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Facebook App Center goes globetrotting with 7 new countries, blankets all of the English-speaking world
Facebook's App Center is having its passport stamped quite a lot lately. Just days after the HTML5 app portal set foot in the UK, it's making the leap to seven more countries. Brazil, France, Germany, Russia, Spain, Taiwan and Turkey will all get a crack at using web apps both on the desktop as well as in the Android and iOS native clients. The new group is coming onboard in the next few weeks. In the meantime, countries where English makes a frequent appearance -- Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK and the US -- now supply the App Center for every single user. To help speed along the virtual customs claims, Facebook is trotting out a translation tool to get developers on the right track. It shouldn't be long before App Center is a mainstay of the entire Facebook world, even though we may end up cursing the company after hour three of a Jetpack Joyride marathon.
Mobile Miscellany: week of June 25th, 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, Samsung introduced its first Windows Phone for China and both HTC and Samsung each chimed in about Android 4.1 -- the sweet treat better known as Jelly Bean. 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 June 25th, 2012.
Google Maps live traffic updates served up to seven new regions, 19 more get 'expanded coverge'
Ready for yet another dose of news related to Google Maps? The service's live traffic update functionality has been expanded yet again, and now seven more cities including the likes of Mexico City and Greater Johannesburg, South Africa can join in on the action. Better yet, 19 other major areas that already get traffic information are receiving "expanded coverage" for their roads. Naturally, all of the new goods are accessible through Google's various Maps apps by simply enabling the traffic layer. If you're eager to start scouting the traffic flow, you can hit up source link below to find out whether your locale is on the list.
Sony to sell downloadable content at GameStops in Europe and Australia
Sony isn't about to let Nintendo and PC games get a leg up on it in the downloadable content (DLC) arena. That's why the company's European arm (which also runs the show in Australia and New Zealand) is taking its digital wares to GameStop, where customers will be able to use cash, gift cards or trade credits to purchase activation codes for PlayStation Network games and add-ons. All told, some 1,600 stores in Australia, New Zealand, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria and Switzerland will soon be offering the ability to purchase content usually ordered from the comfort of your couch and Crash Bandicoot boxer shorts. The complete PR awaits you after the break.
Spotify hits Australia and New Zealand, can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
Music fans in Australia and New Zealand are waking up some happy news this Tuesday morning. Spotify announced that it's bringing its streaming services to those markets, starting today, offering up access to some 16 million tracks via PC, smartphone and iPad, bringing Spotify's availability to a grand total of 15 countries. Each new country will also be getting Spotify apps to call their own: Triple J in Australia and NZ Top 40 in New Zealand, both of which offer up curated music access. More information on the launches -- including prices for premium accounts -- can be found in press releases after the break, and a playlist of some of our favorite local jams (and a locally-themed Kinks number) can be heard below.
Mobile Miscellany: week of May 14th, 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 Wireless brought its LTE service to 28 new markets and expanded its reach in 11 additional areas. We also saw Straight Talk introduce the Samsung Galaxy Proclaim, and it appears that Rogers will soon offer the HTC One S. 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 May 14th, 2012.
PSA: Get your new iPad today in Austria, Ireland, Mexico and many other places
If your homeland wasn't part of the initial iPad roll out we've got good news -- today is the day for iOS tabletry. Maybe. The latest slab of Retina display-equipped machinery out of Cupertino is landing in 25 additional countries today, including Liechtenstein and Luxembourg. So, if you haven't been waiting on line since the 16th in anticipation of this day, then go to your local Apple store to score one. Or don't. For the full list of countries check the PR after the break.
Google Maps delivers live traffic updates to Hong Kongers, Kiwis and Norwegians
If you're a Google Maps fan living in Hong Kong, New Zealand or Norway today's your lucky day, as the search specialists from Mountain View, CA have added live traffic condition information to the geographic platform. Those wondering just how dismal their evening commute will be can navigate to maps.google.com, or use the various mobile applications, to see the verdict. Google notes that the information is available for "major cities and highways" and that it is working to expand and improve reach over time. Don't be shy, hit-up your Maps medium of choice, drop the traffic layer into place and feast your eyes on the manifestation of urban sprawl.
