Hong Kong line for iPhone 4S numbers in the thousands

We mentioned in passing that the iPhone 4S had sold out in ten minutes at the Hong Kong Apple Store, but given these pictures that have been posted online since, a statement like that doesn’t really do the launch justice. That place looks like a madhouse — thousands of people lined up to buy Apple’s new iPhone, and the police were out in force with barricades and dogs to make sure everything went smoothly. Black market salesmen were buying and selling iPhones outside the store, apparently, and leaving the queue got your picture taken and your number checked. There were even “professional queuers,” low income workers that were paid to simply stand in line and buy the phone when it became available.

The whole thing is a little shocking, actually — here in the States, waiting in line for a new game or a new iPhone is kind of a silly thing to do to show your appreciation for a new product, but in Hong Kong it is serious business apparently. I hope nobody got hurt at the launch out there, and though it seems unlikely, I also hope everyone who wanted an iPhone day got one.

[photo by M.I.C gadget]

Hong Kong line for iPhone 4S numbers in the thousands originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 10 Nov 2011 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple corporate matching program raises $2.6M for charities

appleAs first reported by AppleInsider, Apple has announced to its employees that their combined efforts have led to US$2.6 million being donated to charitable companies since the company’s “Apple Matching Gifts Program” began. That’s not a bad haul considering the program is only seven weeks old.

The program was started by Apple’s new CEO Tim Cook in September. Through the program Apple will match employee donations dollar-for-dollar — up to $10,000 per employee, per year — to any nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.

Currently the “Apple Matching Gifts Program” is only available to US employees, though Apple is expected to roll it out in other countries in the coming months.

Apple corporate matching program raises $2.6M for charities originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 10 Nov 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone 3G lawsuit over poor iOS 4 performance tossed out of court

In 2010, the iOS 4 update all but crippled the iPhone 3G. A subsequent update fixed most of the issues, but as is inevitable in a persistently litigious culture, California resident Bianca Wofford filed a lawsuit against Apple claiming “Apple knowingly and intentionally released what it called a system software ‘upgrade’ that, in fact, made hundreds of thousands of [iPhones] ‘useless’ for their intended purpose.”

When I examined the law brief, I found it to be utterly without merit and full of tremendous errors in logic. My conclusion: “I hope that whatever judge sees this brief is smart enough to throw it out before it even makes it to court. The suit’s claims are all but impossible to prove.”

A year later, that’s exactly what has happened; Judge Anthony J. Battaglia dismissed the case because the claims made don’t fall under California’s Consumer Legal Remedy Act. Since the iOS 4 software update was offered free of charge, the judge ruled that it qualified as neither a “sale or lease” or “good or service” under the Act.

Ms. Wofford’s lawsuit sought US$5000 in damages for iPhone 3G owners, free upgrades to the iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4, and $150 in credits for lost services. Since the judge has ruled her case is not covered under the Consumer Legal Remedy Act, none of those damages will be brought against Apple. Wofford has the right to appeal or amend her suit, but the case was so completely lacking in merit that it’s unlikely the appeal will move forward.

The hardest thing to believe about this case? It’s already been a whole year since we first heard about it. Time sure flies.

[via AppleInsider]

iPhone 3G lawsuit over poor iOS 4 performance tossed out of court originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 10 Nov 2011 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon’s Flow app is augmented reality shopping goodness

Amazon quietly released a new iPhone app last week that aims to give other bar code scanning apps a run for their money. The free app, called Flow, isn’t revolutionary in its bar code scanning capabilities. Oh, it scans bar codes just fine, but the beauty of Flow is that it does more than just bar code scanning. Flow allows the user to point their iPhone’s camera at an object, like a book, DVD, Blur-ray disc, or video game (and Nutella, apparently) and get an instantaneous augmented reality overlay of the product information right on the iPhone’s screen.

The overlay is more than just a Buy It Now link to Amazon.com. The app utilizes Amazon’s large digital media collection and allows users to instantly get audio previews of CDs they’ve scanned or video previews of DVDs, video games, and more. I used the app to successfully scan The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, the Captain America DVD, and the latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine with Steve Jobs on the cover. All were found in Amazon’s huge virtual catalog instantly.

