SuperSite Blog : iPhone

iPhone Apps Store has 2 billionth download

pthurrott — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:46:28 GMT

It's hard to overstate how successful the iPhone Apps Store is. Check out the latest figures from Apple:

Apple today announced that more than two billion apps have been downloaded from its revolutionary App Store, the largest applications store in the world. There are now more than 85,000 apps available to the more than 50 million iPhone and iPod touch customers worldwide and over 125,000 developers in Apple’s iPhone Developer Program.

"The rate of App Store downloads continues to accelerate with users downloading a staggering two billion apps in just over a year, including more than half a billion apps this quarter alone," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "The App Store has reinvented what you can do with a mobile handheld device, and our users are clearly loving it."

And I want to highlight this little fact (see the bolded bit) because I think it speaks to the single greatest weakness in the Zune platform:

Today, iPhone and iPod touch customers in 77 countries worldwide can choose from an incredible range of apps in 20 categories, including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel.

77 countries. Yikes.

AT&T enters 21st century, adds MMS to iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS

pthurrott — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 13:47:05 GMT

Apple:

MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) is now available to AT&T customers.

AT&T MMS requires iPhone OS 3.1 and a carrier settings update.

Here's what it looks like (on a Mac) ...

Unlike other iPhone updates I've installed via iTunes, this one is actually very quick. Very quick. On the other hand, you do have to hard reset the iPhone to enable it. Once it's rebooted, which takes more time than booting a PC, you can use the standard Messages app to send one or more photos with a text message. You'll see the following new toolbar above the virtual keyboard:

Photos have to be added one at a time, which is no big deal. (But I wish Apple would drop the awful iChat-like "thought bubble" UI in this SMS/MMS app. It's just childish looking.)

Needless to say, this being Apple and AT&T, the complaints have already begun rolling in. I'm sure they'll get it right eventually.

Google Sync: Now with push Gmail support

pthurrott — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:57:27 GMT

This is big stuff, and if there's anyone actually paying for MobileMe a year from now, well, you already looked like a fool, so what's the difference?

The Google Mobile Blog reports today that Google has added push email support to Google Sync, which previously provided that support for Google-based contacts and calendar on the iPhone (and iPod touch), Blackberry, Windows Mobile, and Nokia S60 devices. Here's the word:

Earlier this year, we launched Google Sync which allows you to synchronize your Gmail Contacts and Google Calendar with your iPhone, Windows Mobile, and S60 devices. Today, we're adding Gmail support to Google Sync for iPhone, iPod Touch and Windows Mobile devices.

Using Google Sync, you can now get your Gmail messages pushed directly to your phone. Having an over-the-air, always-on connection means that your inbox is up to date, no matter where you are or what you're doing. Sync works with your phone's native email application so there's no additional software needed. Only interested in syncing your Gmail, but not your Calendar? Google Sync allows you to sync just your Contacts, Calendar, or Gmail, or any combination of the three.

To try Google Sync, visit m.google.com/sync from your computer. If you're already using Google Sync, learn how to enable Gmail sync.

Good stuff. Enjoy!

Google: Apple DID reject Google Voice. Thus, Apple DID lie to the FCC

pthurrott — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 19:04:05 GMT

Google's response (here it is in PDF format) to the FCC firmly states that Apple lied, pure and simple:

Apple's representatives informed Google that the Google Voice application was rejected because Apple believed the application duplicated the core dialer functionality of the iPhone. The Apple representative indicated that the company did not want applications that could potentially replace such functionality.

[Apple senior vice president Phil] Schiller informed [Google] that Apple was rejecting the Google Voice application.

Google Latitude was also rejected, and Google noted that there was no contact at all from AT&T about these issues. Meanwhile, Google continues to "work with" Apple. You know, as much as you can.

Game, set, match. And if there is anyone out there that still believes Apple, seriously, get a life.

