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FreedomPop iPhone case to offer free 4G connectivity
Earlier this year, FreedomPop said it was working on an iPhone case with an integrated cellular radio that would provide users with free mobile broadband access on Clearwire's 4G WiMAX network. Now, the company is taking pre-orders for this 4G WiMAX sleeve. Each sleeve will cost US$99 and will include 500 MB of free mobile data. This is a drop from the planned 1 GB of data FreedomPop hoped to offer. You can bump up that data by participating in a social service that'll earn you an unspecified amount of data for connecting with your friends. Customers can also transfer unused data to other customers who need the extra capacity. (Note that the company's pre-order page still says "up to 1 GB of free data.") You can read more about the FreedomPop case on the company's website and watch a promotional video about the sleeve in the YouTube video below.
iOS 5.1 untethered jailbreak gets a video demo, not yet ready to meet the public
Moving along a similar path to his previous untethered jailbreak for iOS 5.0, hacker pod2g has followed up announcements of an untethered jailbreak for the iPhone 4 and iPad 3 running iOS 5.1 with a quick demo video (embedded after the break) as evidence. The video shows a jailbroken iPad 3 that manages to stay that way even after a reboot, the key difference from the current tethered hack already available. There's still no word on when the community at large may get a crack at the software, although tweets mention "stabilizing the payload" before taking a crack at the recently released iOS 5.1.1, and that the new Apple TV may not be able to come along for the ride.
iPhone comes to two more small US carriers
After landing at several smaller US carriers in April, Apple's iPhone is poised to make another round of expansion into regional markets later this month, according to MacRumors. As of the writing of this post, three wireless carriers, including Bluegrass Cellular of Kentucky, Golden State Cellular of California and Nex-Tech Wireless of Kansas, will start selling the iPhone 4S on May 18. These regional operators will offer the iPhone for US$50 off Apple's retail price with the 16 GB model selling for US$149, the 32 GB for $249 and the 64 GB for $349. The trio will also sell the iPhone 4 for $49. All prices require a two-year customer agreement.
Glif+: Even more iPhoneography love in the same small package
If there's one accessory that every iPhoneographer should have in his or her pocket, it's the Glif. You probably remember our previous coverage of this cool little gizmo -- it fits onto the side of an iPhone and has a standard tripod screw mount on the bottom. Now Studio Neat has made the Glif even spiffier with some new additions. The Glif+ (US$30) adds two pieces to the original Glif ($20) to make it even more useful. What's new? Well, there were always two little problems with the original Glif -- first, it was easy to lose and second, if you put the iPhone and Glif into an odd position the phone could fall out. By adding the Serif and the Ligature to the Glif, Studio Neat solved both issues. %Gallery-154787% The Serif is a tiny plastic piece that snaps onto the existing Glif and provides an "arm" that holds the iPhone into place, even when the Glif and iPhone are hanging upside-down. Of course, you can always use your Glif "sans Serif" in the traditional manner... The Ligature is a tiny metal ring that screws into the bottom of the Glif, allowing you to attach your Glif to a key ring or hang it from a strap. This should be very useful for keeping the Glif close at hand for your iPhoneography needs. If you already have a Glif, you can buy just the Serif and Ligature in a "+Pack" for $12. Oh, and one more thing -- the box that the Glif+ comes in? It can even be used as a tripod. Very clever, these Studio Neat guys. [Thanks to Photojojo.com for providing a review unit]
Clarion Next Gate brings iPhone apps (and distractions) to your windshield
Clarion is primarily known for its aftermarket car audio and navigation solutions, but it's increasingly moving into the realm of smartphone integration. Looking to court iPhone users who'd appreciate the connectivity and convenience of Pioneer's AppRadio, but don't care to fuss with the installation, Clarion's Next Gate can be easily mounted to one's windshield. It offers access to popular apps such as TuneIn and Pandora, along with navigation, hands-free calling and voice-dialing functionality. Scarily enough, users will even be able to access Facebook and Twitter via the voice-activated Vlingo app -- please, just promise to keep your focus on the road. The display itself is a 7-inch, WVGA affair, and as you'd expect, the unit is powered by the vehicle's 12 volt accessory jack -- otherwise known as the cigarette lighter receptacle. Similarly, the Next Gate connects to the iPhone via Apple's dock connector, which means that users will need to manage a bit of cable clutter. All in all, the Clarion Next Gate could certainly be a compelling solution for some, and its $270 price is within the realm of reason. While we're a bit concerned about what it entails for driving distractions, the unit shouldn't be any worse of a diversion than the ol' smartphone itself. In fact, we're most disappointed that there's no support for Android. Those in the privileged iPhone community will be able to purchase the Next Gate as of June 1st, and you'll find the full PR after the break.
