Hasta La Gadget!

It looks like the Micro SIM (announced with Apple’s first iPad last year) is destined to shed a few more grams, an Orange spokeswoman said — contradicting an earlier rumor claiming that Apple is trying to kill off the chip altogether. SIM cards in their current form have been in use for over a decade (a Micro SIM is simply a standard chip without the extra plastic), and today’s devices look nothing like the cell phones of 2001, so it’s no surprise that the SIM we’ve come to love and loathe has run its course. If adopted only by Apple devices, however, a new form factor would be an incredible setback for iPhone unlockers, since an unlocked device is useless unless multiple carriers offer a compatible SIM. Apple has submitted its proposal to ETSI with support from Orange, which says we may even see the smaller SIM sliding into devices next year.

Apple proposing smaller SIM standard? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 May 2011 17:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple customers with Macs, displays, and iOS devices that were directly damaged in the Japan earthquake and tsunami may be eligible for free repairs. The offer, posted on the company’s Japanese website, excludes iPod classic, nano, and shuffle, and only applies to customers living in areas covered by the Ministry of Health’s Disaster Relief Act. Originally posted in March, Apple’s announcement joins Softbank’s offer to replace lost iPhones registered to its network, and free calls to Japan from U.S. carriers, among others. Considering water and other accidental damage typically voids a device’s warranty, you’ll want to give AppleCare a call soon — the acceptance period only runs through June 30th.

Apple offers free repairs for iPhones, other products damaged in Japan quake originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 May 2011 12:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A handful of iOS developers received letters this week from a patent holding firm claiming that their applications that offer in-app purchases infringe on the firm’s intellectual property (IP). The letter threatens legal action if developers don’t license the patent within 21 days. Lodsys, the firm in question, has apparently patented a system that collects usage data and facilitates feedback between a customer and vendor, though it doesn’t address financial transactions specifically. The allegedly infringing applications use Apple’s in-app purchase tool to encourage users to upgrade to a paid version after downloading a free app. Though it’s possible that Lodsys has sent a similar warning to Apple, only individual developers confirmed receiving the document. This makes us wonder if the company is skipping the well-armed big target in favor of the little guys.

Several developers posted on Twitter after receiving the letters, including Patrick McCarron (Shanghai for iPad), James Thomson (PCalc), and Matt Braun (MASH). They’re understandably unwilling to share too many details at this point — even though Apple developed the framework, developers could still be liable. Lodsys appears to be in the business of launching suits referencing U.S. patent 7,222,078, having gone after Canon, HP, Samsung, and other giants earlier this year. As the developers that have come to light so far are independent, with limited budgets, some have reached out to Apple legal for assistance, and are awaiting response. We aren’t seeing the connection between the patent and in-app purchases, though that’s ultimately up to a federal court to determine, if the firm even files a lawsuit. Drama in its finest form, folks.

Lodsys warns iOS devs, alleges in-app purchases infringe its patent originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 18:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What use could science possibly have for your iPhone location data? Well, you won’t be curing cancer, but you could theoretically be contributing to epidemiology, land use surveys, or a study proving that people move around just as quickly on foot in New York as they do inching down the 405 in LA. At least that’s the idea behind OpenPaths, a web-based tool that lets you securely and anonymously “donate” your cache. If you’ve upgraded to iOS 4.3.3, your iPhone will no longer store your location, but there should be plenty of coordinates spinning around on your hard drive to play with. After downloading the OpenPaths Uploader, you’ll be able to visualize your own location information, and even if you’ve somehow deleted the data from your computer, the tool will search Time Machine backups (for Mac users) — a little scary, no? Of course, there’s always potential for misuse with any such service, but a researcher probably won’t care that those late nights at the office were actually spent in Cindy’s home office, unless that researcher also happens to be your wife.

Continue reading OpenPaths lets you visualize your iPhone location data, donate it to science (video)

OpenPaths lets you visualize your iPhone location data, donate it to science (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 May 2011 14:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If Pioneer’s AppRadio (SPH-DA01) ever sees the light of day, it’ll join a long list of integrated and aftermarket products trying to play off of the iPhone’s success. According to CrunchGear (and its anonymous tipster), the FCC-leaked device boasts a 6.1-inch touchscreen and built-in apps, along with a USB port for accessing content (and presumably, the data connection) on your iOS 4.1 devices. We imagine the hardware to be similar to the 6.1-inch AVIC-X930BT that Pioneer announced at CES, including Bluetooth connectivity, a microSD card slot, and GPS functionality, in addition to an AM/FM radio and single-disc CD player. iPhone connectivity really sets this receiver apart, along with the inclusion of additional apps, such as Pandora and iHeartRadio, with the possibility of adding more apps in the future as well. We’re incredibly skeptical about the device’s GUI having any basis on the mockup image above, but if graphics are anything like those on the models we saw at CES, we don’t expect to be disappointed either.

Pioneer AppRadio brings apps, iPhone connectivity to your dash originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 03:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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