apple

Apple's iPhone: Better in Europe

Why couldn't Apple have done this here in the US? As the Wall Street Journal reports today, Apple responded to criticism that slow phone networks would dull the luster of its iPhone roll-out by signing a slew of WiFi/hotspot agreements throughout Europe:

After Apple Inc. said it would sell the iPhone in Europe, critics contended the device's Internet connection would be too slow for Europeans used to speedier cell networks.

So Apple did something about it. It now has agreements in place with hot-spot providers in the United Kingdom and Germany so iPhone owners can use their speedy wireless Internet networks free of charge.

How hard would it have been to do this in the US, as well, especially given the fact that every review of the iPhone castigated its dependence on a slow AT&T network. But this isn't the only change Apple has made for Europe.… Read more

Apple updates Tiger with Safari 3, security fixes

Apple is taking Tiger to 11.

The company released a major update to Mac OS X 10.4 on Wednesday that delivers several improvements, fixes some bugs, and patches several security holes identified in recent months. Mac OS X 10.4.11 is immediately available through Software Update, or it can be downloaded from Apple's Web site.

Listing every feature contained in the new update would probably set a record for wordiness in this blog, so I'm not going to do that, and instead will point you here to an informational document on Apple's site. A couple … Read more

Who else is laughing at the music industry?

Warner Music Group--a company that originally took Apple and its iTunes service to task for not allowing it to sell music at a premium--has changed its entire outlook on the music downloading business and has praised Apple for knowing what is best for everyone involved.

"You need to look no further than Apple's iPhone to see how fast brilliantly written software presented on a beautifully designed device with a spectacular user interface will throw all the accepted notions about pricing, billing platforms and brand loyalty right out the window. And let me remind you, the genesis of the iPhone is the iPod and iTunes--a music device and music service that consumers love," Warner Music Group's CEO Edgar Bronfman gushed, according to a blog post by Simon Aughton on MacUser.

Am I the only one that enjoyed a hearty laugh after reading this clown wax poetic on how wonderful Apple is? If you look closely at what he said, you can almost see him kneeling at Steve Jobs' altar begging for forgiveness. Now that is what I call comedy.

But why has Warner Music seen the light all of a sudden? After months of claiming that his company knew what was best for consumers, Bronfman finally found out the hard way that the music industry knows nothing about consumers.… Read more

Episode 604: School daze

The 'dead zone': iPhone screen fails

You would think the iPhone's touch screen--the hallmark of the whole dang thing--would last for more than five months. Well, think again.

After a particularly wet bike ride on Saturday here in the Bay Area, my iPhone got somewhat damp. (You know, the type of rain that soaks through a coat but doesn't ruin anything.) After the ride, I wanted to text people and noticed the top row of the text keyboard was not responding. I had to press, no squish, down to get a letter. And the cursor would flip out. And the screen looked bad when … Read more

Episode 603: Dancing with the Google

Apple patches image buffer overflow in iPhone, iPod Touch

Apple on Monday released a patch for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The TIFF vulnerabilities associated with the patch are serious. However, in fixing the security flaws, users will no longer be able to apply Jailbreak, software that allows for third-party applications on the iPhone. Further, Apple says the update is only available through iTunes, and will not appear in the Mac OS software update application, or on the Apple downloads site, and requires the latest version of iTunes to receive this update.

Image IO This patch affects users of iPhone v1.0 through v1.1.1, iPod Touch v1.… Read more

Filemaker serves snack-size database for Leopard

Filemaker is betting that its new database software, Bento, will please Mac users seeking a multipurpose personal information manager. The application will ship in January 2008 for $49, or $99 for a family pack. A free test drive is available on the Web site of Filemaker, which is owned by Apple.

Like the Japanese lunch box for which it's named, Bento appears to be a tidy organizer. Sorting and searching options look elegant. The software could serve a variety of purposes, such as tracking freelance work gigs, sending party invitations, plotting an exercise regime, cataloging household items, creating libraries of possessions, and even rating stores where you shop or children you might teach.… Read more

Filemaker serves snack-size database for Leopard

Report: China Mobile talking to Apple on iPhone

As the iPhone is expected to debut in Asia only next year, China's largest cell phone carrier is reportedly in talks with Apple to bring the much-anticipated handset to the Mainland.

During a session with reporters at the GSMA Mobile Asia Congress in Macau, China Mobile's chief executive revealed that the company is engaged in talks with Apple on the iPhone, according to BusinessWeek. However, he confirmed that the two parties have not come to any agreement as there are still revenue-sharing issues to resolve.

The Apple iPhone first launched in the U.S. market earlier this year … Read more