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Apple up, down in end-of-year report
Now that 2009 is officially behind us, web metrics firm Net Applications has released their final report of the year, which finds Apple up in some areas and down in others. Specifically, the iPhone OS has grown significantly, while Chrome has surpassed Safari. The iPhone jumped to 0.43 percent of the total OS market in December, a 20% increase over November and the largest monthly gain since its introduction. While holiday sales estimates are still unavailable, its expected that the quarter's numbers will eclipse the previous quarter's record-breaking 7.4 million units sold. At the same time, usage of Google's Chrome web browser has exceeded that of Apple's Safari for the first time. As for alternatives to the nearly-ubiquitous Internet Explorer, Firefox is first, Chrome second and Safari third, according to Net Applications. Specifically, Chrome is now at 4.63 percent of browser share and Safari is at 4.46 percent. The novelty of Chrome probably plays into these numbers, but it's also a nice product. I've been using it on Windows and Mac OS X (in beta, of course) and found it snappy and responsive. Overall this is a positive report for Apple. Here's to 2010.
Could Apple be moving to a spectrum of operating systems?
I was eating a late post-Christmas breakfast this morning and perusing my email when I came upon a note from my friend and fellow Apple Consultants Network member Michael Kimble. Mike's been involved with Apple products since before the Mac arrived, so he has seen product trends come and go for decades. In his email, he mused that: "I've been wondering if Apple, on their Jan. 26th product announcement, won't start to differentiate OS X to include OS X Mobile, OS X Touch, OS X Desktop & OS X Server. But rather than discreet versions of the OS, it is a spectrum where features of one version can slide up and down the scale depending on the functionality of the hardware platform it's running on. It seems to be moving in that direction whether a formal acknowledgment is made or not." It's not that far a stretch to see Apple adding another variety of OS X to the family tree. As a result of yesterday's post about the as-yet-unannounced Apple tablet, TUAW reader Dillon made a similar observation to Mike's: "Just a thought, but if the new Apple tablet ran straight iPhone OS, then it would probably be released in June with annual iPhone update... meaning that the Mac tablet will probably run a cross between Mac OSX 10.6 and iPhone OS or just Mac OSX 10.6. Apple really won't release something unless it is speedy enough. They don't even let you run a background app or multitask on the iPhone due to speed issues. If they wanted to make a speedier tablet it would make sense that they would [deliver] a hybrid of the two operating systems, allowing better speed, battery, and more functionality than the iPhone, yet something not as relatively bulky as Snow Leopard." Three of the four operating systems already exist (and there's always the family member they keep locked in the closet -- the Apple TV -- with its odd edition of Mac OS 10.4 Tiger). All it would take is for Apple to add a new version of the OS that would, as Dillon points out, allow background processing and true multi-tasking, yet pull out a lot of the more weighty components of OS X. What do you think? Is a new, formal acknowledgment of a new Apple OS on the way, or will the tablet run a beefier version of the iPhone OS? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below. Illustration from Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tigerpixel/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
iPhone to Windows Mobile: Eat my dust
ComScore has released a list of the top smartphone operating systems by market share in the United States in October. Who's on top? Research in Motion (but for how much longer?), followed by Apple, then Microsoft, Palm, Symbian, and finally Google. The guys at FierceDeveloper have put together this nifty chart showing the top smartphone operating systems by number of active users in the United States in October, based on comScore's data. What's interesting about comScore's latest number is it's the first time iPhone OS market share has surpassed Windows Mobile. According to the data, approximately 36 million Americans are smartphone owners, with 40% of those owning Blackberries and 25% owning iPhones. Windows Mobile share has shrunk to 20% and with the increasing popularity of the iPhone and Google's Android OS, it's not looking too hot for WinMo. Below: the chart of comScore's data. The yellow bars are the most recent statistics.
