WebProNews

Tag: iPhone

  • Booyah Launches Check-Ins for Products in MyTown

    Booyah, one of the companies gaining buzz in the check-in service space, has announced a new product check-in feature for its MyTown game/service.

    MyTown from Booyah - Now with Product Check-in featureWith the feature, users can use their iPhone camera to scan barcodes of products to unlock points and earn virtual goods, as the company puts it, "creating a game out of real life items."

    "We first made the location check-in fun," says Booyah CEO Keith Lee. "Now we’re making products fun. It adds a whole new layer on top of the MyTown experience."

    "It’s a holy grail for marketers and brands to have their target audience actually hold their products in their hands," adds Lee. "It’s as close as you will get before point of sale. Not to mention that a consumer’s product check-in history is invaluable data."

    This could make the whole check-in trend all the more appealing to businesses looking to sell their products. MyTown already boasts over two and a half million active users.

    MyTown lets users "buy and own" their favorite real-life locations, and collect rent when other people check-in to their shops.

  • Court Ruling Raises Fair Use Questions Around DRM

    Elecronista reports that a new court ruling could set a legal precedent to allow the bypassing of DRM for fair use purposes. "The decision could impact the media industry as it may allow breaking DRM for music, movies and other formats as long as the material isn’t pirated," says Electronista.

    Engagdet has a look at a "mystery HTC Windows Phone 7 device". "A candybar slate from HTC with a 3.7-inch SLCD and 1GHz Snapdragon processor — sounds about right for the Desire, but this little puppy is actually running Windows Phone 7 (presumably a developer build, given the apps catalog)," the publication reports. "According to our tipster, the three buttons under the screen are touch-sensitive à la Nexus One, the camera boasts 8 megapixels of memory retention, and the "hardware is ready." It apparently lacks HTC Sense.

    According to Bloomberg, AOL is looking for an executive to lead its music business, with the help of recruiting firm Spencer Stuart.

    Apple announced that the iPhone 4 will be made available in 17 more countries starting Friday. This news comes while LG has suggested iPad international expansion could be temporarily hampered.

    Rackspace and NASA have teamed up on an open source cloud project called OpenStack.

  • iPhone 4 Expands into More Countries, iPad May Have to Wait

    Apple announced today that the iPhone 4 will be available in 17 more countries this Friday (July 30). Countries include: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

    The device will be available through Apple’s retail and online stores and through authorized resellers. It’s currently available in France, Germany, Japan, the UK and the US.

    Meanwhile, there might be a hiccup in the international expansion of Apple’s other big product launch of the year – the iPad.

    Reuters quotes Kwon Young-soo, CEO of LG Display, a display supplier for the iPad (via Mashable):

    iPad Comes to Nine More Countries This Week"Demand (from Apple) keeps growing and we can’t meet it all. Apple may have to delay launches of the iPad for some countries due to tight component supplies and strong demand.

    "We are considering increasing production lines for iPad products but overall supply is likely to remain tight until early next year."

    On Friday, Apple announced a delay in the white version of the iPhone 4, while also launching its Case Program in which iPhone 4 owners can get free cases or bumpers.

    Last week, the company also announced that it had sold 8.4 million iPhones and 3.27 million iPads in its third quarter.

  • Free Case Not Enough? Samsung Gives Some Disgruntled iPhone Users Free Android Phones

    You may have heard that a few people have been dissatisfied with their recent iPhone 4 purchases. Apple has gone out of its way to make it up to them (whether or not they’ve done enough is debatable), but that hasn’t stopped people from complaining.

    Samsung Galaxy SSome of those people got lucky when they complained publicly on Twitter, because someone was listening. It wasn’t Apple, but Samsung, who decided to try and convert some of its competitor’s users to Samsung users. Samsung has been giving away its Galaxy S phones to some of the complainers, as first reported by Wired UK.

    "Recently there has been a real increase in online activity from consumers dissatisfied with some of our competitors’ products," Samsung told Wired. "We decided to contact a cross section of individuals to offer them a free Samsung Galaxy S as a replacement, as we’re confident that once people have the phone in their hands, they’ll see how impressive it is for themselves."

