News

The War Between Verizon and AT&T Gets Petty

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 3, 2018

It's no secret that Verizon and AT&T are at war. They are constantly battling over the best network, and ultimately the most customers. Even though Verizon has generally had a larger customer base and better call quality, AT&T has generally had faster 3G speeds (depending on location) and of course the iPhone.

That all changed on February 11th of this year, when Verizon launched their version of the iPhone 4. But it seems snagging Apple's popular smart phone wasn't enough for Big Red. They took this wireless war to a tiny little battlefield called predictive text...

Trouble Snagging an iPad 2?

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 30, 2016

Me too. After almost three hours of waiting (I know that's not much compared to some) at my local Best Buy, I was told there were no more WiFi-only models left at that location. Not only that but there were no more white iPad 2 available.

With only about 25-30 people ahead of me in line, and almost none of them walking away with white iPad, I had to wonder how small their drop shipment actually was. It also would have been lovely to know the model availability before I wasted most of my afternoon, waiting on the impossible. Determined to not accept defeat, I then proceeded across the street to Target....

My hopes that they somehow had some iPads left were crushed when I made my way to the electronics department. Not only were they sold out, they only had 6 units to start with, and none of them were the 16GB WiFi-only model I lusted after. So I went back to my car and although frustrated, quickly dialed every Walmart in town.

It was about 5:30 P.M. at this point, but I was desperate, and was hoping that the general public wasn't much aware of Walmart carrying iPad 2's on launch day. But with every phone call, reality crept a little bit closer. Finally, it was time to give up the chase, and I headed home. I had completely failed, or did I?

Yesterday morning, I mentioned that I had a feeling iPad 2 stock was limited, and I was spot on. So, did Apple drop the ball on their big launch day, or did everything go as planned? I'm going to go with the latter, because although the iPad 2 was just announced a week ago, original iPad sales had to give Apple some kind of insight to what demand was going to be for their new tablet.

Apple's plan, like many other major product launches, may have just been to release a limited number on launch day. Even though they may have warehouses packed with iPad 2's, they could be choosing not to ship to create a higher demand. Releasing iPads in rounds also makes Apple more agile. If they release a million units at a time, and there is a defect, they can quickly repair the problem.

But whatever the reason, I know that the hundreds of thousands of loyal Apple fans that flocked to their respective Apple stores and retailers, deserved better. My one opportunity to purchase an iPad 2 was a 64GB Black AT&T model, $829. That's almost double what I was wanting to spend, and I just didn't have any use for all the extra memory.

Were you able to snag an iPad 2 on launch day? Or did you have a similar, disappointing experience like myself? Tell us below!

iPhone 4 Gets Nearly Double the Battery Life of Some Android Phones

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 18, 2019

One of the biggest things I'm concerned with on my smart phone is battery life. What good is a wireless phone if it always needs to be plugged in? With some of my older iPhones (iPhone 2G, 3G), it was a major issue. But since I've gotten my iPhone 4, it's never really been a problem.

I've had Android and Blackberries for work phones in the past, and I can honestly say the iPhone 4 is the best when it comes to battery life. Well it looks like my experience are in line with most everybody else's, as cnet test results confirm that the iPhone is top dog...

iPhone 4 Hacked at Pwn2Own

Cody Lee ∙ March 11, 2011

Earlier today we mentioned that the iOS hacker, i0n1c, stated that he was going to wait until iOS 4.3.1 to release his jailbreak. This comes in wake of the events that took place in Canada at this years Pwn2Own contest. Of large interest to hackers and corporations alike, thousands turn out to witness the latest in cyber security fraud.

The name of the game is Pwn2Own, meaning if you are the fastest to hack it, you get it. These devices range from Blackberrys and iPhones, to MacBooks and laptops. Google was even on hand with a $20,000 reward to anyone who could hack their Chrome software. But day 2 was all about the iPhone 4, and was once again exploited by security expert, Charlie Miller...

Untethered Jailbreak Delayed Until iOS 4.3.1?

