Dec 13

xPrintserver offers up wireless printing for iOS devices, makes convincing argument for iPad business expenses

Posted in: ios, ipad, iPhone, ipod, Today's Chili, Wireless

So you have your iPad. You also have some highly important contracts that have just landed in your inbox and needed printing 30 minutes ago. There’s no time to faff around with that archaic work PC — what are you going to do? Well, Lantronix think it’s got the answer in xPrintserver. This iPhone-sized box will plug right into your network and give you wireless printing from any iOS device you have hanging around the office. The device supports more than 4,000 printers, connects directly to the print option within iOS and will set back wireless-printing businessmen $150 when it ships January 2012. Anyone unconvinced by alternative methods can investigate the press release below for more details.

Continue reading xPrintserver offers up wireless printing for iOS devices, makes convincing argument for iPad business expenses

xPrintserver offers up wireless printing for iOS devices, makes convincing argument for iPad business expenses originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dec 13

BBC launches iPhone iPlayer app in the UK, adds 3G streaming to its mobile site

Posted in: airplay, apps, hdpostcross, ios, iPhone, ipod touch, IpodTouch, minipost, mobile, mobilepostcross, Today's Chili, uk

While international viewers have had around a week to play with the new dedicated iPhone app, the Beeb has finally launched its iPlayer in its native UK. Replacing the browser-based player of old, it now allows you to stream both radio and TV shows through a 3G connection. The new app also adds HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) which allows itself to tweak the stream quality depending on your signal strength and hopefully allowing you to catch up on Top Gear uninterrupted. Like its overseas version, the new iOS app also throws in AirPlay streaming to Apple TV. Android and Symbian fans shouldn’t feel too overlooked; The BBC are promising to enable 3G to all compatible devices through its mobile web version very soon, with a dedicated 3G-friendly Android app being primed for the new year.

[Thanks Michael]

BBC launches iPhone iPlayer app in the UK, adds 3G streaming to its mobile site originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Dec 2011 07:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dec 13

Apple brings iTunes Store to Brazil, Latin America

Posted in: Apple, ipad, iPhone, ipod, itunes, minipost, Movies, Music, retail, Today's Chili
Apple is extending its sphere of influence south of the equator today, with the launch of the iTunes Store in Brazil and a whole slew of Latin American countries. According to Cupertino, the platform will launch with a catalog of over 20 million songs, from both Brazilian and international artists, as well as a selection of more than 1,000 films for rent or purchase. Also included in today’s release are users in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela. Find more details in the full PR, after the break.

Continue reading Apple brings iTunes Store to Brazil, Latin America

Apple brings iTunes Store to Brazil, Latin America originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Dec 2011 05:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dec 12

Apple reportedly stepping up its connectivity game, wants to be the center of your wireless universe

Posted in: accessories, airplay, Apple, bluetooth, ios, ipad, iPhone, ipod, streaming, Today's Chili, wifi

Apple is purportedly readying a new certification chip for accessory makers that will allow wireless access and connectivity to that pile of iOS devices you’re hoarding. Announced during an accessory manufacturer’s conference in China, the new chip could possibly allow connections across AirPlay, Bluetooth and WiFi. The Cupertino crew hope that this will encourage even more iOS-friendly add-ons and docks to market. According to Macotakara, Apple apparently added that it’s working on support for AirPlay over Bluetooth, presumably bringing with it some improved battery longevity, and tying into the new low-powered Bluetooth 4.0 found on the iPhone 4S. Well, you know us, we always love seeing new iPad accessories.

Update: An anonymous attendee has got in touch to tell us that the authentication chip is low-cost and faster update that doesn’t bring any new features not already seen on current chips. Our mole added that Apple didn’t directly announce any plans to extend AirPlay functionality to Bluetooth.

