A Dutch website is reporting that the next iPod Touch will support 3G, just like an iPad. I’m skeptical, but also would buy that in a heartbeat. What’s more, it would be the death knell for my voice plan. More »
When we go somewhere new, we wish we could spend more time taking in the sights and less time looking at our phone for directions and info about our surroundings. Apple’s well aware of this conundrum, and has filed a couple of patent applications to let you ogle your environment while telling you where to go and what you’re seeing. One app is a method for combining augmented reality (AR) information and real time video while allowing users to interact with the images on screen — so you can shoot a vid of a city skyline with your iPhone, touch a building where you want to go, and let it show you the way there. The second patent application is for a device with an LCD display capable of creating a transparent window, where the opacity of the screen’s pixels is changed by varying the voltage levels driving them. Such a display could overlay interactive info about what you see through the window, so you can actually look at the Mona Lisa while reading up on her mysterious grin. Of course, these are just patent applications, so we probably won’t be seeing any AR-optimized iDevices anytime soon (if ever), but we can dream, right?
Apple seeks to spruce up the real world with interactive augmented reality, has the patent apps to prove it originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jul 2011 12:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Pretty much the only thing stopping me from buying an iPhone to use as my next camera is the fact that I can’t shoot photos with a shallow depth-of-field, which throws the background into a distraction-free blur while keeping your subject pin sharp. The ridiculously impractical iPhone SLR Mount probably won’t change my mind, but if I had an iPhone already, I would be fingering my credit card right now.
The “mount” is actually more of a case. You slide in your phone, screw on the long cylindrical adapter and then snap on your SLR lens. The kit comes in Nikon and Canon flavors, so you can mount pretty much any Nikon lens ever made, or use any Canon lens manufactured since the 1980s (when Canon switched mounts).
You can’t remove your iPhone’s own lens, of course, so this adapter comes with its own focussing screen, just like the one in your actual SLR. The iPhone then just takes a snap of this screen, which results in a sharp, bright (but upside-down) images.
Like I said, I’d be fingering my credit card in anticipation. Once I saw the price, though, I might slide it back into my dusty, moth-infested wallet. The iPhone SLR Mount costs $250, or $190 if you choose the iPhone 3-compatible version. For that money, you could buy an actual lens for your real camera.
The iPhone SLR Mount [Photojojo]
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You know what that means, right? It means that Kingston’s on track for keeping its “July” release promise for the above-pictured Wi-Drive. For those who missed our preview last month, this is essentially a portable, battery-powered hard drive that’s meant to stream content exclusively to iOS devices. Think of it as a way to add more storage to a device that simply cannot accept more storage. Barring any last-minute fights with the number crunchers, this guy will ship for $130 (16GB) / $175 (32GB), and while an FCC appearance is no clear indication of “when,” it almost always means “soon.”
Kingston’s iOS-lovin’ Wi-Drive wireless storage device hops into FCC database originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 19:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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It’s July, there is no new iPhone, and the analysts are restless. This time last year, Apple had already announced and begun shipping the iPhone 4 — in fact, every single previous model has been announced in June, save for the first, which was unveiled in January 2007. So, now that the month has come and gone and WWDC with it, what are all of the tech publications out there to do? Make with the rumor stories, naturally — and over the past few weeks, they’ve been coming fast and furious.
DigiTimes has offered a fairly constant stream of sometimes dubious rumors surrounding the device from its stable of supplier contacts, and a recent article from The Wall Street Journal has reopened the floodgates. GigaOm has gone so far as to suggest that the latter may well be a controlled leak from Apple, and certainly it has reignited interest in the belated device.
There’s not a lot in the way consensus here, save for one key detail: Apple appears set to release a new iPhone. That much seems certain. After all, the iPhone remains the company’s biggest money maker, even in this post-iPad world. Last year, of course, we had a slightly better guide ahead of the launch, but this time out, for better or worse, no one at Cupertino has been considerate enough to leave the upcoming handset at a Redwood City bar after a night of partying, so let’s cut through the noise and and piece together a cohesive picture based on the wide assortment of rumors.