Sprint CEO takes pay cut as investors voice concern about cost of iPhone deal
Sprint Nextel's $15.5 billion gamble on Apple's iPhone will apparently lighten CEO Dan Hesse's proverbial wallet by $3.25 million this year. That's how much compensation Hesse agreed to give back to help placate investors unhappy about the high cost of the company's iPhone deal. Securing the iPhone has already paid dividends for Sprint in terms of sales. The company sold 1.5 million iPhones in the first quarter while posting a net subscriber growth of 263,000. That didn't stop Sprint from posting an $863 million net loss during the same period, however, causing some investors to grumble about the cost of subsidizing Apple's phone. The subsidy Sprint pays for each iPhone is 40 percent higher -- about $200 -- than what the company pays for other competing devices. Don't feel too bad for Hesse, though. Apparently, the financial gesture basically brings back his "compensation target opportunities" to 2010 levels.
15 suggestions for iOS 6
I've been writing these posts for the last couple of years, usually always before WWDC, as mini roundups of what I, my colleagues, and readers want to see in the next iOS release. However, as releases go on it gets harder and harder to put together lists of major features I'd like to see in the next iOS. That's because iOS has now become a fairly developed OS capable of doing most of what you'd ever need it to do. I mean, remember when multitasking or copy and paste were the big feature requests? What about improved notifications? Wireless sync? Folders? All that's been done. The list I present now features a few big items, but many of the suggestions are small features that would really "tidy up" the OS and make it more usable. That's not to say I don't think iOS won't continue to innovate, but those major innovations and brand new features will most likely be something Apple will surprise us with and not something that many people could have guessed beforehand. This list also doesn't take software features that would require hardware upgrades into account, like a mobile payment system. So here's the list of what I hope to see in iOS 6. And when you're done reading it, I'd love for you to add your own feature requests to the list in the comments below. 1. Expand Siri's capabilities and open up the Siri API. This is probably the biggest request on anyone's wish list. When Siri debuted in iOS 5 on the iPhone 4S, it was easily the most touted new feature. However, after the novelty wore off iPhone 4S users quickly divided into two camps: those that do use it and those that don't. I'm one of the guys that do. However, that's not to say there isn't room for major improvements to Siri, or as I call it: the most underdeveloped feature on the iPhone. Now to be fair to Apple, Siri is still a beta feature, so it's unfair to really judge it as if it has been completed in Apple's final vision. It will continue to evolve over time, and here's what I hope it can do in iOS 6: Apple needs to expand Siri's capabilities. The easiest way to do this would be to open up Siri's API to third-party developers. Once Apple does this, that's when the power of Siri will really shine. Imagine being able to say "Skype my brother," "Tweet '@TUAW' rocks," "Shazam this song," or "Record my weight in LoseIt." Those are just some simple examples, of course. If Apple were to open up Siri's API it would be the developers who could really make Siri the killer feature. However, given the server requirements it takes to run Siri queries and the fact that it's still in beta, it's unlikely Apple is going to open Siri to third-parties any time soon. If they don't, I at least hope they'll add more features in-house, including things like asking for local movie times, telling the camera to take a picture "in 10 seconds," and turn by turn directions. Another thing Apple could do to improve Siri without opening it up to devs is adding the ability to toggle system services, including turning Bluetooth, Wifi, Personal Hotspot, and Airplane mode on or off. Also commands like "Go to TUAW.com" would be nice instead of the current way of navigating to a website via Siri by having to say "search for TUAW" and then clicking on the website in the search results list in Safari. 