. Markey asks Jobs if he is concerned about how the "wide array of precise location data logged by these devices can be used to track minors, exposing them to potential harm."
Tech analysts and privacy experts say Google is likely to face similar questions. "There appears to be this enormous industry operating behind closed doors with business models premised on the collection of massive amounts of detailed information," says Hilwa. "Only governmental regulatory bodies can inject sanity back into this state of affairs."
Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., and Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass.,sent separate letters late last week to Apple CEO Steve Jobs asking him to supply details about how and why iPhones and iPads compile and store detailed time-stamped logs of each user's location.
And Markey on Saturday called for a formal congressional investigation of both Apple and Google. "Unprotected personal location information could be a treasure trove for troublemakers," says Markey.
The letters to Jobs came after two British researchers, Alasdair Allan and Pete Warden, revealed their discovery of a location-logging mechanism quietly introduced by Apple for iPhones and iPads in early- to mid-2010.
On Friday, Google came under scrutiny. The Guardian disclosed the existence of a similar location-logging feature on Android phones, a discovery made by a Swiss researcher, Magnus Eriksson; and the Wall Street Journal verified evidence gathered by Los Angeles-based researcher Samy Kamkar, showing how most Android phones worldwide have been actively sending GPS location coordinates, as well as the coordinates of any nearby WiFi networks, back to Google for at least the past six months.
Apple did not respond to interview requests. Google's senior manager of public affais, Chris Gaither, said the company is not doing interviews. Instead, the search giant issued a brief statement confirming that location data is being transmitted back to Google servers but asserting that it refrains from tracing such data to specific individuals.
Meanwhile, the tech and privacy communities are abuzz with discussions. One big risk for Apple patrons is ifyour iPhone or iPad is lost or stolen, says IDC applications development analyst Al Hilwa. "It makes it super easy to come up with schemes to spy on users, such as people spying on spouses or bosses spying on employees," says Hilwa.
Apple and Google are in an intense competition to dominate one of tech's hottest new sectors: services pivoting around knowing the precise location of the consumer. Revenue derived from so-called location-based services are expected to swell to $8.3 billion by 2014, up from $2.6 billion in 2010, according to tech industry research firm, Gartner.
Allan, the British researcher, last week stumbled upon a file stored on the hard drive of his MacBook laptop containing 29,000 time-stamped locations—a log of everywhere he had traveled in the previous 300 days. The file originated on his iPhone and was automatically copied to his laptop when he synced the two devices.
Alan's research partner, Warden, created a software application that plots the time-stamped location data on an interactive map. The application is simple to download and free to use by any Mac owner. Warden is working on a version for people who sync iPhones to Windows PCs.
"We don't know exactly what triggers the logging," says Warden. "We see logging happening with intervals as frequent as every couple of minutes to much longer, and we don't know what the pattern is."
It is not clear whether Apple intends to somehow make this data available to location-based marketeers. Location data is being increasingly used to personalize online ads, to help parents keep track of their teens, and to help prevent mobile payment scams, says Chenxi Wang, cybersecurity analyst at Forrester Research.
"None of these scenarios justify storing a year's worth of location data," says Wang. "It continues to surprise me how companies always elect the privacy-invasive features as default."
Kankar, the Los Angeles researcher, says he has discovered that all recently purchased Android phones are set up to continually report specific GPS coordinates as well as the coordinates of WiFi networks in nearby homes and businesses back to Google.
He says Google can correlate timing and frequency of phone usage to pinpoint an Android owner's home address. "If your phone is at the same location during night hours, they know where you live," says Kankar. "If your phone location is on the move, they can guess that you're in a car and even calculate how fast your car is moving."
Kankar says Android handsets also continually track coordinates of any nearby WiFi systems, even those that are encrypted. "If you have an Android phone, Google knows where you are," says Kankar. "Even if you don't own an Android phone, but your neighbor does, Google can triangulate who you are by tracking your wireless network."
The only way to disable such tracking by your Android phone is to disable the GPS and Wireless functions, he says.
But most people, especially those under 30, aren't apt to disable cutting-edge features, says Fran Maier, president of TRUSTe, which certifies website privacy programs.
On Wednesday, TRUSTe plans to release survey results showing 44% of 18- to 20-year-olds say they feel secure and in control when using their mobile devices. "Privacy is a big deal now, even among younger people," says Maier. "But they believe they're smarter and more adept at managing their information than older people."
Even so, Sen. Franken notes in his letter to Jobs that "there are numerous ways" location data "can be abused by criminals and bad actors." And Rep. Markey asks Jobs if he is concerned about how the "wide array of precise location data logged by these devices can be used to track minors, exposing them to potential harm."
Tech analysts and privacy experts say Google is likely to face similar questions. "There appears to be this enormous industry operating behind closed doors with business models premised on the collection of massive amounts of detailed information," says Hilwa. "Only governmental regulatory bodies can inject sanity back into this state of affairs."
Friday, April 15, 2011
iOS 4.2.7 For CDMA Verizon iPhone 4 Released
If you have previously used Greenpois0n RC5.4 to jailbreak iOS 4.2.6 on Verizon iPhone 4 , then we highly recommend you to STAY AWAY from this update until further notice.
