iChat already exists within Mac OS X and it has since the early iterations of Mac OS X. iChat allows you to do video chat, quite elegantly might I add. So this leads me to wonder why Apple felt the need to create a new piece of software that does half the functionality of an existing piece of an application that already exists within their flagship OS.
Couldn’t they have integrated FaceTime into iChat?
It would have been plausible to add a FaceTime section within the existing buddy list found within iChat.
My guess is that this has to do with branding. Apple wants “FaceTime” to be synonymous with video chatting in much the same way that “iPod” has become synonymous with mp3 player.
So why not just rename the iChat application to FaceTime. Merge both apps and you’ll get the best of both worlds, the ability to converse via text and video. I’m guessing that this will happen in the future. iChat’s ife expectancy has been cut and short. And possibly, with the release of Lion next summer, Apple will finally turn off life support for its flagship chatting application. Or will it?
iPhone 2G/3G/3GS/4 Speed Comparison: iPhone Through The Years.
Check out this side by side comparison of all four iPhone generations. As an iPhone 4 user that jumped directly from the original iPhone to iPhone 4, I can tell you that the speed increase for me was amazing. It’s probably less amazing for someone moving from iPhone 3GS to iPhone 4, but still, as the video shows, iPhone 4 is pretty fast.
As we all know, FaceTime (two-way video calling) on the iPhone only works when connected to a Wi-Fi network. Fring aims to change that and allow you to do two-way video calling with 3G in the Fring app.
With the new fring for iPhone you get lots of fring goodies including 2 way video-calling where you want and with whom you want!
Face-to-face video calls with friends on their Droids, Nokia (Symbian S60) and other iPhones
Video calls over 3G or Wi-Fi (Performance over 3G is subject to mobile operators’ 3G coverage & quality)
Download and Install
I did have a chance to download and install Fring on my iPhone 4 to test this feature out. Fring is a little cumbersome in that you actually have to register for a Fring id in order for the two-way video calling to work. I kind of wish I’d be able to simply select an individual from my contact list and begin the video call, minus having to register with Fring.
Getting The Fring App To Load
I was able to get the two-way video calling over Fring to work after a little fiddling around. The Fring app on the iPhone took forever to load (the spinning ball at the top of the screen seemed to spin forever). I finally gave up waiting and restarted the iPhone. I then relaunched the app and after a few minutes the spinner stopped spinning and Fring had finally loaded completely. I could finally attempt my first two-way video call over 3G using Fringe.
Testing Fring It Out
So I got my Fring app to load but the person with whom I was going to make a test call with had the same continuous spinning ball issue that I experienced earlier. I told him to restart the iPhone 4 and he did and then his Fring app worked.
You need to add buddies as contacts for Fring to work. You can do this either by sending them an invite within the profile page of the buddy list menu. Or, you can go to the More menu and select Add New Buddy and from their you can input their specific Fring ID.
Once they accept your invite, you will now see a video option in their buddy list profile page. As long as you both are online (have Fring launched on your phone), the two-way video calling should work.
When we were both online (had Fring launched on the iPhone) and did not have the continuous spinning ball issue, Fring worked. I was able to make video calls over 3G using my iPhone 4. However, it seemed the every time we exited the app and then relaunched the app, Fring would freeze up and have the continuous spinning ball issue. The issue would clear with a iPhone reboot (sometimes we didn’t need to reboot, we instead just waited it out), but you can imagine how annoying that can become.
Final Thoughts
Fring works as advertised and I was able to make two-way video calls over 3G. However, the continuous spinning ball issue dampens the experience. I also wish that you did not need a Fring ID for this to work. In any case, you can finally make two-way video calls over 3G - just make sure your friends have Fring installed as well.
Category: Social Networking Price: Free Company: fringland Ltd.
The iPhone 4’s insides are no secret anymore. The folks at iFixit alone have done a stellar job of documenting its every bit and bob. Still, the video above is worth watching. Created by repair firm Techrestore and composed of over 1,700 still photos, it’s a highly entertaining stop-motion disassembly of Apple’s latest gadget.
I was looking at getting the iPhone 4. I currently don’t have any phone, but I do have the iPad and I love it….so naturally I would think that going with an iPhone would be a logical choice as I can use many of the apps I have on the iPad with the iPhone.
