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Tag: iPhone

  • Verizon Expecting 4G IPhone, Plans Massive Network Upgrade

    There’s no doubt at this point that 4G LTE is the wave of the cellular data future. All the latest and greatest smartphones are 4G-capable. Even Apple’s new iPad has 4G. While the networks to support these super-fast new devices are still small, they’re growing rapidly. AT&T just announced that their 4G LTE network would be expanding to eleven new markets, and now Verizon looks set to top them.

    Speaking yesterday to Dow Jones Newswires, Verizon Wireless chief technical officer David Small said that Verizon was planning to double the size of its 4G LTE network by the end of 2012. Whereas there are currently about 200 markets covered by Verizon’s 4G network, they are planning to cover 400 markets by year’s end.

    That’s not all, though. Small also said that every new phone coming to Verizon’s network for the remainder of 2012 would be a 4G-capable phone. Think about that for a second: every phone. That includes, presumably, Apple’s next iPhone (which, like the iPad, will probably just be “the new iPhone“). Now, rumors of a 4G iPhone have persisted for a couple of years now, but Small’s statement here seems to confirm that this year will finally see the iPhone make the jump to 4G.

    Of course, one could argue that Apple itself has already confirmed a 4G iPhone. After all, we’ve got a 4G iPad due to hit store shelves in just two days. It’s pretty much unthinkable that Apple would launch a new iPad with 4G and a new iPhone without it.

    What do you think? Is a 4G iPhone a certainty? With a 4G iPhone in your hands, would network size impact your choice of carrier? Let us know in the comments.

  • Apple iTV Coming By Christmas [RUMOR]

    Apple iTV Coming By Christmas [RUMOR]

    Rumors have been flying in recent months that Apple was working on their own HDTV, usually called the iTV (though that probably won’t be its name). Though attention turned to the new iPad in recent weeks, the rumors have persisted.

    Now it looks like the iTV may really be on its way. In a note to investors analyst Peter Misek of Jeffries said that companies in Apple’s supply chain have already begun receiving shipments of the specialty components required to make the displays for an iTV. He said that the iTV should be in full-scale production by either May or June, with a planned release sometime in the fourth quarter of this year. Misek also said that he expects an initial production run of between two and five million units, and a price point of $699. He did not speculate on the size range for the TV. Based on the going rate for HDTVs, though, price point of $699 seems to suggest that the iTV will be on the smaller side, at least for the first generation.

    Misek also did not speculate on what Apple would ultimately call the iTV. Given the fact that two separate entertainment companies – one British, one American – are called ITV, it is extremely unlikely that Apple would call their TV the iTV. A variation on the Apple TV name is somewhat more likely, though that could conceivably cause some confusion. Apple announced the third generation of their set-top Apple TV at last week’s iPad event.

    Misek also had some thoughts on the latest iPad and the next iPhone (usually called the iPhone 5, but probably just “the new iPhone“). The next iPhone will launch sometime in the third quarter with a 4-4.3-inch screen, A6 processor, and would be a significant redesign. Meanwhile, he called rumors that iPad screen production would not be able to keep up with demand “overblown.”

    The new iPad was unveiled last Wednesday at a special media event. The device will be available in stores beginning Friday morning. Those who pre-ordered the new iPad in the first two days after the event should expect delivery on Friday as well. By last Friday shipping dates had slipped to March 19th, and are now showing as “2-3 weeks.”

    Would you pay $699 for an HDTV from Apple? What features should an iTV have to distinguish it from the (much cheaper) Apple TV? Tell us what you think in the comments.

  • App Economy Creating Jobs And Making Bank

    Chances are you have a smartphone and on that smartphone, you use apps to make your life easier. When you buy an app or make in-app purchases with free apps, you are contributing to one of the fastest growing businesses in America – the app economy.

    We’ve covered the app economy in the past with a study that claimed the app economy has created 500,000 jobs since 2007. The study covered jobs that were created with app development across all major smartphones and the Facebook platform.

    The previous study, however, didn’t really focus on the breakdown of revenue between the major platforms and the number of downloads these apps have seen. A new infographic from Frugal Dad fills us in.

    Some of the key takeaways include a look at the very first smartphone that was released in 1993. The IBM Simon Personal Communicator was a simple smartphone with a touchscreen that featured basic apps like a notepad, email and games. The major barrier for entry was its price at $900.

    As the infographic puts it, “The iPhone changes everything.” It launched in 2007 with the app store launching a year later in 2008. Looking at its growth, we see a massive spike from its launch to July of 2011 where app store downloads reached 15 million. That’s nothing though as the Apple app store recently hit 25 billion downloads on March 3. That number includes apps downloaded through the iPad as well, but it’s impressive nonetheless.

