Apple iPhone 4: Too Costly to Recall
Apple is willing to risk their public reputation by admitting the fault with the iPhone 4, but they are far from taking in a major financial blow just to have all existing devices repaired. Already, there are at least 1.7 million iPhone 4 handsets already out in the market. And that number does not include the devices that are still in shipping or are currently in stock across retailers and online stores all over the world.
However, a major design flaw in the device exists: the antenna was not designed properly. According to many owners of the iPhone 4, there is a strong possibility for calls to be dropped if the user accidentally touches a portion of the metallic band around the edge of the device during a call. Touching this specific spot will cause the handset to lose all reception.
While there are various solutions that other users are offering, Apple is staying neutral about the whole thing refusing to offer anything more than a software update that would alter the way the handset displays the signal strength meter. As for actually coming out with a fix for the hardware, there is still plenty left to be done.
A recall would cost Apple a total of 980 million Pounds. That is far more than any company would be willing to shell out for recalls –especially on a global scale. This also means that the parts to be repaired would need to be replaced by Apple for free as well.
In the meanwhile, it seems that Apple is losing ground over this matter. In the past couple of days, the stock value of Apple has gone down significantly, a significant development for Apple as the company has been continuously growing over the years. While Apple will not be taking any iPhones back, expect to see other solutions being offered in the days to come.
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Loading ...Ballmer: Windows Phone 7 and the New Direction for Microsoft
There is no doubt that Steve Ballmer know that the Google Android and the Apple iOS are the two biggest reasons why even the upcoming Windows Phone 7 mobile platform is going to have a tough time dominating the mobile phone industry.
Despite that, the man is adamant that the Windows Phone 7 has everything that Microsoft needs to succeed. During the Worldwide Partner Conference, Steve expressed that Microsoft has missed out on an entire generation of smart phone owners. But with WP7, they will not only address the needs of the general market but also that of IT specialists.
The new OS will not just be a standalone product, it will be able to connect, communicate and even sync with the Xbox 360 console and any computer running Windows 7. Cross platform compatibility is a big dream, and MS is certainly on its way to pursuing it.
We have all seen the demonstration where a game that was being played on the Windows Phone 7 handset was transferred in real time to a desktop computer. This is more than just a person loading the same game file on a different platform –this was literally continuing the game as is from the phone straight to a computer. Then the game was once again transferred to an Xbox 360 console and back to the smart phone again. The transition was fast, smooth and took only moments.
And that is just the games. Microsoft can certainly do much more with the current technology. While the Xbox 360 will certainly be taken out of the loop when it comes to non-gaming functions, the ability to continue working on a document that is being edited in real time on a phone straight to a desktop computer will certainly work wonders –especially when everything gets ported over, including the “undo” history.
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(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...RIM’s BlackBerry Protect Service Moves to Closed Beta
For those who have not heard, RIM is working out a new online service that is designed to help out users who often lose their mobile handsets. Of course, the service will only cover existing BlackBerry users. But if this works, then other mobile phone makers might want to try out the mode, for the BlackBerry Protect service.
The system is quite basic in terms of use. Users will need to create an account online and sign up their BlackBerry smart phones. After this, they can use the online service to remotely access the device. This comes in handy if the handset is misplaced, lost or even stolen as the number of commands available to users comes in a very wide range.
The most basic function would be to make the phone ring with message or an alert –this is really useful for folks who tend to leave their devices lying around the house. For those who feel that they might have left their device in a different location (such as the office, the car or a friend’s house) the GPS on the device can be activated and the location can be tracked to ensure that the device is indeed in the specified location.
Of course, there are times when phones are left in other places as well, such as the local gym or the pub, where the chances of another person taking the device is quite high. In these cases, or in times when direct theft is suspected, users of the Protect service may opt to have the device remotely locked or even have the contents wiped.
Wiping the memory can be a bit extreme, but as most professionals use smart phones to store important and private information, security is an important issue. The service also periodic allows over the air backups which allows users to instantly transfer content from one handset to another (should the previous handset prove to be irrecoverable).
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(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Apple’s iPhone 4 is Hot, Literally
While the Apple iPhone 4 has been plagued with a wide range of problems and issues with the touch screen display, antenna and more, it seems that the number of things that could go wrong is almost endless. For now, however, we can relax a little bit. While this next news update is one that once again outlines something that is wrong with the iPhone, it does not apply to all units.
According to various sources, a newly purchased Apple iPhone 4 was purchased, hooked up to a computer, and suddenly went on fire. It seems that the USB port was the main source of the heat which quickly spread through the whole metal band surrounding the device. The whole phone did not burn, though the USB port was damaged (thus rendering the device unusable), and the USB cable was also ruined.