2. Multiple users (on iPad). Let me state that multiple users on an iPhone would be ridiculous, but on an iPad I think it makes a lot of sense. Phones are personal, but iPads are shared a lot in homes. It would be great if iOS 6 adds user support to the iPad. After all, it'd be nice to let my niece use my iPad without worrying she'll accidentally delete an important email. There was a time when multiple users on an iPad wouldn't have made sense from a practical point of view. After all, if each user stored all their photos and videos on the iPad, it could quickly fill up the hard drive. But with iCloud and iTunes Match -- and their no doubt continued expansion -- multiple users are much more feasible as each user could access all of his or her documents and media right from the cloud. 3. Facebook integration. I use Twitter 10x more than I used to because of its integration with iOS 5. It's so nice to be able to tweet a photo or a web link right from Photos or Safari without having to switch to the Twitter app. Given that I'm a bigger Facebook user than Twitter user, I hope Apple adds system-wide Facebook sharing to iOS 6. This isn't an original feature request, and it's actually appeared in in-house beta's of iOS before, but never actually included in public releases. The fault here, of course, probably lies with Facebook more than Apple. Apple generally likes to protect their user's information as much as possible while Facebook, well...they want as much as that information as they can get. Until Apple and Facebook can work something out, I'm afraid we won't see system-wide Facebook integration. That's really a shame, more so for Facebook than Apple because, as I've said, iOS 5's Twitter integration has got me using that service a lot more than I ever would have. 4. Auto-hide an empty Newsstand. I first suggested the idea of a Newsstand-type app years ago before Apple finally introduced it in iOS 5. Magazines are a natural fit for the iPad, after all. However, while Newsstand is welcome by some, for others it's like the houseguest that just won't leave. The problem with Newsstand is that it takes up a space on your screen even if you don't have a subscription to a periodical. Now I realize why Apple did this: they wanted to encourage people to check out subscriptions. But unlike the iBooks, iTunes, or App Store apps, you don't need the actual Newsstand "app" to search for or buy magazines and newspapers. That's because Newsstand isn't actually an app, much less a store, at all. It's just a glorified folder that holds specific types of apps -- newspapers and magazines. Magazine and newspaper apps can all be found in the Newsstand section of the App Store and could still be found there even without the Newsstand folder (remove iBooks, on the other hand, and you'll have no access to the iBookstore on your iOS device). What I'm proposing is that the Newsstand folder remains hidden until you download a subscription. As soon as you download even one, its app appears in the Newsstand folder on your homescreen. But when you delete all the subscriptions inside your Newsstand folder, the folder disappears as well. 5. Multitasking gestures for iPhone. With iOS 5 Apple introduced four- and five-finger gestures on the iPad. Using four or five fingers you can pinch to reveal the homescreen, swipe up to reveal the multitasking bar, or swipe left or right to move between apps. Those gestures made the iPad infinitely more pleasurable and organic to use. I suggest Apple bring multitasking gestures to the iPhone. Three finger pinch to homescreen; three finger swipe up to reveal multitasking bar; and three finger swipe left or right to switch between apps. 6. Improved Notification Center. Improved notifications were a big request before iOS 5, and Apple hit it out of the park when they completely revamped notifications with the introduction of Notification Center. However, as good as Notification Center is, it could still use some improvements. First, it could use more widgets, specifically on the iPad. There's no built-in Weather or Stocks app on the iPad, but it would be nice if Apple would at least give you the option of showing the weather forecast and stock quotes in Notification Center on iPad for unity's sake (see #7). Another nice feature would be a timer widget that shows up in Notification Center so you don't have to tap through to your Clock app to see how much time you have left for that cake to get done cooking in the oven. A final improvement to Notification Center: clearing notifications takes a couple of awkward taps in a narrow corner of the notification's header. Instead it would be much more intuitive if you could swipe right, then tap a standard big red delete button to remove a notification. 7. Weather, Stocks, and Clock for iPad. Unity is nice. And iCloud could keep stock quotes, weather locations, and alarms in sync across devices. 