Cody Lee ∙ Updated February 6, 2016

If you have been keeping up with your iOS 4.3 news daily, you know that everyone is holding their breath for an official jailbreak and unlock. Although jailbreaking was possible with beta versions of 4.3, it required you to hook up to your computer every time your iDevice rebooted. Yesterday, we showed you a video of an iPad, running 4.3, that was untethered and running the jailbroken app store Cydia.

Well it appears that the iPhone hacker behind that video, i0n1c, tweeted this morning that he will be waiting until iOS 4.3.1 to release his jailbreak. He goes on to say that he believes Apple will release 4.3.1 soon, because everybody saw the iPhone 4 getting hacked at the Canadian Pwn2Own competition this week. So why wait until the next version of iOS?

iPhone 5 Renderings Leak, Show Larger Screen

Cody Lee ∙ Updated July 24, 2016

If you are new to the Apple 'rumor mill', pay attention. Due to Apple's high profile products, and dedication to absolute secrecy on their projects, tech junkies are forced to look to other avenues for information. The interest surrounding Apple products really increased after they launched their original iPhone back in 2007. After changing the wireless industry, with an all in one touch screen device, people became extremely interested in what they would dream up next.

The latest target of the rumor mill, is the up and coming iPhone 5. After a major redesign with the iPhone 4 last June, one can only imagine what they might have in store for their next iteration. Luckily, overseas parts manufacturers are there to give us tidbits on Apple products, which is exactly what we have here.

iPad 2 Supply Already Dwindling?

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 30, 2016

If you weren't one of those people that got online at 1 AM this morning to snag an iPad 2, you may be waiting a while. Apple's second version of its popular tablet went on sale early this morning online, and will be available at 5 PM at retail stores today.

It appears it didn't take long for Apple fanatics to snatch up the first round of shippable iPad 2's. At about 7 AM PST this morning, customers trying to order the new iPad online were met with a 2-3 week ship time.

People who got their orders in before that, were able to have the product shipped in 3-5 days. After noticing the lengthy ship times, I decided to call my local retailers, and see what would be available for local purchase.

To my surprise, the wireless dealers I contacted stated they would have limited quantity on hand. They also stated that they wouldn't have any iPad 2 WiFi only models on hand for the big launch day.

When Apple announced a ship date of less than 2 weeks after the iPad 2 was made public, I expected them to be a little more prepared. Especially considering that the original iPad, was one of the fastest selling consumer electronic products in history.

Did you snag an iPad 2 this morning? Will you be venturing out to a retail store today? Let us know below!

iOS 4.3 Protects Against Accidental In-App Purchases

Cody Lee ∙ March 11, 2011

Apple's iOS 4.3 has been making headlines for weeks. From iTunes Home Sharing to mobile hotspot, new features keep pouring out of Apple's latest iOS update. With so many big changes, it's easy for the smaller firmware tweaks to go unnoticed. One of those features, which I was glad to see added, is a required password reentry for in app purchases.

In previous versions of iOS, in app purchases did require a password, but with one major drawback. Apple gave users a 15 minute window after password authentication to make in app purchases. This window was to prevent a choppy App Store experience, especially for users purchasing multiple items. What was so wrong then, that they went and changed it?

Top 6 Reasons the iPad 2 Sucks

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 30, 2016

As usual, Apple has seemingly created a juggernaut as tablet competitors are already going back to the drawing board after the March 2nd announcement. But is all the media attention and strategic marketing enough to crown Apple the king of the tablets?

Maybe. Although they might have done enough to please the fanboys, I'm going to play devil's advocate and give you 6 good reasons why the iPad 2 sucks.

Screen Resolution

Rumors were flying left and right about the iPad 2 housing a Retina display, same as the iPhone. The iPad 2 will actually retain the same screen resolution from the iPad, so no upgrade there. With HD video recording capabilities and an iMovie.app, why wouldn't you want a nice, sharp screen to view your content?

Weak Cameras

Where's FaceTime HD? Apple's latest MacBook update added FacetimeHD, a High Def version of their popular video chat app. The rear camera on the new iPad says HD, but doesn't give megapixel count. There is also no LED flash. Apple mentions advanced backside illumination anyways for better low light shots, but I would prefer an LED flash.

