Hacker Charlie Miller has exposed a security flaw in Apple's App Store. The flaw allows a LEGIT app to secretly download an unsigned, app without the knowledge of the user, or Apple through a backdoor entrance.
Remember, this is a signed, listed, inspected and fully authorized app from the App Store. The malicious code was not detected by Apple, and the only reason the app was pulled and his dev account cancelled was because he himself announced the presence of his virus in the app that he wrote.
This not only reveals a huge potential security flaw in iOS, but in Apple's App Store model as well. Any official app could potentially be a trojan horse carrying with it, full remote access to your iPhone/iPod Touch and its contents.
Currently, there is no way of protecting yourself from this type of threat... nor is there any way for the end user to know if any of their apps were actually made with this type of virus built in.
Although technical, this video is a proof of concept showing how he gains remote access into an iPhone that has downloaded the app.
For great videos on the go with you iPhone, iPod Touch, or Android... use Handbrake! Yes, it is an odd name for an app... with an even odder icon... but it works great!
One step video conversions to allow easy playback on your iOS or Android device.
Some would prefer downloading an app that plays all formats, but I don't really like wasting storage space with a 15GB movie, when you can't really appreciate 1080p on a mobile screen.
The iPhone 4 preset works on almost all devices, or create a higher 720p preset if your mobile screen supports it.
Since the introduction of the celfone cam, people have documented every single moment of their lives (both drunken and sober) and has caused a boom in digital photography.
The latest generation of mobile phone cams boast specs that exceed most professional cams a few years ago... but do specs tell the whole truth? Numbers are quite easy to fudge, and test parameters can easily be biased to favor one manufacturer over another. I've found that most of today's mid-to-high end devices are all comparable to each other. This review is to give a real-world comparison and evaluation compared to point-and-shoot cameras.
Most phone cam lenses are fixed at around 28mm (in full-frame DSLR equivalent) this gives the most practical field of view for group shots, parties, and roughly 95% of the events people use their phones to take pictures of.
The Xperia ray sports an 8 megapixel Exmor R sensor which is supposed to be excellent in low-light situations. I'm not fond of using a flash, on any of my cameras... so this was something that caught my attention. Along with the claimed f2.4, this should make the ray perfect for capturing events at concerts, clubs, parties, candle-lit dinners and other things that happen in the dark...
But does it really work well? How does it fare against the previous generation X10 Mini Pro? Against a decent point & shoot camera?
The first shot was taken using my Panasonic Lumix ZS3. This is one of the better all-around point and shoots on the market with a focal range of 28-300mm and a Leica lens. It shoots in 720p HD so this will also be the baseline for the video comparison.
Sony Ericsson X10 Mini Pro
This was taken using my X10 Mini Pro. As you can see, colors are a bit washed out compared to the Lumix, but general detail is preserved. A noteworthy observation is that the grill on the car looks more 'detailed' with the X10MP, but it's just heavier post processing on the phone's part.
Sony Ericsson Xperia ray
And finally, the shot taken using the Xperia ray. Bokeh is slightly nicer on the ray... not by much, but if you look at the car in the background, the rims have stronger lens blur. Color accuracy on the ray is also closer to the Lumix which is a plus. I initially thought that the X10MP was sharper, but it turned out to just be stronger sharpening post processing.
With the absence of a dedicated camera button however, it is harder to take a shot with the ray. Touch focus doesn't always work and can sometimes give a completely blurry shot. Auto focus gives decent results most of the time, but limits compositional freedom. Over-all the ray has a better camera, but without a dedicated camera button, it takes longer to take a shot.
Forget the front camera... it's sad. Washed out and very soft focused. Flashback to an 80's webcam. It's there. But don't expect iPod Touch/iPhone 4 quality video calls. But there is hope for self-portrait fans. Sony Ericsson's "Smile Detection" allows you to use the rear camera, then the phone automatically takes the shot when you smile. Although this doesn't guarantee it's framed properly.
Now onto the video. The Xperia ray records in 720p HD. Movies are in the standard MP4 format and trimming recorded clips is possible on the phone itself. I did find it nice that the phone records in stereo. Utilizing the back mic for the left channel, and the phone mic for the right channel. The odd position of the mics does create an issue for users that are unaware that both mics are on. If you're holding the bottom part of the phone, you may be blocking the "right" mic and thus audio may sound weak. Because the mics are farther apart than on most point and shoot cameras (like the Lumix ZS3), stereo separation does sound more prominent on the ray.
