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3 reasons Google-Motorola Deal is an Android Nightmare

Owaeis N. — Sun, 20 May 2012 10:01:39 +0000

[This post was published in August 2011 when Google intended to buy Motorola Mobility, it is now retouched in context of final approval of Google-Motorola deal.]

Google has just got the final approval from China to acquire Motorola’s handset division for a whooping $12.5 billion in order to win a patent war over Apple-Microsoft alliance. Apparently there is a whole slew of good things that come along with this deal, such as the possibility of a lot of Google branded Android devices carrying stock Android. It is usually good for things to go in Google’s hands, as it loves to keep things free. The deal will also help Google win over – or at least stand strong against – the Apple-Microsft alliance which wanted Google to pay a $15 fee on each Android phone sold. But there’s a dark side of the deal. It in fact, has a pretty dirty face when turned around.

1. Google sucks at sales

Google sucks at marketing and sales, we all know that from Nexus One’s below-expectation sales when it was the hottest thing on the internet around its launch. Google might not be able to convince you to buy its phones even if they were the best thing you could buy.

2. Motorola’s hardware culture

Motorola has its own culture of hardware, a culture of square buttons, clunky fonts, love for plastics; a culture which loves thick and big and a culture which never admires the win of soft keyboards. Motorola has made into the Google kingdom along with the whole culture it bears.

Google has acquired Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion but it may not prove fortunate for Android's future

What are we going to get on Future? Google’s varying and innovating phones, which don’t want to insist for a culture of keyboards and plastics, or Motorolified Androids? Would Motorola Mobility ever make a phone like the Galaxy S III?

3. Google is now a direct competitor with its licensees

This deal is going to have a sheer demoralizing effect on Google’s Android licensees as Google is now a direct competitor with them. Google would have to win over Samsung and HTC to bring Motorola Mobility to profitability which would affect competition if not totally kill it.

Optimists are no short of arguments in favor of this deal, so is our editor James Cushing in his article “Why the Google/Moto Alliance is Good for Android“, give it a read.

Apple iTV outed by Foxconn CEO during press conference

James Cushing — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:14:18 +0000

Rumors of an Apple-branded HDTV have been flying around for over a year, with no kind of official announcement from Cupertino. That’s not really unusual, as there’s no shortage of rumor about what Apple is going to do next. Common thinking is that Apple will be producing a smart TV to rival challengers, like Google, and expand their reach beyond the set-top box they currently manufacture. The world may have gotten the first confirmation that such a device really does exist, though. Foxconn founder and CEO, Terry Gou, speaking during a press conference in Shanghai today, has detailed Foxconn’s expansion via a new headquarters that will see completion in 2015. However, he also let slip that Foxconn is shoring up production for a new HDTV made by Apple, and called the iTV.

Apple TV?

While little else is known about the device, it’s rumored to feature aluminum construction, Siri integration, and Facetime video chat through a built-in webcam. Given this news, it’s very possible that we could see an announcement of the product at this summer’s WWDC. Historically, Apple does make some kind of product announcement at their annual dev conference. Some supposition has been made about what product that will be. A new iPhone is one possibility, but last year Apple broke with tradition and announced the iPhone 4S in October. Another smartphone announcement so close to that release would seem out of character, in our opinion, and we think it more likely that a different announcement will take place. The obvious one will be a finished version of Mountain Lion, which has been in testing for a while now, but Apple will likely try to steal some thunder from Google, given that Google’s I/O conference is just one week before WWDC. Google is expected to announce the next version of Android, code-named Jellybean, as well as possible Nexus tablet aimed at budget tablet buyers. With those two rather large announcements, it would not be at all surprising to see Apple one-up Google with a smart TV announcement, or news of a budget 7-inch iPad.

Apple Sets a Date for WWDC 2012

James Cushing — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:13:22 +0000

Apple fans and developers, the big news you’ve been waiting for has finally arrived. Apple has announced the date for their annual Worldwide Developers Conference. Mark the dates of June 11th to the 15th, and get your reservations ready. Just a couple of weeks before Google IO, and a week after the E3 expo, we’ll be getting the scoop on what’s coming out of Apple for mobile and desktops. Ticket prices are steep, as always, at $1599 a pop. The list of events has yet to be posted, but you can keep an eye on the WWDC website for information as it rolls out.