It’s no wonder Amazon released Flow now. They want to get it in the hands of as many iPhone users as possible prior to this holiday shopping season. The app works exceedingly well both in bar code scanning and photo recognition. It’s also really nice to be able to get audio and video previews of products and be able to instantly buy them on your phone. However, Flow isn’t a huge threat to other bar code scanning apps, like RedLaser, just yet. Flow obviously only shows you products on Amazon’s site, where RedLaser gives you the prices of products across multiple sites.

Brick and mortar stores like Best Buy and Target should be extremely worried about Flow and its future iterations. When Flow gets to the point that you can scan larger items like TVs or laptops (items that typically don’t have the bar code showing on the store’s display) those big box retailers could then become largely nothing more than a glorified showroom to which people go to see products, quickly scan them, and then order them at a significant discount from Amazon.

Flow is a free download.

Amazon’s Flow app is augmented reality shopping goodness originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 10 Nov 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Twelve South PlugBug: Hands-on review

I’m not sure if there’s something in the water that’s making manufacturers come out with a lot of new power accessories for Apple devices these days, but it seems like a lot of new products like the XtremeMac Slim 10W USB Wall Charger and others are being announced. None of the announcements really provided quite the excitement that the Twelve South PlugBug (US$34.99) did.

Why? Well, Twelve South is well-known for producing accessories for Apple products that are usually as well-designed and constructed as the goods from Cupertino. In this case, Twelve South took a rather pedestrian piece of equipment — a charger — and used the Apple adage to “Think Different” to create something that is extremely useful and attractive.

What makes the PlugBug so different? It looks a lot like an Apple iPad charger, although it is made of bright red plastic instead of white. When you plug it into the wall as-is, you can charge an iPhone or iPad with it. No big deal there. But the cool factor comes into play when you slide off the bottom of the PlugBug and slide on a charger — sans plug — from a MacBook Pro or Air. Suddenly, you’re charging two devices with one power socket.

The PlugBug is rated for 10 Watts of power and 2.1 Amps of current, perfect for charging up your iPad. With the unique design, you take the “duck head” (removable plastic piece with the plug blades) off of the MacBook charger (not included) and slide it onto the bottom of the PlugBug. Now you have a way to charge your MacBook Pro/Air and iPad/iPhone at the same time while taking up only one wall socket.

I’m often in a situation where I need to charge both an iPad and a MacBook Air at the same time, and up until now I’ve carried two AC adapters with me. If I know I’m going to be using both devices, I can now just throw one “brick” (the top of the PlugBug and the attached MacBook Air adapter) into my bag. Less weight to carry, by a few ounces, but one less item to worry about losing as well. However, you can’t use the brick inline, so the USB port isn’t available when you use the longer cord with the adapter.

As with most of the Twelve South products I’ve reviewed in the past, the PlugBug is well-made, attractively packaged, and will make any Apple fan with both an iPad and a MacBook Air or Pro very happy. You can purchase the PlugBug at the Apple Store online (and at Apple retail outlets), or from the Twelve South website.

Twelve South PlugBug: Hands-on review originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Daily iPad App: Walmart

Walmart recently released an iPad app and I decided to give it a whirl. I live in a rural area where Walmart is the biggest store near me and the first place I check for electronics. Walmart doesn’t have the largest selection in the world, but it has saved me the hour drive to Best Buy on more than one occasion. With its new in-store pickup feature and an iPad app, shopping at Walmart has gotten a little easier.

The iPad app is a tablet-optimized version of Walmart’s website and does most everything the website does. You can find store information like hours of operation, phone number, services and even driving directions. You can browse products and read product reviews. The app also lets you select your local Walmart so you can see the prices and product availability at the store you choose. Bargain hunters can browse their local weekly ad and rollback savings.

Walmart wants to make it easy for registered users to shop and has added a sync feature to the app. You can login to your Walmart account on your iPad, add items to your cart or saved items lists and then view those items later from a desktop browser. If you prefer to keep shopping on the iPad, you can checkout using the app and choose to have your items shipped to your house, shipped to your local store or reserved for in-store pickup. If you don’t have a login, you lose the sync feature, but you can still checkout as a guest.

