Links Mentioned in Todays Episode:
How to spend $1,000 on your Verizon iPhone without even trying
Pitch Speed Pro for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad
101 iPad wannabes - Apple 2.0 - Fortune Tech
Verizon to offer $30 unlimited data for iPhone - temporarily
Verizon dishes on iPhone hotspot pricing | Macworld
US soldier develops Taliban-tracking iPhone application
AT&T offering unlimited data to customers leaving for Verizon
Google Admit they are Unhappy with Android App Sales
A loophole means unlimited data for AT&T iPhone - USATODAY.com
Netflix: Apple TV Passed The iPad In Viewing Hours
Motorola admits Verizon iPhone triggered 'slowdown' in Droid | Electronista
Verizon iPhone preorders will start at 3 AM February 3
Girl Scout Cookie Locator for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad
AT&T Surpasses Verizon as Number One Carrier
Apple releases iTunes 10.1.2 with fixes, support for CDMA iPhone
Did Steve Jobs Test the iPad with Pixar Movie “The Incredibles?”
http://www.davidjanes.com/incredibles/
15 percent of Galaxy Tabs are returned - AfterDawn
Dead iPad? $1,000 can bring your data back
How to get the songs off your Ipod for free | eHow.com
Apps Mentioned in Todays Episode:
Links Mentioned in this episode:
Serviced iPhone 4 Handsets Get Torx Screws
Ion iCade hands-on - Engadget
Verizon Makes Changes To Its Policies, Conveniently, Before The iPhone Releases
iPhone 3G on BaseBand 06.15.00 Unlocked for Life
Restore to iOS 4.3 Beta Without Apple Dev Account
Daring Fireball: Cold Water on the iPad 2 Retina Display Hype
Apple allows porn, Playboy coming to iPad
The bloggers called it, the Street blew it - Fortune Tech
AppleInsider | Apple now the largest mobile phone vendor in the world by revenue
FaceTime, PhotoBooth and Camera Icons ‘Confirm’ Dual-Camera iPad 2
Naked iPhone 4 Case Mod
iFixit releases an iPhone 4 liberation kit | Macgasm
Port numbers to Google Voice from iPhone to snub AT&T
First Verizon iPhone Commercial: It Begins - Mac Rumors
Playboy app coming to the iPad, but Hef’s tweet was wrong
Rumor: Apple Giving Hint of Feb. 9 iPad 2 Announcement
Google Voice now lets you port your own phone number, maybe
AT&T offering free MicroCells to top 7.5 percent of customers 'likely to experience poor in-building coverage' -- Engadget
Apple Gets Approval to Begin Selling 3G iPads in China | PadGadget
Apple’s App Store Downloads Top 10 Billion
T-Mobile: 10% Of Departing Customers Leave For The iPhone
Toshiba tablet teaser site teases iPad, iPhone
Apps Mentioned in this episode:
Links Mentioned in this Episode:
iOS 4.3 beta for iPhone, iPad walkthrough | TiPb
Apps Mention in this Episode:
What the Frack is wrong with the NY Times or more specifically Joe Nocera at the NY Times. Did Steve Jobs drown his puppy and run off with his Wife too? Not sure how else to explain the "Article" he posted titled - Verizon Deal May Expose iPhone Flaws. To say it is a flawed post filled with mis-information and is highly biased is really understating how bad this "Article" is. Did the NY Times fire all the editors? To start we have this quote
"Yet for all that it offers, the iPhone has always been plagued by serious drawbacks. The “phone” part of the iPhone has never worked very well, dropping calls with annoying regularity. Even when the phone works, the sound quality is often substandard. You would think in an age when fewer people are using landlines this would matter. Apparently not."
What is not mentioned by Joe is that the iPhone works very well in other countries on other networks. And even in the US the iPhone 4 works very well depending on where you live. NY and San Fran - not so much. But in Kansas City where I live the iPhone 4 is rock solid and the sound quality of the calls is far better than my Wife's smartphone on T-Mobile. I have found the iPhone 4 works in areas my iPhone 3GS never worked.
Joe continues with these gems:
"the iPhone’s lack of a raised keyboard makes it next to impossible to do serious e-mailing. And users have to worry constantly about battery life; if they’re not judicious, the iPhone’s battery can be drained by noon."
