Line2 adds a second line to your iPhone for $15 a month
Filed under: Software, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, iPad
Would you like to add a second line to your iPhone? Perhaps you’d like to add a business number to the phone, but your existing phone is currently tied to your personal mobile number. You could always carry a second phone, but that’s an expensive proposition, particularly if you’re an iPhone addict.
VoIP provider Toktumi has a solution that may work out well for you. They’re now selling an app called Line2 (US$0.99) that mimics many of the capabilities of the standard Phone app, complete with a form of visual voice mail. Purchasing the app provides you with one month of free VoIP service. After that point, each month’s continued service costs $14.95 for unlimited calls within the US and Canada. The service is purchased in-app, and was a point of confusion for me — the app listing in the iTunes store shows a “Top In App Purchase” at a cost of $19.99 for a month. Toktumi’s website and the promotional video (above) do show the lower monthly rate.
While many VoIP solutions require a Wi-Fi connection to work, Line2 works over both 3G and Wi-Fi. The app has many of the features you might want in a business phone, including call waiting and call transfer, the ability to create conference calls with up to 20 participants, and even integration with Toktumi’s hosted PBX service.
For small businesses that want to present a more professional image to callers, Line2 might be just the right solution. Toktumi notes that the app also works with both the iPod touch (Wi-Fi only) and iPad (Wi-Fi or 3G).
Line2 adds a second line to your iPhone for $15 a month originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Line2 adds a second line to your iPhone for $15 a month originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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AT&T rolling out MicroCell to five more markets
Filed under: iPhone
We’ve previously written about AT&T’s MicroCell device and service here at TUAW. It’s a tiny cell tower that you plug into your home cable or DSL connection to boost your phone reception. This is particularly handy for those with home offices who may currently be plagued with poor reception on their iPhones.
WMExperts is reporting that AT&T is adding five more markets to the short list of trial areas. If you live in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Las Vegas, or San Diego, you can have the opportunity to spend an additional US$19.99 per month on top of your existing iPhone service plan to get 5 bar service in an area up to 5,000 square feet around your MicroCell.
To determine whether or not you’re currently in one of the target zones for the service, visit the AT&T 3G MicroCell website and enter your zip code into the appropriate spot. If you’re one of the lucky ones, a list of retail locations where you can purchase the MicroCell will appear. You’ll also have to pony up $150 for the device in addition to the monthly charge, but for those who really need perfect 3G phone service in their homes or offices, it’s worth the cost.
[via TiPb]
AT&T rolling out MicroCell to five more markets originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
AT&T rolling out MicroCell to five more markets originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Adafruit is in the Square payment pilot, awesomeness will likely ensue
Our good friends at Adafruit Industries are now taking mobile payments with the best of ‘em thanks to a prerelease Square dongle they’ve managed to score, ostensibly as a part of the public trial announced earlier this month. They’ve posted a quick video showing the process of taking someone’s cash via plastic, and it looks every bit as painless as Square makes it out to be — just swipe, sign with your fingertip, and your Square-equipped payee is a few dollars richer. The particular dongle Adafruit’s been provided looks rough to say the least — these aren’t the units you’ll be getting off the shelf — but that’s part of the fun of being involved with a beta, isn’t it? Head over to Adafruit to peep the video, and needless to say, we’re curious to see how they plan to make use of this little bugger.
Adafruit is in the Square payment pilot, awesomeness will likely ensue originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Clearing the air on iPhone terminology: 4th generation vs. "4G"
Filed under: Rumors, Odds and ends, iPhone
Plenty of discussions about the next revision of the iPhone have referred to the as-yet hypothetical device as the “iPhone 4G.” As many of our readers have correctly pointed out, not only is this nickname completely unofficial, it’s also highly unlikely to be the name of the next iPhone.
It made sense to call the second-generation iPhone the iPhone 3G, as the addition of a faster 3G wireless chipset and antenna was in many ways the defining feature of the device. The next iPhone, the iPhone 3GS, once again has its distinctive feature spelled out right in the name: “S” for speed, since the 3GS is a faster version of its predecessor.
So why won’t the next iPhone be called the iPhone 4G? For a pretty good reason, actually: as of right now, worldwide deployment of faster, ultra-broadband 4G wireless networks isn’t even in its infancy — it’s barely past the fetal stage. In the US, Verizon and Sprint are testing 4G coverage in some major cities, but they’re still a long way off from nationwide deployment. AT&T won’t begin deployment of 4G networks until 2011, and T-Mobile is even farther behind in the 4G race.