As scary as this may seem, it is perfectly safe (more or less) to connect your iPhone to a computer without much fear of the sudden burn. According to the technicians who looked at the handset, it was not a design flaw in the USB port that was used, but simply a defective part that was used for this iPhone 4 handset.
Of course, this is not the first time that an electronic gadget went on fire. Other devices that use lithium ion batteries have the potential to catch on fire (though the possibilities for such are quite low), and Apple has quite the track record with their products. There was already that famous case of a boy who had an iPod in his pants that suddenly burst into flames (causing second degree burns). It was also reported that Apple had a man sign a confidentiality agreement when they settled an issue regarding another similar issue regarding an exploding iPhone.
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(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Smart Phones, Social Networking and More
A recent study has shown that one out of four women between the ages of 18 to 34 would prefer to check their Facebook account before doing anything else in the morning. That little study alone shows how much the two technologies have changed and shaped society to the way that it is today.
For most of us in the tech industry, such results are not actually surprising, if anything, one can even call it predictable or inevitable. The power of smart phones to bring information access and connectivity as well as the addictive nature of the social networking site Facebook is a truly undeniable force to reckon with. And putting the two together makes all the sense in the world.
So now we have a society where more than a fourth of women from the ages of 18 to 34 are more interested in the latest status updates than actually getting on their feet first thing in the morning.
Social networking sites have always had the potential to be big and influential. In fact, when the first sites such as Multiply and MySpace appeared, it was hard to imagine that any other social networking service would be able to compete. But Facebook surprised everyone with their impressive API’s for web apps and of course a whole new take on the social networking scene.
This was further boosted by the increase of popularity of smart phone handsets. These phones –growing together with the rise of 3G networks and better WiFi services, became a new standard of open source entertainment –and they took Facebook along for the ride.
It is undeniable that the social networking site came in at just the right time, and they were the company that witnessed the golden age of smart phones –they also became the choice social networking site for many tech fans. And with impressive new handsets like the Samsung Wave and the HTC Desire being released this year, the popularity of smart phones and social networking is unlikely to go into decline anytime soon.
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(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...Apple Takes a New Approach to Data Mining
Apple is not exactly an industry friendly phone maker, but they certainly take the effort to try and take care of their end users (barring the whole antenna issue of course). This is evidently seen in the iAds system that has been implemented.
While Apple obviously stands to gain a lot from the new system, it seems that the folks at Cupertino have studied hard in order to create a system that end users would not fully object to. The iAds system has been designed to record user data regarding app downloads and app usage patterns from iPhone users, but at the same time, it prevents marketers and direct advertisers from being able to get the data directly.
This is because the iAds system takes care of all the data management and of course, ad targeting. Any user seeing an ad can rest assured that the data used to select that banner or popup was done by a system that was operating outside the control of the advertiser.
On the other hand Apple is not exactly tracking data that they do not originally have –with the small exception regarding user’s app usage patterns. The iTunes store keeps a transaction and download history for all users. This is the data that is used for targeted ads –in this sense it is easy to see how the iAds system is able to target users without having to reveal any data to Apple’s ad clients.
Apple’s decision to reveal this data is actually very important. The company has managed to avoid the same pitfalls that Google and Facebook had serious problems with. At the very least, this is where Steve Jobs gets to show off something that he is able to do better than his competitors.
The iAds system is already implemented in the latest version of the Apple iOS.
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(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Microsoft Database Reveals LG E900 and C900
Korean phone maker LG has yet to confirm what the LG E900 and C900 phones are, but if the leaked database is to be analyzed, it seems that the two handsets are going to be WP7 devices.
Microsoft Mobile is currently busy with the development and support for their operating systems: Windows Mobile and the newer Windows Phone 7. With the upcoming launch of WP7 this coming October, it is expected that a large range of handsets will be available for buyers to choose from.
While the spec differences will not matter much (thanks to the pre-released minimum hardware requirements and chassis form factor), being able to choose a phone from a wide range of trusted phone makers is certain to be a great factor in marketing the new OS.
LG’s name has already been one of the leading brands in the WP7 handset department –and by leading, we mean the very first to announce their handset, show off the device in images, and later, even release a quick video demonstrating what the device looks like. The LG Panther is far ahead of its competitors in the industry, as WP7 handsets from many other manufacturers do not even have names yet. And those that did still have not released any other hardware details.
Unfortunately, the same can be said about the E900 and C900. Without any confirmation from LG or Microsoft about the two devices, it is difficult to determine if they really are upcoming smart phones or if they are completely difference devices. There are some early presumptions that one of the devices might already be the LG Panther’s designation code -which means that there really is a second LG WP7 handset that is currently in the works.