Samsung battles Apple in Australia/NZ phone market as patent fight expands
There's rarely a day anymore that TUAW doesn't report on the status of one or more patent infringement lawsuits. The latest from the battle between Apple and Samsung is that the Cupertino company has now issued a notice of infringement to Samsung in Australia, noting that Samsung's case design for its phones and Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet are infringing on Apple's patents. Apple's notice of infringement, as reported by Bloomberg, identifies 10 patents that the company believes Samsung is violating. At this point, the new claims will be piled onto more than 30 other lawsuits the companies have filed against each other. Samsung can point to hopeful signs Down Under, though. IDC today reported that Samsung has overtaken Apple in the combined Australia and New Zealand mobile phone market, where 65% of all phones sold qualify as smartphones. The numbers are a bit confusing in the IDC press release, so we are reaching out to them for clarification from the main research report; it's not clear whether it's Samsung specifically or Android-based phones overall that have overtaken Apple's 36% market share in Australia. In New Zealand, iPhone shipments slowed in preparation for the launch of the iPhone 4S, allowing Samsung to capture the lead for smartphone shipments in that country by pushing the Galaxy S II and Galaxy 5. Other manufacturers, including Huawei, are making inroads as well by selling low-cost smartphones. Apple holds third place in the NZ market with 13% overall share, but most likely the reason for a poor quarter there is all in the timing -- the iPhone 4S didn't launch in New Zealand until well after the Australian version went on sale, starting shipments on November 11. Pricing and carrier subsidies in NZ are also a bit more stringent than elsewhere; Vodafone requires an NZ$85/month plan for 2 years to discount the 16GB iPhone 4S from an eyepopping NZ$1049 down to a manageable NZ$149 purchase cost. IDC's Yee-Kuan Lau reported that for 2011, Android will win "by a hair in the Australian smartphones tussle," while in New Zealand, "Android is expected to widen the gap and maintain the lead in the smartphones market." [via The Next Web and The Verge]
iTunes Match international rollout begins (updated)
Update: GigaOM reported that the rollout was premature. Those outside of the US and Brazil who successfully signed up for the program will have their money refunded, and Apple has told these customers that Match will not function outside of those countries. iTunes Match has started rolling out in markets outside the US. International users have said that signups are now available in the UK, parts of Europe, and Australia. Here in New Zealand, I can confirm directly that iTunes Match is available as a signup option in my NZ-based account, for a fee of NZ$39.99 per year (compared to the US$24.99 per year it costs in the US store). Signup links aren't showing up in the main pages of the iTunes Store for international users; instead, you have to navigate to your "Account" page to see an option for the signup. Some sites, such as Mac Rumors, have suggested this means iTunes Match has been accidentally revealed early to international users and therefore may not function as expected. UK users will pay £21.99 for the service, while Europeans will pay €24.99. Australian users pay similarly higher fees at AU$34.99 per year. iTunes Match allows users to mirror their entire iTunes libraries in the cloud, enabling near-instantaneous playback/download of any song in the user's library on any connected device.
Rara.com: a new music service for the techno techno technophobe (video)
Music lovin' grampas here and in Europe will be doing The Charleston when they hear about Rara.com, a cloud-based music service with them in mind, which launched today. Powered by Omnifone, the same whitelabel service behind Sony's Music Unlimited, Rara hopes to appeal to the 70 percent of people its research shows "do not 'do' digital music." There's access to the same ten-million-strong music library as other services, and pricing starts at a frugal 99c/p for the first three months (rising to 4.99 from there on in) for the web-only option. Those with a little more tech-smarts can use an Android service too, which launches at 1.99 (going to 9.99) with the web-service bundled in. Those directly north and south of the border can look forward to access later this week, with Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore lighting up before Christmas. An iOS app will complete the set soon. Tap the PR after the break for more.
Microsoft Lync coming to Android, BlackBerry, iOS and Windows Phone next month
Heads up, corporateers. Just like the company previously hinted, Microsoft Lync will soon make its smartphone debut. Currently, the enterprise instant messaging client (formerly known as Microsoft Office Communicator) has only been available to Mac and PC users, but all that is set to change next month when the software becomes available for Android, BlackBerry, iOS and Windows Phone. Curiously, Microsoft's New Zealand outfit had formerly stated that Symbian would be among the mix, although its mention is entirely absent from this announcement. Granted, the news seems rather informal at this point, and there's only so much you can cram into 140 characters.