'Nuff said. 8. AirDrop for iOS Pre-iOS 5, many people clamored for a Finder app to store files on the iPhone. Apple's answer was simpler: iCloud. However, while iCloud is a great way to keep your documents in sync across your devices, it doesn't really help when you want to easily share a file with someone else. Enter AirDrop for iOS. Select a file, select the Share button, tap "AirDrop" to see a list of AirDrop-enabled iPhones, iPads, and Macs in your area, then select the device you want to share with. This would work great for sharing something as simple as a virtual business card or as large as a video or Keynote presentation with other people. Extra points if the AirDrop interface had cool GUI animations where you could just slide a file from one iOS device to the next. 9. Quick access to toggle Bluetooth, WiFi, and 3G on and off. Yeah, some people toggle their Bluetooth a lot. Right now it takes five steps. Apple could always move the Bluetooth setting to a first-level heading in the Settings app, but if you're a "power toggler" and are constantly turning Bluetooth on and off (or 3G or Wifi) it might be nice to have quick access to these settings in another way. Here are a few ideas how Apple could do it: Siri -- (as mentioned earlier) "Turn Bluetooth Off." Done. Swipe the dock to the right -- The dock in iOS doesn't do anything when you swipe over it. Apple could easily enable left or right swiping of the dock to reveal quick-access toggle buttons for wireless services behind in. Swipe up at the bottom of any screen -- Just like you can swipe down from the top of any screen to reveal Notification Center, Apple could enable up-swiping from the bottom of any screen to quickly reveal wireless service toggle buttons. Add Bluetooth to the multitasking bar -- This of course is the most obvious answer. Just like you can adjust the volume or screen rotation lock from the multitasking bar, Apple could easily add a Bluetooth toggle button there too. 10. Universal passcode locks for apps. Right now it's up to the developer to include a passcode lock option for an app. It would be nice if Apple could add a Passcode Lock Center in Settings where you could choose to set not only a passcode for your iPhone or iPad, but also apply the same or different passcode to any app of your choice on your device. More security is always nice. 11. Multiple signatures in Mail. Sometimes you want to send emails with different signatures. Right now iOS only lets you have one signature -- and it's either attached to every email or it's not. Give us multiple signature options, including the ability to include or exclude signatures right within each email composition window. 12. Safari Top Sites. This isn't so much a feature I'd like to see on the iPhone, but I think it would rock on the iPad. This is also a holdover from my last iOS wishlist. Ever since Apple introduced Top Sites for desktop Safari, I've used them as my primary way of getting to my favorite sites. I love how they give me a graphical representation of when a site has new content on it, and it's much better for the layperson than updates through RSS feeds. Enabling Top Sites in mobile Safari would make it much easier for users to navigate to their favorite sites and know when those sites have new content (something web clip icons can't do either). 13. Ability to select default mail, calendar, and Twitter clents. Yeah, this is a long shot, but I'm adding it to the list because so many people have requested it. Do I see this ever happening? Nope. 14. Styled Text APIs. This is also another holdout from a previous wishlist and it's something I hope Apple implements this time around, again, for developers' sakes. While there are many great word processors available for iOS, Pages on the iPad is still the best. Why? Because it's got an incredibly rich set of styled text features. Apple hasn't made the styled text APIs used in Pages available to developers, so if developers do want to use styled text in their apps, they basically need to write all that code from scratch. If Apple decides to open up the styled text APIs used in Pages to other developers, we'll see some great productivity apps coming out later this year. 15. Improved cursor navigation. I originally didn't have any suggestions for improving iOS's text entry or onscreen keyboard, but then I saw this concept video by YouTube user danielchasehooper. The concept is simply brilliant and would make cursor navigation much, much easier on the iPad's large screen where text entry fields are generally further away from your fingers than on the iPhone's screen. iOS 6 is expected to be shown off at this year's WWDC, which runs from June 11-15.
