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Virgin Mobile Canada lights up HSPA+ network, iPhone 3GS, Bold 9700 in tow
Well, it's a bit earlier than the invitation to the big launch event suggested, but it looks like Virgin Mobile Canada is now officially part of the HSPA+ club, and it's now also selling a couple of new phones you might be interested in. Naturally, the network will give you coverage in line with the Bell network that Virgin is piggybacking on (encompassing 93% of Canadians), and you can expect the same download speeds of up to 21.6 megabits per second and upload speeds up to 5.76 -- in "ideal conditions," of course. As expected, the carrier is now also offering a number of new phones that take advantage of the network, not the least of which include the iPhone 3G and 3GS (in all the usual varieties), and the BlackBerry Bold 9700. Hit up the link below to check out the complete lineup, and Virgin's new smartphone plan offerings, which start at $50 per month
Apple rumor roundup: 'the day before' edition
We'll just come right out and say it: we couldn't possibly be happier to see that January 27, 2010 is tomorrow. Shortly after 10AM on the left coast, Stevie J himself will finally put a hush to the rumors that have been swirling constantly over the past fortnight or so (and we'll be there live to cover it). Till then, however, we've got one more round of scuttlebutt to serve up. Kicking things off is a New York Times report that explains in some level of detail what exactly the supposed Apple tablet will feature in terms of specifications. To quote: "It will run all the applications of the iPhone and iPod Touch, have a persistent wireless connection over 3G cellphone networks and Wi-Fi, and will be built with a 10-inch color display, allowing newspapers, magazines and book publishers to deliver their products with an eye to the design that had grabbed readers in print." We shall see. Moving on, we've got even more whispers that publishers -- with the NYT mentioned specifically -- around the globe have been getting wind of this thing as the suits in Cupertino attempt to nail down content deals. Broadcast Engineering even has a piece that straight-up states that Apple was "was in New York City last week showing the tablet to media companies as a new way to sell books, newspapers and other reading material through its iTunes online store." Still not convinced? NetbookNews has an apparently ongoing article about the authenticity / non-authenticity of a Media Markt tweet that "accidentally" leaked a supposed €899 price point for the device, while Hot Hardware switches things up and reports that AT&T will lose its iPhone exclusivity during tomorrow's event. Oh, and the very first hands-on review of the Apple tablet is also live (courtesy of Mosspuppet), while yet another hotly contested image has arisen to perch atop these very words. Phew.
Review: Monoprice's iPhone leather-cased battery backup is another great deal
We like Monoprice around here. They are a wonderful source for cables and iPhone battery backups as well as lots of other accessories and add-ons. We covered their 2200 mAh battery dongle a few months back and nearly everyone who bought one was quite happy including our own Auntie TUAW. The price was great at US$14.50 when reviewed and currently up just about 75 cents to a still absurdly cheap US$15.23. One problem people had with it was that if left in your pocket, the dongle could get loose and stop charging the iPhone. Pushing it back into place corrected that, but it was an inelegant solution. Getting ready for my trip to the Macworld Expo I wanted something that would stay in place dependably no matter where I put it, so I went back to Monoprice.com, and found a leather case cover with a 2200 mAh battery built in that the iPhone snaps into. The price is ridiculously low at US $20.75, just US $5.52 more than the dongle. This has been on sale for at least as long as the dongle, I hadn't heard anything about it, but decided to give it a try.
Leaked user guides suggest Virgin Mobile Canada about to hit the hardware mother lode
Virgin Mobile's Sprint-owned US outpost has a reputation as a fairly basic, low-end network -- but things are a little different up north where smartphones have been in Virgin Canada's vocabulary for some time. Well, things are about to get really interesting -- perhaps in an effort to fend off WIND's advances -- on news of an all-too-brief user guide leak on Virgin's official support site. As smartphones go, it looks like customers can expect the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, BlackBerry Bold 9700 and Curve 8530, and data fiends will be pleased to see the addition of a MiFi and a branded version of the MC998D stick. Perhaps the most interesting thing here is that Virgin appears to be planning to release both CDMA and HSPA devices going forward (the 8530 versus the 9700, for example) -- a symptom of parent company Bell's recent switch. The guides are now gone, but in all likelihood, we'll be seeing some (or all) of this stuff pop back up again in the near future.
