Now this is something I didn’t think we’d see — Apple has begun approving third party web browsers for use on the iPhone/iPod Touch. Several web browsing applications have recently appeared in the App Store, and some of the original submission dates go as far back as October, suggesting this “group” of applications were on hold for a while pending approval.
Similar delays were experienced on the recent range of fart machine applications that were recently approved by Apple. Once allowed a backlog of these applications made their way in to the App Store, introducing us to titles like Pull My Finger and iFart Mobile.
The reason I was surprised to see third party browsers in the App Store was because of Apple’s view on applications that offer “duplicate functionality,” i.e. apps that are largely similar to those already installed on the iPhone/iPod Touch. Other web browsing application such as Opera have previously failed to reach the App Store and this was believed to be the reason why.
With this move we may see the Opera browser in the App Store in future, maybe along with others such as an iPhone-friendly Firefox?
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We recently posted about case manufacturer XSKN posting iPhone Nano cases to their website, it seems now another manufacturer is also a believer that the iPhone Nano will be unveiled at the MacWorld Expo in just 7 days. This time it’s case manufacturer Vaja, already well-known for their current iPhone cases.
A visit to Vaja’s website will show a new “iPhone Nano” link under their Apple section. Clicking on the link currently directs you to a form that allows you to sign up for information about the “upcoming release of our iPhone Nano cases.”
It’s believed that although Apple do not provide case manufacturers with details on upcoming releases, they do contract work out to factories to manufacture their hardware. It’s then through these contracts that hardware design specs are leaked ahead of time. It’s obviously a case manufacturer’s best interest to get their cases out early for a new release.
Whilst all these iPhone Nano rumors have been doing the rounds, I’ve been very skeptical about the whole affair. I just can’t understand the reasoning for such a device. However, if Apple produce it, I’m sure someone will buy it. I suppose the longer it goes on, the more I’m starting to believe it will come. And if it doesn’t, you can always buy an iPhone Nano knock-off from Thailand to put in your lovely new case.
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For months I had been using Apple’s wireless bluetooth Mighty Mouse and, I couldn’t quite decided whether or not I liked it. There were aspects of it that I Ioved — it’s battery life was phenomenal, it worked seamlessly with OS X and it looked great with my wireless Apple keyboard. However there were also aspects of it that I loathed — it wouldn’t right-click properly, was rubbish for gaming and wasn’t the most comfortable mouse I had used. It’s also, in my opinion, very expensive for what it is. In the UK it costs around £50 and when you compare it to the other options around that price, it really seems you are just paying for the Apple logo. Unlike most other Apple products, the Mighty Mouse is a disappointment. However this isn’t a review on the Mighty Mouse. This is a review on Radtech’s BT600 bluetooth laser mouse – the mouse I chose to contend against my Mighty Mouse for the prestigious space on my desk.
The BT600 is available in both black, and white. I got the white as I felt that best matched my existing setup and I was pleasantly surprised at how good it looked. It fits pleasantly in the palm of your hand as it’s shaped to be comfortable and easy to use. Compared to the peble-like shape of the Mighty Mouse, the BT600 is far more comfortable.
The tracking is smooth and the clicking very responsive. The mouse glides across my desk and, after several weeks of use, there are still no signs of dirt collecting in any of its crevices. Unlike with the Mighty Mouse which needs cleaning every so often as it seems to be a magnet for dirt and dust, especially in the groove around the device and around the scroll wheel.
In just the few weeks that I’ve used the BT600, I’ve yet to have a problem with it. I use it daily for everything and it’s yet to let me down or irritate me. I’ve even had a bash at gaming with it and compared to the Mighty Mouse, it’s a pleasant relief. It’s so much more comfortable, and right-clicking when you want to, rather than having a few goes is really quite nice. I rarely notice that it doesn’t respond to the odd click, however that is very rarely.
The BT600 includes two rechargeable NiMH batteries and a USB cable with which to charge them. You just use the cable to connect the mouse to your computer and it will charge whilst you continue to use it. I would advise investing in some better rechargeable batteries however — the ones included with the BT600 although aren’t too bad, compared to the life of the Mighty Mouse, they just don’t come close. I’m yet to compare the life-span of disposable batteries between the two.
The BT600 features 5 programmable buttons and third-party software for both Mac and Windows can be downloaded from Radtech’s website which will help program each of those buttons. However if you’re using the BT600 on a Mac, I advise not to bother with the software. This is pretty much the only downside to the BT600. After downloading the software on my MacBook, my bluetooth acted very weird, and I kept having to re-pair my devices every so often as my MacBook randomly forgot them, usually after a sleep. An un-install of the third-party software brought everything back to normal though. Without the software the BT600 is still highly functional — just like the Mighty Mouse you can click down on the scroll wheel to activate Exposé, and you can click the first button on the left of the mouse to show and hide the Dashboard.
