Category: iPhone (Page 28 of 55)

      Now you can use your iPhone as your car keys

      October 13, 2009 /

      viper-smart-startIt’s been pretty hilarious to watch all of the fake “there’s an app for that” ads come out, just to see an actual app released a few months later. Such is the case with SmartStart from Viper. The free app hooks your phone up with a starter kit installed on your car and essentially turns your iPhone into your keys.

      SmartStart does more than just ignition. You can start your heater, lock and unlock doors, pop your trunk, and set the alarm. Since the signal is carried over cell networks you can use the app from pretty much anywhere without range limitation.

      All that convenience comes with a pretty hefty price tag, though. It’s $299 for the car module if you’ve already got a Viper system, $499 if not. You get a free year of service but after that you’re looking at $30/year to keep things running. Even at that price, though, I’d imagine a lot of people would be willing to buy. I mean, really, your iPhone controls your car. Now you just need to replace your Ford Focus with an Aston Martin.

      Apps, iPhone

      Blackra1n iPhone OS 3.1.2 jailbreak is live

      October 11, 2009 /

      Geohot and blackra1n.Our boy George Hotz has done it again. He released a jailbreak for iPhone OS 3.1.2 today, which stuck to his previous nomenclature, this time called “blackra1n.” As the man known as Geohot says, “blackra1n is a 30 second ALL device 3.1.2 jailbreak.” That’s right – 3G, 3GS, whatever you’ve got it works.

      There is one warning, which comes from blog used to tease the jailbreak. You should not upgrade to 3.1.2 via iTunes if you have an unlocked phone. It will “fix” the unlock and you’ll be SOL. You can use PwnageTool to get up to 3.1 safely. If you’ve already lost your unlock, blackra1n can get back your jailbreak.

      As with previous geohot unlocks, the download is PC only, so get with your Windows friends if you want this to work.

      iPhone, Mobile, News

      Photoshop on the iPhone? Not exactly

      October 10, 2009 /

      photoshop-iphoneIf you’ve been waiting for Adobe to put Photoshop on the iPhone, your wait is over. It’s about what you’d expect (and certainly all you need) from an editing application on your cell phone, though calling it “Photoshop” is a bit misleading. The app is free, though, which was a nice surprise.

      The interface is probably the best part of the app. It’s simple slider controls for most effects, which include standard adjustments for saturation, exposure, tint, and all that. You can also crop and use filters, which makes it pretty easy to put together a decent looking picture for a quick Facebook upload. Oh, did I mention the app is free?

      The app includes integration with Adobe’s online system and allows you to upload photos or just save the changes right on your phone. As I may have mentioned, the app is free.

      Apps, Cameras, iPhone

      iPhone takes home JD Power customer satisfaction awards

      October 9, 2009 /

      JD Power award.The iPhone has yet again proven that people will put up with some of the worst wireless service in the world just to have a phone they can love. The iPhone won the 2009 JD Power awards for customer satisfaction in both the consumer and business categories.

      If you take a look at the breakdown, no other phone came close. Sure, battery life was the iPhone’s weak point, but for all the other criteria, users scored the phone as high as possible. That’s quite a testament to the fanatical love people show for a phone that struggles most with actually making and holding calls, thanks to AT&T’s network.

      In other, much less interesting news, LG was the winner for feature phones. Anyone surprised?

      What more proof do you need than the iPhone’s sales figures that at the end of the day, it’s customer satisfaction that really matters. Sure your phone might be able to multi-task, it might have a unique, web-based operating system. It might even have the physical keyboard its competitor lacks. But if the whole world likes that other phone better, those features don’t mean a thing.

      Apple, iPhone, Mobile, News

      The FCC needs to stop coddling big wireless

      October 7, 2009 /

      Julius Genachowski.FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski sounds pretty pleased with steps wireless providers have taken over the past week. In a speech today he complimented AT&T for its recent 3G over VoIP commitment and Verizon and Google for upcoming Android headsets that will support Google Voice. The speech was among the most pejorative things I’ve read (get the full text here), and I couldn’t help feeling insulted at all the back-clapping going on.

      We’re still a long way from a level of consumer respect that I find acceptable, so comments like the following rub me raw:

      That’s because all of you are changing the world. You’ve turned clunky one-trick handsets into sleek and powerful mini-PCs. You’ve made the Internet mobile, freeing broadband from the desktop and making it possible to imagine a world where the Internet is available to anyone, anywhere, anytime.

      You’re making that possible through the billions you’ve invested, and the billions you plan to invest.

      I’m sorry, I guess I didn’t realize how nice the wireless companies have been. It’s almost like they aren’t making billions back through ridiculous airtime and data charges, egregious texting plans, and obscene service outages and dropped call rates. Granted, I don’t line nearly as many pockets in Washington as these companies do, but Genachowski addresses them like spoiled children. “Great job, Timmy. You only punched three girls today, not four, and frankly, two of them deserved it.”

      I’m all for government support of broadband expansion and commitments to improved service, but let’s not coddle big wireless. Sure AT&T opened up to VoIP, but it took an FCC investigation to get it there. I pulled crap like this on my parents all the time. Sure, I was nice to my siblings, but as soon as I was alone I was scribbling swear words on the bathroom wall in red Sharpie.

      Source: Reuters

      iPhone, Mobile

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 Gadget Teaser

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