    While Samsung’s efforts may convert a few iPhone users to Galaxy S users, it might also effectively convert them to Android users, as the phone runs Android 2.1. That could be more long-term.

    You have to admit a free phone is a little more enticing than a free case.

    The move follows a newspaper ad taken by Samsung, which also mocked Apple’s reception issues.

    Publicity stunts? Sure. It’s working though isn’t it?

  • Google Experiences Hiccup in LA Google Apps Implementation

    Google Experiences Hiccup in LA Google Apps Implementation

    MarketWatch reports that Google has missed a deadline for the implementation of Google Apps in the city of Los Angeles, due mainly to security concerns expressed by the LAPD. This has got to be an unwelcome snag for Google, who is spending a great deal of time marketing Google Apps for cloud computing.

    Microsoft is encouraging its employees to be evangelists for Windows Phone 7 in an effort to build up the developer community and Windows Phone app marketplace. No surprise there. TechFlash points to a Microsoft internal memo from Andy Lees  who tells all employees to "get involved in the launch."

    Microsoft and ARM have signed a licensing agreement for the ARM architecture, which extends the companies’ 13-year relationship. "ARM is an important partner for Microsoft and we deliver multiple operating systems on the company’s architecture, most notably Windows Embedded and Windows Phone," says KD Hallman, general manager, Microsoft. "With closer access to the ARM technology we will be able to enhance our research and development activities for ARM-based products." (via ZDnet)

    iPhone Case Program app launchedApple began its Case program today, in which iPhone 4 users can download an app to sign up for a free case or bumper. The company also announced a delay in the availability of the white iPhone 4.

    Verizon shared its quarterly earnings, while AT&T has reportedly begun transitioning customers it acquired earlier this year from Verizon.

    According to Michael Arrington of TechCrunch, Disney is in "very" late stage acquisition talks with social game makers Playdom. Disney only recently acquired Tapulous, makers of popular iPhone game Tap Tap Revenge.

    Social news iPad app Flipboard made a lot of headlines this week, when Robert Scoble introduced it as "revolutionary" and then it ran into some technical difficulties. Now Gizmodo is questioning whether or not Flipboard is even legal, asking if it is scraping content that it doesn’t have the rights to. "It scrapes websites directly rather than using public RSS feeds, opening it to claims of copyright infringement," the publication says.

    Sarah Perez at ReadWriteWeb has an interesting story about U.S. defense contractor Raytheon developing software for soldiers, utilizing Android. "The software, called the Raytheon Android Tactical System or RATS, has already been tested by some members of the U.S. Special Forces," she writes. "It involves a social-networking type of display where soldiers interact as ‘buddies’ and track each others’ movements on the battlefield."

  • Apple Begins Case Program, Delays White iPhone

    As you are probably aware, Apple announced last week that iPhone 4 buyers would be entitled to a free case (or bumper) to correct the highly-publicized receptions issues with the device. Those who already purchased a case/bumper would be entitled to a refund.

    iPhone Case Program app launchedThe company has now begun the process of making good on that promise. MacRumors points to an Apple Store message saying, "As of today, we have automatically processed your refund. You have also been refunded for any Shipping or VAT charges which may have been applied to your order. If you paid via credit card, please allow 3-5 business days for the refund to reach your account."

    In addition, Apple has released a downloadable iPhone app that lets users sign up for a free bumper or case. More info on this can be found here.

    Meanwhile, some consumers are still waiting for a white version of the iPhone 4. Apple released the following statement today about it: "White models of Apple’s new iPhone 4 have continued to be more challenging to manufacture than we originally expected, and as a result they will not be available until later this year. The availability of the more popular iPhone 4 black models is not affected."

    On a somewhat related note, TheNextWeb points to a newspaper ad taken out by Samsung, which appears to include a subtle jab at the iPhone’s antenna issues.

  • Flickr Updates iPhone App to Utilize iOS 4 Capabilities, Adds Twitter Sharing

    Flickr has released an updated version of its iPhone app, specifically targeting new features of the iPhone 4 like multi-tasking and support for HD-video uploads.

