Category: iPhone (Page 54 of 55)

      Bouncing Around the Web

      March 26, 2009 /

      In case you missed it, here’s what’s Bouncing Around the Web:

      Western Digital’s My Book family just jumped up to 2TB of storage. 2 freaking terabytes! You can carry around a USB 2.0 2TB external drive for around $330. 2 freaking terabytes! Is it me or can you recall when you didn’t know what the hell a terabyte was?
      Via cnet

      Wolf3D

      I can guarantee I didn’t know what a terabyte was the last time I conquered this game. One of my absolute favorite games growing up is now available on my phone. id Software just released a ported version of Wolfenstein 3D for the iPhone. My productivity just went out the window.
      Via urbergizmo

      A company is now producing Boxed Water. Water in a box? Really? I can see where they are going with this. Boxed Water is safer for the environment than plastic bottles. I get it. But Boxed Water? Really? I’ll stick to the tap.
      Via GIZMODO

      TiVo and Blockbuster are joining forces. The market of people willing to pay several hundred dollars for a DVR and also pay $15 a month to rent movies will be thrilled. I guess I’m not one of them.
      Via engadgetHD

      Gaming, iPhone, News, Websites

      iPhone OS 3.0 – Does it Measure Up?

      March 23, 2009 /

      iPhone3.0

      We’ve had a week to sit back and digest all that was announced for the new iPhone OS 3.0 that will be released this summer. And there is a lot to like. We are getting several features that have been clearly missing in the past. For instance:

      • Cut, copy, and paste
      • Multimedia Messaging
      • Universal Search
      • Landscape mode in all apps
      • A2DP stereo Bluetooth
      • Turn-by-turn directions

      How has the iPhone done so well for so long without all of these? Most, if not all, legitimate smart phones have had this functionality for a long time. Therefore adding these features doesn’t do much to excite me. We should have had them all along. Luckily there were several unexpected announcements with the new OS 3.0. At a high level, here are several of them:

      • In app purchases
      • Peer-to-peer connectivity
      • Tethered accessories
      • Embedded maps
      • Push notifications
      • Voice-memos
      • Additional calendar support
      • 3G tethering

      Well, those are some welcome additions. Again though, several of these items have been available on the better smart phones for a while. So while Apple is playing catch up in several categories, at least it’s running at full speed to do it.

      This is where I have to give Apple some credit. It seems that the iPhone OS 3.0 has done a lot of catching up and answered many of the skeptics questions as to whether or not the iPhone could compete against the top smart phones on the market. I know it’s kinda crazy to question the iPhone’s overall competitiveness but in all reality, it has suffered from a slower adoption into the business world. For example, many companies and professionals would probably love to switch to the iPhone but couldn’t fathom not having cut, copy, and paste in their smart phone. Nor have a phone without a landscape mode to read and respond to emails. And how useful to a business person is a phone that cannot do a basic search?

      So the question remains… Does the iPhone OS 3.0 measure up? I say it does. With the addition of several unexpected features to go along with the ones that have been missing for quite a while, I believe that Apple has finally turned a corner and has created a smart phone for everyone.

      Apple, Apps, iPhone, Mobile, News

      Sweet Site of the Week – mint.com

      March 20, 2009 /

      Sometimes it’s hard to sift through the millions of websites out there to find the fun, unusual, creative, and especially, the useful ones. And word of mouth can only take you so far. Well, leave it to Gadget Teaser to give you a hand in your search. Once a week, we’ll highlight one of our favorite sites that not everyone knows about. I like to think that we here at Gadget Teaser are performing a public service for you… the avid gadget blog reader the general public.
      mint.com
      This week’s Sweet Site of the Week is: mint.com

      If you’re looking for a place to track all your personal finances, set and monitor reasonable budgets, and find ways to save money at the same time, then try mint.com.

      Mint.com is a safe and anonymous website that tracks your spending and budgets. It performs most of the tasks that you get from expensive off the shelf software in a free, accessible, and secure environment. In fact, I find it’s easier to use.

      First, the setup is a breeze. Just create an account and in just a few minutes you can add all your checking, savings, credit cards, loans, and retirement accounts into the system. You can also add your assets like your home and your car. In fact, mint.com will calculate your home value for you, sum it up along with all your other assets and debts, then give you an estimate of your total worth. Pretty cool.

      After the initial set up, mint.com takes over. It will give you suggestions for ways to save money. After you set yourself some budget goals, you can create all kinds of alerts to make sure you are keeping on track. Mint.com will also send you weekly or daily updates regarding what’s happening across all your finances. I even got an email once letting me know that my credit card interest rate was increasing. The email told me I should call and see what’s up and even provided me with the 800 number for that card. That sold me right there.

      Oh, and for those of you wondering why I haven’t mentioned Apple in this post, mint.com has a great iPhone app too. Free, of course.

      So check out mint.com. You, and your wallet, will be glad you did.

      Apple, Apps, iPhone, Mobile, Music, Websites

      Product Recommendations – iPod Shuffle (3rd Generation)

      March 15, 2009 /

      Apple has been dominating the news lately. They just released a new iMac, Mac mini, and Mac Pro. iTunes recently got an update to version 8.1. The new iPhone OS 3.0 is going to be unveiled on March 17. Apple’s core OS called Leopard is rumored to be replaced by Snow Leopard in June. And there are rumors of Apple purchasing large quantities of 10” touch-screen displays for what might be there first try at a netbook.

      Amidst all this, Apple just released their 3rd Generation iPod Shuffle. And the changes from the previous version are quite large for an extremely small device.
      Shuffle
      As seen from the picture on the right, the 3rd Generation Shuffle is quite small. Half that of the previous version. And you may notice from the picture that all the buttons have been removed from the device. Now you only have a port for your headphones, an off-straight-shuffle slider for turning the device on, and a clip to attach it to your clothes. That’s it. No really, that is it. Where did the rest of it go? To the headphones.

      Apple moved the volume and next-last buttons to the headphones. They also added a feature called VoiceOver. The basic premise is that you can adjust the volume or change songs with a click on the headphone wire. Should you want to switch playlists (yes, the Shuffle finally has playlists) you can press and hold until the VoiceOver takes control. It will read to you the current playlist then read to you other playlists. When you hear the playlist you want to listen to, click again and it will start playing it. It does this same thing to tell you the current song you’re listening to. Also, the Shuffle now differentiates between audio books and music, so when you shuffle your songs it won’t play you a chapter of War and Peace.

      My recommendation: Thanks, but no thanks. The new features are neat, but sound completely impractical. The best use of the Shuffle is when you’re active. I can’t imagine trying to navigate through songs and playlists while going for a jog. Also, if you misplace the headphones, you get no controls whatsoever. Sure it will play music, but you can’t change the volume or skip songs. What good is that?

      I think Apple got a little too fancy on this one. They could have easily put some controls on the device itself. I would recommend purchasing or keeping the 2nd Generation Shuffle and treat the 3rd Generation as a novelty.

      Apple, iPhone, Music, News

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