If like me you are currently using a Mighty Mouse and you replace it with a BT600, one word of warning — when you connect the BT600, you’ll need to turn down the tracking speed of the device. It’s considerably faster than that of the Mighty Mouse and is uncontrollable until you turn it down a few notches!
On the whole the BT600 is a really great mouse and is the clear winner of first-choice on my desk. The only problem I had with it was the third-party software. However I’m sure this will be updated, and for me, the mouse is functional enough without having to re-program any of its buttons. I would recommend it to anyone fed up of their Mighty Mouse and looking for a decent replacement.
The BT600 is available from Radtech for $59.99 and is compatible with both Mac and Windows.
Before the iPhone Nano has even been announced, case manufacturers XSKN have posted a series of cases for the rumored device on their website. MacRumors say that whilst they (and me) still have their doubts about an iPhone Nano release, it’s hard to deny that XSKN have previously released cases and accurately predicted upcoming releases on two occasions.
Although the shots (above) seem to just be existing iPhone promotional pictures cut down, it’s interesting that the iPhone in them has the curved back of the iPhone 3G, as well as the aluminum back and the black on/off, silent and volume switches from the iPhone 2G.
Until MacWorld in January, I’m still saying we won’t see one. When and if they announce it, then you can hurl abuse at me.
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Apple have today issued an update to their Mail application after many users have experienced crashes following the 10.5.6 software update. Apple have already put up a page in their support section regarding this issue that suggests some possible fixes. As well as problems with Mail, Apple have acknowledged installation difficulties when updating to 10.5.6.
The 1.0 update to Mail is a 58MB download and will require OS X 10.5.6. Apple say:
This update addresses stability issues with Mail. After updating to Mac OS X 10.5.6, Mail may unexpectedly quit. This can be caused by using a copy of Mail that wasn”t updated properly (you may need to install the Mail Update).
You should be able to download the update via Software Update, however I every time I ran Software Update it said there were no updates available. If you get this, you can download the Mail 1.0 update here.
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Once again an update to the rumor that will never die — until Apple release an iPhone Nano, or until they discontinue the iPhone in the distant future when such devices are no longer needed, people are always going to speculate the release of an iPhone Nano.
MacRumors have today posted an image on their site (above), which is supposedly what the iPhone Nano will look like. They point out that although they are posting these images, they still have serious doubts about the likelihood of such a device. And so do I.
I can understand an iPod Nano. I can understand a netbook. However I can’t understand why they’d make the iPhone any smaller. It’s a nice enough size as it is. Maybe it could be a bit thinner, but make it any smaller and web browsing wouldn’t be so pleasent, writing e-mails would become more difficult, the on-screen keyboard, that is currently a nice size for typing without a stylus, would become smaller and therefore trickier to use, all current software for the iPhone would be useless as it’s designed to fit the screen size of the existing model… and the list goes on. I know there are many people out there that will argue my point, so I won’t go on.
The image that was submitted anonymously and MacRumors are labelling it a “concept” design “for the sake of discussion and debate.” As I’ve already said, there will be many more iPhone Nano rumors and photos to come, I’m sure. I wonder whether those rumors will be put to rest come January’s MacWorld Expo?
What are your views on an iPhone Nano? Do you think it’s worth it or are you happy with the iPhone the way it is? Do you think a smaller iPhone would be harder to use? Let us know by leaving us a comment.
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The above is a picture sent in to Macenstein from an anonymous tipster which they claim is the new Mac Mini refresh that we are expecting in January. The picture was immediately deemed a fake for several reasons, however Boy Genius Report have posted the picture on their site today and described why they think the picture might not be a fake after all.
Firstly, the marketing blurb, “The world’s smallest desktop computer.” Many dismissed the phrase as missing Apple’s common word play but in reality, Apple uses simple bold statements quite often in its marcom. In fact, this slide lines up pretty well with early MacBook Air slides.
Read the rest of the post here.
Although Boy Genius Report have provided some decent reasoning to support the tipster’s picture, I am still very doubtful this is going to be Apple’s new Mac Mini. To me, it looks very much like the side-view picture of a MacBook that has simply been cut down. Surely it couldn’t be any simpler to cut out a section of a photograph? I wouldn’t know where to start with picture editing etc, however, even I can cut out a section of a picture in a simple application like Microsoft’s “Paint.”
