Tuesday, October 11, 2011

iPhone 4S Review Roundup

Apple has dropped the embargo on iPhone 4S reviews and the usual suspects have filed their reviews of Apple’s latest iPhone. Here’s what they are saying:

“Spending a week with Apple’s newest phone, I’m reminded again of just what makes the company’s products so special. It’s not specs, services, or apps. This phone is not perfect. Certainly it can be improved. But there is something here, beyond the screen and CPU, beyond iCloud, something under the surface. Some intangible spark.

Is this the best phone ever made? That’s debatable. But I can tell you this: the iPhone 4S is pretty damn cool.”

Joshua Topolsky of href="http://thisismynext.com/2011/10/11/iphone-4s-review/ ">The Verge

class="videoContainer">src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cP-SSg_zZ1M" frameborder="0" width="560" height="315">

Here are some of my favorite examples from experimenting with Siri:

Me: “I’m drunk.”

Siri: “I found a number of cabs fairly close to you.” (Perfect; it didn’t dial my ex-girlfriend.)

Me: “I have a flat tire.”

Siri: “I found 14 towing services. 12 of them are fairly close to you.”

Me: “Remind me to steal a ream of paper when I arrive at the office.”

Siri: “Here’s your reminder for when you get to work: Steal a ream of paper. Shall I create it?”

The iPhone 4S looks exactly the same as its predecessor — but who cares? If it was shaped even slightly differently or came in a new color, people would still go nuts over the stuff that’s more important anyway: the insides. And both inside and out, this is a magnificent smartphone.

Brian Chen of href="http://www.wired.com/reviews/2011/10/iphone4s/ ">Wired

“The iPhone 4S has speed, a great camera, some cool voice-recognition features, and the same beautiful industrial design that was introduced in the iPhone 4. It’s destined to be immensely popular. The S, in this case, seems to stand for “sure thing.”

Jason Snell of href="http://www.macworld.com/article/162944/2011/10/iphone_4s_its_a_sure_thing.html ">Macworld

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Apple concedes that Siri isn’t a finished product; she is in beta. But even with her blemishes, Siri is pretty darn cool. And she helps make the iPhone 4S pretty darn cool, too.

Edward Baig of href="http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/edwardbaig/story/2011-10-11/iPhone-4S-review/50736270/1 ">USA Today

The iPhone 4S is one of Apple’s less dramatic updates, but, when combined with the Siri, iOS 5 and iCloud features, it presents an attractive new offering to smartphone users. Some may be content to skip the new hardware and just enjoy the software and cloud features with older models. But those buying the phone will likely be happy with it.

Walt Mossberg of href="http://allthingsd.com/20111011/the-iphone-finds-its-voice/ ">All Things D, Wall St. Journal

You can look at each of the items that Apple will release in conjunction with the iPhone and be amazed with how innovative each one of them are.

When you put them all together in one product like the iPhone 4S, you have an incredibly successful product that other companies just can’t compete with.

Jim Dalrymple of href="http://www.loopinsight.com/2011/10/11/review-iphone-4s/">LoopInsight

There are some rough spots here and there; for example, every now and then the 4S’s camera app gets stuck on its startup screen. And while the battery still gets you through one full day, standby time is shorter than before (200 hours versus 300). But over all, Apple has done an excellent job.

Davide Pogue of the href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/12/technology/personaltech/iphone-4s-conceals-sheer-magic-pogue.html">NY Times

Daily Tip: How to update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to iOS 5

iOS 5 for iPhone and iPad walkthrough

New to these giant software releases and wondering how to upgrade your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to iOS 5? Luckily iTunes makes the process of upgrading painless. The best part is once you’re on iOS 5 you can start to receive OTA updates and you’ll never have to fuss with cables and computers again.

For now though, where you’re ready to update to iOS 5, here’s what you need to do:

After you’ve done the initial manual update to iOS 5 you’ll have the option to use iCloud backups in the future. Do it. It’s free and it just works.

If you have any questions or have issues, check out our TiPb Forums for all the help you could ever need!

Daily Tips range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you’d like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to dailytips@tipb.com. (If it’s especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we’ll even give ya a reward…)

iPhone 4S early reviews

iPhone 4S early reviews

Early reviews of the iPhone 4S have begun to hit the web and as always there’s as diverse a set of opinions as any good cadre of tech writers can manage. Who’re we kidding, it’s the new iPhone. They’ve had at it.

Walt Mossberg of The Wall Street Journal thinks the new hardware, software, services, and Siri make for an attractive but not dramatic update.

The iPhone 4S is one of Apple’s less dramatic updates, but, when combined with the Siri, iOS 5 and iCloud features, it presents an attractive new offering to smartphone users. Some may be content to skip the new hardware and just enjoy the software and cloud features with older models. But those buying the phone will likely be happy with it.

David Pogue of The New York Times says, bottom line, Apple has an excellent job.

The question isn’t what’s in a name — it’s what’s in a phone. And the answer is: “A lot of amazing technology. And some of it feels like magic.”

