Leander Kahney's Blog, page 1481

November 19, 2011

Why iPhone Beats BlackBerry for Business

The Apple iPhone dominates the world of consumer smart phones, but is a bit of a laggard in the business market, right?

Wrong! It turns out that the opposite is true. Apple is in fact a relatively minor player in the global consumer smart phone market, but by far the dominant player in business.

According to Gartner, Android has 52.5% global smart phone market share, Symbian 16.9%, iOS 15%, BlackBerry 11%, Bada 2.2% and Microsoft 1.5%.

In business, however, the iPhone has recently emerged as the top market-share leader with 45%. To achieve this dominance, Apple recently edged out BlackBerry, which has now fallen to 32% of the market. Android gets 21%, recently surpassing Nokia.

To be accurate, these numbers are apples and oranges, so to speak. The Gartner numbers are for both consumer and business and worldwide, and the iPhone numbers are businesses worldwide.

Android's big global consumer numbers and iPhone's big business numbers say more about whose got money and who hasn't than what people's preferences would be if all phones were priced the same. The fact that very cheap Android phones exist in the world, but very cheap iPhones do not exist, explains much.

Still, it's a shocking result that's counter to the conventional wisdom.

Perhaps even more shocking is BlackBerry's recent second-place status in businesses and enterprises to the iPhone. Business is all BlackBerry's got. Yet iPhone clobbers RIM in this space now.

More to the point, how can a phone that supposedly ignores business concerns surpass a phone that's totally designed for business in the business marketplace?

Here's why iPhone beats BlackBerry in business.

Switching fruit

It's hard even for me to believe now, but when the iPhone first came out in 2007, I was too enamored of my BlackBerry Pearl 8100 to get one.

I loved that phone. It was small, and… and… it was… It was really small. Unfortunately the screen was tiny, and the user interface was like something from the Spanish Inquisition.

(When the iPhone App Store hit, I embraced the iPhone and never looked back.)

As a BlackBerry fan who switched to Apple, I was a fruit-swopping trend-setter, though ahead of my time.

Gadgets-for-cash startup Gazelle described recently a trend among Blackberry users trading in their devices. The company says the main reason is the iPhone 4S.

And while Gazelle data may indicate that Apple is the culprit for killing BlackBerry, in fact Google has a hand in the demise as well. Not only has Google successfully developed a thriving app ecosystem like Apple has, and provides a compelling alternative, the company has also recently done something somewhat devastating to the BlackBerry's reputation — they pulled the BlackBerry Gmail app. Of course, this isn't the end of the world — or even the end of Gmail on BlackBerry. The mobile browser version is still there. But it highlights RIM's continued loss of momentum.

OK, but why iPhone over BlackBerry?

One explanation for the rise in iPhones and fall of BlackBerrys is that companies are increasingly allowing employees to choose and buy their own phones, rather than buying company phones and issuing them to employees.

Related to that trend is a general move away from in-house, custom applications toward browser-based access and cloud computing. When data access is standardized, you don't need a special application running on the client device and therefore there's less incentive to force everyone to use the same phone.

And here's another trend I haven't seen anyone else suggest, but it's one I've detected by talking to IT professionals — they love iPhones, too.

People who run IT departments at medium-sized companies tend to personally evaluate major handsets when they come out. They have budgets for buying boatloads of handsets to make sure everything works for mobile workers. A huge number of these professionals try iPhones, a large number of Android phones, BlackBerries and other major handsets. And after doing these evaluations, they tend to prefer iPhones for their personal handsets. These people are also major influencers within their companies, and they're telling co-workers to buy iPhones because they believe it will reduce their own tech support burden.

I have no solid data to support this. But it appears to be a trend among the IT managers and CIOs I've talked to.

Another big problem with BlackBerry from a competitive standpoint is that its original claim to fame is no longer valid.

Years ago, BlackBerry was the best phone for typing messages. People texted and emailed like crazy from their BlackBerries. And people loved the wide handset with spacious physical keys.

Everybody caught up with BlackBerry on messaging services. Recently iMessage provided a superior alternative and Siri pounded the final nail in that coffin. And physical keyboards have generally fallen out of favor to make room for bigger and better screens.

It doesn't help that RIM uses a proprietary network that goes down and causes regional blackouts from time to time.

For many users, the question isn't why does iPhone beat BlackBerry, but why in the hell would anyone choose a BlackBerry at all?