Continue reading iPhone 5 / 4S: the rumor roundup
iPhone 5 / 4S: the rumor roundup originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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And with that, yet another punch is thrown. The slugfest that is Apple vs. Samsung is getting uglier by the minute, as each one pushes the other’s buttons in a presumed effort to get paid (or get the other to back down). Just as Apple was being told “no” in a request for a preliminary injunction, it’s hoping for a more satisfactory outcome from its most recent filing. That one’s headed to the US International Trade Commission in Washington, where Apple’s trying to block the import of the Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab, amongst other Samsung products. The ITC only stated “Electronic Digital Media Devices,” but FOSS Patents has found five utility patents and a pair of design patents — those encompass a grand total of six Sammy smartphones and a duo of slates. Analysts are stating that an outright ban on Samsung imports is unlikely (no shock there), and the most likely outcome here is a “settlement and cross-licensing deal.” Mo’ money, mo’ problems, right?
Apple files ITC request to block import of select Samsung devices originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 14:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
So you flew around the world for a photo assignment, camera bag packed full of high-end lenses, but forgot the DSLR on the kitchen counter. Not to worry! You never leave home without your iPhone 4 and its new must-have accessory: the iPhone SLR Mount. $190 $249 scores you one of these aluminum bad boys, eager to pair with your multi-thousand dollar Canon or Nikon optics, bringing “powerful depth of field” and manual focus to your smartphone’s itsy bitsy image sensor. You can reportedly use the new pricey mobile rig to capture photos with shallow depth of field, without the need to add one of those “unethical” $5 digital filter apps. The accessory is ready to ship, so you’re just 24 hours (and a couple hundred dollars) away from having this life-changing masterpiece sent straight to your door. As for us? We’re holding out a bit longer for the iPad version.
Update: The folks at Photojojo wrote in to let us know that the $190 price provided earlier today was incorrect — the iPhone 4 mount will actually set you back a cool $249.
iPhone 4 SLR Mount lets you shoot 5-megapixel photos with your $3,000 lens originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 13:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Apple’s knack for filing patent applications has struck again, offering a pair of digital pens that could become a competitive one-up for HTC’s Scribe pen. Both filed apps revealed by the USPTO involve styli for iOS displays, but if you’re imagining a magical item that helps (or hinders) your typing, this is another ball of wax. The first stylus is appropriately called “stylus for touch sensitive devices” and includes a rechargeable battery that could be stored and charged by placing it in a dock embedded directly in the device. Curiously, the stylus is heated for “more consistent interaction between the capacitive-sensors in the computing device and the stylus,” which sounds mighty nice on a cold day. By allowing the user to easily write real notes and draw pictures, this patent turns out to be much more than just a different method of inputting text.
Next up is the “communicating stylus,” a digital pen equipped with accelerometers and wireless transmitters that send position data. This would enable it to be used for an iOS device without any physical contact or other accessories. In theory, you could take the stylus (shown after the break) across the room and still jot down notes or doodle on your iPad, even if it’s out of sight. Finally, “the greatest pointing device in the world” — our fingers — will get a chance to rest.
Continue reading Apple patent apps describe ‘smart’ pens for notetaking and long-distance doodling
Apple patent apps describe ‘smart’ pens for notetaking and long-distance doodling originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 12:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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It’s hard to believe that the App Store has only been around for three years, but it’s easy to believe that its successes are many. Very, very many. Apple has just announced that it has rolled over the 15 billion mark for downloads, that from a selection of 425,000 apps. Apple’s proud of paying $2.5 billion to app developers and we’re pretty sure those developers are proud to be a part of that figure — even if they grumble about the 30 percent they’re losing for the privilege.
Continue reading App Store hits 15 billion downloads, $2.5 billion paid by Apple to developers
App Store hits 15 billion downloads, $2.5 billion paid by Apple to developers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 09:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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