Ed Baig of USA Today says that Siri lends its specific pretty darn coolness to the iPhone 4S in general.

Pro. Siri, good camera, iOS 5, iCloud, half-million apps. Snappy. World phone.

Con. No LTE version. Photo Stream glitch.

Shane Richmond of The Telegraph thinks Siri is as significant an advance as multitouch was with the original iPhone.

Overall, the iPhone 4S is a good upgrade to a very good phone. It retains the stylish design of the iPhone 4 and gives it a substantial boost. It’s certainly not cheap when you consider some of the alternatives but it feels like a luxury product and it’s an absolute joy to use. If you own the iPhone 4, then whether you upgrade or not depends on how tempted you are by Siri and the new camera. The upgrades in iOS 5 might be enough for iPhone 4 owners. 3GS owners should be in the queue already.

Brian X. Chen of Wired thinks the iPhone continues to push the pace.

Siri is the best androgynous unpaid intern you’ll ever meet. Dual-core guts make for faster apps and a smoother interface. Camera is much-improved. Call quality gets a boost.

Siri is limited in what it can do and understand. Looks the same as the iPhone 4 — what’s up with that? A 2-year contract means you may not be eligible for the best upgrade pricing.

Jason Snell of Macworld think the S in iPhone 4S stands for “sure thing”.

In the end, the iPhone 4S follows Apple’s recent trajectory of iPhone releases: It’s an object of some appeal to people who last upgraded their phones a year ago, and over the next year a great many of them will find it worthwhile to upgrade to the iPhone 4S. But to all those people who’ve been hanging on to their iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS, the wait is over: It’s time to upgrade without any hesitation whatsoever. The iPhone 4S has speed, a great camera, some cool voice-recognition features, and the same beautiful industrial design that was introduced in the iPhone 4. It’s destined to be immensely popular.

Jim Dalrymple of The Loop says iPhone 4S is well ahead of its competition.

You can look at each of the items that Apple will release in conjunction with the iPhone and be amazed with how innovative all of them are.

When you put them all together in one product like the iPhone 4S, you have an incredibly successful product that other companies just can’t compete with.

Vincent Nguyen of SlashGear thinks that while iPhone 4S looks the same as iPhone 4, it portents the same kind of industry shift as the original iPhone.

Wisely resisting the urge to change design for the sake of change, Apple has focused its attention where it will count the most: creating a longer-lasting smartphone that takes better photos, runs apps more smoothly and helps people efficiently manage their mobile lives whether they’re within cable’s reach of their home or office or otherwise. Meanwhile, Siri proves that the company still has what it takes to deliver game-changing functionality.

MG Siegler of TechCrunch thinks it’s the new pinnacle of smartphones.

I’m happy that Apple decided not to change the form factor even though they had to know there would be some backlash from a certain segment of the population (read: idiots). Instead, Apple focused on the other thing they do best: refining already great products to make them better. The iPhone 4 was a great product. The best smartphone ever made. Now it cedes that title to the iPhone 4S.

Josh Topolsky of The Verge thinks it’s great for older iPhone users and new-to iPhone users but not as compelling for iPhone 4 users.

This is the easy part… kind of. If you’re an owner of an older iPhone, or someone looking to switch to an iPhone from a different platform, there’s never been a better Apple device to buy. The iPhone 4S is an astoundingly good phone. Between the hardware (both inside and out) and the software (iOS 5 as well as third party offerings), it’s just kind of an awesome package. The lack of LTE, a larger display, or a new design may put off some buyers, but that won’t change the fact that the 4S is a force to be reckoned with.

Sony Planning to Produce a Movie About Steve Jobs

We will more-than-likely get to see a dramatically-reenvisioned depiction of Steve Job’s life on the big screen, courtesy of film studio Sony Pictures. Sony is reportedly bidding at least $3 million for film rights to the Steve Jobs biography that is set to release on October 24.

Steve has personally contributed to his 448-page biography so that it can be as factually representative of himself as possible. Walter Isaacso, Time Magazine editor, was specifically chosen by Steve to pen his simply-titled biography Steve Jobs.

The movie would tell the story of how two men began creating the most revolutionary company of all-time in a garage. For those familiar with Steve’s life, there are a number of twists and turns from the beginning that could lead to a very engrossing movie.

Sony Pictures’ films The Social Network and Moneyball, both based on a similar biographical format, have been box office as well as critical hits. It is rumored that Mark Gordon, producer of serval TV series including Grey’s Anatomy and Criminal Minds as well as films such as Saving Private Ryan and more recently Source Code, will be the main executive producer of Steve’s biopic.

Undoubtedly, all of the pieces are in place for the world to learn about Steve’s life in as compelling a way as possible. He deserves everyone who has had their life changed thanks to his many accomplishments to watch how his own life had unfolded.

