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.
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.
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.
TweetDeck for iPhone Gets Updated with List and New ReTweet Style
Of all the Twitter apps that I have downloaded on my iPhone, TweetDeck is the one that I have constantly used. It’s one of the best and most robust Twitter iPhone app that I have used so far. In fact, I also have TweetDeck on my Mac. That’s how much I like TweetDeck.
And guess what, TweetDeck for iPhone has just been upgraded to version 1.3. With the version update are some great new features that you will surely appreciate including mobile retweets, Twitter lists, view on map, location features and more.
In brief, here’s what each of these new TweetDeck features can do:
- Keep up with your favourite Twitter Lists – add your own Twitter List or List you subscribed to on a new column
- Mobile retweets – lets you choose how you want to retweet a post, that is using the old style or new style of posting a retweet. TweetDeck remembers your first preference and maintains it in your succeeding retweets until you change your preference
- Location features – you can now geotag your tweets based on your current location; needs activation
- View on Map – takes all the geo-coded tweets from the column of your choosing plot them on a map, this helps you find out where all your Twitter followers are at the moment
Aside from those new features, TweetDeck did some tweaks and fixes.
If you have not downloaded a Twitter app for your iPhone, you might want to check out TweetDeck. [iTunes Link]
iPhone Apps for Business Productivity
Mashable.com has a great list of work productivity-related iPhone apps with a bit of an overblown title. These apps are ideal for the busy entpreneur, manager and others, and fall into the categories of virtual assistant, to-do/ reminder lists, flight updates, web meetings, password managers, expense trackers and a few others.
While most of the apps listed do cost money, a few of the valuable ones are free:
- AT&T virtual receptionist, which apparently includes a free toll-free number.
- Fuze Meeting, which is similar to WebEx but free, includes instant messages, video sharing, desktop sharing, conference calling. Did we say it’s free? Now you never have an excuse to skip a meeting. Ever. Unless your carrier doesn’t have coverage where you are, or there’s no Wi-Fi. Or you “accidentally” turn off your phone and “forget” about it.
- UPS Mobile. Got an account with UPS? Get an UPS ID (register online) and you can initiate pickups and deliveries, see rates and track your packages.
See Mashable for more info.
iPhone Now #2 Smartphone in the U.S.
ComputerWorld reported this past week that Apple’s iPhone has now taken the #2 slot in the U.S. for number of smartphones, beating out Windows Mobile-based devices but still behind RIM Blackberry devices. According to the report, there are about 6M more RIM smartphone users than that of Apple iPhone. The iPhone is also reportedly doing well in Japan.
iPhone App Review: TimeLines
Update
My original review of the Timelines time logging app is below, but after a few more weeks of use, I’ve decided to write an update to this review.
As you’ll see in the original review below, I was very excited about Timelines, especially because I found the interface gorgeous and the graphical breakdown of time codes enough to satisfy my data visualization fetish. My disappointment was that the interface was not entirely intuitive. However, out of fairness, I have to admit that I used the app without really making much of an effort to more than browse the instructions and video primer. But now, after a few more weeks of use, I’m finding that I actually enjoy the Timelines app. It’s still quirky and “sticky” in funny ways, but other than that I get out of it what I want in a time logging tool.
Original Review
The TimeLines time logging app for the iPhone and iPod Touch looks fantastic and seems great in theory, but in actuality, it’s the first iPhone app I’ve paid for that I’ve been disappointed in and felt like I wasted my money. So far, I’ve found it difficult to use, lacking in instructions, difficult to correct.
That said, I love the visuals and the charting potential, but the unusual way of entering times and durations for project tasks/ activities is very awkward at first and “sticky” in a bad way. And if you need to change one task’s duration, it could have a domino effect on subsequent tasks in the timeline.
To improve this app and make it worth the US$4.99, a number of things have to be improved:
Foremost is the funny way the current vertical bar of color sits underneath the point you stop at. Take a look at the screensnap above. The final vertical bar for (task ‘Code 3′) ends 15 minutes below the point that the ‘break’ bar sits at. Visually, the break bar suggests that a task ends there, so why is it sitting 15 min above the task code bars bottom? But wait, it gets odder. If you leave the app and come back, there’ll be a ‘break’ bar at the bottom of the final task, but the break bar of 15 min earlier will still be there (see snap below). Instructions to this regard would help.
Another big issue I have is that if you define, say, 10 different task/time codes but a given day does not use them all, all the codes still show up on the left. That might mean you have to scroll down needlessly to see durations for various time codes. What happens if you have, say, 20 different time codes? To be a more efficient app, only the codes in use for the given day should be visible. Of course, the current screen makes it easier to enter durations for a given task code, but harder to view overall. So to facilitate the improved viewing of durations, Cronologic will have to change the way task codes are selected.
I really hope they improve this app. It looks like it has a lot of potential. (A free, basic version would have been nice, with maybe only 2 or 3 time codes allowed.) But for now, I’ll log my work tasks as I’ve been doing: in a Google spreadsheet.
How to be a Net Celebrity Using an iPhone and UStream.tv
Combine the iPhone with UStream.tv’s free iPhone livestreaming app, and you too can be an Internet celebrity, broadcasting live from your living, bedroom, dungeon,or wherever. You will need a (free) UStream.tv account, which you can sign up for from the iPhone app, or on the UStream.tv website.
Now what can you do with this setup? Here are a few ideas:
- Livecast conversations with a celeb you’ve just met.
- Share once-in-a-lifetime moments with friends and family.
- Share a live review of a show or movie you’ve just seen or a restaurant you’ve just visited.
- Do a live “unboxing” video of some gadget you’ve just picked up.
- Do quick tutorials, cooking tips, etc.
The video below is a snap of the app recording video. The video can be viewed live over on your UStream.tv channel. If you save the broadcast and upload it to your UStream.tv profile, the video can be viewed on demand at any later time.
Want to read more? Check out iPhoneography, Apple Insider and TUAW. Download the UStream.tv broadcast app from the Apple Apps Store.
Trouble Waking Up? Use the iPhone Alarm Clock App in a Creative Way
If you’re like me and have trouble getting up in the mornings, get creative with the default Clock app on your iPhone. What I do is set two alarms about 10, 15 or 30 minutes apart, with different sounds for each. For me, a deeper sound such as a drum works better, but I mix it up with a Xylophone or Harp sound. In fact, what works best for me is a softer sound for the 1st alarm, and a more insistent sound for the 2nd alarm.
As far as timing, the 2nd alarm is set for the time that I don’t want to get up past. Give it try.