Posted by on under party developers, google, software code, peer review, techcrunch, milli, third party | 
Google is launching
Google Apps Labs today, a new platform for experimental apps (
Google Moderator is one of the first to be added). These are third party applications that can be added by businesses and schools using
Google Apps. In addition to Google Moderator, two other apps are available now: Google Code Reviews (peer review of software code) and Google Short Links (change URLs to something shorter and more descriptive). What's most interesting about the announcement is that Google will be opening up the platform to third party developers who want their apps to be available to the "million-plus businesses" using Google Apps today. Salesforce's AppStore developers will certainly take notice.
Tagi: party developers, google, software code, peer review, techcrunch, milli, third party
Posted by on under software hacks, iphe, iphone, command key, ipod touch, firmware, modded, third party |
Yo guys, the latest iPhone firmware just came out. I can confirm that it is encrypted like the iPod Touch firmware, and so far no one has cracked it open to view the files. We're working our hardest on this.
My recommendation is not to upgrade, if you have a modded phone (ringtones, fake activation, ANYTHING third-party), until we have more information. If you want to upgrade, restore your phone first with the old firmware by holding Shift while clicking Restore in iTunes (Command key if you're on Mac) and choosing the 1.0.2 firmware first, then upgrading once the restore has completed.
DO NOT UPGRADE IF YOUR PHONE IS UNLOCKED.
Let me say this too:
The iPhone firmware version 1.1.1 invalidates ALL iPhone software hacks.
We will bring you more news as it develops.
Tagi: software hacks, iphe, iphone, command key, ipod touch, firmware, modded, third party
Posted by Chris on under party apps, digestible format, persal, gizmodo, humorous approach, pride and joy, iphone, iphe, mobile device, interesting things, news source, community involvement, freak, all encompassing, video podcast, atlas, laugh, third party, lt, blogs |
Looking for some good iPhone blogs where you can read more about your favorite mobile device? I thought I??â??â??d put together this list of my top 5 favorite iPhone blogs ??â??â?? in no particular order ??â??â?? for your reading pleasure:
- iPhone Atlas
A CNET site, iPhone Atlas publishes a good deal of news on Jailbreaking, iPhone unlocking and third-party apps and development. The tone of the site is often technical and ??â????newsy,??â??Â? rather than personal and blog-like, but it??â??â??s worth a look.
- Apple iPhone School
Apple iPhone School is a comprehensive resource on iPhone apps and Jailbreaking how-to. They update regularly about all kinds of cool third-party apps that enhance the functionality (and fun!) of your iPhone.
Doug and Brooke also publish a great ??â????iPhone 101??â??Â? video podcast covering all the latest interesting things going on in the iPhone community. This iPhone blog is highly recommended, particularly for those of you with Jailbroken iPhones.
- The iPhone Blog
The iPhone Blog takes a humorous approach to iPhone news. The posts are written in a funny, Gizmodo-esque tone, and all articles are accompanied by a laugh-out-loud Photoshopped image.
- iPhone Freak
iPhone Freak publishes a nice variety of iPhone news in an easily-digestible format. The articles are reasonably short and to the point. I recommend this iPhone blog as an all-encompassing iPhone news source.
- And of course, my personal favorite: Apple iPhone Review
What, you actually thought I??â??â??d leave out this iPhone blog, my very own pride and joy?
I like to think I take an ??â????out-of-the-box??â??Â? look at the iPhone. Although I love my iPhone, I consider the device??â??â??s flaws and how it can be improved. I also ask questions and emphasize community involvement on my blog, always encouraging readers to participate in the comments.
You can read more about Apple iPhone Review on my About page, or click here to subscribe now.
Do you read any of the above iPhone blogs? Are there any other iPhone blogs you recommend?
Tagi: party apps, digestible format, persal, gizmodo, humorous approach, pride and joy, iphone, iphe, mobile device, interesting things, news source, community involvement, freak, all encompassing, video podcast, atlas, laugh, third party, lt, blogs
Posted by Chris on under iphe, blank slate, human desires, secd, no doubt, worth the trouble, phe, mey, touchscreen, knack, peoe, apps, canvas, web browser, third party, gps |
The iPhone has cost me a lot of money and a lot of time spent at the Apple Store getting it fixed.