Walmart cuts price of iPhone 4S (Update: Pricing error)
Update: 9to5Mac got confirmation from Walmart that this was a pricing error, not a sale. Walmart is not only the third-largest reseller of iPads, but the discount retailer also sells a lot of iPhones for Apple at its approximately 9,000 locations. Now it appears that Walmart is selling the AT&T iPhone 4S at a significant discount at some stores. According to Cult of Mac and The Verge, some Walmart stores are showing a sale price on the 16 GB iPhone 4S (in both black and white) with a two-year AT&T contract for US$114. That's $74 less than the usual price at Walmart and a full $85 off the normal $199 price from Apple and AT&T. The sale isn't available on Walmart's website, but appears to be popping up at a number of stores. The price drop was discovered at a Walmart store in Edmond, OK by Cult of Mac, and The Verge found the same pricing at a store in Austin, TX. If you're not in the market for an iPhone 4S, the 8 GB iPhone 4 is also available at a discount at the low, low sale price of just $34. TUAW readers who find the sale pricing at their local stores should leave the store location in the comments below so other readers may take advantage of the bargain.
Samsung Galaxy S III vs. rival flagships: iPhone 4S, HTC One X, Lumia 900
Oh yes, it's a good time to go shopping for a smartphone, particularly if you've acquired a taste for an abundance of pixels and silicon cores. But which phones ought to be considered flagships worthy of comparison with the shiny new GS III? Yes, we're including the Lumia 900 in this context, for the sake of platform neutrality and also in recognition of the fact that raw specs don't count for everything -- but we can't overlook that this handset is sorely lacking in terms of ppi and some other areas. The next two choices are more obvious: the eternal (or infernal) iPhone 4S and AT&T's version of the HTC One X. So here it is: one table to rule them all, right after the break.
Growing Up Geek: Jon Fingas
Welcome to Growing Up Geek, an ongoing feature where we take a look back at our youth and tell stories of growing up to be the nerds that we are. Today, we have our new editor, Jon Fingas. You might say I started early. Some of my first memories of technology -- or of anything, really -- were of mashing the keyboards on Compaq PC clones at my dad's workplace when I was three. Little did I know that I'd started on a path towards technology that would lead me towards mashing the keyboards for a career that would land me here at Engadget.
Celebrity iPhone ads score well with viewers
Apple's new iPhone 4S ads featuring Samuel L. Jackson and Zooey Deschanel appear to be resonating with TV viewers. Ace Metrix, a firm that does analytics for television and video advertisers, found that those two ads were the "most effective TV ads to break the week ending April 20" for mobile phones. For some reason, the rather mundane Samsung Galaxy Note "The Best of a Phone and Tablet" and "The Best of Both Tablet and Phone" ads still manage to take the #1, 5, and 7 spots in the Ace Metrix list, while Zooey tied for #1, Sam was in second place, and three other iPhone 4S ads placed 6th, 8th, and 9th. Ace Metrix CEO Peter Daboll noted that Apple's iPhone ads earlier in the year had been "falling rather flat," and that "This new creative tack that uses likeable (sic) celebrities struck a chord with American viewers." [via MacRumors]
Sprint sold 1.5 million iPhones to new customers in Q1
Sprint announced its quarterly earnings on Wednesday and the results were disappointing as expected. The carrier posted a net loss of US$863M and cash reserves are now at a razor thin $7.6 billion. In the midst of this doom and gloom, one bright spot for Sprint was the iPhone. The carrier said in its earnings report that it sold 1.5 million iPhones in the opening quarter. It's a slight drop from the 1.8 million it sold in Q4 2011, but this dip is expected after a holiday quarter. Sprint still trails Verizon Wireless which sold 3.2 million iPhones and AT&T which sold 4.3 million. Of those buying an iPhone with Sprint, 44 percent were new customers. Sprint said in its earning conference call that 40% of those new Sprint iPhone users reportedly broke a contract to switch to the carrier. About 60% would not have switched if Sprint didn't have the iPhone. The iPhone is not only increasing sales, it's helping Sprint keep customers, too. The carrier said that iPhone churn rate is low, with significantly less iPhone users asking for support or returning their phone when compared to other smartphone users. Sprint didn't come out and say it, but it's becoming increasingly obvious that the cornerstone of Sprint's smartphone business is the iPhone.