    The major competitor to Apple is, of course, Android. Its app store opened in 2008 as well with its main advantage being that apps could be downloaded onto a number of devices from many different manufacturers as long as they adhere to Google’s Android operating system.

    It is worth pointing out that even though iPhone apps are only available on its respective platform, it possesses a much larger market share. This has been seen recently with Mika Mobile dropping its support for Android due to its inability to generate revenue for its games.

    Job creation, as previously mentioned, is a major benefit of the rising app economy. Some of the major players creating jobs that focus on app development include Zynga, Amazon, Google and Facebook.

    With the massive success of games like Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja, it’s not surprising to see games at the top of the list for most popular apps. Some of the other popular apps include weather, shopping, movies and music.

    All this information points to an ever growing new market based entirely around apps. It is shaking up the usual way we do business with the world and how we interact with it. Unless something terrible happens, like a massive solar storm that knocks out our smartphones, the app economy and the smartphones that power it is going to keep growing.

    Apps Infographic

    Source: frugaldad.com

  • Siri Desu: Siri’s Having Trouble With Japanese

    While most iPhone users I know love talking to Siri–and especially enjoy making her say funny things–the iPhone-based human-like assistant seems even more human in having a flawed, sometimes divisive personality. Criticism of the assistant runs the gamut, from claims that Siri is evil, to objections that Siri has a hard time with accents, and general assertions (even lawsuits) that Siri sucks and is bad at her job.

    Siri claims to speak four different languages (French, English, Japanese, and German), but Apple Scotland has already pointed out that her linguistic acumen might not be so sharp: even in dialects of her native tongue. And with Siri’s recent release in Japanese come reports that Apple’s digital assistant is struggling with her fourth language.

    To be fair, Japanese is hard for anyone–except maybe children under age 12–to learn. The United States Department of Defense ranks the language as a Category IV (out of four categories, mind you), requiring DoD language learners to score 110 out of 176 points on its linguistic aptitude battery in order to qualify for training. Other languages in this category include Arabic, Pashto, Chinese, and Korean. Get the Rosetta Stone demo for one of those bad boys. They’re hard.

    By contrast, Siri’s other two non-English languages, French and German, are category I and II languages, significantly easier for English-speakers to learn (and, ostensibly, for computational linguists to code).

    But if you’re going to roll out a native-language service in any country–especially one so technologically advanced as Japan–it’s wise to make sure that your service cuts the linguistic mustard. For starters, you can start by making sure that the name of your virtual assistant doesn’t sound like a dirty word. As Gizmodo reports, “Siri” literally sounds like “ass” in Japanese. And then there’s the whole issue of local competitors. According to Kotaku, via Apple Insider, Siri’s Japanese performance doesn’t hold a candle to native provider DoCoMo’s own virtual assistant, Syabette Concier. A Japanese speaker on YouTube tested the two against each other:

    I don’t speak Japanese either, but the folks at Kotaku provide a translation of the questions and phrases tested in the video.

    They include:

      Is it cold outside?
      I have a stomach ache.
      Tell me my schedule for tomorrow.
      Give me a map for Chigasaki.
      Look for videos of Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. (A famous Japanese teen singer with a nonsense name.)
      Raw wheat, raw rice, and fresh eggs. (A Japanese tongue twister.)
      I want to cook some curry.
      Wake me up tomorrow.

    Of all the phrases tested, Siri was able to respond to two with aplomb (with weather information, and a follow-up about setting an alarm), and one more with moderate competence (Siri provided a schedule, but not the specified one). Apple’s allegedly quadriglottal assistant struggled with Japanese colloquialisms, localized cultural knowledge, and the pragmatics of implied requests in Japanese. Siri also failed to provide geographic information about Japan, because her Beta version only supports US maps. Syabette, by contrast, performed admirably with all phrases.

    Kotaku also reports that Siri’s responses in Japan were “unnatural and rigid” and took far longer to load than Syabette Concier’s.

    What are the implications for Apple? We’ll see what further Japanese consumer reviews of Siri have to tell us, but Apple would be well advised to slow expansion into new markets until its products are properly competitive. Also, the innovative tech company, and others expanding services to foreign markets, might want to consider beefing up their linguistics departments. (Shameless college-major plug.)

    Hat Tip: The Next Web. Photo Cred: AppAdvice.