How not to buy an iPhone overseas
It kind of seems like I can't catch a break when it comes to iPhone launches. The first iPhone debuted a little over a year before I left the US and moved to New Zealand. I knew the move was coming, so signing (then breaking) a two-year contract with AT&T didn't make sense. I also wasn't prepared to pay US$599 for a cell phone. "That's more than my PlayStation 3 cost!" I said at the time. (Guess which device I use more often now.) The iPhone 3G launched in New Zealand eight days after I moved here, and the color drained from my face when I saw how much Vodafone was charging for it. Vodafone once again priced the iPhone 3GS well outside the bounds of sanity in 2009, so I had to pass on that model and hold onto the iPhone 3G I'd eventually purchased. A year later, the NZ iPhone 4 launch was an unmitigated disaster, and I had to go through three handsets before I finally got one that worked right. None of that remotely compares to what's transpired as I've tried to get an iPhone 4S into my hands. Caution: First World Problems Ahead. This is going to be a rather long, cranky post about one impatient man trying to buy a smartphone. If that's not your cup of tea, there's plenty of Internet out there beyond this page. Still here? In that case, I hope that if you're reading this and considering a (cough) non-traditional route for your iPhone purchase, you'll think twice and avoid the same frustration I've endured over this long, irritating, and (spoiler) ultimately fruitless odyssey. It came as little surprise to me that Apple delayed the iPhone 4S launch in New Zealand to the third tier of "whenever we get around to it" countries, but I was both surprised and annoyed that unlocked handsets wouldn't be available in the US until November. I'd initially been planning on having a colleague in the States get the handset down here, but I wasn't willing to wait a whole extra month (Warning: Contains Foreshadowing). I ordered an iPhone 4S and Apple TV from Australia instead and had them shipped to a contact of mine in Melbourne; he was someone I'd met in person before, and I decided he was trustworthy enough to act as a go-between. Even though the iPhone 4S turned out to be far more expensive in the Down Under stores compared to its US price, I felt it was worth paying a little extra if it meant I didn't have to wait. I should have known better. Apple delayed shipping iPhone 4S pre-orders to Australia until the day the handset launched. Pre-order customers in many other countries received their iPhones on the day of the 14th, but Australian pre-orders didn't actually leave the Foxconn factory floor until that same day. This meant the handset didn't actually arrive at my Aussie contact's home until early morning of October 18. I was annoyed, but not yet angry. Four days of extra waiting wasn't quite enough to get me turning green and throwing compact cars at unmarked helicopters. Not yet, anyway. But the delays continued. Despite assuring me that he'd ship the handset to New Zealand within a day of receiving it, my Aussie intermediary didn't make his first attempt to ship the iPhone 4S to me until Thursday. His local post shop refused to mail the package because -- wait for it -- the iPhone has a battery in it. Sticking strictly to the absolute letter of mailing regulations means that any device with a non-removable lithium battery can't be shipped internationally via air mail in Australia -- even though that's precisely how it arrived in the country, in precisely the same packaging state. I called Australia Post, and their representative said shipping it shouldn't have been a problem; "We ship iPhones out all the time," were her exact words, but she wasn't able to get the post shop employee to listen to reason. Meanwhile, the last direct communication I'd received from my acquaintance in Australia came the day he received my iPhone. For whatever reason, all subsequent contact over the next four days took place between his wife and mine. I had to call him to find out that despite his wife's assurances she'd ship my iPhone to New Zealand the day after the first attempt, it didn't happen. He got annoyed with me when I told him the continual delays were costing me money -- I can't write up reviews or how-tos on a product I don't own -- and he breezily suggested that he'd mail it out "as soon as I can." His dismissive attitude toward my situation (and the financial peril he was putting me in) is what finally threw me into a Hulk-like rage. Let's just say the next morning I was looking up "drywall repair" on Google and leave it at that. Not one of my prouder moments. By this point I began to suspect he was trying to sell the phone out from under me. The lack of communication from him and continued failures to ship it out only reinforced that fear, especially when I noticed that his wife who was "too busy" to mail my iPhone out had spent several hours a day posting in an online forum they both frequent. Simultaneously impatient and paranoid, I sought assistance on Twitter from any TUAW readers who lived close to the guy. My wife wasn't particularly pleased with this plan, and I knew on an intellectual level that it was a huge and foolhardy risk -- one more inadvisable link in an already rusty chain -- but I was starting to get desperate. At first no one's schedule was open enough to get to his place on the outskirts of Melbourne. The longer my iPhone