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Would you like to let AT&T know when your iPhone has dropped a call? Well, now there is an app for that.
AT&T on Monday released a new application called "Mark the Spot," which lets iPhone users submit complaints about dropped calls, poor service coverage, and less-than-perfect voice quality.
The application is free and available in the iTunes App Store. It uses GPS technology in the iPhone 3G and the iPhone 3GS to pin point where the user is when experiencing the problems. For first generation iPhones, it uses cell tower-triangulation to get a fix on problem areas.
Once the application is launched, users have several complaint options. They will see a screen that has buttons that let them report a dropped call, poor voice quality, or poor service coverage.
AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel said AT&T plans to use the data collected to identify trends and prioritize the company's network investments.
"We think this is a great way to get customer feedback to improve our network," Siegel said. "We are always looking for ways to make it easy for customers to share their experiences. And this app lets customers report issues. It logs the time and location and automatically forwards the information to our network planning team."
iPhone owners have been complaining about AT&T's network since the Apple iPhone went on sale in the summer of 2007. Complaints mounted after the 3G version of the phone was released a year later in 2008. And as more iPhone users come onto the network, more people, particularly in densely populated urban areas, such as New York City and San Francisco, have experienced problems with dropped calls and congested data networks.
AT&T executives have not admitted that AT&T has a problem with its network. But executives, such as AT&T Chief Technology Officer John Donovan, have said that the company has seen a surge in data traffic attributed to iPhone users, who typically consume more wireless bandwidth than other AT&T wireless customers.
AT&T has been upgrading its network to keep up with demand. But problems persist. And AT&T's network recently got a poor ranking in terms of customer satisfaction in a Consumer Reports survey.
Verizon Wireless, AT&T's chief rival, has taken advantage of AT&T's struggles with a series of advertisements that point out AT&T's lack of 3G network coverage in certain parts of the country. Verizon is running advertisements that mock the Apple "There's an app for that," catch phrase with one that says, "There's a map for that."
AT&T fired back with a lawsuit and an advertisements of its own featuring actor Luke Wilson, who points out AT&T's strengths while taking a few shots at Verizon Wireless.
AT&T recently dropped its lawsuit against Verizon. And Verizon, which had been suing AT&T over claims that it has the fastest 3G wireless network, also dropped its lawsuit against AT&T.
Siegel said that the new "Mark the Spot" application was not prompted by the bad publicity around its network issues nor was it prompted by the current ad wars going on between AT&T and Verizon. Instead, he said that the application was simply a part of AT&T's ongoing commitment to listening to customers.
"We are always looking at ways to get customer feedback in as timely a manner as possible," he said. "That's why we pay attention to Twitter, Facebook and blog. One of the great values of these social networking tools is that it's a great way to get instant feedback. And it helps us identify problems."
The "Mark the Spot" application can be downloaded onto all iPhones running version 3.0 or later of Apple's operating system or it can be access using iTunes and synchronized to the iPhone via a PC or Mac.
Siegel said that AT&T is testing the "Mark the Spot" app for other devices. And he said AT&T hopes to offer applications on other smartphones in the future. No date has been announced yet. And Siegel didn't specify which devices might get the new application, but considering that AT&T sells a lot of Research in Motion's BlackBerry devices, it's likely it will create an application for that device. The app could be offered through AT&T's own application storefront or through RIM's BlackBerry App World.
Hey, Apple: If a Zune can sync over Wi-Fi, why can't an iPhone? I mean, it's the 21st century. Why do I still have to fish out my sync cable every time I want to copy photos to my PC?
That's a question for another day. In the meantime, there's WiFiPhoto, which, true to its name, wirelessly transfers snapshots from your iPhone to your computer. Any computer: Windows, Mac, Linux, etc., so long as it's connected to a Wi-Fi network.
To my knowledge, the only other app that comes close is Eye-Fi--but that limits you to 25 uploads per month (unless you have an Eye-Fi card) and requires a (rather annoying) desktop utility.
With WiFiPhoto, you just select the photos you want to copy (from your Camera Roll or photo library), then fire up the browser on your PC. Enter the IP address shown in the app and presto: You get a Zip file containing the selected images.
Obviously it would be nice if the app could copy photos straight to a particular folder, but that's the price of a utility-free solution. Here there's nothing to install on your system, just fast and easy photo transfers.
