Category: I-phone

We’ve talked about Mophie’s Juice Pack rechargeable external battery cases for iPhone before; we did a review of an early model and have given you the news of the Juice Pack Plus for iPhone 4. We finally got our hands on a Juice Pack Air for iPhone 4 for review purposes, so now it’s time to give you the skinny on how this battery pack works with the latest incarnation of the iPhone.

Design and size

Like the previous version for earlier iPhones, the Juice Pack Air for iPhone 4 comes with a USB-to-micro USB cable that is used for syncing and charging the case. The four LEDs that are used to indicate the amount of charge in the battery pack are still there, but have moved to the bottom of the case from the back — I’m speculating that this was done to make the case thinner.

The older Juice Pack seemed somewhat flimsy to me, but the iPhone 4 edition seems to have been designed with more strength in mind. The case has a silver-colored band around the side to mimic the iPhone 4’s stainless steel antenna, and comes in either black, red or white plastic. Installing the case is a cinch: you slide off the top of the case, slide in the iPhone 4 dock connector first, and then slide the top of the case onto the top of the iPhone. The weight of my “naked” iPhone 4 is 4.9 ounces (139 grams); the Juice Pack Air brought the total weight up to 7.3 ounces (207 grams). Without the Juice Pack Air, your iPhone 4’s dimensions are 4.5 x 2.31 x .37 inches (115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3 mm); with the battery case installed, the dimensions swell slightly to 5.07 x 2.51 x .68 inches (128.8 x 63.8 x 17.3 mm). There’s a photo of the phone and case side-by-side on the next page.

Continue reading Mophie Juice Pack Air for iPhone 4: Review and giveaway

Mophie Juice Pack Air for iPhone 4: Review and giveaway originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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By using “Disable JavaScript” on Safari’s Develop menu, you can eliminate annoyances from some websites, without the frustration of disabling JavaScript altogether.

I’ll even show you how to make a custom keyboard shortcut for it, so your fingers never even have to leave the keyboard.

The initial setup will take a few minutes, but it will be worth it when you realize the power you will wield in your fingers when you’re done.

JavaScript by itself is neither good nor evil.

JavaScript is driving a car. Most people who drive cars are good folks just trying to get from Point A to Point B as easily and quickly as possible. Some people, however, are maniacs, some are drunk drivers, and some are just not very good at it.

The same is true for JavaScript. Most of the time you don’t even notice JavaScript but it’s working in the background to help you and the website work together. Have you ever typed something into a field and the website immediately recognized a problem? That was JavaScript. Unfortunately the analogs of “maniacs” and “drunk drivers” of the JavaScript world all seem to work in marketing. Popup windows? Popover windows? Ads that suddenly appear or slide over what you were trying to read? Also JavaScript. Those green-double-underline links or other links that show you ads when you hover over them? JavaScript.

My favorite is when I’m at a page that won’t let me copy text or even right click, thinking this is some sort of “protection.” The ironic part is that many of these sites (such as for music lyrics) are posting content they don’t own in the first place, and then try to use JavaScript to block you from using it. On some sites you use Safari’s Reader feature, but that doesn’t always work. Fortunately, you have more tools at your disposal.

Read on for more on taming JavaScript.

Continue reading Quickly enable or disable JavaScript in Safari

Quickly enable or disable JavaScript in Safari originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Orange UK, as part of Everything Everywhere, announced their subsidy plan for new iPads back in November. According to information relayed from The Times by paidContent: UK, the company had expected to sell tens of thousands of the tablet over the holidays. However, it turns out they only sold a little over a thousand in the first week.

Updates to the original story say deeper sales occurred later in the holiday season, although there hasn’t been much official confirmation about what that exact number might be. It seems clear that the subsidized iPads haven’t started off as strongly as might have been hoped. The slow start could be due to subscribers being unwilling to stack iPad data plans on top of cellular plans, or Orange might not have gotten word out to its buyers.

[Via MacRumors]

Subsidized iPads starting slow in UK originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Most people I know are keen on keeping their precious iPhones smooth and scratch-free. They opt for ergonomic surfaces that will keep the device looking cool as it’s protected, the smooth surface allowing for easy pocket removal when needed. Sometimes, though, that slick surface can cause the phone to get away from you when you least expect it. So, butterfingers, this may be the solution for you.

SlickWraps has a $20 skateboard-inspired adhesive wrap for the iPhone 4 that’s complete with scratchy skateboard griptape on the back, faux woodgrain on the front and sides. All of the necessary cutouts are there, including one for the Apple logo in the back.

Instead of it being scratched, the iPhone 4 will be doing the scratching. I imagine a phone with griptape won’t be all that easy to remove from a tight pocket, so think about that before slapping this on your device.

[via iPhone Savior]

Skateboard-inspired griptape wrap for the iPhone 4 originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For years, members of Congress who wanted to use Macs in their offices were discouraged from doing so. That’s all changing, and Thomas Burr of the Salt Lake Tribune now reports that incoming freshman senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) will have his big screen iMac in his new office. His staff will be using Macs as well.