The following video was taken at night using only automatic settings. This is how most people will be using the camera on this phone so I decided to make a direct comparison with the ZS3's HD capabilities as well. Audio on the left channel is from the ray, audio on the right channel is from the ZS3.
As you can see, the Exmor R sensor does an excellent job of low light recording. Not much noise is added, and detail is quite good. Focusing is ok, but not great. Clarity is still better on the ZS3 of course, but I would have more practical use for the ray's shots than the ZS3. And a little post processing on the Xperia to improve black levels and the shots taken would actually look better than the ZS3. Audio is decent for a device of it's size. I didn't notice any weak audio, I suspect that early reports either had different firmware, or were accidentally covering the right channel mic with their hand.
Video verdict? The Xperia ray is a very capable video recorder. The Exmor R sensor does work and can be used in very difficult lighting situations. Make sure you have a lot of storage though because HD video does chew up quite a bit of space. I can now leave my ZS3 to the dedicated task of just scuba videos. The Xperia ray will now be my everyday video device.
**A usability tip: There are different camera shortcuts that you can add to your homepage for easy access. I added the Camera and Video Camera shortcut. It may not be a dedicated button, but it's a lot easier than scrolling through a menu!**
After seeing how great the Xperia ray's screen in my Part 1 review was, naturally I wanted to check how good its media capturing capabilities are. Does the Exmor R camera really deliver? How's the audio during video recordings? What about music and movie playback? Or are they all just marketing stickers on the box?
First up, audio/music playback. Test was conducted using the ff:
I decided to compare it against my X10 Mini Pro as a reference playback unit. I used a 256kbps mp3 of Dave Brubeck's famous Take 5. The results from switching from one playback system to another are:
Included headsets aren't great. Better than Apple's stock earbuds, but not by much. So I won't bother giving a detailed review of these. But these choke the sound quality of the ray to about 40% of their capabilities.
The Xperia ray's volume is about ¾ of the X10 Mini Pro. This makes it quite weak, even with efficient headsets. Although volume levels are loud, some people may feel it isn't loud enough. Personally I find it's well within the safe db levels of listening even at maximum volume. I would however, recommend using a headphone amp.
Xperia ray has an annoying clicking while NOT playing any media, this can only be heard through my reference K240DFs, not the K324P or the included headphones.
The Xperia ray has much cleaner bass frequency response than the X10 Mini Pro, bass notes are fuller at lower frequencies without being muddy or overpowering. Treble on the ray seems more balanced than on the X10MP, which may make the MP seem 'clearer'.
xLoud feature on the Xperia ray only affects the built-in speaker, and not headphone playback (good call!)
The X10 Mini Pro built-in speaker is much louder and much fuller than the Xperia ray.
Both the Xperia ray and Mini Pro built-in speakers sound 'clearer' than the X-Mini 2, albeit a lot weaker.
xLoud feature on the Xperia ray makes ringtones sound just as loud as the X10 Mini Pro.
Xperia ray built-in speaker sounds best 1 notch below maximum volume, at maximum volume, you get a resonant buzz from the casing of the phone itself... this resonant buzz is not present on the X10MP, I'm assuming this wasn't by design, but just basic acoustics. The sheer volume of the X10MP gives the built-in speaker a larger 'cabinet' to work with thus making it sound fuller and louder.
EQ has a few presets, I'm not an EQ kind of guy, but they work better than the ones on the iPhone 4 or iPod Touch 4 which to me introduce way too much distortion. The ray's EQ is acceptable... although I would still recommend leaving it flat for the best audio quality.
Over-all, I'd say the Xperia ray has average music playback capabilities. Nothing bad, nothing great. I find it cleaner and clearer than the older X10 Mini Pro, but the lack of volume output makes using a headphone amp almost necessary, which negates the convenience of a small phone. Although using it in the car is quite nice and I prefer the output going into my car headunit.
It won't win any audiophile awards, but then again, neither will any mobile phone... will you be happy with the music playback capabilities? I would say yes. Unless you like listening to your music at ear-bleeding volumes, it's quite decent for most users. It sounds better than the 2nd gen iPod Shuffle, but not as good as the iPod Touch 4.
Final verdict: Average music playback. Decent frequency response and respectable bass extension. Low volume output, not a deal-breaker, but some may find it a bit too soft. The included earbuds aren't isolation buds so they do let in a lot of ambient sound, which drowns out the already weak volume of the ray. So unless your unit came with the LiveSound headset, I'd seriously recommend getting a better pair of cans.
From my initial review of the Xperia ray, the next few entries will be a more in-depth review of each aspect of the phone. This review will be about the Reality Display.
