Click here to check if anything new just came in.
October 28 2011
iPhone - The Siri button gets the same functionality as the space button while typing quickly.
/via Peter Robinet
October 18 2011
Google maps - The iPhone icon represents the actual location of the Apple headquarters in Infinite Loop Cupertino.
/via Jan Semler
September 27 2011
Right now, U.S. cellphone users can only choose between AT&T and Verizon Wireless if they want to use the iPhone without jailbreaking it to use on another provider's network. And even though T-Mobile may eventually get the iPhone if AT&T can convince the courts and regulators to let its purchase of T-Mobile USA go through, a number of customers aren't waiting.
In an open letter to customers, T-Mobile USA's Chief Marketing Officer writes:
We've heard from many customers who love their T-Mobile service, but are disappointed that we don't carry the iPhone. To these customers, first, thank you for your business. Please know that we think the iPhone is a great device and Apple knows that we'd like to add it to our line-up. Today, there are over a million T-Mobile customers using unlocked iPhones on our network. We are interested in offering all of our customers a no-compromise iPhone experience on our network.
So until the day that AT&T finally buys T-Mobile or Apple bestows upon T-Mobile the right to sell the iPhone, he says the company is focusing on working with manufacturers to create better Android smartphones. He singles out the Samsung Galaxy S II and the HTC Amaze, of which he writes, "We're very confident that these Android smartphones rival or beat any smartphone out there in terms of functionality, speed, overall experience and features - including the iPhone."
He also points out the often overlooked fact that Android is "rivaling and even outpacing the iPhone, including consumer adoption, market share and capabilities like support for faster 4G networks."
Making the case even stronger for Android, Mr. T-Mobile mentions that iPhones don't offer the options -- "colors, screen sizes, slide-out keyboards, price points and customization" -- offered by phones running Android.
About the iPhone - a Letter to T-Mobile Customers [T-Mobile blog via MacWorld]
August 08 2011
Mobile App Uses Twitter Feeds To Find Nearby Food Trucks
You can add one more app to the burgeoning list of food-truck-locating mobile apps. The digital agency behind Burger King’s Subservient Chicken has created another.
The Barbarian Group’s Gastrodamus is a free iPhone [iTunes link] and Android app that aggregates local trucks’ Twitter feeds.
Cities covered at this point include New York; Los Angeles; Portland, Oregon; Washington, D.C.; San Francisco and Boston. Unlike other apps, which use methods ranging from GPS to self-reporting, Gastrodamus is completely based on Twitter. If a truck’s feed mentions a location, it gets listed for that day. If not, it doesn’t.
The app, developed by the agency as a side project, is a work in progress. The Barbarian Group is asking users to send suggestions for new food trucks. One major oversight is the app’s inability to find the food truck closest to you. There are other glitches as well: Participating trucks that clearly state their location, like Korilla BBQ and Van Leeuwen Artisan ice cream, don’t show up in the “most recent” feed and get a “couldn’t locate this truck” notation.
Still, it’s hard to complain about a free app, especially one that provides some solid info.
Below are five other mobile apps that can help you locate food trucks:
1. Food Truck Fiesta
Food Truck Fiesta is a simple $.99 iPhone and Android app based on a blog of the same name. The site posts updates about new food trucks and food-truck events, maintains a catalog of food trucks and tracks trucks on a live map using their Twitter feeds. The app is basically the map in mobile form. Clicking a truck's location pulls up its Twitter feed.
2. Eat St.
Food Network's Eat St. show highlights the most innovative mobile cuisine in North America. Its free iPhone and Android apps are attempting to help viewers track down gourmet meals on wheels near them.
With somewhat of a different approach than most of the food-tracking apps on the market, Eat St. allows food truck owners to update their own locations, menus, hours and profiles. Other food trucks can be added by users, but their profiles remain barren and their locations dubious.
