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WWDC Demo: Parranda for iPhone and iPod touch
The enthusiastic developers of Parranda were at WWDC to show off their app, a simple one-man-band party in your hand. Parranda (iTunes link) has a lot of polish, too, with instruments that aren't just one big button, like some "soundboard" music apps. The cowbell, for example, allows you to tap on different parts of the instrument, which any decent cowbell player will tell you, creates very different sounds. Mostly. You can zoom in or out on the instruments, something you will have to see in the video, but it is a nice effect and adds to the experience. Parranda has pre-set rhythms to choose from, plus vocalizations to add a little spice to the performance. Already a hit in Puerto Rico, I think Parranda has a good shot everywhere, as it's a fun little app. Perhaps a bit more than you're used to paying at $2.99, but I think it's a fair price for the quality of the app.
AT&T bringing iPhone 3G to Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands later this month
Just because you live in a tropical paradise doesn't mean you need to forgo a shot at the iPhone 3G -- heck, Hawaii has already proved that. There are yet more vacation havens within AT&T's expansive realm, though, and the carrier's about to throw two of 'em a bone later this month when it brings Apple's bundle of joy (or seething hatred, depending on your disposition) to Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Puerto Rico's solid for 3G coverage -- but you may as well just leave the "3G" off "iPhone 3G" when you head over to St. Croix, seeing how there's no HSDPA to be found in those parts. Anyway, you'll be able to get "iReady" (AT&T's verbiage, not ours) on October 17.
FCC waiver enables Puerto Rico's Choice Cable TV to sell HD DVRs
The FCC put a stop on selling non-CableCARD-equipped set-top-boxes in the United States around this time last year, but it did leave open the possibility for small cable carriers and other providers in strange market conditions to sidestep the new rule. Choice Cable TV, which services parts of rural Puerto Rico and the cities of Ponce and Mayaguez, finally received its long-awaited FCC waiver which will enable it to start selling HD DVRs that lack CableCARD support. It's hoping that this will rekindle demand for high-def service and consequently allow it to add more HD content. On a related note, the island's Liberty Cablevision is also applying for a similar waiver, as it argues that the low median annual household income in its service area constitutes a "idiosyncratic factual situation."
Sprint offers up 'unlimited' wireless plan for Puerto Rico, USVI
Those camped out in Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands (lucky...) now have yet another wireless plan option courtesy of Sprint, and although that "unlimited" keyword may look enticing, it's enclosed in quotes for a reason. The firm's newest unlimited calling plan was reportedly developed specifically for the Sprint Caribbean market and is available for new and existing customers. The $49.99-per-month plan "includes all local and long distance calls received or generated within the local Puerto Rico and USVI coverage area, as well as long-distance calls from [Sprint] mobile to mobile." Of course, one call to the US mainland, and you'll be hit with a $0.25-per-minute fee as well as an additional $0.69-per-minute if you're roaming, so we'd keep it local if we were you.