Ummm - WOW. Really Joe you are going back to 2007 to bitch about the lack of a Physical Keyboard? That horse has not just been beaten to death - the corpse has long since decomposed and and turned to dust which was then blown away. It is 2011 and to date over 160 Million iOS devices with the virtual keyboard have been sold. Joe - GET OVER IT. Per the second part of that quote - Battery Life - What the Frack? Really - you are complaining about the iPhone's battery life - well then you are about the only one. The iPhone 4 has great battery life, and better than almost all other full screen smart phones. Battery Life ? Joe? Really? Please let us know exactly what other full screen smart phones have a better battery life. Oh I will do that for you - see this link. Looks like only the Droid X has better battery life. Battery Life is not a complaint I get from my listeners. Surely you are not complaining about the lack of a removable battery? If so see comments above about 2007 and the dead horse.
"They never make design compromises at Apple. They make consumer compromises. Yet consumers have always been willing to overlook those compromises so they can claim they own some of the coolest products on the planet."
Joe it appears you just don't get it (understatement of the year). Even if people were just buying the iPhone because it was cool - that would not explain why it turns up on top of EVERY consumer survey for customer satisfaction. Regardless of the motivation of why people are buying the iPhone - they clearly are very happy once they do get the device. I will not get into the condescending message your quote sends - but clearly you think iPhone owners are mindless drones. Which obviously hit you pretty hard when you found out your son was one of those mindless drones - since he wants the iPhone too. Luckily Joe for your son intelligence comes from the Mother - and that is a better explanation on why your son wants the iPhone.
"As much as anything, the success of Android is what finally pushed Apple into the arms of Verizon Wireless, which got much better terms than AT&T. ... In truth, Apple needed Verizon Wireless more than Verizon Wireless needed Apple. The deal the two companies cut reflects that fact."
Is that the deal that does not put any Crapware on the iPhone and does not put the Verizon Logo on the iPhone? You say "In Truth" like it is fact. But what about the fact that AT&T was adding more subscribers than Verizon every quarter. Reality is both needed each other - but Verizon needed the iPhone more than Apple needed Verizon. Subscriber growth is the life blood for carriers and the iPhone is the key reason why AT&T continually was beating Verizon.
"Mainly, though, the Verizon Wireless subscriber is simply used to a different kind of experience. If they all migrate immediately to the iPhone, then truly I will raise the white flag."
White flags are something you waive in Battle. Obviously Joe, you feel you are in a war with the iPhone - and that comes through perfectly clear in your very biased article. However, what is also very clear based on your mis-information and lack of any real research is that you showed up to a gun fight with just a knife. Remember when you are waiving your white flag to raise it high above your head we would not want you shot by one of those mindless iPhone buying drones or your own son. Metaphorically speaking that is.
What the Frack is wrong with Consumer Reports. Did Steve Jobs drown their puppies before running off with their wives? Because Consumer Reports clearly has become biased in their reporting of the iPhone. And this is really clear with the BS post they put up on the 11th.
They recommended against the Verizon iPhone because it is "middle aged" - ie a new one is likely coming in June - and yes we know that - but that there are new versions of phones from all other manufactures released in shorter periods was not mentioned. Mac Observer had this great observation to make about Consumer Reports "Middle Aged" comments.
By the reasoning they supplied, no one should ever buy a new phone unless it’s the iPhone, and only when it’s a few weeks old.
Consumer Reports also pointed out the issues with CDMA - but did not say that is true of all the smart phones on Verizon. And the craziest of their issues was:
"the iPhone 4 has a 3.5-inch screen in an era where the number of smart phones with 4-inch-plus screens has swelled"
Huh - What the Frack? Did Consumer Reports mention the Retina display has better resolution than the two 4 inch smart phones on Verizon - NOPE. And did they mention those two 4 inch smart phones came out in June & September - You know being "Middle Aged" That was also be a big NOPE.
Did Consumer Reports - report about the lack of Crapware on the iPhone on Verizon - and that it is the only SmartPhone on Verizon without the Crapware - NOPE. They did point out there are 4G Phones out there and listed the CDMA iPhone as a disadvantage compared to 4G. Did Consumer Reports talk about the sparse coverage of 4G at this time? or the battery sucking issues with 4G phones? or that 4G phones on Verizon will not be out until mid-2011?. NOPE, NOPE and NOPE!!!
What did they report about of substance? Well that is not clear - other than they don't like the iPhone 4 and they miss their puppies and wives. When all is said and done I think Antenna Gate and the iPhone 4 will have taken a much bigger toll on Consumer Reports than Apple. At the post on Consumer Reports - the comments are filled with people saying they are canceling their subscriptions to Consumer Reports - and Rightly so.
Links Mentioned in this Episode:
Mac, iPad sales higher than expected during holidays | MacNN
Kevin Rose - blogg - Rumor: iPad 2 is coming soon!
