The Verizon Wireless president and CEO, Lowell McAdam, was interestingly quoted in a piece on Verizon iPhone rumors.
“This is one of those things that rolls out every few weeks whether there’s a basis for it or not,” McAdam said. “I can’t really give you any insight … I think Apple is the one who has to make that announcement.”
Translation: We’re finally getting the iPhone next year, and we don’t want to screw this up. Again.
(thanks to Lessien for pointing out the article)
Apple has invited members of the press to an event tomorrow showcasing iPhone OS 4. One of the things I expect to hear about is system-wide support for printing. There are already a few apps that provide printing capability for the iPhone, iPod touch, and now the iPad. But, Apple hasn’t provided the a common printing capability that all apps could use.
When I was watching Steve Jobs’ announcement of the iPad, I thought it would be a neat device but wasn’t convinced that I needed one. That is, until the end of his presentation when he announced iWork for the iPad. On seeing those apps demoed, I was immediately struck with the idea that the iPad represents the future of personal computing. But I also assumed that I’d be able to print from those apps — so that I could still share with people living in the past.
It isn’t just iWork that made me think we would be able to print from our iPads. It’s also taking a look back at Snow Leopard through the lens of the iPad. The improvements to printing in that update to Mac OS X now seem as though they were driven by the need to bring printing to the iPad (iOS and Mac OS share a foundation). They solve the problem of identifying and installing the appropriate printer driver for the printer you want to use on a device that has no slot for a disc containing printer drivers. It’s a very slick and seamless process on the Mac that makes finding and setting up printers so much easier. But these improvements are an absolute requirement to print from the iPad. I have to think this was part of Apple’s long term plan for the iPad and the new user interface for printing simply didn’t make the cut for the iPad’s April 3 release — even though the foundation was already laid.
Lending further support to my speculation that we’ll see printing as part of Apple’s announcement about iPhone OS 4 tomorrow are some iPad support documents that were discovered. Those documents state that “printing directly from iPad is not currently available.” The wording is the key here and it’s Apple’s use of currently that implies that this problem is only temporary.
I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s announcement. If I am right about this, it is one more step towards the iPad being able to function as someone’s only computer.
Update: Wireless printing is coming in iOS 4.2 which is the first version of iOS 4 to run on the iPad. According to Apple, iOS 4.2 will be available in November 2010 for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch.
You probably connected your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad to your computer when you first bought it to get your music. Have you connected it since then to synchronize it with your computer? If you haven’t, you should.
Syncing your iPhone with your computer will do three key things. It’ll update the apps, music, videos, podcasts, photos, etc. on your iPhone based on whatever you have on your computer. This may be all that you expected would happen. But, it will also backup your iPhone so that if you lose your iPhone (or replace it for any other reason) you can load the new one with a backup and get everything back as it was. It’s really seamless and will appear magical the first time you setup a new device from a backup. The other benefit syncing will give you is that iTunes will periodically check to make sure the system software on your phone is the latest and greatest version. iTunes will prompt you to download and install the newest version of the OS if your phone isn’t up-to-date. You’ll get new features and/or fixes for issues when your OS is updated.
These are three great benefits to regularly syncing your device with iTunes. Do it at least monthly. You’ll want that backup one day in the future!
Taco Loco is an app that finds mobile taco vendors near you. Taco Loco locates taquerías without a permanent address such as trucks, carts, and stands – they often have the most authentic flavors. Simply fire up the app on your iPhone or iPod touch, and you’ll immediately see nearby taco trucks on the map.
There is an iPhone worm that is making the news this week. One thing that may not be obvious in some of the stories is that the iPhones that are vulnerable have been hacked by their owners or “jailbroken” as it’s commonly referred to by people in the community. People may benefit from hacking their iPhones by being able to run apps that Apple hasn’t approved, installing interface modifications, or pirating App Store applications. But, there are also consequences such as instability, reduced battery life, and now the threat of worms attacking your phone and copying your personal data. You can read more about this in iPhone security problems bring new risks at Computerworld.
You can run iOS applications that weren’t downloaded from the iTunes App Store. This is referred to as ad hoc installation and is usually something you would do at the request of a developer for testing purposes of the app.
You’ll need to supply the developer of the app with an identifier for your device so that they can give it permission to run the application. The developer will then send you two files that are required to run the app: a provisioning profile and the application itself. You can either use the Ad Hoc Helper app to send your Unique Device Identifier (UDID) to the developer or follow these steps:
Once you’ve received both files from the developer, follow these steps to install an app that is distributed in an ad hoc fashion instead of via the App Store.
.mobileprovision extension). You won’t receive any feedback from iTunes that this was successful..app extension) to iTunes.Here’s a tip for new iPhone users that will save your screen and also save you some cash. I was able to use my original iPhone for over a year and a half without a scratch. And the screen on my iPhone 3GS is pristine but I never use a case or a screen protector.
Always put your iPhone in your left pocket (with the screen facing in) and your keys in your right pocket. I’m not sure what makes the iPhone’s screen prone to scratching by keys when dropping it face-down onto asphalt doesn’t have an effect, but they do. I got one scratch on my original iPhone’s screen after owning it for over a year and a half this way. So, always keep your iPhone separated from your keys.
This is especially good advice for someone that just bought an iPhone 3GS since it has an oleophobic screen. This makes the screen resist oil from fingers or faces. In fact, on the rare occasion when I do notice fingerprints on mine, all I have to do it put it in my pocket and the next time I pull it out there isn’t a trace of them remaining. Placing a sheet of plastic over a screen this nice is a shame.
The reason why I always keep my iPhone in my left pocket is so that it doesn’t ever bang against the steering wheel as I enter and exit my car. People living in England, India, or other places where they drive on the wrong side of the road should switch pockets… or countries.
If you have an iPhone, update it today. If you don’t have an iPhone, well, I already feel sorry for you…
iPhone OS 3.0.1 already released, addresses SMS flaw – Ars Technica
The vulnerability was first revealed in June by Miller and University of Milan student Vincenzo Iozzo, who said that they planned to reveal the flaw during Black Hat in July. That week has arrived, with Miller and Mulliner demonstrating a “non-malicious” exploit for the SMS bug. This issue did not only affect iPhones—it affected a number of Windows Mobile, Android, and other GSM phones as well. The iPhone was one of the higher-profile devices on the list, however, meaning that all eyes were on Apple to release an update—and fast.
All iPhones get a free update to iPhone 3.0, even the original iPhone, but some features are only available on newer hardware including the iPhone 3GS. So, you may be wondering why some features you’ve seen aren’t showing up on your phone. Thankfully, Apple has published a support document titled iPhone: Which iPhone 3.0 software features does my iPhone support? that lists the iPhone OS 3.0 feature and capability differences across iPhone models.
When I saw this video I knew that I had to post it. I hear some people lament the fact that the iPhone doesn’t have a hard keyboard on it. To me, the virtual keyboard was a huge selling point (primarily because I hate typing on hard, sharp, and tiny keys) and this video shows why it is better for a mobile device.
Our challenge was pretty simple: hop into the passenger seat alongside 14-time European Rallycross champion Kenneth Hansen, hurtle around Lydden racetrack in Dover, England, and attempt to type, “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog”–a pangram, or holoalphabetic sentence containing every letter of the alphabet–onto each device.
via Video: Xtreme typing challenge pits iPhone vs. Netbook | Crave – CNET.