Author: Blancer

AT&T has submitted a document to the FCC in the process of trying to get that T-Mobile merger approved, and it reveals that AT&T was overwhelmed by the amount of smartphone data traffic it had to push through with the arrival of the iPhone. 2010 saw an 8000% jump in data rates over 2007, according to the document, which adds that “a smartphone generates 24 times the mobile data traffic of a conventional wireless phone, and the explosively popular iPad and similar tablet devices can generate traffic comparable to or even greater than a smartphone.” The total apparently went up to 10 petabytes of data per month in 2010. Because of all that data, AT&T is trying to suggest that it “faces network capacity constraints more severe than those of any other wireless provider.”

And while AT&T says that connecting with T-Mobile will help both companies be better able to handle their data issues, things aren’t going to get easier. The company expects to deliver the same amount of data it served in 2010 in just the first five weeks of 2015.

Lest the FCC start feeling bad for AT&T and its predicament, don’t forget that by connecting with Apple for the iPhone in the first place, AT&T gladly took the bullet for all of that data. But yes, AT&T and other data providers have quite a goal in front of them, considering how fast consumer data consumption is growing thanks to Apple’s devices.

AT&T filing shows that smartphone data is facing huge growth originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s Earth Day. For 41 years, April 22nd has been a day to raise the awareness of people worldwide about the impact that they have on our planet. Our very own Megan Lavey-Heaton just provided a look at an eco-friendly laptop bag from Plaid Doctrine, and we review a surprising number of products that are made with thoughtful consideration for environmental consequences.

Here at TUAW, we’ve partnered with a group of Apple accessory manufacturers to give away products that are either made of recycled or natural materials, or that can be used to enhance your enjoyment of the great outdoors.

Continue reading this post on the next page to see these great products and for more details on how to enter the giveaway.

Continue reading Earth Day 2011 giveaway from TUAW

Earth Day 2011 giveaway from TUAW originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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About two weeks ago we told you about several websites that seemed to spring up overnight offering genuine iPhone unlocking. By “genuine” we mean the unlocks didn’t require any hacks or jailbreaks as the websites appeared to directly access Apple’s database and add IMEI device identifiers to it, which then told iTunes to unlock the iPhone the next time it was plugged in.

We also warned readers that they should be extremely careful if they take advantage of these services as there was no telling if Apple would relock the phone if it noticed unauthorized IMEIs being unlocked. Well, as of today, all those websites offering iPhone unlocks have mysteriously shut down.

Yes, mysteriously. Even the websites themselves don’t know what happened — or where the unlocks were coming from. “To tell you the truth, first our supplier told us there were server issues, then after that they just told us that they will not be offering the service anymore,” CutYourSim.com told Cult of Mac. “We are not sure where the service comes from, or whether it’s a contact through AT&T or Apple. We do know that the service is performed in the UK, but that’s about it.”

The fact that so many sites sprung up overnight offering these unlocks and have now shut down just as quickly leads one to believe that there was just one individual or small group with access to Apple’s databases. It’s possible that Apple quickly found out who this group or individual was and stopped their “services” cold.

Once they were cut off, since the websites that sold the service were acting as nothing more than a middleman, they had no choice but to cease the sale of all unlocking services. There’s no word yet on whether people who unlocked their iPhones through the service have found them locked again, but CutYourSim.com is offering refunds for those who paid and have not had their iPhones unlocked yet. The same site also notes that, in little more than a week, 400 people paid them for access to the unlocking service.

iPhone unlocking service providers shut down originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just in time for Easter, it’s finally here — our friends at Engadget have obtained actual pictures of the official white iPhone 4, which was purportedly sold by a Vodafone UK retailer to a tipster. It’s just what you’d expect it to be (like the iPhone 4, but, y’know, white), save for being one digit off on the model number. Vodafone has alerted its stores to not sell the phone until next week, but it looks like this one sneaked out.

9to5Mac also got hold of a memo from Netherlands smartphone retailer BelCompany, and though it’s since been pulled from the site (which perhaps lends even more credence to the authenticity), the memo purportedly said that the long-awaited White iPhone would finally be in stores as of next week, April 27. We’ve heard that the differently-colored handset would finally be available next week in the US, and since Apple has said before that the phone would arrive this spring, it looks like this is all finally going to happen.