Since the death of my P1i, Android has been my mobile OS of choice. The expandability and flexibility has met all my communication needs since Symbian's UIQ. Now, it's been a little over a year since I got my Sony Ericsson X10 Mini Pro. I've enjoyed having such a small phone, and all the new larger phones don't really appeal to me as much. Which is what led me to the Xperia ray and it's 3.3" Reality Display.
With my new Xperia ray, the first feature you notice is the beautiful new screen, dubbed Reality Display. With a pixel density of 297ppi, it's much higher than my X10 Mini Pro's 156ppi, and quite close to Apple's Retina Display of 326ppi. (On a side note, PCs run at 72ppi, most Macs run at 96ppi and the Apple iPad runs at 132ppi.) Which is just my way of saying, at this level...this IS nitpicking.) This makes images and video look incredibly crisp and clear. Combined with Sony Ericsson's Bravia Engine (which only works on video and photo playback), the Reality Display is the single most stunning feature of the ray.
The following are close-up shots of the ray's screen against the iPod Touch 4, and the X10 Mini Pro.
Xperia ray screen
iPod Touch 4 screen
X10 Mini Pro screen
iPod Touch 4 vs Xperia ray
Xperia ray vs X10 Mini Pro
The level of detail on the ray is quite high and comparable to Apple's Retina Display. Although no one will ever really read text at these sizes, it does make pages and icons look sharper and more vivid. It also has a tendency to have a warmer hue than both the Retina Display and the X10 Mini Pro.
The other great quality of the screen is the contrast. Blacks are very nice and deep, thus making the other colors stand out very well. If you look at the ray vs X10 Mini Pro, you'll see that the Mini Pro doesn't really show black, it's more of a dark gray. Color rendition on the ray is quite excellent as well. Gradients are smooth and there isn't any noticeable banding.
Another great aspect of the screen is that Sony Ericsson has made it from Scratch Resistant Mineral Glass which keeps the display nice and new looking. I wouldn't keep my phone in the same pocket as my keys, but I'm pretty sure it can handle daily wear and tear. So no need for a screen protector. Due to it's glossy nature, the ray's screen is a fingerprint magnet. On that note, my X10 Mini Pro did have scratch resistant coating and it held up decently, but being a plastic screen, it does have micro scratches visible after only a year.
Now, some people are asking if the screen is too small. It's not. There are bigger screens out on the market, and there are smaller screens. It all depends on what apps you intend to use often... if you use your mobile communicator as your primary entertainment device, then you will be better off with a larger screen... or even a small 7" tablet. The 3.3" screen of the ray is more than adequate for surfing, email, SMS, and casual video playback . Games are pretty decent to play... but the screen size does make finger accuracy an issue with Angry Birds... hahahaha...
Are you tired of lugging around a huge phone? I am. I've been using touchscreen phones since 2003, (Sony Ericsson P800, P910i, and P1i) and they've just gotten bigger and bulkier over the years. I've always found it inconvenient to always have to remove my phone from my back pocket when sitting down. Bulky phones aren't quite nice to have in a shirt pocket either, as they do tend to tug on your shirt. Which is why I was so happy when Sony Ericsson came out with the X10 Mini Pro last year. It was, at the time, one of the smallest Android phones on the market (the smaller one being the X10 Mini w/o the keyboard) It suited my needs at the time, and I was willing to sacrifice screen size and performance for weight and portability.
It's been a little over a year since I've had my X10 Mini Pro and having been spoiled by the diminutive size, it's quite difficult to go back to the bulk of iPhone-sized (or larger) phones. Since then, I've been waiting for a worthy replacement for my little Android.
Enter the xperia ray (yes, it's NOT capitalized). Sony Ericsson's latest entry into the "Design and Style" smartphones. I have to say I'm very impressed.
Beautiful aluminum frame
The Design - Not only do they break away from all the iPhone-esque styled smartphones, but they've actually gone back to the Scandinavian stylings of Ericsson which I've always loved! The aluminum frame really makes a difference. Much like the classic Ericsson models that used magnesium, the new xperia ray feels like a premium piece of equipment. And although this is a purely aesthetic feature, this does make the ray look and feel more elegant than almost any plastic smartphone out on the market today.
No more labels! Yay!
Thankfully Adam-West-Batman-Style labels for features and buttons are no longer present, and external buttons are kept to an absolute minimum! (Yes, I do know that's the camera, I don't need a permanent label to tell me it's 8.1 megapixels. Nor do I need a label to tell me that it's a volume switch. I also know that's the charging port, I don't need a label to tell me that either!)
