Rumors Flying About New iPhone Capabilities

iNexpensive? by davidwr · 2009-06-01 05:22 · Score: 5, Funny

iM waiting for the rumored iNexpensive iPhone with the new lower iPrice and no long-term iContract.

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Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.

Re:iNexpensive? by Chris+Mattern · 2009-06-01 05:33 · Score: 5, Funny

I think that's iMaginary.
Re:iNexpensive? by Anonymous Coward · 2009-06-01 05:43 · Score: 5, Funny

I think that's iMaginary.
Mod Parent Up +sqrt(-1)
Re:iNexpensive? by cheftw · 2009-06-01 06:07 · Score: 3, Funny

I think that's iMaginary.
Mod Parent Up +sqrt(-1)
I swear I'm developing a complex from all these lame maths puns.

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Re:iNexpensive? by qoncept · 2009-06-01 06:16 · Score: 4, Funny

Set mode parent -v

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Whale
Re:iNexpensive? by Jurily · 2009-06-01 06:17 · Score: 4, Funny

Mod Parent Up +sqrt(-1)
Score: i, Funny
Re:iNexpensive? by alta · 2009-06-01 07:15 · Score: 2, Informative

I would be happy with a better ibattery.
I was just given an iphone that was sent to us as warranty exchange. Battery life on this thing is terrible, and from what I've read, this is standard. Now, I'm comparing to the curve I was using before... With the curve, I could count on the battery lasting 3-5 days of lite use. I REA
On this thing, I can BARELY go the weekend. I unplugged before I left the office Friday afternoon, Monday morning on the way in, I got the "Your battery is low" message.
And since it's not a standard USB plug, I couldn't just plug it in to the plethora of USB ports around. You'd think we'd be beyond the days of custom ports by now. I can count of finding USB power anywhere I can find a computer, in my car, friends houses, etc. So THANK YOU Motorola L2, and Blackberry Curve.
Screw you LG Shine and Apple iPhone.
(These are all phones I've had recent experience with.

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Do not meddle in the affairs of sysadmins, for they are subtle, and quick to anger.
Re:iNexpensive? by EastCoastSurfer · 2009-06-01 08:12 · Score: 2, Interesting

And since it's not a standard USB plug, I couldn't just plug it in to the plethora of USB ports around.
Do many phones have USB on the phone side? From my experience, the iPhone cable plugs into any USB port and will charge from it. You're right on the phone side it is a special connector (ipod connector), but every phone I've owned has been like that.
BTW, the iphone cable is just a standard ipod cable. Even people who don't own ipods seem to have some of those around at this point lol.
Re:iNexpensive? by LWATCDR · 2009-06-01 08:36 · Score: 4, Informative

The iPhone seems to be priced just about the same as most other smart phones and have the same contract requirements.
There are cheaper smart phones but none that offer as good of a browser. I am waiting for the Pre myself but the price will be about the same. Sprints contract is cheaper and I have had no problems with Sprint as a carrier. I don't like AT&T because of the cost, I am not fond of Verizon because of cost and they tend to cripple phones, and TMobile doesn't offer 3 g in my area yet.

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Re:iNexpensive? by donny77 · 2009-06-01 18:42 · Score: 2, Interesting

Depends on what you mean by better off. If you rarely use the web browser because it sucks and I use my iPhones web browser everyday, then you paid less, but did you get better value? What was your price per megabyte versus my price per megabyte on my iPhone? I'm not saying your wrong, just price isn't everything.

You mean the G1? by CritterNYC · 2009-06-01 05:23 · Score: 2, Insightful

"things like an auto-focus camera, video capture, and a compass"

You mean they're gonna release a G1?

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Re:You mean the G1? by Anonymous Coward · 2009-06-01 05:29 · Score: 2, Insightful

Except the UI is going to NOT look like a 3 year old designed it.
Re:You mean the G1? by CritterNYC · 2009-06-01 05:36 · Score: 5, Insightful

I'll give up the shiny UI for the ability to install any app I want and a hardware keyboard.

