Apple Releases iOS 4.3, Safari 5.0.4

Apple released iOS 4.3 today (except for Verizon iPhone users … grr)

Updates include:

• Personal Hotspot
• iTunes Home Sharing
• Airplay Updates (more interoperability between devices)
• Faster Safari (and also released a 5.0.4 for desktop users) – featuring the Apple Nitro Javascript engine — some results are up to 50% faster!
• HD Video out with the Apple adapter
• Few tweaks to settings

You can get it now, if you don’t have Verizon.  Guess I can’t ever be on the winning side of Apple.

I’m hoping the delay for 4.3 on Verizon iPhone isn’t too long — but no official word on that yet.

Also with the updates was an update for Apple TV today that aded some content as part of it’s iOS 4.3 update.

Tags: Apple, Apple TV, iOS, iPhone, Safari

iOS 4.2 Initial Printers Supported: HP only

The iOS AirPrint functionality will only work on the following printers upon release:

Rumor has it, in late December we’ll see an update that will extend this list.  It is likely that will only be to more HP printers which already have networked wireless printing.

Tags: airprint, HP, iOS, Laserjet, Photosmart, Printer

Apple Releases iOS 4.2

I’m a few hours behind the times, but it was released today.

Some features include:

• AirPlay
• Find My iPhone
• AirPrint
• Safari “Find in Page”
• iPad now supports iOS features that were available on iPhone (all platforms have same functionality now)

I’m excited about AirPrint (yes, I know, I am).  I had heard it was only compatible right now with limited devices.  This limitation was placed by Apple, and is not a limitation of the technology.  Currently it only allows printing to specific HP printers.  There are some alternate solutions for other devices, but I’d give Apple a few months and we should have a larger set of potential printers.

This applies to AppleTV, iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch devices.

Tags: airplay, airprint, Apple, iOS, iPad, iPhone, iPod

Beatles, iTunes, iOS 4.2, Google Voice and Mobile Versions of Sites

Things have been happening very fast in the past week or 2, and wanted to review them.

Hopefully, I’ll be covering the following:

• Beatles on iTunes
• iTunes 10.1
• iOS 4.2 coming soon
• Google Voice
• Mobile versions of Sites

There’s a lot on my mind, and I haven’t written in a while.  Today I get to catch up.

› Continue reading

Tags: airplay, airprint, Apple, Apple TV, appletv, beatles, cufon, Google, Google Voice, iOS, iPad, iTunes, Javascript, Steve Jobs

iOS 4.1: Released for iPhone and iPod Touch

For those of you who didn’t know, it’s been released.

Changes include:

• Game Center
• HDR photos from iPhone 4
• TV show rentals on iTunes
• Upload HD videos to YouTube via WiFi on iPhone 4
• iTunes Ping support
• Facetime calling directly form Favorites

Bug fixes are:

• iPhone 4 proximity sensor performance
• iPhone 3G performance
• Nike+iPod fixes
• Bluetooth improvements

Tags: Apple, Game Center, HD, hdr, iOS, iPhone, iTunes, proximity sensor, sensor performance

Apple TV: Why I believe in It

I’ve had an Apple TV for about 3 or 4 years now.  The old one that is, and have been very happy with my purchase.  I know it wouldn’t have had a major impact being it costs about $300 and to be useful, requires the end user to be pretty saavy with the setup.  I think the new Apple TV is enough of a departure to possibly be a BIG thing.

› Continue reading

Tags: Apple, Apple TV, HDMI, iOS, iPad, iPhone, iTunes

iTunes 10 is Available, iPod/iOS/AppleTV updates!

I’ve been trying to download it all day, finally seeing it available at Apple.com.

Yesterday Apple announced some new features to iTunes 10, some new iOS builds (4.1 and 4.2), new iPod models, and a new Apple TV line.

I’m a big fan of the Apple TV, and am very excited to hear it’s getting an upgrade (and a huge price cut, I paid $300 and was happy to do so).  I may finally be able to have one on every TV in the house — without feeling guilty about it.

Apple TV has been the viewing platform of choice in our house on and off.  It’s so easy to rent a nice looking movie (sorry Netflix, but the quality is just much better on Apple in my opinion — but I love the free movies).  With the news that TV shows will be rentable, suddenly that $150 a month cable seems more optional than ever.

At $0.99 (the rumored price of renting a TV show) that’s 150 tv shows a month.  Bye bye cable!  If only you didn’t have my internet connection.

Tags: Apple, Apple TV, iOS, iOS 4.1, iOS 4.2, iPad, iPod, iTunes, iTunes 10, netflix

iPhone 4: Signal Frustrations

I don’t have an iPhone 4 yet.

That says a lot for me.  For the past 3 years, I have lined up at Apple stores as soon as I could to buy the product.  Most of the time I was there the morning of the launch before the new toy launched.

I am the target demographic.  At least for launch, I am.  Every year I shell out about $400 for a new iPhone.  I renew my AT&T contract annually (for 2 years), and will purchase tons of apps (I had 8 screens before folders).  I am an early adopter, and have seen the iPhone sold for fractions of the initial price only months after launch.

I still don’t have an iPhone 4

What’s the big reason this year?  Well there are a few reasons:

• It really is expensive to buy a new iPhone every year, and it’s taking longer to rationalize the irrational purchase.
• What if the iPhone actually ends up on Verizon?  I don’t want to pay an additional $375 to leave AT&T (when my monthly contract is already $190 a month)
• Signal issues — my current iPhone 3GS requires that I turn off 3G service in order to use it during the day (and not drop a call).  I shouldn’t have to do that
• More signal issues — after hearing about signal issues, I am happy I have not jumped on the bandwagon yet.  If every time I touched that corner of the phone I spend the whole day on and off of — it disconnected, I would be VERY unhappy.
• Apps need to change — the biggest upgrades of the new iOS 4 require apps to change more than the phone
• Where’s my 4G?  If download speeds were faster, I’d have jumped on — but upload speeds are just faster, and even that is proving tough.
• Micro SIM – Yes, this is a big issue for me.  I love the new Micro SIM, but it means I can’t just pop the SIM card and put it in an old iPhone.  I’d be losing all my old phones that I test apps and websites out on (yes, they all behave different, and I prefer it to an emulator sometimes)
• Facetime? – It’s cool, but only on WiFi, and the other user has to be an iPhone 4 user

› Continue reading

Tags: 3gs, 4g, antenna, antenna problems, Apple, apple stores, apps, AT&T, iOS, iOS 4, iOS4, iPhone, iPhone 4, launch, micro sim, Recall, Verizon

iOS 4 Scheduled to Release Today

The new Apple mobile operating system, iOS 4, is supposed to be released today.  Historically Apple makes their moves at 1pm eastern (10am pacific).  I wouldn’t be surprised to hear someone finds the link to iOS4 a bit early today.

As soon as it becomes available, I will let everyone know!

Tags: Apple, iOS, iOS 4, iOS4, iPad, iPhone, iPod, operating system