As Apple Lifts Restrictions, VoIP through 3G Now Possible in the iPhone
Prior to this, VoIP through cellular networks was not possible for the iPhone. Or should say, Apple did not allow the feature. For whatever reason, you can only make VoIP calls whenever your iPhone is connected via Wi-Fi. Sudddenly, Apple realized that it’s now time to lift this restriction and allow VoIP feature through cellular networks.
As soon as Apple updated the iPhone SDK, we now have the first iPhone app to make this possible – iCall. In fact, this app will go down into history as being the first and currently the only VoIP application that uses 3G networks for the iPhone.
So, now you make unrestricted free local and long distance calling vover 3G networks using your iPhone.
iCall is already available at the Apps Store as a free download. And iCall CEO is more than happy about the release of this app and applauded Apple for lifting the restrictions.
“I applaud Apple’s decision to allow iCall to extend its functionality beyond Wi-Fi and onto the 3G networks. This heralds a new era for VoIP applications on mobile platforms, especially for iCall and our free calling model. I hope that now more developers will begin using our VoIP as a platform to integrate VoIP into their applications.”
Here’s the link to iCall iPhone App at the Apps Store.
It’s Not the iSlate but the Apple iPad, a Bigger iPod Touch
Apple’s Press Event for its “latest creation” has just ended. Finally the mystery has been unfolded. What we speculated as the Apple iSlate is now officially called – iPad. And what is it really?
Apple’s Steve Jobs describes the iPad as “our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price.” Magical and revolutionary may be too exaggerated. But the price is definitely unbelievable considering that it is an Apple product with a bigger screen than the iPod Touch but with almost the same specs and features.
Yes, that’s what the iPad is – an iPod Touch, a bigger version. An iPod Touch in steroids. Specs and features would give you a 9.7-inch IPS display, full capacitive multi-touch screen, 16GB to 64GB flash storage, Wi-Fi Bluetooth, and 3G connectivity features, accelerometer,0.5-inch thick, 1.5 lbs, 1GHz Apple A4 Chips, and 10 hours of battery life.
The iPad should run almost all of the current apps available at the iTunes Store. So, it means that it is using the same OS structure as the iPhone and iPod Touch.
As expected, it will also be an e-book reader. Apple also announced the iBooks app which is actually an e-reader application. It will be supported by major publishers and in fact, Apple has already snagged a deal with four of them including HarperColling, MacMillan, Simon and Schuster and Hatchett. E-book prices will range from $9.99 – up.
Pricing starts at $499 for the base model with 16GB storage and Wi-Fi.
So, are you happy about Apple’s latest creation? Do you plan on buying it?
Apple Tablet News Round-Up
Since Apple’s big event is just a few days away, the anticipation over what Apple will actually announced next week continues to sizzle. The whole week, tech news aggregator Techmeme’s front page has nothing for the main news but anything about the Applet Tablet. So here we go rounding-up the latest information available, be it official or unofficial about the Apple Tablet.
First issue has something to do with the fact that the rumored Apple Tablet will help wireless capability. This is pretty obvious since Apple definitely wants to compete against the Amazon Kindle. The question is which carrier will it be supporting. Words on the streets point to both, Verizon and AT&T.
Then people are also predicting how the Apple Tablet could possibly look like. Apple Insider pointed to the closest rendering of the Apple Tablet created by Flicr user Fotoboer.nl. From what we can see from the photos, the Apple Tablet looks like a bigger iPod Touch.
iLounge joined in the fun with their own predictions, this time regarding the Apple Tablet having double dock connectors and antennas. They mentioned that these information came from reliable sources. The double dock connectors are fine but I just hope that the antennas are not true.
Apple is said to be holding talks also with several possible content partners including McGraw-Hill and Hachete Book Group. This is a very important concern that Apple must iron out, possibly before the January 27 event. If Apple is posing the Apple Tablet primarily as an e-book reader, having a content partner in tow would be a plus for the device.