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Portable versions of Firefox, GIMP, LibreOffice, etc
Re:You mean the G1? by Aladrin · 2009-06-01 05:46 · Score: 5, Informative

I own a G1, and since the 1.5 update, it -can- capture video.

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"If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you." - DM
Re:You mean the G1? by RockClimbingFool · 2009-06-01 05:48 · Score: 3, Informative

The OS you are looking for is called Windows Mobile. Its been around a pretty long time and does not restrict anything you put on it.
As for hardware, I am using an HTC Touch Pro on Sprint. Sprint has the cheapest, fastest internet and pretty good coverage as well. The also don't seem to mind if you tether your phone to your laptop.
There is also several great communities of developers and users devoted to getting all you can out of windows mobile devices. Then have gotten to the point where you can download a "kitchen" with a bunch of precanned programs that you pick and choose from. You then create your own customized firmware with the apps you selected. Its great. Or create you own applications.
Check out http://www.ppcgeeks.com/
Re:You mean the G1? by sremick · 2009-06-01 06:48 · Score: 2, Interesting

The OS you are looking for is called Windows Mobile. Its been around a pretty long time and does not restrict anything you put on it.
As long as you don't mind running Windows on your cell phone. A lot of us have issues with it, and not just bias.

Sprint has the cheapest, fastest internet and pretty good coverage as well.
Cheapest. Fastest. Best. Choose 2. Oh wait, you have.
Sprint also has like no decent (usable) coverage to speak of in my state. Unless you happen to live in a city. And this is a state where our biggest "city" is only about 200,000 people.
Re:You mean the G1? by yodleboy · 2009-06-01 07:25 · Score: 4, Informative

"The OS you are looking for is called Windows Mobile. Its been around a pretty long time and does not restrict anything you put on it."

Not always, like many other mobile features, this can and often is also disabled by the carrier. I've had HTC and moto smartphones (winMo) that flat out refuse to install apps OR require the app to have a certificate. At least with the iphone, if it's on the store, it will install and work.

the kind of people willing to "create your own customized firmware" for a winMo phone are the kind equally comfortable jailbreaking an iphone. The average joe is NOT comfortable with either of these and for them the issue of "restriction" is largely a non issue. The kind of apps that require a hacked handset are probably not what they're looking for anyway.

my only real gripe with the apple app model is the cost of entry for devs. I don't have mac and I'm not going to buy one just to write an app. At least on a winMo device, I was able to load up visual studio and write an app. Yes, VS costs money, but you can get cheap copies of VS all over the place. Cheaper than a mac anyway.
Re:You mean the G1? by undef · 2009-06-01 07:43 · Score: 3, Insightful

I have an HTC Pro with ATT. The hardware itself is cool.

However, Windows Mobile is frustratingly slow, disorganized and unreliable.

Press a softkey and you can get GUI feedback that the button was pressed without the OS or app actually taking that action. That's bad enough, but when button presses can take 1 or 2 seconds to execute because of all the bloated WM overhead, then you don't know if you need to press the button again or wait.

If you do press it again and WM was just lagging, then you get two presses. Nice design feature.

WM is designed first as a Microsoft platform, then as a phone. The phone features integration on WM on the HTC Pro is terrible. The phone screens are miserably organized for quick / easy use. The contacts features have inconsistent use of buttons and softkeys. The dial and phone buttons change meaning. Even the volume functions are poorly designed for quick changes. The Touchflow GUI that was poorly integrated on top of WM is pretty - pretty useless. After one or two superfluous menu levels, you end up in the original balky WM GUI, which is what they were trying to cover up anyway.

I haven't loaded any extra apps on it that might destabilize it, but I have to reboot it at least once a week.