  • Apple Stock Hits Record $552 Per Share

    Apple’s stock price surged yesterday to close at a record high $552 per share. At the same time, the company’s market capitalization exceeded $514 billion. Several months ago Apple passed Exxon Mobil to become the most valuable company in the world. Apple’s $514.67 billion market capitalization extends the company’s lead over Exxon to more than $100 billion. Exxon’s stock closed yesterday at $85.55 per share, and the company’s market capitalization is currently $403.22 billion.

    Apple has gained over $14 billion in market capitalization in just two weeks. The company passed the $500 billion mark at the end of February, with a stock price of $542 per share. At the time, rumors of the forthcoming iPad were thought to be partially fueling the increase. With the new iPad unveiled last week and set to be available on Friday, Apple’s stock has continued its remarkable rise.

    This all follows a record year for Apple. In the last quarter of 2011 the company generated revenues of $46.33 billion. Revenues from the iPhone made up over half that – and even exceeded Microsoft’s total revenue. With the release of the latest iPad just days away and the next iPhone coming later this year (and maybe an iTV?), it’s a safe bet that Apple will continue posting these kinds of records.

  • Siri Sucks and Apple Has Deceived Us, Claims Lawsuit

    While it’s definitely true that Apple’s voice assistant Siri hasn’t always worked like a charm, one New Yorker thinks that Siri’s shortcomings are enough to warrant legal action.

    Frank M. Fazio has filed a class action complaint against Apple for violation of various California consumer protection laws as well as intentional misrepresentation concerning Siri, Apple’s breakthrough voice assistant tool that’s been one of the main selling points of the iPhone 4S.

    The main focus of Mr. Fazio’s suit is Apple’s advertising. He says that Apple used Siri to differentiate the iPhone 4S from previous iPhone models (and by doing so were able to charge more for it). But in his mind, Siri hasn’t even come close to living up to how Apple portrayed her.

    The iPhone 4S is the latest version of the iPhone and is distinguished by Defendant from its other iPhone devices, including the iPhone 4, predominantly based on the inclusion and touted benefits of a feature styled “Siri.”

    Through an extensive and comprehensive nationwide marketing campaign, Defendant has conveyed the misleading and deceptive message that the iPhone 4S’s Siri feature, a so-called voice-activated assistant, performs useful functions and otherwise works as advertised.

    But those messages about Siri’s functionality are intentionally deceitful, according to the Plaintiff:

    Defendant’s advertisements regarding the Siri feature are fundamentally and designedly false and misleading. Notwithstanding Apple’s extensive multi-million dollar advertising campaign showcasing the Siri feature, and the fact that the iPhone 4S is more expensive than the iPhone 4, the iPhone 4S’s Siri feature does not perform as advertised, rendering the iPhone 4S merely a more expensive iPhone.

    Defendant’s misrepresentations concerning the Siri feature of the iPhone 4S are misleading, false, and reasonably likely to deceive and have deceived Plaintiff and members of the putative class.

    The suit goes on to specifically name recent Apple ads for the iPhone 4S that focus on Siri. If you’ve noticed the recent slew of iPhone 4S ads, you probably already know that most all of do in fact center around Siri’s functionality. Fazio’s attorneys specifically mention this ad that you might recognize:

    Apple has said on numerous occasions that Siri is in beta and will be improved as they go. They even say this on the site page for Siri. Given, it is in small print and that’s part of what Mr. Fazio is upset about.

    What do you think? Do you think that Apple’s various Siri-oriented advertisements are misleading? Has Apple deceived customers with their marketing campaign? Or is this guy just expecting too much? Let us know in the comments.

    Apple iPhone Siri Cpt

  • Shapeways Offers New iPhone Case With Sound

    Innovators are sure to love this case. Shapeways has just revealed their new iPhone case and it’s loaded with features. The Vibe features SoundCloud integration. If you don’t know what soundCloud is, take a look at their website. Essentially it is a place to share and listen to sounds.

    Vibe owners can have their favorite sound wave transformed into a plastic 3-D sleeve for their iPhone. The result is a totally unique case that no one can mistake. Creation is simple with Shapeways’ new web app that allows consumers to design and transform sound waves into products you can touch. Available in high-gloss white or black, the case can be purchased for an introductory price of twenty bucks.

    Shapeways CEO Peter Weijmarshausen comments the new case:

    “We are really excited to let anyone design their own personalized iPhone case with their favorite sound. The Vibe is literally sound you can touch! This is yet another example of how Shapeways is enabling personalized production using 3D printing.”

    It sounds exciting and it’s definitely a new take on what can be done with sound waves. I like the idea, the iPhone is a truly innovative product so why not pair it with a case that’s equally novel? If all your friends have iPhones this will be a great way to distinguish yourself and get crazy with the graphics at the same time. It’s kind of a hard concept to explain, but a pictures worth a thousand words. If you’re an iPhone owner it might be worth the twenty dollars.