AppleInsider jumps the shark, declares Zune HD 'failed'

pthurrott — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:45:00 GMT

While I wait for what I just know will be hugely positive reviews of the Zune HD from Walter Mossberg and David Pogue (after all, these guys treat Apple product launches like just-discovered new books of the Bible), I can at least point to some of the crazy silliness coming out of the Apple fan base. AppleInsider--which, by the way, I actually like quite a bit normally since they're not usually this partisan--has written an absolutely insane and uncalled-for anti-Zune HD article. I've gotten a lot of email about it, and while I'd like to just ignore it, I am afraid that people will assume it's all true. What they're presenting are five myths of the Zune HD. Actually, it's four non-myths and one completely made up issue, but whatever. Let's waste just a little bit of time on this stupidity. (And you have to think that if Apple had adopted any of the stuff they're complaining about, AppleInsider would have been tripping all over itself congratulating the company.)

Myth 1: OLED is a great display technology for mobile devices

Not a myth. The OLED display on the Zune HD blows away the screen on any iPod or iPhone, sorry. Looked at side by side, inside or out, there is no comparison. This is especially true if you view the screen off-center. The OLED screen looks good at all angles. With the iPod touch, you find yourself fidgeting with it to get the screen to look better. (You can't tilt the Zune HD away from you enough to make it look bad. With the iPod touch, it's only OK when perfectly on center, and even then it's not nearly as good as the Zune HD.)

And while these shots don't do the real-world differences proud, they're at least representative.

Put simple, OLED isn't just "great" display technology for mobile devices. It's the superior technology, period.

Myth 2: NVIDIA's Tegra processor leapfrogs existing mobile processors

Again, not a myth. Both devices utilize an ARM processor at the core, but the NVIDIA design builds off of that with supporting chipsets for storage and video that improve performance and battery life. It can drive HD displays up to 1280 x 1050, unlike the iPod touch. But the real proof is in the using. And unlike AppleInsider, I've used the new iPod touch and Zune HD side-by-side. Zune HD performance is excellent, sorry. The iPod touch is no slouch. But to call these two devices anything but competitive is disingenuous.

Myth 3: Zune HD is mobile HD

No one claimed Zune HD was "mobile HD." The Zune HD supports HD output at 720p and includes an HD radio receiver, and Microsoft is very clear about that. The iPod touch does neither, with a dock or otherwise. Neither does any other portable Apple device.

Myth 4: Zune HD delivers high definition radio

Not a myth. I was just using this feature a few minutes ago. It does indeed deliver HD radio. And as AppleInsider notes, "Analog radio isn't going away." Good thing Microsoft realizes this. Because the Zune HD includes a standard FM radio tuner too. Unlike the iPod touch. And like every other Zune before it.

Myth 5: Zune HD games and software will wow you

This is the one actual myth, but it's also one of AppleInsider's creation, as no one ever claimed that. What Microsoft is doing is providing a number of small applications and games to Zune HD customers, for free, as a benefit of buying into their platform. Over time, they can and will open up the so-called Zune apps store to outside developers. (Witness yesterday's release of the Zune HD-compatible developer tools.) But this is just the first step in what is essentially a new platform. And remember that the Zune is really about entertainment, pure and simple. The Zune HD delivers on its core functionality quite nicely. No one questions that Apple has created a tremendous Apps platform, exclusionary as it may be.

Despite the hype, the Zune HD appears to have failed before even hitting the market.

Sure. And despite the hype, AppleInsider has absolutely failed to give the Zune HD a fair chance. We get it, Apple doesn't make it, so it must suck. But we also get that if Apple had released this product, it would have gotten a hugely favorable review. From you. From the Wall Street Journal. And from the New York Times. But thanks for trying.

There are a number of other inaccuracies in this poorly researched blog post around "Microsoft's standard operating procedure" (actually, Apple's, as it turns out), and the supposedly poor quality of mobile IE on the Zune. (Surprise! It's shockingly good.) But what can you expect from someone who wrote a post about a product that a) competes with the company they love, and b) they've never even seen let alone used?