Yeah, the HTC Pro with WM is wonderful. <gag>
Re:You mean the G1? by mdwh2 · 2009-06-01 08:04 · Score: 3, Insightful

Only on an Apple article would an ad hominem get +5 insightful.
Care to explain why the UI is better than all other phones, using evidence, reasoning, and objective examples, as opposed to ad hominems, vague subjective claims, or the "But You Just Have To Use It" claims that we typically get? Or will my honest question just be hidden by the mods so the reasonable questions don't even have to be answered?
Re:You mean the G1? by dunkelfalke · 2009-06-01 09:30 · Score: 2, Informative

Signing is only required for apps writing special registry keys or installing some drivers. You can easily change the security policy just by changing a registry key (nowhere near like jailbreak) and without losing warranty.
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Security\Policies\Policies]
DWORD 00001005
if the value of that DWORD is 0 then unsigned CABs won't install. Set the value to 16, it is a safe value which gives the unsigned CABs the normal level access. If you really trust your software, set the value to 8 (Admin rights).
Additionally, you can set the DWORD 0000101a to 1 so you won't be bothered with the warning that the software you want to install is unsigned.
After the registry change, switch the screen of and on and reboot the device.

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"It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
Re:You mean the G1? by mdwh2 · 2009-06-01 11:15 · Score: 2, Insightful

i can tell you sugar is sweet. if you ask me what sweet is, will you be equally adamant in accepting my answer, "but i cannot objectively explain that - you just have to taste it!" ? Is that too vaguely subjective for you? sometimes just experiencing it is the only way (or at least, the best way) to understand something. particularly an experience, such as usage of a UI.
So I see you adopted for the "vague subjective claims" option. I'm not sure what your argument is - things such as sweetness can be objectively defined and measured. But even if it couldn't, it would be a fallacy to claim that because we can't define sweetness, we therefore can't define a good UI. Moreover, even if we accept that a good UI is purely subjective, then you've lost, because whether the Iphone is good or not is purely a personal opinion, and no longer a fact, and people who claim other phones have the best UI are just as correct as you are.
Honestly, this sounds like a theist's "But atheists believe in love!" claim in order to justify their claim of "God exists" - except it's "Sugar is sweet" in order to justify "The Iphone has the best UI".
look at the iPhone ads
I would prefer to be told here, rather than subject myself to even more Apple marketing (what with the emails they spam me with, and the daily Slashdot stories)...
Like the one where you want to find a sushi place - it will give you directions, reviews and a phone number to call and make a reservation - all within an extremely simple UI where you don't have to hunt for the info one by one.
At last, an example, thank you. Sounds like Google maps. Although to be honest, I think this is more of an "application features", rather than user interface - unless you can explain something about that interface that makes it better than the same applications in other phones. And "feature lists" are often hand-waved away by Iphone fans as not being important. But still, this is the sort of thing I do like to hear more about - useful applications on a range of phones - so thank you for the example.
i sincerely wish you could shed your unreasonable antipathy towards actually trying to use the iPhone UI, so you can be a better judge of it yourself.
"But You Just Have To Use It". Sorry, I haven't used the Iphone. There are loads of phones I haven't used - I bet the same is true for you too. You suggest that not spending thousands of pounds on every phone is "unreasonable antipathy"? If you're going to claim the Iphone is the best, without having used all other phones yourself, then you'd better be able to justify that, rather than expecting us to use your phone.
Re:You mean the G1? by recharged95 · 2009-06-01 15:07 · Score: 2, Insightful

Just trying cupcake and honestly, once you use a keyboard, you'll never go back to a virtual keyboard. Never.
Re:You mean the G1? by moosesocks · 2009-06-01 16:15 · Score: 4, Informative

