Month: September 2009 (Page 7 of 11)

      iPod Nano 5G And Flip SD Get Side-By-Side Comparison

      September 13, 2009 /

      Flip vs the nano.Since Apple announced the iPod Nano 5G on Wednesday, there has been a lot of talk about whether or not the included video camera will be enough to kill off Pure Digital’s Flip line of video cameras. The editors at NewTeeVee set out to answer that question, and came up with a pretty clear winner: the Flip.

      Now I can’t say I’m surprised. The camera in the new Nano is so bad that Apple doesn’t even want you taking pictures. But words don’t really do the two cameras justice. In order to understand the differences – just how bad the Nano camera looks, and just how good the Flip (which is not an HD model) looks by comparison – you need to see the NewTeeVee video, which I’ve conveniently embedded here.

      As you can see, the Nano looks truly terrible. The picture is overexposed most of the time, does not handle any sort of lighting transition very well, and the resolution is terrible. The videos will look decent on the Nano screen, but anything bigger and you will be hugely disappointed. By comparison, the Flip SD looks great – it handles different lighting well for a cheap camera and the picture is crisp and maintains decent color.

      I’ll be curious to see Apple’s response to this situation. I think we can safely assume we’ll see more and more of these videos around the web in the near future, with more and more of the same reaction: Apple really dropped the ball on this one.

      Apple

      Palm Rejects Its First App

      September 12, 2009 /

      Palm Pre.In its bid to compete with Apple, it looks like Palm will be embracing even the worst of business practices. Despite an already meager offering in the App Catalog, Palm has banned its first application, NaNplayer.

      The problem came when Palm noticed the app using an undocumented API call. It’s actually a call already used by the integrated music player to create playlists, but its not something Palm wanted to see in third-party apps. In a response after the media got wind of the story, Palm’s Developer Community Manager said the API was scheduled to change in future versions of WebOS so current apps shouldn’t rely on it.

      I suppose that makes some sort of sense, but why not let the developer know and encourage them to make the switch instead of enforcing the change through rejection. If the API is going to break playlists, wouldn’t it do the same in Palm’s current app? And if Palm can write a way to migrate those playlists couldn’t NaNplayer’s developers do the same?

      Regardless of the what-ifs, NaNplayer’s developers have said they’ll be going the homebrew route with their app, a decision Palm apparently supports. I suppose that’s better than suggesting homebrewing is illegal.

      Apps, News

      Is Mayhem! The Herald Of Apple’s Future?

      September 12, 2009 /

      Tyrese Gibson's Mayhem!There was a strange appearance at Apple’s Rock and Roll even this past Wednesday, and I’m not talking about Steve Jobs. It was Tyrese Gibson, an actor from the movies Death Race and Transformers 2. What makes Gibson’s appearance strange isn’t his movies, though. It’s his book.

      Gibson made his mark in Apple history when his comic book “Mayhem!” became the first book available from iTunes. Granted, this isn’t a full-fledged novel, but it is the first example of how a book would work in iTunes, and could be an indication of what’s to come. The first episode of the comic comes from iTunes LP, where buyers will get additional video and audio extras along with a stylized presentation of the comic.

      Couple this with Jobs’ comments about a multi-purpose device that has an e-reader built in and I say we have more evidence that the Apple tablet is an issue of “when,” not “if.”

      Apple, Digital Media

      Accessory Review: iSkin Solo And Solo FX

      September 11, 2009 /

      Today I’ve got a review of the Solo line of iPhone cases from iSkin. I decided to shoot the review as a video so you can really see the benefits of the case. Overall, iSkin’s put together an excellent product. It’s simple, fits the phone well, and looks great. My only complaint is price. At $29.99 for the Solo and $32.99 for the Solo FX, the cases are a bit more expensive than the features they offer. If you can get a deal on either, it would be worth picking up.

      iPhone, Reviews, Video

      Facebook Lite Is Like An Answered Prayer

      September 11, 2009 /

      Facebook Lite.Facebook rolled out a new feature yesterday that just might restore my faith in the service. I’ve long hated Facebook, and that hatred only grew as the site became more “feature-rich,” that is to say a much bigger pain in my ass. Luckily, I finally have some respite from all the requests for Mafia and Texas Hold ‘Em: Facebook Lite.

      Originally intended for use in countries where broadband is sporadic or even nonexistent, Facebook Lite offers a slimmed down version of the social service, removing all the extra applications and goodies in favor of a much more utilitarian user interface. You get the bare bones, nothing more. I love it.

      Facebook had this to say:

      We decided to roll out Facebook Lite in the U.S. to give users a simple, expedient alternative to facebook.com, and hope that it will fill this need. While the majority of our user base is outside the United States, we’re always working to enhance the new user experience even in markets where facebook.com is easily accessible. We have also found that people who are new to Facebook tend to be most interested in a simpler experience, focus on establishing their network of friends and communicating with them by writing on their walls, sending messages, and looking at pictures. We have introduced the Lite site with these new users in mind.

      I might actually log in more than my typical twice a month. You can check out the new service at lite.facebook.com.

      Source: TechCrunch

      News, Websites

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