I'm calling BS on this one, sorry.

Apple offers up evolutionary iPod updates, Jobs at music event

pthurrott — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:36:20 GMT

Today’s 9/9/9 Apple event was surprisingly light on surprises. Steve Jobs returned to the stage after almost a year’s absence and got a nice standing ovation. But Apple’s announcements were mostly lukewarm, and had been telegraphed weeks in advance. Among the key announcements are:

Big numbers. Apple highlighted why the company is desperately in need of antirust oversight. It has sold over 30 million iPhones in two years. It’s users have downloaded 1.8 billion apps from the iPhone Apps Store. It’s iTunes Store is the number one music retailer in the world. Apple has sold over 8.5 billion songs. It has over 100,000,000 users who have provided the company with their credit card numbers. Apple has sold over 225 million iPods (including over 20 million iPod touches and 100 million iPod nanos) and has 74 percent market share. This is all simply amazing stuff.

iPhone 3.1 firmware. A free incremental update for all iPhone models (and, I believe, all iPod Touch models), iPhone 3.1 appears to deliver some nice features across the board. I’m surprised Apple didn’t call it “iPhone’s Snow Leopard.” The addition of 30,000 ringtones at $1.29 a pop doesn’t do much for me, but could be a big deal for many.

iTunes 9 for PC/Mac. Anyone hoping for a sweeping overhaul of the bloated and slow iTunes application will be disappointed, but iTunes 9 does have some interesting new features, including an improved Genius, much better content syncing (a huge weakness previously), and a neat visual way to sync the layout of app icons on the iPhone screen using iTunes. Best of all, though is a new PC-to-PC content sharing feature that appears to be modeled on Windows 7’s HomeGroup functionality (albeit with old-school-style logons). I’m eager to see that in action. And the iTunes Store has gotten a much needed makeover, with some interesting Zune-like Artists and content pages. An iTunes LP feature combines a digital album with other rich content, but I’m not sure how valuable this really is: Who listens to music while staring at the iTunes PC app?

iPod touch. The late 2009 iPod touch devices are mostly simple upgrades of last year’s models, with the same form factor and underlying hardware (except for the 32 and 64 GB units, apparently, which have the faster, 3GS-style underpinnings). (Apple made an interesting point about iPod touch gaming, though it’s unrelated to new models: It already has far more games than do the Nintendo DS or Sony PSP, and those games are far less expensive. This makes the iPod touch/iPhone platform far more valuable.) Prices are down and capacities are up, as you expect: $199 for 8 GB, $229 for 16 GB, $299 for 32 GB, 64 GB for $399. (Note again that the 32 & 64 GB models have the faster processor and OpenGL|ES capabilities.) Note: Originally, I had written that only the 64 GB version had the more advanced hardware.

iPod classic. Curiously, Apple is keeping the iPod classic but not providing any notable updates. It still costs $249 but the HDD goes from 120 GB to 160 GB.

iPod shuffle. The ridiculous iPod shuffle continues forward, but Apple has finally done the obvious: They’re making an adapter so you can use any headphones you want. Duh. Prices are down, capacities are up: $59 for 2 GB, $79 for 4 GB, and $99 for 4GB “Special Edition.” There are new colors.

iPod nano. As we’ve known for weeks, the iPod nano picks up a video camera, microphone, and speaker. It’s also getting CoverFlow and, like the Zune from three years ago, an FM radio. Pricing: $149 for 8 GB and $179 for 16 GB.

What wasn’t discussed. Apple completely ignored the Apple TV, again. There was no discussion of a much-rumored Apple tablet. No Beatles catalog on iTunes. No truly new hardware or software.

I’ll need to watch the streaming version of the event, but for now, I don’t see anything hugely dramatic. I’ll provide write-ups for iTunes 9, the iPod touch, and iPod nano next week.