Finally, how about those who are eagerly anticipating this Apple Tablet, the consumers who are actually going to buy it, what are they expecting from Apple’s new device? Retrevo has some interesting findings from a quick poll it did among selected people. Interestingly, solar charging as the main feature is what most respondent want to have on the Apple Tablet.
Interesting bits and pieces, right? Now, we should all put this into a rest for the weekend and resume the waiting game on Monday.
WhiteHouse.gov Jumps into the iPhone Bandwagon
Available now for free download from the iTunes Apps Store is the White House App. This iPhone app will bring in real-time dynamic content from the WhiteHouse.gov site to the palm of your hand.
The WhiteHouse iPhone app is loaded with great features, more notable of these is of course live video streaming capability. This means that after installing this on your iPhone, you will be able to watch President Obama’s public events at the White House, visit web chats with Administration official as well as witness other official events include key speeches and press briefing.
To kick off the launch of its iPhone app, The White House iPhone app will be streaming Pres. Obama’s State of the Union address scheduled next week.
Other features of the White House iPhone app include access to the White House Blog as well as from the Briefing Room, browse behind-the-scenes photos and watch on-demand videos. The White House app gives you instant access to full videos from the most recent speeches, speeches, press briefings and other special events.
iPhone 4.0 Features Leak Out, Apple Tablet to be Named iPad?
Following last week’s rumor that Apple is also announcing iPhone 4.0 during the big event that it is holding on January 27, rumored features of the said iPhone OS started leaking out. Boy Genius Report is running some of these iPhone 4.0 features.
Some of the more promising iPhone 4.0 features include:
- multi-touch gesture OS-wide
- new ways to run apps in the background (probably referring to multitasking capability as a response to Google Nexus One’s app multitasking feature)
- changes in GUI to make navigation easier and more efficient
- iPhone OS 4.0 update will be available only for iPhone 3G and 3GS as Apple aims to make these phones smarter than they are right now
- new ability to sync contacts and calendar apps
As for the Apple Tablet that will be announced on the same event. Another rumor surfaced indicating that Apple may actually name it iPad instead of the recent speculations that it will be called the iSlate. MacRumors is citing several patent applications for the name iPad filed by Apple’s dummy corporations in various countries recently.
So, there two new juicy rumors about the January 27 Apple event that is making everybody excited right now. Whichever is true among these rumors, it will certainly rock us all once again next week.
Apple Might Introduce a New Multi-Gesture Control to the iSlate
If you think that Apple’s success with the current multi-touch control of the iPhone and it’s MacBook products will stop the company from revolutionizing some more, well think again. As Apple just might come up with some new bright ideas when it comes to multi-touch controls on it s future products, particularly the now almost confirmed iSlate.
Patent documents dug up from the U.S. Patent Website revealed that Apple might just be cooking up another ground breaking technology relating to multi-touch control. The patent was from Fingerworks, a company which Apple bought before and just might be tapped to carry out the new technology that will be implemented to the iSlate.
Based on the documents, two patents were applied for by Fingerworks and just might be used for the iSlate. One of the patent was for the ability to write on a touchscreen just like you would on an ordinary piece of paper. If indeed this will be applied to the iSlate, I would be the first one to line up to get it because admit it or not, it is indeed pretty cool.
The other patent was for the ability for a machine to identify whether you are typing or not if you happen to have your hand on the screen. Of course, this would be in support of the first patent.
Now, whether these two patents will be used on the iSlate remains to be seen. But if in case Apple does so, then I can bet you my one month’s pay check that the Apple iSlate will certainly be one of the coolest gadgets to be ever released for consumers, so far.
New iPhone with Better Camera and Touch Sensitive Casing to be Released in July?
Don’t count out the iPhone just yet. Despite Apple getting busy with the “possible” launch of its highly anticipated iSlate, it seems that Apple is not forsaking the iPhone yet. Rumor has it that a new iPhone may be coming out. Actually it’s a pretty reliable rumor that even Bloomberg is running a report about it.