But I also listen to people like Leo Laporte. He LOVES Android phones and talks about them all the time. So I looked into possibly getting an Android and this is what I found:
1. There is no “Android Phone”. With the iPhone you don’t really have to make any choices, it’s the iPhone. You get it, you use it. The only real choice is to either get the 16gig or the 32gig. You get the iPhone, you run the latest iOS on it.
Not so with Android. There is no one Android phone. So…do you go with the Nexus One? The Incredible? The Droid X? The Evo? The Eris? They are all different…some have different cameras, some have bigger displays. Some even have different UI’s….which brings us to #2.
2. Several different UI’s on Android. With the iPhone you have iOS…that’s it. Now some may say that it lacks customization and it doesn’t give users a choice, but on the Android you see where this becomes a quagmire. Some of the Android phones run Android 2.2, some run Android 2.1. Some don’t even run those versions. So when you get an Android you may or may not be running the latest software. You may or may not be able to run certain apps because you don’t have that certain OS version that it may need. And we’re not talking about older phones that may not be able to run certain applications like older iPhones do. Where’s Android 2.2 on the Evo? That’s a brand new phone, isn’t it? Why is it up to the phone company and manufacturer to insure the OS is upgraded?
Why do some phones have a different UI than other Android phones? Get an Evo and you get this pretty Sense UI on it. Have a buddy that has a Droid X? Sorry pal, your Android phone doesn’t run this. But wait, I thought it was all Android? Why do some Android phones run some things but others can’t? I want a Droid X with Android 2.2 and the Sense UI on it…do I have to jailbreak the damn thing just to do this? I thought this was all an open free-for-all system.
To be fair though, there may be some confusion with the new iPhone 4 and the older iPhones. Some new games may need the gyroscope only found in the iPhone 4 for instance…but I think the API is that you can still run those games on the older iPhones, just not with the same level of control. In my opinion it’s still not as confusing as the myriad of different options that you get with Android…which is both a blessing to some and a curse to others. To me it’s a curse. I’ve always found that less options breed more creativity in me. I know that sounds paradoxical, but it works for me.
Just how amazing is the iPhone 4? Check out this short filmed entirely on an iPhone 4 and then edited using the iMovie iPhone app. All done in 48 hours. Call me amazed.
Angel of My Eye
Directed by Michael Koerbel Produced by Eric Edmonds and Rebekah Koerbel Written by Anna James and Michael Koerbel Edited by Anna James Production Design by Leigh Koerbel Original Score Composed and Conducted by Corey Wallace
Now I understand that the iPhone accessory market is hot, but, Phoneballs? Really? Now before I throw a hissy fit I should mention that these unique iPhone are for a good cause, with a portion of the proceeds going towards testicular cancer research.
The Phoneballs case is offered in two colors options, appropriately named BlueBalls and PeachFuzz.
Features:
Provides a little something to tug on. We play with ‘em all the time.
Protects your data port from dirt and dust, yet easy to tuck back when you need to connect
Soft, grippy silicone case doesn’t add much bulk (well, other than those bulky balls!)
If they get dirty, just wash those dirty, sticky little balls with a little soap and water, they will come clean. You had better believe it!
iPhone NOT included
Have fun while doing a good thing. Remember, 10% of what we make here goes to fight testicular cancer!
Category: iPhone Case Price: $15 Company: Phoneballs
Jon Stewart gave his take regarding Gizmodo’s iPhone exclusive and the subsequent police raid on Jason Chen’s home. Speaking directly to Apple and Steve Jobs, Stewart didn’t hold back his criticism of them.
Jason Calacanis got it right when he said in his most recent mailing list message:
You can not knowingly traffic in stolen or “found” goods. It is unethical and illegal. When you find a phone in a bar you give it to the bartender. You do not try and sell it for 10x it’s value. If you do, you are a scumbag and a criminal.
If someone offers you a pile of cash for an item you found, and that you know is not yours, than you are a thief. A criminal. That’s it—there is no further discussion.