Apple reportedly stepping up its connectivity game, wants to be the center of your wireless universe originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dec 12

Don’t want to shell out the cash for an iPhone 4S? Lease one on O2

Posted in: Apple, iPhone, iphone 4s, mobilepostmini, o2, smartphone, Today's Chili, uk
If you can lease a vehicle, why not a smartphone? That’s O2’s line of thinking, anyways, as the UK carrier has begun piloting a rental scheme — called O2 Lease — with the iPhone 4S in the driver’s seat. For a 12-month lease period and £55 per month, you’ll be able to rent the 16GB version and get 750 minutes, unlimited messaging, 500MB of data and insurance. Want a 32GB model? That’ll be an extra £10 per month. Since it’s a rental, you’ll be required to give the phone back after your year is up, but at that point you’re free to grab a new device — a great idea for anyone embarrassed to still be holding onto a primitive year-old phone. As O2 puts it: “this is the first tariff model available to all O2 customers that reflects the lifestyle of the smartphone industry.” If the pilot’s successful, the company will consider expanding its selection to more devices; since not everyone wishing to lease a smartphone wants an iPhone, we’d say the more handsets the merrier.

Don’t want to shell out the cash for an iPhone 4S? Lease one on O2 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 11:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 02

Pepsi’s ‘Sound of Football’ project lets visually impaired players see the pitch with their ears (video)

Posted in: camera, game, iPhone, sound, Sports, Today's Chili, video

One one side of the field was a team of former pro soccer players. On the other, a squad of visually impaired amateurs. The two sides laced ’em up, stretched out their quads and went head to head in a scrimmage, though the matchup was a lot more even than you might expect. It’s all part of something called the “Sound of Football” — the latest experiment from the Pepsi Refresh Project. The idea was to level the playing field, so to speak, by forcing both teams to play a match using only their ears, and a pretty nifty tracking system. Created by Tracab, this system was comprised of 16 cameras covering the entire pitch (including two stereovision cameras placed at mid-field), and used jersey colors to distinguish the home team from the away team, and to identify the referees. This set up, which was deployed during the last World Cup, essentially tracked the position of each player in real-time. This information was then funneled into an iPhone attached to each player’s headset, and converted into a surround-sound landscape, using an app created by a company called Society 46. Unique sounds were assigned to both the ball and the goal; turning your head in the direction of one goal would produce one sound, facing the ball would result in another. This allowed each player to get a better idea of his surroundings and of his spatial positioning, though, as many of the pros found out, it wasn’t quite as easy as it looked. The designers of this system are now looking to use their technology in other, non-sports arenas, in the hopes of helping the blind and visually impaired “see” more of the world around them. Check out a pair of videos on the match and the technology behind it, after the break.

[Thanks, Martin]

Continue reading Pepsi’s ‘Sound of Football’ project lets visually impaired players see the pitch with their ears (video)

Pepsi’s ‘Sound of Football’ project lets visually impaired players see the pitch with their ears (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Nov 2011 04:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 01

Yamaha’s ruggedized PDX-11 iPod speaker dock lets you blast beats beyond your block for $100

Posted in: Apple, audio, iPhone, iphone 4s, ipod, ipod dock, ipod touch, IpodDock, IpodTouch, minipost, Music, rugged, sound, speaker, Today's Chili
If its past offerings have been any indicator, Yamaha’s no stranger to pumping out attractive speaker docks for iDevices. Not surprisingly, the company’s managed to pour that design sense into its latest ruggedized portable system, the PDX-11. This octagonal unit features a 4-inch woofer and a 3/8-inch tweeter that can be powered by six AA-batteries, allowing for up to eight hours of on-the-go sound. Up top, you’ll find a 30-pin connection base for your iPhone or iPod, and there’s also a 3.5mm jack around back to play nice with other PMPs. Notably, the speaker’s metal carry handle and grill should keep it ready for a mild amount of city-slicking abuse — and in a choice of blue, white, green or black, we’d imagine it’ll look extra fresh doing so. To sweeten the deal further, a remote is included for extra control options. If you’re ready to take your tunes to the outdoors, the PDX-11 is available now for a block rockin’ hundred bucks. You’ll find full details at the source link below.

Continue reading Yamaha’s ruggedized PDX-11 iPod speaker dock lets you blast beats beyond your block for $100

Yamaha’s ruggedized PDX-11 iPod speaker dock lets you blast beats beyond your block for $100 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 22:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 01

iPhone 4S Battery Life Woes: Details and Solutions

Posted in: Apple, iPhone, iphone 4s, Phones, Smartphones, Today's Chili

A growing number of iPhone 4S owners are reporting battery problems with Apple’s newest handheld. The device seems to be draining unusually fast during regular use, as well as when it’s not being used at all.