    "The version 1.2 adds multi-tasking and allows users to upload their photos and videos in the background," a representative for Flickr tells WebProNews. "After tapping the ‘Upload’ button, you can simply do something else; no longer do you have to watch the progress bar until it’s finished. When multi-tasking, we’ll always bring you back to the same place where you left the application."

    Flickr has also introduced a new Twitter sharing feature in the app (which doesn’t only apply to iPhone 4 users). Users can upload a photo or video to Flickr and post its short flic.kr address to Twitter followers at the same time. Users must link their Flickr accounts to their Twitter accounts obviously.

    "In addition to the cool features, we enhanced the overall user interface, provide the option to clear your recent searches and developed an even better full screen browsing experience – once you swipe to the next photo the navigation controls disappear and you can enjoy the photo," the representative says. "Not sure how to enter the full screen mode? Just tap the photo on a photo detail page in the app."

    The app can be downloaded in the App Store for no cost.

  • Consumer Watchdog: Google Spent $1.34 Million Lobbying in Q2

    Consumer Watchdog: Google Spent $1.34 Million Lobbying in Q2

    Consumer Watchdog issued a press release saying that Google spent $1.34 million trying to influence federal lawmakers and regulators in the second quarter of 2010, a 41% increase over $950,000 in the same period a year ago.

    The group says Google has spent a total of $2.72 million lobbying during the first half of the year. This is based on reports filed with the Senate Office of Public Records.

    Ars Technica points to a new report from the FCC about broadband access claiming that between 14 million and 24 million Americans still lack access to high speed Internet and that "the immediate prospects for deployment to them are bleak."

    Robin Wauters of TechCrunch reports that a California court has ruled that Facebook doesn’t violate competition laws. This is in regards to an ongoing legal dispute between the company and Power.com.

    "We are pleased the court rejected Power’s fundamental claim—antitrust violation—and upheld our right to protect our users’ data and enforce the privacy decisions they make on Facebook," a Facebook spokesperson told the publication.

    As expected, Facebook announced that it has surpassed 500 million users. Half a billion and no signs of slowing down. The company also says it gets 100 billion hits per day and has 50 billion photos. Meanwhile Facebook Open Graph partner Pandora announced today that it has surpassed 60 million users.

    A new social news iPad app called Flipboard has captured the interest of the tech industry today. Robert Scoble calls it "revolutionary." He provides an in-depth look at it and interview with its CEO here:

    Skype has upgraded its iPhone app to allow users to make calls over 3G data connections for no additional charges. In addition, it supports multitasking.

    Mashable looks at the recently updated Android distribution chart indicating that over 55% of all Android devices are running version 2.1. Just 22.1% are running version 1.6.

  • Apple Posts Record Quarter at $15.7 Billion

    Apple has released its third quarter financial results. This reflects fiscal 2010 third quarter ended June 26, 2010.

    The company boasted record revenue of $15.7 billion and net quarterly profit of $3.25 billion. This compares to a year ago, when Apple reported revenue of $9.73 billion and net quarterly profit of $1.83 billion.

    iPad Launched During the quarterObviously Apple has had some big product launches this year that largely contributed to revenue. The company sold 3.47 million Macs during the quarter (which was a record in itself), as well as 8.4 million iPhones 9.41 million iPods, and 3.27 million iPads (which were only launched during the quarter).

    "It was a phenomenal quarter that exceeded our expectations all around, including the most successful product launch in Apple’s history with iPhone 4," said Apple CEO Steve Jobs. "iPad is off to a terrific start, more people are buying Macs than ever before, and we have amazing new products still to come this year."

    "We’re really pleased to have generated over $4 billion of cash during the quarter," added Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer. "Looking ahead to the fourth fiscal quarter of 2010, we expect revenue of about $18 billion and we expect diluted earnings per share of about $3.44"

    Apple’s gross margin was 39.1% compared to 40.9% a year ago. International sales accounted for 52% of the quarter’s revenue.

    The entire release can be found here, and Apple is streaming a conference call here.

