Apple Press Con. Called – No iPhone 4 Recall?
Posted by ParaCAD @ 8:43 pm in Apple News iPhone.
Although Apple has called a press conference tomorrow to discuss well-documented problems with the iPhone 4's antenna and reception, a new report claims that a recall of the handset won't be among the announcements.
Citing a person familiar with the matter, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple doesn't plan to instate a recall of the more than 2 million units it's shipped worldwide thus far.
That same person echoed an earlier report from Bloomberg in claiming that hardware engineers warned chief executive Steve Jobs about the risks of the phone's new external antenna design nearly a year ago, but that Jobs "liked the design so much that Apple went ahead with its development."
The report went on to document how Apple's immense secrecy over new iPhone masked the problem during the company's evaluation process with its carrier partners, as design verification units were disguised as "stealth" phones that obscured their design and some of their functions.
"Those test phones are specifically designed so the phone can't be touched, which made it hard to catch the iPhone 4's antenna problem," the Journal said. The paper added, citing people familiar with the matter, that Apple afforded carriers "limited time to test the iPhone 4 before its June 24 launch" and equipped them with "fewer devices to test than other handset makers."
Although Apple declined to comment on its development methods......................Read More
(SOURCE)
--@ParaCAD
Awesome App: “Awesome Drop”
Posted by sherri @ 6:41 pm in Android Apps Droid Incredible Motorola Droid Nexus One.
Could an application get much simpler? Doubtful. From Dashwire Labs, the app Awesome Drop is just that. Have music on a computer that you want on your phone? Don't have the cable or the SD Card adapter handy? At a friends house and want one of the songs from their computer to be put on you phone? No longer a problem!
Download the application Awesome Drop to your phone. It will tell you to open "Get your PIN at Dashwire Labs.
Go to the pc, open the site, and you will be given a PIN number. Type this into the phone. On the pc, you will see a "Drag Here" box. Find the file you want on the phone. I have used it to drag documents, photos and music to my phone. Drop the file in the box, and VOILA! It will start downloading onto the phone! The PIN number changes every time you start the application. There is no registration necessary.
Could it BE any easier? (And since this is ME talking, it must be easy!) Also, it is FREE!
This app can be downloaded directly from the market, Androlib, or AppBrain. Here is a video for you all:
http://labs.dashwire.com/drop
Free PocketWeather for iPhones/iPod Touch
Posted by sherri @ 1:44 pm in Apps Misc. iPhone iPod Touch iTunes.PocketWeather - #1 Weather App
By SBSH Mobile Software
Description
Get worldwide weather reports directly to your iPhone/iPod Touch anytime! PocketWeather is the most powerful weather tracking solution for iPhone/iPod Touch, featuring a robust weather engine wrapped with a stylish, simple to use user interface.
PocketWeather features were carefully designed to create the best weather app in the world!
POCKETWEATHER FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS
❖ Current Conditions View - Simple to read summary of your current weather conditions. It brings all weather tracking details one needs, including: current temperature (temp.), large weather icon, weather description, wind speed and direction, actual min/max temps, apparent min/max temps, pressure, visibility, max relative humidity, precipitation and 7 day forecast with min/max temps and weather icons for the upcoming week.
❖ Sun and Moon - Full coverage of sun and moon phases for today, including dawn, sunrise, zenith, sunset and dusk times! One week moon-phases forecast is also included.
❖ Overview Forecast - 10 day forecast including weather icon, forecast description, wind speed and direction, actual min/max temps and apparent min/max temps.
❖ Detailed Forecast - 10 day forecast with extended data. In addition to Overview details, the Detailed Forecast includes: humidity, precipitation, dawn, sunrise, zenith, sunset and dusk times for the upcoming 10 days!
❖ Hourly Forecast - Brings forecast details on an hourly basis for the next few days (supports up to 10 days, but varies based on weather source differences).
❖ Temperature Graphs - Representing actual min/max temps along with apparent min/max temps for the upcoming 9 days. Highlight graph bars for extended information about each of the days.
❖ Historical Graphs - Yearly average min/max temps per month for any location worldwide! Highlight bars for additional details: rainfall amount, rainfall days and daily sunshine hours.
❖ Images - View radar and satellite images!
