We like to stay civil when it comes to Microsoft and Android fanboy’s trying to tell us what’s what, and while we poke fun back, nothing is more satisfying than smoking the competition in a friendly game of Skies of Glory. Sure you could troll Engadget or start flame wars on Gizmodo, but we like to settle or differences man to man. Or in this case, plane to plane. Get your iPhones ready folks, because those Nexus One kiddos are going down!
Take on Android Fanboys with Cross Platform Multiplayer Gaming
iPad Coming to 9 More Countries This Friday
Apple has just issued a press release, announcing the availability of the iPad in 9 more countries this Friday. The countries are: Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore.
Check out the full press release below.
FaceTime From the Middle of Pacific Ocean [Video]
If you have an iPhone 4, you’ve tried FaceTime. Either you’ve called Apple, or you’ve started a video call with one of your friends. I did both. What I didn’t do, is try FaceTime from unusual locations, say airplanes. TUAW did, and it’s an impressive result.
But Wifi from a plane seems almost “easy” and “standard”, compared to what Philippe Kahn and his MotionX colleagues did. Philippe is in the middle of the Pacific ocean: if you draw a thousand miles circle around his location, there’s no sign of land. He’s using a satellite connection, possibly tunneled through a router the iPhone 4 is connected to. His colleagues are in the MotionX offices in Santa Cruz.
Check out the video after break. What’s next, space?
[Daring Fireball via Pegasus]
Taiwanese News’ Recreation of Antennagate [Video]
There’s a Taiwanese outlet that, to better illustrate news, recreates events using a technology pretty similar to The Sims game. Problem is, they’re pretty “creative” with the way they see events - let’s just say things didn’t exactly go that way.
I mean, Steve Jobs cutting fingers off customers to eliminate the Death Grip? Yeah.
Steve Jobs Sees a Double Rainbow
What happens when you combine the latest internet meme with Apple’s CEO words on stage? A Steve Jobs-commented Double Rainbow.
I don’t know why, but it’s awesome. Please check it out after the break.
Samsung Responds to Apple’s “Antennagate”
Following RIM, Nokia and HTC, here’s the first official Samsung statement about reception problems shown by Steve Jobs on stage at last Friday’s special iPhone conference.
FaceTime for iPod touch Details
We’ve talked about the possibilities of FaceTime on the iPod touch before thanks to the initial rumors and the Boy Genius Report, but this evening 9 to 5 Mac has the skinny on how exactly Apple plans to implement the currently phone-based feature.
Flurry Analytics Suggests In-App Purchases Generate More Revenue
In-app purchases are something we often don’t think about when playing a game or adding more features to the latest application. “This gravity gun is only an extra ninety-nine cents, and I love this game. So why not?” As customers spend on the latest upgrades, updates, and ad-free in-app purchases, Flurry reports that this model works considerably well. TUAW writes:
Previously to 2010, the games tracked were generating only a few bucks per user per year, but in January the total jumped to around $9, and it’s now in the double digits. Flurry says that money doesn’t include ad revenue – it’s strictly profit from in-app purchases, either unlocking features or selling virtual goods.
Flurry is reporting that as of June, they’re generating $14.66 per user per year. The idea is to get someone interested in your product, then give them the opportunity to add the features they need for an enjoyable experience. More often than not, in-app purchases turn a pretty good profit.
[via TUAW]
Nokia and HTC Respond to Apple’s Press Conference
Following RIM, Nokia and HTC have publicized their responses against Apple concerning their mobile devices. Nokia’s response:
In general, antenna performance of a mobile device/phone may be affected with a tight grip, depending on how the device is held. That’s why Nokia designs our phones to ensure acceptable performance in all real life cases, for example when the phone is held in either hand. Nokia has invested thousands of man hours in studying how people hold their phones and allows for this in designs, for example by having antennas both at the top and bottom of the phone and by careful selection of materials and their use in the mechanical design.
HTC came to the defense of their Droid Eris by comparing the numbers. Pocket-Lint writes:
“Approximately .016% of customers,” Eric Lin, the company’s global PR and online community manager exclusively revealed to us before adding that “we have had very few complaints about signal or antenna problems on the Eris.”
Weighing in, it’s fair to say that you have to intentionally grip (pretty tightly) a Blackberry, an HTC Droid Eris, or a Nokia phone to have it drop bars. Where you could accidentally touch “the spot” on an iPhone 4, you have to try pretty hard to do it on competitors phones. I don’t think I’m being unreasonable – that’s my honest observation. I do think Apple reached a bit too far in trying to expose other smartphones – if it’s arguably a “non-issue” on the iPhone 4, why explore “non-issues” on other phones?
[via Engadget (Nokia) and Pocket-Link (HTC)]