[via onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.deadline.com/2011/10/sony-pictures-acquiring-apple-icon-steven-jobs-book-for-feature-film/');" target="_blank" href="http://www.deadline.com/2011/10/sony-pictures-acquiring-apple-icon-steven-jobs-book-for-feature-film/">Deadline]

Steve Jobs iRemembrance Week: iPhone Alley is celebrating and remembering the life of Apple co-founder/former CEO Steve Jobs during our first annual Steve Jobs iRemembrance Week. Following the passing away of the greatest visionary and world-changing pioneer of the past century, we will honor Steve Job’s irreplaceable spirit knowing in our hearts that it will carry on for generations to come.

iPhone 4S’s Commemorative Secret Internal Name

While Apple has yet to specifically address the “S” in the iPhone 4S’s name, there are a number of monikers that could be attributed simply based off of feature knowledge. Whether that be “speed” as in the iPhone 3GS’s case or the more distinct choice of “Siri,” there is one label that is undoubtedly the perfect choice. Sources have told us that a secret name is being used internally at Apple.

iPhone 4S is now known as iPhone 4S[teve] (for Steve) among some Apple employees. It seems very fitting, considering how it is the first product to launch after Steve’s death.

Perhaps the “S” was added for multifarious effect, encompassing the new features of the 4S but being specifically chosen since it subtly commemorates Steve Jobs’s direction provided to the iPhone line as well as the company as a whole. Steve knew his days were numbered, sharing that information with a select few. It is possible that that few wanted to go the route of the 4S branding since they knew that it could be for Steve.

Steve’s DNA is within the iPhone 4S and will continue to be in every new iteration. Regardless of whether it was originally intended, I am sure we can all agree there could not be a better name than iPhone 4Steve.

Steve Jobs iRemembrance Week: iPhone Alley is celebrating and remembering the life of Apple co-founder/former CEO Steve Jobs during our first annual Steve Jobs iRemembrance Week. Following the passing away of the greatest visionary and world-changing pioneer of the past century, we will honor Steve Job’s irreplaceable spirit knowing in our hearts that it will carry on for generations to come.

iPhone 4S Clocks In At 800MHz, 512MB RAM?

href="http://cdn.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/41616.png">class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-24260" title="41616" src="http://cdn.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/41616.png" alt="" width="600" height="437" />Apple has always been quiet about specs on their mobile devices, but it hasn’t taken long for the key info to find its way out to the public. href="http://www.anandtech.com/show/4951/iphone-4s-preliminary-benchmarks-800mhz-a5-slightly-slower-gpu-than-ipad-2">Anandtech has a series of results of putting the iPhone 4S through its paces using online speed tests, and what they’ve found is that its A5 processor is probably 800MHz, a bit below the 1GHz that the iPad 2 manages to use.

They peg the iPhone 4S as doing some pretty serious damage against Android’s speed records, but that Android will bounce back with Ice Cream Sandwich.

href="http://www.macrumors.com/2011/10/10/the-iphone-4s-appears-to-have-512mb-ram/">We’re also hearing that the iPhone 4S only has 512MB of RAM, even though many were hoping that this update would see Apple boost memory to 1GB.

 

iPad Makes Up 97% Of Tablet Traffic

href="http://cdn.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Screen-Shot-2011-10-11-at-11.10.06-AM.jpg">/> class="aligncenter" title="Screen Shot 2011-10-11 at 11.10.06 AM" src="http://cdn.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Screen-Shot-2011-10-11-at-11.10.06-AM.jpg" alt="" width="299" height="226" />

Ever time you hear the term “iPad Killer” think of these numbers. href="http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Press_Releases/2011/10/Smartphones_and_Tablets_Drive_Nearly_7_Percent_of_Total_U.S._Digital_Traffic">Comscore’s newest batch of analyses show that not only is iOS still king of market share, but that the iPad is surpassing the iPhone, and that it totally dominates the tablet sphere.

When looking at all mobile web traffic, iOS accounts for 58.5% compared to Android’s 31.9%. If you look instead at number of installed devices, it’s 43.1% to 34.1%. Overall, mobile devices made up 7% of traffic in the USA in August, and iPad’s made up 46.8% of that, now passing the iPhone’s 42.6%.

The real kicker? “iPads delivered 97.2 percent of all tablet traffic in the U.S.”

iPad Killers? Where?

[via href="http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/10/10/ipad_now_97_of_tablet_traffic_eclipses_iphone_ios_remains_mobile_leader.html">AppleInsider]

iTunes 10.5 Released

style="text-align: center;">href="http://cdn.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Screen-Shot-2011-10-11-at-1.09.45-PM.jpg">class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-24271" title="Screen Shot 2011-10-11 at 1.09.45 PM" src="http://cdn.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Screen-Shot-2011-10-11-at-1.09.45-PM.jpg" alt="" width="501" height="587" />

iTunes 10.5 is now live through Software Update, though it doesn’t seem to have been seeded through the official website or iTunes’ “Check For Updates…”. Unleashed in anticipation for the upcoming iOS 5 release, this is the version that brings all those wonderful little features that we’ve been waiting for — namely iTunes in the cloud, automatic syncing of downloaded content and WiFi syncing.