We have a great WWDC planned this year and can’t wait to share the latest news about iOS and OS X Mountain Lion with developers,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, in a statement. “The iOS platform has created an entirely new industry with fantastic opportunities for developers across the country and around the world.

If you’re a current iOS or OSX developer, or perhaps you’re ready to get in on the game, this is the event for you. Grab your tickets while they’re still available!

Chinese iPhones smell like pineapple, peach, mango and apple

Owaeis N. — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:34:21 +0000

Did you ever smell your iPhone when it’s charging? Try now and you may smell pineapple or possibly peach, mango or Apple. Lots of Chinese iPhone owners claim the headphone jacks on their iPhones smell like pineapple when charging. This is a popular discussion topic on China’s most popular microblogging platform SINA weibo and has been retweeted for more than thirty thousand times. Some of the users report peach, mango or Apple orders and that the volume buttons do also smell like fruits. Similar reports are heard in Taiwan and Japan as well, according to MIC Gadget.

As some industry experts think, this could be the smell of organic solvents used for cleaning circuit boards. One possibility is the Ethyl Acetate used for cleaning of circuit boards. Ethyl Acetate is a sweet smelling non-toxic organic solvent which smells like apple, pineapple and other fruits. It is also used by food industry for preparing artificial fruit odors. Some old Apple discussion threads claim nail polish smells too, which makes it clear that it’s because of some organic solvent. Otherwise, under worse working conditions at Foxconn, employees couldn’t be eating fruit jams and jellies while assembling iPhone units.
[Photo credit]

iOS 5.1 Untethered Jailbreak Update

James Cushing — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:52:47 +0000

Not long ago, we saw the release of the iPad 3/New iPad, and with it came a firmware update to iOS 5.1. Many users jumped on the update, only to lose their jailbreak, unfortunately. While the minds behind the jailbreaks are still pushing forward, an untethered jailbreak for iOS 5.1 is still unavailable. You can still jailbreak tethered using Snowbreeze, however. Those that are holding out for the untethered jailbreak of iOS 5.1, though, should be comforted by the news that the jailbreak team has found the exploits they’ll need to finish the job.

In a Twitter conversation, well-known iOS hacker Pod2G has announced that the exploits have been located, and he is now working on “bypassing ASLR at bootup.” It was only a short time ago that he’d announced that they’d found a few pieces that might lead to a jailbreak. However, he insists that a public release is still a long way off.

Remember: just because all the exploits are found doesn’t mean that a jailbreak exists — it’s likely months away from first working at all.

As such, there’s no word on when a public release might happen, and we shouldn’t be looking for it anytime soon. Still, it’s encouraging that the very solid dev team hasn’t given up. If you’re thinking of updating to iOS 5.1, just bear in mind that an untethered jailbreak is still not possible. Those that want to keep their untethered should remain on iOS 5.0.1 for the time being.

How to Unlock Your iPhone with AT&T While Keeping Your Jailbreak

James Cushing — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:28:56 +0000

Very recently, AT&T began unlocking iPhones for use overseas or on another carrier. There was much rejoicing among stock iOS users, but the jailbreak community was slightly less ecstatic. Unlocking the device required an update to the latest firmware, which would render your jailbreak inoperable. Fortunately, there’s Redsnow, and the developers behind the jailbreaks have come to the rescue yet again. If you want to maintain your jailbreak, and still unlock your iPhone, you can now do so. There are two different methods, though, depending on your device. Redsnow can be used to unlock and maintain a jailbreak for any iPhone, except the iPhone 4S. To do the same with the 4S, you’ll need a Cydia package called SAM. In either case, we have instructions for you below. If you have an iPhone 4S, you can skip past the first set of instructions.