"We’re devoted to finding new ways to keep locations accurate and are constantly improving," reads the current app description. "In the meantime, the most accurate cities are those with mostly stationary food carts. L.A., New York, Miami and San Francisco have mainly roaming food carts and while the database has grown, it’s best to get location from the carts’ Twitter feed."
These limitations aren't unlike those of most food truck tracking apps -- Eat St. just seems to be more honest about them.
3. Roaming Hunger
Like Food Truck Fiesta, Roaming Hunger is a blog that chronicles food truck news and events. Its scope is much larger than L.A., however, and its catalog includes a smattering of trucks in most major cities.
The free iPhone app uses tweets and calendars to keep track of the trucks. You can search for trucks near you, those recently tweeted, most liked, savory, sweet or vegetarian. It also allows you to plan ahead by searching for trucks that are open at different times.
Because it covers many cities, its library isn't as extensive as some city-specific apps, and like most apps that rely on Twitter and calendars, its map points represent predictions rather than actual locations.
4. Road Stoves GPS
L.A.-based RoadStoves sells food trucks and books food trucks for promotions and events. Its free iPhone and Android apps use actual GPS location to track food trucks.
This makes its map one of the most accurate, but also one of the most sparse. Most of its trucks are in Los Angeles, and only about 15 of them are GPS-enabled. The app makes it easy to access the Twitter feeds and menus of other trucks, but it doesn't put them on them on the map.
5. TruxMap Lite Food Truck Map
TruxMap's free iPhone and Android apps plot open food trucks near you in green, and soon-to-open food trucks in blue. It uses the trucks' Twitter feeds to track and plot their locations.
The app makers say they're tracking trucks in 21 cities, but the majority of them are in Los Angeles, Austin and New York. Users can request new trucks be added to the app via the website.
Image courtesy of Flickr, Stu Spivack
More About: android, apps, Barbarian Group, Food trucks, iphone, Mobile 2.0
For more Mobile coverage:
- Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter
- Become a Fan on Facebook
- Subscribe to the Mobile channel
- Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad
July 30 2011
Neostitch iPhone 4 Cross-Stitch Case: Sew-weet
We’ve featured a ton of cases just for the iPhone 4. Some of them provide extra protection, some of them add functionality or power, while some are just plain fancy. But I think it’s safe to say that many iPhone owners buy a case for its looks or design, or at least to personalize their gadget. If you’re one of those people, you should check out the Neostitch case.
Made by Connect Design, Neostitch cases have patterned weaves in them, just like the aida cloths that are traditionally used in cross-stitching. In fact, that’s exactly what you’re supposed to do with the case – cross-stitch on it. It even comes with a needle and three threads so you can get started right away. There are even sample patterns on its product page so you can start stitching even if you don’t have an idea for a design yet.
You can order the Neostitch from Connect Design’s online shop for only $18 (USD). That’s a low price for what is practically an infinite number of designs. There are only two things that will determine how long you’ll keep using the case – your creativity and the compatibility of the case with the next iPhone model.
[via Lifelounge]
July 12 2011
iPhone Sync/Charge Cable w/ USB Hub Should Come Free With All MacBooks
Apple’s laptops are slim and sexy, but their svelte figures come at a price, and I’m not just talking about how much they cost. Not only do they have too few USB ports – all of Apple’s laptops only have two USB ports, except for the 17″ MacBook Pro, which has three – the ports are also placed very near to each other, making it very easy to block one while using the other. Which is why I think Apple needs to make this the official design for their iOS cables:
I can hear MacBook and MBP owners going yesssss, yesssss. This is a three-port USB 2.0 hub joined to an iPhone/iPad charge and sync cable made by DITS. As someone who owns both an iPhone and a MacBook, I really really really need this cable. Now.
Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to be up on DITS’ online shop yet, so I can’t even tell you how much it costs. I really hope Apple turns their cables into something like this; hell even two ports would be welcome.
July 07 2011
Nike+ iPhone app - The color coding of pace on the map is calibrated to the actual fastest and slowest pace ran.