Volume-wise it's 55.3 cm³ while the xperia mini is 73.2 cm³ which means it's actually SMALLER than the mini, even though sporting a much better screen (more than double the resolution).
iPod Touch 4 vs. xperia ray
It's quite thin, at 9.4mm, it's almost as thin as the iPhone4 (9.3mm), it's bigger brother the arc (8.7 mm) and the Galaxy S2 (8.5mm). But because it's a lot slimmer than the usual smartphones, it's also a lot lighter. At only 100g, it's 16g lighter than the Galaxy S2 and xperia arc (that's a tbsp of sugar lighter... quite a diet), despite being able to keep the same screen resolution as the bigger Android phones.
Jet black Bravia Screen
The Screen - The beautiful screen is jet black, and contrast is great. It makes the phone look incredibly sleek. Although the Bravia Engine only works with photos and video, the screen is excellent and does any media justice even with the Bravia turned off. Viewing under sunlight is not a problem, and is comparable to the better screens out there.
8.1 - f2.4 - HD
The Camera - Quite decent. It's 8.1 megapixels with an f/2.4 which makes macro shots quite nice, with decent bokeh. But it has a tendency to over-expose shots. The Exmor sensor does quite a decent job of low-light shots, albeit at the expense of noise... but it does keep the shutter speed down so you can take bloggable shots at your next drunken party without much blur. This is not going to replace a DSLR or high-end point and shoot, but it can match a similarly sized PS camera. The Exmor sensor will do much better than most PS cameras out there without a flash (I personally hate using a flash, so this is a big deal for me). Video is in HD, and does a decent job for videos and audio. Front camera is not as good as the front cam of the iPod Touch or iPhone 4 though.
The Audio - The external speaker is decently loud. There's a function called xLoud that equalizes any audio played to sound louder, so this works well with ringtones and alerts. It sounds clearer, but not as full, as the XMini2 speaker. The included headset is nothing to blog about, it's included... that's about it. Although it sounds better than the Apple earbuds that comes with all the iPods. But with a decent pair of cans, the ray sounds great... no hiss, noise, or buzz.
The Preliminary Verdict - Sony Ericsson has made an excellent piece of lifestyle hardware with the xperia ray. For those that want a great performing smartphone, that looks elegant and classy, and doesn't burn your wallet, it's an excellent all-around performer! Stay tuned for the next few days to get an in-depth review of each feature!
Hot on the heels of the iPad 2 announcement, comes the much awaited iOS 4.3 update. Promising faster internet, the ability to stream content from your iOS device to your TV via Apple TV, stream content from iTunes to your iOS device, personal WiFi Hotspot (this is a big one for iPhone users), and the option to make the side switch go back to being an orientation lock (why they removed this in the first place is beyond me)
So plug in your iPhone 4, iPad, or iPod Touch and get the 600MB update!
Now that Apple has announced the new iPad 2, everyone is on the fence on whether or not it lives up to it's original sibling. Yes and no. An Apple representative casually mentioned that the iPad 2 is just a minor update to the original iPad, and that the iPad 3 will be the real upgrade.
But is the iPad 2 worth getting? Yes it is. Considering there is no price increase from the original iPad, that alone is a great deal. And for those that don't need FaceTime, or the fancy new magnetic smart cover, the original iPad is now $399 brand new from Apple.
Other updates include a slimmer and lighter profile, although I'm really not fond of the new back design...I don't like it on my iPod Touch 4G, and I don't like it on the iPad. Does it really matter? From a design preference, to me, yes. Now, the new iPad 2 I'd get for it's features alone, not the design. But considering that it is still the best looking tablet out there, still says a lot for it. Seeing as how technology is evolving, we may soon just be buying a transparent piece of glass with a little logo on the corner anyway. And since most people buy a case for their iPad anyway, the back design is an extremely minor gripe, and a personal one at that.
I would've opted for the same design as the original iPad with a 20 hour battery instead. But that's just me. I feel that the slight weight reduction isn't enough to be that big a deal, but a 20-hour charge is significant on a long haul flight or weekend getaway. Again, this is just my take on the new design.
Reasons to buy the new iPad 2:
FaceTime
HD Video recording
Updated processor (although since no apps maximize this, real world improvements will be incremental at best)
Smart Cover
HDMI output (via optional dongle)
and of course... it comes in WHITE. (For some, this alone is worth the update...hehehe)
Reasons to buy the original iPad:
$100 cheaper
Still comparable to the iPad 2 in terms of functionality and practicality
Milled aluminum design (This is only my personal preference in design, and I still say it's the best look iOS device ever. I wish they patterned all the other iOS devices after the original iPad)
The screen on both the iPad and iPad 2 are the same, so no Retina upgrade there. For photographers and videographers, either one will serve your purposes just fine, although editing on the new iPad 2 with the updated iMovie app will be faster.