  • Warrant Related to Controversial iPhone Leak Withdrawn

    Warrant Related to Controversial iPhone Leak Withdrawn

    Remember the whole Gizmodo-iPhone-leak controversy? Today, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the San Mateo County D.A. has withdrawn the warrant obtained to search the house of Gizmodo’s Jason Chen.

    The Wall Street Journal reports that Gizmodo reached an agreement with the authorites to give the D.A. materials deemed "relevant to the case" and Gizmodo’s other equipment will be returned.

    Apple dominated much of the tech industry’s attention today with a press conference in which CEO Steve Jobs addressed the iPhone 4’s antenna issues that have been covered heavily in the press since the device’s launch.

    Apple ended up announcing that it will give away free cases to iPhone 4 owners, and will give refunds to those who already purhchased them. That is unless they purchased third-party cases.

    Google announced its acquisition of Metaweb, which maintains an open database of "things". This will make search results smarter. That’s the goal anyway. Think of it as an extension of Google’s rich snippets and search answers. Doug has more on it here.

    Bloomberg reports that Dell has proposed a settlement to SEC staff related to allegations about its relationship with Intel. Dell has been under investigation for five years for Intel-related accounting issues.

    Skype’s iPhone application has apparently gone missing from the App Store, and not even Skype knows why at this point. (Via TechCrunch).

    A while back, Google announced that it would no longer be selling the Nexus One phone through its own store. According to Phandroid, the company has now received its final shipment of the device.

  • iPhone 4 Owners to Get Free Cases or Refunds

    Apple kicked off today’s press conference by playing a YouTube video of the iPhone antenna song, which can be seen below:

     

    Steve Jobs acknowledged that Apple isn’t perfect and that phones aren’t either, but he says the company wants to make users happy.

    Jobs says they’ve sold 3 million iPhone 4s since launch and points out that it was called the top smartphone by various publications.

    He says the antenna issues aren’t unique to the iPhone, and points out the BlackBerry Bold 9700, the Droid Eris from HTC, the Omnia 2 from Samsung. He says there are more and that every one has "weak spots."

    Jobs says Apple hasn’t figured out its "way around the laws of physics yet."

    Jobs recommends every iPhone owner update to iOS 4.0.1, and Apple is going to give everyone a free case. Those who have bought one will get a refund, and they’ll do this through the end of September. Some had already been suggesting this as a solution. Apparently Jobs liked the idea.

    People can also take their iPhone 4s back for a refund if that’s what they want to do (provided they’re not damaged).

    Jobs also reiterated that the iPhone will be coming to 17 new countries this month.

    He mentioned that Apple stores had 60m customers last quarter.

    Apple will not give refunds for third-party cases.

    Update: Video of the press conference can be viewed here.

    (HT: gdgt live)

  • Mozilla Launches Firefox Home for iPhone, iPod Touch

    Mozilla has launched Firefox Home for the iPhone and iPod Touch. This is a free application that works with Firefox Sync.

    "Firefox Home provides access to your Firefox desktop history, bookmarks and open tabs on your iPhone," explains Mozilla’s Stuart Parmenter. "Get up and go and have exactly what you are looking for on the Web on your Firefox Home - Comes to iPhoneiPhone or iPod Touch. Firefox Home uses your browser data, securely synced from Firefox on your desktop to the cloud, to let you search and browse quickly and efficiently. You can view the sites you want directly in Firefox Home, open them in Mobile Safari or share them with friends via email. Your Firefox data is private and only you have access to it."

    Mozilla says it syncs the 2000 most frequently or recently visited history items every 24 hours, while tacking on any history changes within that period.

    Data is synced to the phone every time you launch the app. "We currently do not auto-sync as the most common use case is a launch-use-quit scenario, especially in the predominantly single-tasking world of apps on the iPhone. Users always have the option of forcing a refresh from the Settings tab," Mozilla says.

    Mozilla makes it clear that it does not have plans to ship the Firefox browser for the iPhone, citing constraints with the OS environment and distribution.

  • Some Guy Says He Owns the Majority of Facebook

    Facebook has found itself the subject of a lawsuit from a guy named Paul Ceglia who claims to own an 84% stake in the company. The Wall Street Journal reports that in 2009, New York’s Attorney General accused him of defrauding customers of his wood-pellet fuel company.