sat uselessly in his house with neither word from him nor any attempts to ship it out, the more I suspected that I was going to have to consider it stolen and get the police involved. At last, a Melbourne-based reader contacted me on Twitter, and we were able to make some very cloak-and-dagger arrangements to retrieve my gear and finally get it sent out to me. My wife thought I was a harebrained idiot for trusting a stranger with this mission (and she was probably right). But the guy seemed trustworthy enough to me, and at any rate I didn't feel like I had much left to lose. He agreed to send one of his coworkers to pick up my iPhone, and I alerted the guy who'd held my property in his home (by now, for a solid week) that someone was coming to pick it up. Twelve hours went by before I received this response from the man who'd held over a thousand dollars in my property in his home without communicating with me for over a week: You didn't consider asking before giving my address to someone? And no thank you for doing what we have? Very few moments have filled me with rage as palpable as that I felt upon reading that email. I could hear my heart not just beating, but slamming in my ears. It took an almost physical act of will to restrain myself from firing off a volcanic response right away; I wisely held off, because my ad hoc courier hadn't retrieved my items yet. I sat down and blasted Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band from my stereo while I tried to cool down and find a calm center. It didn't work, but at least I got to listen to some good tunes while I waited to see how my own dopey version of Mission: Impossible played out. Just as John Lennon started singing about a lucky man who made the grade, I got a coded message on Twitter: "The bird is in the cage. Repeat. The bird is in the cage." I felt an instant wave of relief, but it didn't last long. I still had to get my iPhone out of the country, and I was depending on a complete stranger to do it. Thankfully my trust in this guy was justified. He told me the iPhone's box was still sealed, and he left it that way. He promised to ship it out on his lunch break the next day. It seemed the ordeal was finally about to come to an end. Except it wasn't. Meanwhile, since my iPhone was finally out of his hands (and I'd had a chance to cool down), I sent my response to the guy who let my iPhone rot in his house for a full week. An excerpt: Here's the bottom line. My items made it from the factory floor in China to your front door in less than four days. That's 4600 kilometres -- over a tenth of the way around the entire planet -- and the shipping was free. You've had five days since your first try at shipping my items to get them to the post shop 2.3 kilometres from your house, and I was happy to pay you $50 for your time and effort. But since you stopped communicating with me and gave neither me nor my wife any specific estimates for when you would ship my items, I finally acted to recover $1,200 in my property that had sat in your home for over a week. Not wanting to waste any more of my altruistic courier's time than I already had, I called ahead to Australia Post to make sure that the post shop he was going to wasn't going to refuse shipping the iPhone the way another one had six days before. The representative I spoke to told me that whoever I'd talked to the preceding Thursday had been blowing smoke -- under no circumstances would Australia Post ship an iPhone, period. Australia's regulations on shipping devices with integrated lithium batteries make it impossible for individual shippers to send such devices internationally. It's ostensibly a rule designed to protect aircraft from fires and explosions resulting from faulty lithium batteries. It's also an idiotic, reactionary rule drafted by complete morons who apparently have no idea how modern technology works. My iPhone was in exactly the same state it had been in when shipped from Hong Kong to Australia -- brand new, never activated, sealed in the box -- so Australia Post's assertion that it was "too dangerous" to ship was ludicrous. I explained to the representative I spoke with that I wasn't trying to get on her case, since she didn't draft the rule, "but make sure it goes up the chain: this is a stupid rule, and the people who came up with it are idiots. It's complete nonsense." I passed that message along on Twitter as well, when the official Australian Post account said the same thing: "We cannot accept lithium batteries for international carriage." My response was less than kind (I'm blaming it on having recently immersed myself in Steve Jobs's biography). I'm aware of the rule. I'm also aware that it's completely moronic, and I will shortly be saying so in a very public forum. TNT had no problem moving an iPhone from Hong Kong to Melbourne. So don't push that 'dangerous goods' BS on me. Millions of travelers fly with iPhones every year. NONE of them explode. Your restrictions are arbitrary and idiotic. I shipped an iPad from the USA with NO issues. Its battery is BIGGER THAN THE ENTIRE IPHONE. Wake up! I turned to an alternative carrier, the one that had brought my iPhone into Australia in the first place. TNT handles virtually all of Apple's international shipping in this part of the world, so it was reasonable to assume TNT had no qualms about shipping such "hazardous materials" as an iPhone battery identical to the ones in