UI design is largely a subjective field. However, there is a significant body of research that states that aesthetics do play a key role in usability. Other aspects such as typeface selection play a big role as well.
That said, we can do objective analyses such as counting the number of clicks or keypresses required to complete a certain task, or using a stopwatch to track the amount of time that it takes a novice user to figure out how to use the UI to perform a given task. Apple are notorious for performing formal UI testing and QA on all of their products. Most phone manufacturers are....not.
It's fairly easy to see how moving every aspect of the UI onto the touchscreen would approve Apple's rankings in these objective analyses. Virtually any function of the phone can be accessed with 2-3 "clicks." Apple have also gone through considerable lengths to avoid the use of any sort of "menus" for common tasks in their applications. There are no hidden options or features. Multitouch is also another big plus, and is extremely intuitive.
For starters, the included suite of applications is fairly comprehensive. You could be quite happy without ever visiting the app store. (I know this is subjective, although I do think it's important to mention that Apple *have* covered all the bases here -- things such as the built-in weather and stock quote apps are nice touches, considering that many users will check them frequently. It would reflect poorly upon the UI if users had to resort to the web-browser for the most common tasks)
The maps application is, in all honesty, probably the high point for the iPhone (and yes, it's almost *exactly* like Google Maps, which is widely regarded as a quality application with a good interface). The multitouch interface works particularly well for viewing maps by panning, zooming, etc. There are also a few 3rd-party applications for viewing subway/mass-transit maps in a similar fashion (I'm not sure if Google Transit has been integrated yet). This alone makes the iPhone an invaluable tool to many. I can say from experience that a simple map search (say for the nearest Pizza place) takes me under 30 seconds on an iPhone, as opposed to a little over a minute with a Blackberry.
Visual Voicemail is another feature that showcases the UI. Voicemail is indexed, retrieved, and managed via the UI, rather than by calling in. It boggles my mind why Apple were the first ones to think of this, given how obvious it is.
Most applications work in portrait and landscape mode. The iPhone automatically senses which way you're holding it, and adjusts itself automatically.
The web browser faithfully renders pages according to standards (most phones don't). Once again, the multitouch interface makes it easy to scroll, pan, and zoom, while the orientation sensor allows you to hold the phone in either orientation.
Recognizing the trend that SMS is frequently used for continuous chats, conversations are grouped and threaded (a la GMail)
The music player preserves the essence of the iPod UI. This is familiar to many users, and has been studied and discussed ad nauseum elsewhere. Most people seem to like it.
Music purchased "over the air" is DRM-free, and may be synced back to your computer. I don't know of any other provider that allows this.
On the more mundane side of things, Apple clearly put a lot of effort into their predictive keyboard. Although this is once again subjective, many people (including those with big hands) find that it works much better than the average touchscreen keyboard.
Is that subjective enough for you?

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Chances are.. by Finallyjoined!!! · 2009-06-01 05:24 · Score: 2, Insightful

Apple themselves leaked the pictures, after all they are the masters of "media" manipulation.

After all's said & done; it's just made the front page of /. :-)

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Re:Chances are.. by alvinrod · 2009-06-01 05:35 · Score: 2, Insightful

Why the hell would Apple leak it when it can just as easily make the front page of Slashdot next week when they show off the new features at WWDC. More than likely this is mostly crap designed to drive up page hits for some goon's blog or third rate website. Apple has no real reason to release this information before they actually want to do so.
Hell, I could easily go grab some crap digital camera and take a picture with it that looks slightly better than a current generation iPhone and then watch as the traffic comes flying in my direction. Add a few other blurry shots of what looks like an iPhone and I've all but ensured the legion of fans and fanatics will turn my web server into pile of ash from all the traffic.
Slashdot probably only decided to link to the story for the same reason everyone else is doing it: It's going to get a large number of people to click on the link and drive up the stats for advertisement purposes.
Re:Chances are.. by Aladrin · 2009-06-01 05:54 · Score: 5, Funny

"Why the hell would Apple leak it when it can just as easily make the front page of Slashdot next week"
Because now they've made the front page twice. Or more, knowing Slashdot.