If you’ve been waiting for a white iPhone 4 ever since it was announced back in June of last year, the wait is almost over.

UK has white iPhone now, Netherlands company memo suggests next week originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The WSJ’s Andrew Grossman reports (subscription required) that New York City’s subway riders may be a bit too openhanded with their digital devices. According to NYPD statistics, grand larceny* incidents on the subway were up 18 percent year-over-year from January to March of 2011 (311 reports in total). Transit police brass attribute the spike in pilferage to increased theft of smartphones, and of course, the most popular choice for thieves is the iPhone 4.

The article quotes NYPD transit chief Raymond Diaz on the increase: “We’ve been seeing an incredible trend of young people snatching these cellphones.” Diaz also noted that thefts are likelier during the evening rush hour, and that several train lines (Manhattan’s Lexington Avenue lines, Brooklyn’s J and L trains, and Queens’ M, R and 7 lines) seem to be ‘hot spots’ for thefts. The city’s commuter rail lines have also seen a mild spike in thefts.

While subway crime in New York remains at an extremely low level compared to historical norms, there are a few tips that Chief Diaz suggests to keep that ride trouble-free. Don’t stand near the train doors while using your phone since that would streamline a thief’s getaway; be sure to record your iPhone and iPad serial number in your personal records; and, of course, if you have Find My iPhone turned on, you might even get your device back.

Police efforts to track down phone-grabbing perps meet with some success; they make arrests in 30 percent of incidents of phones being swiped from owners’ hands, and in 56 percent of incidents where force was used in a phone robbery.

* While the New York State legal definition of ‘grand larceny’ is generally perceived to cover property worth $1,000 or more (which is pricier than an iPhone or iPad, unless it’s in a very nice case), the definition also applies to about 12 other conditions (i.e., if the theft involves secret scientific formulas, credit cards, cars, guns, religious items, phone phreaking gear or ammonia for making meth), including when the property in question is taken directly from the person who owns it, rather than stolen from an apartment or office when the owner is not present. These subway thefts match that part of the grand larceny law, making them a class E felony. Thanks to our friend in the NYC district attorney’s office for clarifying the rules.

Subway riders subject to iPhone thefts originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A report from AllThingsD suggests Apple has already inked deals with two of the four major record labels for its upcoming streaming music service. Apple’s VP of Internet Services, Eddy Cue, is supposedly traveling to New York to complete negotiations with the remaining two music labels as early as Friday (today). This report contradicts an earlier report from Reuters which claims Apple has not yet signed any licensing agreements.

Unlike Amazon’s cloud music service, which launched without signing a single licensing agreement, Apple may have the blessing of the top recording companies, such as Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, Sony and EMI. Industry insiders claim these agreements will let Apple stream higher quality music tracks, offer an improved user interface and incorporate other features that would not be available to Amazon’s Cloud Player service.

Industry executives that spoke to AllThingsD confirmed the music service would let iTunes users store their library in the cloud and access it from a variety of devices. Tracks purchased from iTunes as well as tracks stored on the user’s hard drive could be added to this online digital locker. No word on when the streaming service will launch, but Apple is reportedly working quickly to tie up all the loose ends.

Update: CNET is reporting that Apple has signed a deal with Warner Music Group to offer its music catalog on Apple’s rumored streaming music service.

Apple’s cloud music service ready to rock and roll (Updated) originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you’re eager for a featherweight Mac laptop with enhanced I/O and the latest Intel CPUs, you may not have to wait that much longer. Concord Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has told AppleInsider that Apple is set to begin mass production on new models of the MacBook Air in May. The new Air will sport a Thunderbolt port as well as Intel’s latest Sandy Bridge microprocessors and integrated Intel graphics. Kuo’s assertions are based on checks with system builders and other suppliers in the region.

A May production date would make sense for several reasons: it corroborates earlier reports for a June launch of an updated MacBook Air, but more importantly, it means that Apple’s hottest laptop would be refreshed in time for the back-to-school buying season, which typically begins in late June/early July. Kou’s assertion about the new MacBook Air gains some additional weight based on his track record; he accurately predicted the 11.6-inch MacBook Air three months before Apple unveiled it.