Ultimately, it's not all that complicated. The iPhone beats BlackBerry in business because business people are people, and people prefer iPhone.

What's really changed is that the barriers to people choosing their own phones have gradually fallen away. And once given the chance, people are choosing iPhones.

(Photo courtesy of Natasha Lomas/silicon.com)

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Published on November 19, 2011 14:58

How Does Amazon's Kindle Fire Compare To The iPad? [Review]

Early reviews of Amazon's Kindle Fire haven't been kind, but I like the device. It's a versatile and enjoyable little media tablet.

It doesn't pretend to be anything it's not (a general-purpose tab), and though not as polished as Apple's products, its a good first try.

The trouble is that everyone is comparing the Kindle Fire to the iPad, and it will always come up short. The Kindle Fire is actually closer to the iPod touch, but it's not that either. It's a well-made, well-designed window into Amazon's media ecosystem, and on that score, it succeeds very well.

The problem most reviewers have with the Fire, it seems, is that it's no iPad. It won't run a million apps, take photos, videoconference, or be used to create content. It doesn't have a camera, GPS, or a 3G cellular connection. It's 7-inch screen is too small. It doesn't have a hardware Home button or even volume-control buttons.

What it is, is a compact black plastic-and-glass slate that's chunkier and heftier than you'd expect. The soft rubbery back feels nice to the touch and it's much easier to hold for bedtime reading than an iPad. It can almost be stuffed into a jacket pocket for a trip to the coffee shop (if you have big pockets).

The Good:

It's $199 — less than half the price of the cheapest iPad.

The 7-inch screen is bright and sharp — It has almost the same resolution as the iPad 2 (1024 x 600 – compared to 1024 x 768). Although some have complained the screen is fuzzy, to my eyes it's sharper than the iPad 2. I loaded up several websites and a book to cross-compare, and text looked much sharper on the Kindle Fire.

Great for reading in bed — And I like that the Kindle app runs on my iPad, iPhone, MacBook Air and iMac, so I can read any eBook I purchase from Amazon anywhere. That's something Apple needs to do with iBooks.

Easy set-up — Setting up Gmail, Facebook and Netflix was a breeze.

Performance — Early reviewers complained that the Fire was sluggish, and the Silk browser horribly slow for surfing the Web. Maybe they got a pre-release version of the Fire software or Amazon quickly fixed performance issues. As soon as I connected my Fire to the internet during setup, it downloaded a software update. I haven't had any performance issues with the Fire. It's not as a fast or as a responsive as the iPad 2, and there are occasional hangups, but it's not painfully slow.

Navigation — Getting around is via Home and Back bottoms — both software buttons. The Back button is inter-modal. It applies to web pages in the browser but also jumping around between apps, like a universal undo. It's an intuitive and familiar navigation scheme, and I find it dead easy to use.

Preloaded account — The Fire was preloaded with my Amazon account, and all the digital content I've ever purchased from Amazon was already linked to the device (but not downloaded). Everything was neatly arranged in the appropriate tab in the Fire's media browser — books, video and music. This arrangement is actually easier to navigate than the iPad's content navigation, which is split across several apps.

Amazon Prime — If you have an Amazon Prime account (I do) then the Kindle Fire is pretty cool. Paying $80 for a year's worth of Amazon Prime is cheaper than paying for Netflix and you get a lot of extra awesomeness other than just streaming Amazon Prime Video. The lending library is great for voracious readers who are cheap like me and doesn't like buying new stuff all the time.

Cloud integration and streaming — Digital content can either be downloaded onto the device or streamed from the cloud. Some have complained that the Fire's 8-Gbytes of storage is too skimpy, but if you're streaming most content, you don't need it. Because I have a sad life, I'm rarely far from a Wi-Fi connection. The only time I need to load content is before a trip, and 8-Gbytes should be plenty for a couple of movies and some playlists. The process of managing downloads or streaming is dead easy. It actually puts Apple to shame with the hoops you sometimes have to jump through loading and deleting content through iTunes.

Silk browser — There's been tons of complaints about Amazon's Silk browser, which has been eviscerated for being slow and buggy. I haven't encountered any such problems. In my experience, it's a pretty good browser. It's not the fastest, but it renders pages well and quickly. It supports all the features expected in a modern browser — tabs, bookmarks, stored passwords, etc. It also supports Flash, which many people will consider a curse, not a blessing (it's easily turned off though). Amazon says it also preloads pages and promises to get faster as it learns what sites are popular with Fire users. Some have discovered that browsing is quicker with this feature turned off.