    Of course this is not the first time Facebook has defended itself from claims about its origins. There have been books written about it (not to mention an upcoming film), but this one kind of came out of nowhere, and the guy’s claims to appear to fall in line with more well-known accounts of the company’s founding.

    iPhone 4A lot of irritated iPhone 4 owners are calling for the company to issue a recall, and PR experts are calling one inevitable according to Cult of Mac. Kevin C. Tofel at GigaOm suggests they just hand out free cases to correct the problem. This uproar was amplified by Consumer Reports declining to recommend the buying of the device this week. According to various reports, Apple has been deleting threads talking about the subject from its message boards.

    Microsoft made another handful of cloud-related announcements from its WorldWide Partner Conference today.

    Amazon had a cloud-related announcement of its own as it introduced Cluster Compute Instances for EC2. These are described as a new instance type specifically designed for high-performance computing (HPC) applications and other demanding network-bound applications.

    Microsoft launched its new Facebook integration for Outlook in the latest example of email and social media coming together in a single user experience.

  • Consumer Reports Gives iPhone 4 a Thumbs Down

    Today, Consumer Reports called it "official". The iPhone 4 has reception problems. The organization says it reached the conclusion after testing three iPhone 4s purchased from separate retailers, in a controlled environment. Meanwhile, reports have surfaced that a class action lawsuit against  Apple & ATT from iPhone owners has been approved by a federal judge. Not a lot of great news for Apple at the moment, despite the impressive sales of the company’s recent releases.

    RIM’s BlackBerry 6 is due out this summer, and the company gave the public a new sneak peek today:

    A new Google Labs project has been unveiled, and could have huge implications for the future of Android. Google App Inventor provides a way for anybody (with or without developer skills) to create their own Android apps. If this catches on, it could fuel Android growth and inspire all kinds of creativity from the less-technically savvy. We’re having an interesting discussion about this with readers on our Facebook page.

    Microsoft had numerous demos and announcements today from its Worldwide Partner Conference. For one, the company unveiled Dynamics CRM 2011 along with Dynamics Marketplace. The company also unveiled partners (including eBay) for its Windows Azure platform appliance. Microsoft also released Windows Phone Developer Tools and the second public beta of Windows Intune. CEO Steve Ballmer also had some interesting things to say about Windows 7 tablets.

  • mSpot Launches Streaming Movie App for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch

    mSpot has announced the launch of a free app for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, which lets users watch full-length streaming movies instantly.

    "The Mobile Movies iPad app makes them the first company to make streaming full-length movies available across Apple devices (beating Netflix to the punch)," a representative for mSpot tells WebProNews.

    Users can start watching movies at mSpotMovies.com on their PCs/Macs and resume watching them on their other devices, should they choose to do so.

    mSpot Movies - Stream to iPad, iPhone

    "We now truly live in an ‘entertainment anywhere’ world where consumers often own many devices to watch movies on-the-go, or at home," says mSpot CEO Daren Tsui. "mSpot Movies allows people to enjoy movies instantly and seamlessly across many consumer electronic devices without the need for cable sync or sideloading."

    The app is free, and users can rent movies for $2.99-$3.99.

    mSpot Movies is available on major U.S. carriers and across over 50 different handset devices, including the iPhone, Android, Blackberry, and Palm, mSpot says. The company also launched a cloud music service last month.

  • More Smartphone Owners Using Local Search And Social Networking

    More people are increasingly using their smartphones for local search, social networking and gaming, according to a new survey from Compete.

    Nearly one in three smartphone owners has called or stopped into a local business after finding it using a local search application. In the first quarter, close to a third of Android and iPhone users found at least two new businesses that they previously were not aware after using local search applications.

    "With the increasing popularity of local search, retailers should ensure their sites are optimized for mobile browsers," said Danielle Nohe, director, technology and entertainment for Compete.

    "Making it easy for consumers to discover businesses via their devices opens local companies up to a whole new customer demographic, and savvy businesses should make sure they’re maximizing this opportunity."