We will be updating you more on Verizon iPhone 4 jailbreak on latest iOS 4.2.7 firmware. Stay tuned!
We will be covering iOS 4.3.2 and iOS 4.2.7 jailbreak as soon as it is released. Hopefully there will be a tethered version of jailbreak available soon.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Why 3-D Smartphones Are the Best Bet for 3-D Adoption
The display
Portability is one of the most important considerations. While 3-D content would look better on a large screen, people can't carry their 3-D TVs around with them. Passing the time on a boring plane ride with a 3-D movie is one of the perks of a 3-D smartphone.
It also widens the customer base because those who would have said they don't have time at home to watch a 3-D movie might want to stream a 3-D show to their phone while traveling.
But there's an even more important benefit to the 3-D smartphone displays: They don't require 3-D glasses. The glasses for 3-D TVs are expensive (many over $100 each), require batteries and are usually not numerous enough for an entire family. The 3-D smartphone bypasses every one of these problems by negating the need for glasses and making the viewing experience personal.
It's not a perfect solution. The screens on the two major 3-D smartphones – the HTC EVO 3D and the LG Optimus 3D – use parallax technology, which has certain flaws. For instance, the screens must be viewed straight on; turning them even a single degree distorts the image. However, these flaws are a relatively minor concern. It's far easier to turn your wrist a bit to adjust the viewing angle than it is to search the couch cushions to find that second pair of 3-D glasses.
The price
Currently, 3-D TVs are very expensive, costing thousands of dollars — and that's before you buy the 3-D Blu-ray player and the extra glasses. 3-D smartphones, on the other hand, will be subsidized by carriers, just like any other phone, making them much cheaper alternatives. There's also no need for disc players and DVRs because of the next point.
The content
A phone's mobile network provides an automatic content delivery system. Movies and shows can be purchased for download or rented for streaming with relative ease, and users don't have to be sitting in their living room either.
For now, there is still very little content for 3-D mobile devices, though that will likely change. Sprint representatives at CTIA indicated the carrier plans to create a content portal for the HTC EVO 3D, and T-Mobile will likely do the same for the LG Optimus 3D. If there is enough content available soon after launch, consumers will flock to it because of the ease of finding and playing movies and TV shows.
The camera
Both the EVO 3D and the Optimus 3D have dual cameras that allow the user to shoot their own 3-D images and video. And the 3-D display lets them view it instantly. As long as the cameras work well (all indications are positive so far) then 3-D phones offer the full package: the ability to not only view but create 3-D content. 3-D TVs can't do that.
Of course, there are 3-D camcorders reaching the market, but they are inferior to 3-D smartphones because of the next point.
The price/functionality quotientThe biggest benefit of getting 3-D media through a smartphone is that the device does so many other things as well. The screen may be smaller, but you're getting far more functionality for a cheaper price: phone calls, texting, Internet browsing, hundreds of thousands of apps, FM radio and more.
While there are different implementations of these features in some new Internet-connected TVs, the interface is invariably clunkier and less fully featured than what you find in a simple 3-D smartphone. For this reason alone, 3-D content makers have a better chance of selling their products because people will likely have a 3-D-capable smartphone sooner than an everything-capable 3-D TV.
It may still take a while
While the benefits of 3-D smartphones are obvious, they may remain a rarity for a while. It's still unclear if people are truly interested in 3-D content, regardless of whether or not it requires glasses. The available 3-D content will need to multiply exponentially, and the parallax screens could be further refined. But if anything can inspire 3-D adoption among American consumers, the new 3-D smartphones can.
Addiction: Most People Can’t Function Without Their Smartphones
“We expect that Nokia’s smartphone portfolio will make further significant market share losses during 2011 and 2012 until it has completed its adoption of Microsoft’s Windows Phone software as its new primary software platform for smartphones” said Standard & Poor’s credit analyst, Matthias Raab.
Listen, I love my smartphone too, and I spend way too much time on it as I’m sure you do as well, but I think it’s important to know the difference between what can be done on your mobile device and what should be handled on a good old-fashioned desktop.If you want a larger display, go play on your computer, or go buy a tablet. I agree that it’s beneficial to be able to handle tasks on-the-go, or watch TV when you’re waiting in the doctor’s office, but the line has to be drawn somewhere.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Windows Phone 7 To Overtake iPhone by 2015
Apple's iPhone andits iOS system will have roughly the same market share they currently own at just over 15%. The presumed increase will come as the IDC surmises that Symbian owners, who represent just over 20% of the market today compared to WP 7's 5%, will happily convert to the Windows platform, leading to Symbian's demise.
Android is poised to take over this year as more and more popular phone's utilize its operating system. It's predicted to ascend to 40% market share this year, so the projected figures aren't that crazy.
It's just Microsoft's market expanding that much seems ridiculous at thispoint. The sales have been underwhelming and updates have been botched so unless they increase the quality and service of their phone, it's going to go the same direction that the iPod killing Zune went. There's a reason it's not taking over at thismoment and besides an assumption that Symbian will fall down, there's no reason to assume Microsoft's phone will takeover.