carry-ons and passenger pockets worldwide. I was right -- TNT had no problems sending an iPhone internationally -- but they would only ship to a business, not to an individual. It was at this point that I reassessed my options rationally, possibly for the first time since ordering the iPhone in the first place. Fellow iPhone fanatics from New Zealand had been telling me horror stories of week-long delays in NZ Customs, tax and import duties so high they made my teeth chatter, and shipping expenses that seemed astronomically high for an item smaller than a deck of cards. I finally asked myself a question I should have asked weeks earlier: "Is this stupid phone, this product, this thing really worth all of this trouble?" I decided it was not. As the philosopher Rogers once said, "You got to know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em." After telling my erstwhile courier my intentions, I called Apple and told them to process a return. After I explained the situation (and affirmed the product was still sealed in its box), Apple processed the return without charging any fees whatsoever. Apple agreed to send a TNT rep to my courier's business to pick up the iPhone, and my courier guaranteed to turn it over. On November 1, 18 days after this cavalcade of stupidity began, Apple confirmed that it had received my items and was preparing to process my refund. The end. Though this story doesn't have the happy ending I was looking forward to, and at times tried to wring from it with all the effort I could muster from the other side of the Tasman, it could have been much worse. Putting that much faith in near-strangers when so much is at stake is not something I'm ever likely to do again when the stakes are this high, and I don't recommend anyone else do it, either. If any single link in this chain had broken, I'd have lost not just the iPhone itself but the considerable amount of money (after honest reflection, an insane and downright excessive amount of money) invested in it. In the end I lost almost nothing, except time, worry, and a pile of frustration. Who do I blame for this debacle? Do I blame Apple, for delaying the availability of unlocked iPhones in the States and thereby locking out a much more reliable (and cheaper) source for the handset? Do I blame Apple again for delaying Australian pre-order shipments? Do I blame the guy who held my iPhone in his house for a week, completely failed to communicate with me, and had me three days away from calling the cops to seize my property? Do I blame Australia Post for its Byzantine restrictions and complete failure to service me as a customer in the simplest task in the universe, moving a small item from point A to point B? I could blame any one or all of those entities for this utterly crap situation, which led me to groan "All for nothing, all for nothing" for several minutes immediately after processing the return request with Apple. Ultimately, though, I have no one to blame for this spectacle but myself. I didn't need the iPhone 4S before November. I wanted it before then. I let that frothy desire blind me to the stupidity of my actions virtually every step along the way. I paid several hundred dollars more for the thing than it would have cost if I'd simply waited for the US model instead. I put extraordinarily expensive and highly-in-demand property in the hands of several complete strangers, any one of whom could easily have betrayed me for a very quick and lucrative payout. I made myself and everyone around me suffer for weeks while I bitched and moaned about the stupid iPhone being stuck in limbo. All things considered, I was lucky. Of all possible outcomes, getting a full refund is the best thing I could have hoped for aside from actually having the iPhone arrive safely. Of course, knowing my luck, the iPhone would have been a dud unit anyway, so things probably worked out for the best. If you learn nothing else from my odyssey of idiocy, at least learn this: Don't be as stupid as I was. Try not to get so worked up about some metal/glass widget that you let your reason fly out the window and spend two weeks careening between Hulk-rage and anxiety that makes the characters in a Woody Allen film seem well-adjusted by comparison. The iPhone may be a great tool, the electronic equivalent of a Swiss Army Knife on steroids, but it's not even close to being worth what I put myself (and everyone around me) through to get it. I learned that the hard way. I hope you don't have to. Update: It's just been announced that the iPhone 4S will be available in New Zealand on November 11, which makes everything that happened in October seem that much more pointless.
iPhone 4S arriving in Hong Kong, South Korea and a number of other locales on November 11th
Apple is getting ready to add a whole slew of new locations to its iPhone 4S world domination plan. Starting November 11th, the company's latest smartphone will be available in Hong Kong, South Korea and 13 additional countries, including Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, El Salvador, Greece, Guatemala, Malta, Montenegro, New Zealand, Panama, Poland, Portugal, and Romania. Pre-orders for those locations (save for Albania, El Salvador, Guatemala, Malta, Montenegro and Panama) will begin on the 4th. The handset is currently available in 29 countries -- that number will increase to more than 70 by year's end. Press info can be found after the break.
