Quirky, the site that makes and sells the best of its community-developed concepts, just posted another why-didn't-I-think-of-that product in the beamer: It's an iPhone case that lights up to illuminate your phonecam photo subjects or just to help you find stuff in the dark. Press the button once for 10 seconds of LED light, twice to keep it on till you turn it off. The replaceable coin-cell battery is rated to last for 10 hours.
The case itself is hard plastic and comes in "one of Quirky's funky case colors," apparently including pink or black. If you want a beamer, get over to the presale at the site and "commit" to buying one for $32; when 500 people have committed, the case will be manufactured and shipped to buyers.
Check out the new iPhone 3G/3GS line from iSkin, the Solo FX Special Edition, which feels right for a go-go, music-filled, glamorous life. All three versions have a matte finish with an embossed pattern that promises to make anywhere you happen to be a dance floor. Even their color names tell of a trendy, party-hopping life: Onyx (black), Cosmo (pink) and Ice (white).
The case covers your phone's volume and power buttons, while offering openings for the camera lens, docking port, and headphone jack. It's also infused with Microban antimicrobial protection, to keep those icky germs away and reduce odor- or stain-causing bacteria.
This line comes with two different screen protectors, a clear film and one that turns into a mirror when the phone is off. I have a feeling anyone who chooses this case is going for the mirror. You can pick one up at iSkin.com for $34.99.
The iPhone has arrived in China for the first time on China Unicom--but with a twist.
The Chinese government had initially insisted Apple remove Wi-Fi functionality from the device. By the time the government changed its mind earlier this year, the iPhone had already gone into production, as MacRumors reports.
As a result, the iPhone doesn't have it on its introduction. It also comes in at a high price of $730 to $1025 (when converted from yuan to U.S. dollars), which is 20 percent higher than what unlocked iPhone 3GS models with Wi-Fi are selling for in Chinese street markets.
The Apple Store's dirty little secret? Its employees are using Windows-based PDA handhelds to help you out with your purchases. That may well change this holiday season, however. The company is reportedly transitioning its stores to an "EasyPay" checkout system comprised of an iPod Touch, credit card reader, and barcode scanner.
Apple has apparently already begun the transition--rolling the devices out in its Santa Clara-based Valley Fair Mall location, which, as Apple Insider points out, is the closest store to Cupertino.
In addition to revamping its MacBook line Tuesday, Apple also unveiled a new remote for the iPhone, iPod, or Mac as well as upgrades to the AirPort Extreme Base Station and Time Capsule.
The Apple Remote will allow users to control an iPod that is connected to a home stereo, powered speakers, or TV set, provided you have an iPod Universal Dock, an iPod with a dock connector, or any iPhone.
"Ready to move on to the next song? No need to get up. Just press the Next button on the Apple Remote. Getting a call on your iPhone? Press Pause, then pick up where you left off," Apple said on its Web site.
The remote is also compatible with any Mac introduced in 2005 or later that has a built-in infrared receiver. "When you press the Menu button, your desktop fades and the sleek Front Row interface takes its place to give you control over your music in iTunes, your photos in iPhoto, the videos in your Movies folder, and your DVDs," Apple said.
The remote retails for $19.
Meanwhile, Apple has made improvements in antenna design on the AirPort Extreme Base Station. The upgrades will provide up to 50 percent better performance and up to 25 percent better range than previous base stations, Apple said. The device will run you $179.
Finally, the $299 Time Capsule now includes new technologies and refinements intended to make backing up the device in Snow Leopard 60 percent faster than before.
Apple will open its fourteenth retail store in New York on Saturday, October 17, in Manhasset. The store will open its doors at 10 A.M., and the first 1,000 visitors will receive an Apple t-shirt, according to an e-mail from Apple.
The Apple Store Manhasset will be located at 1900 Northern Boulevard, on the North Shore of Long Island, about 15 miles east of La Guardia International Airport.
Other stores in NY include those in Albany, Buffalo, Garden City, Huntington Station, Lake Grove, Staten Island, Syracuse, Victor, West Nyack, and White Plains, and three stores in Manhattan.
TomTom's Car Kit for iPhone has returned to the UK Apple Store, according to Engadget, with a shipping time of 1-2 weeks. That means it's probably going to hit the U.S. very soon.
Should you be excited? I wouldn't be. There was plenty of back and forth over just what TomTom was including in the package. Unfortunately, it turns out not much, as a disclaimer now spells out quite clearly on the UK store site:
The TomTom app for iPhone is not included with the TomTom Car Kit. The Car Kit dock is compatible with all iPhone models, but the TomTom app only works with iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G.