Of course, much of these are useless without iOS 5, but we don’t have long to wait for that, do we?

Full changelog after the jump.

id="more-24270">

What’s new in iTunes 10.5

For information on the security content of this update, please visit: href="http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222">http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222.

 

[via href="http://www.tuaw.com/2011/10/11/itunes-10-5-is-live/">TUAW]

Twitter Update Brings The Photosharing

The newest update to href="https://twitter.com/#!/download/iphone">Twitter for iPhone has added Twitter’s recent photo sharing functionality, allowing you to host images on Twitter’s services rather than a third party version like TwitPic or something similar. There are a few other minor tweaks involved, but nothing too substantial.

It’ll be interesting to see if this hits the other Twitter photo sharing services harder, and how the whole mess ties into iOS 5, and its deep Twitter integration with the whole OS.

[via href="http://gizmodo.com/5848725/twitters-ios-update-takes-aim-at-photo+sharing-services">Gizmodo]

Preparing Your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch for the iOS 5 Update

Tomorrow, Apple will release iOS 5 and it will be available as a free update and it is compatible with the following devices: iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPad, iPad 2, iPod touch 3rd generation, iPod touch 4th generation. To get you ready for the big day, we’ve outlined a quick guide on what you’ll need to complete the upgrade.

href="http://cdn.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ios-5-update.png">class="alignnone size-full wp-image-24289" title="ios-5-update" src="http://cdn.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ios-5-update.png" alt="" width="614" height="193" />

Preparations/> You’ll need to make sure you have the latest version of iTunes, which is currently iTunes 10.5. [href="http://www.apple.com/itunes/">Download from Apple] just href="http://www.everythingicafe.com/itunes-10-5-released/2011/10/11/">released today.

Before you begin any upgrade, it’s important that you back-up all of the data from your iPhone to your Mac or PC. If you aren’t backing up your Mac or PC, this is a friendly reminder that backing up your computer is always a good idea. Removable USB drives make it inexpensive and tools like href="http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1427">Apple’s Time Machine make the process relatively painless. Okay, off the soapbox and back to getting prepped for iOS 5.

href="http://cdn.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/backup-iphone.png">class="alignnone size-full wp-image-24290" title="backup-iphone" src="http://cdn.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/backup-iphone.png" alt="Backup iPhone" width="478" height="68" />

The final step before iOS is to sync your iPhone with iTunes, to ensure that all your data is backed up. This might also be a good time to update all of your applications. You can bet that a good number of developers have pushed iOS 5 compatible apps over the past few days in advance of iOS 5.

href="http://cdn.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/app-updates.png">class="alignnone size-full wp-image-24291" title="app-updates" src="http://cdn.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/app-updates.png" alt="iOS App Updates" width="630" height="356" />

href="http://cdn.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/download-free-updates.png">class="alignnone size-full wp-image-24296" title="download-free-updates" src="http://cdn.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/download-free-updates.png" alt="" width="630" height="83" />

Next up, we wait for the release. Thankfully we are less than 24 hours away from the public release. Once announced, you’ll simply have to connect your iPhone to iTunes and will be prompted to install the update. It should be noted that you will likely experience a long wait, with Apple servers being slammed from anxious iPhone owners looking to get some iOS 5 love. To find out when iOS 5 is released, please consider href="http://twitter.com/everythingicafe">following @everythingiCafe on Twitter or href="http://www.facebook.com/everythingicafe">liking us on Facebook. As soon as we know, you’ll know.

If you have trouble updating or need help, then head on over to the href="http://www.everythingicafe.com/forum/forums/ios-software/">iOS section of our href="http://www.everythingicafe.com/forum">iPhone forums. It’s free to register and you’ll find a wealth of knowledgeable, helpful members.

Check back tomorrow for our complete guide to the best new features in iOS 5.

iPhone 4S processor is 800Mhz, 73% faster than iPhone 4?

Game developers testing Apple A5-chip equipped iPhone 4?

New tests conducted over at AnandTech reveal that Apple has chosen to underclock the A5 system-on-a-chip nestled inside the iPhone 4S to ~800MHz, just slightly slower than the iPad 2‘s 1GHz, but still far better than the iPhone 4‘s A4 SoC — by margins as high as 73%.

Using some of the integer and fp tests of published Geekbench scores we can already conclude that Apple is shipping a lower clocked A5 in the iPhone 4S than it does in the iPad 2 [...] Based on the Geekbench results it looks like the iPad 2 is clocked around 25% higher than the iPhone 4S, pegging the latter’s clock speed at 800MHz.

They go on to speculate that the reduction in processor speed is attributed to power-saving methods used by Apple, just as they did with the A4 chip in the iPhone 4 when compared to the original iPad.

The tests also reveal a slightly lower-clocked SGX 543MP2 GPU chip, but it’s safe to say that the iPhone 4S is easily the fastest smartphone on the planet — we just can’t wait to see how games like Infinity Blade 2 perform on this thing!

