Best Phone Blog

If you just cannot decide if you prefer the modern iPhone or the look of retro gadgets, well the iRetrofone Base may just be the thing for you. You can now convince your aging parents to trade in the old phone for your modern day iPhone by showing them the iRetrofone.

From Freehand Studios comes a handmade, sculpted and resin casted dock for your iPhone which looks like an old school telephone. This is made to be compatible with all of the available iPhone models and is meant to be able to charge as well as to sync the Apple device. A USB plug is not included, and of course an iPhone is not included (the site was very specific in stating this). This is the official description according to the Studios’ Etsy page:

“[The] handmade iRetrofone Base, sculpted and casted one at a time from resin. Designed to be compatible with all iPhones (not included) and retro handset. USB plug (not included) can be used to charge and sync with a computer. Easy to use, avoid radiation and looks cool.”

It looks to be a coveted item because due to high public demand, it is currently out of stock and is backordered. Not to worry though because the official site says that the iRetrofone will be shipping in around two weeks. The iRetrofone Base comes in three colors. Classic Black for that authentic retro vibe, clear black for those who want to mix it up with something modern and clear pink for those who prefer a girly feel.

The Base ships from the United States and costs just under 130 GBP. This is quite a pricey dock indeed, but if you would like to go retro, visit the Etsy site of Freehand Studios (http://www.etsy.com/listing/45436168/iretrofone-base) to check out how the Base looks.

More about the iRetrofone Base at Engadget.

There is no doubt that any news of a delay would be a sour note for any tech devotee that has been patiently awaiting the release of a device, but Apple takes the cake with the recently announced one month delay for the Apple iPad.

Originally, the touch screen tablet was meant to have a single worldwide launch. However, in the same week that it was reported that Apple was having troubles with their China based manufacturers, it was announced that the iPad would be released in the US first and later in the UK (and the rest of the world). While this was met with a few raised eyebrows, the tech community easily took in the explanation and awaited the official launch patiently.

The US release of the iPad pushed through on schedule last April 3 with thousands lining up in stores to purchase the new touch screen gizmo. Many others who pre-ordered the device were able to quickly try out the new product –leading to hundreds of unboxing videos and reviews of the device all over the internet. At this point, the rest of the world was just waiting to have a taste of the gadget.

Swallowing the wait is fine for many Apple fans. After all, it was announced beforehand that the iPad would not be coming out until the end of April. But to expect the very same fans to be content with an even further delay is too much for Apple. Considering the fact that the device is already available in the US, it is almost as if the folks at Cupertino are teasing the rest of the world with their new gadget.

It will take more than Apple’s “surprise” with large demand for the iPad to sate the angry mob of eagerly awaiting iPad fans.

Read more about the details of the iPad launch delay at Times Online UK.

The device already launched in the United States last April 3, however, if news sources are to be believed, it seems that Apple is unsure about being prepared for the worldwide launch of the touch screen tablet this coming April 24 and are considering delaying the launch until later this coming May.

The odd news comes to us courtesy from the folks at Stuff, who has stated that the new tentative launch date may be as far back as late in May –almost a full two months since the US launch. According to Apple, the reason for the delay is due to the need to produce more devices in order to keep up with the unforeseen demand for the product.

Though considering that there were previous reports about Apple having more than a million devices being prepared for launch, it is odd that they would delay the international launch of such a crucial product.

If anything, the US launch would have shown Apple that the iPad is a success, and whether they are able to keep up with demands or not, the world is already awaiting the launch of the device. In fact, some might even say that the reason why the US demand is currently so strong is because it is being bolstered by many international buyers who are having the device shipped outside of the US.

For those who missed out on the iPad launch, this is the very first standalone touch screen tablet device that serves as a unified media access device. It works as a web browser, an eBook reader, a media player and a gaming device. Users can also run iPad applications and it is compatible with apps for the iPhone and the iPod Touch.

Read more about the possible launch delay for the Apple iPad at Stuff TV

.

It may seem like a major loss, but with over two years of connoted support from Apple, the first generation iPhone has finally met the end of its time. And a good time it was. Since the launch of the device over a couple of years ago, the device quickly became the recognizable touch screen smart phone in the whole world.

The iPhone operating system held a place as a new benchmark for how touch screen controls should be –how responsive and how intuitive a user interface must be in order to achieve the best user experience when navigating a device. The iconic black front and metallic back cover has become pop culture references and changed the world of smart phones the way the iPod changed the world of portable music devices.