The 'blame anyone but Apple cadre,' Part 217: AT&T

pthurrott — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:55:00 GMT

So AT&T is finally adding MMS support to the iPhone 3G/3GS on September 25, about two months after Apple first announced the feature and other international wireless carriers provided it. Yep, AT&T sucks. And I should know, I've been using this horrible network, first in "EDGE" form, and then with their supposed 3G network, for two years now. God, how I miss Verizon.

There's just one problem. AT&T isn't unique, and all wireless carriers are horrible. And it's hard to credibly assert that Verizon's admittedly superior 3G network wouldn't simply buckle under the pressure of all those iPhone users. It just would. When I had my Verizon USB dongle, speeds were usually decent, but let's face, I was one of 17 people using the thing at any given time.

Also, I've taken my iPhone all over Europe. Allow me to dispel the rumor that any of AT&T's international competitors are any better. In Ireland, Britain, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Portugal, I've had all kids of connectivity issues on a variety of iPhone-compatible networks. iPhone connectivity is terrible everywhere. It will be terrible on Verizon if that ever happens.

There's a growing trend to just blame AT&T for all of the iPhone's troubles. I'm not sure that's fair, since most networks simply can't handle the amount of wireless traffic these devices bring. But if ever there was one example of Apple's hold on the press, it's this whole AT&T thing. Consider the Google Voice debacle. Even after AT&T asserted publicly that it had absolutely nothing to do with the Google Voice rejection, publications as credible as The New York Times were still blaming them. Nope, it's never Apple's fault.

It's kind of like the reaction to Snow Leopard, a service pack if there ever was one. There's so much here, I'll just cherry pick the most obvious: If Microsoft had the temerity to ship a mostly-64-bit OS that utilized a 32-bit kernel, the Mac community would be up in arms, ridiculing the software giant endlessly. It's hard to imagine Apple not making an "I'm a PC, I'm a Mac" commercial lampooning this. But Apple does just that and ... nothing. Meanwhile, because Apple has run out of ideas and had to improve the low level parts of OS that, three years ago, apparently needed absolutely no improvement at all, the Apple fan base accepts Apple's offering on blind faith: "Because Apple has provided this, this then is exactly what we need." It must be nice to have such a trusting audience, and one that is so eager to spend money, year after year. Even on a service pack.

So let's blame AT&T for everything, please. Just don't be so sure that whatever the next network carrier is will be any better.

Apple's culture of lies, Part 2: A different way of looking at it

pthurrott — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:53:12 GMT

One thing I've often thought with Apple is how much worse off the PC industry would be if they were ever dominant, because they're such a belligerent company. But a more level-headed way to view Apple's recent push-backs from the top of the heap is that they're suffering from exactly the same problematic mind-set that doomed Microsoft a decade/decade-and-a-half ago, back when antitrust regulators from the FTC and DOJ first accused the company of illegal anti-competitive behavior. That is, they're just a product of their history.

What I mean is, until very recently, Apple was the underdog, and they've been the underdog for almost their entire existence. This creates a certain mindset, and under Steve Jobs especially, it's created a very aggressive competitive spirit. This aggressiveness is fine when you are literally the underdog, just as was the case with Microsoft early in its career and it was trying to wrest the PC industry from IBM, Lotus, WordPerfect, and other tech dinosaurs. But once you have a dominant market position, that aggressive behavior--so important for an up-and-comer--isn't just bad, it's illegal. It's just hard to turn it off when it's been part of the corporate psyche for so long.

Microsoft got into antitrust trouble because they behaved in a manner that was illegal, but only for a company that holds monopoly power. During this time, I fielded innumerable emails from people wondering why it was OK for Apple or Linux to bundle applications in their OSes when it wasn't OK for Microsoft. (Answer: Apple and Linux didn't/doesn't have a desktop OS monopoly.) And so on. The answer was always the same: If Microsoft didn't have a monopoly, what it did in the mid-1990s would have been legal.