/via David
June 18 2011
HOW TO: Get the Most Out of the iPhone Camera’s HDR Functionality [PICS]
Amateur and professional iPhotographers have a little-known tool in their mobile belt. The iPhone 4 offers “HDR” functionality that can help you get the most out of the phone’s built-in camera.
Here we take an in-depth look at the feature and offer advice for when it’s best to use it and — just as importantly — when it’s not.
Have a look through these tips and let us know in the comments how you put your photography talents to use.
What is HDR?
“High Dynamic Range” (HDR) Imaging is the practice of using “exposure bracketing” to create an image with a better representation of light and dark areas than the camera could capture on standard settings.
Used correctly it will create an image that’s more akin to what your eye — which more efficiently processes extremes of light — would see, rather than what the camera’s sensor can photograph.
Typically this is done by capturing three images — a standard exposure, a shot that is one exposure stop too light and a shot that’s one exposure stop too dark — and then combining all three.
HDR on the iPhone
In its HDR mode, the iPhone 4 automatically recreates this process by taking three photos at different exposure levels, then layering the shots together to create one image with (theoretically) the best elements of each.
You can turn on the HDR functionality of your iPhone when in the camera by tapping the HDR icon at the top of the screen.
With HDR set to “on,” your iPhone will capture the original image and an HDR version, both of which you’ll find saved in your Camera Roll. You can change your iPhone’s settings to discard the original image but we find it useful for comparisons.
If it’s not obvious to you which is the HDR image, look for the HDR icon at the top of the screen above the photo.
DO Use HDR…
Here are three scenarios for when hitting up that HDR button would be a good idea.
… When There’s Strong Backlight
In the non-HDR image above you can see very little detail in the shadow as the camera has not coped well with the bright light coming from the doorway. The HDR pic has much more even lighting overall and shows significantly more detail. This will also be the case if you’re photographing a light object against a dark background.
…For Landscapes
Here you can see the HDR functionality has handled the contrasts of sunlight and shadow much better than the non-HDR image above. The foreground is severely bleached out in the original image and the areas of shadow much darker. The HDR setting has fixed these issues. You will also find that HDR adds detail to the sky where the standard camera would struggle with the contrast between the sky and the land.
… For Portraits in Strong Sunlight
Strong sunlight is not great for portraits as it can create harsh shadows and unflattering glare. In this self-portrait you can see that the skin tone has been evened out, the glare on the cheeks improved and the shadow cast by the hat made softer.
DON’T Use HDR…
There are some situations in which HDR is actually a hindrance rather than a help. Here are three to be aware of.
…If There’s a Risk Your Subject Will Move
Because the iPhone snaps three pics consecutively, if anything in the frame moves (or if you’re not holding the iPhone steady enough) you’re likely to end up with a blur or ghosting in your image. In our example images you can see that even though the three HDR images are taken milliseconds apart, just a slight breeze moving the buttercups was enough to spoil the shot.
…If You Want Strong Contrast
HDR takes extremes of light and creates a middle ground. This can be great in many scenarios but not if you want to capture striking contrasts. Here we wanted to capture the vibrant green leaves against the lighter foliage in the background and the brightness of the sky. The non-HDR image (above) has achieved this much better than the HDR snap below, in which the light has been toned down and the background detail filled in for an overall muddier final shot.
…If You Want Vivid or Accurate Colors
The iPhone’s camera generally deals well with color, giving nicely saturated results. Add in HDR however, and the colors you see in the final image aren’t likely to be true-to-life, or particularly vivid. In these images you can see the non-HDR photo above has bolder colors while the HDR shot below has darkened some tones and dulled the effect.
In Summary
The iPhone 4′s HDR functionality is a handy tool to have on board. It can be useful in certain situations but the key is to know when — and why — to activate it. We hope this article has helped, but with almost all photography the best way to get familar with the tech is to shoot as much as you can — so grab your iPhone, get out there and get snapping!