The iPad app is perfect for people who shop at Walmart. My only critique is not how the app performs, but how it looks. Keeping with Walmart colors, the app has vibrant blue and bright orange colors, especially during checkout, that are a little hard on the eyes. It’s a minor complaint and wouldn’t stop me from using the app. The Walmart app for the iPad is available for free from the App Store.

Daily iPad App: Walmart originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best Resources In iOS Development – November 14th, 2011

Welcome to another edition of the best resources in iOS development listing recent resources featured on this site in order of popularity.

Once again iOS 5 tutorials continue to top the list along with some excellent libraries and a quick tip on using Xcode 4.

Here are the resources:

Tutorial: Easy Face Detection With Core Image In iOS 5 (Example Source Code Provided) – An example project and tutorial showing how to implement the new face detection feature included within the Core Image API in iOS 5.

Tutorial: Using URL Schemes To Open The Settings App To A Specific Page In iOS 5 – A guide to utilizing the undocumented URL schemes add in iOS 5 that enable you to open the settings app to a specific section.

Library To Quickly Turn A Map Kit MapView Into A 3D Augmented Reality Map View – A very interesting library with a free license option that allows you to convert an existing MKMapView into an augmented reality 3D view.

Open Source: Library For Stacking Customized iPad UIViewControllers – Library for creating beautiful customized stacking controllers on the iPad.

Advanced iOS App Logging For Easier Desktop And Even In-App Debugging – A couple of excellent tools for detailed logging, including a library that allows for in app logging and console debugging.

Tip: How To Bring Up The Memory Browser In Xcode 4 – A quick tip on how to bring up the memory browser in Xcode 4.

Open Source iOS Color Picker Components Roundup – A listing of color pickers including solutions that have been testerd to work in the iPad’s UIPopOver.

Using Core Image Filters In iOS 5 On A Live Video Feed – A tutorial with a very interesting example project demonstrating the use of many different core image filters on live video.

Source Code To Cocos2D Puzzle Game Previously Listed In The iOS App Store As “What’s Hot” Is Released – The open source release of a previous hit game in the app store.

Solving Issues When Converting A Project To Use ARC (Automatic Reference Counting) – An excellent guide on ARC including some excellent details on solving the issues that can occur when converting a non-ARC project to use ARC.

Tutorial: Easy iOS Databases With SQLite and FMDB – A step-by-step guide on using the open source SQLite wrapper FMDB for performing CRUD operations on a SQLite database.

Thanks for reading, please bookmark and share this post!

©2011 iPhone, iOS 5, iPad SDK Development Tutorial and Programming Tips. All Rights Reserved.

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Logitech drops Google TV, leaving Apple TV as dominant player

Logitech Chief Executive Guerrino De Luca says his company’s dance with Google TV was a “big mistake” and says it will stop producing the set top box.

The Verge website quotes De Luca as saying the introduction of the Logitech Revue with Google TV “cost us dearly” and when supplies are sold out, that will be it for the ill-fated venture.

It is estimated that Logitech spent about US$100 million on the product and has little to show for it. While some other companies, notably Sony, are still selling Google TV boxes, the little Apple TV is still in stores and apparently satisfying buyers, even if it hasn’t been a blockbuster hit either.

The second-generation Apple TV, announced in September of 2010, has experienced much better sales success than the original model. The reason? Most likely it’s because of the addition of other services like Major League Baseball and Netflix. Apple says it has sold more than 2 million of the units so far.

Now rumors are flying that Apple will produce a complete TV solution, and quotes in the recent Steve Jobs biography have added to the speculation that something might be on the way.

[via The Verge]

Logitech drops Google TV, leaving Apple TV as dominant player originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sun, 13 Nov 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Download Amazon MP3s in Terminal with clamz

If you’ve ever wanted to download Amazon MP3s via Terminal or over ssh, or ever found yourself unable to use the “Amazon MP3 Downloader.app” then I have good news for you: there is another way.

The problem

Amazon’s MP3 Store annoys me to no end. I love the deals that they occasionally offer, but in order to download the files, you have to download the Amazon MP3 Downloader. Inside that dmg file is an installer application that doesn’t use the normal .pkg format.

The special installer failed to install the application on my Mac. I managed to install it manually (as well as the plugin that needs to be installed to “/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/”), but then the application kept crashing after each song.