As I write this, Apple doesn't quite have a monopoly in any given market, but they are pretty darned close in a few, and getting closer all the time. And you can see how aggressive this company is, and how they're protecting their core products at the expense of users. The time to stop this behavior is now, not after Apple has secured the digital music market (arguably already done), the digital movie and TV show markets, and the consumer smart phone market. These are the markets that Apple is set to monopolize, and we've already arguably passed the point where that is no longer a given, a certainty. You can argue that we're not there yet, possibly. But we will be.

So. With this obvious comparison of two very similarly belligerent companies--Microsoft of the mid-1990s and Apple of today--in mind, I think the time has come to rein Apple in. To examine Apple's exclusive relationships with wireless carriers. To force it to open up iTunes to competing players, and its iPhone and iPod devices to competing software and services. If we don't do this now, it will only be more difficult in the future. All you have to do is look at Microsoft's never-ending antitrust saga--which has now stretched on for 15 years, involved regulatory bodies on three continents, and gone on far longer than its actual bad behavior--to see why it's time.

We spend too much time worrying about whether Microsoft will be the next IBM. What we should be worrying about is that Apple has already become the next Microsoft. Let's fix that. Let's nip this one in the bud. Let's do it now.

Microsoft's Zune continues to struggle

pthurrott — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 07:12:10 GMT

I think we all realize the Zune isn't exactly setting the world on fire. But in these days leading up to the release of the Zune HD, things have apparently gotten worse than ever.

To be sure, the Zune provides a tiny, and apparently deteriorating portion of Microsoft's business. Revenue for the non-gaming side of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices unit, which includes the Zune, tumbled 42% to roughly $211 million for the fourth fiscal quarter ended in June - or about 2% of the software giant's total, according to regulatory filings.

Microsoft said revenue at its Entertainment and Devices division was undercut by a 54%, or $100 million, decline in Zune platform sales.

In a survey conducted last fall, IDC's Kevorkian said only 4.8% of those with a portable media player reported having a Zune, while 61% had some sort of iPod.

So, in late 2008, the Zune actually had 50 percent more usage share in the MP3 player market than the Mac did in the worldwide PC market. (Hey, math can be fun.) When you consider how little advertising Microsoft did/does for the Zune, that's rather astonishing. What's Apple's advertising budget? $10 gazillion or something?

Comedy aside, it gets worse.

More recent data from NPD Group Inc. indicates that the Zune's already slim market share may have slipped further. NPD Group analyst Ross Rubin said in the first half of this year, Zune's share was 2%, compared to about 70% for the iPod.

Put simply, I am a fan of the Zune. The PC software is superior to Windows Media Player and iTunes by a wide margin. The current devices are decent, but now lagging behind the touch screen/App Store goodness Apple offers. The online marketplace is good, but not as good as iTunes Store, though that matters less with music because MP3/AAC is universally compatible. (For movies and TV shows, there's simply nothing like the iTunes Store.) And of course Zune offers various features and functions that simply aren't available on the iPod at all. It's competitive from a technical/usage standpoint at least.

But it's not competitive, apparently, where it arguably matters most: In the market. It's unclear whether Microsoft can turn things around with the Zune HD, no matter how good it is. I fear a small but temporary bump on its release and then another long, slow slide into irrelevance. And that's too bad. The Zune is actually a neat platform for digital media.

Apple releases iPhone Software Update 3.0 to the public

pthurrott — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 18:50:42 GMT

Apple:

The free iPhone OS 3.0 Software Update includes some great new features, as well as all the features from previous updates. iPhone OS 3.0 also lets you run the next generation of iPhone apps, like peer-to-peer games and more. If you’ve never updated before, now is the perfect time.

Cut, Copy & Paste

Quickly and easily cut, copy, and paste text from application to application. Select entire blocks of web text with a tap. Copy and paste images from the web, too.

Landscape Keyboard

Want more room to type? Rotate iPhone to landscape to use a larger keyboard in Mail, Messages, Notes, and Safari.