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"If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you." - DM

Repurchase apps? by hansamurai · 2009-06-01 05:26 · Score: 2, Informative

The new software also supposedly makes you re-buy apps that you've already purchased, just so they can allow multiple accounts on one phone (have people really asked for this?).

http://www.pcworld.com/article/165834/apple_thwarts_app_piracy_ahead_of_iphone_30_release.html

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Reviewing just the first hour of video games.

Re:Repurchase apps? by Bartab · 2009-06-01 05:43 · Score: 5, Informative

Read the article you quote. Which says that Apple will require people to rebuy in order to REDOWNLOAD, and only if you're downloading from a phone. It does not require a re-purchase just for the new phone.
This requirement, btw, is because otherwise people will be able to purchase on one account, pass that account around and every person would be able to download to their phone.

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Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from a rigged demo.
Re:Repurchase apps? by Anonymous Coward · 2009-06-01 05:45 · Score: 2, Informative

You have to repurchase if you want to download them over 3g. If you sync with itunes, you can re-download them all you want.

Humans? by tx413 · 2009-06-01 05:28 · Score: 2, Funny

"... including a complete human translation on the MacRumors forum" What are you saying about the Chinese?

Re:Humans? by harryandthehenderson · 2009-06-01 06:04 · Score: 2, Informative

Seriously, though I think the submitter just a thoughtless idiot rather than being intentionally racist.
He was being neither. "Human translation" is just saying that the translation that was posted to the MacRumors forum wasn't a machine translation from a site like Babelfish. Sheesh.

Re:I'm confused by 99BottlesOfBeerInMyF · 2009-06-01 05:30 · Score: 5, Informative

...it had a GPS (thus making a compas possible).

A GPS and a compass are two different things, with slightly different and complimentary features. A GPS tells you where you are. A compass tells you which direction is north. Together they can tell you to turn around and go the other way even if you're not moving. Together they can tell you the building in front of you is the library and the one to your left is the brothel.

Creating unsubstatiated rumors by dkleinsc · 2009-06-01 05:31 · Score: 2, Funny

I also heard somewhere that the new iPhone will come with a free puppy. It will also water my lawn, clean my house, and walk the puppy for me.

Can I join a PR agency now?

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I am officially gone from /. Long live http://www.soylentnews.com/

Re:Whatever comes out... by tomservo291 · 2009-06-01 05:34 · Score: 3, Insightful

Symbian and Android have 60% of the smartphone market? What? Where?

Re:I'm confused by EkriirkE · 2009-06-01 05:36 · Score: 4, Informative

A GPS "compass" is just a heading indicator; the direction of travel between 2 samplings. This new compass supposedly is magnet (earth's core) sensing - presumably if you hold a magnet nearby you could see which pole is facing the device and on what edge.

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Re:Whatever comes out... by Improv · 2009-06-01 05:36 · Score: 3, Funny

People bring their Sybians with them in public? Can they only recieve phone calls when sitting down?

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For every problem, there is at least one solution that is simple, neat, and wrong.

Re:I'm confused by emocomputerjock · 2009-06-01 05:40 · Score: 2, Funny

Now if only the library and brothel were complimentary, that I would consider progress.

Re:Whatever comes out... by 99BottlesOfBeerInMyF · 2009-06-01 05:41 · Score: 4, Insightful

... it will be less than capable of the respective Nokia N-device but as always the Apple marketing and fanboyz

There have always been products competing with both the iPod and iPhone that have a longer and more impressive bullet list of features. The problem being, the average person doesn't enjoy using them and half those features are so poorly implemented they are just painful to use. Many geeks are happy to work around poorly designed interfaces for the sake of overall functionality.

Is Apple becoming the Microsoft of the mobile world?!

The problem with Microsoft is that they use a very large market share in one market to destroy competition and innovation in other markets, thus slowing progress. Apple doesn't have dominance in any markets, so their locked down products drive innovation by providing real competition. When Apple has a monopoly o near monopoly and ties to other markets, then "ll lump them in with Microsoft.

