|
TOTA - APPLE iPHONE & iPAD & Mobile News Thread PT1 (CLOSED) (pg. 514)
|
View this Thread in Original format
| E2EK1EL |
Is this the first BlackBerry with the QNX OS?
We've just gotten a look at what might be the first-ever photo of the next iteration of BlackBerry devices (based on the QNX operating system), and we wanted to share. The phone you see in the picture above is apparently dubbed the BlackBerry "London" (this could be a variant of the BBX, but that's unconfirmed), and is said to be headed for a June 2012 release. The phone allegedly is equipped with a TI OMAP dual-core CPU clocked to 1.5GHz, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of onboard storage, an 8-megapixel rear camera, and a 2-megapixel front-facing shooter. The London is reportedly "thinner than the iPhone 4" and roughly the same size as a Galaxy S II (though our source didn't say which S II specifically). Oddly, the source says that the phone can be stood straight up on one of its sides (suggesting more boxiness than can be seen in the picture).
As you can see, the phone is running some variation of the PlayBook's operating system, though coloring and icons have definitely been tweaked. For instance, the music app icon looks more like an evolution of the note you see on the PlayBook's version (this time appearing overlaid onto an optical disc). Our source says the phone shown was a "dummy" model, so it's likely the screen is nothing more than a static image.
What's strange about the phone design is that it closely resembles RIM's Porsche Design P9981. Given the source of this image, it's possible that this is also a Porsche-designed BlackBerry destined for countries other than the US or Canada. We're told that RIM is also showing off two lower-end devices, as well as the next version of the Torch, which is said be "very thin" with a 3.7-inch display and slide-out keyboard.
Even though we did multiple passes on this image for Photoshop and / or rendering artifacts, this could ultimately be someone's hilarious idea of joke. It's also possible that this is a prototype or concept design, and won't make its way to production. Still, given the detail in the image and some of the information we were given to back it up, we believe there's truth to this story. We're pounding the pavement for more info as we type, so stay tuned for updates as we get them. |
|
|
| LightsOut |
^^^
Looking good! |
|
|
| Stilez |
| quote: | Originally posted by E2EK1EL
How To Create Custom Home Screen Shortcuts For Settings Toggles Without Jailbreaking |
Here's another option using the exact same method
Click this link to take you to the website with full instructions on how to apply/install:
WEBSITE |
|
|
| Stilez |
Also, I stumbled upon a way to install & get animated Lockscreen wallpapers on my iPhone without jailbreaking. Mind you, it does add additional drainage to the phone's battery life, but still cool.
My apologies for the poor quality of the videos. I recorded it with my buddy's phone.
|
|
|
| E2EK1EL |
Mobilicity is crazy
Mobilicity already has a couple promo plans happening, a $40 “Happier Holiday Plan” and $25 all-in data plan. Coming down the pipe tomorrow is another promo plan that is giving customers 50% off regular rate plans for up to 1-year, plus their $10 unlimited data and $5 BlackBerry Internet Service add-ons will also be cut in half.
I just spoke with CEO Dave Dobbin and he stated they are “the low cost operator, people are launching silly promos and all these certain things and it’s time for us to flex our low cost muscle”.
The $25 talk and text plan drops to $12.50/month, then jumps back to $25/month. The $35/month plan falls to $17.50; $45/month plan goes to $22.50 and the $55 plan drops to $27.50. In order to get the 1-year price you’ll have to sign up for their pre-authorize payment plan, if you don’t you’ll still get the deal for 6-months.
Crazy pricing. Look for it tomorrow. |
|
|
| E2EK1EL |
Developers Crack Siri Security Protocol to Make It Work With Any Device
Developers have cracked Siri's security protocols which will make it possible to use the assistant on any device including the iPad or even Android smartphones, according to Applidium.
