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01 Sep 2010 09:48

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Tech: For touch screen story, the NYT found woman who can’t use BlackBerry

  • I had to use my sister’s BlackBerry to make a call, and I just kept swiping and touching. It didn’t even occur to me to use the keyboard.
  • iPhone nut Susannah Wijsen • On being forced to use a BlackBerry at some point and not knowing what the heck to do. Uh, really? We don’t think that someone who works in advertising in San Francisco could make a mistake like that, but whatever it takes to push forward this NYT story about how people love touch screens. source

23 Aug 2010 10:04

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Tech: Apple decides to play Big Brother with new anti-jailbreak patent

  • good Apple has created and applied to patent a new technology to allow them to detect unauthorized iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad uses.
  • badThose unauthorized uses include jailbreaking, unlocking and removing a SIM card. Because Apple doesn’t like these (still legal) things.
  • worseThe methods of detecting an unauthorized user include creepy voice and heartbeat detection. It’s like 1984 all over again. source

22 Aug 2010 23:39

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Tech: Kevin Rose thinks Apple’s going to own the living room with iTV

  • With Apple’s iAds, content producers (eg. ABC/NBC/etc.) can directly monetize and distribute their content. This will eventually destroy the television side of the cable and satellite industry, as your only requirement to access these on-demand stations will be an internet connection. Say goodbye to your monthly cable bill.
  • Kevin “I founded Digg!” Rose • Making a bold prediction about the Apple TV … er, iTV. He claims that the device will disrupt a few industries, most notably cable, and that the iPad will work like a giant remote for the device. He’s got a spotty track record – while he nailed the iPod Nano’s first iteration, he embarrassingly got the iPhone really wrong (which he shouldn’t feel bad about, because a lot of people did). source

07 Aug 2010 21:39

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Tech: The hammer falls on an Apple exec for #antennafail

  • cause Apple has a nasty PR fiasco after their iPhone 4 antenna has a bunch of embarrassing issues, forcing a sorta mea culpa.
  • effect The company’s relatively new senior VP for iPhone hardware, Mark Papermaster, no longer has a job. Sorry. source

01 Aug 2010 20:35

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Tech: JailbreakMe makes it possible to jailbreak your iPhone by accident

  • So, we bet you want to jailbreak your iPhone 4. Well, JailbreakMe has you covered. Using your iPhone, go to this here site. (If that site’s not working, check out this one. Oh, and read more here.) If you’re not using an iPhone, it won’t do anything, but on your iPhone, it’ll jailbreak it – using the cloud. This. Is. A. Big. Deal. Apple can’t be happy about this. This makes “stupidly easy” seem like a major understatement. (Warning, though: There are some issues with FaceTime and MMS for you iPhone 4 kiddies, so be careful. Oh, and trust us when we say DON’T DO THIS UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING!) source

01 Aug 2010 11:49

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Biz, Tech: The best way to get around patents? Focus on emerging markets

  • Want to build your own iPhone? You may run into patent trouble in the U.S. if you get too far, but if you pick the right emerging market, you may be able to pull it off without running into patent trouble. Indian-American scholar Vivek Wadhwa throws out this knowledge – the “Patent-Free Zone” – to budding entrepreneurs on TechCrunch. Put simply, you could go to Mexico – where Apple doesn’t have many patents filed – and create a similar product there without much legal trouble. And it extends to any number of products. It’s actually a smart approach – as long as you have the right product and the right market. source

26 Jul 2010 21:11

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Tech: The Library of Congress made iPhone jailbreakers’ collective days

  • yes They’re now allowing people to legally jailbreak their spiffy phones without fear of retribution. iPhone users win.
  • no That doesn’t mean Apple has to make it easy for you to jailbreak it. They can still void your warranty.
  • yes They’ve also made cracking and ripping DVDs totally legal, and expanded unlocking rights. source
 

23 Jul 2010 16:41

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Tech: Apple: White iPhones somehow harder to make than black ones

  • White models of Apple’s new iPhone® 4 have continued to be more challenging to manufacture than we originally expected, and as a result they will not be available until later this year. The availability of the more popular iPhone 4 black models is not affected.
  • A PR statement from Apple • Noting the technical limitations caused by in creating the white iPhone 4. Apple is certainly running into a lot of problems with the phone this time around, aren’t they? Considering how smoothly most of their other launches go, it’s almost absurd. source

22 Jul 2010 11:24

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Tech: Rumor of the day: Apparently, T-Mobile might get the iPhone

  • 80% chance of Apple moving beyond AT&T (eh) source

19 Jul 2010 11:30

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