❖ METAR Stations - World map showing all near-by METAR stations for a specific location, including weather icon parsed from the METAR stations and wind details.
❖ Earthquakes Map - World map marking all recent worldwide quakes! Press marks for extended earthquake popup details: magnitude, date and time. Press popup for complete quake details by the U.S. Geological Survey.
WHAT MAKES POCKETWEATHER BETTER THAN OTHER WEATHER APPS?
Unlike other weather applications, PocketWeather is the only app to parse details directly from METAR feeds! METAR stations are spread in every airport stations worldwide and are highly reliable source for current conditions and short term forecast. PocketWeather is the only weather app that combines standard weather sources with METAR feeds, resulting far more accurate weather forecast than any other application!
PocketWeather is the only app that merges several weather-related fields in one application to extend user experience. Including weather, earthquakes tracking, METAR stations, sunrise/set details and more! Bringing exciting and valuable details to users' hands!
PocketWeather was crafted by real weather professionals and designed for those who want to have a professional weather tool!
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT POCKETWEATHER AND THE TEAM AT SBSH.NET
❖ PocketWeather was the very first application to bring weather forecast to Smartphones home screen back in 2002 with Pocket PC devices and considered to be the most powerful weather solution.
❖ The developers of PocketWeather have been based in Thailand working with a large children's home in the Northern village of Hoay Maw. You are invited to find out more about their great activity at:
http://www.hoaymaw.org/sbsh
❖ Follow SBSH at twitter: http://twitter.com/sbshsoft
❖ Join us at Facebook: http://facebook.com/sbshsoft
❖ We invite you to post feedback and new feature requests at our forums: http://forums.sbsh.net
We hope you will enjoy using PocketWeather!
View more by this developer. Open iTunes to buy and download apps.
Jorte – Personal Organizer/Better Calendar #Android #Jorte
Posted by sherri @ 1:26 pm in Android Apps Google Misc..The Android OS is great for it's simplicity. Some features, though, due to their "simplicity", are lacking in features, and leave much to be desired. The native calendar app is one of these features. While it syncs beautifully with the Google calendar, there is not much else it does. No tasks, no "to do" lists, no way to make certain events "important", and no way to "check off" completed items. Luckily, I was told to try this app, and it certainly does all the things the native app "misses".
A little more information:
This software is a personal organizer application. We designed the application to be as close to a real personal organizer possible, and also to be attractive and practical. Not only the scheduler but also ToDo can be used.
It corresponds to the Google calendar and the widget.
Latest version: 1.1.23 (for all Android versions)
Try it and let us know what you think!
Verizon’s Droid X Officially Announced #android #vzw #droidx
Posted by Vazguard @ 1:28 pm in Android Verizon.
Droid X /via Engadget
Today Verizon Wireless held an event in New York City today announcing the newest Android phone to hold the Droid name: The Droid X. Specifications of this beast include:
- Android 2.1 + Blur(2.2 Froyo and Flash 10.1 coming later this summer)
- 4.3 inch 854x480 screen
- 1GHz TI OMAP 3630 Processor
- 512mb RAM
- 1570mAh battery
- 8GB Internal memory + 16GB card included (compatible with up to 32GB cards)
- 8-MP camera + 720p HD video capture
- Three microphones (standard voice mic, front-faced video mic, and a noise-cancelling mic)
- WiFi, BT, GPS
- WiFi Hotspot support for a maximum of 5 devices
- HDMI-out and DLNA
It is unfortunate to hear that the device will not be shipped with 2.2 (Froyo) and Flash integration, but it was stated that these updates will be coming later this summer. Considering the ridiculous stint with the Droid's 2.1 update, it is difficult to say how long it will actually take. As usual, the hotspot feature will have an extra $20/month fee tied to it, as well as a tether overage charge of 5 cents/MB. The standard $29.99 data plan will be required to use the Droid X, which will be available on July 15 at $199.99 (after $100 rebate).
The phone will also include some new apps from Verizon's partners. The Blockbuster app will allow for rent and purchase of movies. NFL RedZone will track stats and stream Thursday night games. Of course, the Skype app will also be included as well as a back-up app. The famous Swype keyboard will also be baked in. The Droid X will also ship with a desktop sync client.
Some good news - VZW is planning to offer the phone to all customers with a 2010 upgrade. If your Verizon plan is closing soon, consider the Droid X as your new partner in crime!