HTC blames iPhone 4S for recent profit drop
HTC is still stinging from a less than impressive quarterly earnings that's partially the result of a successful iPhone 4S campaign by Apple, according to an AP report. The Taiwanese handset manufacturer saw a 70 percent drop in profit and a 35 percent decrease in revenue year over year. Though it expects to do better in the current quarter with its flagship HTC One series, CEO Peter Chou says its biggest challenge is the iPhone 4S, which dominates on the US carriers. Thus far, US carriers have sold or activated 7.5 million iPhones in the just ending quarter. Verizon Wireless reported that it sold 3.2 million iPhones, while AT&T activated 4.3 million. Sprint has yet to report its earnings, but the carrier has said in the past that iPhone sales are strong.
Apple Q2 2012 earnings: $39.2 billion in revenue, net profit of $11.6 billion
Tim Cook: Apple focusing more on iPad for enterprise Tim Cook hates litigation, not quite ready to call a patent truce 365 million iOS devices 'in play,' iPad taking off in education and government markets How do you follow up a stunning Q1 where you set record quarterly earnings and issue a sizable dividend to investors? Well, if you're Apple, you just keep on keepin' on, shattering even the wildest expectations with "a record March quarter." Leading up to today's earnings, the outfit's stock was down around two percent, mostly on reports that iPhone activations were something other than mind-blowing. That said, shares have already started to creep back into positive territory in after-hours trading. Wall Street was hoping for around $36.88 billion in revenue (despite lower guidance from Apple itself), with upwards of 30 million iPhones sold and 12 million iPads sold -- galling numbers, no matter how you slice it. The actuals? Well, we're seeing $12.30 earnings per share, compared to an estimated $10.04 earnings per share. It all adds up to $39.2 billion in revenue and $11.6 billion in pure, unadulterated profit with 35.1 million iPhone units sold alongside 11.8 million iPads. (Of note, the new iPad was only on sale for around a fortnight in this quarter, making that figure even more impressive.) The former represents an 88 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter, while the latter shows a 151 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. Though Mac sales weren't equally astonishing, the four million units sold in the past three months indicates a seven percent uptick compared to Q2 2011. The iPod department, which has been sinking in recent years as iPads and iPhones become the primary music players of consumers, still saw 7.7 million units sold, representing a 15 percent decline from the same quarter last year. Just to put things in perspective, Apple nearly doubled its profits in Q2 2012 compared to Q2 2011, and practically quadrupled it compared to Q2 2010.Just to put things in perspective, Apple nearly doubled its profits in Q2 2012 compared to Q2 2011, and practically quadrupled it compared to Q2 2010. As for CEO Tim Cook's reaction? Aside from grinning from ear-to-ear looking at his growing stash of loot, he stated: "We're thrilled with sales of over 35 million iPhones and almost 12 million iPads in the March quarter. The new iPad is off to a great start, and across the year you're going to see a lot more of the kind of innovation that only Apple can deliver." Keep on telling us that, Tim, and we'll keep waiting. The conference call kicks off at 5PM ET, and we'll be liveblogging it just after the break!
AT&T iPhone activations still going strong, up YOY
AT&T has just announced its 1Q12 earnings. The company reported a net income of US$3.58 billion, or 60 cents per share. That's up from $3.4 billion, or 57 cents per share in 1Q11. AT&T's gains come primarily from lower iPhone subsidies, as the iPhone 4S was no longer new and thus the company sold fewer of them -- which means it had less to pay out to Apple. However, AT&T's numbers are a good sign for Apple, which announces its 2Q12 earning after market closes today. The company activated 4.3 million iPhones in the quarter, with 21 percent new to AT&T. As GigaOm points out, that means that the demand for iPhones is up YOY on AT&T's network. In 1Q11, AT&T activated just 3.6 million iPhones.. Earlier, Verizon announced it had sold 3.2 million iPhones this past quarter. We'll have total iPhone sales numbers for Apple's 2Q12 as soon as they are announced this afternoon.