Vodafone kicks off iPhone sales, expects 50K sold today
As promised, Vodafone has busted down any last remaining shreds of O2's iPhone exclusivity today with the official launch of Apple's wares on its airwaves. Both the 3G and 3GS are available, and yes -- it's possible to get even a 32GB 3GS for free as long as you're willing to step up to a big-boy plan of £75 (about $123) per month or greater. For its efforts in securing a deal, the carrier believes that it will have moved about 50,000 iPhones by the time it counts all the receipts from the first day's sales, beating Orange's numbers from late last year by a solid 20,000. It's not Orange they're necessarily going after, though: Voda's quick to take a pot shot at original seller O2's network issues by proudly boasting "Outstanding phone, Outstanding network" on the iPhone's landing page. Honestly, we wouldn't get too cocky, guys -- the iPhone has a tendency to do unfortunate things to those that offer it.
Tivit promises to bring Mobile DTV to the iPhone and other WiFi-equipped mobile devices
The Mobile DTV standard is official, sure, but the device selection at this point isn't what we'd call plentiful or even appealing -- so leave it to CES to attract a virtually unknown company with an attractive alternative. Dubbed Tivit, the pocketable box is a said to be a bit smaller and lighter than a deck of cards and claims to stream television to a number of WiFi-enabled devices, including Windows laptops, Motorola Android phones (no clue why other Android devices wouldn't be in the running here), WiFi-equipped BlackBerrys, and even iPhone 3G / third-gen iPod touch (software via related App Store download). One charge gets you three hours of reception, and while that $120 price tag isn't too terrible a fee for keeping the phone you like, when the dongle launches in Spring, it better hope the channel selection is more interesting. Press release after the break. %Gallery-81414%
Engadget for iPhone / iPod touch: available now!
Good news, everyone! Our very own iPhone / iPod touch app is finally really available in Apple's much talked about and critically acclaimed App Store! That's right, all the excitement and info you've come to know and love from Engadget is now bottled in an easy to digest and delicious iPhone form. The application -- easily downloadable from your device or iTunes -- features a whole bunch of useful features such as offline viewing, built in streaming for The Engadget Show, in-app tipping (you know, for when you see the next iPhone), and all kinds of customization options. You can download the app right here, or click on the image above. Even better than this? We've got more apps on the way! Before CES (fingers crossed), you should see both a BlackBerry and webOS version of the Engadget application, and plans for the Android version are already in motion. Lastly, a big, big, big thanks to the team at AOL that actually made this thing a reality: Sun Sachs, Andy Averbuch, Hareesh P, Anibal Rosado, Rajesh Kumar, Rich Foster, Claudeland Louis, Mike Wolstat, Eric Wedge, Vikas B R, Milissa Tarquini, Asha Indira and Bob Gurwin. You guys rule.
PosiMotion announces Helix gaming grip for iPhone / iPod touch
Still not satisfied with any of the with iPhone and iPod touch steering wheel or game controller accessories available these days? Then perhaps PosiMotion's recently announced Helix gaming grip will be more to your liking -- it does promise to be ideal for "virtually any game," after all. To that end, the Helix is able to accommodate your iPhone or iPod touch in either portrait or landscape mode, and it boasts a "grip-enhancing" soft-touch coating to keep it from slipping from your hands during particularly intense gaming sessions. Still no firm word on a release date just yet, but PosiMotion will gladly take your $20 now and deliver one to you sometime in the Spring.
Want to connect your iPhone and Bluetooth keyboard? There's a (jailbroken) app for that (Update: video!)
The wait has been long, but now there's finally a means by which to connect your dear, yet almost buttonless, iPhone or iPod touch to a Bluetooth keyboard for some more intense finger tapping action. The project that delivered us this teasing video back in February has at long last reached the application stage, where simple commoners like us can use it to synergize our gear -- provided we've had the wherewithal to free it from Cupertino's overbearing clutches first. The BTstack Keyboard app is now available in exchange for $5 at the Cydia store, so if you want to be the first to write a bestseller on his or her iDevice, there's no time like the present. Update: We've done the inevitable and had a quick play with the app ourselves. Pairing our iPhone and keyboard was a veritable cinch, and we were met by delightfully rapid responsiveness throughout, whether using it in Safari, composing text missives, or jotting those novella notes down. You should note that command, cut, copy, paste, and highlighting functions are not yet active, and then hurry along past the break to see a video demo.
iPhone nabs 46 percent of Japanese smartphone market, the tiny Japanese smartphone market
So you read a headline like "iPhone grabs 46 percent of the Japanese smartphone market" and the first thing you're likely to think is, "wow, Apple is really doing well for itself." Well, it is and it isn't. While it has made some considerable gains in the smartphone market at the expense of phones like Sharp's W-ZERO3 and the Willcom 03, it still hasn't gained nearly the same total mindshare or market share that it has over here. That's because "smartphones" as we know them are still a relatively small market in Japan, where carriers' lineups consist of a whole range of offerings including everything from mobile TV-equipped phones to true camera phones to perfume holders. For a bit more context, check out the pie chart after the break courtesy of IDC Japan, which shows cellphone vendors' market share in Japan as of October of this year. The leaders by a wide margin are Sharp, Panasonic, Fujitsu and NEC with a combined 72.8% of the market, while Apple is lumped in with "Others," which add up to 22.6%. It's making inroads, to be sure, but just that at the moment.