You can see WiFiPhoto in action in the above video. If you like what you see, the app will run you just 99 cents. Definitely worth the money, in my opinion, at least until Apple paves the way for Wi-Fi syncing. Which the Zune has had for a couple years now. Just saying.
The comfy, folding Jabra Halo headset isn't 100 percent compatible with the iPhone, but it's still a worthwhile investment.
(Credit: Jabra)Cords suck. That's why people who switch to Bluetooth headsets have a hard time going back to the wired kind. And once you've tried a stereo headset, well, you're spoiled for life.
Consider me spoiled. The new Jabra Halo headset cuts the cord in style, giving music and movie fans a terrific wireless listening experience while allowing chatterboxes to keep conversing.
Alas, it's not quite perfect, owing to one design flaw and one technical glitch that's actually Apple's fault.
Smart features are everywhere. For starters, the Halo has no on/off button. Rather, these folding, over-the-ear headphones turn on when unfolded and off again when you fold them. Love that!
LEDs embedded in the headband show power, pairing, and battery status. I had an easy time pairing the Halo with an iPhone 3G and a second-gen iPod Touch.
In fact, I was able to keep both paired thanks to the headset's MultiUse technology, which supports connections to two Bluetooth devices. (A more real-world application would be pairing to your iPhone and your laptop.) Very handy.
The Halo has just two physical controls. The first is a slightly indented button in the outer face of the right earpiece; it's used to play/pause music and answer/end phone calls.
The second is a disastrously bad touch slider for controlling volume and skipping tracks (the latter done by double-tapping the top or bottom of the controller--a nearly impossible task given that you can't see where you're tapping). It's my one and only complaint with the Halo; a simple rocker control would have been vastly superior.
I have a second complaint, but it's with Apple's implementation of Bluetooth. Because there's no support (yet) for Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP), the Halo's controls are rendered partially inoperative. You can raise and lower volume, but I couldn't get play/pause or track skip to work.
These aren't deal-breakers (as noted above, these controls suck anyway), but they're definitely annoyances. For what it's worth, everything worked fine with my AVRCP-rocking Palm Pre.
On the unequivocal plus side, music sounds terrific, at least to my ears, and callers reported that I sounded just as swell. That surprised me given the Halo's lack of a visible microphone, but the headset actually has two of them--one of which cancels background noise.
Other perks include a patch cord for using the Halo with non-Bluetooth MP3 players; AC and USB charging cables (the Halo relies on a microUSB connector); and a Neoprene carrying case.
All this can be yours for $129.99, which is a pretty steep price for a headset. Shopping around, I managed to find it for $99, but even that's not an impulse-buy price.
On the other hand, if you routinely use your iPhone on a treadmill, at the gym, or even while lounging around the house, a headset like this is a very worthwhile luxury. We just need Apple to roll out some much-needed Bluetooth updates (add printer support while you're at it!) and the Jabra Halo will rank among the top products in its class (for iPhone users, that is).
You've probably heard of Mobile Air Mouse, the clever app that turns your iPhone into, well, an air mouse. (It's currently on sale for $1.99, by the way.)
JumiMouse is a bit different: It turns your iPhone (or iPod Touch) into an oversize touch pad, complete with left and right mouse buttons, tap-and-drag support, and so on.
The free JumiMouse app turns your iPhone into a roomy touch pad controller.
Why would you want such a thing? For starters, JumiMouse could take the place of a laptop touch pad that's worn and no longer working properly.
It could also solve the common problem of accidentally grazing the laptop touch pad with your thumb, causing the cursor to jump and your document to get messed up. Just deactivate the touch pad and use JumiMouse instead.
Finally, JumiMouse is an ideal replacement for netbook touch pads, which are notoriously tiny. The iPhone screen is ginormous in comparison.
JumiMouse communicates with your PC via local or ad-hoc Wi-Fi. To use the app, you must first install the free Jumi Controller utility. It's currently compatible with Windows XP and Vista (32-bit). I tried it with Windows 7: no go.
(Mac users should check out SnatchTest, a similar utility that duplicates the Mac touch pad. It's free.)
On a Vista system, JumiMouse was a snap to set up. My iPhone immediately detected the server, and a tap later I was controlling the cursor from my screen. Everything worked perfectly, and I detected no lag between my finger movements and the cursor.
At first I was disappointed by the lack of options for things like pointer speed and size. But it turns out that Windows recognizes JumiMouse as hardware, so all you do is hop into the Control Panel and tweak the standard Mouse settings to your liking.