Getting down to the hard numbers, the first gen iPhone already received two major OS updates and has lasted to be in use by the mobile phone industry for a length of time that very few other handsets have lived through. As a smart phone, the device has had a long lifespan –most Android and WinMo devices would be shoved out after the first major OS change it sees.

With the new iPhone 4G in the horizon, letting go of the old iPhone is a need that has become more and more apparent. The new features and capabilities of the OS will need hardware that the old iPhone cannot provide and if Apple is to stay on top of the mobile phone industry, they would need to stick with devices that can function and run with all of its features and capabilities in tow.

Owners of the first generation iPhone are encouraged to have their devices properly recycled when migrating to the upcoming iPhone 4G.

Read more about the first generation Apple iPhone at Stuff TV.

Just when we thought that the new iPhone 4.0 OS announcement was done, Apple unveiled the new SDK and of course, the license agreement.

In a very surprising move, Apple is risking the support of many developers by choosing to block out the use of third party software for developing iPhone apps. Clause 3.3.1 states that “Applications must be originally written in Objective-C, C, C++, or JavaScript as executed by the iPhone OS WebKit engine, and only code written in C, C++, and Objective-C may compile and directly link against the Documented APIs (e.g., Applications that link to Documented APIs through an intermediary translation or compatibility layer or tool are prohibited).”

Simply put, developers can no longer make use of the Adobe Flash Professional CS5 program in order to make their iPhone applications. This will definitely hamper the work progress for many developers. After all, Adobe’s software streamlines production time by making it easy to string together scripts with visual content in a familiar Flash environment. The output is then run through a compiler which makes the app compatible with the iPhone.

By taking out this process, developers could be facing a longer development time for their apps which would mean that the cost for producing apps may also increase.

Apple is confident that developers would be able to adapt with the change. While the tools that come with the SDK are considered to be more than sufficient, the limitation on allowed software would certainly be a heavy burden most particularly for independent and cross platform developers.

Considering that all that the new OS version brought with it was multitasking, this major change in the app development process is too much of a trade-off for many users.

Read more about the how Apple’s new license agreement is locking out Adobe at Mobile Choice UK.

It is way past beyond April fools, but there is no end to the various news clips that will bring a smile to our faces. On what appears to both amusing and saddening, a research conducted on 1,300 Brits has shown that most people are unaware about what the iPad is.

According to a research study done by a UK based website, about 49% of the people think that the iPad is actually a phone. Less than half were able to identify the device properly and the rest thought it was some other gadget of sorts. The local launch of the iPad is not due until the 24th, which means that Apple has to invest a little more time getting people oriented about the new touch screen tablet.

On a side note, the term tablet computer has once again been used to identify the device, which means that even people in the know are mistaking the iPad for a computer. It’s a tablet device, but hardly a computer. Despite the technical fact that it does have a processor, RAM and internal memory, by virtue of purpose, it is more of a media access device than a computer which handles more than just playback but editing and creation as well.

Anyway, the Apple iPad had a very successful launch in the US over the weekend where it was sold 450,000 units. Many believe that Apple will be able to reach a full million by the end of this quarter.

The iPad is a touch screen tablet that is able to browse web sites, read eBooks, play apps and run media content such as movies, music, photos and even maps. The iWork app allows users to type out small documents on the device.

Get to know more about the study on the iPad at Expert Reviews UK.

Considering that almost everyone has a smart phone and a Facebook or Twitter account these days, it is practically a given that anyone knows how to get online. However, getting online is just the first part, actually knowing what is safe to do on the internet however, is a completely different matter.

Fending off scams and phishing attempts is one thing but being able to determine bad user policies is the other. This is the current case that many people are having with the famous social networking website, Facebook (though you probably already know that).

What you may not know however, is that Facebook has the right to share your username, profile details and even friend lists on any site they wish to disclose the information to, and according to recent reports, Facebook is about to actually put that right into play. There will be predetermined web sites that Facebook allegedly trusts and will be sharing user information with.

For many, this may not seem like a big deal, but in fact, it is a threat to security for many users. Being able to control the privacy of an account within Facebook is already difficult, as figuring out whether how much visible you want to be can be quite the dilemma. Now, Facebook is adding in a new factor: external websites that would be given your data as long as you are still logged into Facebook.