Source: AnandTech

Twitter for iPhone and iPad receives update

The official Twitter app for iPhone and iPad received an update, today, that includes the ability to upload photos to Twitter’s picture hosing services (pic.twitter.com) and a new UI for Direct Messages on the iPad.

Twitter is available on the iPhone and iPad for free.

[App Store link]

Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.

Readdle’s PDF Expert for iPad updated

PDF Expert for iPad by Readdle has been updated, today, and include custom text and image stamps and integration of the iOS 5 dictionary.

One of the other new features makes your handwriting look more realistic. I love this new feature because it’s embarrassing to share a PDF with notes that look like they were written by an 8 year old. After this update, I won’t have to worry about that!

Here’s the complete update list:

PDF Expert is available on the iPad for $9.99.

[App Store link]

Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.

Magazines starting to hit iOS 5 Newsstand a day early?

9to5Mac got a tip that Apple has started allowing downloadable content from magazine publishers into the new iOS 5 Newsstand app. Right now it seems like only Wired and GQ, but more are sure to follow as tomorrow’s iOS 5 launch approaches.

We’re still waiting on the likes of The New York Times, SF Chronicle, Daily Telegraph and many more. Magazine publishers are jumping on board too, with National Geographic, SPIN, Conde Nast, Nylon, The Telegraph, GQ Esquire etc.,

Anyone else manage to nab a newspaper or magazine in Newsstand yet?

Source: 9to5Mac

Mini Reviews: Four Accessories from ThinkGeek

Sometime last week, I received a few products from the geeky, and so similar to me, guys over at ThinkGeek. datetime="2011-10-11T21:47:31+00:00">Since the four things I got aren’t really worthy of a full review <--Just
kidding! Since the products aren't really large enough for separate reviews for each one, I thought I'd compile their mini reviews into one review.

target="_blank" href="http://www.iphonealley.com/blog/mini-reviews-four-accessories-from-thinkgeek/attachment/istubz" rel="attachment wp-att-22416">src="http://www.iphonealley.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/istubz.jpg" alt="" title="istubz" width="300" height="300" class="alignright size-full wp-image-22416" />onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/portable-audio-video/bd8c/?pfm=Search&t=');" href="http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/portable-audio-video/bd8c/?pfm=Search&t=">iStubz ($7.99):/> From looking at the pictures, the iStubz may come off to simply be a regular charge/sync cable that you currently use. Quite on the contrary, however, the cable is different: rather than the usual length, the iStubz has been sized down and boasts a 3 inch length. This is so your work area can be clutter-free. Since the cable is only 3 inches, I wouldn’t really envision that you use it along with a desktop computer. Rather, I’d recommend it for use with a onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.worthavegroup.com/laptop-insurance');" target="_blank" title="laptop" href="http://www.worthavegroup.com/laptop-insurance">laptop considering it’d most likely leave your iPhone or iPod Touch dangling out of the USB port of your desktop computer. The cable is reinforced with the same material as Apple’s own similar charge/sync cable, which wouldn’t be preferable if the two cables shared the amount of durability; thankfully, the short size prevents the iStubz from bending which should take care of tearing insulation and such. It’s only $7.99 (link above), so if the idea at all peaks your interest, I’d fully back taking a look at it.

target="_blank" href="http://www.iphonealley.com/blog/mini-reviews-four-accessories-from-thinkgeek/attachment/spudz" rel="attachment wp-att-22419">src="http://www.iphonealley.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/spudz.jpg" alt="" title="spudz" width="300" height="300" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-22419" />onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/cellphone/e398/?pfm=Search&t=');" href="http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/cellphone/e398/?pfm=Search&t=">Spudz – Pocket Microfiber Cloth ($4.99):/> Any regular microfiber cleaning cloth wouldn’t be worth 5 dollars, but this one certainly is. If you deem that wiping any sort of lens with your shirt is effective, then skip right over this review right now, but if you’re yet looking for a cloth to remove grime and dust, then continue reading. The Spudz – Pocket Microfiber Cloth is basically just a microfiber cloth packed into a small pocket or bag, a little larger than an inch in length. The cloth is sewn into the bottom of the back and is also multiple times the size of the bag to prevent the loss of the cloth and to provide a considerable amount of slack for cleaning, respectively. Plus, the Spudz bag as an attached loop/hook to allow you to carry the cloth around with you on your keys, belt, and other such places. My only gripe was that the cloth took some care to properly be stowed back in the bag, but that’s something that can be sidestepped with some practice. Like I said, $5 for just any cloth would be ridiculous, but for the Spudz cleaning cloth, especially considering how well it rids your lens (in our case, screens) of dust, fingerprints and more, it’s totally worth it!