More About: apple, hdr, how to, iphone, iphone 4, iphonography, iphotography, Mobile 2.0, photography, Photos
For more Mobile coverage:
- Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter
- Become a Fan on Facebook
- Subscribe to the Mobile channel
- Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad
June 14 2011
iLive Clock Radio iPhone/iPod Touch Dock: An Analog Clock for Your Digital Device
I admit that I have trouble seeing my cell phone in the mornings when I wake up, but this dock seems to do the trick, with nice big numbers that are easy to see from afar, especially when you’re not wearing any glasses. Assuming, that is, that you can see the hands on the tiny clock face.
This iLive ICP391B Clock Radio is not just a simple dock, it’s also an app so that your beloved iPhone can really work well as your clock radio. Instead of a digital display, the iLive uses your iPhone as the hands and for the number 12. The hour, minute and second hands are created by the app and they’re small compared to the size of this clock radio, but it’s still pretty cool.
Without your iPhone or iPod plugged in, there’s a backup alarm, just to make sure that you wake up no matter what the case. The iLive Clock Radio sells for $49.99 from iLive’s online store.
May 27 2011
Rabito Case Makes Your iPhone Look Like a Deranged Easter Bunny
I dare you to buy one of these iPhone cases and whip it out during a business meeting to take a call. I kid you not – the Rabito iPhone 4 Case has big bunny ears and a fluffy cotton tail.
It’s sort of like that scene in A Christmas Story where Ralphie has to put on the outfit that Aunt Clara made for him, except your iPhone is Ralphie and Rabito is its aunt that labors under the delusion that your iPhone 4 is not only perpetually four years-old, but that it’s also a girl.
While the rabbit ears do nothing to improve AT&T’s reception, at least the fluffy tail can be used as stand, a place for stowing your headset cord, and a screen cleaner. If the hot pink bunny costume for your iPhone is too much, you can also grab one in white, black, transluscent black or a slightly less offensive shade of see-through pink. They’re all available over on Etsy for $30 (USD) each.
Click to View Embedded Video Clip
May 03 2011
MLB introduces mobile-phone-only subscription
Major League Baseball has switched up the pricing on its streaming MLB.tv service, and while most of the changes lately have been sending prices upwards (the iOS apps went up in price again this year), these changes are somewhat of a discount. The premium and regular packages have dropped in price by $10 each (which isn't really that big a deal, especially since we're a month into the season already). But more importantly, MLB is now offering a "smartphone-only" streaming service, allowing you to watch live baseball games on your iDevice or other approved smartphones for only $49.99 a year.
That's not a bad deal, especially if you took advantage of that free trial they had going last month. And if your team heats up (though it doesn't look like my Cubs will), you can upgrade to the other packages for the rest of their prices.
Unfortunately, the iPad isn't listed on the mobile phone device plan, so I'd assume that still requires a full subscription (likely since it can be connected to a TV). As before, there may be blackout issues with the app -- if the game is available in your market already, MLB may keep you from watching due to licensing issues.
But if you're on the road a lot and looking for a cheaper way to watch these games on your phone without subscribing to the whole package, the new plan is interesting. And it shows just how much mobile phones mean to the league and its viewers so far.
MLB introduces mobile-phone-only subscription originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 02 May 2011 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
April 23 2011
Monsta and Waddler iPhone 4 Cases Set You Strangely Apart
While I don’t think that these would go well with a business suit, these cases from Case-Mate are quite unique. These iPhone 4 cases will set your phone apart from all of the rest, and that can be good or bad. Both of these cases, the Waddler and the Monsta, are available in a variety of colors.
You’ve probably guessed it already, but the Waddler makes your iPhone look like a waddling penguin while the Monsta is just plain silliness. They come in whimsical designs, but also include the practical addition of textured silicon for a better grip and a distinctive tactile element.
These cases also come for the iPod Touch and are part of Case-Mate’s ‘Creatures’ cases collection. Case-Mate sells both the Waddler and Monsta cases for $24.99 (USD) each.