MMS (not on AT&T)

Send MMS messages and include video, photos, audio, and contact info.² Even tap to snap a picture or shoot a video right inside Messages.

Spotlight Search

Find what you’re looking for across your iPhone, all from one place. Spotlight searches all of your contacts, email, calendars, and notes, as well as everything in your iPod.

Voice Memos

Capture a memo, a meeting, or any audio recording on the go. Voice Memos works with the built-in iPhone microphone or with the mic on your headset.

Improved Calendar

Create meetings via Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and subscribe to calendars with new CalDAV support.

Buy Movies, TV Shows, and Audiobooks

Download movies, TV shows, music videos, and audiobooks from the iTunes Store on your iPhone.

And so on.

WWDC 2009 Reality Check 2.0: iPhone 3G vs. 3G S

pthurrott — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:36:45 GMT

But wait, there's more.

Apple has published a handy chart comparing the iPhone 3G to the iPhone 3G S. As you might expect, it does not clearly portray some key problems.

First, existing iPhone 3G customers cannot upgrade to a 3G S for $199 or $299. Those prices are for new customers only. You will pay $599 or $699. Yeah, really.
Amazingly, several software features Apple showed off yesterday will arbitrarily not be made available to other iPhone users. These include Voice Control and Compass. What??

Also...

Tethering, a feature of iPhone Software Update 3.0, will not be made available in the US. (Thanks AT&T.) If it happens later, it will be after AT&T adds a more expensive data plan.

MMS, another feature of iPhone Software Update 3.0, will also not be made available in the US.

The white iPhone 3G is being discontinued. If you want a white phone, you have to get a 3G S. (Not a huge deal, just pointing it out.)

By the way, was anyone else amused at the sly way Apple "countered" the Palm Pre's useful and easy-to-use multitasking capabilities? In the iPhone 3G S Guided Tour video, the commentator notes, "The first thing you'll notice is how quickly you can launch all your applications, return to the home screen, and then launch another one. Or jump between apps using embedded links." See! It's just like multitasking!

Ah well.

WWDC 2009: Time for a reality check

pthurrott — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:33:21 GMT

Apple is providing its WWDC 2009 keynote address today, providing some interesting info about its Mac and iPhone platforms. But this is Apple we're talking about. So it's time for a reality check.

75 million Mac OS X users. Apple claimed that the OS X user base magically jumped from 25 million to 75 million active users in two years. But it didn't. It jumped to 35 million users. The other 40 million are using iPhones and iPod touches. So if there are 1 billion active PC users (and that's an old figure), than OS X usage share right now is 3.5 percent. Everyone's onboard with the math, right? 3.5 percent. "No wonder everyone is trying to follow in our footsteps," Apple SVP Phil Schiller said. Right.

Macbooks magically become Macbook Pros. Apple rebranded the 13-inch Macbook as the Macbook Pro and added SD slots across the line-up. FINALLY. I've only been asking for this handy little feature for, what, 6 years? The batteries are non-replaceable. I'm pretty sure no one was asking for that feature. And they added Firewire 800. Seriously, how about two more USB ports? Oh, and $1699 to start for a lowball 15-inch unit? To Mac guys, this is big news.

Hypocrisy around Vista/7 and Leopard/Snow Leopard. This year, both Microsoft and Apple are working on revisions to existing OSes. In Microsoft's case, Windows 7 is a nice revision to Windows Vista. And Snow Leopard is a minor revision (service pack) to Mac OS X Leopard. Both Windows Vista and Leopard have had their share of problems, but Vista's are more high profile and thus, apparently, news to the wider world. But look how Apple's Darth Vader, Bertrand Serlet, describes these updates:

Windows 7: "Even more complexity is present in Windows 7. The same old tech as Vista. Just another version of Vista."

Snow Leopard: "We come from such a different place. We love Leopard, we're so proud of it, we decided to build upon Leopard. We want to build a better Leopard, hence Snow Leopard."