    Consumers are increasingly accessing social networking sites via their mobile devices. According to Compete’s findings, 33 percent of smartphone Twitter users primarily send tweets via their smartphones, and 33 percent of these consumers prefer to read tweets on their phone. Of those accessing Facebook from their smartphone, consumers are increasingly using the device to read news feeds (66 percent), post status updates (60 percent), read/reply to private messages (59 percent) and post photos (44 percent).

    Facebook-Smartphone-Users

    "Given the increasing popularity of Facebook, Twitter and other social sites, it follows that users are eager to access these outlets on their phones," said Nohe.

    "Based on our findings, I recommend marketers start thinking about new ways to maximize consumers’ use of smartphones on social sites, as mobile adoption will likely only increase with time."

    Over half  (51%) of iPhone users have five or more games on their devices. In contrast, 46 percent of BlackBerry users have no games on their smartphones. Not only do iPhone owners download more games, they play games more frequently than do owners of other smartphones. Of the consumers surveyed, 37 percent of iPhone users report playing games on their smartphones at least daily and puzzle games seem to be capturing the majority of this attention.

    "It’s evident that iPhone owners have embraced mobile gaming," commented Nohe. "Developers should turn their attention to targeting other smartphone users in an effort to even out the discrepancies in mobile gaming adoption."
     

     

  • Apple: It’s Just the Formula for Signal Strength That’s Wrong with the iPhone 4

    Apple has released a public letter addressing the antenna issues with the iPhone 4, which have dominated the tech press since the device’s release.

    The company says it has been very surprised to hear so many reports of reception problems and that it has been investigating them. Here’s an excerpt from the letter:

    To start with, gripping almost any mobile phone in certain ways will reduce its reception by 1 or more bars. This is true of iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, as well as many Droid, Nokia and RIM phones. But some users have reported that iPhone 4 can drop 4 or 5 bars when tightly held in a way which covers the black strip in the lower left corner of the metal band. This is a far bigger drop than normal, and as a result some have accused the iPhone 4 of having a faulty antenna design.

    At the same time, we continue to read articles and receive hundreds of emails from users saying that iPhone 4 reception is better than the iPhone 3GS. They are delighted. This matches our own experience and testing…

    And here’s the explanation and plan of action that Apple has come up with…

    iPhone 4 from AppleUpon investigation, we were stunned to find that the formula we use to calculate how many bars of signal strength to display is totally wrong. Our formula, in many instances, mistakenly displays 2 more bars than it should for a given signal strength. For example, we sometimes display 4 bars when we should be displaying as few as 2 bars. Users observing a drop of several bars when they grip their iPhone in a certain way are most likely in an area with very weak signal strength, but they don’t know it because we are erroneously displaying 4 or 5 bars. Their big drop in bars is because their high bars were never real in the first place.

    To fix this, we are adopting AT&T’s recently recommended formula for calculating how many bars to display for a given signal strength. The real signal strength remains the same, but the iPhone’s bars will report it far more accurately, providing users a much better indication of the reception they will get in a given area. We are also making bars 1, 2 and 3 a bit taller so they will be easier to see.

    Will this be the end of this saga? There is still the matter of those lawsuits.

    What do you think?

  • Disney Reportedly Acquires Tapulous, Makers of Tap Tap Revenge

    Disney Reportedly Acquires Tapulous, Makers of Tap Tap Revenge

    TechCrunch is reporting that Disney has acquired Tapulous, the makers of popular iPhone game Tap Tap Revenge. Very few details are given around this news or its source, but the publication says Tapulous founder Bart Decrem, who will join Disney as a VP.

    "We have over 30 million users and have been #1 on the App Store 5 times over, with Tap Tap Revenge 3 at #1 for 20 straight days," Tapulous boasts on its about page. "In February of 2010 we debuted Riddim Ribbon, a ground-breaking music racing game co-produced with will.i.am. Riddim Ribbon became the #1 grossing app on the App Store within 3 days after launch."

    Tap Tap Revenge

    Recently the company announced a partnership with Warner Music Group, which includes labels like Atlantic, Reprise, Roadrunner, and Warner Bros. The company made headlines earlier this week when it launched a Nickelback-themed game.