This is a fabulous little app for anyone looking to control a PC--for any reason--with an iPhone or iPod Touch. Amazingly, JumiMouse is free.
Most iPod/iPhone speaker docks come up short in the bass department. If you like your tunes thumpin', I've got just the solution: Buy.com has the Philips Docking Entertainment System DC912 for $79.99 shipped. Normal price? $179.99.
Before I get into the details, I need to point out the big "but." No, it's not, "but there's a rebate." And, no, it's not, "but it's a refurb." (It's new.)
The DC912 is $79.99, but you need to pay with PayPal to get that price. For me that's not an issue: I routinely sell stuff on eBay to fund my PayPal account, which I then use for stuff just like this.
If you don't have an account, the dock will run you $109.99--still a pretty solid deal considering the list price.
So, what's the big deal about the DC912? For starters, check the photo: It's sweet-looking! Love that silvery flat-panel design. You can use the stand or mount the dock on a wall using an included bracket.
Cooler still, it comes with a standalone subwoofer. A wireless subwoofer. Combined with the dock, it churns out a seriously impressive 100 watts of audio power.
The unit also includes a remote, an FM tuner with 20 programmable presets, and an aux jack in case you want to connect a non-iPod player. It can even play MP3s and WMAs stored on USB drives and SD/MMC cards.
As you'll discover in the above video review, CNET didn't love the DC912's audio quality. However, the user reviews on Amazon as well as Buy.com's product page tell a different story: 4.5 stars out of 5 across the board. (Users tend to be less persnickety about audio quality than professional reviewers.)
A note to iPhone owners: You can use DC912, but you'll have to switch to Airplane Mode to avoid interference.
My daughter is about to become the crazy-happy owner of a refurbished 8GB iPod Nano Touch ($179 from the Apple Store). Might just have to spring for one of these to go with it.
(Credit:
AT&T)
AT&T today announced it will support auto-authentication for iPhone OS 3.0 users connecting to AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots. Auto-authentication allows iPhone users to seamlessly switch from AT&T's 3G network to an AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spot without being prompted.
AT&T customers with qualifying iPhone data plans have unlimited access to the nation's largest Wi-Fi network, currently more than 20,000 U.S. AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots.
The new process eliminates the previous two-step authentication, making it easier and faster for iPhone customers to connect to AT&T Wi-Fi. Autoconnect is established once a customer connects their iPhone to an AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spot the first time.
This new auto-authentication process is available now to all existing iPhone and iPhone 3G customers using iPhone OS 3.0. Support for the iPhone 3G S will be available immediately after its launch on Friday. (Find more information about AT&T Wi-Fi hot spots at www.attwifi.com.) If you're not yet using iPhone OS 3.0, you may continue to access AT&T Wi-Fi using the current authentication method.
Find a list of AT&T Wi-Fi hot spots here.
The Tritton AX BlueStream stereo Bluetooth headset isn't completely wireless.
In honor of today's release of iPhone OS 3.0, which promises to add stereo Bluetooth capabilities to iPhones and iPod Touches, here's a selection of headsets to pair with your soon-to-be wire-free devices:
Buy.com has the Tritton AX BlueStream Bluetooth headset for $28.99 shipped.
Bear in mind that this is a headset, meaning it includes an inline microphone and an OLED display that shows volume, Caller ID, and music-playback status. Unfortunately, that means it involves wires, which some might say defeats the purpose of stereo Bluetooth.
For those folks, Buy.com has the Motorola S805 Bluetooth stereo headphones for $29.99 shipped. These are more-traditional, over-the-ear 'phones, suitable for kicking back in your favorite chair.
The Motorola S805 Bluetooth headphones are perfect for kicking back--but not for phone calls.
In between the two lies the Bluetrek ST1 Bluetooth stereo headset ($34 shipped from TigerDirect), which combines earbuds with a slightly dorky-looking behind-the-neck frame. Could be good for jogging, the gym, etc.
Though there's no immediate evidence of a microphone, the ST1 does indeed have one, so you can use it to make and take calls. In fact, its feature list is pretty extensive, making this the headset to beat of the three.
Of course, all the models should work with any stereo Bluetooth-compatible device. Which style suits you best?
(Credit:
Sonos)
A bit of news from the Sonos camp: the company has delivered a minor update to its iPhone controller app, and offered a short-term bundling deal for new customers.