According to an interview with Goldman Sachs Group, Analyst Robert Chen said that a new iPhone with a more advanced camera and a touch sensitive casing will probably be available as early as June. Chen said that Apple is going to put a lot of innovation in both the hardware and software components of the new iPhone. The new iPhone will have a new plastic casing that is similar to the Apple Magic Mouse.
Steve Dowling, spokesman for Apple refuses to give any comment on the alleged rumors and speculations though.
What is clear is that if Apple is really planning to come up with a new iPhone, a 5 megapixel camera or perhaps even better would be the most likely option to make it competitive with the Google Nexus One.
Mr. Chen also said that production for the new iPhone is about to commence by April to make it ready for release by June or July. And yes, the new iPhone will naturally come with a new version of the iPhone’s operating systems.
Apple iSlate Release Confirmed Indirectly by Orange France VP
You all probably know by now that Apple is holding a big event on January 27. But what we are all not certain about is what Apple is going to announce on that day. Although of course, rumors abound that it’s none other than the much awaited Apple Tablet or iSlate. Now, while the Apple folks are so steadfast in not divulging any information about it, Orange France VP Stephane Richard was not. Mr. Richard apparently sort of confirmed that Apple indeed is announcing the iSlate in the coming days.
The confirmation was implied during an radio interview with Mr. Richard. French radio station Europe1 asked Mr. Richard about the rumors that have been going on regarding Apple’s announcement of the iSlate. To which Mr. Richard answers – yes. He even said that Orange customers stand to benefit from said Apple announcement.
Transcript of the interview in French was translated into something like:
Jean-Pierre Elkabbach: According to weekly Le Point, in a couple of days Apple will be launching its tablet computer …
Stéphane Richard: Yes.
Jean-Pierre Elkabbach: … equipped with a webcam.
Stéphane Richard: Yes.
Jean-Pierre Elkabbach: Are Orange customers going to be able to enjoy it?
Stéphane Richard: Of course!
Making the confirmation even more credible was a video of the said interview.
So there you go folks. What we are all waiting now is Apple’s official announcement. With Microsoft and HP’s announcement of a rather not so exciting Tablet PC/ HP Slate during the CES 2010, and Google’s rumored announcement of a Chrome Tablet, there is definitely no stopping Apple from launching its much awaited Apple Tablet or iSlate. And so the countdown begins.
No Intel Inside, Difficult to Use and Cost, Apple iSlate News Round-Up
Microsoft may have beaten Apple in the race to announce a tablet PC/Slate, but the fact that there are many aspects of the Microsoft Slate, which is now known as the HP Slate that are not really innovative and groundbreaking. In fact, many may have been disappointed about what Microsoft just announced.
So, somehow, Apple setting a later date to announce the iSlate (March 27) will work positively for Apple. The disappointing announcement by Microsoft will most probably heighten the excitement and anticipation over the Apple iSlate.
What’s the latest buzz about the iSlate? We’ve rounded up some of the rumors, issues and other related information about the iSlate that hit the web this week and found three major points.
First, the iSlate will not be using Intel chips. Apple will instead utilize a processor manufactured by P A Semi, a company which it bought in 2007. So, it’s a big loss for Intel especially since the iSlate is a much awaited device which if we are all lucky will not be as expensive as the Apple MacBooks. If Apple decides to make the iSlate as an affordable tablet, then it’s a big win for them and big loss for Intel.
Then, another rumor leaks out recently as reported by Cult of Mac. Coming from an Apple employee, the iSlate UI will have a steeper learning curve since it will be very different from the OS X or the iPhone PS.
And finally, how about some juicy analysis of how much the iSlate will cost, well at least the cost of manufacturing it considering all the required parts. According to the report, it will be something around $340. But that is definitely not going to be the iSlate’s market price. In fact, the Wall Street Journal reported that the iSlate might cost up to $1000. Let’s just hope that WSJ is wrong this time. But if it’s true, then Apple might as forget about releasing the iSlate. It’s too expensive for a computing machine in a 10-inch tablet form.
So, now we wait for the big Apple announcement on the 27th.