Press Release Motorola: #DroidX Announced #VZW #Android #Motorola
Posted by ParaCAD @ 12:59 pm in Android Motorola Droid News Verizon.
As I type this the VZW Event is under way. So much is being learned about this new Motorola Android device from Verizon Wireless.....
Below is a portion of the press release from the Motorola Media Center:
July 2010: DROID X By Motorola Lands On The Nation's Largest & Most Reliable 3G Network
DROID X Delivers More Browsing, More Connectivity, Personal HD Video and Enterprise Features – All on a 4.3” Widescreen
June 23, 2010
BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. – Verizon Wireless, the company with the nation’s largest and most reliable wireless 3G network, and Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT), a pioneer in the mobile industry, today unveiled DROID X by Motorola. DROID X does more with ultra high-speed Web browsing; a fast 1GHz processor; 3G Mobile HotSpot capabilities; loads of memory; intuitive social messaging; Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1 ready; and access to Android Market™, which has more than 65,000 applications, along with a host of unique Verizon Wireless applications such as NFL Mobile, Skype mobile™, V CAST Video, EA Need for Speed Shift™ and more.
“Nine months ago, we made a commitment to our customers to bring the openness of Android to the Verizon Wireless network,” said John Stratton, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless. “Since then, we have introduced the top-selling Android phone in the marketplace today – the DROID by Motorola. DROID X takes that commitment to another level with exclusive content, faster processing speeds, and, of course, the reliability of our network.”
Sanjay Jha, co-chief executive officer of Motorola and chief executive officer of Motorola Mobile Devices and Home business added, “Motorola designed DROID X to push the extreme limits of Android innovation, and enable you to do even more with your mobile device. We are breaking down barriers so that you can experience the Web the way it was meant to be and create, share and view content like never before, either in your hand or in your home. Enterprise users will also find DROID X appealing with features including push e-mail and live widgets for e-mail and calendar updates.”
DROID X gives customers a 4.3-inch high-resolution screen for viewing the latest movies and video from BLOCKBUSTER On Demand® presented by V CAST Video, the newest addition to the Verizon Wireless V CAST application, which also includes access to favorite TV shows. The DROID X video capabilities let customers capture spontaneous fun, combining a dual-flash, 8-megapixel camera, HD camcorder, as well as DLNA and HDMI connectivity to download, stream and share personal HD content.
Read the rest of this press release over at the Motorola Media Center
More articles will follow from TSP.net, so stay tuned!
--@ParaCAD
#Flash 10 for Android, Leaks #Android 2.2 Upgrades
Posted by ParaCAD @ 8:27 am in Android Apple News iPad iPhone iPod Touch.
Adobe today started shipping Flash 10.1 for Mobile. The initial release is targeted at devices running Android 2.2 and, initially, will only work with the Nexus One. However, it did inadvertently confirm a number of Android 2.2 upgrades for a handful of other devices that would let them run Flash, including the Dell Streak, Motorola's Droid and Milestone, HTC's Desire, Droid Incredible and Evo 4G, and the Samsung Galaxy S.
The company is noticeably low-key on its other platform releases and says it has handed Flash 10.1 to hardware and OS makers for BlackBerry OS, LiMo, MeeGo, Symbian, webOS and Windows Phone 7, but wouldn't say when it expected these to ship. It only anticipated releases in both over-the-air and preloaded installs over the "coming months."
The launch nonetheless represents Adobe's first opportunity to live up to its promises for Flash on mobile platforms, which have seen the release delayed by several months or more. Flash 10.1 has needed several optimizations to reduce its overhead on phones and tablets; the plugin only loads when Flash content is visible on the page, shuts down when switching tasks, and can automatically curb processor or memory use for content that isn't efficient.
Apple is the notable holdout on Flash and has argued that the tricks so far aren't enough to make it effective. This may have been proven in a recent hands-on test as the beta made Android 2.2 the slowest platform for web browsing even though its processor and OS would otherwise have made it one of the fastest.
(Via Source
This is very interesting news. So what are you're thought on this readers? Adobe has released Flash 10.1 to the many mobile platforms available. Of course Android fans are excited about this update and will take full advantage of it.
But we still see no love for Apple, since Steve Jobs is dead set on HTML5 and will not allow Flash on his iDevices.
