Posted by sheep under All, Hacks on Friday Oct 30, 2009
Some people prefer earphones that blend in so much no one can tell they’re even being used, while others like their ear cans to stand out from the crowd. If you fall into the latter crowd, the Skullcandy Icon 2 headphones will probably be right up your alley. This on-ear model lists for $29.95 and features Skullcandy’s typical eye-catching design. The earphones offer a couple of fun and useful extras, but the sound quality won’t impress many users, and the fit may prove to be an issue for active pursuits.
I am not concerned about the future, only because I am told that humans will soon be in the clutch and thrall of robots and perfect harmony will be enjoyed by all. However, I must register the initial frisson of disturbia I experienced on reading a report from the Boston Globe magazine that suggests the iPhone may be a wise toy for 3-year-olds.
No, this is not some mocking suggestion that those who use an iPhone do, indeed, have the minds of children less than 4. It is, rather, a fascinating analysis of what happens when you just hand a 3-year-old an iPhone with the initial aim of keeping the little rodent in your life quiet.
It seems the iPhone’s happy, colorful design is not only a great attraction for a little child’s imagination, but the keyboard tends to suit tinier fingers rather better than larger ones.
Indeed, there is a considerable possibility that the iPhone might just help in children’s education, something app developers have not been slow to realize. The Globe tells us that 60 percent of the apps in the education section of the iTunes store target extremely little people.
Now I know there will be those who worry that if you give a little one an iPhone they will be zapped with gamma rays and all sorts of deleterious electronic waves that will seep into their brains and be an enormous health risk.
One might heed the words of Dariusz Leszczysnki, a researcher for the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority in Finland, who told a Senate subcommittee: “In my opinion the current safety standards are not sufficiently supported because of the very limited research on human volunteers, children, and on the effects of long-term exposures in humans.”
But most of the things parents give children to keep them quiet carry a certain risk to health: plastic toys that kids lick, bite, and try to swallow with the result that all sorts of paint and gunk might enter their bodies; candy that children lick, bite, and try to swallow with the result that they then put on weight; and let’s not even start with the quality of teenage babysitting in the world.
Posted by sheep under All, Apps on Friday Oct 30, 2009
Apple and AT&T get to tackle yet another class action lawsuit regarding delayed MMS support on American iPhone. This time, the case’s plaintiff, Alabama resident Clyde Franklin, has charged both Apple and AT&T of misleading the public on MMS availability, with promises that it would become an option on the iPhone 3G and 3GS with the arrival of the v3.0 firmware. It did not, and Franklin notes that only a small disclaimer on the Apple website made mention that AT&T support would only come in “late summer.”
Besides a slew of new LG phones, the biggest news out of the Federal Communications this week is the approval of the Palm Pixi. In light of its November 15 release date, the Pixi’s appearance here is not surprising. We also spied the Google Android-equipped LG GW620.
Posted by sheep under All, Development on Friday Oct 30, 2009
It’s hard to look at the DROID without looking at the company which brought the device to life. Motorola: for years the name has been synonymous with… well, disappointment. While the industry-stalwart made cellphones sexy with the RAZR, the days which followed have not been especially fruitful or compelling. Over the past year or so, we’ve seen Motorola beating its way back into the mainstream through a series of smart plays: first embracing Android as a platform, then shucking off the weight of Windows Mobile and finally bringing some desirable (and high profile) devices to market.
With the DROID, the company has perhaps created its most attractive and intriguing piece of technology yet. Forging an alliance with both Verizon and Google, Motorola has come up with a second compelling reason to count the phonemaker down, but certainly not out, while the other two giants have finally found a seemingly worthy device to position against the iPhone. So we must pose these questions: is this the phone which will catapult Android into the mainstream? Is it the device that will pull Motorola back from the brink? And — most importantly — is it the lynchpin Google and Verizon have needed to challenge the leader in mindshare in the smartphone market? After putting the device through its paces, we think we can give you the answers you seek — so read on to find out!
Posted by sheep under All, Hacks on Friday Oct 30, 2009
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Boost your photography skills with Nikon's free iPhone app.
I’ve owned a dSLR camera for years, but it spends most of its time on Auto mode. That’s because I can’t wrap my brain around things like aperture priority, ISO, and f-stops.
Unsurprisingly, most of my shots bite. I’ve tried reading enlightening books like How to Do Everything with Your Digital Camera (nepotism alert: I know the author), but that doesn’t help me when, say, I’m standing on the soccer-field sidelines trying to capture my daughter as she scores a goal.
What I need is a simple, informative how-to guide that fits in my pocket. Enter Nikon Learn & Explore, a new iPhone app that teaches photography fundamentals and offers shooting techniques for common situations.
Actually, that’s just part of what you get from L&E. The app also offers a library of professional images you can browse, each with an accompanying Nikon World article that details shot composition, equipment, lighting, and all that.
The Learn section offers articles on image editing, shooting techniques, and fundamentals–many of which include both sample photos and how-to videos.
The Nikon World section provides features from the eponymous magazine, while the Glossary explains photography terms from A to Z. You can even mark individual articles and photos as Favorites for quick future access.
In short, this is a must-have app for novice shutterbugs and pro photographers alike (but more for the former). Best news of all: it’s free.
Posted by sheep under All, Apps on Friday Oct 30, 2009
Apple’s iPhone launch appears to be off to a slow start in China as China Unicom and Apple held a launch event largely free of the buzz and long buyer lines that have accompanied launches of the handset elsewhere. During the event, Beijing’s first rain in weeks fell on an overhead canopy during the event.
“It’s because of the rain, the temperature really is a little low today,” said Li Yi, a 27-year-old man waiting in line to buy an iPhone 3GS, when asked about the low attendance.
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