Competition Samsung Omina? 'Orrible! Apple iPhone? I don't think so! No, Research in Motion's BlackBerry Storm is the touchscreen mobile to go for this season, says Vodafone, and it's putting its money where its mouth is to give three lucky Register Hardware readers one of the in-demand handsets.…
We here at Gizmodo have been getting interesting missives from several readers about how AT&T's 3G network has just plumb broke in several areas, like Boston and Hawaii. Any calls made to an iPhone 3G goes straight to voicemail, but with no notification to the iPhone owner. Switching back to the Edge/2G network will get the phone to start acting normally again.
I connected with Apple Tier 2 support and we conference called into AT&T. They claimed that it was my device (never had a problem until this point) and that before they would put in another ticket I had to test my SIM card in another non iPhone 3G AT&T device. If that behaved properly then they said Apple should replace the unit. If the problems returned with the new iPhone then and only then, will they submit it to "voice tech" whatever the hell that is.
They claim no known issues, but I asked a stranger at Starbucks today whom I noticed had a 3G if he was having the same issues, and before I could even finish my question he described the same symptoms had been happening all week. This is along with five collegues/friends. So far this has gone under the radar and AT&T is denying any problems. The last tech insisted it wasn't the network but instead a slew of "all-the-sudden" faulty iPhone 3Gs. He claimed since my phone rang on his end and that he could leave a voicemail "it was there" the phone just wasn't getting it, yet somehow that's not a network problem?
It seems like this isn't a nation-wide thing, but there's enough complaints out there to determine that this probably isn't because of the iPhone either. How's it looking to everyone?
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/apple/iPhone_2_2_firmware_update_available_now'; It's here. Google Street View and over the air Podcast downloads from iTunes. Yup, public transit and walking directions too and the ability to share your location via email. Bug fixes, Safari enhancements, and plenty more... just like we heard in the pre-rumor run-up. Now get outta here, your iTunes update awaits.[Thanks Gustavo and badburro]
newVideoPlayer("/iphonebugfsit_gizmodo.flv", 320, 260,"");According to a Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information press release, the eagerly expected iPhone 2.2 operating system update will arrive tomorrow, November 21. The release is expected to bring new features, but the Institute's note highlights a major security problem that can make your iPhone to place a call when visiting a malicious web site. This date is in line with the previous rumors. Update: here's the video of the security exploit that the iPhone 2.2 release will fix, according to the Fraunhoferians.
The Fraunhofer Institute SIT alerted the producers of the iPhone about this issue a month ago. To close this hole, new firmware will be released on November 21.
According to Collin Mulliner, the exploit only requires three lines of HTML code, which anyone with basic knowledge of this language can add to any web page.
The scenario: The iPhone user receives an e-mail or SMS with an Internet link. Clicking on the link will open a web site. But suddenly, the iPhone will start calling a phone number without any user intervention. The worse thing is that you can't stop the call, as the cellphone will be gray while the number is dialed. (...) Even amateurs could easily develop a criminal exploit.
The Fraunhofer Institute says that a similar vulnerability was discovered last month and patched, "but obviously was not enough." [Fraunhofer SIT via Apple Insider]
"If you think my one-of-a-kind MacBook Mini is great, then you should really see my custom Porsche. It's really just a wheelbarrow, but I've got like four or five Apple stickers on that puppy." [Thanks OMG Ponies!]
