Mobile Me offered the option to create Groups for easily sharing photos, info and files with friends, as well as Homepage to generate webpages via an online interface. Both services incldued in mobile Me will be cloased own on July &th without any further details. This was for sure planned for a long time, as both services interface were not upgraded to the Mobile Me design and were still featuring the aging .Mac look.
If one looks at solutions offered by third-parties, from Google to Adobe, including microsoft, they are all working on implementing online applications to allow users to create, edit or publish documents, webpages, photos, etc. from any computer without the requirement of running a local application or hosting any files. With iWeb and iPhoto, we simply have easier publishing tools, but we are still running both applications locally. It is only with iWork '09 that Apple seems to have understood the interest and needs to release its own online application solutions, eventhough it remins limited when compared to Google Documents or Microsoft Office Live... In some years, we will know if this decision from Apple was right or not.
Bluetooth 3.0 to Be unveiled on April 21st
According to the last information from the web, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group will officially unveil the third version of this wireless format on April 21st. The main improvements are based on the software, and only minor modifications have been made on the hardware part. Indeed, the version 3.0 will work on the hardware currently used in version 2.1, and the new software layer will allow access to the Wi-Fi chips of computers and devices to optimize the transfer speed. It will be possible to use both wireless protocols depending on the amount of data to be managed as well as on power consumption settings.
The BT 3.0 should be quickly integrated in all devices, eventhough its main interest will be to take advantage of Wi-Fi larger bandwidth and data transfer speed, so it will not make sense for all devices, so customers will have to pay attention not to consider it as a must have as it could of course be used as a strong marketing point to extend lifetime of aging products.
We now have to wait for Apple to update/upgrade to BT 3.0. new models as well as current models should be ready to get it, as soon as Apple release a compatible BT firmware version. It could give users the ability to get ride of their wire-based connection to synchronize their iPhone/iPod Touch, if Apple is finally ready to allow it...
Apple's Tiny iPod Shuffle Cost a Mere 28% of Retail Price
A teardown by researchers shows the device's components cost a mere 28% of its retail price—a fat profit margin. Biggest supplier: Samsung
Apple to Stock 4 Millions of the New iPhone Prior its Launch in June
According to Slashphone, quoting sources from manufacturers, Apple has ordered 4 millions units of its new iPhone. Three models will be available: one EDGE, one 3G and one dedicated to the chinese market, compatible with the TD-SCDMA format. The new iPhone should be launched mid-June (might be during the WWDC).
Verdict on Consumer Reports iPhone app: Helpful but incomplete
Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, App Review
I enjoy Consumer Reports magazine, even though sometimes the camera and electronics reviews drive me crazy. The ratings seem sometimes arbitrary, and don't always take what I think are the 'right' features into account and don't weigh those features the same way I would. Nevertheless, I find their reviews useful and another data point to throw in when I'm about to make a purchase.Some months, ago, Consumer Reports launched an iPhone/ iPod touch app, and updated it again recently. The app, appropriately called Consumer Reports, [App Store link] is free, and has a lot of interesting info, but you don't really get links to the wealth of data back at the magazine. Even if you are a subscriber, you can't log in from the app and see magazine content.
You do get a lot of worthwhile news about consumer products, leaning heavily toward Electronics, Cars and products or services for the Home. You also get videos that are sometimes interesting, sometimes bizarre. I didn't make it all the way through the toilet paper tests.
There is some up to date reporting on topics of interest to consumers, like retailer bankruptcies, and what I would call 'tip' articles, like how to shoot a panoramic photo or tips on buying a Netbook.
There is a bit of Mac coverage, most recently a test to see if the MacBook Pro really lasted for 8 hours running on batteries. It didn't in the CR test.
Strangely, the app doesn't have any kind of search function, so if you are looking for just news about Mac laptops, for example, you're out of luck.
I still find the app full of beneficial news, and I give it a browse a couple of times a week. I wonder how Consumer Reports would rate this app? 'Recommended', 'predicted reliability good', but 'could be much better with a few changes'. On the app store users gave it an average rating of 2 stars out of 5. A bit harsh, perhaps. It's generally downgraded because there is no access to the magazine content.
Also interesting is that CR has not been a great fan of the iPhone, complaining, for example, about call quality when it first came out, but they did feel compelled to do this iPhone app. Funny old world.
Here are some screen captures:
TUAWVerdict on Consumer Reports iPhone app: Helpful but incomplete originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Apple placed chip order for 32GB iPhones
Apple has reportedly ordered 100 million units of 8 gigabit and 16 gigabit NAND flash chips, with the majority of the sizable order is expected to be applied toward the 16 gigabit (Gb) NAND, signaling that a 32 gigabyte (GB) iPhone is in the works to debut in June, said Daniel Amir, a Lazard Capital Markets analyst.