Rumor: MacBook Air refresh including Thunderbolt, Core i5/i7 coming soon originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Around the end of February, the good folks at Plaid Doctrine sent me one of their laptop bags to try for a week. These stylish, vintage-inspired bags are aimed at women who want a more elegant bag to carry in a professional setting. An extra bonus is that these bags are also eco-friendly: they’re built from fabric made from recycled plastic bottles, vegetable-tanned leather and completely sourced and produced in the U.S.

Although my taste runs toward backpacks (my current bag of choice being the Tom Bihn Synapse), I took the US$449 Eco Laptop to work. It’s a great-looking bag, but it has a few drawbacks that might turn off some potential buyers. Read on for a short review of a solid eco-friendly bag — just in time for Earth Day.

Continue reading For Earth Day, consider an eco-friendly laptop bag

For Earth Day, consider an eco-friendly laptop bag originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ten One Design started the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad stylus market singlehandedly with the Pogo stylus. Now it’s hoping to jumpstart development of apps that capture signatures by licensing its Autograph iOS Library.

The idea is simple. Rather than re-inventing the wheel when writing apps that capture signatures, Ten One Design’s library — which works with Xcode, of course — can be purchased by developers for US$99 for a single one-time use or for $499 for an unlimited site license. This is the same code used in Ten One’s Autograph app ($6.95), and a free demo version of the library is available to developers who would like to test-drive its capabilities.

The Autograph iOS Library is used in apps to capture digital signatures on the capacitive displays of iOS devices. The Library allows users to customize the stroke color and width, as well as the size of the signature, and provides smoothing for accurate signatures. The velocity of a writing stroke varies the width of the digital ink, and this capability supports biometric verification to capture signature details. Users can undo or redo their signatures with a three-finger swipe, and the Library can also offer a unique security hash watermark for signatures for security and tracking purposes.

The applications of signature capture are huge, from getting signatures from patients in the medical world to having customers sign an app to take delivery of a package. By making the Autograph iOS Library available to developers, Ten One Design is hoping that you’ll be signing your name on many more iPads and iPhones in the near future.

Ten One Design licensing Autograph signature capture to developers originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IHS iSuppli cut its forecast for yearly iPad sales following Apple’s earnings conference call on April 20. iSuppli predicts the Cupertino company will ship 39.7 million iPads in 2010, a 9.1 percent reduction from its earlier forecast of 43.7 million.

Apple confirmed during its earnings conference call that iPad 2 demand significantly outpaced supply. The iPad 2 flew off the shelves in Q2, and Apple sold every tablet it manufactured. According to iSuppli, Apple’s manufacturing is constrained by a shortage of the new speaker that graces the iPad 2. Unknown quality concerns with the LCD display may have also played a role in this less than optimal rate of manufacturing.

Demand for the iPad is expected to be strong for the rest of the year with a continuing production shortfall limiting the total yearly sales. During the Q&A session after the earnings call, Apple would not comment on when the supply of the iPad 2 would catch up with demand. Fingers crossed it happens soon so that prospective iPad owners no longer have to camp out early at their local Apple Store each day.

[Via MacRumors]

iPad 2 production shortfall cause: LCD and speaker issues originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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YouTube entered the live video streaming market with the launch of its YouTube Live service earlier this month. The high-profile video site is competing against similar live stream services, such as Ustream and Justin.tv. Unlike its competitors, YouTube Live uses only Flash technology to deliver its live stream. As a result, iOS owners are unable to watch these live feeds on their mobile devices.

Coming to the rescue is a web app, YTLive, which lets you copy the URL of a YouTube Live feed and paste it into their web-based player. The player converts the live stream to a format compatible with iOS and lets you watch a broadcast within Mobile Safari. As long as YTLive’s servers can handle the load of streaming video to millions of iOS devices, then we may have a winner.

[Via Engadget]

YTLive web app lets you watch YouTube Live broadcasts on your iOS device originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As with most holidays these days, there are now several iOS apps that come in handy when needed in a pinch. For Easter and its surrounding holidays, this can be anything from dying eggs to explaining why today is Good Friday. The New York Times recently recommended several apps for the holiday including:

Egg Dyeing 101: This US$0.99 app from Martha Stewart Living will take you beyond the ordinary hard-boiled egg and has instructions for everything from blowing out eggs to little decorations you can use to turn eggs into animals. A glossary, color wheel and more are included in the app, making this not just a good Easter app, but useful for when you want to do any sort of project involving egg decoration. Those who want to have the fun of dying eggs without dealing with the mess of eggs and dye can go for the $1.99 iColor Easter Eggs.