Apple TV updates generally always wipe away all third-party software you may have installed, but usually, most things can just be re-installed. Not so with yesterday's 2.3 version update however, which has closed the door used to install software like Boxee via a USB patchstick. So if you love your Boxee like we do, hold off on installing version 2.3 (and don't forget to turn off auto-update). A thread on Boxee's forums is tracking the issue, where a fix will hopefully be announced. [Boxee]
Frivolous lawsuits aren't anything new, but this is an eye-opener straight from annals of "office humor." It turns out that in the past year "several" companies, including UnitedHealthGroup, Cigna, and AT&T have had employee-filed lawsuits brought against them for unpaid time. That "unpaid time" is the minutes each day employees spend booting up and shutting down their computers (also their time-clocks), which they claim adds up to an astounding 15-30 per day. Astounding, that is, if you've never worked in a corporate office with a terrible IT department. If you have, you'll probably agree that this figure may, in some cases be on the mark, if not a little conservative. The employees claim they should be paid to work while the boot-ups and shut-downs are happening, since during that time they're doing tasks like paperwork or "arranging their calendar," while the companies counters that they're probably smoking, getting coffee, or talking to people. We're not really going to judge the veracity of these suits en masse -- we'll take them on a case-by-case basis, but there does seem to be something suspicious about this many people claiming to still use paper calendars.[Via Wired]
The ubiquity of iPods has led to a ridiculous glut of accessories, some useful, most not. The best of them have essentially become a seamless part of the iPod experience, but they'll all cost you — and it really starts to add up. The expansion of the iPod universe, however, is twofold; more official products are followed closely by nearly as many unofficial ones. In other words, you can fully accessorize your iPod or iPhone, old or new, pretty much for free.
Cases A case will usually be the first thing people buy for their pods, and the first thing they'll lose. Luckily, they're just about the easiest thing to replace yourself. The most obvious solution is a custom-tailored sock, chosen to suit your taste in color and aroma and fitted to suit your choice in iPod. For a more refined look, sewing together some inner tube and suede will make for a stylish pouch, while utilitarians can opt for the quick, versatile rubber-only approach. If you're just too quirky for a regular case, the venerable Altoid Nano case might get the attention you crave, while the legitimately natty cut-up record sleeve case will do the job just as well, if not better.
Speakers If you're handy with a soldering iron and have some old audio equipment lying around, there's no reason to dump dollars on a full-fledged iPod speaker dock when you can just build one yourself. Construction homemade unamplified speakers — which sound surprisingly good — is much less of an ordeal. Disposable cups and sheets of printer paper make great little megaphones for your earbuds, and lend themselves well to mounting as a part of a kid-friendly makeshift home stereo.
Docks and Stands Apple gives iPod/iPhone buyers just about everything they need to throw together a huge variety of charging and sync docks — even the commercial ones are pretty much just the sync wire with some plastic trim. This hack starts small: fantastic iPhone and iPod Touch docks can be made with nothing but a binder clip. The possibilities for LEGO docks are limitless, but generally end up looking like an iThrone. This paperclip box dock provides a good template for chopping an iPod cable into just about anything of a similar shape. The paper clips themselves can be twisted into a 20-second stand, just as a business card can be origamically (?) reshaped into the same.
Other In the commercial world, this space is inhabited by the shrouded likes of Brando. But who doesn't love that stuff? If you're looking for a jury-rigged AA iPod charging solutions, there's no reason to surrender your credit card number to an iffy Chinese e-commerce site. The same goes for the iPhone3D image viewing apparatus, though I'm not even sure there's buyable analog for that, Chinese or not. iPhone macro lenses are cool, but almost certainly not worth paying for. Last, and probably least, even though you can't put a price on security, you can reduce the cost of paranoia.
Dealzmodo Hacks are intended to help you sustain your crippling gadget addiction through tighter times. If you come across any on your own that are particularly useful, send it to our tips line (Subject: Dealzmodo Hack). Check back every Thursday for free DIY tricks to breathe new life into hardware that you already own.
We'll have a lot more than the 1983 Apple Phone prototype at the upcoming Gizmodo Gallery. Perhaps you were interested in getting a good look at the famous Red One camera? That's good, because we sorta know a guy.
The Red One camera was never really interested in capturing HD video (1920x1080). Instead, the system's Super 35mm-sized Mysterium sensor captures footage at 4K (3626x2664) in precious RAW format. The camera starts at only $17,000, but once you get it fully loaded, the system can approach $80,000. Sound like a lot of money? It is. But seeing as it doesn't require purchasing or developing costly film and it still manages to nip the heels of 35mm quality, the Red One represents the democratization of an ever-opening Hollywood system.