If you're on the market for an iPad, now is the best time to choose. For the same amount of money, you get the newer one... and if you aren't really keen on the added features, you can have the original iPad for $100 less.
For those with the original iPad, is it worth the update? Well, that would depend on the health of your gadget budget. I'm skipping this update to get the new MacBook Pro instead.
Summer is here, and that means beach trips are coming up. But what about your music player or smartphone? If you've got an Android, iPod Touch, or iPhone, you may want to invest in a waterproof pouch.
There are a lot of pouches out there that offer protection, but I like DesignGO for the price that they offer. At P500 (or approx US$12) at R.O.X. in Fort Bonifacio, it's as good as any of the other plastic-pouch solutions out there. Plus it has a small headphone extension so you can plug in your headphones while keeping the pouch completely sealed.
The clear side also allows full use of your touchscreen so all functions can easily be accessed. Unfortunately, the extension jack only supports stereo out, no mic connection so making calls while your phone is in the case is a no-go.
Although not IP rated, I wouldn't really do anything extreme with ANY soft case. If you need it to be submersible however, you may want to look at the hard cases from H2O Audio instead. But I'd pick DesignGO's water pack over any of the other soft cases that sell for 3x more. Pelican cases offer additional shock protection aside from mild water resistance, while Otterbox only offers shock protection, not water resistance.
I keep my movie collection on my home computer. It's way more convenient than loading a Bluray disc each time I wanna watch a movie. If you have an iPad, you can also watch your movie collection. Having VLC (Which I heard was recently removed by Apple...BOO!!!!) allows you to download an watch your movies on the go... but even the 64GB iPad can't hold all the HD movies you want.
This is where Air Video comes in. Install the app on your iPad (or iPhone/iPod Touch), then a small server program on your home computer. You have to keep your home computer on for the app to work since it allows you to watch the videos on your home computer. It streams the video to your iPad over your WiFi network.
It can handle HD (mkv), avi, mpg, and almost any video that can be played on your home computer.
Download Air Video from the iTunes App Store, then go to their website to download the server app (works on Windows and OSX)
*There's also a free version, the limitation is that it only displays 3-4 random files in your video directory. If you can live with that, then it works just fine as well.
"Can you ring my phone?" How many times have you had to tell your friends or family to do this? Misplaced your phone? Can't remember where you left it? Was it stolen?
Since the iPhone 4 came out, there have been millions of units sold... and millions have been lost and/or stolen as well. (This is an unsubstantiated number of lost/stolen iPhones I made up for the purposes of dramatization for this entry only)
How do you begin to locate your iPhone 4? Well, Apple has conveniently created an app called Find My iPhone to help you begin your search.
Install the app on your iOS device (This only works on the current generation of iOS devices: iPhone 4, iPod Touch 4, and iPad)
If you don't have a MobileMe account, the app will ask you to create one, you can use your iTunes Account info. Signing up is free, as is the Find My iPhone service. It is the only component of the MobileMe service that Apple provides for free. For older iOS devices running 3.1.3, the paid MobileMe service is required. I haven't tested it on my older iPod Touch so I can't confirm this personally.
If you lose or misplace your iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad, you can find it by logging into Find My iPhone on another iOS device.
A list of available devices registered under your account will show up.
Simply tap on the device you want to find, and you will be given a set of options of what to do:
-View on Map
-Lock the device
-Erase all data on the device
-Beep and send a message to the device
If you have a compatible iOS device, this is a pretty useful app!
I'm not a big fan of trackpads. I think they are a necessary evil for laptops (although for mobile devices, I still prefer IBM's TrackPoint) but they are my least preferred pointing device. Recently, my Apple Magic Mouse started giving me tracking problems (completely stopped tracking on my wooden desk, doesn't track on bond paper or mouse pads, but it does track on shiny cardboard packaging only)
While Apple is running diagnostics on my Magic Mouse, I didn't want to buy a cheap mouse nor did I want to waste money on the Magic Trackpad. I did find a better solution: iTap Mobile's Touchpad app for iOS. (And recently, they added an Android version as well! Yay!)
Basically, it turns your iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad into a wireless trackpad and keyboard. If like me, you use your computer on your LCD TV, having a compact, wireless keyboard & pointing device comes in quite handy for watching movies, controlling media playback and couch surfing.
