Verizon this weekend stepped up the pressure in its anti-AT&T campaign with three new ads (viewable below). The lead ad, "Misfit Toys," attacks the iPhone's attachment to AT&T and says it belongs on Rudolph's Island of Misfit Toys for running on a network with relatively low 3G coverage. Unlike the recent Droid ads, the new commercials take care to praise the phone but attack the network, suggesting Verizon is backing away from direct criticism of Apple.
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Genius' EasyPen i405 tablet promises to undercut the mainstream in tablets by offering a substantial number of drawing features attached to a reasonable price tag. However, can it compare to the user experience of industry titans like Wacom, whose businesses revolve almost exclusively around pen input? We take a look in our review.
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Apple in a rare weekend update released Apple TV 3.0.1. The firmware upgrade, accompanied by a support document, mends a flaw which made music, video and other content from "disappearing" until the Apple TV next syncs with its host iTunes computer. The company urges customers to apply the update "immediately" and suggests rebooting the Apple TV followed by checking for an update in the Settings menu.
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Venturing into Sonos' world has historically been expensive and partly redundant: listeners have usually needed at least two pieces of equipment, and it isn't at all uncommon to see setups that cost over $1,000. The ZonePlayer S5 aims to fix this with a single-piece $399 speaker and receiver that relies on what you already have -- such as a computer or an iPod touch -- to provide its multi-room audio. Our full S5 review will let you know whether the drop in cost is a better bargain.
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Sat November 7, 2009 | Posted in: iPod, iPhone, gaming
id Software co-founder John Carmack has described working with Apple as a "rollercoaster ride" in a new interview, arguing that Apple executives are not happy with the increasing popularity of the iPhone and iPod touch as a gaming platform. Carmack -- responsible for Doom, Quake and other titles -- has spent several years working with Apple in order to get games such as Doom Classic onto the App Store.
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In spite of the relative newness of the Magic Mouse, some complaints have begun emerging on Apple's support forums. Anticipated drag and swipe functions are sometimes said to be failing, leaving only regular click commands available. When the special wireless mouse software is applied, a Mac may still fail to detect a Magic Mouse.
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An analyst report sent today hints at Apple producing an iPhone that would work with both GSM and CDMA networks. The OTR Global note obtained by AppleInsider claims to know of an iPhone in development with a hybrid Qualcomm chipset that will support the two normally incompatible standards. It would support UMTS-based 3G on carriers like AT&T and would presumably support EVDO-based 3G on Verizon and similar CDMA carriers.
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Radio Shack in a terse notice today said it would begin selling the iPhone 3G and 3GS in its retail stores later this month. The initial rollout is small and will be limited to certain company-run stores in the Dallas/Fort Worth area as well as in New York City. Expansion to all of its stores isn't expected until 2010.
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LaCie is without a doubt best known for its hard drives and other storage solutions, many of which are often particularly good-looking. The company's new Sound2 Speakers could also be described in just such a way. Shaped by French designer Neil Poulton and engineered by Cabasse, a French loud speaker manufacturer, the design comes across as a French supermodel. But does that mean the design is strictly superficial? Our Sound2 review finds an answer.
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Jumsoft has released Aperture Themes 2.0, a package of ten new themes for Apple's photography software. The new content adds to the six themes available in the previous v1.0 bundle. The styles are geared toward creating web galleries with photos via Aperture. Each of the 16 themes has up to ten different layouts for a total of 51 designs.
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Fri November 6, 2009 | Posted in: Apple
An Italian computer maker is the latest company to ignore Apple's Mac OS X license agreement and launch a new series of Mac clones, according to the Italian site Macity. The startup Engineering Project recently launched a site promoting its upcoming EVO computers, which are allegedly compatible with several platforms including Mac OS X.
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Fri November 6, 2009 | Posted in: audio, iPhone apps
Sonos has released an update to its Controller app for the iPhone and iPod touch. Version 3.1 adds the ability to send Twitter updates with information regarding the current track. The interface has been refined, with new icons and logos on the Music Menu and a simplified layout. Users are also able to control the company's latest ZonePlayer S5 all-in-one device.
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Verizon late Thursday confirmed that it would add tethering to the Motorola Droid but clarified its plans. Contradicting a prior statement, it now says tethering when ready will cost $30 in addition to the phone's existing voice and data plans. It will also have a 5GB bandwidth cap before overage fees begin, though the tethering rate will be separate from the Droid's regular data.
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Vers, a company specializing in handcrafted wood, has added new open-front Shellcases to its product line. The cases allow full access to the display of an iPhone or iPod. Models are available in walnut, cherry and bamboo, and have their corners reinforced with steel pins in order to enhance the wood's resistance to impacts.
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Fri November 6, 2009 | Posted in: computers, industry
A new development by partly government-backed Fluidic Energy could potentially extend the battery life of notebooks, cars and other devices well beyond existing lithium-ion cells. Known as Metal-Air Ionic Liquid (MAIL), it would improve energy storage beyond relatively efficient zinc-air batteries by using an ionic liquid salt to conduct electricity that is much more stable and isn't prone to drying out either by accident or by eventual decay. The move would let battery makers use metals denser than zinc and therefore hold a much larger charge in a given volume.
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Fri November 6, 2009 | Posted in: iPhone, accessories
Quirky has announced a new addition to its line of iPhone 3G and 3GS accessories, the Beamer. The case features a hard plastic outer shell, and a two-piece design, requiring owners to remove the base before inserting an iPhone. Giving the case its name is an LED light, which can be used either as camera flash or a standalone light. A button triggers three different functions: 10-second lighting, constant light, or simply shutting off.
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