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2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Twelve South PlugBug
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, USB, Apple, PC / Laptop, Techies, Under $100, Under $250, Under $50, Under $500,
The next featured gadget in our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide is the Twelve South PlugBug. It's a device that's so simple that it's hard to believe no one has come up with this until now. The PlugBug snaps onto your MacBook, MacBook Pro, or MacBook Air wall charger, giving you a powered USB port in the process. The results? You can then charge both your Apple notebook, and a USB device (like an iPhone or iPad) at the same time, using just one outlet. Genuis! This means that when you're on the go, you can carry one less charger, and you'll have one less outlet to try and find. You can get the PlugBug on Amazon for $34.
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Apple releases iOS 5.0.1, fixes iPhone battery life issues
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Software,
Apple has just released iOS 5.0.1, which is aimed primarily at fixing the battery drain bug introduced in iOS 5. Many iPhone 4S owners have been complaining of extremely poor battery life (here we were seeing the battery drain as much as 10% per hour,) and we can confirm that 5.0.1 fixes that right up. Here are the rest of the release notes:
iOS 5.0.1 Software Update
This update contains improvements and other bug fixes including:
- Fixes bugs affecting battery life
- Adds Multitasking Gestures for original iPad
- Resolves bugs with Documents in the Cloud
- Improves voice recognition for Australian users using dictation
Click to continue reading Apple releases iOS 5.0.1, fixes iPhone battery life issues
Apple Store 2.0 app lets you self-checkout at Apple Stores
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Lifestyle, App Updates, Apple, Free Apps,
Apple on Thursday updated its retail iOS app (now Apple Store 2.0) and as rumored last week, it includes an expansion of Apple's in-store pickup program and EasyPay, a self-checkout option for some items.
Now, when you order certain items using the app, it will give you the choice of either picking it up in a nearby store or having it shipped to you. It will also let you know whether or not the item is in stock in stores in your area. Apple has said most store-stocked items can be ready for pickup in about an hour.
Apple debuted the ship to store option a few weeks ago, starting in San Francisco and then adding Apple Stores in New York City. Since the launch of the app, the service has been added to stores in an array of cities and it will launch for additional U.S. stores as the holidays approach.
Click to continue reading Apple Store 2.0 app lets you self-checkout at Apple Stores
Apple releases iOS 5.0.1 beta 2 to developers
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Software,
Just two days after releasing iOS 5.0.1 beta, aimed primarily at fixing the battery drain bug found in iOS 5, Apple has released iOS 5.0.1 beta 2. This is obviously something it's aggressively trying to fix, and releasing quick beta updates certainly helps in that process. For what it's worth, we installed the original beta yesterday, and noticed an immediate and significant improvement in the battery life on an iPhone 4S. Apple plans on releasing the update publicly within the next two weeks.
2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Zomm Bluetooth smartphone leash
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Smartphones, Features, Wireless / WiFi, Family, Women, Men, Techies, Teens, Under $100, Under $250, Under $500,
We've spent some time with the Zomm "wireless leash" and have come away impressed by the simplicity of the device, as it's one of those things that make you wonder why a product like it hasn't been available until now. With that, we thought it would be a good inclusion in our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide. The Zomm can be attached to your keychain, and connects to your smartphone over Bluetooth. Once paired, it becomes your wireless alarm system for your phone. For example, if you walk away from your phone, Zomm will sound a notification alarm and start vibrating, letting you know that you've left your device more than 30 feet away. This way, you don't leave a restaurant without your phone, or spend forever looking for it because you left it in the car (or, that you are in your car driving and left your phone at home!) Cool enough, but it does more.
Zomm also has an integrated speaker and microphone, so it also acts as a hands-free calling device. If your phone rings, Zomm will ring as well, and you just press the Z button to take the call without having to fish around for your phone while driving. Zomm also has a built-in panic alarm. Hold down the Z button and the alarm will go off. Continue holding it, and the Zomm will use the Bluetooth connection to your phone to dial 911, and it will let you speak with the authorities right from the Zomm device. This is seriously a cool piece of technology that is a must-have for those people who constantly leave their smartphones behind in cabs and restaurants, or just anyone who wants an extra layer of security with them at all times. You can get a Zomm from Amazon for $76.
Click to continue reading 2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Zomm Bluetooth smartphone leash
Read More | Zomm Bluetooth Smartphone Leash
iPhone launching on C Spire on November 11
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Corporate News, Handhelds,
Apple's iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 will come to C Spire on November 11, the company announced today. Customers can pre-order their iPhone 4 or 4S now, according to the company, which was formally known as Cellular South.
