Next generation iPhone will sport new, smaller dock connector

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Design, Rumors,

Apple is set to do away with its ten-year-old 30 pin dock connector in favor of a smaller, more compact version on the next-generation iPhone that's set to launch this fall. The new 19-pin connector will take up less space, allowing the headphone jack to be moved to the bottom of the device as well.

The move is controversial and will surely upset many owners of third-party dock connector accessories. On the flip-side though, this shows how nimble Apple is willing to be in order to spur progress with its devices. Thankfully, the company will purportedly be offering an 19-to-30 pin adapter to ease the transition.

Read More | Reuters

iA Writer update brings full Mountain Lion and iCloud support

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, PC / Laptop, Software,

iA Writer, our text editor of choice for the Mac, iPad, and iPhone, has been updated today to version 1.3 for Mac, and version 1.6 for iOS. The update brings:

• Full OS X Mountain Lion support
• iCloud folder support in Mountain Lion
• iCloud folder access in Lion
• Standard window framework
• Improved Markdown and Versions support
• Optimized printing
• Speed increases

In addition, the iOS version also brings full iCloud folder support, and trash bins in iCloud and local storage. iA Writer is currently on sale for $8.99 on the Mac, and 99 cents for iPhone/iPad. We highly recommend it.

Windows Phone 8 devices to go on sale this November

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Handhelds, Microsoft, Rumors,

Mary Jo Foley over at ZDnet is reporting that she's heard that Windows Phone 8 devices will be launching in November. We've previously heard that it would be "this fall," but that's pretty vague. Foley is trustworthy though. According to her sources, the finished product will be sent to Windows Phone manufacturers in September, with the devices hitting retail the following month. Remember, none of the current Windows Phone 7 devices will be upgradeable to Windows Phone 8, so in order to get in on the action, you'll have to buy a new device.

Read More | ZDNet

Sprint says it will not charge for FaceTime over Cellular feature

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Corporate News,

The other day we talked about how AT&T charging for FaceTime over Cellular is consumer robbery, and today we've gotten word from Sprint that it agrees, and therefore will not be charging customers extra to use the new iOS 6 feature. When iOS 6 goes public this fall, owners of the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, the next-generation iPhone, iPad 2, and the new iPad will all have access to FaceTime when on 3G and LTE connections. According to Sprint, it's "committed to our unlimited data, and that means not charging for data consumption based on the application." Good on them for that. Now we're just waiting on Verizon to make the same move.

iPhone 3GS to get Shared Photo Stream and VIP Email in iOS 6

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Software,

iPhone 3GS users are set to be on the receiving end of a little more love with the release of iOS 6 later this fall. How so? Well, the latest iOS 6 beta 3 that was released yesterday includes both Shared Photo Streams and the new VIP Email feature. That means that 3GS owners will get pretty much all of the new major iOS 6 features, with the exception of FaceTime over Cellular (no front camera,) Offline Reading Lists, 3D Maps, and Siri, which is relegated only to the iPhone 4S and new third-generation iPad. Not too shabby for a smartphone that was released three years ago.

Read More | MacRumors

WSJ: Next iPhone to incorporate in-cell technology for thinner display

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Displays, Rumors,

This morning The Wall Street Journal published a story focusing on the screen of the upcoming next-generation iPhone. According to sources, Apple will be switching to "in-cell technology," using panels from LG, Display Inc., and Sharp. The advantage of in-cell displays over the current capacitive touchscreens is that it removes the top touch layer that you find on the device, making them thinner and lighter. This can result in a display that is half a millimeter thinner. Apple is notoriously picky about the thinness of its products, and anything that can help shave off a bit of width is likely something the company would at least consider.

Read More | WSJ

AT&T charging for FaceTime over Cellular is double-dipping consumer robbery

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Editorial, Features, Handhelds, Wireless / WiFi,

With the release of iOS 6 beta 3 yesterday, a disturbing "feature" was uncovered. Some users on with AT&T iPhones are reporting that, when they attempt to enable FaceTime over Cellular, a prompt pops up that tells the user to contact AT&T in order to enable the feature. Many are assuming that this means that AT&T will be looking to charge a premium for customers to use FaceTime over its data connection, and if that is the case, it is straight up consumer robbery.

Click to continue reading AT&T charging for FaceTime over Cellular is double-dipping consumer robbery

Sprint LTE network is now live in Texas, Georgia, and Missouri

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Broadband, Smartphones, Wireless / WiFi,

Sprint has officially announced that the first 15 cities to be lit up with its LTE service are now live. Unfortunately, it's a slow start, but at least it's something. If you are in select areas of Georgia, Texas, or Missouri, then you're in luck if you've also got a Sprint LTE device. The full list of cities:

Atlanta, GA; Athens, GA; Calhoun, GA; Carrollton, GA; Newnan, GA: Rome, GA; Dallas, TX; Fort Worth, TX; Granbury-Hood County, TX; Houston, TX; Huntsville, TX; San Antonio, TX; Waco, TX; Kansas City, MO-KA; St. Joseph, MO

Let us know how it's working for you!

Read More | Sprint

Nokia slashes price of Lumia 900 to $49

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Hot Deals, Microsoft,

Nokia has just cut the price of the best Windows Phone in the US market by 50%. Yep--the Nokia Lumia 900 is now just $49 with two-year contract on AT&T. Sure, you won't be able to upgrade to Windows Phone 8, but Windows Phone 7.8 will bring most of the visual updates like the redesigned home screen to the Lumia 900. Seriously, for the money, you'll wanna give this one a look if you're in the market for a new smartphone. Check out our Nokia Lumia 900 review.

Read More | Nokia

iOS 6 beta 3 OTA update failing for some users

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Software,

As we reported earlier, Apple has released iOS 6 beta 3 to developers. However, as with any beta, there are still some bugs to be ironed out. Reports are coming in that the over-the-air update is failing for some users, with an error message that states "Software Update Failed: An error occurred downloading iOS 6 beta 3.". To initiate an OTA update, you go into the Updates section of the settings app, and tap on Download and Install. The failure occurs almost immediately after doing this. Mutiple hard reboots don't seem to fix the issue. It seems that users that are caught in the OTA fail loop will need to wait until the iOS 6 beta 3 10a5355d images become available on the Apple dev portal, using iTunes to manually update their devices.