In previous years, senators’ Macs were virtually eliminated by the office of the Senate Sergeant of Arms (where the chief administrative and IT management functions reside for the legislative chamber). Despite the official “we don’t support the Mac” stance, there were some holdouts. The late Senator Edward Kennedy had both desktop Macs and laptops, as did Senator Tim Johnson of South Dakota.

Now the rules have changed, and Macs and iPads are making inroads where Apple products once feared to tread. By the way, Senator Orrin Hatch’s office runs on Windows, but according to the Trib, the senior senator from Utah is using an iPad.

Macs coming back to Capitol Hill Senate offices originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iLife ’11 users — fire up Software Update, as updates to GarageBand and iMovie have just appeared.

The GarageBand update to version 6.0.1 weighs in at 42.7 MB in size, improves stability, and:

• Fixes an issue related to undoing Flex Time edits
• Removes occasional latency that can occur on guitar tracks
• Restores ability to use the Quantize Note Timing menu for tracks with Groove Matching

The iMovie 9.0.1 update (28.5 MB) improves stability and:

• Fixes an issue where stabilization would not be applied correctly to some video clips from iPhone and iPod touch
• FIxes an issue that prevented use of some valid Facebook passwords that contained non-alphanumeric characters.
• Improves compatibility with some cameras that create content in multiple formats, and
• Improves performance when scrolling the Project Library.

[Pay no attention to that iPhoto 9.1.1 update in the screenshot… unless your Mac has been on vacation since December 21, you probably already have it!]

iLife ’11 Software Updates: GarageBand, iMovie originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Today Patently Apple reports Apple has been granted another major multi-touch patent relating to e-docs.

Remember the first time you saw an iPhone television ad, showing the iPhone in action? The touch gestures seemed effortless, magical, like nothing you’d ever seen. Skeptics insisted the TV ads couldn’t be real, prompting comparison videos after the iPhone’s release.

Four years later, multi-touch is taken for granted. It’s become “obvious” to other vendors how handhelds should work, so multi-touch is seemingly used on every new device you’ll see at CES this week.

Apple thinks this competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal theirs, and keeps stockpiling the ammunition it needs to defend its innovations. In December, Apple received a patent for one of the primary elements of multi-touch, which we expected would help in its patent suit against HTC.

Continue reading Apple awarded patent for multi-touch gestures on electronic documents

Apple awarded patent for multi-touch gestures on electronic documents originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you’re headed to the big CES show (and we know a lot of our readers attend), Navigon can at least keep you from getting lost in Las Vegas.

For just a few days, you can download a special Audi-branded version of Navigon’s GPS app that covers the whole state of Nevada. The special version includes Google local search, weather and location sharing. A pedestrian mode gives you walking directions, which is a big deal during CES. The app supports several languages, so visitors from outside the US will be well served.

I consider Navigon’s app one of the top choices for iPhone based GPS navigation, and the company is hoping that people will try the app and want the same level of service when they get home.

You can pick the app up for a limited time in the App Store. The Audi Las Vegas Navigator requires an iPhone 4, 3GS or 3G. It’s a 338 MB download.

Navigon offers free Nevada nav app for CES attendees originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Although Apple includes an iSight or FaceTime webcam in almost every Mac, the low resolution (640 x 480 pixels for most machines, 1280 x 960 resampled to 640 x 480 for new MacBook Pros) of the cameras has lagged behind the webcams available from other computer manufacturers. Logitech markets a large number of HD webcams, but few of them have been compatible with Mac OS X. Until now, that is.

Logitech has announced a software update for the HD Pro Webcam C910, which is a 1080p-capable HD camera. Although the APIs used for Mac apps such as Photo Booth, iChat, and FaceTime currently support only 640 x 480 streaming regardless of the camera used, the new Logitech software provides video capture in both 720p and 1080p. The software is also capable of capturing still photos at 10-megapixel resolution, and includes Logitech’s proprietary Vid HD video calling capability.

The software allows integration with iPhoto and iMovie, and enables the C910 webcam to be used with Skype, Yahoo! Messenger, and Gmail Voice and Video Chat. The HD Pro Webcam C910 has a suggested retail price of US$100 and is available at online retailers for around $20 less. If you already own one of these webcams and just need the software, it’s available for download from Logitech. The release notes for the Mac software say that it will be updated to support other Logitech webcams in the near future.

Logitech’s HD Pro Webcam C910 now ready for Photo Booth, iChat and FaceTime originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Griffin kicked off CES with a bang today by introducing several new products including the new CarTrip hardware and CleanDrive app for iOS or Android.

CarTrip is a Bluetooth-enabled monitor that plugs into your car’s OBD-II port and compiles the data logged by the car’s onboard computer. Data accessible to the Griffin device includes car acceleration, top speed, fuel consumption and diagnostic codes. The module can store this information to an external SD card using the built-in SD card port, or you can access the data directly using your phone or iPod touch/iPad and Griffin’s CleanDrive application.

