Hasta La Gadget!

It would appear that Consumer Reports’ look at the iPhone 5 has yielded a favorable collection of feedback bits, especially in the camera department. Though they do admit that the “phenomenal” 41-megapixel camera they tested on the Nokia 808 had a bit of an edge when it comes to delivering the highest quality shots, the iPhone 5′s 8-megapixel camera was called “the best [they’d] seen on a smart phone.” Consumer Reports also noted that the iPhone 5 “move[s] up the ranks, surpassing not only the previous iPhone 4S but also a number of other new Android-based smart phones.”

This report does mention Maps as a sore point amongst fellow reviewers they’d spoken with, but they themselves have made it clear that the app was “competent enough” for a free app included with the phone. They note that their auto experts have tested the app, and that “they describe the app as relatively streamlined, and concluded that it generally provides clear guidance, including voice and on-screen directions.” They also noted that “more often than not, our testers found Flyover delivered rather intriguing 3D representations that bring a map to life.”

With a boosted set of abilities with its Siri voice assistant as well as 4G LTE capabilities and a larger 4-inch display, this device is what Consumer Reports calls one of its most rated phones ever. For those of you wondering what the top phone on the Consumer Reports rating list is at the moment: it’s the Samsung Galaxy S III. Samsung and Apple continue their litigation against one another in several sectors, with the most recent being suits surrounding not one, but both of the phones just mentioned.

You can have a peek at our iPhone 5 review right this minute and learn the full extent of Apple’s push to create, once again, the best iPhone ever. This update to the iPhone line has spurred millions of sales in its first week and will certainly continue to be a hot seller throughout the future. As far as companions go, it would appear that an iPad mini might be joining the party soon – stay tuned to our Apple hub for the full detail wave!

[via Consumer Reports]

iPhone 5 Consumer Reports touts “best [camera] we’ve seen on a smartphone” is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Eventually, that shiny new iPhone 5 will have to meet its untimely end, whether it’s in a landfill or (preferably) a recycling company’s machinery. When it does, you’ll at least be glad to know that Apple has kept the toxin levels down. HealthyStuff and iFixit have dissected the extra skinny smartphone and put it in the same “low concern” category for potential harm that’s normally occupied by phones wearing their green credentials on their sleeves. Lest anyone rush to tell Greenpeace about the feat, just remember that there’s a difference between proficiency at excising dangerous chemicals and getting rid of them completely: HealthyStuff still found small traces of bromine, chlorine, lead and mercury in the iPhone 5’s construction, which could pose risks if the handset is ever broken apart or melted for scrap. Some concern also exists that the x-ray fluorescence spectrometer doesn’t reveal the full extent of any toxic materials. Whether or not these remain sore points for you, the new iPhone is at least easier on the eco-friendly conscience than most of its peers.

Continue reading iPhone 5 chemical study shows a green Apple, leaves room for improvement

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple

iPhone 5 chemical study shows a green Apple, leaves room for improvement originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Oct 2012 17:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  iFixit  | Email this | Comments

Now that the whole world is addicted to KickStarter-like programs such as Indiegogo, groups creating items such as the rather intense multi-functional ReadyCase for the iPhone 5 and iPhone 4/4S can jump in from a whole different direction. What we’re seeing here is a funding effort that had a $15,000 USD goal, has already raised $58,740, and still has 21 days left to go to raise more. The product is a set of cases, one that works for the iPhone 5, the other that works with the iPhone 4/4S, both of them absolutely strangely wonderful.

This set of cases has a headphone clip, camera lens ring, USB drive (removable), kickstand for both portrait and landscape (using the USB drive stick as the stand), and multi-tool. The multi-tool has a standard blade, serrated blade, flat-head screwdriver, bottle opener, and a choice of colors – black or silver! Of course you’re going to want to pop the tool off the case when you’re heading to the airport – not allowed!

The case fits on your phone like a charm and adds less than 3mm to its surface. The bulk of the case is made of aerospace grade composite materials as well, so you’ll have some basic protection for the back and sides of your device. The USB stick comes in two iterations – 8DB or 16GB, and again, fits into the case in several different ways allowing you some on-the-go stand-up action for your phone.