Apple greenlights ridiculously crappy video recording app for older iPhones
At just 3fps and 213 x 160 resolution, we hesitate to call iVideoCamera a "video recording app" -- it's really more of an extremely low-res continuous-shooting still camera -- but at least owners of iPhone 3Gs and original iPhones now have some sort of option for capturing their most treasured moments as one o' them newfangled moving pictures. Jailbroken solutions are nothing new, but this marks the first time a video recording app for older iPhones made it all the way through to the App Store, and at just 99 cents, it may not really matter that the output sucks. At any rate, the real news here might be the fact that iVideoCamera is believed to be using unpublished APIs, so this might signal the opening of the floodgates -- not to say the App Store necessarily needs any more floodgates opened.
Recycle that contract-free iPhone as a holiday gift
We're sure this will be a hit for the holiday season: Apple recently updated one of the iPhone support articles, explaining how you can continue using an iPhone as a quasi-iPod touch, if you no longer have a cellphone contract with your carrier. Let's give an example: Your iPhone 3G contract was eligible for the upgrade pricing not too long ago, so you purchased an iPhone 3GS. You have your old iPhone 3G lying around the house with no purpose. Obviously, you could try and sell it... but maybe your child has been begging you for an iPod touch for Christmas. Apple wants to see these devices be re-used and not thrown into the trash, so they've outlined how to activate your iPhone (1st gen, 3G or 3GS) in the article. It all boils down to this: never get rid of your SIM card. For the iPhone 1st generation, you have to keep the original SIM card in place at all times. Without this, it will not activate in the next software update. The iPhone 3G and 3GS do not need a SIM card installed for day-to-day use. However, you still need a SIM card for the required activation after a software update. This differs a bit from the iPhone 1st generation: with the iPhone 3G and 3GS you can use any SIM card from your authorized carrier. Either way, it's silly not to leave the SIM card in each generation of iPhone as long as you don't need the SIM card for your new phone. Now you won't get stuck at the "Connect to iTunes" screen forever.
iHandstick snap-on dresses your iPhone / iPod Touch up as a Playstation controller
The iPod touch (and technically the iPhone as well) may well be "the funnest iPod ever," but it can also be the most awkward device to hold for prolonged gaming sessions, nor have previous attempts made things any better. The iHandstick might just do the job -- while we can't credit them for originality, this hollow cousin of the Playstation controller may satisfy owners of iPod touch 2G / 3G and iPhone 3G / 3GS. Remember, it should give a similar grip enjoyed by millions of Playstation gamers over the last 15 years. The only doubt left is whether our thumbs can easily reach the virtual buttons on the screen. Wanna give this a shot? $16.99 plus shipping and it's all yours.
iPhones rejoice as Ustream Live Broadcaster hits App Store, other smartphones wonder what all the ruckus is
When it comes to streaming live video from a smartphone, there's an app for that and there has been for a long, long time -- unless you're an iPhoner. With Qik for the iPhone a delayed broadcast was possible, but it took months for the thing to break out of its WiFi-only shackles. Now you, like Bill O'Reilly, can do it live courtesy of the Ustream's Live Broadcaster, newly available in the App Store. It's not the first to stream live video from Apple's handset, an app called Knocking gets that distinction after getting the nod last week, but it is the first to allow live broadcasting, it works over 3G, and it's available for free right now for iPhone 3G and 3GS models running OS 3.1 and above. So go ahead, start those cameras rolling and tell all your friends how great it is -- just don't be heartbroken if they're not all that impressed. P.S. It's worth noting that Ustream also works in local record mode thus turning the iPhone 3G into a video camera like its newer 3GS sibling. Videos (stuck at 320 x 240 pixels) can then be easily viewed in the Broadcaster app or uploaded to Ustream, YouTube, Facebook, or Twitter.
iPhone 3GS emulates N64, blows minds in the process (Update: is it a fake?)
Look what we have here -- a preview of 3G4, a N64 emulator developed by NWorksDev. Compatible with the iPhone 3GS and the iPod Touch 3G, this bad boy appears to be rendering down the graphics (as one would expect) but all in all it seems to be running pretty smoothly. Of course, this is a work in progress: the developer (who claims to be 14 years old) says that he has to overcome duplicate button registers, delayed presses, and some crashing -- and he has yet to implement the L, R, and Z keys. That said, this thing is pretty sweet! Hit up the YouTube links for info on becoming a beta tester -- but not before you see the thing in action after the break. Update: Engadget reader and fellow Twitterati @kankuroukun brought a third video to our attention, this one purportedly showing the so-called "beta test" to be a fake. Or, as they say in Latin class, a phonus balonus. Well, it sure seems like this guy is just playing a video on his iPhone and moving his hands in time with Mario. Get a closer look for yourself after the break.