Most people will probably goto Android as it continues its takeover from the biggest and most user friendly company, Google. Apple and Google specializein service while Microsoft botches updates.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Iphone 5 : what's new
Another day, another iPhone 5 rumor. This time it comes from the China Times ( translated ), which is claiming that a prototype of Apple's next iPhone is already in the trial stages of production and will be packing a slightly larger screen, a Near Field Communications (NFC) chip, an A5 processor, and a tweaked antenna design that will combat attenuation when it arrives later this year.
The news, which was picked up by GadgetsDNA , comes following months of on-again, off-again news that Apple is exploring NFC in its products, with a larger goal of building out a payment network that will let consumers use their phones to pay for purchases at retail locations. Competitors like Google have already begun supporting NFC in the Android OS, with hardware makers like Samsung and Nokia having shipped NFC-enabled devices. Meanwhile, the payment tools that will find a place at retailers are being readied.
Guesses that Apple intended to drop an A5 processor into the next iPhone began almost as soon as the chip was introduced with the unveiling of the iPad 2 at the beginning of this month. Shortly following the release of iOS 4.3, crafty code sniffers were also able to find mentions of the processor as part of the build for a yet-to-be-announced device in the iPhone family.
This is also not the first time there have been murmurs about a new antenna design. Readers might remember the iPhone 4 antenna became the center of attention shortly following the phone's release, after a number of tests confirmed that signal strength could be affected by gripping the phone. Apple responded by holding an event to share data about the issue and demos of it happening to other smartphones, as well as to announce a program that would provide iPhone 4 buyers with a free case, or a return of the device. The company then made slight tweaks to the exterior, wraparound antenna between the GSM and CDMA versions of the iPhone; expectations remain that the design for the next iPhone will continue that trend.
As for the larger screen, the China Times report builds on a story in Digitimes from mid-February claiming that the iPhone 5 would sport a 4-inch screen, adding a half inch to the existing 3.5-inch display that has remained constant throughout all four generations of the iPhone. The validity of this rumor was further strengthened a few weeks later, with a purported 4-inch screen part showing up on a Chinese reseller's Apple parts site.
Along with the iPhone 5 rumors, the China Times also adds that Foxconn parent company Hon Hai Precision Industry plans to expand its operations into Sao Paulo, Brazil, specifically for the creation of products for Apple. That facility is said to be opening in 2013. The closer proximity to the U.S. could make for a significant change in shipping of products to the States and South American countries, as well as help keep up with some of the demand for products like the iPad 2, for which Apple now lists a lead time of 4 to 5 weeks for new orders.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Seven Things that make me Grumpy
I kinda volunteered for this - so my usual grumpy complaining about getting a Meme and insults for the giver of said meme will have to be left out of this one.
Anyhoo ..Elle at Defective Tykewriter has asked me what are the seven things that make grumpy...
Well - where to start...?
Anyhoo ..Elle at Defective Tykewriter has asked me what are the seven things that make grumpy...
Well - where to start...?
- Being trapped in a stupid phone contract whilst all around me (including my husband) get android/iPhones. I want one NOW, my phone is rubbish and has been for ages, but stupid contract provider would not change without huge costs (yeah, I know I signed the contract etc...but we all make mistakes). Roll on the 22nd May. My iPhone calleth me.
- My husband teaching our daughters boy things. For example farting with your armpit & paper planes. Don't get me wrong, I like a paper planes but I seem to be the only person in this house able to pick them up. Also, the rather weak claim that he is teaching them 'physics' is rubbish. Lets not fancy up a paper plane. A paper plane is a paper plane is a paper plane.
- Back to picking things up. Socks. Little socks. Everywhere. Why oh why oh why oh why do my three year old and seven year old not need socks the minute they walk in the house and just take them off and leave them ..WHY...??????
- Music snobs, people who look down their nose at you if you dare to like something mainstream. My iPod has a real mixture on, from Marilyn Manson to Brittany Spears, some hardcore house to The Damned. If I like it, I listen to it. If I don't I don't. Get off your high horses and get over yourselves.
- The same applies to the telly. I like Big Brother, but I don't like/get I am a Celebrity get me out of here, but I don't think any less of the people who watch it. I don't watch soaps but I like geeky Sci Fi stuff. Similarly, people who say..oh I don't have time for TV, that's fine but don't think less of me because I do - and yet surprisingly I can read a book too.
- The BNP. I am all for freedom of speech but come on...really. Where did all the people on this Island called Great Britain come from? Everywhere else. Thats all.
- My brain makes me grumpy. I used to be an optimist and glass half full - now look at me. I thought of this list without even trying - I haven't mentioned anything about ageing and all the physical ailments that go with it, I also totally agree re:texting on Elle's post, it really annoy's me, use prescriptive text for God's sake. I want my brain to be back in my twenties when I was full of hope and positivity.
I am going to pass the joy of the Grumpy meme to anyone who wants to give it a go. It's quite cathartic and I might do another 7 just for the heck of it.
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