You can install unsanctioned apps — Like Apple's devices, the Fire is only supposed to run apps sanctioned by the parent company. The Amazon app store is anemic, which should change over time, but it's actually dead easy to install unsanctioned apps. Go to Settings>Device and turn on "Allow Installation of Applications From Unknown Sources." I was able to install Spotify, the streaming music service, where I have a premium account. I can now stream Spotify to the device even though Spotify isn't yet available in Amazon's app store and may never be. (Set up, btw, was dead easy and it works flawlessly.)

Easy to charge — No proprietary dock connectors here. The Fire charges via micro USB, which is becoming the universal standard (mandated in Europe). Around the house, I charge it up using the kids' cellphones chargers.

The packaging — The Fire comes in a simple cardboard box that's completely recyclable except for the plastic sleeve than encases the device. Apple's packaging sometimes irritates me with its preciousness. Jeff Bezos, on the other hand, is refreshingly straightforward and utilitarian.

The Bad:

Responsiveness — The Fire is nowhere near as responsive as the iPad. Where the iPad always recognizes a touch or swipe, the Fire sometimes has to be handled with kid gloves. You have to slowly and deliberately hit a button front and central for the touch to register.

Power button placement — For some inexplicable reason, the power button is on the bottom between the speakers. It's a strange place to put it, because when you keep hitting it when using the device and putting it to sleep.

Games — This is where the Fire really falls short on the iPod touch, a game-console par excellence. I can't see kids clamoring for the Kindle Fire over the iPod touch.

Volume control buttons — It really needs hardware volume-control buttons. To change the volume, you have to exit any app you're using and go into the system settings. It's way too painful when watching a movie or web video.

Wi-Fi only — Amazon already offers Kindles which have free cell connections, the cost of which is built into the price of eBooks and online magazine subscriptions accessed through the device. It would be much harder for Amazon to offer the Fire with a similar subsidy, but no doubt Amazon is working on 3G models. Stay tuned for version 2.

Verdict:

The Fire is no iPad killer, but it is the first Android version of the iPod Touch. It's the first device that fulfills similar functions without a cellular contract — and at a lower price.

You don't create anything on a Kindle, you simply consume. It's not even really a tablet because it's so small. It's just a really great eBook reader, but that's not a bad thing. For $200, it's great for people who want to save money and don't need all the features of an iPad.

Rating: ★★★★☆

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Published on November 19, 2011 14:04

How Does Amazon's Kindle Compare To The iPad? [Review]

Early reviews of Amazon's Kindle Fire haven't been kind, but I like the device. It's a versatile and enjoyable little media tablet.

It doesn't pretend to be anything it's not (a general-purpose tab), and though not as polished as Apple's products, its a good first try.

Reviewers also complained that the Fire was sluggish, and the Silk browser horribly slow for surfing the Web. These reviewers may have got a pre-release version of the Fire software or Amazon quickly fixed performance issues. As soon as I connected my Fire to the internet during setup, it downloaded a software update. I haven't had any performance issues with the Fire. It's not as a fast or as a responsive as the iPad 2, and there are occasional hangups, but it's not painfully slow.

The Good:

It's $199 — less than half the price of the cheapest iPad.

Easy set-up — Setting up Gmail, Facebook and Netflix was a breeze.

The Bad:

Games — This is where the Fire really falls short on the iPod touch, a game-console par excellence. I can't see kids clamoring for the Kindle Fire over the iPod touch.

Verdict:

The Fire is no iPad killer, but it is the first Android version of the iPod Touch. It's the first device that fulfills similar functions without a cellular contract — and at a lower price.

Rating: ★★★★☆

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Published on November 19, 2011 14:04

WakeMate Appcessory Will Help You Track & Analyze Your Sleep, But It Won't Improve Your Mornings [Review]

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Hauling my back end out of bed each morning is a horrible task, especially during the winter months. Even with the recommended eight hours sleep, I never wake up feeling refreshed. However, I was hoping all that was about to change, thanks to a little app-enhanced headband.

The WakeMate ($60) is an accessory and app for your iOS device that has two main objectives: to help you track and analyze your sleep pattern; and to wake you up at the optimal time in your sleep cycle so that you feel better about waking up early — which is just what I needed.