According to Microsoft, the Windows Phone 7 operating system is expected to launch during October and many devices that use the OS will be launched during the holiday season.
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(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...How Mobile Sat Nav on Mobile is Changing the GPS Industry
With Nokia Ovi Maps, Google Maps and the Apple iPhone GPS App Skobbler offering free voice guided sat navigation services to users, is there really room on the industry for today’s dedicated GPS devices?
Onboard navigational tools from Tom Tom and Garmin are taking second priority to smart phones that offer users free sat nav services. And with the offers being delivered the various mobile phone makers, dedicated GPS companies are having trouble keeping up with all the location based services and features that the average smart phone can offer.
But this does not completely rule out the need for GPS tools.
While the average person can completely rely on accessing Google’s Maps and street view on their XPERIA X10 Mini to get around town, a professional firefighter cannot afford to avail of such free services. The same is to be said for government and volunteers that rely on digital navigation. Law enforcement, medical teams and even delivery personnel still rely on devices made by TomTom –despite the fact that smart phones offer a similar feature.
The big difference is in the maps. While there is nothing that will tell you that Google’s maps are in any way less accurate than TomTom’s data, Google is not going to be held accountable for their content either. And that is the assurance that TomTom and Garmin gives to their users.
For a regular user, it is acceptable to do away with having a dedicated car GPS device –if you do not have one yet and simply to rely on your smart phone. The only real concern here is to be careful with the monthly data allowance and to always have a car charger around as having the service running will be a drain on the battery.
Also, it would be a wise decision to invest in a reliable car dock for the handset in order to have the device located at an easy to view location for accessing data and for referencing the map.
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(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Apple’s iPhone 4 Antenna Issue: Simple Graphic Error
Apple has recently published an open letter to all iPhone 4 owners who are experiencing issues with the newly released Apple smart phone.
Many owners of the iPhone 4 have been complaining about an issue with the handset’s poor signal. According to reports, the problem stems from the antenna itself. Apparently, when users hold the phone up to their ear to make a call, the hand would naturally clasp over the antenna area and would block off the signal. This not only decreased the signal strength of the handset, but it ultimately dropped ongoing calls as well.
The antenna issue has been so predominant that it has been a much talked about topic in the past week. And the problem is much more escalated by the fact that there are over 1.7 million iPhone 4 units out in the market, and all are prone to the same problem. In response, Apple has been investigating the problem indefinitely and from what they have announced, the issue is not with the antenna.
According to Apple, the problem was never with the antenna in the first place, but with the iPhone’s signal meter graphic. The open letter stated that the signal meter was not able to show the appropriate or correct signal for many instances. Often, the bars would show a much higher signal strength when the reality was that the signal was actually weak. The iPhone 4’s tendency to show 4 to 5 bars of signal strength when there should only be 2 or 3 is being blamed for the misunderstanding.
Many Apple iPhone 4 owners disagree. Many believe that Apple wants to convince the public that there is no problem, when earlier reports acknowledged the fact that holding the device with the left hand causes a higher probability for a dropped call. This strongly hints of a hardware issue than a graphic anomaly.
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(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...Future Forecast: Video Calls and Apple’s FaceTime
Video calling technology has always been an add-on feature, a novelty, a side product. Very rare has it been that video calls are to be considered as a primary form of communication. Simply, the technology clashes with the very concept of mobile phones.
Video calls require a person to engage in two simultaneous activities: hold a conversation and see the person on the other end. While this is easy when you are sitting in the living room couch or at the head of a conference table, the situation and practicality changes a lot when people are on the go –such as when they are walking down the street and are driving.
Even if Apple and network operators provide ways to make video calls easier, there really is not much room for actual use of the technology. Unlike existing communication mediums such as voice calls and text messaging, video calls will require more focus from users –and that is the core problem of Apple’s FaceTime.
The CEO of Three Mobile UK, Kevin Russell, stated that the FaceTime application that Apple launched will fail to live up to the hype and eventually die out. In his words, the app will “not catch on” and many industry analysts think so too.
Despite the fact that many iPhone users have been requesting Apple to add in a front facing camera, the purpose of the request was intended to enable video chat over the internet –in pretty much the same way that one would use a desktop computer with a web cam.
In the meanwhile, 3 UK is introducing their new “One Plan” promo for all multiple plan holders. This single tariff will cover a wide range of services and devices –allowing for users to have a single comprehensive data and call minute package for all devices without needing to worry about handling multiple accounts.
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