As I was typing this short paragraph here, I recalled a letter on the Apple site from Jobs, that decribed in detail his thoughts on why no Flash. Give it a read, then leave your comments below....Thoughts on Flash
Simple Music Apps…(Part 2)
Posted by sherri @ 6:13 pm in Android Apps Entertainment.Simple apps deserve simple reviews. I have written about the MP3 player on the iPhone/iPods. On the iPods (non-jailbroken....) in order to download music, you need to log into iTunes and download from there, usually requiring a fee. There are streaming sites that you can listen to music from, but they can not be downloaded. Of course, from a PC or Mac, music can be added to your iTunes account from "other" methods, and then transferred via cable to the iPhone/iPod.
On the Android, finding, listening and "re-listening" to music couldn't get any easier. Two extremely simple applications are Music Junk and iMusic.
From the developers website and description: Music Junk is "an advanced music downloader, lyrics finder and tag editor. Download any music you want. All this music is freely available at vk.com and vkontakte.ru websites so it's fully legal. If you want to use this music as stream you can use VKPlayer app."
Music Junk couldn't be simpler. Start application. Type in search box the name of a song. Hit preview or download. Done.
Next up: iMusic by Green Code. Again, simplicity at it's best. Some features include:
- Unlimited MP3 music FREE downloads.
- Millions of songs from the Internet.
- Very simple to use. Just search and play or download.
- 3G/Wifi connection is preferred.
Learn more about this app HERE
Did I mention they are both FREE? (iMusic does have an upgraded version called iMusic Tao, but...hey...this is ME!)
As always, let us know what you think!
bTunes – Simple Music Apps…(Part 1) #Android #Music
Posted by sherri @ 5:39 pm in Android Apps Entertainment.
Ever since the original iPhone came out in 2007, every "touch" type of phone was/has been billed as the "next best thing since the iPhone", or "the iPhone killer". I heard it when the Samsung Omnia came out. I heard it when the HTC Imagio came out. (These are both WM phones, and as that is what I was "used to", they were what I was considering. Then, along came the BB Storm. (How this could compare to the iPhone was beyond me, but, again, I digress...) Next came the Storm 2, and a bunch of others. Android entered the game with the Sony Ericsson, and then their touted "iPhone killer", the Motorola Droid. The list goes on and on. Let me state that I am not an Apple Fan. I do like the iPhone (it is beautiful, always has been, always will be...), but since where I am located, AT&T does not have the best coverage, it wasn't an option.
Now...to my point, and I do have one! Will ANY phone ever be an "iPhone killer"? Probably not. At the heart of it, the iPhone was based on the wildly successful iPod MP3 player. As far as MP3 players are concerned, iPods lead the bunch. They have the most accessories and after market items available that make them both fun to use, and simple to listen to. The iTunes Management via pc (which I am never installing on my laptop...) makes managing music quite easy. The UI of the music player on the iPod/iPhone is said to be top notch, and has been said to be wanted on most other MP3 players.
One such app is available for the Android system. bTunes is an application that looks very similar to the iPod/iPhone UI.
Some features include:
- Reads embedded album art
- Voice commands
- Downloads missing artwork
- Above Lockscreen Controls
- Bluetooth Controls
- Bookmarking
Learn more about this app at the developers site, or on the android market. It is currently $1.49.
#uTorrent Launches Remote Control for #iPhone
Posted by ParaCAD @ 9:56 am in Apps iPhone iPod Touch.
BitTorrent Inc. has made the remote access ‘web’ feature of its Falcon client iPhone compatible. uTorrent users can now remotely control their downloads from wherever they are with their iPhone. Torrents can be added, paused and removed using an interface with a look and feel identical to that of the uTorrent application.
The Falcon release is one of the main pillars for uTorrent’s future. Among other things, it allows users to access their downloads from anywhere through a secure web interface. A few weeks ago the uTorrent ‘web’ feature opened up to the public and today the team announced that support for the iPhone has been added.
“In our ever-connected world, users want the ability to control their torrents on the go anytime, anywhere. So, in a continued effort to make our products more accessible we are introducing µTorrent Web for iPhone,” says Simon Morris, BitTorrent’s VP of Product Management.
Read more from TorrentFreak
--@ParaCAD