Leander Kahney's Blog, page 1446

Even Apple Might Not Be Able To Design A Bluetooth Speaker As Good As The HiddenRadio

The HiddenRadio Bluetooth Speaker is the latest project to be setting Kickstarter on fire, and it's no wonder why. Just look at it! It's like Jony Ive designed a speaker in his spare time, and decided to throw it up on Kickstarter just for the hell of it.

Designed by John VDN and Vitor Santa Maria, the HiddenRadio is a Bluetooth radio + speaker combo that is simplicity itself to operate: just pull the cap up to turn the speaker on, push it down to turn it off. Want to raise or lower the volume? No problem, a twist of the same cap will make things louder or quieter, depending on the way you turn it. And if you don't have an iPhone or Bluetooth-enabled iPod, you can either use the line-in jack or just settle for the built-in (and titular) AM/FM radio.

This is gorgeously minimalistic, and unlike most Kickstarter projects, it's already made more than enough money to hit the market. Still, if you want to guarantee yourself a HiddenRadio as soon as they hit they market, one can be yours by pledging just $119 over at the official Kickstarter page.

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Published on December 20, 2011 14:13

Only Winner Of Failed AT&T Merger Is T-Mobile

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image via flickr • http://bit.ly/w3HqfY

Yesterday we told you about AT&T's decision to back out of its proposed $39 billion merger with T-Mobile. After facing heated scrutiny and antitrust concerns from both the Federal Communications Commission and Department of Justice, AT&T couldn't take the heat any longer.

As part of the deal falling through, AT&T has agreed to pay T-Mobile $3 billion in cash for breakup fees. The money combined with the two carriers' spectrum and roaming deal makes T-Mobile the only winner of the failed merger.

Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile's parent company, has worked out a deal with AT&T that gives T-Mobile USA several new perks. On top of the cash (which isn't really that significant at this scale) T-Mobile also receives spectrum licenses from AT&T in 128 US markets and a 7-year roaming agreement with AT&T that expands T-Mobile's potential customer base by 50 million subscribers.

The merger wasn't approved for obvious reasons: no one wants to give AT&T more power than it already has, and the more competition there is in the US carrier space the better. While T-Mobile is the least-powerful 'big' player left, the GSM carrier still has a fighting chance.

Macworld reports that AT&T will give T-Mobile Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum in 12 of the top 20 US cities, including San Francisco, Boston, Atlanta, Washington, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Seattle. The two carriers' 7-year roaming agreement will give T-Mobile 3G access to many parts of the country that it couldn't previously reach, increasing the network's reach by 50 million customers to 280 million.

AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint all offer the iPhone, so T-Mobile is the only major carrier left out in the cold. Many have speculated that the iPhone 4S would be announced on T-Mobile, and the merger with AT&T could very well be the reason that Apple decided to not partner with T-Mobile in 2011. Why partner with a carrier that's about to be bought by another carrier you're already in bed with?

Now that T-Mobile's fate as an independent carrier is assured, is it possible that we will see a T-Mobile iPhone in 2012? Something like the iPhone may be what T-Mobile needs to become relevant again. Then again, it could already be too late.

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Published on December 20, 2011 14:05

This 23-Inch LCD Monitor Can Play Movies And Songs From Your iPhone, No Computer Required

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It's not quite here yet, but AOC's got a monitor that we're really twitching to look at come CES 2012: the e2343Fi, a 23-inch LCD with a neat little twist in the iPhone or iPod compatible dock ensconced in the base.

AOC won't be showing off the display until CES, and who knows when it will go on sale, but our interest is piqued. Not only is the built-in iPhone dock a pretty convenient feature, but it will even pump video or audio directly to the video from a connect iPhone or iPod, no intermediary computer required. And since the dock comes with SRS Premium Sound loudspeakers, the e2343Fi should provide plenty of oomph to your favorite tune.

Price, availability, all still unknown, but we'll make sure to drop by AOC's booth next month to see what's what.

[via Slashgear]

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Published on December 20, 2011 13:47

How Much Does Mission Impossible 4′s Director Love Apple? Let Us Count The Ways

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol hits theaters everywhere tomorrow. Surprisingly, the movie actually got really good reviews and is positioned to be one of the top movies of the holiday season. We went and watched the film this weekend at IMAX and enjoyed the dose of big-budget popcorn entertainment that reminded us how huge action movies use to be a lot more fun than the annoying and cringe-worthy action flicks that hit the screen en masse nowadays. Thanks a lot Michael Bay.