The Red One will be at Gizmodo Gallery this December 4th-7th, in NYC. [Gizmodo Gallery]
Neuros, who built their reputation with weird, chunky (but wonderful) modular MP3 players, has long since moved exclusively to the home entertainment field. Their latest attempt at eroding the Apple TV's market share is the Link, a set-top streaming box that will pull video from a wide range of online TV sources — Hulu, NBC, ABC, etc. — as well as stream local audio and video content from any USB hard drive. As is always the case with Neuros set-tops, the Link's software is open source and ready for modification. This time, mercifully, that might not be the box's biggest draw.
With the Neuros.TV interface, the Link does something simple but spectacular. Instead of pushing you through a clumsy series of web portals, it gives you a simple, unified interface for browsing online video content. With out-of-the-box support for nearly any video codec (courtesy of mPlayer and VLC, mainly), a solid interface and an included wireless keyboard/controller, it's a capable machine. At $299 (or $249 without the keyboard), it'll be tough to take on the $229 Apple TV, which in addition to having an included local hard drive and access to iTunes, supports most of Neuros.TV's features though Boxee. Spec sheet below. [Neuros via Zatz]
Technical specifications
* 1080p H.264 video playback * HDMI (max resolution 1920x1200, 1080p) output * High-definition 6-channel Audio output * Optical S/PDIF audio output * Gigabit Ethernet * 802.11 g/b WiFi, up to 54Mbps * Lots of USB 2.0 High-speed Ports (6 external ones today) * Housing: 300mm x 90mm x 326mm (11.8" x 3.5" x 12.8") * Noise: under 27dB * Controller: 2.4 GHz wireless keyboard trackball controller * Software: o Seamless integration with Neuros.TV, a free service that lets you organize and watch Internet TV on your TV o Neuros distribution of Ubuntu 8.10 o Open-source video players (MPlayer, VLC, Xine). A comprehensive list of formats, containers and media can be found on the above websites.
Buying an Apple computer? Get ready to throw away your monitor, over and over again. New Apple hardware is shipping with "HDCP" anti-copying technology that prevents showing some video on "non-compliant" monitors. Best part: the list of "compliant" monitors will change over time: the monitor you buy today can be "revoked" tomorrow and stop working. Slashdot says that Apple's added "copyright protection" to its video. But copyright law isn't violated when you watch a movie on an "unapproved" monitor. This isn't about enforcing copyright law, it's about giving a small handful of movie companies a veto over hardware designs. Yesterday, our buddy David Chartier at Ars and Sam Oliver at AppleInsider both publicized an issue that's been burning up the support boards for a while now: iTunes video rentals and purchases in HD are flagged for HDCP control, and in cooperation with the new Mini DisplayPort connector on the MacBook and MacBook Pro unibody models, those movies and TV shows are refusing to play back on non-compliant external displays. In this case, 'compliant' means HDMI or recent-vintage DVI, but even monitors or TVs that support HDCP may not properly negotiate with the DisplayPort connector to give iTunes and QuickTime the all-clear signal (if so, quitting and relaunching iTunes once the display is hooked up may clear the playback hold). Equally annoying: HDCP is only supposed to apply to 'high-value' digital streams, meaning standard-def purchases and rentals on the iTunes store should be out of scope... but some reports indicate that both the HD and SD instances are flagged, blocking playback on anything but the laptop's internal display or a straight-thru HDMI connection. Argh! MacBook Pro users getting bitten by HDCP (Thanks, Denver Jewelry Guy!)...