Here's some of what they discovered:
The iPhone 4S really sends raw audio data. It's compressed using the Speex audio codec, which makes sense as it's a codec specifically tailored for VoIP. The iPhone 4S sends identifiers everywhere. So if you want to use Siri on another device, you still need the identifier of at least one iPhone 4S. Of course we're not publishing ours, but it's very easy to retrieve one using the tools we've written. Of course Apple could blacklist an identifier, but as long as you're keeping it for personal use, that should be alright!
The protocol is actually very, very chatty. Your iPhone sends a tons of things to Apple's servers. And those servers reply an incredible amount of informations. For example, when you're using text-to-speech, Apple's server even reply a confidence score and the timestamp of each word.
Applidium has released the tools they wrote to help them understand the protocol. If you know what you're doing the tools should be enough to help you write a Siri-enabled application.
Test Confirms iPhone 4S Battery Issues Are Software Based
A test performed by a developer for ZDNet confirms that the iPhone 4S battery issues are software based.
This developer who wanted to remain anonymous had two iPhone 4S devices purchased at the same time, connected to the same network, and running iOS 5.0.1. One had battery issues and one did not.
So that we could totally rule out this being a hardware problem the developer took things a step further. He factory reset both handsets and then recovered then from a backup. However, rather than reloading them with their original backup, he swapped them over. He reloading his day-to-day handset with the backup from his development handset, and loaded the development handset with the backup from his regular day-to-day handset.
The problem jumped handsets. Now the handset that was his development test bed (but loaded with the apps and settings from his day-to-day handset) is displaying the battery drain problem. The other handset (the one that was displaying the problem), is showing excellent battery life.
The iPhone 4S battery issues were always assumed to be software related; however, this provides some confirmation of that. Apple has said it continues to work on resolving the issues.
(I'm super glad they're ppl out there, who will goes to such great length to test things just like me. I thought I'm the only nut case ....) |
|
|
| E2EK1EL |
RIM shares briefly outperform Apple
For the moment, at least, battered BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. can claim bragging rights over the world’s biggest technology company.
That’s because shares in Waterloo-based RIM have actually outperformed those of newly vulnerable Apple Inc. in recent trading, with RIM posting gains after it received a rare vote of confidence in the form of a new investment stake last week.
Apple stock, meanwhile, is being dragged down by rumors of a production slowdown.
Apple closed at $379.26 (U.S.) Monday, a decline of $5.36 that brings its slide from Nov. 7 to just over 5 per cent — with the stock managing to lag the technology-weighted Nasdaq last week in a volatile trading period.
Over the same timeframe, RIM stock slipped 3.2 per cent, closing 20 cents lower in Toronto Monday at $18.29 (Canadian).
RIM received an unusual boost when Omega Advisors initiated a holding with its acquisition of 1.5 million shares reported on Thursday.
Omega said RIM’s new BBX operating system and a family of phones using the OS that could include the rumoured BlackBerry London and BlackBerry Colt “are going to surprise people.”
Shares in RIM, which have lost two-thirds of their value this year on declining U.S. market share, fell back Monday after a survey showed waning interest among mobile software developers in writing code for BlackBerry products.
The survey by tech researcher IDC and Appcelerator showed developers overwhelmingly prefer Apple and Android handsets, despite RIM’s campaign to win the app developers to the fold.
Apple shares, meanwhile, have been under pressure since a report in Taiwan’s Commercial Times citing unnamed sources said Apple is asking parts suppliers to delay a portion of their shipments to the first quarter of 2012.
The report claimed slowing iPad sales and disappointing pre-sales of the iPhone 4S, the fifth-generation iPhone that sold four million units in the first weekend after its October launch.
The Chinese-language financial newspaper blamed supply chain shortages linked to flooding in Thailand along with slumping demand, although Piper Jaffrey’s Gene Munster disputed the report, saying any production slowdown is a supply rather than demand issue.
Apple shares may also be reflecting concerns over the launch Tuesday of the Amazon Kindle Fire, a low-cost Android tablet loaded with consumer apps that is seen as a credible competitor to the iPad.
Moreover, Apple has shown that it is not immune to technology glitches, with customers complaining that Apple devices with the latest operating system have limited battery life, even after the company issued a software patch that it said would fix the problem.
