interweb ink » iPhone

iPhone iOS4 Signal Strength Software Update

Savan Thongvanh — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 13:15:29 +0000

Today Apple announced that they’d be releasing an update for it’s operating system iOS4. The update is said to fix an incorrect equation used for calculating and showing signal strength. The fix is to be released in “a few weeks”. The update also contains a change to make the first few bars of the signal strength indicator taller and consequently easier to see..

The press release sticks with the company line that’s similar to a line in a viagra commercial, I paraphrase “it’s ok it happens to everyone”.

To start with, gripping almost any mobile phone in certain ways will reduce its reception by 1 or more bars. This is true of iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, as well as many Droid, Nokia and RIM phones. But some users have reported that iPhone 4 can drop 4 or 5 bars when tightly held in a way which covers the black strip in the lower left corner of the metal band. This is a far bigger drop than normal, and as a result some have accused the iPhone 4 of having a faulty antenna design.

Let the flame wars begin! It’s already started on the internets. People that care are still irate about the apparent mediocrity of the fix. The fix, in effect, just shows the bars differently. How can this affect the reception?

Unless the software update also includes fairy dust gripping the phone in the suspect manner will STILL affect the reception. It’s a mechanical problem, not a software problem. I can’t wait to see what happens when people apply the update and calls are still dropped. I guess we’ll find out next week.

At the end of the letter Apple goes back to another snobbish retort, if you don’t like it, take it back.

As a reminder, 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.

Classic.

Sourc: Apple

Apple iPhone 3gs iOS4 upgrade experience

Savan Thongvanh — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 18:15:20 +0000

I just wanted to do a quick hit on my upgrade experience for my iPhone 3gs.

I came home for lunch today so I could do my upgrade. I hit up iTunes PRAYING that I wouldn’t get queued up for download like last time. Also in my prayers was that after going through the trouble of downloading that I wouldn’t get the dreaded “cannot contact activation server” error.

Well, it looks like this time I lucked out. My iOS4 download only took 17 minutes. I’m seeing people tweet now that the download is taking upwards of half an hour. No problemo there.

After I got the download iTunes started to backup my iPhone. Thank you. The backup status bar seemed to sit on 2%ish for EVER. After about 15 minutes of looking like it was doing nothing it jumped to about 25%.

The rest of the install included expanding the download and restoring my data from before. All in all it took me about 50 minutes to upload 17 for the download and about 35 for the backup and install.

Now on to playing around iOS4 and seeing how gimped it is on my iPhone 3gs.

More to come on the features and limitations on the 3gs.

UPDATE: This article is actually about updating a 3G, not 3gs but all info is still applicable.

UPDATE:After trying to update a second iPhone 3G I got all the way through the install process and got the activation problem that seems to be common. Servers are evidently swamped now. I’ll try later tonight to upgrade the 2nd phone.

iPhone 4.0 Leaked: Lost and Found (by gizmodo)

Savan Thongvanh — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 16:00:30 +0000

Gizmodo may have the scoop of the year with their story today on the possible iPhone 4.0 prototype that was found in a bar. Where else would it be found?

According to their tear down

front facing camera
the battery on this iPhone is 25% larger
the screen is smaller
it will take a micro SD card
Size is 4.50 by 2.31 by 0.37 inches
has separate volume buttons
higher resolution screen than the 3Gs

Engadget hinted at what may have been the iPhone in a iPad leak photo earier this year (http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/18/iphone-4g-proof/)

Now Gizmodo has done a bit better with actual hardware. Although they weren’t able to get the iPhone running they think they have enough evidence that it’s the real deal.

I’m sure they’ll be getting a call from you know who very soon…

March 27th Apple App Store Roundup

Savan Thongvanh — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 13:45:19 +0000

This week’s app is called Chalkboard Stunts and it’s done by Manta Research. I’d sum this game up as excite bike on a chalk board with a truck. Except you can’t build your own courses. Aside from that it’s a fun little app from the company who’s also done other games like Cubes, Cubix, AppSniper, and Virus.

The objective of the game is to navigate your truck through various obstacles using the controls provided. Four onscreen buttons allow you to go forward or backward and also rotate your truck clockwise and counter clockwise in case you get flipped over.