Users in Apple forums are describing up to 15 or 20 percent drops in battery in the span of one hour during times of light usage. Others report losing 10 to 15 percent battery at night while they are sleeping — something potentially very troubling if you are relying on your iPhone as your alarm clock the next morning.

“My battery life is terrible,” one person in the forum wrote. “I was iMessaging my friend about it (on Wi-Fi) and over the course of 12-15 minutes I lost 10 percent battery life.” Another said he was issued a new phone after reporting the issue.

The problem is primarily affecting 4S owners, but some iPad and iPhone 4 owners are experiencing similar battery problems since upgrading to iOS 5 (this reporter has not — my iPhone 4’s battery life has remained unchanged since the upgrade).

Although Apple has not yet officially commented on the issue, according to The Guardian, some of those affected by the issue have been contacted by Apple’s engineers. One individual said that Apple called and, after asking a number of questions about his usage habits, asked him to install a monitoring program so that they could better diagnose the issue.

The iPhone 4S has a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery. It’s supposed to provide up to 8 hours of 3G talk time (14 hours of 2G) and standby time of up to 200 hours. Although it’s a slight larger (capacity-wise) battery than that of the iPhone 4, the iPhone 4 is supposed to get 300 hours of standby time. For more intensive activities like internet use and watching videos, on the iPhone 4S you get 6 hours on 3G and 9 hours on WiFi, and 10 hours, respectively. The iPhone 4S has a beefed up A5 processor and several other hardware upgrades and changes compared to its predecessor. When the iPhone 3GS debuted, it also suffered from battery life complaints.

But there’s no new-iPhone-problem more infamous than 2010’s Antennagate. The problem surrounded the placement of the antennas on the steel band around the newly released iPhone 4. Holding your phone it what came to be known as the “death grip” resulted in your phone’s signal strength dropping dramatically, falling three or four bars. Apple’s solution was to issue plastic bumpers to those afflicted. The problem, although widely publicized, had little affect on iPhone sales, though: the iPhone 4 continued to be a top-selling smartphone for both AT&T, and then Verizon, through this last quarter.

Likewise, iPhone 4S sales also continue to be strong. The device debuted in over twenty European countries last week, and will begin launching in a slew of other spots around the globe, including potentially big markets like Hong Kong and South Korea, Nov. 11.

The issue has not been pinpointed to one particular service or problem-area.

If you’re suffering from iPhone 4S battery drain, there are a few solutions you can try. Many users have reported improved battery life after draining the device completely (that is, until the device powers off), and then letting it fully charge back up in an uninterrupted sitting.

Another user in Apple’s forums found that disabling the calendar in their Exchange mail account and then enabling it again dramatically improved their battery life.

If neither of those fixes seem to be helping, try adjusting your settings. In addition to normal battery-saving techniques like lowering screen brightness or turning off Wi-Fi or switching to Airplane Mode when you don’t mind being off the grid, you can turn off location-based services, or just on the apps you don’t need monitoring your whereabouts constantly. You can also switch off push notifications for email, switching to fetch at longer intervals instead. You can check out this article on Gizmodo for more details and additional tips.

Are you experiencing iPhone 4S battery drain? Share your problems (or lack thereof) in the comments.

Photo: Jim Merithew/Wired


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Nov 01

GarageBand for iPhone: First Hands-On Impressions

Posted in: Apple, apps, hands-on, ipad, iPhone, Phones, Today's Chili

Get ready, street musicians: Today Apple released its popular music-making app GarageBand for the iPhone. Now you can jam away on a set of onscreen drums, or strum a touch-based Smart Guitar, to compose musical masterpieces wherever you may be.

The slimmed-down iPhone app has all the features of the iPad app: a multi-touch interface with Smart Instruments (to piece together pre-assembled musical bits) and Touch Instruments (for those who want to play and record their own instrumental tracks). You can also record vocal tracks using the device’s built-in mic, and (with the help of an adapter) plug an electric guitar directly into your iDevice and record tunes through GarageBand’s amp and stompbox effects.