So, to recap, Amazon doesn’t use the standard package installer, and their installer failed to work; and they don’t use normal downloads, and their non-standard downloader failed to work. This is why you should stick to standards — they’ve been better tested for a lot longer than your “roll your own” solution. Stop reinventing the wheel.

The “.amz” file that you download from Amazon is an XML file which includes a download URL, but you can’t access that URL to download the music directly. I was all ready to start sniffing TCP headers and try to figure out what special headers the Amazon MP3 Downloader.app uses, when the same thought occurred to me: “Don’t reinvent the wheel.”

The solution

I was able to find the solution on Google code, specifically at http://code.google.com/p/clamz/ which is described as “is a little command-line program to download MP3 files from Amazon.com’s music store.”

Side note: I needed to install ‘libgcrypt’ in order to get clamz to build, which I did using Homebrew simply by typing brew install libgcrypt (assuming you already have brew and Xcode installed). The clamz page also mentions libcurl and libexpat, but I those were already installed on my Mac.

Once I had the necessary libraries installed, installation of clamz was as simple as the instructions on its homepage:

 tar xfvz clamz-0.5.tar.gz  cd clamz-0.5  ./configure  make  sudo make install  

Then I just had to get a “fresh” .amz file from Amazon. To do that, I went to the Amazon Cloud Player, clicked the checkbox at the top to select all my music (see #1 below) and then clicked “Download” (see #2 below):

Note that if you have more songs than will fit on one page, you may have to do this repeatedly for each “page”. I only have 230 songs in my Amazon Cloud Player.

That downloaded new “.amz” file on my computer called “Amazon-MP3-1321140421.amz” (yours will be named something similar but different). Then I ran this command simple command:

 clamz --output-dir=~/Music/ ~/Downloads/Amazon-MP3-1321140421.amz 

and watched with sheer delight as clamz downloaded all of my Amazon music files. I accidentally closed my MacBook Air before it was finished, but was able to resume the download simply by adding the –resume flag:

 clamz --resume --output-dir=~/Music/ ~/Downloads/Amazon-MP3-1321140421.amz 

When it finishes, you can delete the .amz file, as the links it contains will expire anyway. You can always download another one later.

Thanks, Internet

This simply would not have been possible without the help of the open source community, both the developer behind clamz (Benjamin Moody) and the awesome folks behind Homebrew.

After I finished using clamz I also found pymazon, but I’m not sure if that works on Mac.

Since I criticized Amazon’s non-standard downloader, someone might say “Well, iTunes is a non-standard downloader, too!” That’s a valid point. If I had been trying to download from iTunes and it failed to work, I would not have been so fortunate to find an open source solution.

Download Amazon MP3s in Terminal with clamz originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sun, 13 Nov 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iTunes 10.5.1 beta 3 released with more fixes for iTunes Match

Apple has released a third beta of iTunes 10.5.1 to members of its developer program. According to Apple, “iTunes 10.5.1 beta 3 includes a number of important stability and performance improvements for iTunes Match, and is a required update for all subscribers to iTunes Match beta.”

This beta update comes just after developers’ iTunes Match libraries were wiped “as we prepare for the launch of iTunes Match,” Apple said in an email to developers. This latest beta comes less than two weeks after the release of iTunes 10.5.1 beta 2, while 24 days passed between the release of the initial iTunes 10.5.1 beta and its successor.

Accelerating beta releases from Apple are usually indicative of an imminent public launch, but it remains to be seen whether 10.5.1 beta 3 has shaken out enough of the bugs to warrant more widespread release.

Once the service goes live to the public, users who pay US$24.99 per year will have access to virtually all of their music, anywhere, and anytime.

iTunes 10.5.1 beta 3 released with more fixes for iTunes Match originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sun, 13 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gumdrop Drop Tech Series cases offer serious iPhone / iPad protection

Gumdrop Cases has been making cases for Apple devices since mid-2010, and now the company has created the Drop Tech Series of protective cases for iPhone and iPad. These cases are designed to serve in more severe conditions than the usual “pretty” cases that we see all the time, and with their “truck tread” silicone skin on the back, the Drop Tech Series cases look like they’re made to survive. Read along for a quick look at the Drop Tech Series cases for iPhone 4/4S and iPad 2.