Chalkboard Stunts is a sort of 2d road rally game played on a chalkboard. It comes with 25 tracks and you start with one car and through the Chalkboard Stunts Store you can buy upgrades for $.99. In the store you can also buy upgrades for the game’s level building feature.
There is a handy little tutorial at the beginning of the game although you could probably figure it out on your own.

On the “home” screen you can sort the 25 tracks in alpha order, by target finish time length, or you can star your favorites and bring them to the top of the list. Of course you also get the proverbial high scores. There are however some other pretty cool options like the aforementioned store for upgrades, the ability to upload and download home made tracks, and the ability to flip your controls.

And here’s the rest of this weeks Top 10 Free iPhone Apps

Chalkboard Stunts by Manta Research
Shut Up Button by Shaved Ham
Solitaire by MobilityWare
Simon: Classic by Category 5 Games
Racing Live by Storm8
Race or Die 21 by The Godfather
Adult Sex Strip by IntroWizard LLC
Pets LIVE by Storm8
Spearfishing 3d by Yossi Malki
redbox by redbox

3/13 Apple App Store Roundup

Savan Thongvanh — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 15:54:35 +0000

This is the first installment of a weekly feature here in the interweb, our App Roundup. In this feature we’ll recap the top 10 free apps for the week in the iTunes App Store and review the top app or if we’ve already reviewed that we’ll cover the next one in the list.

Here we go!

This week’s top app is Fingerzilla by Inert Soap. Fingerzilla is another great little game that in no time, you can get lost in. There’s only one thing to do and that’s smash stuff with your finger and cause havoc. There are nice little bits like people running around, police cars, helicoptors, and other things running around to squish and burn if you get tired of crushing diners and quicky marts.

Fingerzilla also hooks up to OpenFeint which is a social hook to iPhone gaming. Check that out at http://www.openfeint.com/. This game isn’t going to win and graphics awards but it is a great way to kill some time in an airport or waiting room.

Here are some screen shots from Fingerzilla and the rest of the list.

And here’s the rest of the field

Fingerzilla by Inert Soap
Baby Scratch by Async
A Doodle Fly by j2sighte
Sniper Strike by Donoma Games
Tap Fish by Bayview Labs
Cool Wallpapers by Appsillicious
Zombie Farm by Playforge
Original Gangstaz by The Godfather
Singshot Cowboy by Digital Prunes, Inc, and
Scoops by NimbleBit

Childhood classic Qbert hits the iPhone and Touch

Savan Thongvanh — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:29:25 +0000

This is an app you may not have been dying for but if you’re from my generation you might be dying to get. Sony has released the bouncing beeping classic game Q*bert to the iTunes Store.

This version has:

a bluetooth multiplayer co-op mode
10 levels of play
50 new levels, and
5 special themes for iPhone and iPod Touch

Of course you can get it from iTunes or the AppStore

Could this be the iPad and iPhone’s long awaited camera?

Savan Thongvanh — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:55:18 +0000

I think we’ve all realized that the mobile device race is not about size anymore. Today’s race is about feature density and Toshiba has leapt past all of it competition in the mobile camera department.

Today Toshiba announced a TWELVE megapixel camera and chip for mobile. With most a US domestic cameras using cameras at or below 5 megapixels this is a chip that really pushes Moore’s law.

The device offers support for up to two cameras, with the primary camera using a MIPI link and the secondary camera using a MIPI link or parallel port. The bridge enables high-speed serial interfaces on both the Host via MDDI and camera side via MIPI CSI-2 allowing support for up to 12 megapixel primary camera and up to 2 megapixel secondary camera in one handset. It is compatible with systems using Qualcomm® baseband processors with an MDDI interface.

There has long been talk of a relationship between Apple and Qualcomm. If that were the case this this just might be the thing that gets a forward facing camera in the iPad and iPhone.

See the release from Toshiba

More on iPad/iPhone/iTouch specs

Canadian TV brings the 2010 Olympics to your iPhone

Savan Thongvanh — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 00:12:18 +0000

With the start of the Olympics here who better than the Canadians to keep us on top of the events. Canadian TV has an iPhone app to help you stay on top of your Olympic Games.

