GeekSugar

What's More Exciting: The New iPhone OS or the iPhone 3G S?

GeekSugar — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:00:13 PDT

Yesterday I got some good news for anyone who upgraded to an iPhone 3G last year, only to be told they wouldn't be eligible for an upgrade to the 3G S at the time of its launch: you may have just been given the green light.

So even if you're not eligible yet, there's a silver lining, and that goes for all iPhone users (and Touch, holla!): the 3.0 OS update! I thought the OS update to 2.0 last year was amazing, but 3.0, with its ooh-la-la features including cut and paste, Spotlight, and MMS, feels like more than just a firmware update (check out my review for all of my thoughts).

Of course, I am still rabid about the new iPhone 3G S - the new camera, the compass, the voice control, and video. Oh, the video. But I am afraid to check and see if I even qualify for the upgrade now because I'm worried I'll be tempted, almost sure I'll buy it if I can, when I know perfectly well that I am getting a cool thing already with the 3.0 OS.

So tell me - what excites you more, the new iPhone's features, or the new OS's features?

A Whole New World: My Fave Things About the iPhone 3.0 OS

GeekSugar — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 05:56:05 PDT

Since downloading the iPhone's new 3.0 OS, I've had a chance to try out pretty much everything and decide what I love and what I like (so far, nothing to hate).

I will say this: the copious changes are like having a whole new iPhone - I definitely felt like I had a new device, the experience is so different. What do I like the most? To see my favorites, just

Spotlight: I have to say, Spotlight is definitely my favorite thing to have on the iPhone, as simple as it is. It's probably because I keep swiping my main screen to the right and accidentally going into the search, so that does take some getting used to. I'm still impressed, though, that Spotlight searches everything: apps, contacts, songs, and video. I like it best for apps since I've downloaded so many and they're not organized in any fashion at all.
Email Search: Sense a trend? I'm a simple girl. Having gotten used to Google and Gmail, I simply need to be able to search efficiently and get extremely frustrated when I can't. But the new search changes all that - before, if you wanted to use Gmail's great search function, you had to sign in to your account from Safari, which was such a hassle, I just wouldn't use search unless it was an emergency. Now that the mail app has search, I can finally hunt for stuff in my mail without going anywhere. But beware: this is not Gmail search. You can't search your chat records like you can in Gmail, but you do have access to your entire inbox. And it's pretty freakin' fast.
Find My iPhone: The one feature I hope I never have to use! Since I have MobileMe, I get to use Find My iPhone and tested out pushing a message on my phone. Take that, would-be thieves!
MMS: Not having the multimedia messaging functionality was the one thing that drove me nuts. It wasn't even that I loved being able to receive MMS, but getting a message saying I had one and could check it only online with some crazy username and password just meant that I never ever saw those videos or photos. I'm still looking forward to it though - soon, please, AT&T?
Copy/Paste: Sure, I'm psyched to get copy/paste, but it's not an everyday feature that I need like search. But still, knowing I can cut, copy, and paste is certainly comforting.

Of course, there are a ton more new features - an improved camera, Voice Memos, a landscape keyboard, but the above features have already made a big difference for me. What's your favorite thing about OS 3.0?

Daily Tech: The iPhone OS 3.0's New Features

GeekSugar — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:01:40 PDT

Here's a closer look at the iPhone OS 3.0. - Engadget
The lowdown on MMS and tethering with AT&T on the iPhone. - The Boy Genius Report
HP launches the Pavilion dv6z Artist Edition 2 notebook. - Gizmodiva
The iPhone 3G S is available for preorder. - CNET
Nintendo's new Wii Vitality Sensor will measure stress levels. - Switched
Looks like Color e-books won't be here anytime soon. - Wired
Some great geek gear deals. - Lifehacker

iPhone OS 3.0 Details

GeekSugar — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 11:34:46 PDT

To say that the iPhone is the most popular smartphone on the market is kind of an understatement - after just two generations, Apple has sold more than 40 million iPhones, and users have downloaded one billion-plus apps from the App Store. And the newest iteration is going to be even better, with more than 100 new features, including the expected cut/copy/paste and MMS support, tethering (which connects your iPhone to your computer via wireless and Bluetooth), and even more that you may not have expected.

Like the one called Find My iPhone. Available for Mobile Me customers, this feature helps you (duh) find your phone on a map by logging into Mobile Me. You can also activate a locator signal (even if your phone is in silent mode) so someone in that area can find it and return it. Plus, if your phone really is lost or stolen, you can wipe the data clean so no one gets your personal data.

There's plenty of other features coming with iPhone 3.0. To check them out, just

Landscape for all standard applications like text messaging
Spotlight
Download movies, TV, and audio books in iTunes
Parental controls that let you limit your kid's activity in iTunes, App Store, and Safari
A "shake to undo" feature
30 languages now available
Form autofill in Safari
Peer-to-peer support for games and music
Push notifications

iPhone OS 3.0: Copy and Paste! MMS, Plus More Revealed

GeekSugar — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 12:45:49 PDT

Hold onto your hats, and try to think of complaints you've had about the iPhone in the past, because Apple has done their darnedest to correct all of them. Gizmodo's live coverage in Cupertino, CA, this morning revealed the features of the iPhone's 3.0 OS update, which include:

Copy/Paste: Finally! You'll be able to double-tap text to get the option of cutting, copying, and pasting (which also applies to images).
Multimedia messaging (MMS): You'll be able to text and receive texts with images and sound (also, finally).

Landscape Messaging: You can use the keyboard in landscape mode for the eMail and Notes apps.
Spotlight: One of my favorite features of Macs, the iPhone will have Spotlight for you to search all the information stored on your iPhone.

To hear about other new features, and to find out when 3.0 will be released, just

The other big features revealed today include support for other calendar types, a voice memo app by Apple, and the ability to send and receive files. In addition, Apple is adding APIs so that third-party developers can shoot for the stars with new apps, including the ability for your iPhone to do peer-to-peer WiFi connectivity with another iPhone and turn-by-turn directions.

Also being beefed up is the App store, which will feature subscriptions to apps, and the ability to purchase new levels for games and additional content for apps you already own.

So when is all this available? Apple says the update is coming sometime this Summer, and it'll be free for iPhone 3G owners, $10 for Touch owners, and free for first generation iPhone users, who'll get most but not all the features.

Oh, and if you're still upset about the high price of the iPhone service: Word on the street is that that may also drop, due to competition with the Palm Pre.

The Week in Geek

GeekSugar — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 03:06:31 PST

The hottest news item (again) this week: the iPad 2, which went on sale yesterday. Apps, accessories, and general iPad mania abounded, but there was plenty of other top news to keep us busy. Check out some of the week's top stories below.

Kicking off the week: an inspiring interview with Maia Kayser, a lead animator on the new film Rango.
Facebook threw its hat in the ring for streaming movies, securing the rights to Warner Bros. films.
Just in time for SXSW and timed to its second anniversary, Foursquare launched its version 3.0 complete with search and recommendation tools.
iOS 4.3 launched earlier than expected, delivering features like teathering, Airplay, and more to iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad users.
Of course, this was also the week of the iPad 2 launch - the device hit stores yesterday. Popular apps like Flipboard have already updated to take advantage of new features, and there are plenty of cases and new accessories, too!
While Apple is on the brain, check out some more rumors surrounding the iPhone 5. And speaking of the iPhone, is the white version ever going to get here?