VMware wants dual-OS virtualized smartphones, no ugly boot-loaders
It's getting harder and harder to pick a smartphone, with options like iPhone OS, WebOS, Android, and Windows Mobile making the choosing difficult. Life would be easier if you could pick two, and that's what virtualization giant VMware is working on, the ability to run dual OSes in one smartphone. The company already has Android/WinMo and other prototypes running, but phones featuring the tech now aren't expected to hit market until 2012 -- a big delay from the earlier indications of a release this year. Those prototypes rely on ugly boot menus, whereas the vision for this tech would see users switching between environments on the fly, taking and making calls in either whilst juggling chainsaws and dazzling their friends. The company pledges it'll be a seamless experience, but we're doubtful given how even stepping out of HTC's SenseUI into the OS below can occasionally result in mild nausea. The bigger question is who would want this, and it's easy to think the answer is "basically nobody," but picture the poor corporate souls who must carry one phone for work and another for play. This tech could finally let them ditch that holster, and wouldn't the world be a better place then?
A car stereo built for the King (of phones)
No, you didn't click on the wrong link. We haven't changed our name to The Unofficial Audio Weblog. "Why, then, is my beloved Apple-centric site doing a review of a car stereo?!" you're no doubt asking yourself. 'Cause this thing rocks your iPhone like you've never heard before! Sony was nice enough to send us one of its newest models, the Xplod MEX-BT5700U, which happens to be the company's flagship head unit. With things like iPod integration via the front-mounted USB port and Bluetooth audio streaming, the $299 single-DIN stereo has an interesting mix of features that you'd expect to come at a higher price. First off, some ground rules. I'm not an audiophile. This isn't going to be a review chock full of decibel ratings or fancy audio terms. While I've had quite a few aftermarket stereos in my time, and I've installed my share of head units, car stereos aren't my living. Instead, I'll be focusing on its interface and various connections to iDevices. The specs The Xplod MEX-BT5700U is no slouch when it comes to traditional stereo benchmarks. It outputs 52W per channel without external amplification and has a separate subwoofer out. It'll play nearly any audio source including HD Radio (via an optional kit), satellite radio, CDs (the store-bought pressed ones in addition to CD-Rs and CD-RWs with MP3, AAC, or WMA data files), USB sticks and drives, a CD changer, and of course MP3 players. Oddly enough, there is no Memory Stick slot. (Thank goodness!) Oh yeah, it even gets AM!
Keepin' it real fake, part CCXLV: the Nokia iPhone
Alright, so iPhone and N97 knock-offs probably aren't the rarest of gems around these days, but how many handsets do you know that can lay claim to being both? The Cooli902 takes the iPhone's 3.5-inch touchscreen, spit-shines a pretty realistic iPhone OS clone-job, and then adds the Nokia flavor with a fully fledged QWERTY keypad ripped straight from the heart of the N97. Not only does it open to that familiar angle, it also sports the same layout and what we can only imagine to be the same violent opening mechanism as found on the original Nokia handset. And to think that poor Philippe Starck had to pick between these two phones, when for only $143 we could have had both. More pics after the break, or hit the read link to get your own.
O2 UK gradually rolls out iPhone unlock, forgot to give us the instructions
Last week O2 UK announced that they will start unlocking iPhones while they lose the exclusivity deal with Apple. We signed up straight away (via the link below) and didn't hear anything until today -- just five days after O2 unlocked the first batch of iPhones, according to tweets from fellow users. As you can see in the picture half of our text message from O2 went missing for some reason, but luckily the procedure was easy enough for us to decipher: simply put in a non-O2 SIM card, then connect to iTunes and boom! You can see all this illustrated in the gallery. Sadly we're stuck with O2 for another twelve months, but are there any UK folks here planning to switch carriers soon?
