Developages - Development and Technology Blog

Filed under: Cellphones

Just when you think you′ve escaped the darkened woods of firmware 2.0.2 and previous ilk, along comes 2.1, wrapped in faster-loading-contacts-finery to convince you all is well in the iPhone world. That isn’t entirely the case, it seems, if you’re user of POP or IMAP mail accounts which are set to fetch messages. Apparently, a maddening bug exists in the new software which — in the interest of battery power conservation, we assume — stops the device from pulling down new emails while sleeping… unless the phone happens to be plugged in and charging. An ever-growing thread on Apple′s support forums has been barraged with reports of the problem, and editors here at Engadget have certainly felt the burn. So we′re putting the question to you, dear readers (and hoping the folks in Cupertino are paying attention). Are you noticing email issues with firmware 2.1? Let us know in the poll below!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Original post by Joshua Topolsky

Filed under: Cellphones

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment.

In the 1999 geek classic, “Pirates of Silicon Valley”, an Apple employee watching the famous “1984″ commercial with Steve Jobs points to the Big Brother character — intended to represent IBM — and then points to Bill Gates of Microsoft, whom Jobs has just introduced as part of Apple’s family. The silent message is that the real threat to Apple is Microsoft, not IBM, and indeed the following scene depicts Jobs confronting Gates after Jobs sees Windows 1.0 running on an NEC PC.

That scene, set in 1983, could be easily recreated 25 years later, substituting the iPhone for the Macintosh, Microsoft for IBM as the iPhone’s perceived threat, and Google for Microsoft as the iPhone’s more serious threat. Like Microsoft in 1983, Google is a key Apple partner in 2008. The iPhone features Google Maps, GMail and Google as its default Web search engine, and Google CEO Eric Schmidt even sits on Apple’s board of directors. And also like Microsoft in 1983, Google is working fervently to create a wide range of competitors to Apple’s iPhone. None of these may ever match the integrated experience of Apple’s iPhone, but it’s clear that the first Android phone has come closer to the iPhone experience than Windows 1.0 did to the original Macintosh operating system.

Nevertheless, Google’s task is a lot more daunting than Microsoft’s was at the dawn of Windows for several reasons.

Continue reading Switched On: With friends like Google, does Apple need Microsoft?

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Original post by Ross Rubin

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio, Portable Video

If you can’t get your goods into China via the front door, there’s always the back. Apple is now selling its iPhone 3G unlocked via its on-line Apple Store in Hong Kong. The 8GB model sells for HK$5,500 (about US$694) or HK$6,200 (about $797) for the 16 gigger. Already available since July 11th with a local Hutchinson Telecommunications contract, this is the first time that Apple has sold its device unlocked in Hong Kong:

“iPhone 3G purchased at the Apple Online Store can be activated with any wireless carrier. Simply insert the SIM from your current phone into iPhone 3G and connect to iTunes 8 to complete activation.”

Unfortunately for the 1 billion mainland Chinese, the terms and conditions limit sales to those in Hong Kong only — not that the gray market cares about T&Cs. It’ll be interesting to see if Apple extends the unlocking more broadly (presumably as exclusivity deals expire) or if this is strictly a local phenomena, perhaps in direct response to having its WiFi and the imperialistic 3G gutted from handsets sold under Apple’s rumored China Mobile deal.

[Via PC World, thanks Twins N]

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Original post by Thomas Ricker

Filed under: Cellphones

Currently, over 400,000 unlocked iPhones are roaming around China. Now that China Mobile is about to officially launch Apple’s latest handset in the world’s most populous country, we can only imagine that figure going up. In a bizarre twist of trying to keep a homegrown 3G standard (TD-SCDMA) alive, the carrier has announced that it is intending to launch the mobile with WiFi and 3G disabled — a move that would make it less appealing to those who may be considering buying one, unlocking it and using it on the expected W-CDMA network from China Telecom. Uncool, China Mobile. Very uncool.