So why do I stick with it?
Since I first bought my iPhone last June, I’ve owned six iPhones mostly because I’ve had to get mine replaced due to some problem or other.
Is it worth the trouble to be an iPhone owner?
My six iPhones:
- My original iPhone had a flimsy connector port, and I replaced it right away.
- My second iPhone had its glass cracked after I dropped it on the floor. I paid $250 to get it replaced.
- The chrome on my third iPhone had a stain on it, which I considered unacceptable after paying $250 to get my old cracked iPhone replaced, so the Apple Store gave me a new one after I complained.
- I sold my fourth iPhone to buy a 16GB iPhone (my fifth), which I practically got for free.
- My 16GB iPhone released an echo in my voice that callers complained about, so I got another 16GB replacement.
- I now possess my sixth iPhone as I wait for the new 3G iPhone to be released soon.
Despite the problems, I stand behind the iPhone because it gives me one thing no other phone does: a blank slate.
The iPhone’s full-body touchscreen lets me create my own experience. With an (almost) fully-functional web browser, and soon-to-come third-party app support, the iPhone will one day be a canvas, to do with as I please.
Will iPhone 2.0 fudge it up?
iPhone 2.0 will be my seventh iPhone. It will likely add 3G, perhaps true GPS, and it will address some of iPhone’s many problems.
The new iPhone will be different, but what I have no doubt will remain central to the iPhone is its physical knack for constant evolution and adaptation to human desires; namely, its ‘blank slate’ quality.
The iPhone is a computer on a phone.
Why do you think there is a community of thousands of people Jailbreaking their iPhones and constantly demanding new apps and features?
The explosion of Jailbreak suggests to me that people will not let their technologies be restrained.
Apple responded to our demands with the third-party App Store (coming this month), but will that be enough?
As long as there is an empty canvas, people will want to fill it. As long as people have imaginations, they will envision new ways to use the iPhone. It is, as I said, a computer, full of unlimited potential.
That’s why, eventually, even past the upcoming App Store, Apple must step out of the way and let the people have their way with their blank slates.
That or be killed by Google’s Android, which with its open source framework will let us do exactly that.
An open source iPhone?
I’m not suggesting Apple reveal its source code and close up shop. It’s just that the human drive for change cannot be subdued, so Apple will eventually have to make the iPhone malleable enough to be molded by people’s individual tastes and preferences. If they don’t do that, someone else will.
Apple’s task should be to make the hardware work with our software, and to maintain a certain design consistency so that all our tools may work together.
We are sick of demanding new features for iPhone. There are plenty of people willing to work to make the iPhone a better platform, so let us!
Conclusion
The iPhone changed our culture. iPhone owners now expect to have a certain freedom on their mobile devices.
The challenge for Apple is this: Now that they have given us a sip of that freedom, we will only demand more.
If the iPhone is to continue to thrive, Apple must continue to quench our ever-growing thirst for mobile freedom by focusing on hardware and putting the iPhone’s software in the hands of the people. We are, after all, the ones who use it.
Step out of the way, Apple, cause we won’t be held back.
Tagi: iphe, blank slate, human desires, secd, no doubt, worth the trouble, phe, mey, touchscreen, knack, peoe, apps, canvas, web browser, third party, gps
Posted by Chris on under iphe, phe, software update, search feature, recess, text messages, double click, email, 3g, ly, lt, ace, gps, third party, calculator, games |
Nearly a year after I published my list of 25 things wrong with the iPhone, the post has grown considerably with nearly 100 readers adding comments to it.
By now Apple has addressed some of the problems with the iPhone, and I want to thank them for listening to our feedback, but also encourage them to continue to improve the iPhone, even past version 2.0. First:
10 iPhone problems Apple has corrected
- 3G has been added to the next-generation iPhone
- The 3G iPhone will have real GPS
- iPhone 2.0 will let you mass-edit your email by making it easier to move & delete individual emails or groups of emails
- Apple now lets you add custom ringtones to your iPhone via the iTunes store, albeit for $1
- Apple made it quicker to dial your favorite contacts by letting you double-click the home button
- The next-generation iPhone’s headphone input will not be recessed, so you will be able to use any and all headphones with it. Why did Apple recess the headphone jack in the first place?