    Thanks for the upgrades Shapeways. Can’t wait to see this app in action.

  • Lung Powered iPhone Charger Released

    Lung Powered iPhone Charger Released

    Joco Paulo Lammoglia, an inventor from Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, has recently unveiled his new AIRE concept – a system that converts air flow harnessed from breathing into energy that can be used to charge devices like smartphones and mp3 players.

    The AIRE, which won a reddot Design “best of” award in 2011, uses air displacement (wind) to power a device. Air flow turns tiny turbines, which is then converted into electrical energy. It can be used while exercising, or while the user is asleep, offering a 24-hour renewable energy source, which Lammoglia asserts can cut down on ones carbon footprint.

    Lammoglia sheds some light on his AIRE concept:

    “I hope to bring the concept into production and reduce the carbon footprint. It can be used indoors or outdoors, while you’re sleeping, walking, running or even reading a book. Besides saving energy and helping environmental preservation, it also encourages physical exercise. Though many of our modern gadgets offer benefits, they tend to use a high amount of electrical energy. Harnessing energy from human activities and transforming it into electricity is possible and is a great solution.”

    The information on the AIRE doesn’t state whether or not an iPhone would charge faster if the user is running, instead of sleeping – which might explain the “encourages physical exercise” comment. It also isn’t clear whether or not the device can charge the New iPad.

  • iTether Is Back And Better Than Ever

    It was no surprise last year when iTether was pulled from iTunes. It allowed users to turn their phones into a tether without signing up for their carrier’s tether service. Well, the app is back, but not on iTunes.

    The Tether blog announced Friday that iTether is now available to all iPhone users through an ingenious loophole that leaves Apple without any recourse. They have built a web app that runs natively on HTML5 and allows iPhone users to take advantage of the Tether software through their iPhone’s Web browser.

    “It was clear from our initial application iTether, there was enormous demand within the iPhone ecosystem,” says Tim Burke, CEO of Tether. “It was unfortunate that Apple decided to remove our application, only 20 hours after we launched. However, this caused us to innovate. Our underlying patent-pending technology behind Tether for iPhone is unlike anything on the market.”

    The new iTether creates a wireless connection over AdHoc so its able to circumvent the walled garden that Apple has built. This also allows iTether to work all over the world no matter the carrier or network.

    While the new iTether has successfully found its way around Apple’s certification process, it makes you wonder how long they have until Apple tries to do something about it.

    In what may be an intended consequence of the app, according to the demo video, users who use Tether can access content on their PCs that they normally couldn’t before due to region blocks. The demonstrator is watching videos on Hulu through his phone when normally he could not due to his Canadian residency.

    Here’s the demo of how the new iTether works.

  • Aaron Bond Booted From School for Hacking

    Aaron Bond, last year heralded as Europe’s youngest smartphone app developer, has been expelled from school for hacking into its computer system.

    bond

    Bond, who was among hand-picked delegates at the Apple conference last year, has been permanently expelled from King Edward VI College in Totnes, after getting caught accessing confidential information on the school’s computer system. The information included the financial records of the school’s vice principal, and Bond also went ahead and edited the school’s newsletter, and made changes to its IT room booking system.

    Police were called in and took fingerprints and DNA samples (?) from the teen as evidence. School principal Kate Mason, located in Devon in southwest England, deemed the expulsion to be appropriate, stating “we excluded him in accordance with the serious nature of the offense and the college’s behavior policy and acceptable user policy, which he had signed.” Aaron’s comment on the matter was “I am very sorry and if I had known the consequences I never would have done it.”

    Aaron’s mother chimed in, wondering how a 14-year-old can hack a computer system – “the security of the school computer system should be a lot better. A 14-year-old should not be able to hack in. I don’t see why they can’t give him a second chance.” Apparently, she is not aware that Aaron is atypical of an average middle school computer user.

    So far, Bond has designed 6 iPhone apps, the first being the game “Spud Run,” released last year. he began designing websites at 6, and is looking to enter college early to further develop his skills. Perhaps the school should’ve just asked him to point out the flaws in its computer security system after the hacking, and given him a warning.

  • iOS 5.1 Jailbreak Already Available For Non-A5 Devices

    That didn’t take long.

    In between brushing their teeth and washing their face last night, the iPhone Dev Team briefly paused their pre-bedtime ritual to jailbreak the just-released iOS 5.1. According to Cult of Mac, the team released a new version of their Redsn0w tool that includes the update.

