Mac users are always inherently curious about a few pieces of Mac software that always tend to make waves in functionality that they have absolutely no use for. If we look at products like Transmit 4, Launchbar 5, and especially something like TextExpander 3, the average consumer will have questions about its design and they’ll read really great things about the software. But, they’ll have absolutely no use for such software unless they’re power users or have a specific need.
TextExpander is probably the app that garners tons of attention. It’s really powerful, especially to customers who need to constantly implement snippets of text. But TextExpander touch becomes even more curious, as it’s implemented with similar functionality, sans the ability to directly apply snippets into any text based app. In effect, TextExpander touch for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad seems rather counterproductive in design. But I’ve found that while there’s an extra tap here and there, it’s incredibly useful for email, especially on the iPad. If you’ve been on the fence about TouchExpander touch, I suggest read on to find out how it may be useful in your workflow.
If we follow the old saying that “the best camera is the one that’s with you”, then I guess the iPhone 4 is the best camera I’ve ever had. I’m not a photographer, and never will be one - I think. A serious one, at least. Sure I enjoy taking some pictures from time to time, and I don’t dislike shooting a few videos when I’m on vacation and such. Still, it’s a long way from saying “I take photographs”.
But no matter the intentions or end results, the iPhone 4 is always with me now. Even when I’m home, I find myself checking emails on it or refreshing feeds with Byline. That new display makes things a lot easier. And of course, I shoot some random pictures as well. The combination of location-awareness (via GPS), Events, Faces and Places with iPhoto makes this new iPhone the perfect combination for me.
Now, I have bought a bunch of apps in the App Store photography section, and I’m pretty happy with them. I have apps to apply some nice effects, apps to export to Flickr, apps to generate tilt-shift photographs. Until a few weeks ago I didn’t have a full replacement for the Camera app, even though I knew there were some good alternatives in the App Store. If you have to replace an Apple app, “good” is not enough.
I then bought Camera+, the latest creation by tap tap tap in collaboration with professional photographer Lisa Bettany. Things has surely changed since then.
I keep switching back and forth on the antenna debate. Other phones have the issue, but are they as serious as the iPhone 4? As Apple has called out numerous manufacturers and popular phones, even John Gruber has been linking to preexisting issues which have received little press in light of the massive ‘popularity’ of the iPhone 4. With something as curious as an outside antenna, people want to touch it. With other phones, people don’t even think about antenna placement. So let’s take a trip back to 2006 before the iPhone even existed.
The Loop reports,
In fact, Samsung was putting warning labels on some of its phones as far back as 2006. The label, which was on the back of the phone, told customers they shouldn’t obstruct the bottom of the phone during a phone call.
I was able to find the label on two models of phones dating back to 2006, although it’s certainly possible that the labels could have been on earlier models.
The Samsung SYNC and the Samsung Blackjack both came with these labels on the back of the devices, according to reviews in 2006 on Phone Scoop and MSNBC respectively.
Perhaps the iPhone 4 should come with a sticker.
[via The Loop]
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!
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]
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.
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.
Cody wrote about the Manfrotto pocket tripod before. It was some sort of a stand that allowed you to attach a SLR lens to your iPhone to, well, taking better pictures, I guess. I don’t know if someone actually managed to take any picture with it, but still. It was cool - but this one’s certainly better and more “useful”.