The company launched its iPhone controller app--which lets any iPhone or iPod Touch control the company's multiroom digital music system--in October of 2008. Many Sonos owners liked the app more than the system's own CR100 remote (which is included in the two-room, $1,000 system, or available separately for $400). Today's minor upgrade adds multilingual support (Dutch, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Swedish, in addition to English), alarm and sleep functions, and PC-free setup (instruct your Sonos to access network music folders without the need to install software on a computer).
The upgrade also enables the playback of DRM-encoded WMA files from the likes of the Zune Marketplace. Sonos is also trumpeting the fact that Apple's decision to drop DRM from its iTunes Store means that newly purchased iTunes music will stream perfectly on the Sonos system (though DRM iTunes music you've purchased in the past will need a de-DRM'd version--which requires an upgrade fee through Apple.)
Separately, Sonos is also running a short-term bundling deal for its hardware. Those who don't want to go for the $1,000 two-room bundle (one ZP90 base station, one ZP120 amplified base station, and one CR100 controller) can instead get $150 to $200 off when purchasing either the ZP90 or the ZP120 plus the CR100. The deal runs through May 31, 2009.
We've long prodded Sonos to lower its prices, but $600 to $700 for a one-room system is still too rich for our blood. If you've already got an iPhone or iPod Touch, a better choice would be to pick up a single ZP90 for $350, and just grab the free Sonos controller app--you'll just need a stereo or a pair of powered speakers to hear your music. (That's assuming you don't already have an Apple TV or an AirPort Express--in which case you can cobble together your own Apple-ized multiroom audio system as well, albeit without access to the wider range of non-iTunes music services available on the Sonos.)
Check out Sonos' demo video of the iPhone controller app below (we've tested it, and can vouch that the video is a good representation of the software and hardware.)
... Read MoreA correction was made to this story. See below for details.
Updated at 2:54 p.m. PDT with with additional information about the volume of NAND chips Apple is reportedly purchasing and its effect on the number of units the company could ship.
Apple has reportedly ordered 100 million units of 8-gigabit and 16-gigabit NAND flash chips, with the bulk of its order coming from its main iPhone chip supplier, Samsung, according to a research report released Monday by a Lazard Capital Markets analyst.
The majority of the sizable order is expected to be applied toward the 16-gigabit NAND, signaling that a 32-gigabyte iPhone is in the works to debut in June, said Daniel Amir, a Lazard Capital Markets analyst.
An order of 100 million 16-gigabit chips, for example, could produce roughly 12 million of Apple's 16GB iPhones, far more than the 7 million iPhones Wall Street expects Apple to make in the second quarter. But the same order of 100 million chips could produce roughly 6 million Apple 32GB iPhones.
Last month, Amir noted in a research report that he had heard from industry contacts that Apple was expected to begin production on a 32GB iPhone in April and May, with a release in early June.
Apple currently has a 16GB iPhone on the market. Wall Street is expecting the computer maker to ship 3 million to 3.5 million of its iPhone smartphones in the first quarter and to virtually double that figure in the second quarter.
Amir said that while the sizable NAND order could be used to dramatically increase production on the 16GB iPhones, that scenario is unlikely, given that Apple appears to be searching for ways to reduce inventory of the 16GB iPhones through special promotions and discounts.
And while the flash memory could be used in a refresh of Apple's iMacs, Amir said the bulk of the NAND order was made with Samsung, Apple's main iPhone chip supplier.
"Historically, Apple's orders with Samsung have been for iPhone flash (memory), since Samsung has worked with Apple in developing special packaging for the iPhone," Amir said.
He added that a large order from Apple also tends to result in a rippling effect through the flash memory market, and he anticipates as much as a potential 20 percent increase in pricing by the other memory makers.
Correction: When it was initially published, this story used an incorrect acronym for the 8-gigabit and 16-gigabit NAND chips. Gigabits are represented as Gb.
Following the release of HP's iPrint Photo application, which allows printing from the iPhone to capable HP printers, River Past Corporation has released another wireless printing application with one key advantage: the ability to direct output to printers from any manufacturer.
The new iPhone app, dubbed Air Photo, requires a server to be installed on a host Windows or Mac OS X system. That means it's not a direct-to-device solution like HP's offering. The software's description reads:
"Set up the printer only once on your computer, then simply tap "Print" with Air Photo app on iPhone."
The app includes settings on the server for cropping/white space control, persistent printer settings and automatic portrait/landscape adjustment.
Air Photo is priced at $1 for a limited time.
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