.Mac Groups and Homepage: This Is the End
Mobile Me offered the option to create Groups for easily sharing photos, info and files with friends, as well as Homepage to generate webpages via an online interface. Both services incldued in mobile Me will be cloased own on July &th without any further details. This was for sure planned for a long time, as both services interface were not upgraded to the Mobile Me design and were still featuring the aging .Mac look.
If one looks at solutions offered by third-parties, from Google to Adobe, including microsoft, they are all working on implementing online applications to allow users to create, edit or publish documents, webpages, photos, etc. from any computer without the requirement of running a local application or hosting any files. With iWeb and iPhoto, we simply have easier publishing tools, but we are still running both applications locally. It is only with iWork '09 that Apple seems to have understood the interest and needs to release its own online application solutions, eventhough it remins limited when compared to Google Documents or Microsoft Office Live... In some years, we will know if this decision from Apple was right or not.
Bluetooth 3.0 to Be unveiled on April 21st
According to the last information from the web, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group will officially unveil the third version of this wireless format on April 21st. The main improvements are based on the software, and only minor modifications have been made on the hardware part. Indeed, the version 3.0 will work on the hardware currently used in version 2.1, and the new software layer will allow access to the Wi-Fi chips of computers and devices to optimize the transfer speed. It will be possible to use both wireless protocols depending on the amount of data to be managed as well as on power consumption settings.
The BT 3.0 should be quickly integrated in all devices, eventhough its main interest will be to take advantage of Wi-Fi larger bandwidth and data transfer speed, so it will not make sense for all devices, so customers will have to pay attention not to consider it as a must have as it could of course be used as a strong marketing point to extend lifetime of aging products.
We now have to wait for Apple to update/upgrade to BT 3.0. new models as well as current models should be ready to get it, as soon as Apple release a compatible BT firmware version. It could give users the ability to get ride of their wire-based connection to synchronize their iPhone/iPod Touch, if Apple is finally ready to allow it...
Apple's Tiny iPod Shuffle Cost a Mere 28% of Retail Price
A teardown by researchers shows the device's components cost a mere 28% of its retail price—a fat profit margin. Biggest supplier: Samsung
Apple to Stock 4 Millions of the New iPhone Prior its Launch in June
According to Slashphone, quoting sources from manufacturers, Apple has ordered 4 millions units of its new iPhone. Three models will be available: one EDGE, one 3G and one dedicated to the chinese market, compatible with the TD-SCDMA format. The new iPhone should be launched mid-June (might be during the WWDC).
Verdict on Consumer Reports iPhone app: Helpful but incomplete
Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, App Review
I enjoy Consumer Reports magazine, even though sometimes the camera and electronics reviews drive me crazy. The ratings seem sometimes arbitrary, and don't always take what I think are the 'right' features into account and don't weigh those features the same way I would. Nevertheless, I find their reviews useful and another data point to throw in when I'm about to make a purchase.Some months, ago, Consumer Reports launched an iPhone/ iPod touch app, and updated it again recently. The app, appropriately called Consumer Reports, [App Store link] is free, and has a lot of interesting info, but you don't really get links to the wealth of data back at the magazine. Even if you are a subscriber, you can't log in from the app and see magazine content.
You do get a lot of worthwhile news about consumer products, leaning heavily toward Electronics, Cars and products or services for the Home. You also get videos that are sometimes interesting, sometimes bizarre. I didn't make it all the way through the toilet paper tests.
There is some up to date reporting on topics of interest to consumers, like retailer bankruptcies, and what I would call 'tip' articles, like how to shoot a panoramic photo or tips on buying a Netbook.
There is a bit of Mac coverage, most recently a test to see if the MacBook Pro really lasted for 8 hours running on batteries. It didn't in the CR test.
Strangely, the app doesn't have any kind of search function, so if you are looking for just news about Mac laptops, for example, you're out of luck.
I still find the app full of beneficial news, and I give it a browse a couple of times a week. I wonder how Consumer Reports would rate this app? 'Recommended', 'predicted reliability good', but 'could be much better with a few changes'. On the app store users gave it an average rating of 2 stars out of 5. A bit harsh, perhaps. It's generally downgraded because there is no access to the magazine content.
Also interesting is that CR has not been a great fan of the iPhone, complaining, for example, about call quality when it first came out, but they did feel compelled to do this iPhone app. Funny old world.
Here are some screen captures:
TUAWVerdict on Consumer Reports iPhone app: Helpful but incomplete originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Apple placed chip order for 32GB iPhones
Apple has reportedly ordered 100 million units of 8 gigabit and 16 gigabit NAND flash chips, with the majority of the sizable order is expected to be applied toward the 16 gigabit (Gb) NAND, signaling that a 32 gigabyte (GB) iPhone is in the works to debut in June, said Daniel Amir, a Lazard Capital Markets analyst.
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