You wear the WakeMate on your wrist while you sleep and it connects to your device via Bluetooth, tracking things such as the number of times you wake during the night, the duration of your sleep, and your minute-by-minute sleep state. It then gives you a "sleep score" based on these things and allows you to compare your results over time.

"With the WakeMate you wake up feeling refreshed and learn how to improve your sleep quality and efficiency," according to the WakeMate website, which made me very optimistic about the device.

The Good:

The WakeMate is really simple to set up, and really simple to use. Just switch it on (ensuring you have enough battery life to last the night), and pair it to your iOS device over Bluetooth. You can then set an alarm and WakeMate will attempt to wake you up at an optimal time during a 20-minute window (which you can adjust) prior to your wakeup time. If the device doesn't find an optimal time, it'll just wake you up at the time you set.

Battery life is relatively good, lasting around two nights before it needs to be charged again. It's important to remember that you need your charge to last the duration of your sleep, otherwise WakeMate is prone to losing the data it recorded before its battery went flat. Thankfully, the iOS app can tell you how long WakeMate will live on its current charge.

The band does a fantastic job of recording all the data you need to monitor your sleep using "Actigraphy," and it allows you to see at a glance the duration of your sleep each night; how many times you woke up during the night; the much of your sleep was "deep, "average," and "light;" and even how long it took you to fall asleep. You can then compare these results over 7 days, 14 days, 30 days, or from the day you started using the device.

If, like me, you feel groggy and lethargic when you wake up each morning — even after plenty of sleep — WakeMate results could give you a great insight into why that might be the case. And even if they don't, they can help you get a better night's sleep.

For example, I kept trying to increase my sleep score over time, which meant I was going to bed earlier and sleeping longer. Before, I had no desire to go to bed early — I'd rather stay up late playing video games — but with the WakeMate I had targets to hit, and it kind of turned into a little game.

The best feature, for me, is the tagging tool. You can add tags to each sleep score that might reflect why your sleep was score was higher or lower than usual. For example, you might achieve a low score because you were drunk when you went to bed and you didn't sleep well; or you might receive a high score because you went surfing the day before and went to bed completely shattered.

Over time, you can then see how many times your sleep has been affected by drinking, surfing, and other activities. You could even use this feature to record how your sleep might be affected by different foods.

For recording your sleep pattern and monitoring its cycle, the WakeMate does a fantastic job, and I cannot fault it in that respect. As long as you ensure the device has plenty of battery life, it'll never fail to record your data. And it does a much better job of it than some of those apps in the App Store, which claim to do the same thing without an additional accessory.

The Bad:

For some, however, this is all you'll really get out of the WakeMate. This is all I really got out of it, and after a little while, I got bored with trying to beat my sleep score and slipped back into my old habits of staying up late.

I wanted the WakeMate mostly because it promises to "wake you up at an optimal time during your sleep cycle." However, after a couple months of use, I found that this just wasn't happening for me. Every morning, I was woken up at the time I had set for my alarm — not a time which WakeMate felt was optimal for me. Admittedly I was woken up a little earlier on a number of occasions during those couple months, but they certainly did not feel like optimal times to me. I felt just as tired as any other day.

And nothing I did could change this. It seems I am just one of those people who struggles to get themselves out of bed, and an iPhone accessory just isn't going to change that — no matter how good it is.

My final gripe is about the WakeMate app for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. While the app is relatively good, the interface for checking out your data is simply a browser that points to your WakeMate account online. So it doesn't fit nicely on small screens, it's hard to navigate, and hard to analyze. It would be a great deal better if WakeMate overhauled this part of the app.

If you're hoping this device will suddenly lead to pleasant mornings on which you spring out of bed singing songs from The Sound of Music and dancing around the bed, then you may be disappointed with it. That's not to say it won't happen — it just didn't for me.

Verdict:

Rating: ★★★☆☆

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Published on November 19, 2011 14:00

Fun Game: Meet a Ghost in Tuscany

Every week Mac Games and More features a fun, casual game you can play on the weekend. This week's selection features an adventure game that takes you the beautiful Tuscan countryside to solve not just one murder but possibly two!