Unlocking your iPhone (not 4S):

First you’ll need to start the official unlock process through AT&T. To do this, log-in to your AT&T account and start a support chat with a representative. In a few hours you should get an email with instructions. Before you follow through with all of them, proceed to step 2.
Download the latest version of Redsnow for Mac or Windows. Note that Windows users will need to run the program as Adminstrator.
When the program loads up, you’ll hit the jailbreak option. You will not actually be jailbreaking, but this will bring up additional options.
Follow the steps on the screen to place you device into DFU mode.
Once that’s done, and you’ve moved on to the next screen, uncheck the box for Install Cydia.
Select Deactivate.
Connect your device to iTunes, where it will activate as if it were new. Do not connect the device over wifi. Do this with the USB cable. You should have your unlock information from AT&T ready to go, and when your device reactivates it will be unlocked with no need to restore, and jailbreak intact!

Unlock and maintain jailbreak for iPhone 4S:

Unlocking an iPhone 4S that’s jailbroken requires you to add a repo to Cydia, called SAM. Here’s what to do.

First, you’ll need to start the official unlock process with AT&T. Within a few hours you should get an email with instructions on how to unlock. Before you proceed, move on to step 2.
Head to the Cydia Store, and add the repo http://repo.bingner.com, and then tap on Install SAM.
In your device’s settings, select SAM and then use the option to deactivate iPhone.
Your device will be deactivated.
Now, connect your device to iTunes with your USB cable. You device should activate unlocked.

An Inside Look at How iPads are Made at Foxconn [Video]

James Cushing — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:23:13 +0000

Foxconn has been getting a lot of hard looks in the last couple of years. As the manufacturing partner for the bulk of Apple iPad production, the Chinese factories that produce these tablets have been under intense scrutiny from several labor organizations, but also the curious users of those devices. Very few people, though, are granted access to the factories. Apple is a very secretive organization, and they don’t like to let anyone in on their production secrets. To date, only 2 reporters have been granted access to the Foxconn factories. Most recently, Marketplace Shanghai Bureau Chief, Rob Schmitz, was able to go behind the scenes of Foxconn to get a long look at iPad production and working conditions.

This clip is part of an exclusive captured by Marketplace.org, in which they tour the production line, facilities, and living quarters of Foxconn’s Longhua facility in Shenzen. What the report discovered is that this Foxconn plant is far more than just a factory. It’s actually its own small city, with over 200,000 workers, 50,000 of which live on the campus. The facility houses fast food joints, banks, grocery stores, athletic fields, and even a radio and TV station.

Foxconn is the world’s 10th largest employer, and in the video clip you’ll see that they have no shortage of applicants each day. About 500 applicants show up each day to try to land jobs, through which they’ll send money home to the villages they’ve migrated from. The average worker will send about $3000 U.S. home to their family a year, and though the work is tedious and boring, it earns them much more than many of their neighbors throughout China. This is a great inside look at, not only Foxconn, but the Chinese economy and way of life. It is part of an ongoing series on the Apple Economy, with more news forthcoming.

New iPhone with A5X, 1GB of RAM in Testing, Report Says

James Cushing — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 16:29:49 +0000

iPhone 4S

With summer drawing ever closer, and the New iPad behind us, we can now focus our rumor-gathering powers on the next Apple product. As Apple loves to foil rumor around future naming conventions, we’re not really sure that the next iPhone will indeed be called the iPhone 5, but we’re still leaning that way. Unfortunately, Apple squashed both the iPhone 5 name last year, and then the iPad 3 this year, so it’s really anyone’s guess. Name of the product aside, we’re understandably curious about how Apple intends to top the iPhone 4S in terms of tech upgrades and new software. iOS 5.1 is a recent addition that came with the New iPad, so how about the next version? Will it indeed by iOS 6? Our money is on, yes. We think it likely that iOS 6 will be announced at WWDC in June, made available to developers soon after, and then show up as a final product on the new iPhone 5 later in the year.