VLC for iPhone Pulled From App Store, Now Available On Cydia
Coming Soon: Doctor Who iPhone TARDIS Speaker Dock
AppleInsider | Verizon iPhone to offer unlimited data in contrast to AT&T
Apple drops iPhone 3GS for $49
Android Tablet Shipments Will Match IPad In Second Half Of 2011
'The Daily' iPad News Publication to Debut January 19th - Mac Rumors
AT&T iPhone 4 vs. Verizon iPhone 4: what's changed? -- Engadget
Apple will not allow Verizon to preload software on iPhone
Apps Mentioned in this Episode:
Fake Clock Up - Cydia
Links Mentioned in this Episode:
Apple to release Q1 financial results on January 18, 2011
Garmin brings out first iPhone GPS app, nuvi 2400 | Electronista
Subsidized iPad Sales Off to Slow Start in UK? - Mac Rumors
IPad Will Dominate Tablet Market, Analyst Says - AllThingsD
MacDailyNews - How to transfer Angry Birds scores
Mophie Pulse iPod touch case for gamers
New York orders thousands of iPads for schools
NBC to premiere ‘The Cape’ on iPad app - Lost Remote
AT&T Cuts iPhone 3GS to $49 | iPhone | The Mac Observer
Apple Tells Retail Employees No Time Off At The End Of January
Leaked Next-Gen iPhone Parts Get Leaked, Pulled By Apple
Alleged iPad 2 case is 'just a guess' - CNN.com
CES 2011: Verizon Says It Can Handle the Data
Verizon iPhone launch looks set for February 3rd | BGR | Boy Genius Report
Verizon Event Set for Tuesday–iPhone Time - AllThingsD
The Verizon iPhone Will Be Announced on January 11
There’s A Verizon Event. Apple Fanboys Are Invited. See Where I’m Going Here?
Verizon iPhone: everything you need to know -- Engadget
Apps Mentioned in this Episode:
Locktopolis - Cydia
The Verizon iPhone rumor started back on November 27th 2007. I have since that time been saying 2012 for the Verizon iPhone. I am now changing my tune and officially jumping on the Verizon iPhone rumor Bandwagon. I think the Verizon iPhone will be announced on 1/11/11 at 11:00 AM ET at Verizon's Special event - Just 1141 days since the original rumor surfaced. Here are the reasons why I think this will finally happen.
1. The Verizon Event is 2 days after CES - why not have the event at CES with all the press there already. It would mean the event needs to be something that does not fit in with CES - Like an Apple Announcement.
2. Gizmodo is not invited to the event.
3. MG Sigler is invited - personally and not through tech crunch. MG is the biggest iPhone proponent at Tech Crunch and sometimes the only iPhone Proponent at Tech Crunch.
4. The Event is in NY - the city that is by far the worst of all the Cities for the iPhone on AT&T. What a nice little Jab at AT&T to have it there. I mean invite the press most of which have iPhones to the one place their iPhones will not work. Both Evil and Brilliant at the same time.
5. AT&T just lowered the pricing of the iPhone 3GS to $49, plus you had the lower prices in December for the iPhone from Radio Shack, Best Buy, Sams Club and Radio Shack again. Seems like AT&T is trying to get as many people locked into two more years as they could before the Verizon announcement.
The Stars are all aligning for a Verizon iPhone announcement on 1/11/11 at 11:00 AM. If Verizon does not announce the iPhone at the event, they will have jumped the PR shark even more so than Apple did with their lame Beatles Announcement last year. But at least with that Apple had the good foresight not to invite the press to a special event - just a web page.
Links Mentioned in this Episode:
Apps Mentioned in this Episode:
Font.com
Backboard - Cydia
The following review of the ZAGGmate was emailed in by a Tii Listener.
===================
Hi Rob, and Happy New Year to you and all your listeners.
I got a ZAGGmate (www.zagg.com) a week ago and had never thought of reviewing it until I heard your request for reviews of similar devices in episode 158.
The ZAGGmate is an aluminum case that comes either as just a case or as a case with embedded Bluetooth keyboard. I got the keyboard version which I am using to type this review.
The aluminum is a little whiter and more coarsely pitted than the iPad shell but it is a close match and the two look good together. It also seems to be a little softer than the iPad aluminum and mine has already taken a couple of nicks in the edges although I thought I was treating it with care. You can get a ZAGG Invisible Shield specifically designed for it that will protect it from scratches and it ships with four little adesive rubber feet that you will probably have to put on the bottom of the case as it tens to slide around a little on slick table surfaces. It is lined with rubber so it grips the iPad securely and prevents the screen from contacting the keyboard. I don't know what will happen to my screen if I drop the closed iPad/ZAGGmate on a hard surface, but I am confident that the aluminum will protect my screen when the iPad is in a bag or backpack. If you are out walking around with the iPad and there is no surface that you can set it up on there is no way to attach the keyboard to the back of the iPad while you are using the soft keyboard. When closed up in the ZAGGmare my iPad is a little thicker than it is unprotected but only about half as thick as it was on my Simplism folio case and is about the same weight as when it is in the Simplism.