The success of Mission Impossible 4 shouldn't come as a huge surprise though to anyone who is familiar with the director

Lock Picking – Throughout the movie Ethan and Benji Dunn use their iPhone 4 to unlock doors. Thanks to a special attachment case for the iPhone, Cruise inserts a card-sized attachment into card reader slots. The iPhone then figures out the code to hack into the door lock granting nearly instant access to hotel rooms and government offices containing nuclear launch codes.

Hacking From a MacBook Air – It's the thinnest and lightest portable on the planet yet it packs the power of a full-fledged computer, so of course it's the laptop of choice for tech guru Benji and the IMF team. I guarantee you if Emilio Esteevez had a MacBook Air in the first Mission Impossible he wouldn't have died in that elevator shaft.

Facial Recognition Scanners – Facial recognition cameras have been done before, so how does Bird take it to the next level? He places a computerized contact lens on the eye of one of the IMF agents and has it work in tandem with the iPhone to do facial recognition scans of a massive crowd of people. The contact lens is connected to the agent's iPhone and discreetly scans faces in the crowd to find a match for the person they're looking for. Later on the lens even sends a push notification to the iPhone notifying the agent of a hostile assassin.

iPad Reality Distortion Field – When you're breaking into a high-security compound you have to keep casualties at a minimum. To deceive a security guard, the IMF team uses an iPad connected to projector and screen to create a Reality Distortion Field. The iPad is used to handle all of the computing, while a camera tracks the eye movements of a security guard so that a life-like image can be projected on a screen that blocks the IMF team from view. It sounds complex, and it is…but it's totally awesome and you should probably check it out.
Of course Apple is no stranger to product placement in movies. Apple products were featured in 24 of the top movies from 2010, but no movie has used Apple's technology to as many ridiculously awesome things as the Impossible Mission Force uses them in Mission Impossible 4.

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Published on December 20, 2011 12:44

Apple Is Offering Free Next-Day Shipping For Last-Minute Holiday Shoppers, But Act Fast!

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Still haven't done your Christmas shopping? No need to go on a panicked last-minute expedition to the local gas station like I usually do ("Ho ho ho! Santa brings cartons of cigarettes, Bic lighters and air fresheners!"). Apple has upgraded its free holiday shipping offer in the United States to include next-day shipping for all in-stock products, guaranteeing that as long as you don't procrastinate past tomorrow, you'll get your gifts in time for December 25th. Merry Christmas!

[via MacRumors]

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Published on December 20, 2011 12:40

Both Foxconn iPad 2 Factories Exploded For The Same Reason

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Yesterday, we reported about an explosion at a Shanghai iPad 2 factory owned by Foxconn that injured 61 people, some seriously. It's the second time in the last year an explosion has rocked an iPad 2 factory, and it's now been seemingly confirmed that both explosions happened for the same reason: a build-up of aluminum dust in the factory area that eventually combusted.

The revelation comes from China Labor Watch, a nonprofit organization that collaborates with unions and labor orgs in China to make sure factories have safe working conditions.

"The blast in Riteng is a result of aluminum dust in the workshop where iPad cases are polished," China Labor Watch said in a press release. "A similar blast happened in the same workshop of a Foxconn's factory in Chengdu, killing 3 workers and hurting another 15."

According to Businessweek, Apple's working with Foxconn to "understand the causes of the accident" but frankly, it seems pretty clear what the issue is. In fact, it's shocking that after the first accident, a similar one could have even occurred.

In both cases, a factory that specialized in polishing the iPad 2′s case assembly suffered an explosion from a build-up of combustible aluminum dust in the air. Clearly, Apple and Foxconn need to figure out a safer way to polish iPads. No one wants the alternative: a plastic iPad case like some sort of Honeycomb tablet. Let's hope this problem now gets solved.

[via 9to5Mac]

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Published on December 20, 2011 11:49

Pulse For iPhone & iPad Gets A Major Update With Beautiful Smart Dock, Cover Flow And More

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Pulse is one of our favorite personalized news aggregating apps, but the latest app made it even better than ever, adding a redesigned catalogue with sexy coverflow action, an improved UI and even a new Zite-like Smart Dock to supercharge an already great app.

Here's what's new, according to the release notes:

• Completely Redesigned Catalog: New cover flow interaction to browse through sources and discover your favorite content

• Introducing Smart Dock: Based on what you read, Pulse recommends you sources you may enjoy

• Simpler, Cleaner Interface: Pulse takes a back seat, and lets the content shine and take the center stage

I'm loving these changes, especially the personalized Smart Dock, which tries to match some of the smart recommendations of competing aggregators like Zite.