Magellan debuts GPS app / car kit for iPhone and iPod touch
Magellan's new iPhone navigation app won't do much for the iPod touch on its own, but it looks like the company's forthcoming Premium Car Kit will in fact work just fine with the handheld out of the box, unlike TomTom's similar Car Kit. Otherwise, there aren't exactly a ton of surprises, but the cradle is fully adjustable to accommodate a range of sleeves or cases, and it'll of course also charge your iPhone or iPod touch, and give it some amplified sound courtesy of the built-in speaker. The navigation app itself also seems to be more than ready to challenge the competition, with it boasting spoken street names, NAVTEQ maps, 3D landmarks, in-app music control, a pedestrian mode, and a price tag of $79.99. No word on a price or release date for the cradle just yet, but Magellan says it is "coming soon" -- iPhone users can get the app from the App Store right now. [Thanks, djphatjive]
Walky robot understands iPhone gestures, football fanaticism (video)
Hey there sailor, we imagine you've been doing your fair share of button mashing what with a certain new bit of software out and about, but how would you like a whole new control paradigm? Taking up Steve Jobs' war on buttons, a group of grad students at Japan's Keio University have put together a comprehensive robot control interface that relies solely on finger swipes, taps, and presses. By employing the iPhone's built-in accelerometer and multitouch screen, the robot can replicate a humanistic walking motion, perform sidesteps and, when called upon, kick a football with gusto and presumed passion. Your destination is just past the break, where the video demo awaits. [Via HDBlog.it]
iPhone app debuts for plastic surgery enthusiasts
Dear reader, we think you're beautiful. We really do. But we hear you've got a "friend" who's been considering some nip / tuck action. Luckily there is now an iPhone app that will let him or her not only peruse the handiwork of a certain Steven M. Denenberg, M.D., of Omaha Nebraska, but it will put your friend in touch with him for a consult, if desired. Providing an important service? That's debatable. Worth the 99 cent price of admission? Probably not. PR after the break.
TomTom to bring free lane guidance, text-to-speech, iPod control to iPhone GPS app
TomTom's probably still dizzy from the hit that Google laid on it just a few days ago, but it has somehow managed to get its bearings long enough to announce that a slew of gratis updates are incoming for its highly-hyped iPhone navigation app. Following in Navigon's footsteps, the outfit has today stated that a free update has been submitted to Apple for approval, and when (er, if) it clears Cupertino's ambiguous review process, it'll deliver advanced lane guidance, text-to-speech, "Help Me," updated map / safety cameras (in select European nations) databases, customizable audio warnings and iPod player control. Not a bad list of additions for the grand total of $0.00, but we wouldn't expect anything less given the lofty admission price.
Facebook app developer rejects App Store, irony ensues
We always said that if Apple's arbitrary, inconsistent, and quite frankly baffling approval process didn't get straightened out soon, the defections were going to pick up pace -- and what do we have here? Joe Hewitt, the developer of the well-loved and highly regarded Facebook iPhone app, has flipped the script and rejected the App Store. And, as you'd expect, our man is not mincing his words, stating that his "decision to stop iPhone development has had everything to do with Apple's policies," and that he's "philosophically opposed to the existence of their review process." While Hewitt can't comment on specific future projects (he's still at Facebook, but the app itself has been handed off to another developer) he has mentioned that he'll be devoting his time to web development for mobile devices. As you know, there is no approval process for the world wide web (which is apparent if you've spent any time on Geocities back in the day). Way to give 'em hell, Joe! [Via TUAW]
Apple lets devs bite their nails in real time as iPhone apps navigate approval process
Apple's App Store approval process is one of the great black boxes in the mobile industry, a bizarre place ruled by emotion, erratic logic, and an uneven application of censorship that has driven some developers to the very brink of insanity since the day of iPhone OS 2.0's release. Well, folks, here's the bone just thrown your way from Cupertino: a new dashboard where you can watch closely as your pride and joy makes its way through the bureaucratic assembly line. Before, all you could do was submit, pray, and wait indefinitely for your app to get accepted or rejected, so consider this an almost imperceptible step in the right direction. Next on our list: emulators. You know you want to, Apple.
iPhone gets live Sky Mobile TV, O2 offering 3 months' free access
British satellite TV purveyor Sky has been pushing hard lately to expand into new spheres, a desire marked most clearly by its Sky Player integration with the Xbox 360 Dashboard. Now the company is keeping momentum going with the Sky Mobile TV app for the iPhone. The app itself will come free, but live streaming access to the full selection of Sky news and sports (ESPN included) channels will set you back £6 ($10) a month. That's pretty reasonable value if you're into live Premier League matches, which are typically the highest ticket item on a British TV subscription bill. O2 has sweetened that deal even further by offering a full quarter of a year's worth of free access -- a clear response to Orange's infraction on its iPhone turf. You can only stream via WiFi for now, but you have to agree that, at this price point, it's a definite step in the right direction. [Via Daily Telegraph] Read - Sky Mobile TV launches on App Store Read - O2 Sky Mobile TV 3 months free offer
Navigon updates US iPhone navigation app, live traffic updates are a go
A little later than previously alluded to, but Navigon's finally rolling out live traffic update to its MobileNavigator iPhone app. Same prices as mentioned before, it'll regularly be $24.99, but for the next four weeks, it's only gonna ring up at $19.99 for lifetime use, no monthly fees. Not that TomTom needed anything else to think about, of course. Full presser after the break.