Death Under Tuscan Skies: A Dana Knightstone Novel (adventure/puzzles) – The story in Death Under Tuscan Skies: A Dana Knightstone Novel, will grab your attention right away as you enter an adventure game for Mac set in Italy's gorgeous Tuscany region to solve a mystery. Play as novelist Dana Knightstone and meet a woman named Eva who comes to you as a ghost. Find out why a mysterious illness killed her and piece together the parts of the missing story of her missing lover, Giovanni, who disappeared while looking for a cure for her. Download it now Similar Posts:5 Fun Games: Scottish Scuffles, Landing Jumbo Jets, Ghastly Cute Ghosts and More Fun Game: Foggy Ghost Stories Five Fun Games: Alice Redux, Your Life Rewound, Visiting Luminaries and More 5 Fun Games: Becoming a Mall Tycoon, Exploring Victorian Mansions, Swimming With Mermaids and More Fun Game: Digging in the Dirt for Kidnapped Kids

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Published on November 19, 2011 04:49

November 18, 2011

Exotic Earphone Face-off: Thinksound ts02+Mic, MEElectronics CC51P [Review, Face-off]

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If you caught our canalphone roundup a few weeks back, you've by now come to the accurate realization that there's no shortage of real alternatives to those awful white buds bundled with each iPhone. But these two are a little different.

Like the five we reviewed that week, these two pairs of IEMs — the MEElectronics CC51 ($90) and the Thinksound ts02+mic ($110)— are higher-end, designed with superior sound quality in mind and cost around $100. But unlike the others, these two are from small, boutique manufacturers; they also both have housings made from exotic materials (the CC51′s is ceramic, while the ts02′s is wood), and eschew the inline volume controls of the pairs of reviewed in the $100 IEM week, instead making do with a single control button on their inline microphones.

Both outfits are newcomers. Thinksound makes its home in the wilds of New Hampshire, while MEElectronics sprang up a few years ago in the SoCal urban jungle. And both have a low-bs approach to earphones; they make them, you listen to them, and that's it. No fancy hip-hop names, no slick packaging, nothing but a focus on producing the best-sounding audio gear. But then they go there separate ways, with Thinksound employing a wood-only approach and focusing on being the greenest earphone company on the planet, and MEElectronics experimenting with all kinds of interesting earphone twists. The two sets we've assembled here today represent the most popular high-end earphones from these audio upstarts.

First Impressions:

As mentioned earlier, neither of these guys waste much time on the box; but Thinksound's packaging still needs to be noted. The entire thing is not only recyclable, but is made from sustainable materials — even the insert that holds the earphones in place inside the box is carved out of a block of cardboard. Kudos, Thinksound, and thanks. Frankly, other outfits should be ashamed they don't follow your example.

Aesthetics:

With its black-accented wooden housing, the ts02 is handsome — but the CC51P's hematite-colored, graceful shape is stunning. They're possibly the most gorgeous earphones I've ever stuck in my ears. They're also very stealth, and barely stick out at all — making them an absolute fashion win-win (if you don't like the dark color, they're also available in white; and the ts02 is also available with silver accents). Similarly, the housing that contains the CC51P's control button and microphone is pretty sharp looking; the ts02′s, a little drab and plasticky.

Fit and Function:

There are only two areas where these two seem less capable than the big boys, where their lack of resources shows through: the eartips, and the controls. I fought to get a consistently good fit with both; the CC51P wasn't too bad, and I had decent luck with the single set of flanged tips included in the box. The ts02, however, was constantly fighting me. The fact that only four pairs of tips — all the same round shape, just different sizes — probably didn't help matters. All the eartips, from both sets, were of a material that fell somewhat behind the standard of the tips include with 'phones from bigger boys; they simply weren't as easy to achieve a good seal with. To the ts02′s credit, the set is also compatible with the excellent Comply Foam tips (though they didn't come with them).

While you won't get volume controls with these two, everything else — pause, play, track skip, call controls and voice command activations — are all there. Here, the ts02 was clearly superior. I had a devil of a time trying to fumble around the CC51′s flush button.

Sound:

Now for the real test: How did these two exotically housed earphones sound? In the case of the ts02, the answer is: pretty good. They're certainly bassy enough, and they music reproduced through their 8mm drivers has a warm, mellow sound. But I found the high-end lacking, and music that should have sounded bright — jazz, or albums like Sting's Soul Cages — sounded muffled and somewhat dulled. Not what I was expecting

The CC51P, on the other hand, were pretty impressive. I had originally wondered if their ceramic housings a gimmick. Apparently not — the set was able to produce clear, resonating highs, and deep bass; in fact, I've never heard such range from a pair of microdrivers. These aren't neutral, like a good set of balanced armatures, and there was a slight lack of oomph in the midrange; but it didn't matter — I was so impressed with the clarity of the highs and smoothness of the bass I barely noticed.

