Hasta La Gadget!

Remember that ridiculous Steven Slater rap video promoting Line2’s in-flight texting app? Well, the VoIP company just dusted off the point-and-shoot and hopped back over to YouTube, this time peddling a complete telephony solution for iPad. Launching July 28th, the service will let you place phone calls using a wired headset or the built-in speaker and mic, listen to voicemail, and send texts from a single HD interface. After a one-week trial, you’ll pay $10 per month (or $100 per year) for the privilege, though with free number porting and unlimited domestic calling that’s a fairly solid deal. Many of us barely use our cell phones to place phone calls anymore, but if you’re looking to extend that little-used functionality to your tablet, then Line2 for iPad may be ringing. We haven’t had a chance to go hands-on just yet, but click past the break for a comprehensive video demo, complete with in-app email and an iTunes-like contacts carousel.

Update: Line2 says the app also supports Bluetooth calling on the iPad 2 with any device that features HFP 1.5. Apple restricts functionality, however, so you’ll only be able to use the headset for audio — you’ll still need to place and receive calls directly on the iPad.

Continue reading Line2 brings phone functionality to iPad for 10 bucks a month (video)

Line2 brings phone functionality to iPad for 10 bucks a month (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jul 2011 04:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With iOS 5 Beta 3, you can mirror your FaceTime call onto a larger display

FaceTiming into your iPhone (or iPad 2) is great, but sometimes it’d be nice to see your friend or loved one on a bit of a larger screen.

For those anxiously awaiting that day, it’s almost here.

iPhone owners testing the new iOS 5 beta (version 3) discovered a new feature: AirPlay mirroring. If you’ve got an AirPlay-enabled device, you can mirror your FaceTime chat on a larger screen (like your TV).

FaceTime, a feature which was introduced with the iPhone 4, has gotten a lot of press since its debut. FaceTime is just one of many companies offering video conferencing software, including a dramatically revamped version of AIM and similar features on competing products. Between FaceTime and services like Skype, video chatting is quickly becoming the de facto way to stay in touch with friends.

Unfortunately, as seen in the image above, the AirPlay mirroring functionality isn’t perfect (yet). It looks like the VGA resolution front facing camera causes the image to be a bit blown out when it’s ported to the big screen display. But it could still make a cheap, convenient video conferencing tool for businesses.

Perhaps, if this feature isn’t cut from the final version of iOS 5, we could expect the iPhone 5’s front-facing camera to get a significant upgrade to fix that problem.

Apple’s official version of iOS 5 is due for release this fall.

iOS 5 Features: AirPlay Mirroring for FaceTime [TiPb via Slashgear]

Well, there’s clearly no better way to legitimize any new product than to have a faux Steve Jobs hawking it on-stage, in front of dozens of applauding mock journalists, with a 20-foot iPad 2 projected behind. The Jobs / John Stamos hybrid dropped by to pitch a Taiwanese company’s vast selection of tea, of all things, for a TV advertisement that’s apparently currently airing in Taiwan. Decked out in light jeans, a black mock turtleneck and sneakers, the impersonator even matched Steve’s hair color, rimless glasses, and current weight. The only thing missing was an actual Apple product — and months of media speculation. The “keynote” even ended with “one more thing,” as they often do: Tea drinkers will have a shot at winning a bonafide iPad 2 with each purchase of oolong, milk, or Apple-infused Tong Yi Cha.

Continue reading Steve Jobs impersonator officiates mock keynote, hawks Taiwanese tea (video)

Steve Jobs impersonator officiates mock keynote, hawks Taiwanese tea (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Jul 2011 04:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember that PDF exploit from last year that JailbreakMe 2.0 was using to unlock your iPhone with just a few taps? Well, Apple patched it. And now it’s apparently back. According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple acknowledged the exploit, and is working on an update at this very moment. In addition to the JailbreakMe 3.0 hack that came to light last week, the hole can also be used for some not-so-noble efforts, like grabbing your contacts database, accessing saved passwords, or activating your iPad or iPhone’s built-in camera. And nobody wants that. For one reason or another, German authorities have taken the lead on encouraging Apple to investigate, and have also warned all users to avoid opening PDF docs from untrusted sources. And we’re happy to echo that rather solid advice, given the implications. Ironically, JailbreakMe includes a patch for the very hole that allows it to function in the first place, so if you’re terrified that rogue PDFs will take over your devices, that’s an option to consider in the meantime.

Apple iOS 4.3.4 software update may fix iPhone hole, block PDF jailbreak originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 17:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This is surely the sort of thing Apple likes to see — it might not be the prettiest graph in the world, but it certainly drives home the fairly consistent growth of the iPad’s global web browsing share. Back in April of last year, we reported that the company’s “magical” tablet had nabbed 0.03 percent of global web traffic in its first week. The decimal point has moved a couple of places, according to NetMarketShare, with the device now making up more than one percent of worldwide web browsing. That number is even higher in the US, at 2.1 percent, with the iPhone and Android devices pulling in 2.9 and 2.6 percent, respectively. As for Apple’s share of tablet traffic — well, there’s not a heck of a lot to report on that front.

[Thanks, Alan]

iPad makes up one percent of global web browsing, magic originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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