Apple, which briefly surpassed Exxon Mobile last summer to become the world’s biggest company by stock market value, has also shown that it is fallible on the earnings front, missing profit estimates in its fourth quarter for the first time in at least six years.
And on Thursday S&P Capital equity analysts did the unthinkable, downgrading the Cupertino, Ca. - based company to “buy” from “strong buy.”
In a note to investors, S&P reportedly cited “less excitement about [Apple] products than we have in the past as we approach the holiday shopping season, increasing competition in key smartphone and tablet markets, the impact of the loss of Steve Jobs in a variety of areas from product development/refinement to employee recruitment/retention, and uncertainty about whether AAPL will continue to revolutionize markets as it has over the last decade.
“We still see notable value, and our target remains $500, but we have greater concerns about risk/reward.” |
|
|
| E2EK1EL |
iPad demand said to be fading as competition heats up
Demand for Applefs iPad tablet is said to be in decline as competition finally heats up thanks to the $199 Kindle Fire from Amazon, and investors could be in for a disappointing fourth quarter as a result. In a recent research note, Goldman Sachs analyst Bill Shope suggested Applefs firm grip on the global tablet market may finally loosen unless the Cupertino, California-based company lowers its pricing. Read on for more.
gNew Hon Hai forecast implies more limited upside to iPad units, which is disappointing for a December quarter,h Shope wrote. gWhile improving holiday demand into late November could certainly push the momentum in the other direction, we believe it is prudent to assume the iPad is facing some near-term demand challenges.h
The analyst sees three main factors correcting the waning demand: continued adoption of iCloud; the launch of Siri on the iPad, which Shope apparently sees as imminent; and lower price points. Shope also says that iPad sales over the tabletfs first six quarters have been remarkable, far exceeding initial adoption of the iPod and iPhone.
This rapid adoption with few catalysts driving sales may be saturating the market, Shope suggests. gPrice cuts have also been critical, and the iPad is overdue. While the rapid ramp of the iPad installed base is remarkable by any metric, it is even more remarkable when we consider the fact that it has occurred without any change in pricing or storage capacity.h
gIndeed, the iPhone enjoyed several major retail price cuts in its first year,h the analyst continued. gThe 8Gb version of the first iPhone saw its retail price slashed from $599 to $399 in its first three months on the market. Apple further improved affordability with the shift to a subsidized pricing model in 2008, bringing the price for an 8Gb iPhone down to $199 (with a two-year contract). Similar price cuts occurred with the iPod throughout its existence, and both the iPhone and the iPod saw storage capacity increases with each product refresh. In contrast, the launch of the iPad 2 saw no increase in storage capacity across the SKUs and no price change.h
Apple is rumored to be working on a new iPad model scheduled to be released early next year. Some believe the tablet will be very similar to the current iPad 2 but with a lower price point in the high-$200 range, while more recent reports suggest Apple is working on a smaller iPad model with a display measuring just over 7 inches diagonally. The company is then rumored to be planning the launch of a full-sized giPad 3 with a Retina Display later next year.
Steve Jobs wanted Apple to become a carrier prior to iPhone release
Computerworld/IDG reports that wireless industry pioneer John Stanton (founder of of Western Wireless, VoiceStream wireless and former CTIA chairman) worked with Steve Jobs prior to the launch of the iPhone on becoming a carrier using unlicensed spectrumc
Stanton, chairman of venture capital firm Trilogy Partners, said he spent a fair amount of time with Jobs between 2005 and 2007. gHe wanted to replace carriers,h Stanton said of Jobs, the Apple founder and CEO who died Oct. 5 after a battle with cancer. gHe and I spent a lot of time talking about whether synthetically you could create a carrier using Wi-Fi spectrum. That was part of his vision.h
The one that got awayc |
|
|
| E2EK1EL |
Trapit, the AI-powered aggregator and Siri sibling, now in public beta (hands-on)
Trapit, a search and web content aggregator that uses some of the same DARPA-sourced artificial_intelligence_tech as Siri, opened up to public beta today. The service prides itself on being_not_a search engine but a new method for keeping up with topics that interest you. The site itself functions quite simply: there's a search bar at the top, and after entering your query, it'll return a stylized list of results featuring a blurb and a picture from each (if it can find one). You can browse the articles that Trapit finds, or if you find a particular subject interesting, you can "trap" the search query, which moves that topic into a list of "traps." These traps are what make the service unique, and they're where the content aggregation aspect of Trapit comes into play.