Accessories:

Both sets come with clips and carrying cases. The ts02 naturally (pun alert) come with a cloth bag (that suspiciously reminds me of the hemp bags worn by my comrades in college; though that could be paranoia talking), while the CC51 has a zippered pouch to protect it. The CC51P comes with a better variety of eartips.

Verdicts:

Thinksound ts02+mic

The ts02+mic is warm, both in sound and looks, and Thinksound's concern for the planet is second-to-none; but the 'phones don't have the clarity or balance expected of sets in this range.

Rating: ★★★½☆

MEElectronics CC51P

For the price, these are a fantastic set — a lucky discovery for anyone who enjoys deep bass and clear, bell-like highs. The fact that they look stunning is just icing on the cake.

Rating: ★★★★½

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Published on November 18, 2011 20:00

5 Free iPhone Apps To Help You Make The Most Of Black Friday

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It's that time of the year. The busiest shopping day in existence is nearly upon us: Black Friday.

As Apple and iOS fanatics, we naturally look to the App Store for useful apps when life's obstacles are thrown our way. The topic of Black Friday is no exception, so we've collected some of the best, free iPhone apps available to help you make the most out of your shopping experience this year.

TGI Black Friday

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As the crown jewel of Black Friday apps, TGI Black Friday is a must-download for any serious shopper. For keeping up with all of the crazy deals out there, users can view ads from all major retailers like Best Buy, Target, Walmart, and Sears. TGI doesn't just give you the regular stuff, you also get peaks at the leaked ads and deals before the rest of the public.

You can compare prices from different retailers and search for week-long deals that are available prior to Black Friday.

Besides the ads themselves, TGI Black Friday offers other helpful features, like push notifications for new ads. You can create a personalized shopping list and share deals you come across on Facebook and Twitter. Deals and shopping lists can be emailed in-app as well.

Powered by TGIblackfriday.com and DealCatcher.com, TGI Black Friday is an essential app for the serious shopper's arsenal. Download the free iPhone app in the App Store to start hunting for deals.

Black Friday by BradsDeals

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Like TGI Black Friday, this app gives a metric ton of ads from all kinds of retailers. Some will find the interface of BradsDeals' app to be more desirable, and there's a "Top Deals" feature that's particularly useful.

You can browse ads from retailers and get specific info about a certain deal's timeframe and location. Your shopping planner is integrated throughout the app to let you add items as you come across them. BradsDeals aggregates deals from companies like Restaurant.com with special promo codes in the Top Deals section, so you're not only limited to the typical retail offerings.

Black Friday by BradsDeals is a free download for the iPhone in the App Store.

Decide.com for iPhone

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Decide.com is very much like ShopSavvy, only with a focus on electronics. On the iPhone, Decide.com can be a powerful tool for finding hot Black Friday bargains in the electronics industry.

The app compares nearby and online prices, so you can get a sense of where the best deals are. Not only that, but you also get recommendations on whether you should actually buy a product or not. If Decide.com thinks that a new model is coming out soon or that there's about to be a price drop, you'll get told to hold off on your purchase.

You can scan gadgets' bar codes to look stuff up in the Decide.com database, or you can just browse different categories in-app. For the electronics geeks out there, Decide.com is a great app with spec info and product comparisons. Decide.com for iPhone is available for free in the App Store.

Google Shopper

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Many forget that Google has a powerful shopping service for finding the best deals.

The great thing about Google Shopper on the iPhone is that it integrates with Google's maps, voice, and search capabilities as well. The app has a "Deal of the Day" feature and shows you hot deals in your area. You can scan barcodes of just about anything to get price comparisons and availability details online instantly, and you can search for things with your voice.

Google Shopper is a great app with an even better price tag. You can download Google Shopper's iPhone app for free in the App Store.

Savvy

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Unlike the previously mentioned apps, Savvy works just as well after you buy a bunch of stuff on Black Friday. Savvy offers the price protection you need for your crazy holiday purchases.

Smart shoppers will love Savvy's features because the app specializes in making sure that you save money. You can scan scan receipts and barcodes or enter a purchase's details manually to keep track of that product's fluctuating price. If a product's price drops under what you originally payed at a certain retailer, you'll be alerted.