Design

To provide the best protection for your device, the Drop Tech Series cases are designed with several layers. First, your device slides into a polycarbonate frame that provides rigidity to the case. Second, there’s a replaceable clear screen protector that is in its own frame. The screen protector keeps your iPad or iPhone safe from scratches or spills while it is in the case. Finally, a thick silicone skin covers the frame and back of the iPad, providing drop protection and a very grippy surface.

The silicone skin has sealing rubber plugs in all of the right places — where all of the buttons and major ports are. There are two exceptions to this protection, those being the camera / flash, microphone, and speaker areas. The lack of full protection in these areas makes the product splash resistant, but not fully waterproof. You’ll still need to take care to avoid getting your device soaked in water, as it could easily leak in through the microphone and speaker holes or camera port.

With all of the protection, you might think the Drop Tech Series cases are difficult to install. You’d be wrong — they’re actually one of the easiest protective cases for iPad and iPhone that I’ve had the pleasure to work with.

The cases do add some bulk and weight to your Apple devices; that’s a necessity in order to add the padding and protection that you get with the Drop Tech Series. The iPhone cases weigh 1.7 ounces, while the iPad case tips the scales at 11.6 ounces.

The cases for iPad are priced at US$59.95 and come in black, black with a red frame, white with a black frame, and pink with a white frame. The company also makes a “Military Edition” ($69.95) in Army Green-44 that adds a microfilm dust filter and extra protection for the cameras to the mix. If you really need that extra level of protection, the Military Edition Drop Tech Case for iPad 2 is probably the one you want to get (it also looks pretty cool, although I would have preferred camo instead of green). It’s the one getting shot by a paintball gun in the video at the end of this review.

The iPhone 4/4S cases are priced at $49.95 and come in the same color combos as the iPad Drop Tech Case. Sadly enough, Gumdrop does not make a Military Edition iPhone Drop Tech Case for the iPhone at this time (perhaps they’ll make ’em in camo and Army green if enough of us ask for them).

Functionality

While I didn’t offer up my body and iPad 2 or iPhone 4S as targets for paintball guns, I did carry around both of the cases for a day. The iPad 2 case is quite impressive in terms of how well it protects the device. I used it in the kitchen and felt no qualms about splashing a little bit of water on the screen and accidentally dusting the device with a bit of cornmeal. The Drop Tech Series Case did its job admirably, keeping the iPad 2 protected. I didn’t deliberately drop the iPad 2 to see how well the case did its job there, but I am impressed with the thickness of the silicone covering, especially in the corners.

The iPhone 4/4S case was equally protective. Note that if you’re the type who likes to slide your iPhone into a front pants pocket to carry it around, the Drop Tech Series case is going to keep you from doing that. In my opinion, it was just too bulky to carry in pants without looking awkward. On the other hand, if someone was going to toss the iPhone into a briefcase along with pens, pencils, paperclips, and other scratch-inducing materials, the Drop Tech Series case would be perfect.

I rate the Drop Tech Series cases as a value. The MSRP for the competing iPad 2 Defender case from OtterBox is $89.95; a full $30 more for (in my opinion) equivalent protection. Likewise, the MSRP for the iPhone 4S Defender is $49.95, $5 more than the Drop Tech Series case.

Conclusion

Gumdrop Cases has a winner on their hands with the Drop Tech Series. The cases are inexpensive when compared to the competition and offer protection that is equivalent or superior to other similar “construction site cases.” If you’re looking for a case that can offer ease of installation, great protection, and rugged good looks, the Drop Tech Series cases are what you want.

Gumdrop Drop Tech Series cases offer serious iPhone / iPad protection originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sat, 12 Nov 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Study: Shopping on iPads increases spending

Whether you want to hear it or not (and trust me, I don’t either), the holidays are just a couple of weeks away. Just a short 14 days from now, the holiday season will be upon us, and Black Friday and other holiday deals will be everywhere, encouraging us to buy gifts, sale items, and whatever else retailers can get moving off of the shelves. And so a stat like this is extremely interesting to those retailers: People who shop for products on an iPad are almost twice as likely as people who shop on other platforms (including Android or PC) to actually buy the item they’re looking for. According to IBM Coremetrics, not only do those users buy items, but they often buy more than other users would.