The carrier is offering four data plans, all of which include unlimited data, though the first two exclude streaming. A truly unlimited option will set you back $90 for 1,000 minutes and unlimited data and text. Unlimited talk, text, and data will set you back $100 per month. For more, see the chart after the break.
The iPhone 4 is $99, iPhone 4S starts at $199.99 for a 16GB model, $299.99 for 32GB, and $399.99 for a 64GB version.
Click to continue reading iPhone launching on C Spire on November 11
Is rapid iPhone 4S battery drain due to a time zone check bug?
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones,
Reports have surfaced that the iPhone 4S is home to a battery drain of a bug, and speculation is mounting that the source of the drain is related to the iPhone's Location Services features. And you might be able to blame time zones for that.
Time zones?
"See, it appears that iOS 5′s GM release introduced a bug that causes the Setting Time Zone function to keep the location tracking circuitry running constantly, draining battery power considerably," writes Oliver Haslam of iDownloadBlog. "Switching it off may mean that your iPhone will no longer set its own time zone when you travel, but that's a small price to pay for having your iPhone last more than 12 hours on a full charge."
Of course, with any proposed fix from the Internet, there's still a crop of naysayers who maintain that the time zone feature has nothing to do with the battery drain issue. And we're not just talking about an hour or so cut out of the iPhone's normal standby time: Some iPhone users claim that their devices only last for a few hours, at best, even when they aren't being used to a great degree. That's a far cry from the promised 200 hours of total standby time listed on the iPhone 4S spec sheet.
Click to continue reading Is rapid iPhone 4S battery drain due to a time zone check bug?
iPhone hackers get Siri working on iPhone 4, iPod touch
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Mods / Hacks,
Hoping to get Siri on your iPhone 4?
We have previously highlighted the exploits of the iPhone hacking community in its attempts to break Siri's exclusivity to the iPhone 4S. And while various device modders have been successful at getting the application itself ported over to devices like Apple's iPhone 4 and iPod touch, they didn't manage to address the elephant in the room: How to get Siri to work with Apple's servers, which don't seem to allow requests from unauthorized (non-iPhone 4S) devices.
Two hackers have since discovered the secret Siri sauce, but neither has spilled the beans as to exactly how their non-iPhone 4S Siri app works. According to Steve Troughton-Smith, however, the tweak was built using a single line of code and "a ton of filesystem changes." And as long as a user first jailbreaks his or her device before installing the to-be-released tweak, Siri is unlocked with no restrictions on its use: It works with the same speed and speech recognition as its iPhone 4S counterpart.
Click to continue reading iPhone hackers get Siri working on iPhone 4, iPod touch
Bleeding Edge TV 401: Apple iPhone 4S speed test - AT&T vs. Verizon
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, Apple, Cell Phones, Features, Handhelds, Podcasts, Product Reviews, Videocasts, Videos,
In this episode we compare the data speeds of the iPhone 4S, looking at Verizon and AT&T. As has been mentioned by Apple, the GSM version of the iPhone 4S supports the faster 14.4Mbps speeds that AT&T refers to as 4G (not to be confused with 4G LTE, as confusing as that may be.) The Verizon (and Sprint) model of the iPhone 4S doesn't support the faster speeds on those CDMA networks. We also compare the speed using the AT&T Microcell as well, which is a device you can buy from AT&T if you don't get great coverage in your home or workplace to boost your signal strength.
Be sure to also check out our iPhone 4S review, iPhone 4S unboxing gallery, and iPhone 4S video review.
Big thank you to GoToMeeting and JackThreads for sponsoring the show - be sure to check them out! As for JackThreads, we've got exclusive invite codes that give you $5 to use towards anything you'd like.
Bleeding Edge TV 400: Apple iPhone 4S
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, Apple, Cell Phones, Features, Handhelds, Podcasts, Product Reviews, Videocasts, Videos,
We give you a look at the white AT&T iPhone 4S, along with the black Verizon iPhone 4S in this episode. As you can see, if you're familiar with the iPhone 4, Apple made some subtle changes in the design of the iPhone 4S, most notably in the antenna, which now has a slick dual-action function. The Verizon model also picks up a SIM card slot, making it (and the others) a world phone device. We also show you the included accessories that Apple throws in as well. Be sure to check out our full iPhone 4S review, and iPhone 4S unboxing gallery as well.
Big thank you to GoToMeeting and JackThreads for sponsoring the show - be sure to check them out! As for JackThreads, we've got exclusive invite codes that give you $5 to use towards anything you'd like.