So, until my Magic Mouse is fixed, I'm using this as my primary trackpad on my home computer. It works on both Mac and Windows, controlled from either iOS or Android!
I use Barnacle Wi-Fi on a regular basis. At a mall, cafe, in my car or in areas of my building that don't get wifi, I use my X10 Mini Pro to tether my laptop, iPod Touch and iPad with Internet. This does take its toll on the battery life of my little Android.
Although my battery can last me a couple of days with regular use, tethering is a huge battery drain. Lugging around a charger is of no use if I can't find a power outlet to plug into, and not very pocketable.
Enter the Momax Portable battery. There are a lot of other battery solutions out there. And this review is more of portable battery packs in general. Pick the portable solution that is suited to the device(s) you have.
What I likes about the Momax battery pack was that it had a micro USB plug, which can charge both my phone, or Bluetooth headset. This also means that the chargers of my X10MP, Jabra Stone, and Momax are all interchangeable as well. Big convenience for field/travel use.
It provides approx 1200mAh of power, which is a little over a full charge for my phone effectively doubling my battery life. This gives me 8 full hours of tethered surfing or about 4 days of power with regular use. Why not just carry a spare battery? Portable battery packs allow uninterrupted use. And having a standard charging tip, allows use on more than one device.
iPhone users may like the battery jackets instead that wrap around the phone. These may make the phone a lot bigger but offer more usable power for the larger iPhones, and are more convenient to use since they act as a case for your iPhone.
I'm not a fan of protective jackets. Never had one on any of my mobile phones, iPods, or laptops. I do have protective pouches or bags, but I take my device out when I use it. So far, the only 2 protective jackets I own are the original Apple iPad case (but I only use it when I'm out... my iPad is out of the case when I use it at home) and my recent purchase of the Capdase jacket for my iPod Touch.
The only reason I've been looking for a case for my iPod Touch is for video viewing and FaceTime. I needed something that could serve as a stand in both portrait and landscape orientations. I found the perfect solution in the Capdase Soft Jacket 2.
Although I'm still not fond of having a protective jacket on my iPod, I like the fact that it's not bulky. It's quite simple in design and the integrated kick stand works well and folds flat when not in use. My only complaint is that the stand is a bit offset (dunno why) so it's slightly off balance when in portrait mode. Not a big deal as long as the surface you're resting it on is sturdy. It also comes with a screen protector (which I didn't bother installing either) and a soft neoprene pouch. If you're looking for a simple stand solution for your iPod Touch 4, this is one of the sleeker solutions I've found.
Shortly after going viral (1 million users in 2 weeks - Facebook took almost a year to reach their first million), Kik Messenger was pulled from the Blackberry Appworld. This is a sad day for Blackberry users, since it seems that RIM is feeling threatened by Kik. For those that don't know, Kik is a cross-platform messenger that allows instant, real-time chat between Blackberry, Android, and iOS (both the iPhone and iPod Touch) devices.
I'm not fond of having so many messengers. I have MSN and YM... then there's Google Talk, and Facebook Chat. I'm hoping for the next big messaging app to come so I can ditch the rest.
Maybe Kik can merge or sell their tech to Facebook. Considering how lame Facebook chat is, maybe a Kik merger would help stabilize Facebook's system and allow a much cooler Facebook Mobile experience!
A while back, I posted an entry on the possibility of FaceTime for Android in the form of Apple's new iPod Touch. Finally got to test and confirm it using Barnacle Wifi Tether and an iPhone 4. Signal is fairly stable although it's more dependent on your provider's 3G/EDGE network... GPRS is too slow to give decent performance and will most likely drop the call all together.
Barnacle's only shortcoming is the inconsistency of it's connection to the iPhone/iPod Touch. Hopefully those running 2.1 Androids don't experience dropped signal when the screen saver kicks in. So far, those on the Sony Ericsson X10 Mini/Mini Pro will need to run something in the background to keep Barnacle from switching to standby. Some users have reported firmware updates fix this, but not all regions have the same firmware. In this case, the screen saver/power saver is usually the culprit since it disables the wifi antenna to conserve power.
To make a FaceTime call, go to your contact list, tap on a contact and scroll all the way down and click on the FaceTime button on the bottom left.
A menu will pop up to show the possible ways to connect to the contact via FaceTime. A caveat, just because FaceTime will attempt to connect, doesn't mean that contact has FaceTime. You have to know which phone number or email that particular contact is using for FaceTime, and that contact has to already be online when the call is being made.