If you disagree with #2, then let me take your little brain through a bigger and illuminating example (That’s what we do with dumb people—or children—when they are confused: you make something bigger so they can understand it!). You see a silver Mercedes parked in front of your house. There are keys in it. You get in the car and see that it has a bunch of new features that the standard Mercedes you drive lacks. Oh, and it belongs to someone named Dieter Zetsche. You take the car and drive it home, then call automotive magazines and offer to sell this prototype you found, and know the owner of, for 10x the street value of the car (say, $1M). What are you now? Yes, a criminal! Whether the item is worth $600 or $60,000 is not relevant.
So Andy Rubin, Vice President of Engineering at Google has been quoted in the popular NY Time Tech blog, Bits, as saying:
“I’d be happy if that happened and someone wrote about it,” Mr. Rubin said. “With openness comes less secrets.” - Andy Rubin, Bits.
Rubin is of course referring to the recent 4th gen iPhone prototype that was lost and then posted about on Gizmodo.
To which I wondered, really? Would I want that? Would I really want a fully open system running on my iPad, iPhone, or even Mac for that matter. If I were running a company and had a product that I had been working and developing for months (or years for that matter), would I want it to be leaked without my knowledge? Let’s see.
The Macintosh environment has always been a closed system and for the most part, it has done very well as a closed system. Sure, there was the dark period of the 90’s, but hey, we can put the blame there on mismanagement.
If the iPad/iPhone were a fully open system I am afraid that the inevitable problem would be that of stability and quality. If open systems were the end all be all of all tech products then why doesn’t everyone use a Linux machine? That’s a fully open system. Anyone can develop for it. It’s free. And yet, adoption numbers by “regular people” has been relatively low. Sure, geeks love it, but what about the other 98% of the population?
An open system would cause confusion. Apple’s closed system has given us the future and so far it has worked out. Apple has lived (and almost died) on their closed system. The first time around, they lost that battle to Microsoft. This time around they have developed a mobile system that is so familiar to the lay person that they are poised to take full control of the mobile market. That familiarity comes from the closed system that they have so patiently developed since the first iPod was released. I personally like the current way that Apple runs things.
As far as Rubin not minding a prototype Android being found and then written about, I have this to say. You wouldn’t mind because no one would give a damn about your prototype Andoid phone. Do you seriously think a prototype Android phone would garner as much media attention like the prototype iPhone did? I don’t think so. Your open system might dominate based on just sheer quantity of handsets running your OS, but you could never compare to the cohesive nature of Apple’s closed system.
For those of you that haven’t been following the Apple scoop of the month, allow me to summarize:
Apple engineer celebrates 27th birthday at bar.
Apple engineer “accidentally leaves behind” alleged 4th generation Apple iPhone prototype in bar.
Man finds prototype iPhone on bar stool.
Man tries to return iPhone to Apple.
Apple dismisses man.
Man sells prototype iPhone to Gizmodo for $5000.
Gizmodo pimps story on site, traffic spikes through the roof.
Gizmodo appears on The Today Show.
Apple requests the return of prototype iPhone.
Gizmodo writer Jason Chen’s computers are seized by the police.
This is pretty insane and quite bizarre. Some outlets are saying that the seizure of Chen’s computer was illegal, with the Electronic Frontier Foundation saying that he is protected under shield laws that protect journalists. I’m skeptical.
In any case, Gizmodo is under fire. Some say that any press is good press but when it comes to the blogging world, stories like this one is not necessary. Do you want to be treated like a journalist? Well then act like one.
Gawker Media has admitted — boasted, really — that it paid $5,000 to get its hands on a prototype of a fourth-generation iPhone for its gadget blog, Gizmodo. The seller of the device told the editors of Gizmodo and other technology blogs that he found it unattended in a bar called Gourmet Haus Staudt in Redwood City, California. But shortly after Gizmodo published its blockbuster story about the phone, critics began accusing the site of breaking the law by, in effect, purchasing stolen goods. See full article from DailyFinance.
The Apple Field Guide. A brilliant infographic courtesy of Fast Company.
In a future full of iPads, iPhone OS 4, next-gen iPhones, and iPod Touches with cameras (plus whatever Gray Powell leaves at a German beer joint next week), a significant portion of your tech life will likely bear an Apple logo—and keep Steve Jobs in the finest stonewashed jeans regionally available. The question isn’t, “Do you use Apple devices,” but “Which one?” And “Where?” Here’s a cut-out-and-keep cheat sheet.