[Via mocoNews]

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Cellphones

Worried about long lines for the iPhone 3G come this holiday season? Already breaking into cold sweats at the thought of standing knee-deep in snow for three hours so that your loved ones won’t be filled with contempt for you? Take heart, consumers — Apple has you covered. The company has just launched an online tool to take you through the process of purchasing an iPhone 3G, allowing you to just pop into your local Apple Store for retrieval and activation. Sure, this still doesn’t let you just order a phone for delivery like a normal person, and it’s a day late and a dollar short for the people who’ve already wasted precious time waiting for this thing, but it’s nice to know it’s there if you need it.

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Original post by Joshua Topolsky

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

We just got ourselves blue 8GB and black 120GB Zunes, and naturally threw ‘em on the table for an unboxing. With just capacity and color changes, there’s not a lot to gawk at, but we’ve always had a soft spot for Microsoft’s Zune packaging and “Welcome to the Social” greetings. In case you were wondering, they’re still total smudge magnets, and they’re still rocking 2.5 software — 3.0 hits tomorrow.

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Original post by Paul Miller

Filed under: Gaming

According to a report in the Economic Times, Sony will be introducing a slimmer (well, “slimer″ if you want the direct quote), sleeker, and “more suave” version of the PS2 in Indian and European markets come Fall. If you believe what you read, the new system will include a built-in power supply, will make its debut by Diwali (which falls on October 28th), and will keep the current sticker price of Rs 6,990 (or about $162). The article also claims that Sony will bring its PlayStation Network to India by the end of the year, which should make a lot of competition hungry gamers very happy. Sony reps say that the move is driven by the belief that, “Console gaming is in its nascent stage in India,” adding, “We have no plans to phase out PS2 anytime soon.” The PS2: you just can’t kill it!

[Via Joystiq]

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Original post by Joshua Topolsky

Filed under: CES, Household

Heineken and Krups have been peddling their LCD-equipped keg / fridge in Europe for a little while now, but the companies are going to give it a shot in the States and see if those American go for this whole “cold beer″ thing. The unit is built to hold a 5-liter Heineken keg and keep it tasting fresh and cold for about 30 days. The LCD indicates temperature and lets you know when beer is running low. You can buy it in March from Williams-Sonoma and everywhere in April for $400.

 

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Original post by Paul Miller

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

We’re not quite ready to believe these things function as advertised just yet, but it seems that multi-region Blu-ray players are beginning to pop up on a few overseas websites. We’re seeing a region hacked Samsung BD-󃩸 and Sony BDP-S300 / BDP-S500, each of which are reportedly modified to play nice with BD regions A / B as well as DVD regions 1 / 2. Aside from that, each player looks to be unchanged, but you better believe the convenience won′t run you cheap. Over at Stegen Electronics, a multi-region BDP-S300 will demand €599 ($878), while the modded BDP-S500 rings up at €899 ($1,318), and until someone bites the bullet and confirms that these things actually do what they claim to, we’d recommend holding off.

[Via TheImportForums, thanks Frode A.]
Read - Stegen Electronics
Read - DVD Direct

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Whoa, Nelly! Just three days after we saw Samsung’s BD-󃩸 crack the $300 barrier, the unit is now down below $270 at Amazon. More specifically, it can be had right now for $269.98, which certainly brings it a lot closer to the price range currently dominated by HD DVD. The only question now is: how much lower will it go (and when)?

[Thanks, Adam]

 

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

With prices on HD DVD players in a perpetual state of free fall, it was only a matter of time before the slashings bled over to the other camp. Sure enough, Samsung’s fairly well spec′d BD-󃩸 — which was announced at $549 and sold at $499 in late August — has sunk to $298.76 at Amazon. In case you needed a refresher, this one’s packing 1080p24 support, Dolby Digital Plug / True HD, DTS HD, HDMI 1.3, 1080p DVD upconversion and a pretty snazzy design, too. And hey, if you need extra incentive, there’s always the five free flicks that come along with it.

[Thanks, Adam]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Original post by Darren Murph