Savvy's "Deal Maker" feature lets you enter products and set the price that you'd be willing to pay. The app monitors 40 of the largest retailers, and when the price drops, you'll be the first to know. The app's receipt manager and wish list also help create a compelling tool for the dedicated shopper.

Savvy is still in beta, so the experience isn't totally polished, but it's definitely worth checking out. The iPhone app is free in the App Store.

Let us know in the comments if you plan on using any other cool shopping apps for Black Friday!

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Published on November 18, 2011 15:03

AT&T Raises iPhone 3GS Price To $1

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Just when you thought you could buy a totally free iPhone, AT&T raises the subsidized price of the iPhone 3GS to $0.99! What gives?

As spotted by MacRumors, the nation's largest carrier is listing the iPhone 3GS as costing $0.99 on its online store. The carrier activation fee is waved with the purchase and AT&T is offering free overnight shipping. What's really weird is that Apple still lists the iPhone 3GS as costing $0 on its own website.

The iPhone 3GS has been free on AT&T for nearly a month and a half. When Apple announced the iPhone 4S, the 8GB iPhone 4′s price became $99 and the 3GS was dropped to $0 with a two-year contract.

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When MacRumors asked AT&T about the slight price change, the carrier beat around the bush:

iPhone 3GS is still available at an incredibly low price and we're confident consumers will agree that this remains one of the best deals for a leading smartphone.

Why did AT&T bump the 3GS price up one dollar? We have absolutely no clue. Both AT&T and Apple made a big deal about the fact that the iPhone 3GS is now free with a subsidized contact.

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Published on November 18, 2011 14:04

Retina Display iPad 3 Will Be 8% Thicker Than iPad 2, 4-Inch iPhone 5 Coming Next Summer [Rumor]

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Take this with a grain of salt, but a "reliable source" speaking to iLounge has three inside scoops on Apple's 2012 product line-up. Their veracity? Offhand, we'd say one of them's a certainty, one of them's probable and the last one is nutty.

Here's what iLounge's source has to say:

• The iPad 3 will be slightly thicker than the iPad 2: 0.77mm thicker, or about 8%. This is necessary to install the twin light bar system needed to illuminate a 9.7-inch Retina Display. Makes sense to us, as does iLounge's claim that the iPad 3 would be released in March but shown off for the first time in January: that would give devs plenty of time to update their iPad apps to the new Retina Display.

• The iPhone 5 is still coming as a 4-inch device, but won't be the teardrop version that everyone was talking about before the iPhone 4S's debut. It will be 8mm longer than the iPhone 4S and come in a metal casing. We're just not buying it: Steve Jobs was worried about fragmenting the iPhone marketshare with two different display types before he died, and 3.5 inches is perfect for one-hand operation. The 4-inch iPhone is a pipe dream, we think.

They also say the iPhone 5 will be released next summer, which I also seriously doubt: a September/October timeframe for the iPhone makes a lot more sense, in that it is closer to Christmas.

• Finally, iLounge uncontroversially claims 2012 will see the MacBook Pro line finally get a redesign, though they don't say what that will look like. I'd say this is a no brainer: the MacBook Pro line hasn't seen an update since late 2008, and they are ripe for a MacBook Air-like redesign, abandoning their optical drives and gaining ubiquitous SSDs.

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Published on November 18, 2011 12:28

Use Raise To Speak On iPhone 4S For Text Entry Via Dictation [iOS Tips]

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By now, every iPhone 4S user has to know about the raise to speak feature that activates Siri. You simply raise your iPhone 4S to your ear, wait for the two tones and start talking. Ask Siri a silly or serious question and it usually has an answer for you. Sometime it isn't what you would expect.

Although it is fun to ask Siri questions, you can also use Siri for dictation purposes. You can activate dictation by pressing the microphone button on the iOS pop-up keyboard. But did you know there is another way to start dictation?

It turns out that you can also start using the dictation features of Siri by simply raising your iPhone 4S to your head any time the microphone key on the virtual keyboard is visible. Just wait for the single tone to sound and start talking. Your words will magically appear in the text box you'd normally type in.

I experimented with different apps and I found one that didn't work until I reset my iPhone 4S by simply pressing and holding Sleep/Wake and the Home button until the Apple logo appeared. Afterwards that particular app started to accept dictation data entry using the method described above.