target="_blank" href="http://www.iphonealley.com/blog/mini-reviews-four-accessories-from-thinkgeek/attachment/plunger" rel="attachment wp-att-22418">src="http://www.iphonealley.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/plunger.jpg" alt="" title="plunger" width="300" height="300" class="alignright size-full wp-image-22418" />onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/cellphone/e55b/?srp=2');" href="http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/cellphone/e55b/?srp=2">iPlunge Phone Stand ($5.99):/> A toilet plunger that can also be used as a phone stand – talk about universally useful! No folks, the iPlunge Phone Stand can’t really be used as a plunger but simply is shaped to look like one. There are tons of stands available out there for the avid movie watcher who enjoys watching movies on a 3″ screen, but none have as much personality as this one. Sticking to the back of literally any phone with a flat surface, the rubber [red] part of the stand uses its suction capabilities to firmly hang onto your phone. The handle is then used as the actual balance, keeping your phone upright. Depending on where you stick the plunge–ahem, the stand, you’ll be able to have multiple viewing positions. I really didn’t have any worries with this one, except for the fact that some cases aren’t supported. Regardless, if you’re in the market for a stand that successfully does its job while also offering a bit of humor, the iPlunge from ThinkGeek should undoubtedly be yours.

target="_blank" href="http://www.iphonealley.com/blog/mini-reviews-four-accessories-from-thinkgeek/attachment/keychain" rel="attachment wp-att-22417">src="http://www.iphonealley.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/keychain.jpg" alt="" title="keychain" width="300" height="300" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-22417" />onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/portable-audio-video/c02a/?srp=3');" href="http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/portable-audio-video/c02a/?srp=3">Keychain Speaker Amp ($6.99)/> Now this is really clever; this mini speaker, comparable to the size of a quarter, camouflages itself as a guitar amp compressed to about 1/20 of one’s normal size. Connected to any MP3 device with the included, two-sided 3.5mm cable (yes, you have to use the one included) and recharged using the included USB cable, the speaker offers a light solution for listening to music on the go. Surprisingly, for its small size, the speaker has a wonderful sound capability, playing music fairly clear. However, if you turn the music up all of the way, you can make out occasional scratches. The speaker is attached to ring, much like a keychain, which can be attached to your key’s ring for portability purposes. There were multiple things I had against the speaker:/> 1) You have to use the included cable to play music. Don’t ask me why, but even on top of that, there’s a specific size that you have to plug into the speaker./> 2) There’s no volume wheel on the speaker. It’s not so small that some method of volume controlling can’t be added. You have to control volume from your iPhone or iPod Touch./> Other than those, the speaker isn’t such a bad companion to have with you.

These four products, reviewed above, would make an excellent travel pack, in my honest opinion. Each is small, light and easy to be stowed, and all have different purposes suitable for any vacation that you could go on; without doubt, they would make great, reliable companions for your next trip. Additionally, they’re not the plain old accessories that you’d find elsewhere. You can definitely count on ThinkGeek to use a toilet plunger an iPhone stand! So if you don’t mind spending about $26, (rounded to the nearest dollar) then I’d recommend you pick up atleast a few of the above accessories.

Real World Video Demo of Siri on iPhone 4S Amazes

Canned demonstrations are great and all, but count me among those wondering how Siri on the iPhone 4S would work in the real world. In a word, amazing.

 />class="videoContainer">width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MKRwV3DTVLo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>

Source: href="http://www.stuff.tv/">Stuff.TV via href="http://gizmodo.com/5848584/real-life-iphone-4s-siri-demonstration-is-pretty-damn-impressive">Gizmodo

Why I’m not updating to iOS 5

Why I'm not updating to iOS 5

Tomorrow Apple releases iOS 5 to the public and while millions will rush to grab it and bring iTunes’ servers to their knees, I for one will be taking a pass. At least for now. The reason is simple — I’m not willing to give up my beloved Jailbreak.

I like being able to put more apps in the dock than Apple allows. I like being able to respond to texts without having to go back to the Messages app and change my settings with a swipe. I like being able to leave gaps on my home screen and I like seeing cool FX happen when I swipe from one screen to another.

And while Rene was showing me the admittedly cool looking new Notification Center in iOS 5, he couldn’t preview email right from the pull down the way I could with my Jailbreak notifications.

There’s already a tethered Jailbreak for iOS 5, but I need my phone to work for work, so tethered isn’t an option for me. There are rumors an untethered Jailbreak for iOS 5 might be coming soon.

That’s what I’m waiting for. And that’s why I’m not updating to iOS 5. Yet.

Anyone else on #TeamJailbreak waiting with me?

Apple seeds iTunes 10.5.1 beta to developers

Apple seeds iTunes 10.5.1 beta to developers

While the general public gets their first taste of iTunes 10.5 today, Apple isn’t wasting any time moving developers up to iTunes 10.5.1 beta. Like other recent betas, it includes iTunes Match functionality for further testing.

If you’re a registered dev, grab it via the link below:

Source: developer.apple.com

Photo contest for JOBY GorillaMobile: vote for the winner!

A couple weeks ago, we announced our photo contest for a chance to win a JOBY GorillaMobile, compliments of JOBY.