Opinion: Delayed New Zealand iPhone 4S launch shows the perils of drawing Apple's ire
Although it missed out on getting the original iPhone, New Zealand was the first country on Earth to sell the iPhone 3G. Unfortunately that wasn't the only way NZ distinguished itself during the iPhone 3G launch; thanks to local telco Vodafone NZ, the country also featured some of the highest handset prices and most expensive plans anywhere in the world. New Zealand lost its "first kids on the block with the iPhone" crown in 2009, as the iPhone 3GS came out in NZ just under a month after its launch in the United States. Although a year had passed, nothing had changed on the pricing front; Vodafone's handset subsidies remained pitifully lacking compared to other countries, and plan prices remained staggeringly high compared to what Kiwis were getting for their money. In 2010, the iPhone 4 once again launched in New Zealand a little over a month after its US debut, but the NZ launch was an unmitigated disaster. Even on the day of the launch, conflicting reports from Vodafone NZ made it unclear whether the iPhone would launch in New Zealand at all. No official numbers were ever released on the number of iPhone 4 units available on launch day, but I know my local retailer received perhaps a dozen units before it sold out -- that's 12 iPhone 4 handsets in a city of over 80,000 people. Nothing has ever been conclusively proven, but the most popular (and most likely to be true) theory is that last-minute pricing disputes between Vodafone and Apple resulted in Apple threatening to cancel the New Zealand launch if Vodafone didn't agree to offer customers lower handset prices. Vodafone reportedly capitulated at first, and handset subsidies for the iPhone 4 were initially much more generous (a relative term) compared to earlier iPhone launches. Vodafone NZ turned around and raised iPhone 4 handset prices anyway several months later. Apple has to have taken notice of these shenanigans, and the proof is in the now greatly delayed New Zealand launch of the iPhone 4S. While our neighbors across the Tasman will see the iPhone 4S reach Australian stores on October 14, with 22 more countries following two weeks later, New Zealand won't see the iPhone 4S until December at the earliest. For those keeping score, this means that in only three years New Zealand has gone from being first in the world to see a new iPhone to being lumped in with the "70 more countries" category, also known as Apple's "Meh, whenever we get around to it," tier for iPhone launches. Even when the iPhone 4S does finally make it here, there's every reason to suspect the NZ launch will be just as big of a bungled debacle as it was last year. It's my suspicion that NZ's newfound low-priority status for the iPhone 4S launch comes as a direct result of Vodafone NZ's inflated handset prices -- or looking at it the other way, its terrible handset subsidies -- and the company's inflexibility in negotiations with Apple. Representatives from Vodafone NZ consistently take a "blame Apple" approach when called to task for things like high handset prices and fumbled launches, but their sister company handles launches with aplomb in Australia and manages to offer handsets at a fair price for the market. To be fair, Apple is not entirely blameless here either. The prices Apple charges for its gear in New Zealand approach extortionate levels when compared to other countries' pricing, even after accounting for taxes and import duties. Apple still offers unlocked iPhone 4 units at a starting price of NZ$899, roughly comparable to what I expect the price for an unlocked iPhone 4S to be in the United States. Apple's continued refusal to establish any official retail presence in a nation of four million potential customers, while simultaneously opening stores in sparsely-populated markets like Alaska, is also profoundly baffling. However, I believe most of the blame for the delayed iPhone 4S launch falls to Vodafone NZ's attitude toward both Apple and its own customers; in the end, it's those customers who are paying the price, in more ways than one. Given its position as the number one smartphone vendor in the world, Apple can afford to play hardball with virtually any wireless carrier. If my appraisal of the situation between Apple and Vodafone NZ is even close to being accurate, then it should serve as a cautionary example for other carriers. The carriers need Apple far more than Apple needs them -- Sprint dropping 20 billion dollars on an iPhone deal is proof enough of how badly carriers need Apple, but Apple kicking Vodafone NZ to the bottom of the iPhone 4S availability ladder is just as much proof of how little Apple needs the carriers. Wireless providers play hard to get with Apple at their own peril... but, sadly, also at the peril of their customers.