I don't know... but I'm telling you something guys: this is 2009 and we have Symbian & Android which together reach some 60% of the mobile smartphone market...

Yup, that's very cool and I have high hopes for Android, which have not really panned out yet. I still wonder if Android would exist or if it would have the level of functionality it does if Apple were not providing such strong competition.

So let's not pull are eyes out with our own hands and choose iPhone NOT.

For many people the iPhone is still the best offering. Since we're not dealing with a significantly broken market for smartphones, people should pick what works best for them, be it iPhone or an Android or some other phone. This drives developers to work hard and try to make better products. I don't see the point of picking a product that is not as well suited to my tasks based upon the underlying OS. All that does is provide incentive for developers of that OS to not work harder to meet my needs and not compete as strongly. (Note: I don't own any kind of smartphone, iPhone or other.)

Nope by CritterNYC · 2009-06-01 05:42 · Score: 2, Informative

The iPhone camera is fixed focus and can't shoot video (at least not out of the box). And there is no compass. A compass is handy for turn-by-turn navigation and other neat-o things like street view on the G1 making use of the built-in compass: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PRfVKzuUJ4

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Portable versions of Firefox, GIMP, LibreOffice, etc

iPhone OS 3.0 != iPhone 3G 2009 by Full+Meat · 2009-06-01 05:48 · Score: 5, Informative

Mr Gadget points out that Gizmodo's report on these new screenshots are actually screenshots from months ago of iPhone 3.0 OS running on an ordinary iPhone 3G. http://www.mrgadget.com.au/gadget/2009/gizmodo-gets-it-wrong-just-iphone-30-os-screen-grabs/

Re:Whatever comes out... by david_thornley · 2009-06-01 05:57 · Score: 3, Insightful

You are, as is usual here, missing the point about Apple products.

They frequently don't have the raw capabilities of their competition, but they are reasonably stylish and very easy to use. You and I may be able to efficiently handle complicated interfaces, but most people have a great deal of difficulty with them. They will learn what they have to, and no more. The average smart phone is used only for a very few things.

The iPhone is easy to use. It's easy to figure out how to do things. There are darn few glitches or gotchas. There's a fairly thick manual, which nobody has to read. This is important, since nobody but us actually reads the manuals. It's easy to extend the functionality, now that the App Store is there. It has never been easier to make a telephone generate its own fart sounds, or do a variety of other things, some of which are actually useful. I find this attractive, since I've long since tired of learning complicated things that aren't actually important to what I want to do. (For example, why would I want to learn Microsoft Word's more arcane features when vim and LaTeX already do what I want?)

If this makes no sense to you, or if you think Apple's popularity is due to nothing but marketing and fanbois, please do not do any interface design for end users.

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"When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes

Re:Whatever comes out... by e4g4 · 2009-06-01 05:59 · Score: 2, Funny

Brings new meaning to the term "bone conducting microphone"...

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The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources. - Albert Einstein

Re:I'm confused by schon · 2009-06-01 06:09 · Score: 4, Informative

If you have a GPS, then you also have a compass, because any GPS can compute North

Umm, what?!?!?! That statement makes absolutely no sense.

It knows *where* north is, but unless you're moving, it has no way of relaying that information to you, because it can't know the direction it's facing (which is what a compass does.)

We all know what the difference is between a GPS and a compass

Evidently you don't.

New casing? New UI? by sootman · 2009-06-01 06:11 · Score: 3, Informative

Will it look like an ancient Palm, with a black-and-white screen, a writing area, and only a dozen apps on the homescreen?

SLASHDOT, FFS, GET SOME NEW ICONS!

And WTF is up with the MacBook icon on this iPhone story? I guess I need to change my request to "new and accurate icons."