    Before you set off to chisel away the bars on the new iOS, though, a few cautions:

    First, it’s not really worth your time to try this with an iPhone 4S or an iPad 2 because Apple put a lot more security muscle on those A5-equipped devices to guard against jailbreaking. Second, if you do jailbreak your iOS 5.1 device, be aware that whenever you turn it off you’ll need to plug the device into your computer in order to boot up into the jailbroken state again (otherwise known as tethering). So, consider your threshold for inconvenience before marching onward but, other than that, knock yourself out.

    If any readers opted to jailbreak your iOS 5.1 device, feel free to share your caveats, thoughts, and disclaimers in the comments below.

    Oh, and I guess it goes without saying that this iOS 5.1 jailbreak won’t work on the new New iPad, either.

  • Popcornflix Lauches Free Movie Apps for iPad and iPhone

    Popcornflix, a digital movie platform that allows people to watch movies for free at all times, just announced the launch of its iPad and iPhone apps. The apps can be downloaded for free at the iTunes App store. The digital site is available online and on Roku. The power of this service is that it gives cinescapists access to their favorite films and actors through their mobile devices.

    Users can browse and select from over 350 independent and mainstream films and watch them instantly. Their selection is projected to grow to over 1,000 films by the end of 2012 and will add more movies every day.

    The way you can search for movies is very similar to the system used by Netflix; you can search by actor, director, title, and genre; or search through the new arrivals and most popular categories, among others.

    Popcornflix iPhone and iPad apps also allow users to share the apps with friends by posting a link instantly to their Facebook or Twitter account or via an email notice. This will create a personalized list of movie recommendations to help users find films more suited for their demographic.

    Instead of coming attractions, each film will have pre-roll, spot, and banner ads from affiliates that support the platform and make this service free to users.

    The online version of Popcornflix is available in 10 countries, including the US, Canada and the UK. Popcornflix is also available on Roku in the US. The service will expand internationally in the coming months; additional distribution outlets will include web-enabled TVs, DVD players and set-top boxes – virtually everywhere movie viewing platforms are available.

  • New iPad May Mean The End of Numbered Apple Devices

    At yesterday’s media event Apple unveiled their third generation iPad with several new (though mostly expected) features: retina display, better camera, and 4G LTE, and iOS 5.1. One new feature of the iPad surprised pretty much everyone, though: the name. After months of speculation about the “iPad 3,” reports started to surface that the tablet would actually be called the iPad HD.

    As it turned out, everybody was wrong. The new iPad’s name does away with all the modifiers. It’s just “the new iPad.” This has left a lot of industry watchers scratching their heads. In a way, though, it makes sense. Most companies – including most of Apple’s with their other products – don’t bother with giving each new iteration of a device its own unique name. What generation is the current iPod Nano? Or, for that matter, what about the red-headed step child of the iOS family, the iPod Touch? What about the latest MacBook? The iMac?

    For the most part, new devices aren’t given their own names, and for the most part consumers don’t care. Sure it makes things easier for retailers, accessory makers, and industry watchers. But for consumers it really doesn’t make much real difference. Most consumers – especially the less tech savvy ones – who walk into a store looking for the latest iPad aren’t going to ask for the iPad 2 or the iPad HD. They’re going to ask for “the new iPad.” In that sense, then, Apple’s naming choice makes sense. It brings the iPad into line with most of the rest of Apple’s products, and it recognizes the way that most of Apple’s customers shop.

    Of course, Apple’s choice for the iPad’s name raises some interesting questions about other Apple products. What about next year’s iPad? Will it be the “New New iPad“? More importantly, what does that mean for the next iPhone? Most speculation has been calling it the iPhone 5. Some have suggested the iPhone 6 (it is, after all, the sixth generation iPhone). But if Apple is dropping modifiers from device names, then it’s a pretty safe bet that when Tim Cook next takes the stage (in September or October?) it will be to announce “the new iPhone.”

    What do you think of “the new iPad”? Is it a smart move on Apple’s part, or a mistake? Let us know in the comments.

  • Apple’s iPhoto is Capturing the World

    Apple’s iPhoto is Capturing the World

    The iPhoto available today from the App Store for $4.99 and the editing features look pretty amazing. Lots of tools to tweak your photos. iPhoto for iPad supports photos up to 19 megapixels. Also includes automatic comparison features and sharing to email, Flickr, Twitter, and more. It Includes gesture support, multi-touch editing and retouching, and photos can be transferred directly between devices.

    A scrollable thumbnail framework lets users to sift through pictures in a snap in landscape or portrait mode. Users also have the power to compare multiple pictures side by side, select favorites, and hide so-so shots in one swipe.

    Double-tapping an image on iPhoto automatically selects similar photos in the user’s library. The new technology makes pictures easy to flag, mark, and find.