If you're a fan of Pulse, or have been letting it collect dust since discovering Flipboard, the latest version is worth a hard look. Grab the latest Pulse for iPad and Pulse for iPhone now.

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Published on December 20, 2011 10:56

Apple Sues Samsung Over Shameless Smart Cover Rip-Off

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The courtroom battles between Apple and Samsung seem never-ending. The latest chapter: Apple now claims its South Korean patent pal is copying not just smartphones and tablets, but also their cases. During an Australian court hearing, Samsung's lawyer said Apple believes the cases infringe 10 patents.

The latest claims by Apple in Australia follow Samsung adding four new patent infringement claims against the iPad maker in Germany. Those allegations even involve charges Apple infringed on patented emoticons. Like a game of ping-pong, the two companies jump from Australia to Germany, trading charge and counter-charge. So far, the two have filed more than 30 lawsuits against each other, one firm estimates.

But back to the covers. Although Apple hasn't detailed its complaint against Samsung, a possible motive could be a smart cover look-alike that was "Samsung certified" back in July. The Galaxy Tab tablet cover was sold in Samsung's South Korean stores and created by Anymode. Anymode is owned by Youngbo Engineering, headed by the nephew of Samsung chairperson Kun-Hee Lee, according to 9to5Mac. Samsung reportedly yanked the product, saying the certification was "an oversight." Do you smell burning pants?

At any rate, fresh from a Dec. 9 court win removing a temporary Australian sales injunction, Samsung is pushing for Federal Court Justice Annabelle Bennett to decide the company's patent infringement lawsuit against Apple's iPhone and iPad 2 by March. Why March? A German court also handling a Samsung lawsuit against Apple is expected to rule in March. Depending on how things go, having two judgements the same month could either give Samsung a one-two punch against Apple or serve as a distraction should the smartphone maker lose.

But Apple is fighting such a tactic, asking for a delay. Bennett appears to be siding with Apple's argument, setting another hearing for February 3. Of course, that is enough time for many more patent-infringement claims to be filed in what's become a globe-trotting legal epic — and one likely to buy the lawyers involved a few private islands in the Med.

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Published on December 20, 2011 10:44

"Complete My Season Pass" Feature Comes To iTunes Store

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One of the more useful features that Apple has introduced to the iTunes Store over the past couple years is the "Complete My Album" feature, which lets you take a single track of an album you like and easily upgrade to owning the full album. The only problem was it only worked for songs, when it seemed like a natural extension to take the functionality to TV shows.

Well, looks like Apple's finally wised up. Now, if you have a couple of episodes of a show, you can "Complete My Season Pass," which not only gets you the rest of the episodes of the season of that particular show at a substantial discount over buying the episodes individually. A welcome addition, I think.

[via MacRumors]

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Published on December 20, 2011 10:40

Has Apple Blocked App Store Downloads From Devices Running iOS 3.1.3?

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Users who are still running the iOS 3.1.3 software on their iPhones and iPod touches are reporting that a recent App Store update has blocked them from downloading new apps directly to their devices. The update was issued on December 16, and users have been unable to download new apps since, though they can still download updates to existing apps.

Some devices are restricted to the iOS 3.1.3 software, such as the first-generation iPhone, while other users simply choose to stick with the software for personal preferences, such as jailbreaking. However, those who are able to upgrade may have just been giving a little more encouragement, as Apple has seemingly blocked App Store downloads from the iOS 3.1.3 software.

A lengthy discussion on the Apple Support Communities — which spans 7 pages, has 6,179 views, and 96 replies at the time of writing this story — is full of complaints from users who cannot download apps using the older iOS software, while Engadget reports that it has been able to replicate the issue on its own devices.

One user, who started the discussion, reports that it isn't just downloading that's a problem:

1) clicking on the price no longer downloads the app,

2) the ratings button does nothing,

3) the 'tell a friend' and 'git this app' buttons jump back to the top of the app window,

4) pictures usually don't show up. They usually appear as five gray rectangular boxes with white borders (though in one app one too-large-for-the-window picture shows up (see pic),

5) the 'app support' button still goes to the developer's website.

6) the 'top in-app purchases' banner is just text now.

It's unclear whether this is just a bug with Apple's latest App Store update, or whether the Cupertino company has restricted access to older firmwares. Those affected are hoping it's the former, and are currently awaiting a response from Apple.

[via Engadget]

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Published on December 20, 2011 04:31