The iPod Touch has effectively given FaceTime to Android. Although those with a 2nd jailbroken iPhone and tethering should also be able to use FaceTime on their iPhone 4 while on the move.
Today's Tech Gospel is on the on-going Mobi Wars. I've been getting a lot of inquiries on which is the "best" phone to get... unfortunately, the answer is, like always, 'it depends'.
This is just my personal take on the mobile wars. For the sake of simplicity, I'm just going to focus on the 3 most popular ones... iOS, Android, and RIM. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. I wouldn't be able to recommend ONE of them for everyone. Simply because not everyone has the same needs. I'm not including Symbian since they dropped UIQ. Their Series 40/60 feels more like a feature-phone than a PDA-OS. UIQ was my favorite (honestly, more than Android), and I used it exclusively for the last 7 years and I really liked it. S^3 is still to new, and I have no personal experience with it yet.
The oldest of the 3 is RIM. The Blackberry has been around for a while. It has (had?) a great idea. A global messaging system... kinda like AIM/YM for phones. And the ever famous push e-mail. The problem with RIM was that they stuck to a proprietary system... locked to proprietary hardware (which isn't that great to begin with) the strengths of this system, however, shine in an enterprise setting. Where business people can communicate globally via the BBM service. It's great at what it was designed to do..keep business people connected... anytime...anywhere. Now, whether or not this is a good thing for your boss to be able to find you anywhere in the world, at anytime... that's entirely up to you to decide.
Next up... the loudest of the bunch... iOS (the iPhone) ... with people lining up at 3am in the rain to get one... Apple has done what it does best... SELL. Now, a lot of my friends are surprised that I never kept an iPhone. Tried the 1st and 3G one... was never impressed. I'm not against it. I just think it falls short as a phone and SMS device. Hence, I've owned and used an iPod Touch as my primary PDA since it first came out. I love iOS. The refinement of the execution is just ... well.. Apple. Simple, easy, sleek. Tons of apps for almost anything you need. "There's an app for that!". And although the iPhone falls short as a phone. It is improving. A lot of basic functions (multi-tasking, MMS, cut and paste, and Bluetooth) were just recently introduced... so it is evolving.
I would recommend an iPhone for anyone has outgrown the functionality out of a regular phone, but doesn't really want to take the time to tweak and fiddle with the OS.
Enter the new kid in town... Android. Google's FREE mobile OS. Now how does this benefit the consumer? You can have branded (HTC, LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson) Android devices for about $200, SIM-free! No 2-year contract, no BS... with pretty much the same features as their larger, more expensive siblings. (I say pretty much because you still do get what you pay for in terms of hardware... even if Google is giving the software away)
Android... picked up where Symbian's UIQ dropped the ball. Because it syncs with Google's online services, it pretty much is compatible with any computer that can view Gmail. That is also Android weakness. Although cloud computing is the near-future, it's not quite here yet... so if you don't have an unlimited data plan, or don't intend to get one... I really wouldn't see the point of getting an Android device. It's still a great phone... but you feel like you're running the thing in 2nd gear if your not online 24/7.
Widgets also increase the over-all functionality of Android devices. Something iOS doesn't have yet. Not having to launch your calendar app just to see your appointments for the day is incredibly useful. As is being able to have your phone automatically switch modes depending on the time of day, or day of the week. Wireless iTunes syncing is also a nice feature to have...something iOS (oddly) doesn't have yet.
Even with no official app for something, a lot of Android apps can be strung together to do more complex tasks than they were designed to do.
Being the youngest of the 3, Android is still not as refined as iOS or BB. Not quite ready for prime time, Android is still the weapon of choice for early adopters.
To sum it all up:
Blackberry: Great for corporate communications, specially the global BBM service. Without BBM, it's kinda useless. Best way to keep in touch with colleagues, friends and family around the world. Apps are limited. Easiest to deploy and secure in a corporate fleet setting.
iPhone: Fun, sleek. There's an app for almost anything you wanna do on it. (Except download dive computer data straight from your dive computer... if someone from Suunto or Mac Dive Log is reading this... please make a dock that interfaces directly with an iPad or iPhone!) Great games. Mature and stable OS and Apps. The inability to hide all icons from the desktop is still something that personally bugs me about iOS (iPhone, Touch or iPad) Apps controlled by Apple, this minimizes security and virus risks, but also limits apps to developers that Apple wants. Apple operates on a white-list system. Only apps Apple wants get approved.