Our readers got shooting and shared some great photos. Our only rules were that the capturing and editing of the photos must have been only done on an iPhone. It was tough, but we have narrowed down the entries to 5 finalists and now it’s up to you to vote for the winner!

So, without further adieu, and in no particular order, here are the finalists!

Head on over the forums to see the other great entries and thanks to everyone who participated!

NOW… ready, set… VOTE!

Siri on iPhone 4S video hands-on reviews

Siri on iPhone 4S video hands-on reviews

Stuff.tv got their hands on an iPhone 4S at the Apple media event in the UK last week, and now applemastertouch got an early hands on as well, and both put Siri through its paces. Highlight:

Goran: I love you.

Siri: I hope you don’t say that to other mobile phones, Goran.

Nice. Check out the videos below.

Source: iPhoneTicker.de, x2

Best Buy, RadioShack and Sam’s Club To Carry New iPhone

If you didn’t already pre-order the iPhone 4S and don’t want to camp outside an href="http://www.iphonealley.com/news/apple-stores-set-to-open-early-for-the-launch-of-the-iphone-4s">Apple Store on Friday, there are some other options.

All onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/pr.bby.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=244152&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1615272');" target="_blank" href="http://pr.bby.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=244152&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1615272">Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores will be carrying the AT&T, Verizon and Sprint iPhone models on October 14. You can also buy the iPhone 4S at RadioShack or Sam’s Club. You will need a onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.samsclub.com/sams/pagedetails/content.jsp?pageName=aboutSams&iid=10_10_2011|iphone4s|Sams_Member_Services');" target="_blank" href="http://www.samsclub.com/sams/pagedetails/content.jsp?pageName=aboutSams&iid=10_10_2011|iphone4s|Sams_Member_Services">Sam’s Club membership and should upgrade your existing iPhone to iOS 5 if you plan to replace it. You should also bring along the Social Security number of the primary account holder, photo ID, and all your passwords (carrier and Apple) to any iPhone retailer if you plan on buying a new device.

Sam’s Club iPhone 4S pre-orders begin on Tuesday and it will be available on a first-come, first-served basis on October 14. The iPhone 4S is $199.99 for the 16GB model, $299.99 for the 32GB model and $399.99 for the 64GB model. All prices require a new or upgraded contract.

UPDATE: Not all Sam’s Club locations will be carrying the iPhone. Visit the onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.samsclub.com/sams/html/ContentMgmt/iphone4s.html');" target="_blank" href="http://www.samsclub.com/sams/html/ContentMgmt/iphone4s.html">Sam’s Club website to find a location near you.

iPhone 4S purchase, Order tracking, iPhone 4S giveaway, Samsung Galaxy S 2, Jawbone JAMBOX giveaway [From the Forums]

Let’s be blunt — if you’re not in the TiPb Forums you’re missing out on the best darn discussion in iPhone and iPad today, so head on over and register now!

Will you buy the iPhone 4S?

Official iPhone 4S order tracking thread

Win an iPhone 4S from TiPb!

Is anyone purchasing the Samsung Galaxy S 2 instead of the iPhone 4S?

Jawbone JAMBOX giveaway ends tomorrow! Get in on your chance to win now!

See you in the forums!

Daily Deal: Case-Mate Vroom Case for AT&T iPhone 4 only $4.95

Daily Deal: Case-Mate Vroom Case for AT&T iPhone 4 only $4.95For today only, the TiPb Store has the  Case-Mate Vroom Case for AT&T iPhone 4 for only $9.95. That’s great rigid impact protection in black, fuchsia magenta, bright purple, metallic purple, metallic black, white, turquoise, and coral — Get them before they’re gone!

Shop Case-Mate Vroom Case for AT&T iPhone 4 now!

Due updated, now includes stack of new features

Due, the simple but really powerful reminder app has just received a major update. It now includes new features like integration with Agenda Calendar, send reminders to friends and family via email or SMS and also the ability to receive reminders from other Due users. The full list of updates are below.


  • Add reminders to Due based on your calendar events from Agenda and have Due send you right back to where you left off in Agenda.

  • Send reminders to family, friends and colleagues via email or SMS. Swipe across a reminder to access the new action and sharing menu.

  • Your friends using Due can also send you reminders via email and SMS. One tap on the included link, and the reminder is on its way to be saved to your copy of Due.

  • Now detects links, email addresses and phone numbers in reminder titles, offering options to act on them when marked done, or via the new action menu when swiping across a reminder

  • Redo support

  • Keyboard now automatically shows first on the iPhone when creating a new reminder

  • Removed ‘Show keyboard first’ option from Settings


The update also brings a large number of bug fixes too.

Due is a universal binary so is available for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch for $4.99

[App Store link]

 

 

Apple releases iTunes 10.5

Apple releases iTunes 10.5

As a precursor to tomorrows iOS 5 update and iCloud explosion, Apple today released iTunes 10.5 to the masses. Here’s what’s new:

iTunes in the Cloud. iTunes now stores your music and TV purchases in iCloud and makes them available on your devices anywhere, any time, at no additional cost.