A report from sources at 9 to 5 Mac suggests that a few hardware upgrades are in store for the iPhone 5, while CNet reports that a Foxconn HR employee has outed a release time frame for some time in October of this year. In order to keep leaks to a minimum, it’s said that Apple is testing the hardware upgrades in an iPhone 4/4S shell, but that the actual design for the next device will come in a slightly larger package. Breaking from the 3.5″ standard, Apple will instead release a 4.6″ LTE-enabled device. The current test product is only that, though, a test. The test device, it’s said, is currently in Apple’s labs in order to test a variation of the A5X processor for the next iPhone. Since the A5X is built specifically to handle the Retina display of the New iPad, the processor will undergo some changes for the iPhone. However, the iPhone 5 will get a bump up in RAM to 1GB.

The iPhone isn’t the only device getting some attention, though. According to internal files in iOS 5.1, a new iPod is also in the works. Last year’s model didn’t have any real changes to the design or specs, which should be no surprise. This year, though, the iPod could be getting an upgrade to the A5 processor at the very least. Given that the iPod Touch is still a very popular device among mobile gamers and music enthusiasts, and still selling very well, it seems logical that Apple would do a slight refresh this year to keep it competitive.

In regard to the release window leaked by Foxconn, CNet’s source claims that Foxconn was just given the order for the new iPhone, adding that the release date will be “around October”. A recent surge in hiring from Foxconn is also lending credibility to that claim. As always, we should be mindful of the changing nature of rumors. Apple, as we know, pays no attention whatsoever to internet chatter and will release their product only when they feel it’s ready.

An Interview With Rob Shoesmith: The Man Who Camped Out For the iPhone 5

James Cushing — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 16:44:20 +0000

Robert Shoesmith

We first heard about Robert Shoesmith back in August of 2011. At the time, rumors were still all we had about Apple’s next iPhone, and across the web we were still calling it the iPhone 5. Shoesmith, a former trash collector, or bin man, was now an employee of MEDLMobile. He has a flair for coming up with odd marketing schemes for products, and his first “experiment” was about to change his life, though he would have no idea just how much. Shoesmith has been working on a book about the experience, and the events that led up to it. Fortunately, he had a little time to spare for us. We caught up with Rob to talk to him about the book, his goals, what motivated him to do it, and what he’s got coming up next. To keep up with what he’s got planned for his next experiment, you can find Rob very active on Twitter, and on his personal blog.

What did you do before you were “the man who camped out for the iPhone 5?”

I worked as a trash collector or bin man for my local council in Coventry. I came across an iPhone app called the app incubator by a dev company called MEDL Mobile, which was looking for people to send in ideas for iPhone apps. If they liked the idea they’d pay the full development costs, and give you a share of the profits! I sent an agony aunt style app called Problem Halved. I was featured heavily in the press in 2009! Around a year ago I was taken on full time as a marketing and PR executive after impressing MEDL Mobile with my ability to promote my app Problem Halved and other apps they have released.

What inspired you to do this experiment?

I wanted to make an immediate impact in my new job and for people in the industry to know who Rob Shoesmith was! I also like to come up with what some people would perceive as crazy ideas!

How did you manage to get sponsors to donate items to you?

I knew Apple had a huge influence on the the media and society so I embraced this. I did my research and came up with a list of companies I thought would be interested. I also used my PR contacts to my advantage.

What was the strangest item you received from a sponsor?

Herbal viagra! I mean seriously why would I have ever needed that? The release of the new iPhone was more than enough to get me excited anyway :)

What was the most useful item you received from a sponsor?

My sleepiing bag. It was a giant yellow wearable one which kept me warm!

Was the book part of the experiment from the beginning? Or, did you decide to write it while you were camping out?

After experiencing one of the toughest, yet most exhilarating 10 days of my life, I just had to write a book about it! I have been through a hell of a lot over the last 10 years and want the book to inspire people to make their dreams a reality! I hope Apple fans, marketers and anyone who loves a good rags-to-riches story will be interested in reading my debut book.

What was the most memorable reaction you got from a passersby while you were camping?

A very drunken lady passed me by and did a dance like the old silhouette iTunes adverts, and proceeded to give me some loose change. I think she thought I was homeless! I tried to explain that I wasn’t but she was having none of it!