The CleanDrive application reads and analyzes the data provided from your car. Both individual trip and long-term data helps you analyze the fuel efficiency of your car and troubleshoot that annoying and often mysterious ‘check engine’ light. The application requires an iPhone, iPad, or a fourth generaton iPod touch with iOS 4.0 or later, while the Bluetooth module requires a 1996 or newer car that contains an OBD-II compliant system.

The CarTrip Bluetooth module will be available in Q1 2011 for $89.99 from Griffin’s website. The free, companion CleanDrive app will debut in Q1 2011 for iOS and Q2 for Android. Anyone interested in a personal OBD-II monitoring system?

Continue reading CarTrip will connect your iOS device and your automobile

CarTrip will connect your iOS device and your automobile originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Developers anticipate Mac App Store pricing, launch originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The iPhone is climbing up the ranks in the crowded Japanese mobile phone market, recently reaching the number five position behind Sharp, Panasonic, Fujitsu and Kyocera. The Japanese government is taking notice of this increasingly popular smartphone and is calling on exclusive carrier Softbank and Apple to install content filtering software in accordance with Japanese law. Japan’s government requires mobile phone operators to install filtering software on handsets that are sold to minors to protect these youths from harmful website content. While the law does not carry any penalties, the National Police Agency still canvass mobile phone dealers to confirm handsets comply with this law.

A spokesperson from Softbank Mobile responded to the government’s request with the argument that installing censorware on the iPhone would be a difficult process. Stores would need to obtain personal information, including credit card details, from each customer before installing the filtering software on a newly purchased iPhone. Thus far, the Japanese government has not responded to this reluctant response. It will interesting to see if Japan turns up the heat on Softbank and Apple to force them to comply with this protective law or if officials will just let it slide.

[Via Mobile Crunch]

Japanese government urges Apple to add content filtering to the iPhone originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve been speculating about just how popular iPads were during the first Christmas season with the revolutionary device, and we’re also wondering how other Apple products did during the holidays.

In a report cited by AppleInsider, Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore says that sales of both iPads and Macs were better than expected, based on spot checks made by the company. The firm’s investigation of Apple retail stores and other outlets also indicated that there were crowds waiting for iPhones, which they believe signifies good demand for Apple’s smartphone.

Very few shortages of stock were reported by Deutsche Bank. While the 16 GB Wi-Fi version of the iPad had been the top seller in the past, the holiday season saw robust sales of the 32 GB 3G iPad. Mac sales were also up, assisted by the sexy and inexpensive 11″ MacBook Air.

Whitmore’s estimates for the quarter ending December 31, 2010 were originally showing sales of 15 million iPhones, 6 million iPads, and 4 million Macs. Those numbers have now been bumped to 16 million, 6.5 million, and 4.2 million respectively.

For 2011, Whitmore is very bullish on the iPad, expecting sales to leap from his original estimate of 22 million units up to a whopping 28 million. His iPhone estimate moved from 55 million for 2011 up to 60 million units. The latter number doesn’t include a Verizon iPhone, which he expects would add anywhere from 5 to 7 million units (although it’s not clear how many of those would be cannibalizing AT&T’s potential sales).

We’ll find out for sure how things are shaping up for Apple when the company hosts a quarterly earnings call on January 18. Mike Rose is also speculating that Apple will host a Stevenote by January 20 to announce the Verizon iPhone.

Deutsche Bank analyst: Holiday Mac and iPad sales higher than expected originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guess what just popped up to the top of our “must-see at CES” list? Chances are, if you’re an iPad owner with small kids, you too will be enthralled by the promise and the premise of Crayola’s collaboration with peripheral maker Griffin Technologies: ColorStudio HD for iPad, including the Crayola iMarker stylus. Coming in “Spring 2011” for the iPad, the US$29.95 hardware and software combo will put the wax-based experience of crayon drawing into a new digital realm.

Once the free-with-purchase app is downloaded to the iPad (and I’m curious how exactly that’s going to work — a gift code that you get once you register the product? Or a free app that simply doesn’t work without the stylus?), the would-be artist can draw away on more than 50 interactive coloring pages, games, musical environments and the like.

The app will be able to differentiate the iMarker’s touch point from a fingertip swipe, so that coloring and controlling the UI will be distinct operations. This capability would be fascinating if Crayola and Griffin chose to license it for grown-up painting apps like ArtRage, but I imagine that kids will simply grok the difference between a marker and their fingers the same way they understand that distinction in the real world.

Good luck getting the iPad out of the back seat during car trips now. One drawback, as Kelly H pointed out today: this increases the chances of other, non-iPad-safe markers being used inappropriately on other flat glowing surfaces. Deep breath and count to 10, parents.

Continue reading Crayola and Griffin unite for ColorStudio HD on iPad, custom iMarker stylus

Crayola and Griffin unite for ColorStudio HD on iPad, custom iMarker stylus originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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