The only way to deal with this now is to manually log out of Facebook before visiting other websites –a serious hassle for anyone used to checking Facebook while browsing other sites. With many of the current users already protesting this change in policy, we can expect to see a reaction from the social networking site within the next few days.

Read more about the new privacy policy at Bernama.

If Microsoft’s labeling of the Windows Phone 7 series did not make much sense to you, then you might want to take note of the little fun factoid that Microsoft Tweeted out some time back: the word “series” will be dropped from the label.

It makes more sense now, considering the fact that reading the OS name no longer sounds as if you were referring to a whole new line of mobile phones. Though it still sounds like a Windows “phone”, the new name has taken on a more sensible meaning.

While some might feel that the OG name change is not a big issue, it is hard to disregard the fact that considering what we have seen from Microsoft’s presentations and demos about the new mobile platform, getting the name right will be a very crucial factor. After all, this OS can very well change the way we see and use mobile phones. Naturally, getting a good name comes with that; imagine if Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs chose a banana over the apple for a brand name.

Anyway, aside from the new OS, the older Windows Mobile platform will also be getting a name change soon. This will happen once the Windows Phone 7 OS finally comes out. According to Microsoft, the older platform will be renamed to Windows Phone Classic. This will help keep the two different OS lines unified under the Microsoft label. The reason for the renaming is because Microsoft will continue supporting and developing for the older WinMo OS.

With the business sector relying heavily on either the BlackBerry OS or the WinMo OS, it would be impractical for Microsoft to simply let go of such a large market –on that has kept them running all these years.

Get to know more about the change of name for WP7 at Mobile Choice UK.

To say that a single tablet could single handedly change the world for Apple would be too much, but it certainly gives the Cupertino based manufacturer and developer a solid leg up over Google in their continuous tech war.

The Apple iPad launched just a couple of day ago in the United States (April 3), and in the launch day alone, the sale numbers has hit a massive 300,000 units. In the span of a few days, that number has risen to about 700,000 units –according to some estimates. While the hard numbers has yet to be formally announced by Apple, many are confident that the figures would reach the 1 million mark by the end of the week; easily surpassing the predicted 1.2 million units in the first full quarter.

But why is the Apple iPad so successful? It is a very valid question since the device does not provide any other purpose or function that does not exist in other electronic devices. From browsing the web to reading eBooks to media playback, these are all features that can be found elsewhere.

The secret lies in the fact that the iPad is a simple device that turns all of the above functions, and more into very easy tasks to accomplish. Add in other features such as iWork which turns the tablet into a temporary workstation along with the maps, contacts and the many Apple apps and you have a fully functional media gizmo. Google has yet to announce if they will actually come up with their own Chrome tablet – though some rumors state that one might just be in the works.

For more details on the apps for the Apple iPad and what this could mean for the Apple and Google’s control for the web at the Australian IT.

The Apple iPad is not just web browser. It is not just an eBook reader. It is not just a media player. It is a little of all, and offers a little bit more. Still, being a jack of all trades usually makes one a master of none, so how does the iPad really come out?

The touch screen tablet will not hit UK shores until later in April, but this account should offer some valuable insight for book readers who feel that this gadget could very well replace their Sony Reader or Amazon Kindle:

Its’ heavy!

Seriously, for those of you who loathe huge hardbound books that are encumbering to read, then Apple iPad is going to be one of those books that you will have to juggle from one hand to another as the heaviness is unbearable.

If you just need to check on a single article or news clip, then you will not mind at all, but when you are over 300 pages deep into reading, the weight becomes pretty noticeable. Fortunately, reading the screen is easy when you can prop it up on your leg or on your table.

Another issue with the iPad is that the main screen provides a lot of glare. Much like its smaller iPod counterpart, there is now way that you would be able to use this device in direct sunlight, though there is no issue when all the lights are out. It does however, does not respond well to changes in lighting. There are reports that the device is supposed to have an ambient light sensor that will automatically changes brightness settings, but no noticeable changes occur when moving from a well lit room to a completely dark area.

In terms of software, the readers for the iPad and the Kindle are well matched. Though the iPad does have some technical issues, the fact that it provides more functionality makes it a great purchase. But if you are simply looking for a better eBook reader, just stick to the Kindle.

Find out more about the iPad as it goes up against the Kindle at Business Week.