What was your most memorable moment of the whole experience?

Meeting and connecting with so many homeless people. I didn’t realize how hard it is for them! I was there 10 nights with good quality equipment and hand-on-heart it was one of the toughest challenges I have ever had to endure. I now have huge admiration for these people.

Were people generally accepting of your camping out on the sidewalk?

Yes. By and large everyone was really positive. I lost count of the amount of times people would come and visit me with hot drinks and food.

Were you ever harassed while camping out?

A couple of times, yes. On the first few nights I had some drunken idiots trying to wake me up whilst sleeping and threaten to steal some of my kit.

What did the Apple Store employees think of your lengthy presence in front of the store?

Initially I don’t think they took me seriously but as the days passed they treated me a little bit differently and allowed me to camp on their premises directly outside of the shop. Apple security were also very friendly towards me.

Did you get any official communication from the Apple brass in Cupertino, while camping?

I can’t really answer that question. Any communication has to stay private for obvious reasons.

Did you manage to stay connected with family and friends during the experiment?

Yes. Some family and friends came down to visit me. Seeing familar faces gave me a huge lift!

You’re running an online poll between three potential titles for the book. Have you finally decided on one?

I’m 99% sure that the book will be called “Bin There Done That!” I’ve had that name for a book for a number of years and its a personal dream of mine to have a book published.

Have you already secured a publisher for the book?

I’m in talks with a few publishers but as I work in digital PR the sensible route would be to launch the book online via Amazon Kindle and Apple iBooks.

Do you know when it will be released?

I expect the book to be released within the next month or so. Editing is the part that is most time consuming and don’t want to rush anything out until I’m happy with it.

What do you hope to achieve with the book?

Inspire at least one person! I was in a dark place having experienced depression, anxiety and panic attacks before entering the world of apps. I’d like the book to inspire people and show people life can change for the better when you least expect it. If I acheive this I will be very happy! The book will be an honest account about my experiences leading up to the 10 night camp out as well.

In what ways do you think you have grown in the aftermath of the experiment?

One of the main aims of the experiment was to make my mark! I have made a lot of new very useful connections which will stand me in good stead for future projects. A good friend of mine who once worked in sales said, “it’s far easier to sell a product when people know who they are buying the product from.” I have noticed when trying to promote iPhone apps people who have heard of me are more likely to pay attention, which is very encouraging and makes my job a lot easier.

Were you at all disappointed when you heard that Apple would release the iPhone 4S, instead of iPhone 5?

Yes kind of. I made the fatal mistake of calling the experiment the iphone 5 experiment. I always intended to camp out for the 5th generation iPhone anyway. I learned my lesson and will use a less specific domain name for future exeriments.

You have a 2nd and 3rd experiment in the works. When can we expect to see one of those begin?

The first thing is to release the book. Once this has happened I can then get on with the planning for my second experiment. It will be a good way to promote the book as well. I expect to write another book for my second experiment as well.

New iPad 3 Untethered Jailbreak On iOS 5.1 Demoed On Video

James Cushing — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 20:22:11 +0000

New iPad Settings

Just a day after its release, the New iPad’s untethered jailbreak is already up and running. At least, in tests. Well-known iOS hackster i0nic has been working through the night to get this jailbreak up and running. This is a big departure from last year’s iPad 2, which took several months to see an untethered jailbreak via Comex‘ jailbreakme.com method. Having had access to iOS 5.1 betas for a couple of months, though, has made the quick work possible. Now, i0nic and the iPhone Dev Team have posted a video on YouTube of the jailbreak running on the New iPad, as well as screen shots of the device running Cydia.

Currently, there’s no date as to when you can expect the release, but this new info shows that it is indeed coming. Currently, there is no tethered or untethered jailbreak for the New iPad, though if you own any A4 iDevice, such as the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPod Touch, or iPad 1, you can jailbreak tethered using either Redsnow or Snowbreeze. Naturally, we’ll keep you posted on further developments as they come.

iPad 3 Jailbreak