A side-view of the new MacBook
Whether the picture is genuine or not, as Boy Genius Report point out, it’s likely the new Mac Mini won’t look a whole lot different if it’s to take on the aluminum unibody design of Apple’s latest offerings. Only time will tell and with the January MacWorld Expo just around the corner, it won’t be long before we find out.
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A couple of days ago, the iPhone-Dev Team announced they had successfully unlocked the iPhone 3G, and that all that was left to do was knock it up in to a nice friendly GUI, and release it to the long-waiting public. Those eager to unlock their iPhones will need to wait until December 31st, when it is believed the iPhone-Dev Team will release their unlocking software via Cydia, however you will be able to watch a member of the iPhone-Dev Team today as he unlocks a 3G via video stream.
A demo of the upcoming unlocking application, named “yellowsn0w,” will be broadcast by Dev Team member “MuscleNerd” at approximately 3p.m. EST today, and will show an iPhone 3G being soft-unlocked before your eyes. The URL to the video stream will be announced via MuscleNerd’s Twitter page just before the demo starts, and he will be using “Qik” on a 2G iPhone to make the stream.
So for the hundreds and hundreds… and hundreds of you out there impatiently waiting for this unlock software to become available, you will today be able to to witness a software-unlock of the iPhone 3G and a taste of things to come. Are you sitting comfortably?
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Many of you will have heard of Axiotron — a company that for $1,299 will take your lovely MacBook, pull it apart, and use most of it’s parts to build you a Mac tablet. Axiotron calls this the “Modbook.” They are the only company that does this, and therefore the only company to offer a tablet Mac. Apple themselves are still yet to release a product that meets this need, although rumor has it they will announce one at the MacWorld Expo in January.
Axiotron have recently welcomed Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak to its board of advisors, making him the eighth member of the board which already consists of the CEOs of Other World Computing and Gravis AG, and the Vice President of Business Development at Cicor Technologies.
A press announcement on Axiotrom’s website starts:
Modbook® manufacturer Axiotron® today announced that Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple® Computer and designer of the pioneering Apple I and Apple II personal computers, has joined Axiotron’s Board of Advisors.
Read the rest of the announcement here.
Back in May Ars Technica reviewed a Modbook and found that it seemed to meet a very specific need — the need of graphics artists to have a device on which they can draw directly, and that runs the Mac OS. For any other need, the Modbook proves a difficult solution. Ars Technica said that the lack of keyboard and inability to swivel the screen like most tablet computers makes the Modbook a disappointment to those wishing to use it on a daily basis for a range of different tasks.
In 2007 Axitron’s Modbook won the MacWorld Best of Show award, and the relatively new company have certainly made a success out of their modding talents. However how much of a hit would the company take if Apple were indeed to unviel a tablet computer early next year? Surely purchasing directly from Apple and the bonus of at least a 12-month warranty rules out any question of purchasing a Mac tablet elsewhere, especially considering the total cost of a MacBook, plus Axiotrom’s modding service proves very expensive — it’s not even as though buying from a third-party would provide a cheaper alternative. I’m sure Axiotron will be a nervous bunch come January’s MacWorld Expo.
It is believed Wozniak’s contribution to Axiotron will be his industry contacts, and his “insight into market trends and Axiotron’s product initiatives,” not to mention the publicity they will receive for simply taking Woz on-board. Ars Technica contacted Woz for comment and claim he replied; “the founder approached me and told me about it. I admired his passion and entrepreneurship.”
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According to Gizmodo, and a post on their website, the iPhone-Dev Team have successfully unlocked the iPhone 3G and are planning to release the free software on December 31st.
While it took a little longer than the free iPhone EDGE unlock, it does sound like this is the real deal. The team is claiming a successful unlock, now the next step is to package it up in a user-friendly GUI app like Pwnage Tool.
The ability to unlock the 3G would mean users can use a SIM card from another network provider in the iPhone. For example, you could pick up a contract-free iPhone 3G on pay-as-you-go, or even from eBay, then use the iPhone-Dev Team’s software to unlock it and pop in your SIM card that you have on your current contract. No need to keep topping up or pay the expensive iPhone contract tariffs.
If you have read reports today that there is a feature in the Mac OS 10.5.6 software update that makes it impossible to use the iPhone-Dev Team’s PwnageTool or QuickPwn software after the update, do not worry! The iPhone-Dev Team claim the unlock software is downloadable through “Cydia” on the iPhone itself and will work from there.
The unlock is possible only on iPhones with baseband “2.11.07,” therefore if you updated to firmware 2.2 through iTunes, unfortunately the unlock won’t work for you. As the iPhone-Dev Team points out, they did warn you.
I’m sure this is news many have been waiting to hear for a long while.
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