Automatic Downloads. Purchase music from any device or computer and automatically download a copy to your Mac and iOS devices.

Download Previous Purchases. Download your past music, TV, app, and book purchases again, at no additional cost. Previous purchases may be unavailable if they are no longer on the iTunes Store.

Sync with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 5.

Wi-Fi Syncing. Automatically sync your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iTunes any time they’re both on the same Wi-Fi network.

For information on the security content of this update, please visit: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222.

If you’re going to be updating to iOS 5 tomorrow, update to iTunes 10.5 today. (Jailbreakers, we don’t expect any trouble but air on the side of caution and let others test the waters first.)

Everyone else, hit Software Update, and keep your browsers locked on TiPb for lots more iOS 5 and iCloud coverage!

Mythbusters Stars To Host Steve Jobs Documentary

According to InsideTV, Adam Savage and Jamie Hynemam — the two mad geniuses behind Mythbusters — have been pegged to host a Steve Jobs documentary. The two are no strangers to innovation, and NBC and Discovery are teaming up to create iGenius: How Steve Jobs Changed the World with the pair in front of the lens.

“Someone once said that to follow the path that others have laid before you is a very reasonable course of action, therefore all progress is made by unreasonable men,” Savage said. “Steve Jobs was an unreasonable man. He didn’t simply give the public what they wanted, he defined entirely new ways of thinking about our lives in the digital space: productivity, creativity, music, communication, media and art. He has touched, directly and indirectly, all of our lives.”

The documentary is being produced at breakneck speed, and will premier October 16 at 8PM on the Discovery Channel.

iPhone 4S Delivered Early In Germany, Unboxing Photos Commence

When we heard that German Telekom was offering pre-orders for the new iPhone back in September, we had no idea that they would start delivering devices early. One such lucky gentlemen received his iPhone 4S early today and was kind enough to share the requisite unboxing photos.

Nothing here on the device that really distinguishes the ‘S’ from the run of the mill iPhone 4. That’s not to say that jealousy is not running rampant.

Source: Macerkopf.de via AppleInsider

German customers already receiving iPhone 4S orders

German customers already receiving iPhone 4S orders

Looks like some over-eager German couriers suffering from premature delivery-fication have gotten iPhone 4S orders out way ahead of Apple’s official Friday drop date. Not that the customers seem to mind. Indeed, they’re taking to the internet to share an advanced look at their hot new devices.

Apple, no doubt, is likely firmly reminding their courier partners to think about baseball, or taxes, or anything that will get them to keep it in their trucks until Friday.

Source: macerkopf.de via MacRumors

iPhone 4S purchase, Order tracking, iPhone 4S giveaway, Samsung Galaxy S 2 [From the Forums]

Let’s be blunt — if you’re not in the TiPb Forums you’re missing out on the best darn discussion in iPhone and iPad today, so head on over and register now!

Will you buy the iPhone 4S?

Official iPhone 4S order tracking thread

Win an iPhone 4S from TiPb!

Is anyone purchasing the Samsung Galaxy S 2 instead of the iPhone 4S?

See you in the forums!

Discovery to run a Steve Jobs documentary hosted by Mythbusters this Sunday

Discovery has commissioned a new documentary on the life of Steve Jobs and it will be hosted by the Mythbusters duo Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman. The show will be called iGenius: How Steve Jobs Changed the World and is a co-production with NBC.

“Someone once said that to follow the path that others have laid before you is a very reasonable course of action, therefore all progress is made by unreasonable men,” Savage said. “Steve Jobs was an unreasonable man. He didn’t simply give the public what they wanted, he defined entirely new ways of thinking about our lives in the digital space: productivity, creativity, music, communication, media and art. He has touched, directly and indirectly, all of our lives.”

The special will have interviews with many key people including Stevie Wonder, talking about how Steve Jobs’ innovation impacted his career.  The show will premiere on Sunday October 16 across the Discovery networks in 210 countries and territories.

Source: EW.com

 

GoodReader for iPad gets updated with iOS 5 compatibility and iCloud support

GoodReader for iPad has just received a significant update and now include support for iOS 5 as well as iCloud. In case you don’t know, GoodReader is a fantastic application that can open and view many different file types such as PDF, TXT files, MS Office doc, ppt, xls, iWork ’08/’09, HTML and Safari webarchives. It even handles audio and video files too. The latest update also include a few other improvements.


  • iOS 5 compatibility fix

  • iCloud support (iOS 5 or later)

  • Data Protection can now be enabled for all files, even if there is no app or file password being used (this option needs to be explicitly enabled in settings)

  • AirPlay is also enabled for audio files now (iOS 4.3 or later)

  • Side Menu for PDF annotations can now be disabled in settings

  • PDF Annotations deletion confirmation dialog can now be disabled in settings

  • Web browser password now also locks the “Enter URL” feature


GoodReader is available for the iPad for $4.99.

[App Store link]

 

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