- iPhone’s calculator is vastly improved on iPhone 2.0
- Games and third-party applications will be supported through the App Store
- You can now send mass text messages
- iPhone 2.0 will have a search feature for finding contacts quicker.
I’m thankful to Apple for making these changes, but some of iPhone’s problems remain unaddressed. In a year, Apple has responded to only ten of the 25+ complaints discussed in my post — not just by me but by other iPhone owners who left comments.
A lot of iPhone’s problems are due to small, easy-to-add features that are missing even though they mean a lot. Apple can very easily correct these issues, so what are they waiting for?
Here are 25 things still wrong with the iPhone that Apple should consider if it wants to stay competitive in the now-revolutionized mobile phone market:
25 things STILL wrong with the iPhone
Beginning the list are iPhone problems posted in my original list last year.
Note: The iPhone 2.0 software update will not be released until July 11, so some of these things could change. Add your comment to the list at the bottom to increase the likelihood of Apple taking our requests seriously.
1. iPhone still cannot copy & paste text. iPhone lets you email web pages via the Mail application, but what about when you want to copy & paste a paragraph into a form? Or a web address into a text field?
2. iPhone still does not display a time stamp for each individual text message. This is not a big deal for me right now, but some readers commented that they preferred each text individually stamped.
3. Still no Flash or Java on Safari Mobile.
4. Landscape orientation for the keyboard is still limited to Safari. I would love to use the Mail app in landscape, and even the SMS and Notes apps.
5. Still no privacy settings have been mentioned for the iPhone’s privacy-violating SMS Preview feature.
6. No Undo function for when you make a typing error.
7. The YouTube app is still non-interactive — that is, you can’t post or view comments — and iPhone lacks support for social networking in general.
8. You still cannot save documents to a My Documents type of folder. The only improvement is that iPhone 2.0 will let you save photos from emails in your Photos library.
9. Still no mention of whether we can send more than one image per email.
10. No cropping option for photos.
11. Although the Contacts app will now have a search function, there’s still no Find function for finding a word in a web page. This is a feature I use a lot in Firefox (CTRL+F). The thing is, Safari Mobile is not that stable yet, so adding a feature like this might bog it down even more.
12. Still no mention of a To-Do list, a useful feature many readers have told me they’d appreciate.
13. Still no AIM, iChat or instant messenger on the iPhone. Blackberry users have Blackberry Messenger to chat with other Blackberry users, but there’s no such feature on the iPhone.
14. No mention yet of whether the iPhone’s poor camera has improved. How about at least digital zoom, image stabilization and a simple LED flash like that of the Sidekick and the Blackberry Curve?
15. No speed dial feature.
16. No MMS support, although there are workarounds.
17. The iPhone cannot be used as a hard drive storage device.
18. Still no video camera, even though lower-end phones like the MOTORAZR have video cameras.
19. You still can’t disable auto-correct on the keyboard. It’s fine with me, but some people have told me it drives them crazy and they’d rather just turn it off.
20. You can’t delete individual calls from your Recent Calls list.
21. You can’t delete individual text messages.
22. I would like to see a more advanced Notes application, with spell check, styling options and copy/paste (a feature I mentioned above). Notes should also sync to my computer. And why not also integrate the Notes app with online services, like blogging software? That way you could type a post up in Notes, disconnected from the web, and then publish it on Wordpress, for example.
Perhaps this is something a Wordpress app in the App Store could accomplish.
23. Safari crashes way too much. This has been a problem with every iPhone I’ve owned, and it’s also been a problem for my readers, who shared their comments on my article about Safari crashing.
24. Let us sync to iTunes via Bluetooth. Currently, iPhone Bluetooth support extends to hands-free devices only.
25. Add voice dialing to iPhone. Without tactile feedback on the keyboard, voice dialing is a must-have for drivers.
With the App Store coming in July, it’s possible that third-party developers can build software that solves these problems, but to me, most of the features listed are basic functions an advanced mobile phone like iPhone should have.
What do you think?
I would love to hear your thoughts about what’s missing on the iPhone in the comments. If you want to be updated about my future articles, subscribe to this blog.
Tagi: iphe, phe, software update, search feature, recess, text messages, double click, email, 3g, ly, lt, ace, gps, third party, calculator, games