You're expected to take care of your traps. That's not to say that they require lots of_maintenance — nothing like an RSS reader — but you do need to help it hone in on what you're looking for. Pandora-style thumbs up and thumbs down buttons allow you to make sure that you're getting exactly what you want. Once you've got a curated stream of news, it's pretty easy to read what you like, and share relevant stories via Facebook or Twitter. There's also a handy button to make a "Reading List" of stories you'd like to get back to later.
Trapit considers itself to be a bit of a "personalized search engine" — a lofty goal._It hopes to do this thanks to an AI heart built from CALO (Cognitive Assistant that Learns and Organizes), which is part of Apple's Siri assistant as well._In all, it works fairly well. That's not to say all of the results you get are gold, however. You'll get some shady sources, and often either an incorrect image or no image at all is associated with an article results. Despite its beta status, it must be said that the interface is quite slow: searches seem to range from around ten seconds to over a minute. Adding to its tardiness is an iframe toolbar that pops up when viewing articles.
Despite a few of these caveats, the service is certainly worth a try._Free accounts are available for the beta at_Trapit's website, and there's no download — it's a web app, after all. If you decide to give the service a whirl, let us know what you think in the comments, and check out the gallery below for an in-depth look at the service. Don't worry if the site doesn't suit your fancy, however: the company says they plan to use the technology to "power personalization on other [third party] sites," too. |
|
|
| djeso |
| quote: | Originally posted by LightsOut
^^^
Agreed. It's a shame. Apple started all this legal drama, going after anyone who had something remotely similar or hired employees that had worked for Apple 10+ years ago. This is the tech game, one company invents something, then others make it better. Nothing new. Now, everyone is suing everyone and the consumer is the one who loses. |
Apple always cries about being copied, first it was windows, now it's android, jesus, if apple's products are so amazing why are they so fiercly scared of competition? Should the first car company sue it's competition?
Has anyone noticed how many upgrades/years it took for iphone to have a flash on their camera for the iphone. Or that the first ipad didn't come with a camera .... is someone here going to tell me that they couldn't include it? Well answer is simple, if they included all features in one shot, that means they'll have less sales next year, because they'll have a product that's still amazingly good, but instead they'll give you a piece of the pie so that next year you go out sell your old ipad/iphone and get a new one :D Is that really good for the people or for the company $$$ ??? hmm... . Now the only reason they're crying about being copied is because it would force them to compete and add more features, therefore losing yearly repeat sales.
I was an iPhone user for over three years, got tired of their upgrade every year nonesense |
|
|
| LightsOut |
BlackBerry Lifestyle store grand opening - Indonesia
Not just an iphone thing. #BBSWAG |
|
|
| Prometheus Xex |
| quote: | Originally posted by djeso
Apple always cries about being copied, first it was windows, now it's android, jesus, if apple's products are so amazing why are they so fiercly scared of competition? Should the first car company sue it's competition?
Has anyone noticed how many upgrades/years it took for iphone to have a flash on their camera for the iphone. Or that the first ipad didn't come with a camera .... is someone here going to tell me that they couldn't include it? Well answer is simple, if they included all features in one shot, that means they'll have less sales next year, because they'll have a product that's still amazingly good, but instead they'll give you a piece of the pie so that next year you go out sell your old ipad/iphone and get a new one :D Is that really good for the people or for the company $$$ ??? hmm... . Now the only reason they're crying about being copied is because it would force them to compete and add more features, therefore losing yearly repeat sales...
|
+1 |
|
|
|
|