Um. They sound the same to me. Jerk.

For the record, Snow Leopard looks just fine to me. It should, after three years of development on a point release.

Exchange support in Snow Leopard. Apple makes fun of Microsoft to comic effect (see above) ... Unless, of course, they need Microsoft. Which they do, to add Exchange support to its products. Oh, wait. "With Exchange support built into Snow Leopard, there is no extra charge for Mac OS users while Windows users usually have to pay extra." There it is.

Safari 4 today for OS X, Windows. Yawn.

QuickTime X for OS X, Windows. Actually, this looks good. I especially like how the UI looks like no other OS X app. Nice consistency there from the HIG.

Mac OS X is not fully 64-bit. While Windows users get 64-bit versions of Windows, Mac OS X users will, in Snow Leopard, get an OS in which most of the system is 64-bit, but many "non-major system apps" are still 32-bit.

Snow Leopard pricing. Apple is finally charging the right price for the latest in a long list of minor upgrades: $29 to Leopard users. This is exactly right, and should serve as inspiration for Microsoft. Seriously.

iPhone 3.0. The iPhone is really popular, and let's face it, it's awesome. iPhone 3.0, which I've been using since February, is a very minor update, and mostly adds things that should have been there in the first place. Biggest disappointment: Apple is adding tethering, but AT&T refuses to allow it. Hey, AT&T. F#$% you. Yeah. Really.

Apple needs to tone down the boring stuff. Look guys, here's another iPhone app. We get it. Move along, please.

iPhone 3G S. Was curious what they were going to call the iPhone 3, since the iPhone 3G was the iPhone 2.0. Now we know. Built in 7.2MBps HSDPA for data. New camera (finally). But same form factor. (Which makes sense, given the add-on market, but lacks a certain pizzazz.) I mean, where could they go with this, really? Anyway: Pricing is $199 (16 GB), $299 (32 GB). Surely there's an upgrade program for existing users. [Cricket chirps.]

Voice Control. (3GS only.) Apple copies Microsoft Sync, no one notices. And by the way, the notion of talking to a smart phone should be obvious. Just saying.

Best live keynote coverage. Engadget, hands down.

The magic of wishful thinking ... This time in the Apple camp

pthurrott — Wed, 06 May 2009 13:45:58 GMT

Recent reports of a magic IE 8 performance boost make me smile because this kind of thing is simply human. We all see what we want to see, what we expect to see. It's just part of our DNA. It explains UFO and Bigfoot sightings. And, apparently, it explains Apple fanatics. Because these guys believe. Here's a fun example:

According to a report on iPhones.ru, found via Gizmodo, the latest claim is that, somehow, magically, the upcoming iPhone 3.0 software update is making the iPhone camera (which is an absolute steaming pile of you-know-what)--get this take--take better pictures. :) Yeah, right.

According to one series of tests, the [iPhone] firmware 3.0 is taking better photos than its predecessor.

iPhones.ru took side by side photos with new iPhone firmware and old iPhone firmware. That lead comparison photo is not the result of a single snapshot, but 30 that produced similar results: Firmware 2.2.1 blurred the cat, then 3.0 blurred the cat ever so slightly less.

Updated firmware, in general, can make a huge difference in the SLR world, so the theory isn't complete mad science. Time will tell if these results are duplicated elsewhere. Until then, anyone running 3.0 is free to share their own anecdotal evidence.

OK, I'd like to do so now. I've been using each beta iteration of the iPhone 3.0 update since Beta 2 (so, three releases so far) and I can state unequivocally, as I can with the IE 8.0 speed-up myth, that no such thing is happening in my experience. I use the iPhone regularly, and while the 3.0 software, so far, is most obviously marked by bugginess and, annoyingly, the inadvertant triggering of the unnecessary new search panel, it has most certainly not resulted in better pictures. For that, alas, I suspect we would need new camera hardware. Optical and/or mechanical zoom. A flash. Better resolution and optics. You know, something real.