In total, GarageBand helps you knock out impromptu jam sessions, all without having to lug around a bunch of equipment.

Naturally, the iPhone version of GarageBand is shrunk down for a 3.5-inch screen.  My app experience on an iPhone 4 was smooth, without any force quits or stutters. And, not surprisingly, it was fun to tap away at the onscreen keyboard and drum set using only my thumbs. I made a complete (albeit heinous-sounding) song in a matter of minutes. So, if you’re looking for a solid music-making app to jot down song ideas or even create passable tunes while you’re wiling away time on your evening commute, GarageBand is the answer.

GarageBand was first launched as a Mac application, and later ported to the iPad with the launch of the iPad 2 in March 2011. “This is no toy,” Steve Jobs said of GarageBand on the iPad. “This is something you can use for real work.” Since then, a number of enterprising companies have released capacitive touch tools, such as guitar picks and drum sticks, that you can use with the app.

The iPhone version of Garage Band is, like the iPad counterpart, a big download. At over 501 MB, it took me at least five minutes over a Wi-Fi connection to complete the installation.

The app opens quickly, and operates only in landscape mode. Navigation is intuitive, and will be familiar to anyone who’s ever used similar music-making and recording software.

You select an instrument to play, adjust settings like reverb and echo if you’re not happy with the app’s defaults, and then tap away at a virtual instrument interface, hitting the record button if you’re ready to commit your work to, er, memory. Most of the instruments and tools look identical to their iPad counterparts, but there are a few small variations, such as in the piano, which has only eight keys instead of 15.

In the upper right-hand corner of the app, you’ll find an icon that lets you make adjustments to a single track, section or song. In the upper left-hand corner, you can click for a pop-over menu that will take you back to the songs or instruments panel, or let you swap between different forms of your current instrument (like for the piano, you can choose between options like Grand Piano, Smooth Clav, Classic Rock Organ, or Electric Piano).

Next to that there’s an icon that lets you switch from instrument view to song editing view. The editing view shows each of your recorded tracks so far, with opportunities to adjust, edit and loop sections.

Using Smart Instruments is a sure-fire way to create a song that doesn’t sound like it was hacked out by a team of rabid baboons. In this respect, GarageBand succeeds as a music-making device for people with no musical training whatsoever.

But what if you have musical experience — is GarageBand for iPhone a legitimate composition device? Not necessarily, as the app’s puny user interface is quite cramped. Still, this is an iPhone app, after all, and anyone using it to create music should be well aware that the premium music-making experience will be found on an iPad.

As with the iPad version, you can record and combine up to eight tracks, and then export to GarageBand or Logic Pro on the Mac for a bit more polishing. You can also share your iPhone-made masterpieces via iTunes or e-mail.

The app is a welcome addition to any mildly creative person’s iPhone or iPod touch. GarageBand is $5 and is now available for iPhone 3GS and up, 3rd and 4th gen iPod touches, and iPads.

Images: Ariel Zambelich/Wired


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Nov 01

iPhone 4S gets official date and blessing by C-Spire, all yours on November 11th

Posted in: Apple, available, ios, Ios5, iPhone, iphone 4s, mobilepostmini, pre-order, PreOrder, Today's Chili
Oh, heck yeah. We’ve already been delighted by the news that C-Spire (the hip carrier formerly known as Cellular South) is the lucky recipient of the iPhone 4S, but we now have a date — and it’s coming up pretty fast. Both the 4S and the 4 will be ready for your purchase on November 11th, unsurprisingly for the same exact cost as the big three national carriers: $99 for the 8GB iPhone 4 and $199-399 for the iPhone 4S, but the deal’s sweetened by the offering of unlimited data (though the two lowest plans exclude streaming). If you’re down with that, it’s a good idea to head over to the site and get pre-registered as soon as possible. Now that the little guys officially have the iconic device, who’s next? Full press release after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading iPhone 4S gets official date and blessing by C-Spire, all yours on November 11th

iPhone 4S gets official date and blessing by C-Spire, all yours on November 11th originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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