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Re:New casing? New UI? by Quiet_Desperation · 2009-06-01 07:06 · Score: 2, Funny

SLASHDOT, FFS, GET SOME NEW ICONS!
(QD slaps sootman)
Get a grip, man! It's tradition. Without tradition we are nothing! Do you undertsand!? NOTHING!! ARGH!!!!!
(QD slaps self)

Re:I'm confused by 99BottlesOfBeerInMyF · 2009-06-01 06:19 · Score: 4, Informative

If you have a GPS, then you also have a compass, because any GPS can compute North.

This is untrue. A GPS can tell you what your coordinates are but not which way your device is facing relative to north. If you're moving it assumes the GPS is facing the direction of travel, which is not always the case. When you aren't moving it gets quickly confused.

Hence, because he thought the iPhone had a GPS, he didn't understand why they were "adding" a compass.

The iPhone does have GPS. They're rumored to be adding an internal compass so the iPhone will also know what direction it is facing and can use that to accurately point out objects and give better directions. Most commercial GPS units include a compass as well these days.

We all know what the difference is between a GPS and a compass.

Apparently some of us are confused about the relative capabilities though.

Verizon? by the-matt-mobile · 2009-06-01 06:20 · Score: 4, Insightful

Being available for Verizon is the only iPhone feature I'm looking for. No chance I'm going with AT&T - period. Maybe I'm the only one that feels this way, or maybe the lure of the iPhone is enough for other people to make the switch. Meh.

Re:I'm confused by Gilmoure · 2009-06-01 06:21 · Score: 3, Funny

If we can put a man on the moon (or could, at one time), I say that now is the time to have brothel libraries (and librarians, of course). We do not do this because it is hard... um, ok, actually, we do do this because it is hard.

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I drank what? -- Socrates

You're not up to date on your rumours... by TheMightyFuzzball · 2009-06-01 06:24 · Score: 2, Informative

Those pictures are just from an iPhone running OS 3.0, they were taken by a Chinese blogger demonstrating 3.0's capabilities. According to this site: http://www.mrgadget.com.au/gadget/2009/gizmodo-gets-it-wrong-just-iphone-30-os-screen-grabs/ the blogger says (in Chinese) that the pictures were taken of an iPhone 3G with iPhone OS 3.0. This is why you shouldn't spread rumour...

dashboard looks like it is in a western car by SocietyoftheFist · 2009-06-01 06:29 · Score: 2, Insightful

Do cars shipped to China have trip, km and other english words on the dash instead of the equivalent Chinese? The reasons for the fuzzy photos don't wash as the photographer brandished the phone in public in a car. Seems to me better photos could have been taken easily.

It is Mr Gadget who got it wrong by shuying · 2009-06-01 06:36 · Score: 2, Insightful

Mr Gadget attempted to be smart. Unfortunately the screenshots show an iPhone with compass and autofocus features which are not possible on an iPhone 3G.

Re:I'm confused by EvanED · 2009-06-01 06:48 · Score: 4, Insightful

More proof /. needs a (-1, wrong) mod.

New Shiny ! by daveime · 2009-06-01 07:04 · Score: 2, Insightful

The iPhone version 3 is finally getting all the stuff that other cellphones have had for 10 years ? And people will still blindly pay through the nose for these "exclusive features" ?

Not sure about the compass though, I'd have preferred a pair of nail clippers, a corkscrew / bottle opener, and a pair of scissors ... wait, we're talking about a Swiss Army Knife right ?

We can only hope that the iPhone version 4 will at least upgrade the camera to 1.3 megapix.

*ducks*

Re:I'm confused by Kagura · 2009-06-01 07:06 · Score: 5, Funny

We do not do this because it is hard... um, ok, actually, we do do this because it is hard.

That's what she said.

Awesome new features by metamatic · 2009-06-01 07:17 · Score: 5, Insightful

You know what would be awesome new features?

The ability to run whatever software I want, and the ability to operate on whatever phone network I want.