Gigaware dongle brings HD Radio to iPod touch and iPhone for $80
Up until now, there have been just two ways to get HD Radio in a portable, handheld solution: buy a Zune HD, or opt for Insignia's NS-HD01. As of today, Gigaware is changing all that, and it's hoping to give HD Radio a kick in the pants by opening it up to every single iPod touch and iPhone user in the US. iBiquity's own HD Radio module has been tucked neatly inside the clickwheel dongle you see above, giving any iPhone / iPod touch with iPhone OS 3.0 (or greater) the ability to listen to HD Radio and FM stations in their area. The (now available) adapter itself sells for $79.99 exclusively at RadioShack, while the accompanying app -- which sports a manual tune wheel or auto-seek option, social network integration, bookmarks and iTunes Tagging -- is available to download free of charge. It's a novel idea, sure, but something tells us the limited availability and lofty price tag will keep it from selling like gangbusters. %Gallery-77806%
Gigabyte fixes iPhone sync issue with BIOS update
The Intel P55 Express chipset snafu that caused iPhones to lose their syncing minds has now been remedied -- at least by one motherboard maker. Gigabyte has issued a BIOS update making things all hunky-dory between the phone and the mobo, putting your troubles to an end. The P55 is Intel's latest midrange chipset and orchestrates things for newer Core i5 / i7 machines. The other two P55 purveyors, ASUS and MSI, were also caught by the bug, and there are anecdotal reports of success with an ASUS BIOS update, but not official fixes as of yet. Given the competitive nature of this market, though, we'd be surprised if those two companies didn't quickly follow suit. All's well that ends well, right? Read - Gigabyte Beta BIOS download page Read - Update fixes iPhone sync problem
First iPhone worm rickrolls jailbroken phones
We sort of knew this would happen as soon as we heard about that iPhone wallpaper hack in the Netherlands -- a hacker named ikex has created what's apparently the first iPhone worm, and it's currently infecting jailbroken iPhones across Australia. The "ikee" worm, as it's being called, takes advantage of the fact that jailbroken iPhones with SSH installed all have the same default root password of "alpine," and once in the system it changes your wallpaper to an image of Rick Astley and then tries to install itself on other jailbroken iPhones on the network. Sophos says it hasn't confirmed any infections outside of Oz, and to be clear, this worm can't get to stock iPhones or jailbreak owners who haven't installed SSH -- but if you're running a hacked phone we'd say you should change that root password just to be safe right away. Get to it, kids. [Via PMP Today; thanks to everyone who sent this in]
iPhone vs DROID multitouch keyboard showdown (video)
I just dashed off this quick video for my Twitter followers to demonstrate that the DROID doesn't have a multitouch soft keyboard, and pretty much instantly realized that I should probably share it with everyone else, since we've been getting a lot of questions about it. Long story short, while Android 2.0 and the DROID's hardware support multitouch, the device itself doesn't do multitouch out-of-the-box, and the soft keyboard suffers mightily for it. Why it's missing is certainly open for debate, but for now just know that no amount of hoping, wishing, or booze is going to make the stock keyboard register more than one press at a time. Don't despair, though -- while I'm not a fan, Chris Ziegler absolutely flies on this same keyboard on his DROID. Videos after the break.
Public Radio App lets you resume 'This American Life' whenever you please
Now that you've got an NPR-lovin' stereo in your bedroom, the only thing missing in your otherwise completely fulfilled life is an NPR application that enables you to listen to your favorite programs whenever, wherever. If we just rung your bell, you can now drift away and die happy. Available this very moment in the 100,000-strong App Store is the Public Radio App, which essentially acts as a DVR for the iconic station. Once fired up, the app can "pause and rewind public radio streams from NPR, PRI, APM and local public radio stations," and there's even an alarm clock setting that wakes you up with your favorite public radio stream. Unfortunately, on-demand streaming is still a pipe dream, but there's nothing to stop these guys from adding that very feature in the next iteration. Go on -- try and lay off the trigger. It's not like that awfully low $2.99 price point is tempting or anything.