It's getting cold outside, and soon your nimble fingers will be covered in warm, snuggly gloves that keep your digits warm but make it virtually impossible to navigate your iPhone. In fact, any capacitive touch-screen is pretty much beyond your reach (resistive works fine, thank you very much).
So you take off a glove and live with the cold, so you can touch your iPhone and virtually any one of the other 400 million capacitive touch screen devices you encounter--ATMs, gas stations, checkout counters, and the like.
On the other hand, you could simply use TouchTec's new nano-technology-impregnated gloves and never remove them for a touch screen again (unless you want to). Check out my "hands-in" report in the video; more details after the jump.
Have a moment of pity for AT&T. It's a well-known fact that the iPhone completely norked their data network, with iPhone users sucking down megabytes in some major metros until AT&T's pipes ran dry. How sharp was the data uptake? Take a gander at this chart from AT&T CTO John Donovan's CTIA show keynote this morning. (Click on the graphic to see a larger version.)
Over the past two and a half years, demand for data on AT&T's network has increased 18 times, he said. Donovan tried to avoid blaming the iPhone for all of the data traffic - he called out other "smart integrated devices" as well. But it would be interesting to see the same chart from the other three major carriers; I'd guess that the line isn't quite as sharp.
Following the lead of Orange and Vodafone in the UK, a second Canadian wireless carrier is set to get its hands on the iPhone. Bell Canada will join Rogers Communications in carrying the popular handset, breaking that carrier's exclusive contract with Apple.
Bell is set to begin selling the phone next month, utilizing its new $1 billion wireless network. Does this signal the coming of a similar move in the US? Fingers crossed.
Is your shiny new iPhone dropping roughly a third of your calls in New York City? No need to worry--that's totally normal. We haven't had much confirmation about just how much it sucks to own an iPhone in New York, beyond the anecdotal complaints lodged by just about everyone we know with one of the devices. This latest story, however, should provide at least a little vindication for angry iPhone owners in the Big Apple.
If you bring your handset into an Apple store in Manhattan, a designated Genius will apparently be happy to tell you that having roughly 30 percent of calls dropped on the device in the big city is "normal." One unhappy user brought his phone in after 22 percent of his calls dropped. His attending Genius called the rate "excellent," according to Gizmodo.
Apple, maybe it's time start looking into other carriers in the U.S.
The floodgates, it seems, have opened on the iPhone in the UK. A day after announcing that Orange will be getting the device in the country, one more carrier has thrown its hat into the Apple handset ring. Next year, Vodafone will become the third company to sell the iPhone in the UK, joining Orange and O2, the latter of which has had an exclusive contract for the device the past two years.
No word on an exact date for when the phone arrives on the carrier in the UK and Ireland, beyond "early 2010." Handset and data plan prices also have yet to be announced for the iPhone 3G and 3GS.
Love the iPhone, but hate the network it's tied to? Good news--if you live in the United Kingdom. British fans of the Apple handset will
soon get another choice for the phone, which is set to arrive for Orange
U.K. later this year, making it the second carrier to offer the device,
after O2.
The carrier has yet to offer a concrete arrival date or pricing plan for the iPhone 3GS. O2 has had exclusive domain over the phone in the UK for roughly two years, and the carrier doesn't seem particularly excited at the prospect of competition, a recent statement reflects the its firm belief in its own awesomeness:
We're proud that we've been able to offer an exclusive iPhone deal to our 20 million customers for the last two years. We always knew that iPhone exclusivity was for a limited period of time, but our relationship with Apple continues and will be an ongoing success. We have over 1million iPhone customers and they remain very important to us.
The iPhone is finally coming to China in an official capacity in
October. The handset is via China Unicom, that country's second largest
carrier, which signed a three year deal with Apple back in August.
Unicom is hoping that the anticipated device will mark a successful
launch of the carrier's 3G network.
The phone, which has already been available in China through less
legitimate means, will be selling for a lofty $732.50, a price that is
expected to push
a lot of users toward device-subsidized contract plans.
While the Miccus ChargeBlock works with all iPods and iPhones (except the Shuffle), I think iPhone owners will be its biggest fans. The iPhone's battery doesn't last all that long, but when you start using power-hungry apps, like those for GPS navigation, you can practically see your battery gauge going down.
The ChargeBlock is an attractively compact iPod and iPhone charger. Charge it through a USB connection for four hours and it's ready to go. Since it's only 2.4-inches long and weighs 1.2 ounces, you can toss it in a bag or glove compartment so that you have it on hand when you need it. The internal battery is good for 500 charges and three LED lights on the front tell you how much power you have left.
You can pick up the ChargeBlock from Amazon or the Miccus site for $39.99.
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