Aging 3G Technology

We saw it with the iPhone. Apple tends to not jump on new wireless network technology. iPhone 3G came about a year after areas were seeing 3G speeds. The optimistic were hoping to see 4G LTE in the new iPad. But with battery life and reliability still questionable on the new technology, they decided to stick with the aging 3G technology. You could have at least built the hardware in and give users the option to upgrade at a later time, when 4G was in more markets, like the Motorola Xoom tablet

Still No Expandable Memory?

Some of the earlier iPad 2 rumors suggested it might have a Micro SD card slot for expandable, removable memory. Well we haven't seen it on a mobile Apple product yet. iPods, iPhones, and the iPad have all had SSD drives with no option to upgrade. Many, in fact all, of Apple's major smartphone and tablet competition house MicroSD card slots so it'll be interesting to see if they ever cave.

Still No I/O option?

We were hoping to see USB or even Thunderbolt (Apple's new lightning fast I/O) come to the iPad 2 but all we got was an HDMI chord. Which is nice, don't get me wrong, it just would have been nice to get an actual USB port to read jump drives, and attach cameras and other peripherals without the need for adapters and OS tweaks.

Still No Flash

Now there was nobody expecting this to change. Apple has made its beef with Adobe's dominant web platform, Flash, very public. In fact none of Apple's iDevices run Flash. But 80% of the 100 most visited websites use Flash. Although it hasn't seemed to affect sales at all, all of Apple's major competition in the tablet industry are Flash capable.

Now all that being said, I think Apple's new iPad will be very successful. In fact, I'll probably sell my original iPad on eBay and go and get the iPad 2. But I will only be paying $100 difference or so. If I had to shell out another $500 for the iPad 2, I wouldn't do it. This model doesn't have enough new features to justify spending that kind of money, again.

Do you think the iPad 2 sucks? If so, or if not, raise your voice by leaving a comment below.

Here’s What a 64GB iPhone 4 Looks Like on Video

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 11, 2018

A couple of days ago we reported on a story revolving around a mysterious 64GB iPhone 4 that seemed to have sprung out of nowhere.

Initial reports around the web indicated that the device was being sold on the grey markets in China.

Now a bit of clarification has been added to the mix, as it appears that this iPhone 4 is one of maybe a few prototypes that "leaked" out of Foxconn facilities.

As you can see, the iPhone 4 definitely reeks of being a prototype. Notice that the + and - signs on the volume keys are nowhere to be found.

This device looks eerily similar to the iPhone 4 that Gizmodo acquired last year from a guy that left his prototype iPhone 4 lying helplessly in a bar.

Another point of note is that the silver ring that surrounds the camera lens in production iPhone 4's is missing as well. That too is a feature identical to the iPhone 4 shown off by Gizmodo.

Judging from the similarities, I'm going to go on the limb as call this a pre-production iPhone 4 that just happened to find its way outside of Foxconn's walls. I highly doubt we'll ever see an iPhone 4 with 64GB of storage, but it's definitely possible for the iPhone 5.

The good news is that Apple is indeed testing such storage capabilities, so at least they are contemplating it.

What do you think?

[M.I.C. Gadget via BGR]

Apple Working on Video Ringtones?

Cody Lee ∙ March 8, 2011

Patently Apple, a website well known for bringing Apple's patents to the masses, has uncovered a good one. The photo above is from a patent filed late last year by Apple engineers Brian McKnight and Michael Neuman.

The documents describe methods for creating video ringtones in iOS. The technology would allow users to automatically use audio and video from iTunes and iMovie to create custom alerts for each incoming call...

AT&T iPhone Beats Verizon’s in Data Speed Tests

Cody Lee ∙ March 7, 2011

Verizon might win the coverage war, but AT&T takes the crown for the fastest data download speeds. That is, of course, according to Metrico Wireless. An independent mobile device performance evaluation company out of Maryland, Metrico has been advising companies on launch readiness of their wireless products and services for years.

According to their latest report, which includes thousands of field tests between 5 U.S. cities, AT&T clearly has the faster data. Metrico ran more than 10,000 web page downloads in Dallas, New York City, Seattle, Chicago, and Baltimore. They also ran more than 2,000 data download and upload tests, as well as over 4,000 voice calls...