Mobile Miscellany: week of April 16th, 2012
Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, Verizon announced that its LTE service now covers two-thirds of the US population, and T-Mobile dropped its 'nice girl' image in attempt to position its HSPA+ network as a viable competitor to LTE. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of April 16th, 2012.
iPhone will launch for five US regional carriers today
As noted by Cnet, the iPhone is launching on an additional five US regional carriers today. The carriers include Alaska Communications, Appalachian Wireless (Kentucky and Virgina), Cellcom (Wisconsin and Michigan), nTelos (Virginia), and GCI (Alaska). The regional carriers apparently know they'll have an uphill battle against the national carriers like AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon, so they're offering the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S at $50 discounts over the nationals. With a two year contract, the 8GB iPhone 4 costs $49 and the 16, 32, and 64 GB iPhone 4S costs $149, $249, and $349 respectively.
Report: iPhone 4S sales slowing in developing market
Analyst T. Michael Walkley of Canaccord Genuity told investors in a Thursday research note that iPhone 4S sales are slowing in "certain developed markets," according to a report by AppleInsider. Some of this slowdown can be attributed to a fresh crop of dual-core and quad-core Android phones coming out soon. Walkley also notes that some customers may be waiting for the next generation iPhone to arrive. Walkley writes, "For example, our March channel checks at Verizon indicated a stronger mix of LTE smartphones, and we believe Verizon has strong June quarter promotions planned for LTE Android smartphones." Despite this projected slump, Walkley believes global sales of the iPhone will remain strong and expects Apple to announce it sold 32.6 million iPhone handsets in Q2 2012.
New iPhone ads air featuring Zooey Deschanel and Samuel L. Jackson
Last night saw the airing of two new ads for the iPhone 4S that featured celebrities Samuel L. Jackson and Zooey Deschanel. Both thirty-second spots showed the celebs using Siri in their home environment. Jackson used Apple's personal assistant software to help him plan a "date night" and cook a meal, while the ad with Deschanel saw her using Siri on a rainy day. The ads are significant as they mark a deviation from Apple's recent television advertising: they feature celebrities playing themselves and are as much a focus of the ad as the iPhone itself. As of the time of this writing Apple has yet to post the ads to its iPhone ad gallery or its official YouTube channel. However, you can check out both ad below thanks to a couple sharp-eyed viewers who had their cameras ready when the ads appeared.
The art of the gimmick: an interview with the Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne
The Flaming Lips have never done anything small, from the "Parking Lot Experiments" of the mid-90s to this year's Record Store Day album, "The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends." Set for an April 21st release, the limited edition vinyl record features an odd cast of characters, including Bon Iver, Erykah Badu, Neon Indian, Nick Cave and Ke$ha, many of whom have lent their actual blood to the record. "That is totally a gimmick," Wayne Coyne answers with great relish. "It's a beautiful gimmick. I think all things that we marvel over are based in gimmicks." He's on the phone for a day of back-to-back interviews, a trapping of the job that would cause lesser, more jaded men to roll their eyes and submit with dragged heels, particularly those who've been playing the game through 30 years and 13 LPs. But Coyne, much to his credit, dives into everything he does headfirst with the manner of childlike wonder that's come to be established with the vast majority of the Flaming Lips' catalog. At the beginning of our conversation, he lets it be known that he's slightly distracted. His wife is photographing him. And he's in his underwear. He didn't bother putting anything else on, knowing that he'd be running a marathon of phone interviews all day. Maximum comfort is important. It's a hard image to erase from my mind as Coyne settles in to explain the band's decision to embrace Siri on a recent web-only track called "Now I Understand."