As for the rest of the world, only Japan, South Korea, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and Taiwan have even begun the first steps toward a 4G rollout. We will probably see a handset called the iPhone 4G as soon as there’s enough 4G wireless coverage to warrant putting a 4G antenna and chipset in it. Based on the current rate of 4G network deployments in the States, to say nothing of the rest of the world, that’s at least a year or more in the future.
Given that the next iPhone is almost certainly not going to be called the iPhone 4G, why is everybody under the sun calling it that anyway? Read on to find out.
Continue reading Clearing the air on iPhone terminology: 4th generation vs. “4G”
Clearing the air on iPhone terminology: 4th generation vs. “4G” originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Clearing the air on iPhone terminology: 4th generation vs. “4G” originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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New patent hints at iPhone camera gesture control
Filed under: iPhone
An interesting patent application came to light via PatentlyApple yesterday. The patent, titled “Camera as Input Interface,” was filed by Apple in August 2008 and details a means of controlling an iPhone by swiping a finger across the device’s camera lens. The patent proposes using the iPhone’s camera, which is typically idle when the user is on a call, to control voicemail options such as rewind, fast forward, and pause while the iPhone is at the user’s ear:
“In one embodiment, to access his voice mailbox, a user may tap the phone to cause playback of a message to pause, tap the phone again to resume playback, swipe his finger over the camera lens in one direction to fast forward playback, and swipe his finger over the camera lens in another direction to rewind playback. These actions allow the user to control functions of voicemail review without removing the device from over his ear.”
The patent also describes using the iPhone’s accelerometer to detect tapping input to supplement the finger swipes:
“In another embodiment, functions for controlling call features utilize similar user actions or motions. Features such as merging multiple calls, putting a call on hold, and switching between or among multiple simultaneous calls may be controlled by single or double (or any number of) taps of the device, as detected by an accelerometer of the device. These taps may be preprogrammed by a manufacturer, or selected and programmed by a user.”
The patent application goes on to describe how the camera swipe could be used when the phone is away from the ear. It details how the camera swipe feature could be used to navigate web pages or applications while the user is looking at the iPhone’s screen. Using the camera swipe method in this way would allow the user to view the full screen of the iPhone without his fingers obstructing the view.
This latest patent application shares similarities to a mid-January rumor by Bloomberg that Apple was working on an iPhone with a touch-sensitive backside casing similar to the Mighty Mouse. While it’s not clear how much adding a touch-sensitive casing to the iPhone would cost, it might be cost-prohibitive if Apple wants to keep the iPhone margins high and purchase price low. This latest application could present a nice middle ground using the iPhone’s existing hardware to mimic the functionality of a touch-sensitive backing.
Interestingly enough, this kind of functionality was one of the top ten hardware “wants” TUAW readers hoped to see in the next iPhone, albeit through a touch-sensitive casing instead of the camera.
[via AppleInsider]
New patent hints at iPhone camera gesture control originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
New patent hints at iPhone camera gesture control originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Adafruit shows off the Square dongle for credit card payments on the iPhone
Filed under: Hardware, Software, iPhone, App Store
Adafruit is one of a few companies that has been chosen to test the Square dongle that automagically takes credit card payments on any iPhone. Even though we got to see it in action at Macworld, I think every look we can get at this thing is worth it, considering just how darn revolutionary it seems. The video on Flickr shows just how quick and easy it is — just swipe the card, and sign with your finger on the iPhone’s screen.
I haven’t bothered carrying cash for a few years now, and something like this only makes it easier to not only take payments for vendors, but for me to pay. Hot dog guy needs a few bucks but doesn’t have a landline connection to run a credit card on? No worries, just swipe and done. Want to give to the Salvation Army guy over the holidays but don’t have any money left in the wallet? Just swipe and done. Word has it that the transaction cut will be 2.9% (though the video above shows 3.5% — maybe you can change the percentage depending on circumstances), but odds are that in most cases, the convenience will be well worth it.
The whole program’s still in beta, but it probably won’t be long before you’ll see (and maybe even use) one of these out in the wild.
[Via Engadget]
Adafruit shows off the Square dongle for credit card payments on the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Adafruit shows off the Square dongle for credit card payments on the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Plants vs. Zombies breaks records on the iPhone
Filed under: Gaming, Software, Developer, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch
PopCap has released some sales information on their latest iPhone game, Plants vs. Zombies, and it’s a runaway hit: the game has sold over 300,000 copies in just the nine days it’s been out on the App Store, which means the company has garnered over $1 million in sales already. Very impressive — first, we had an app make a million total, then a company was making a million a month, and now PopCap has done the same in just over a week.