    Apple claims that “there’s so much power built into iPhoto for iOS, you need to touch it to believe it. Using only your fingers, you can make a blue sky bluer. A landscape greener. Or a smile brighter. From the moment you touch the screen, the way you see things will never be the same.”

    IPhotomakes editing pictures easier than ever : simply touch the part of an image you want to change and drag it to make it a masterpiece. Users can crop out a distracting background, straighten crooked photos using automatic horizon detection, and adjust exposure, contrast, saturation, and more.

    The Brush feature makes picture brighter or darker. The Repair tool erases blemishes, and the Soften brush is sure to win over the young at heart by smoothing hard lines and edges (no more wrinkles for Grandma).

    The iPhone also feature a shareable photo journal where you can take pictures and add captions, maps, dates, and weather. iPhoto allows you to share photos from your iPad to your Mac:

  • New Apple TV Launches For $99 On March 16

    While everybody was tuned into the Apple event today for The New iPad reveal, Apple snuck in an announcement for an improved and cheaper Apple TV.

    While the Apple TV has been in existence for some time now, the new Apple TV will feature 1080p programming that integrates cloud-based iTunes movies and TV shows into its programming. It also supports Netflix, Vimeo, photos and more audio-visual content all in HD.

    On top of the announcement, it was also revealed that iCloud will now support movies and TV shows from the iTunes store. This will allow users to stream video content onto their HDTVs through Apple TV. Users can also stream content from their iPad or iPhone 4S onto the Apple TV.

    “People are going to love streaming movies and TV shows in 1080p with the new Apple TV, and photos look beautiful displayed at the maximum resolution of your TV,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Apple TV is easier than ever to use with its new icon-based interface and the ability to access your purchased movies, TV shows and music right from iCloud.”

    Apple TV Launches For $99

    Speaking of content, the programming available over Apple TV is pretty impressive. There will be over 15,000 movies and over 90,000 TV episodes available on the iTunes Store. On top of all that, there is Netflix, live sports from MLB, NBA and NHL alongside content from Vimeo, YouTube and Flickr.

    The iCloud support will go beyond Apple TV by letting users who buy content stream it on all of their compatible devices. iCloud can also be used to store photos and share between all of your devices.

    AirPlay will also be used to push content from your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch to Apple TV. It can also be used to mirror images between the device and Apple TV to stream Web pages, spreadsheets and games.

    The most amazing news out of all this is the price. Apple TV will only cost $99 and be available Friday, March 16. You can buy it at the Apple online store, any of their retail stores or any authorized Apple reseller.

    If you’re interested in getting the Apple TV, you will need a couple of things first. Interested users will need iTunes 10.5 or later, either a wireless or Ethernet network, broadband internet connection and an HDTV capable of 1080p or 720p. It goes without saying that an HDMI cable is required.

    Those who own second generation Apple TV devices will be able to download a firmware update that adds the new UI. Unfortunately, the new Apple TV is required to play 1080p content.

  • Hudld For iPhone Innovates Social Networking

    Trouble keeping up with all your social networking streams? Hudld brings them all together under one app for you iPhone. You can link up to 60 total accounts from networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. Hudld gives you a better way to navigate, protect, and manage them all. It brings efficiency to a chaotic stream of information.

    Brian Ash, who is in charge of the Hudld startup comments on the introduction of the new app:

    “This is the only logical next step in the evolution of social networking client applications. With the growing number of social services, mobile users, and customers juggling many different accounts and services, a centralized hub for this activity is almost unavoidable to keep social networking conducive to its purpose.”

    “Without some innovation geared towards governing this activity over the various networks, we will not outgrow social networking, it will outgrow us to the point that so much of our activity is spread over various accounts, ever growing services and many more users coming in on a daily basis, that we could no longer follow along in any uniform time line or be able to mange or digest them efficiently. Especially on smaller personal devices where time, speed and usability grow increasingly more important to the end user.”

    Check out a video of the app in use:

    I guess it is inevitable. Everybody’s using social networking now and there are so many different accounts and streams of information to keep track of, it makes sense that somebody comes out with an app to manage them. Over 50% of mobile internet traffic is somehow connected to social networking. I’m sure this isn’t going to be the last app we see designed around social media integration, but it is one of the first.

  • Siri: A Breakthrough for Mobile Commerce

    For many Apple aficionados, the October 2011 release of the iPhone 4S failed to impress – at least initially. Although Apple touted the 4S as the “most amazing iPhone yet,” the device looked identical to the iPhone 4 and lacked anticipated features like a button-free interface and larger screen size.