Reuters - Fed up with ugly routers and clunky hard drives, a growing number of consumers are looking for well-designed gadgets that complement decor instead of cluttering desktops and clashing with furniture.
raque writes "Appleinsider is reporting that the new MacBooks/MacBookPros have built-in copy protection. Quote: 'Apple's new MacBook lines include a form of digital copy protection that will prevent protected media, such as DRM-infused iTunes movies, from playing back on devices that aren't compliant with the new priority protection measures.' Ars Technica is also reporting on the issue. Is this the deal they had to make to get NBC back? Is this a deal breaker for Apple or will fans just ignore it to get their hands on the pretty new machines? Is this a new opportunity for Linux? And what happened to Jobs not liking DRM?"
I've seen a lot of disassembled MacBooks already, but this is the first time I've seen one under x-rays. The image was taken by Jason De Villa because he wonder how would it look like. I've to agree on his curiosity: Like other gadget x-rays we have featured in the past, there's something about radiographed technology that satisfies my most intimate geek peeping tom and Dr. House-wannabe desires at the same time. And no, I'm not talking about the cellphones-up-your-buttocks x-rays. [The AfterMac via Cult of Mac]
It looks like Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords will be hitting the App Store next month for $9.95.
TransGaming tells us that the game is working its way through the approval process as we speak. Challenge of the Warlords has been optimized to run on the iPhone and iPod Touch, making full use of the tap features. The game will include new story lines, new characters and new conquests.
Though, honestly, this could be an exact replica of the original Puzzle Quest and I'd happily plunk down my $10 to have it stowed away on my iPhone.
I've been hankering for this game since the day Apple announced the App Store. Going as far as emailing both the developer and publisher of Puzzle Quest and asking them to get to it. I'm delighted to see that my pestering, no matter how ineffectual in reality it might have been, has ended with a new way for me to while away the time between when my head hits the pillow and I finally fall asleep.
We'll make sure to update you once we shake more details on the game loose from TransGaming and get a chance to check the game out ourselves. But I can't help but think that there's a new must buy for iPhones in town.
For home theater junkies who've been having a difficult time taking the Apple TV seriously, you should definitely have a look at what the latest software update brings to the dinner table. First off, we should warn you that any non-Apple TV software (like, you know, Boxee) will be banished should you choose to update, but if you're kosher on that front, we'll continue on. Apple's changelog notes that AirTunes streaming is now enabled, meaning that tunes can be streamed from the STB to AirPort Express speakers or other ATV units nearby. Additionally, the box can now learn other remotes, meaning that you can probably get your universal remote to handle this bugger, too. The last big addition is that Playlists in iTunes can now be seen on Apple TV, and there's also support for volume control in Music. Grab the download from within your box now if you dare, and feel free to chime in with any other noteworthy changes you happen upon.[Via TUAW]
We here at Gizmodo have been getting interesting missives from several readers about how AT&T's 3G network has just plumb broke in several areas, like Boston and Hawaii. Any calls made to an 
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/apple/iPhone_2_2_firmware_update_available_now'; It's here. 
According to a Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information press release, the 
"If you think my one-of-a-kind MacBook Mini is great, then you should really see my custom Porsche. It's really just a wheelbarrow, but I've got like four or five Apple stickers on that puppy." [Thanks OMG Ponies!]
Apple TV updates generally always wipe away all third-party software you may have installed, but usually, most things can just be re-installed. Not so with 
The ubiquity of iPods has led to a ridiculous glut of accessories, some useful, most not. The best of them have essentially become a seamless part of the 
A case will usually be the first thing people buy for their pods, and the first thing they'll lose. Luckily, they're just about the easiest thing to replace yourself. The most obvious solution is a 
If you're handy with a soldering iron and have some old audio equipment lying around, there's no reason to dump dollars on a full-fledged 
Apple gives 
In the commercial world, this space is inhabited by the shrouded likes of 
We'll have a lot more than the 
Neuros, who built their reputation with weird, chunky (but wonderful) 
I've seen 
It looks like Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords will be hitting the App Store next month for $9.95.
Though, honestly, this could be an exact replica of the original Puzzle Quest and I'd happily plunk down my $10 to have it stowed away on my 