[via GeekAlerts]
March 30 2011
Donya iPhone Gamepad Stickers: Five Buttons to Play Them All
Most of the best games on the iPhone and other touchscreen mobile devices make use of touch input, but sometimes there’s just no substitute for button-based controls. Developers can always make up for this by using virtual buttons and keypads, but nothing beats physical controllers, which is why a variety of add-on or stick-on joysticks and buttons have popped up recently, like Donya’s gamepad stickers.
The stickers are being marketed for iOS devices but actually they’ll work with any capacitive touchscreen. Donya’s solution may be the simplest yet, but I think it’s also one of the best. Its best asset is that it accounts for a variety of button combinations and configurations. Each set contains two removable directional pads, one single button sticker, one double button sticker and one triple button sticker. I don’t know if the buttons are responsive or have a good feel to them though.
Unfortunately it seems that Donya’s gamepad stickers are for sale in Japan only. You can buy a set at Donya’s website for ¥999 (appx. $12 USD).
[via Akihabara News]
March 18 2011
great views when you're 46 stories up in the air.
February 23 2011
iBike Dash turns your iPhone or iPod touch into a cycling computer
Continue reading iBike Dash turns your iPhone or iPod touch into a cycling computer
iBike Dash turns your iPhone or iPod touch into a cycling computer originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 17:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |
iBike Dash | Email this | Comments
SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone & iPad updated with video out support
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone & iPad updated with video out support originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 12:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |iPad, iPhone | Email this | Comments
Felt Pocky iPhone case
If you’re content with spending $28 for an iPhone sleeve/case, I highly suggest going with the Pocky type. So what if it doesn’t come with actual Pocky sticks, what’s held inside is probably just as good (but probably not as tasty!).
February 18 2011
Over at Popular Mechanics, they spoke to an anonymous Apple Store employee to get the inside scoop on what it's like working at the iPhone emporium. And the main thing he seems to want people to know is that he knows absolutely nothing about what the company is doing next.
"We are completely in the dark until they do a keynote speech. We have no idea what is coming and are not allowed to openly speculate," he explains. "You can get into serious trouble if you speculate--especially to a customer. I am asked five times per day about the next iPad or iPhone, and I quite simply don't know... I actually avoid the technology section of the newspaper so I have no points of view to accidentally comment with or drop into conversation."
The other annoying topic of conversation is customers looking for unlocked iPhones. "We usually have to tell them that if they unlock their iPhone, it won't work," he says. "That it's going to be like a $700 paperweight, and that the antenna will fry itself on T-Mobile. Of course, that's not true, but that's what we tell them."
And then there's the drug dealers looking to buy iPhones with fake IDs: "[W]hen they try to check out, they'll use what are obviously fake IDs or fake credit cards, and it often turns out they're using a dead person's Social Security number or something. And when you call them out on that--then, they run."
When it comes to the worst parts of the job, he says that manning the phones is up there: "The other day, I felt like I was working a suicide hot line. People sometimes call us up and treat us like we're their therapists. Or we have women who want help with their computers as they try to prove their husbands are cheating on them."
Finally, there are the customers that act like such brats it makes him question his job choice: "Sometimes it's like working at McDonald's, with better pay."
Confessions of an Apple Store Employee [Popular Mechanics]
February 13 2011
Protect Your iPhone By Wrapping it in a Video Game Console
We’ve featured some cool handmade cases by rabbitrampage before, but these are definitely my favorites so far.
Each handmade felt case is a tiny little replica of a famous gaming console, precisely stitched, and filled with a little bit of padding to protect your delicate iPhone, iPod Touch or other gadget of similar size. While I do love the classic white Xbox 360 one, I have to say I have a special place in my heart for the Famicom version:
The retro PlayStation one doesn’t look too shabby either:
Please note that the miniature controllers shown in the pics are not included, but they are available separately. Prices for the cases range from $28 to $38 (USD), and the mini controllers sell for $13 bucks each. You can find them all over at rabbitrampage’s Etsy shop.
January 12 2011
google is smarter than you
Maybe Soup is currently being updated? I'll try again automatically in a few seconds...