    I imagine the Disney-related details will be available soon, provided the news is accurate. Erick Schonfeld promises more soon.

    Update: Mashable says it has confirmed the news, though still does not name sources. Ben Parr does give more alleged detials, however. These include Tapulous staying put in Palo Alto and Decrem and COO Andrew Lacy  becoming Senior VPs , and reporting directly to Disney Interactive President Steve Wadsworth.

    Update 2: Disney has confirmed the acquisition with this release.

  • Apple’s iAds Now Appearing for Users

    Apple’s iAds Now Appearing for Users

    Apple’s iAds are making their way into the wild after weeks of hype. MacRumors.com says, "their presence appears to be very spotty on iAd-compatible applications at the moment with banners appearing only occasionally while at other times the apps simply show blank space in the banner location."

    Engadget has an interesting piece on "What Killed the Kin", Microsoft’s ill-fated feature phone that has not been around for very long. The article seems to suggest that the product line may have been doomed from the get go.

    iPhone 4 from AppleGizmodo reports that Finland’s policy to make broadband a legal right went into effect today. This was originally announced back in October. "It’s only a 1Mbps connection for now, but by 2015 they’re promised 100Mbps," writes Kat Hannaford.

    Complaints about the iPhone 4’s antenna troubles have amounted to multiple class action suits against Apple, according to reports. Boy Genius Report has an alleged "conversation" with Steve Jobs, who appears to be playing down the antenna issues. Update: Fortune reports this conversation was a Facek, citing Apple PR.

    HP completed its acquisition of Palm, after just a couple months. HP got it for a pirce of $5.70 per share of Palm common stock in cash.

  • iPhone 4 Antenna Issues Draw Legal Trouble

    Apple’s iPhone 4 antennas have been the subject of much criticism and grief throughout the tech community since the device’s recent release. Reception was certainly not the only complaint, but it has definitely been the most frequent one.

    iPhone 4 from AppleNow it looks like users are ganging up on Apple and going after the company on the legal front. AppleInsider is reporting that a number of lawsuits have already been filed. Neil Hughes writes:

    Numerous lawsuits were filed this week against Apple, as a number of consumers hope to take the company to task over reception issues that arise with the new iPhone 4 when the left side of the device is covered with a hand.

    At least three class-action complaints were filed in California, Maryland, and Texas. The largest was filed in a U.S. District Court in Oakland, Calif., and has a list of 11 plaintiffs included in the complaint, residing in California and New Jersey. The other two each include one plaintiff.

    This week, Engadget pointed out that a job posting for antenna engineers was made by Apple the same day people started complaining. Boy Genius Report has an interesting article about Apple’s troubleshooting process.

    Other iPhone 4 complaints have included camera malfunctions, supply, screen discoloration, scratchable cases, switched volume keys, and search limitations to name a few (via the Huffington Post). These haven’t stopped the phone from selling though.

  • Yahoo Mail for iPhone Gets an Upgrade

    Yahoo Mail for iPhone Gets an Upgrade

    Yahoo has upgraded its HTML5 mobile web mail experience for the iPhone and iPod Touch, with a faster and more feature-rich version. It’s available as an opt-in trial, and has many of the same features as the desktop version.

    Yahoo lists these properties of the offering:

    • Faster and more reliable: If you’re offline, Yahoo! Mail uses local caching capabilities to help you access and search your messages even without an internet connection.
    • Smart: You can find and organize your messages using Full Search, personal folders and Smart Folders with messages from your most important contacts and optimized views for photos and file attachments.
    • Rich: View rich photo and video attachments in their full form, or as previews directly in the inbox view.
    • Seamless & unified experience: Going forward, you’ll see a consistent look and feel, whether you’re on a smartphone or a PC.

    Yahoo Mail on the iPhone

    The product is available in 28 languages and 200 countries. While it’s available as an opt-in beta right now, Yahoo says it hopes to upgrade all users shortly.

    Yahoo has also released its first-ever Android apps – Yahoo Messenger and Yahoo Mail.