Read on for more apps that add to the fun of this spring holiday season.

Continue reading Apps and games for Easter and Passover

Apps and games for Easter and Passover originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A few months ago, enterprise mobile integrator Good Technology reported on the second round of metrics from its device activation data. The story showed strong growth for Android phones; while the iPhone remained in first place, but the curves were getting closer.

In the first quarter of this year, however, something rather disruptive happened. In the company’s latest report [PDF], released today, the iPhone has widened the gap again — and it’s largely due to the Verizon effect. “There’s no doubt that Verizon’s launch of the iPhone 4, combined with AT&T’s response on the discounted 3GS devices, certainly gave iPhones a bit of a lift,” says Good’s SVP of Corporate Strategy, John Herrema.

“What we were seeing in the 4th quarter was that Android was trending upward and getting close to catching up,” he says, “but in the first quarter of 2011 the iPhone has reasserted itself as the leading platform, at least with activations by our customers.” The Verizon iPhone launch apparently resulted in the highest rate of activation (16.9 percent) for any new device since Good has been publicly tracking and publishing reports (Q3 2010).

The tablet story is dramatically more one-sided, with the iPad and iPad 2 generating almost all of the tablet activations Good saw in the quarter. iPads represented about 20% of all device activations seen on the system, with Android tablets creeping in and reaching the 1% mark for the first time. “We’re seeing the tablet momentum continuing, really driven by iPad and iPad 2,” said Herrema. “We’re starting to see the first glimmers of Android tablets showing up on the scene. It’ll be interesting to see how that plays out in the 2nd quarter, especially as Honeycomb [Android 3.0] shows up on more devices besides the Motorola Xoom.”

Overall, iOS devices made up just under 70% of all device activations Good measured during the quarter. As before, Good’s visibility into the enterprise is solid but not comprehensive; it cannot measure BlackBerry deployment volumes, nor does it support Windows 7 phones at this time. Nevertheless, as a proxy for deployments of the devices it does support, Good’s numbers are (sorry) pretty good.

Good Technology sees boost in iPhone, iPad activations in Q1 originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hothead Games, the developer behind DeathSpank, Swarm and the Penny Arcade series of PC and console games, just released Bunny the Zombie Slayer, its first title on iOS. Just in time for Easter, the game has you playing as a bunny fighting zombies by lobbing Easter eggs at them, taking them down by lining up your shots and using special eggs with various functions. The game’s reminiscent of Pro Zombie Soccer as you take down shambling hordes with a very arcade-style weapon. It’s fun, and Hothead’s great art direction and design keep things fresh every time you load it up.

The game’s low on features, with no Game Center integration or multiplayer, but it’s still a nice deal at US$0.99 for a universal version on iPhone or iPad. Bunny the Zombie Slayer is a nice debut for the iPhone from the increasingly impressive Hothead, and hopefully we’ll see more from them on iOS in the future.

TUAW’s Daily App: Bunny the Zombie Slayer originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s Easter, and although that normally means stuffing your face with chocolate and a bit of a break, it also means it’s time for another App Store fire-sale. Hot on the block this year is EA’s impressive, console-quality, survival horror third-person shooter Dead Space for iPhone and iPad; it’s been discounted from US$6.99 and $9.99 respectively to the absolute bargain price of $0.99. If you haven’t checked out Dead Space yet, now is the time.

But that’s not all from EA mobile — it’s got a whole host of games on sale.

For iPhone at $0.99:

• Monopoly
• Tetris
• Dead Space
• The Sims 3
• Need for Speed Hot Pursuit
• NBA Jam
• Battlefield: Bad Company 2
• Madden NFL ’11

For iPad at $0.99:

• Dead Space
• Pictureka!
• Reckless Racing HD
• Command & Conquer Red Alert

Sega’s got a couple of games on sale as well, with ChuChu Rocket! HD down to $2.99, while Super Monkey Ball, SMB 2 and Altered Beast are all down to $0.99.

Many other games and apps from all sorts of developers are also on sale this Easter weekend, so if you’re after a new app or game to play with, now’s the time to check and see what bargains you can pick up. If you’ve found an absolute steal worth noting, drop it in the comments and let your fellow TUAW readers know.

Easter App Store sale kicks off with deals from EA and Sega originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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