    The passing of Apple founder Steve Jobs during the premiere of the 4S consumed the oxygen surrounding the brand and distracted attention away from the features of the latest incarnation in the iPhone line; this, despite the fact that consumers were purchasing the device at a record rate.

    But once the dust settled, it became apparent that the iPhone 4S was more than a mediocre upgrade, largely due to the inclusion of a potential game-changer in the mobile milieu: Siri, Apple’s version of a personal digital assistant.

    Unlike typical, incremental developments in human-machine interfaces, Siri may prove to be the most important advancement in consumer computing since the mouse gave users the ability to perform point-and-click navigation.

    And for retailers, it’s possible that Siri represents the first step down a path that will revolutionize the way consumers use their mobile device to shop.

    Implications of Siri for Consumers

    Even though it is available only in Beta on iPhone 4S, it’s no exaggeration to say that Siri may be the killer app mobile commerce evangelists have been waiting for.

    From a technical angle, Siri is essentially a two-way, voice-recognition application. Siri users can speak a command and receive a verbal response from their device. That feature alone is not all that impressive, as voice recognition is already an entrenched feature in many mobile platforms and other products.

    But here’s what makes Siri different: unlike other voice-recognition applications, Siri has the ability to access and transact with other applications and sources of information. By leveraging a broad range of user-specific information, Siri can act on a user’s behalf.

    So for mobile users, Siri really does play the role of a personalized digital assistant, a virtual partner with unfettered access to the user’s profile settings, selected accounts and other personal data sources.

    Although Siri’s abilities are presently restricted to voice-based calendaring, texting, searching and e-mailing, it’s all but guaranteed that future versions will have the capability to access other application programming interfaces (APIs), transforming the way consumers shop.

    Let’s say you’re on your way to the office and you suddenly remember it’s your wife’s birthday, a detail you failed to recall before you left the house. Instead of waiting until you get to the office, you just tell Siri to contact 1-800-Flowers.com. After asking what you would like and describing your options, Siri will ask you to authorize the purchase and then have the vendor deliver your order to your wife’s office by using the address contained in your contact list.

    Or suppose you’re in the mood for sushi on your way home from work. With a few, simple voice commands, Siri will identify the closest sushi joint, confirm your menu choices and pay for the order using your credit card account information. If the sushi bar delivers, your order could be waiting for you by the time pull in your driveway.

    What makes Siri groundbreaking as a new customer touch point for retailers is how it removes friction form the shopping experience and truly enables consumer to shop from anywhere, anytime. In other words, Siri combines your personal objectives with your personal information to perform the legwork that is normally involved with a transaction.

    Preparing for Siri Equipped Consumers

    As Siri (and similar applications) gradually make their way into the hands of consumers, there are several capabilities retailers should have in place to prepare for an increasingly complex multichannel retailing environment.

    • Product Content Management. It’s expected that conversion paths, specifically low-click conversion paths, will be an important factor in determining brand success with Siri. Since Siri users will be conditioned to expect fast product identification and buying experiences, brands should implement a product content management platform that can seamlessly search the brand’s database for the product a customer is interested in purchasing.

    • Virtual Payment Options. As a seamless transaction tool, Siri requires access to virtual payment options. Although Siri creates additional pressure for the development of virtual wallet solutions, interim solutions like secure and encrypted customer accounts are essential for making the brand more attractive for Siri purchases and delivering a streamlined mobile buying experience.

    • Inventory Visibility. Siri’s functionality is rooted in mobile search capabilities. Brands with higher SERP rankings will inevitably fare better than those who have failed to invest time and energy in non-branded SEO. However, the localization aspect of Siri (e.g. “find the closest pizza place”) means that brands will also need to focus on optimizing search for geolocational inventory, i.e. your physical inventory will need to be visible in order for Siri to determine whether you have the user’s brands in stock and ready to go out the door.

    • Order Management. There’s potential that Siri could ultimately become the universal customer service representative for smartphone users. Besides accessing product availability across channels, Siri will also be able to update an order placed through the retailer or even check its shipping status. Implementing an order management program is a pre-requisite and also the bedrock of any multichannel retailing strategy.

    The full shape and scope of Siri’s impact on retail will emerge over time. However, brands that neglect to lay the groundwork for Siri and other virtual assistant technologies may find themselves lagging behind in a retail landscape where brands are expected to offer an innovative shopping experience.

    In particular, it’s essential for retailers to consider the frictionless transaction benefits Siri delivers to mobile users. By thoroughly evaluating the implications of a seamless mobile transaction environment and orienting mobile channel development in that direction, retailers can begin the process of creating an intelligent response to one of the most intelligent mobile tools consumers have at their disposal.