Screenshots after the jump

The app is free and does a good job at what it was designed for, helping you find information on the games. Here are some high points:

The look and feel is great. CTV did a great job of putting together a nice clean product with some cool graphics in it.

it’s GPS enabled! If I were in Canada instead of IOWA I’d be able to use the app to find and get to all the venues for the games.

The calendar makes sense. The calendar is not a 40×40 grid of events and times. It simply list the events by day to get you started.

It helps you cheer for the home team when yours isn’t playing. The app has a feature that lets you flip through the Canadian Olympic team’s members by sport and gives you their bios.

Check it out at the app store

More Apps

Zombies Verruckt Map Now Available on iTunes

Savan Thongvanh — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:59:13 +0000

While the iPad is in the headlines awesome things are still happening on the iPhone. For example one of my favorite parts of one of my favorite games, Call of Duty: World at War has release one of it’s hit bonus maps for iPhone!

Today Activision announced that it is posting the Zombies Verruckt map on the iTunes store. The price will be $4.99. It’s definitely not the $1 quickie that millions of other apps are at but I have a feeling that this won’t stop millions from getting their iPhones and iTouches and soon iPads zombified!

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb 12, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX News Network/ — Zombies continue their onslaught as Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) and developer Treyarch have launched an adaptation of the popular “Verruckt” (Zombie Asylum) map for Call of Duty: World at War: ZOMBIES for iPhone and iPod touch. Originally released as downloadable content for Call of Duty: World at War, “Verruckt” gives players the opportunity to experience a new location, new weapons, electro-shock defenses, Perks-A-Cola Machines and the endless attacking legions of Undead. The new map is now available for download from the main menu of Call of Duty: World at War: ZOMBIES for $4.99.

Download at the itunes store http://www.itunes.com/appstore/

Google buzz for iPhone, a screen by screen tour

Savan Thongvanh — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 04:23:44 +0000

Today Google announced buzz and the internet is abuzz. The jury will be out on Google’s new all encompasing approach to social media but we’ll take you through screen by screen through a tour of the buzz iPhone app.

Hit the jump and start the tour!

There are actually more screens, modes of screens, and ways to search. There are almost too may to show in one article, in fact yes…there are too many. The way the screens loop around back and forth to each other will make it seem to new users like they’re in a big Google puzzle.

Give it an honest shot and let us know what’s got you buzzin’. Now here we go!

The first thing you’ll notice is the the app fits right into the rest of Google’s tools look and feel. Right away you’ll notice the twitter like following and a bar to share your thoughts. Share with who? Other buzzers of course! From this screen you can post a status, jump to search for other buzzers or jump to the map to find nearby buzzers.

In the iPhone version of buzz a dialog box will pop up shortly after you open the app to remind you how to add buzz to your home screen.

Follow the usual steps and you’re ready to start buzzing.

Let’s hop back to the first screen. As you can see I’ve clicked the “Nearby” button and buzz has given me a quick list of people that are listed near me. Of course Apple make’s Google confirm the use of your location. Not accepting will kill about half the fun in buzz so take that into account.

Once you activate the GPS you’ll see people near you. How Google decides who to show on your list I don’t know. I didn’t know anyone on the initial list that Google gave me. The idea is to click on any one of the names on the list and start a conversation thread with them. Since they’re mostly strangers I’m not sure why I would.

If you dont’ see anyone you know don’t worry, you can search for seemingly anyone.

Hit the “Nearby” button and you’ll get a list of nearby locations where people have started a buzz, or an address near you so you can start one. If you haven’t gotten the picture yet the idea is to start a buzz about things or people. Here you can pick a location and make recommendation or buzz about something that’s happening there so other people nearby can get the scoop.

Hit the menu button and you’ll get a new way to interact with a Google map. But, for the most part what you see is what you get; search, directions, overlays, a way to clear the overlays, online help and terms of service stuff, and a way to bail out.

I’ll end for now with the buzz overlay. It shows you where other people are buzzing from.

There are so many more features it’s mind boggling and you probably won’t find them all for a while. It’s a lot of information to take in. For now hopefully this will help you move around.

We’ll have a look later in part 2 at how and why buzz hooks into other social networking platforms. Take your time and have fun!