Auckland amps up free WiFi for Rugby World Cup
Just in time for play-by-play tweets about the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, Auckand has instituted a fully-integrated WiFi network across its Link public transit system. According to officials, buses and some trains will get the free internet treatment, giving passengers up to three 30 minute sessions a day between September 1 and October 31st. Powered by Tomizone and sponsored by Localist, the network promises 2 - 6Mbps downloads and is based on point-to-point links around town using fiber assets for backhaul. If that wasn't enough connectivity, CallPlus and Slingshot are dishing out some gratis WiFi of their own with an additional thousand hotspots sprinkled throughout the city. Hopefully, the added infrastructure will mean WiFi access par excellence year round for maximum non-Rugby related tweetage. Check out the full PR after the break. [Thanks, Scott]
Microsoft: front facing cameras, Skype integration coming with Mango update (video)
When Microsoft unveiled the SGH-i937 Mango Windows Phone 7 handset last month, we noticed what appeared to be a front facing camera perched atop the Galaxy S II-like device. Now, the company has confirmed that forthcoming Mango flavored phones will indeed feature face-gazing shooters, along with Skype integration. The confirmation came at Redmond's TechEd event in New Zealand, where two employees also revealed that Microsoft's Lync VoIP client will soon expand to other platforms, including iOS, Android and Symbian. As for that Skype integration, the reps assured the audience that it's coming soon, though it remains unclear whether it'll come in the form of an app, or a subsequent update. You can watch the TechEd session for yourself after the break, but be warned that parts of it are somewhat inaudible. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Rich Decibels Brainwave Disruptor scrambles your head, not your eggs
Child of the '80s? Then you'll most likely remember those notorious PSAs about your brain and eggs, and the dangers of turning yourself into an omelette. Yeah, well turn off your inner Nancy Reagan for a second because we've got an Arduino hack that should have you just saying yes. New Zealand artist Rich Decibels created a homebrew brain entrainment device that uses low frequency sound and light to induce different mental states. The mod pieces together an Arduino Uno with two separate interface boards -- one for pitch and separation controls, the other for LED and volume -- to deliver a combo of binaural beats (two slightly out of sync tones) and flashing headset-mounted lights that'll slow down those cerebral hertz cycles. If you happen to live in the land made famous by Frodo's Shire, you can check out the brain-slowing goods at Thistle Hall's Project Briefcase exhibition. Not a Kiwi? Then be sure to hit the source for an audio taste of this hacked head experience.
App Store international pricing changes afoot
Prices in several international App Stores are fluctuating today, as MacStories predicted earlier. Prices have fallen in the Australian App Store; Angry Birds used to cost AU$1.29, but it now goes for $0.99. Strangely, despite the recent weakening of the US dollar, prices seem to have increased in the UK; minimum pricing in the UK was once £0.59, but that's been raised to £0.69. The timing of these pricing changes may coincide with the imminent launch of OS X Lion, which is expected to launch some time this week. However, not all App Stores have seen pricing changes yet. New Zealand App Store prices have remained at NZ$1.29, an eight-cent premium over US prices at the current exchange rate.
Parrot AR.Drone floats into damaged New Zealand cathedral, returns with haunting video
Whenever disaster strikes, robots are among the first to scope out the damage. Rarely, however, do they return with footage as eerie as what this Parrot AR.Drone recorded in Christchurch, New Zealand. In the wake of Monday's 6.0-magnitude earthquake, engineers sent the $500 bot into the city's Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament -- a 106-year-old Roman Catholic church that had sustained significant damage, rendering it too dangerous for humans to enter. The iPad-controlled quadrocopter swooped in and captured rather depressing images of the cathedral's battered interior. The video's quality may be low, but its creepy quotient is high: shattered stained-glass windows, piles of debris, stray pieces of iconography -- it's all quite heavy. Head past the break to see it for yourself. [Thanks, Ross]