Fring brings one-way video calling to the iPhone
Fring was the first to bring VoIP calls to the iPhone, and it looks like it's now finally done the same for video calling -- sort of. While it obviously can't do much to change the camera placement on the iPhone, the latest version of the app will at least let iPhone users (and iPod touch users, for that matter) see the person on the other end, and Fring says it'll add two-way video calling whenever "a front camera is placed on these." As with the company's app for Nokia devices, you'll also be able to make video calls to Skype users, but you'll have to make sure you're in the vicinity of a WiFi hotspot, as this one doesn't support calls on 3G. Head on past the break for a video. Update: As we've been reminded, while Fring did somewhat beat it to the punch by making an app available for jailbroken iPhones, Truphone was actually the first VoIP app to be demoed, and the first to be officially approved an authorized by Apple.
iPhone slated for South Korean debut on November 28
Look, South Korea, we know it's been about four decades since a handset without an integrated DMB tuner or two launched in your neck of the woods -- and no, there isn't an app for that -- but just how badly do you want in on this Apple mojo? Following government clearance a couple months back, South Korean operator KT says that it's now ready to offer the iPhone to customers next Saturday, November 28 for prices ranging from 396,000 won ($343) on a 45,000 won plan ($39) for a 32GB 3GS all the way down to absolutely free for an 8GB 3G on a 95,000 won plan ($82). Given that KT and its competitors typically rival Japanese carriers for sheer technological insanity, it'll be interesting to see how the average Korean consumer responds to the late launch.
The end of exclusivity leading to big iPhone sales in Europe
Go figure, right? You get a relatively hot phone out onto more carriers, and just like that, sales increase. It ain't rocket science, buster. As AT&T grins happily while enjoying a death grip on Apple's cash cow here in the States, things are a lot more wide open for consumers across the pond. In both France and the UK, the iPhone has been given the all-clear to be sold on multiple carriers, and according to research from Bernstein, the "widening of the distribution has boosted Apple's value market share to 32 percent in the latest quarter from 21 percent just three months earlier." The notes also mention that Apple's increase is coming at the expense of RIM, with over 600,000 iPhone handsets being sold during Q3 2009 in France alone. The point to all this madness? Oh, not much -- just to tell Sir Jobs that he can count on quite a bit more dough should he decide to sell this elusive "iPhone" device on Verizon in the US of A.
Get a Quirky Beamer for your iPhone (hint: it's not a car)
TUAW has introduced several Quirky projects to you in the past. Quirky is a community of folks who come up with really cool ideas, and then the best of the ideas are fine-tuned by the folks who run the site and readied for manufacturing. Once a minimum number of customers commit to buy the product, it is put into production. While looking at the headline for this post, you might think that we're talking about an oddly-painted BMW, but the Quirky Beamer is actually a case for the iPhone. Not just any case, mind you, but one with a built-in bright LED light that can act as a real flashlight or provide illumination for your nighttime photos. Compatible with the iPhone 3G and 3GS, the Beamer uses replaceable lithium coin cell batteries to provide up to 10 hours of illumination without chewing up your phone's batteries. Pressing the button on the case once turns on the light for 10 seconds, enough to find your keys or take a picture of your buds. To turn the light on for an indefinite amount of time, press the button twice. A third press turns it back off. Quirky won't produce the Beamer until 500 commitments at $32.00 are received on the site. As of 9 PM on Sunday night, 106 people had committed to the product. If you're looking for a way to flash your friends and not get arrested, the Quirky Beamer might just be the answer. [Thanks for the tip, Chris T.]
iPhone coming to The Shack: Dallas and NYC this month, nationwide in 2010?
So we knew a select number of authorized resellers would start stocking iPhones soon, and thanks to a tipster, it looks like we might be getting a glimpse at a none-too-surprising recipient of the new order. As these pics from an anonymous tipster show, "big hug for your mobile life" retailer The Shack will be getting AT&T's flagship device soon, with a letter supposedly from EVP of store operations Bryan Bevin (found after the break) adding that the 3G and 3GS rollout will begin this month at some company-owned locations in the Dallas Forth Worth and New York City areas, with a nationwide rollout in 2010. Not that you necessarily needed more places to tempt you with the device, but it's always fun to have options.