So what’s their secret? It’s a high quality game, first of all, and PopCap has a reputation for making those already. Second, the game itself had a fairly high profile even before release, since it was extremely successful on the PC as well. And finally, you have to think that the price figures in as well — I thought the game would sell for PopCap’s usual $5, but they actually sold it two dollars less than that. They’d probably have still made a lot of money, but I don’t know if they’d be talking about 300,000 sales at a price just two dollars higher.
Then again, the game is already available for free online, so maybe the quality and PopCap’s profile played a bigger part than the price did (they also trumpet the fact that Bejeweled 2 is also one of the top five grossing apps on the App Store). Congrats to PopCap on all their success. Oh, and our free time called, too. It surrenders.
Plants vs. Zombies breaks records on the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Plants vs. Zombies breaks records on the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Found Footage: One designer’s vision of an iPhone 4G
Filed under: Video, Odds and ends, iPhone
Before the original iPhone and iPad appeared, TUAW and other blogs were inundated with mockups of what the devices could look like. Some of them were hastily thrown-together Photoshop mashups, while others were beautifully-rendered depictions.
Antonio De Rosa of ADR Studio has created his own vision of what the next-generation iPhone could look like. In both the short video seen above and the individual renderings displayed on the ADR Studio website, De Rosa shows a thinner device with an aluminum shell and stand, AMOLED screen, and a “frontal camera.”
Of course, this design could be as far off as some of the impressive mockups that were developed for the iPad, but we appreciate De Rosa’s detailed work and beautiful design sense.
Found Footage: One designer’s vision of an iPhone 4G originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Found Footage: One designer’s vision of an iPhone 4G originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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TUAW review: Smoother iPhone browsing with VanillaSurf
Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, App Review
While most iPhone and iPod touch users make do with the built-in Mobile Safari web browser, there are a number of alternative browsers that offer features that didn’t make it into Safari. All of these alternative browsers have one thing in common — they are all based on MobileSafari as a result of Apple’s policies. What the other browsers bring to the table are features like full-screen browsing, different ways of organizing tabs, and ad blocking.
Many of the alternative browsers have passed by my iPhone home screen at least once before being summarily dismissed, but there is one that has actually been getting some use lately; bitStorm’s VanillaSurf. The free browser, which is now at version 2.1, offers features that seem more at home on a laptop or desktop machine than on a smartphone.
Launching VanillaSurf for the first time brings up a blank screen with the familiar address bar at the top and an unfamiliar toolbar at the bottom. The toolbar sports eight icons — back, forward, settings, downloads, actions, bookmarks, tabs, and full-screen. The back and forward (or previous and next) icons provide their usual functionality, while the settings icon is a portal into some more useful items.
Continue reading TUAW review: Smoother iPhone browsing with VanillaSurf
TUAW review: Smoother iPhone browsing with VanillaSurf originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
TUAW review: Smoother iPhone browsing with VanillaSurf originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Find my iPhone rescues two phones at Busch Gardens
Filed under: Odds and ends, iPhone, MobileMe
It was like something out of CSI. The St. Petersburg Times is reporting that the snatched iPhones incident began when a mom and her stepdaughter were getting aboard the SheiKra roller coaster at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida. The theme park provides unlocked storage bins for people to put things in so they don’t fly away during the ride, so their two iPhones (in purses) were dropped in. Probably not a very safe thing to do, but that’s what they did.
When the 13-year-old girl cut her lip during the ride, the pair was about to rush off to a first aid station — forgetting about their possessions — but before they could get back to the storage bin, someone snatched the purse with the iPhones inside.
The police and park security were called, and then the 13-year-old crime victim remembered MobileMe. In an employee break room, the teenager logged into the family MobileMe account using an officer’s laptop. (It’s worth noting that while this process used to require a desktop browser, you can now access Find My iPhone from another iPhone.)
The officers dispatched another squad car to go to the displayed location, where a man sitting outside an apartment building hurriedly concealed a cellphone when the officers approached.
You guessed it. He had one of the stolen iPhones; the other one was inside the apartment. Police reports say Richard Emerson, 25, admitted the theft and is charged with grand theft. He’s out on bail, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement says it is his 19th arrest.
It took 45 minutes from the time of the theft to the arrest of the man. MobileMe may not be for everybody, but the Find my iPhone feature is getting a pretty good track record.
It’s probably a good idea to emphasize that recovering stolen property is a police matter, not something you should do on your own.
[Thanks to Dan for the tip]
Find my iPhone rescues two phones at Busch Gardens originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Find my iPhone rescues two phones at Busch Gardens originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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