The headphone clip allows you to keep your phones tight to the device when you’ve wrapped them around the phone, and the integrated lens ring works with a variety of lenses, each of them included in the package. There’s a macro lens, a fish-eye lens, and a wide-angle lens too.

For those of you still wanting to contribute to the Indiegogo campaign, there’s good news – if you’ve got an iPhone 4/4S now and plan to update to the iPhone 5, no worries! You get both an iPhone 4/4S case and an iPhone 5 case in the package together – and the multi-tool and USB stick fit in both! Check it out!

iPhone 5 ReadyCase “swiss army knife cover” blasts past funding goal is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Google has updated Google Maps on the web with Street View functionality, allowing iPhone 5 and other iOS 6 users to again access the street-level photography missing from Apple’s own Maps app. The new feature, which Google confirmed was incoming late last month, works on the iPhone and iPad, adding a Street View icon to the toolbar at the bottom of the page.

Clicking that button brings up a new tab in the iOS browser with Street View photography. Navigation is via the usual arrow buttons, with floating street names and other details overlaid; closing the tab returns you to the regular map.

Interestingly, loading up maps.google.com in Android does not bring up the same Street View icon. Instead, users of Android phones and tablets need to go to the dedicated Google Maps app to access the service. [Update: You can in fact access Street View in the Android browser version, but you need to drop a pin on the map first; the Street View icon does not show up by default as it does in the iOS browser] Google has said that it is working on a Google Maps for iOS app, though that isn’t expected to be released until later in the year.

As well as apologizing for the poor reception of Maps, Apple has also made it straightforward for iOS 6 users to use alternative mapping providers. There is now a featured section for recommended downloads from the App Store, including MotionX, Waze, Mapquest, and TeleNav, while Apple also suggested adding homescreen shortcuts to Google Maps or Nokia Maps as web-based alternatives.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Google Maps for iOS browser adds Street View is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Most of us (hopefully) know that our smartphones aren’t just snazzy glass, aluminum, and plastic, and that there are actually some hazardous materials lurking on the inside. The components of most smartphones are made using nasty stuff like PVC, mercury, tin, flame retardants, and lead, and though those chemicals and metals don’t pose much of threat to you while they’re all locked up inside your device, they could potentially contaminate the air and water if smartphones aren’t disposed of properly.

That’s the problem, too: for the most part, consumers typically don’t recycle their smartphones like they should, which could lead to environmental issues that no one wants to deal with. There is a glimmer of hope, however, as a new iFixit and HealthyStuff.org study has found that present-day smartphones contain fewer toxic chemicals than smartphones of the past. iFixit and HealthyStuff tore apart 36 different new and old smartphones for this test, including the iPhone 5. Once they had a look around to determine the amount the toxic chemicals present in each phone, each device was rated on a scale of 0 to 5, with 0 being the best possible score and 5 being the worst.

Of the devices tested, six were given a ranking of “low concern,” including the iPhone 5, the Motorola Citrus, and the Samsung Evergreen. 24 of the device were labeled as “medium concern,” including the Samsung Galaxy S III, the Motorola DROID X, and the BlackBerry Bold 9000, while the remaining six were grouped into the “high concern,” category. Phones that were given a high concern ranking include the Nokia N95, the iPhone 2G, and the BlackBerry Storm 9530.

So, while there are still some pretty dangerous phones floating around out there, manufacturers are getting better at making their handsets more environmentally friendly. Apple in particular is showing great improvement with this test – while the second generation iPhone was given the worst possible score, both the iPhone 4S and the iPhone 5 were placed among the six best-rated handsets. iFixit and HealthyStuff warn that there is still progress to make, and even though the overall trend shows a reduction in these dangerous chemicals, “‘better’ is not ‘perfect.’” Let’s just hope that manufacturers keep it up and make handsets that are even more safe in the future.

Present-day smartphones have fewer toxic chemicals, study finds is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.