All of that makes sense when you think about it — to buy an iPad in the first place, you have to be a pretty savvy shopper, not to mention spend a premium price on what’s certainly a premium item. And you have to be pretty dedicated, given that you’re shopping for a certain item in any way other than just going to the store and picking it up.

I’m interested to see this year as well (though of course the iPad was around last year too), just how having more iPads around affects shopping habits. Browsing for prices on your iPhone is one thing, but pulling up prices inside an app on your iPad while in the store has to be a different experience than just comparing prices with what you see on the shelf. The iPad could be a very potent tool for shopping, and clearly people with iPads are people who are ready to shop. Enjoy these two quiet weeks, sure, but then we’ll see how this holiday shopping season plays out.

Study: Shopping on iPads increases spending originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sat, 12 Nov 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Better Business Bureau lists AT&T as having lowest complaint rate among mobile carriers

Here at TUAW, we still hear plenty of complaints about AT&T’s service (many of them actually directed at AT&T, but sent to us for some reason). But the Better Business Bureau says we’re actually in a good spot — AT&T apparently has the lowest amount of complaints from major carriers coming through that agency out of all of the various cell phone service providers. Note that they are referring to major carriers: smaller regional carrier Metro PC actually had the lowest number, but of course they don’t service nearly as many people.

Verizon was second best among the major carriers in the US, then Sprint, and T-Mobile brought up the rear, with 26,387 complaints over the last few years. There’s good news, though — data from last year shows that 95% of the complaints to the BBB about wireless issues were actually resolved. So apparently the squeaky wheel does get the grease.

Obviously, there are a lot of factors here — just because a company does or doesn’t get a lot of BBB complaints doesn’t necessarily reflect 1:1 on its service. But clearly not many of the people supposedly disappointed with AT&T have gone off to the Better Business Bureau for help.

[via BGR]

Better Business Bureau lists AT&T as having lowest complaint rate among mobile carriers originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sat, 12 Nov 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple launches 1st generation iPod nano replacement program

Apple has sent out emails to registered owners of 1st generation iPod nanos stating that certain iPod nanos created between September 2005 and January 2006 might overheat and pose a safety risk. This is because of a manufacturing defect from a single supplier, and the likelihood of problems increases as the model ages. Apple then directs the owner to a replacement program.

There have been some cases of the iPod nano’s battery overheating in the past, and while a search on Apple’s support site turns up a document, the link is currently not active. The issue turned up previously in 2009, and the Japanese government said in 2008 that three fires were caused in Japan from faulty 1st-generation nano batteries, and that Apple had two other reported cases where people were burned by their iPod nanos.

For those wondering if the emails they received are legitimate, a link to the replacement program can be found directly from Apple’s support site for earlier models of the iPod nano and Apple’s exchange and repair extension program.

The full email text can be read below.

Show full PR text
Dear iPod nano owner,

Apple has determined that, in very rare cases, the battery in the iPod nano (1st generation) may overheat and pose a safety risk. Affected iPod nanos were sold between September 2005 and December 2006.

This issue has been traced to a single battery supplier that produced batteries with a manufacturing defect. While the possibility of an incident is rare, the likelihood increases as the battery ages.

Apple recommends that you stop using your iPod nano (1st gen) and follow the process noted below to order a replacement unit, free of charge.

Note: This battery issue is specific to the iPod nano (1st gen) and does not affect any other iPod.

Replacement Process

You may order a replacement unit via the web. Click here to begin.

Your iPod nano serial number will be checked to verify that it is eligible for this program. You will receive a replacement unit approximately 6 weeks after we receive your current iPod nano (1st gen).

If you have a personalized iPod nano, you will receive a non-personalized replacement. Make sure to use iTunes to back up any data on your current iPod nano before sending it in for a replacement unit.

Additional Information

Identifying an iPod nano (1st gen):

o. It has a black or white plastic front and a silver metal back – later iPod nano models have a metal front and back.

If you need assistance with placing an order, please visit an Apple Retail Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) and bring your iPod nano with you for serial number validation.

Your replacement iPod product is warranted to be free from defects for 90 days from the date of service.

Thank you for participating in this program.

Sincerely,

Apple

Apple launches 1st generation iPod nano replacement program originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sat, 12 Nov 2011 03:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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