I don't have the religious fervor required to believe this sort of thing. But I do have iPhone photos you can look at. They're at twitpic.com. The ones that are over 30 days old are the old firmware. The newer ones are various versions of iPhone 3.0. Of particular interest: I've taken pictures of different Celtics games over time, from the same location in the stadium.

-- Updated so you can actually see the pictures. :)

So. Which one looks "better"? The one on the left or the one on the right? I think the one on the right looks better, personally (though they're really close). And guess what? That's the old firmware. There are many other similar pictures up there.

Anyway. Anything is possible, of course. But I'm not seeing it personally.

HP Updates MediaSmart Server Software

pthurrott — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:33:16 GMT

From HP:

HP today announced the release of a software update for the HP MediaSmart Server (EX485/EX487 models), providing remote video streaming and video conversion of unprotected content.

The new software enables the HP MediaSmart Server to automatically convert videos (including unprotected DVDs) into two resolutions. The original, high-resolution file will stream to most devices on a home network including PCs, Macs and gaming systems.

The mobile resolution version of the video can be downloaded and played on popular mobile devices including the iPod touch, iPhone and PlayStationPortable (PSP).

The video converter will transcode most popular video formats into both high and mobile quality MPEG-4 (H.264) versions.

“Our enhanced software features will help eliminate the frustration people experience when attempting to stream their videos to connected devices in the home or remotely to their mobile devices,” said Jason Zajac, vice president and general manager, Worldwide Attach Group, HP.

In addition, owners of an iPod touch and iPhone can download a new HP MediaSmart Server iStream application at no charge from the iTunes App Store, enabling them to stay connected to their digital media stored on the MediaSmart Server. Users can easily access their pictures, listen to their music collection and watch their favorite videos – all streamed directly to their mobile devices from their HP MediaSmart Server.

Other software enhancements include an improved mobile streaming user experience, a more robust HP Media Collector, an improved Apple Time Machine configuration, and the ability to create public and private albums in the Photo Viewer.

The HP MediaSmart Server, designed for use with both Microsoft Windows-based and Mac computers, automatically organizes files across PCs and streams media across a home network and the Internet.

Based on the Microsoft Windows Home Server platform, the HP MediaSmart Server EX485/EX487 shipped to customers in January. Acting as the heart of the home network, the MediaSmart Server is a central repository for automatically backing up and accessing digital photos, music, videos and documents from multiple computers on a home network.

Pricing and availability

The software update will be available at no charge later this month as an automatic download to the HP MediaSmart Server (EX485/EX487 models).

I've been working with this software for a while now and should have a review up this week. Obviously, this isn't as big a deal as a major software update, but it's nice to see HP evolving the capabilities of its home server outside of Microsoft's comparatively glacial development schedule. These types of update are one of many reasons why the HP WHS boxes are, in my opinion, the obvious choice.

Wolfenstein 3D for the iPhone ... DOOM is coming soon

pthurrott — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:56:24 GMT

Nice! Id Software has released a version of the classic DOS game Wolfenstein 3D for the iPhone, and they promise a version of the original DOOM soon as well.

The grandfather of the FPS is at your fingertips!

Wolfenstein 3D Classic is non-stop action and all of the memorable enemies are there for you to conquer, from Hans Grosse to MechaHitler!

Includes all six original episodes with 60 classic levels and unforgettable weapons like the brutal chain gun.

Search levels for hidden secrets that reveal stolen Nazi treasure, health packs, ammo and weapons or even short cuts.

Choose clever new touch controls or drive with the tilt controls to halt the diabolical Nazi schemes.

Wolfenstein 3D Classic makes use of an all new control system designed for the iPhone by technical
visionary and id Software founder, John Carmack.

More: John Carmack on developing for the iPhone

Download Wolfenstein 3D Classic for iPhone (Direct FTP download)