Android: Fully customizable. True multi-tasking. Tweakable. Widgets. Higher learning curve, but more advanced communication capabilities are possible. Next best thing to having a phone OS built just for you (this is already custom Linux territory, people at this level do not bother reading my blog to get help on which phone to buy... hahahaha) Google operates on a black-list system. All apps are welcome until reported malicious or illegal by end-users.
**Personal note, ELSE looks like the most promising mobile OS... if backed properly, this is a new company that has the potential to overtake all 3 if they play things right... **
PS: I'm not mentioning Windows Mobile because that would just be sad (sorry MS, but you know it's true) ... hahahaha... let's see if they can raise the dead with Windows Phone...
This is far from over... with iOS 4, Android 2.2, and BB6 just coming out... this is only the beginning.
Today's Tech Gospel: Apple announced an entire new line-up of iPods today. Among them was the highly anticipated upgrade of the iPod Touch. As Jobs put it "It's the iPhone without a contract"... which is what everyone wants. HAHAHAHA!Was this Apple's way of circumventing their deal with AT&T? Hmmm...
Has Apple unintentionally given something to Android users that iPhone 4 users don't have yet (and possibly never will)? ... FaceTime... anywhere. All Androids running FroYo, or Barnacle Wifi should have FaceTime capabilities while on the move with the new iPod Touch.
Will keep posting details on this possibility as soon as real-world testing can be done...
The Tech Gospel is about Apple's new products... Finally, the shuffle is back. The last one was really dumb. The new Nano is amazing. And of course, the iPod Touch... 'the iphone w/o a contract'... FACETIME w/o the antenna issues.
**This is just a warning, the following review requires rooting. I do not encourage those that don't know how to root to blame me for anything that may go wrong with your phone. Google the proper procedure for rooting, and understand the risks. Now onto the review...**
"Blistering Barnacles!!!" Don't worry, this isn't another iPad review. You can find a billion of those on the web. This is a review about Barnacle Wifi Tether for Android phones.
Now, what exactly is 'tethering'? It's usually the process of sharing the internet connection of one device to another. In the past, this was done via Bluetooth (in prehistoric times, this was done via USB cable... hahahaha... dinosaurs had such a difficult time since they had no opposable thumbs)
Granted, Bluetooth tethering is probably the most efficient way to do it, not all manufacturers (cough... Apple... cough... cough) enable Bluetooth tethering. Bluetooth tethering is still my preferred method for 2 reasons, low power consumption, and connection stability. I've rarely had any problems with BT connections to my laptop in the past, and given the low power drain, I'm willing to take a performance hit while on the move to conserve battery. Although the bottleneck is rarely with the BT connection, and more often with your HSPA, EDGE, or GPRS connection.
Enter WiFi tethering. Although rumored to come standard with FroYo (Android 2.2), wifi tethering is still a mod for Donut and Eclair models. What this does is it turns your Android phone into a pocket wifi router.
So as far as your wifi devices are concerned, they think your phone is just a regular hotspot and connect with no fuss...well...minimal fuss.
Barnacle Wifi is a pretty simple app to use. It's got a big START/STOP button and an ASSOCIATE (you press this in case your device can't find your phone) button. The menu is quite simple, you can leave everything on their default settings and it should work 80% of the time. With other phones, you may have to do a few tweaks to get it to work. You can rename your hotspot ID (I renamed mine DOPPLERAUDIO in this review) and your device (iPad, iPod Touch, laptop, etc) should see it in their list of available access points.
Just connect like a regular hotspot and you're good to go! Well... there are a few hiccups for now. Depending on your phone model, you may have to play music in the background and turn down the volume. Some power management systems on some phones will shut down wifi when the phone goes into standby. Another option is to just keep your screen on the whole time but this will kill your phone in a very short time.
As you can see from the test photos, you can get respectable speeds using this app. And it works quite well considering it's currently an unsupported app. I'm betting things will just get better in a few months when the official Android tether option is released.
Now, some of you may wonder why go through all this trouble? Why not just get a 3G iPad and a data SIM? Well, quite simply, because I don't like having duplicate services. Specially when I can't maximize both of them. I don't bring my laptop, iPad, and iPod Touch with me all the time. I also don't like bulky phones anymore. My X10 Mini Pro is now setup to be the heart of my mobile communications, and that includes mobile internet.
Instead of having a separate SIM for each device to use, Barnacle Wifi acts like my mobile hub to all my devices wherever I am. It maximizes my data plan, and I don't have to bring around a separate MiFi router or pay for another data plan.
Download Barnacle Wifi! It's a great little app. It's free. You just have to root your phone. It's not as difficult as it's sounds, but just know the risks and potential dangers.