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GCHQ Quantum Insert installed. If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful we would be when we speak

Re:Wow! Autofocus!? What will Apple invent next? by nsayer · 2009-06-01 07:19 · Score: 2, Informative

Do you know of any cameras that don't have autofocus?

The iPhone 1G and 3G phones don't. They have a fixed focus camera, which is not the same thing.

GPS attitude by Cadre · 2009-06-01 07:35 · Score: 2, Informative

If you have a GPS, then you also have a compass, because any GPS can compute North.

This is untrue. A GPS can tell you what your coordinates are but not which way your device is facing relative to north. If you're moving it assumes the GPS is facing the direction of travel, which is not always the case. When you aren't moving it gets quickly confused.

No, actually it is true. You just need multiple antennas in a known orientation.

Sources:

We all know what the difference is between a GPS and a compass.

Apparently some of us are confused about the relative capabilities though.

In context of the iPhone, no, calculating attitude from the GPS data isn't possible due to its size. But calculating attitude using GPS is quite possible and has already been done.

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All editorial writers ever do is come down from the hill after the battle is over and shoot the wounded.

Re:GPS attitude by centuren · 2009-06-01 12:11 · Score: 2, Insightful

No, actually it is true. You just need multiple antennas in a known orientation.
The claim was that any GPS can compute north, which we know is untrue.

Re:Whatever comes out... by Maury+Markowitz · 2009-06-01 07:37 · Score: 2, Insightful

> Both Symbian and Android can do what iPhone does and even more.

And vice versa. The intersection is not the universal set.

> And developers can leverage the WHOLE underlying technology.

You don't know the same developers I do then.

> So the iPhone Store story is only a stupid buzz.

And 37 million installed base. It's the platform, stupid.

> I'm afraid of what will happen if Apple somehow prevails and becomes the Microsoft of the mobile OS market.

Why? Their stranglehold on the music player market seems like it's improved the entire market. Do you remember the suckage that people used to sell before the iPod got rolling?!

Maury

New Features (remeber the iPod?) by DorkRawk · 2009-06-01 08:08 · Score: 3, Insightful

You're right, Apple should have probably learned their lesson about taking their time and getting features correct rather than trying to have the most features on the block after the whole iPod thing blew up in their faces. "No wireless. Less space than a Nomad. Lame." (2001)

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Steal my band's record! Seriously,

Hey, new iPhone... by jomcty · 2009-06-01 08:57 · Score: 2, Interesting

Hey, new iPhone, meet my BlackBerry Curve 8900.

Re:Whatever comes out... by 99BottlesOfBeerInMyF · 2009-06-02 05:21 · Score: 2, Insightful

Mmmm... Apple's dominance includes not only portable music devices (iPods)

I don't think this will stand up legally due to the numbers you cite not including music playing cell phones, which make up a significant portion of the market. This, of course, depends upon how the market is distinguished.

...but the actual distribution of music (iTunes)

First, the ITunes store and the iTunes application are in different markets and it is important to distinguish that you're referring to the former not the latter. Second, while Apple may well have dominance in said market, it is a problematic market, since it is already compromised by the illegal actions of a cartel, convicted multiple times of undermining free trade. Personally, I think Apple has had a net positive impact on innovation in the market, but it is so broken already the issue is quite muddled.

In any case, it's not illegal to have a dominant market position; it's only illegal to use that dominance to stifle competition. Fortunately, Apple hasn't demonstrated any significant tendency to eliminate competition in the markets they do dominate.

Elimination of competition is not the only issue, simply undermining free competition in a way that artificially increases their share is sufficient to damage free trade. Some of Apple's actions in said markets certainly qualify as tying in the eyes of the law, if they are ruled to have dominance in either of those markets. The issue being, they probably don't in the first market and the second market is so broken any tying is fairly immaterial or even positive. There is a lot of room for debate on it though.

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