You pry the iPad out of the case with the tips of your fingers either at the USB connector cutout or at the cutout at the front of the keyboard that provides access to the first row of keys. At the back of the case there is a little plastic easel that you snap into place which supports the iPad at about a 60° angle. The iPad is inserted into a notch in front of the easel and can be inserted either in portrait or landscape mode.
The Bluetooth keyboard is as wide as the iPad is wide in portrait mode so it is a little tight but I find that I adapt to the key spacing quickly and can touch type about as well as I can on a full size keyboard. There is adequate travel, resistance and tactile response from the keypad, which is a scissor design so feels really nice. There are function keys across the top of the keypad which have primary functions as iPad control keys. I say primary functions because you have to shift to get to Function keys (which as far as I can tell are totally functionless), not the iPad functions. Those keys are:
F1 = Home
F2 = Spotlight
F3 = enable/Disable Soft Keyboard
F4 = Screen On/Off [Boss Mode, not sleep]
F10 = iTunes Previous Track
F11 = Pause/Play
F12 = Next Track
(F13) = Mute (unnumbered Function keys)
(F14) = Decrease Volume
(F15) = Increase Volume
(F16) = Toggle through International Keyboards
(I was able to create that indented list using the tab key which didn't move me to another form field.) Function keys F5-F9 are not used for anything but at this point they can't be assigned to anything by the user. The jailbreak community will probably fix that shortcoming. There are also Function, Control, Option and Command keys so many of the MacBook commands like Cut, Copy, Paste, Beginning of Line, etc. will work although I haven't taken the time to figure out which ones don't. There are direction arrows (which are not in the inverted T formation and what give me the most problems) and an embedded numeric keyboard. There is no noticeable lag between pressing a key and seeing the corresponding character on the iPad keyboard.
When you turn the unit on the Status LED glows red for a couple of seconds then goes out to conserve battery. I find this disconcerting and wish that it at least flashed every minute or so to reassure me that the keyboard is still on when I am not actually using it. My keyboard has been turned on for a week now and it still hasn't given me a low battery warning. When battery power drops to 20% the Status LED is supposed to start flashing, although I haven't seen that yet, whereupon you are supposed to have about two days of use left before the battery is completely dead. I haven't been able to get information on the battery technology used or how it needs to be treated for maximum life. The battery is not designed to be user replaceable. The keyboard goes into sleep mode after two seconds of no use and wakes up at the press of any key instantaneously. Recharging is via a micro USB connector that can be plugged into the 10v wallwart that came with the iPad or any other 5v powered USB connector and a completely drained battery is supposed to be nearly completely recharged in an hour. They recommend an initial 8-hour charge. The Power LED glows blue while the battery is charging and goes out when it has been completely charged.
Pairing is usually fast and simple. Once the iPad and keyboard are both turned on you go into the iPad Settings>General>Bluetooth area and make sure Bluetooth is turned on and the iPad reports that it is discoverable. Press the tiny indented Bluetooth button on the ZAGGmate and the Status LED will begin to flash. ZAGGmate will appear in the list of Bluetooth devices. Click on the blue > button on that line and a dialog box will shortly pop up giving you a series of numbers to type on the ZAGGmate keyboard. Type the numbers and hit enter and the keyboard is connected and the Status LED will go off. There is an active threat on the iPad Forum (http://www.ipadforums.net/ipad-accessories/14057-personal-review-zaggmate-bluetooth-keyboard-case.html) where there have been a few reports of people having trouble with pairing. I had a problem after I accidentally upgraded my iPad to iOS 4.2.1 but it may have been because I may have neglected the click the blue > button step. ZAGG has a presence in that thread and was even there on Christmas day to address issues new users were having.
My main issue with the keyboard is with the F3, Soft Keyboard toggle. I invariably get into bed and find that my soft keyboard doesn't pop up when I try to enter text in a form. I have to get up and walk across the room with a flashlight to press the F3 button of the keyboard that is sitting on the table. It is a small price to pay for the convenience of having a real keyboard. It is going to make the iPad more of a content creation device and a netbook replacement. I have noticed that when I am typing on the ZAGGmate autocorrection doesn't seem to replace words as often and I haven't decided whether it is a compatibility issue or if I have mistyped those words so often that the iPad also thinks the correct spelling is what I typed.
Sorry to be so long winded, but I guess you can tell that I like my ZAGGmate.
Charlie