  • Apple Awarded Major iWallet Patent

    Apple Awarded Major iWallet Patent

    Rumors of Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology in the iPhone have been around since before the iPhone 4 was released in 2010. The company has been awarded several patents dealing with the technology – as well as a payment service called iWallet. Yet two iPhone releases have come and gone since the rumors began and NFC has remained absent.

    Now, however, there is evidence suggesting that Apple may still be working on NFC integration and iWallet. Patently Apple is reporting today that Apple has been awarded a previously unknown patent for iWallet.

    The patent covers how the iWallet software creates rules governing financial transactions with subsidiary accounts – i.e., a credit card linked to the user’s iTunes account. The patent hints at several interesting features of iWallet, including NFC on the iPhone, and using iTunes for handling credit car statements.

    iWallet Patent

    As always a patent doesn’t necessarily mean anything about what we’ll be seeing in the immediate future. All it really means is that Apple is exploring the technology. That said, NFC seems to be gaining in popularity. Several Android phones now have the technology, and Google has launched their own payment service – Google Wallet. What’s more, a MasterCard executive hinted strongly at the beginning of February that Apple had NFC technology in the works for inclusion in the next iPhone.

    What do you think? Would you like to see NFC in the next iPhone? Let us know in the comments.

  • Ukelele Goes Futuristic With iPhone & iPad

    Ukelele Goes Futuristic With iPhone & iPad

    April 2012 wil bring iPad and iPhone users a musical treat. Futulele is a ukelele synthesizer for the iPhone and iPad. The software app is made possible by Amidio’s top-ranked guitar app OMGuitar. The app is said to be touch sensitive and captures the nuances of real ukelele performances while offering a novel experience to Apple product users.

    The app features full recording and arranging capability and can be operated via a special holder that utilizes the iPod Touch or iPhone and iPad at the same time to create the instrument. The app will also function with the iPad 3.

    Toyo on Amidio Futulele Newsblog commented on the new Futulele:

    “We have managed to reduce the chord switch lag to a minimum level and capture every little nuance of a high-grade professional Ukulele instrument. You can use up to 12 chords for each song, and change chord sets on the fly. Full recording and sharing possibilities come straight from OMGuitar, as well as the effects section.”

    “Trying to reflect the obvious connections between the future and the past, we have chosen the famous Elvis Presley’s song “Can’t Help Falling In Love” (1961) as the title song for introducing the potential new-born urban legend instrument.”

    Check out the video below to see the ukelele synthesizer in action:

    Looks really cool! I’m sure it will be a big hit with Apple users. It’s a unique musical experience that brings musical production to a larger audience and perhaps spurs-on greater interest in real versions of the Hawaiian classical instrument. Look for it early in April.

  • GroupMe 3.3 Released for iPhone and Android

    The GroupMe Blog announced today the latest version of their group messaging app, replete with two brand-new features and a handful of updates.

    If you’ve ever wanted to chat about something in particular, but didn’t know who with, Open Groups is the new way to go. Open Groups enables users to start conversations without adding anyone to the group–instead, anyone can join. Users can limit participation to just their GroupMe contacts, or they can tweet or post the URL and engage with a wider audience.

    GroupMe recommends the feature for a variety of social engagements, including an impromptu book club, karaoke crew, pick-up soccer group, or fan club. And, of course–as their screenshot suggests–drinks.

    GroupMe 3.3 also caters to the language preferences of a drastically larger demographic. Fourteen new languages are included in this upgrade, including Spanish, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese (both Portuguese and Brazilian), Russian, and Chinese (Simplified & Traditional).

    For folks whose native tongue still isn’t covered in the options, GroupMe wants to here about it in their Feature Request Forum.. No word on whether you’ll need a translator there, though.

    The folks at GroupMe also mentions at lots of minor upgrades and bug fixes. You can download it for the iPhone or Android now.

  • Krispy Kreme Apps, Now You Know When You Can Get a Free Hot Original Doughnut

    Who doesn’t love a free Hot Original Glazed doughnut that has just come off of the line? But waiting for the neon glow of the “Hot Now” lights isn’t feasible for most people.

    Well a new app from Krispy Kreme will notify you when you can get those fresh, warm, and heavenly rings of dough. The Hot Light Online app allows you to map your nearest Krispy Kreme location from your phone and it alerts you when the “Hot Now” light goes on.

    Krispy Kreme has created six new apps to help you tweet, find your nearest location, and get notified:

    (image)

    One person commented on Krispy Kreme’s Facebook Page that this app was going to make her fatter while another called the Hot Now light the red light of temptation.