iMore » Dieter Bohn

Win a Tablet of your choice from TouchType!

Dieter Bohn — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 19:26:02 +0000

To celebrate one million downloads of their SwiftKey keyboard app, TouchType is giving away a tablet each to THREE lucky winners! Which tablets? Whichever the winner chooses so long as they’re available for purchase for up to $800 where he or she lives. iPad 2, PlayBook, Xoom, Galaxy Tab are all on the table.

How do you enter? TouchType has put together a small survey which shouldn’t take more than five or ten minutes to complete. That’s it – well, that and a quick perusal of the official entry rules just to make sure you’re eligible (sorry minors and SPE employees). The contest is open to readers of Android Central, CrackBerry.com, TiPb, and WPCentral and ends at midnight Pacific on April 14th.

Not familiar with TouchType? You may have also seen that TouchType made a splash at this year’s CTIA with their tablet keyboard for Honeycomb – that’s coming soon, but SwiftKey is available now for Android devices.

So get cracking on the survey, folks – these tablets aren’t going to give themselves away.

iPad 2 Hands On

Dieter Bohn — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 00:35:37 +0000

The iPad 2 is here! You’ve run down the specs – including the 2x as fast A5 processor, the lighter 1.33lb weight, and the crazy-thin .34 inch “thickness.” You’ve considered whether it’s worth it for iPad 2 owners to upgrade. You’ve taken a look at what’s new in iOS 4.3. Heck, you’ve even read up on how to transfer your data from your original iPad to the iPad 2. What’s left to do? Check out TiPb breathlessly unpacking and examining the real deal.

If you waited in line today and picked one up – congrats! If you are wondering what we think of Apple’s latest, here’s the short version: it’s a thinner, lighter, faster iPad with a couple of cameras. That may sound anti-climactic – but after using the iPad 2 for just a very short while we’re starting to suspect that it’s anti-climactic in the same way that “the iPad is just a big iPhone” was anti-climactic in 2010. In other words: it’s an experience that can’t quite be quantified but gets under your skin in the same way the original iPad did. There’s “nothing new” here to most people, but the execution of all the little details adds up to something pretty special.

As far as the hardware is concerned, we’re impressed. Looking at the spec differences between the iPad 1 and the iPad 2, you might be tempted to say that there’s not much improvement here. But .5″ vs .34″ only tells part of the story. The full story is that the tapered back of the iPad 2 makes it feel thinner than any device this size has a right to be. It’s kind of amazing. Unfortunately, we can’t quite say the same for the weight – while the iPad 2 is lighter, it’s still not something you’re going to happily hold at arm’s length unsupported for any appreciable length of time.

A full photo gallery is after the break and video is coming right quick – keep it locked to TiPb as we unpack our thoughts and impressions of the iPad 2 this weekend and, heck, for the months to come.

(Full disclosure: this white iPad 2 is for @CrackBerryKevin, who plans on putting the thing head-to-head with the RIM BlackBerry PlayBook when the time comes. He also opted for the “CrackBerry Orange” SmartCover. He’s a BlackBerry user at heart, but it’s hard to resist the iPad 2, innit?)

Full iPad 2 Keynote Video online

Dieter Bohn — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:31:07 +0000

Apple has done gone and posted the video of the entire iPad 2 keynote. Go on to the source link and bask in the glow of his Steveness, the thin iPad 2, the slick Smart Cover (seriously, we can’t get over that accessory), and the comprehensive (which is to say a little long) demos of iMovie and GarageBand for iPad.

You can watch it streaming via Apple.com, download it from iTunes via the Apple Keynote podcast feed [iTunes link], or watch it right here after the break!

Original iPads now on sale $100 off

Dieter Bohn — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 19:41:59 +0000

Not convinced by the grandeur and splendor of the iPad 2? You’re in luck. Now that the new hotness is coming on March 11th, the old hotness is getting a price break. Here’s how the prices now break down:

iPad 16g WiFi Only: $399
iPad 32g WiFi Only: $499
iPad 64g WiFi Only: $599
iPad 16g WiFi + 3G: $529
iPad 32g WiFi + 3G: $629
iPad 64g WiFi + 3G: $729

2010 was the year of the iPad (see the video after the break). Anybody looking to save some cash and go with first-gen? Oh, and by the way, you can’t pre-order the iPad 2 ….yet.

[Apple via Engadget]

iPad 2 Videos: ‘A Blockbuster Post-PC Device” and Smart Cover

Dieter Bohn — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 19:34:48 +0000

Apple has posted up a video touting the features of the iPad 2 – from it’s insane thinness and weight, the front-and-rear-facing cameras, the SmartCover accessory, to PhotoBooth, to HDMI video mirroring, to the powerful A5 chip, to the 9x faster graphics, to the fact that the battery life is still 10 hours after all that.

Apple has also posted a video that explains better than words how the Smart Cover works. It’s a magnetic cover for the screen that can be folded back and around itself to turn into a stand to hold the iPad either in a typing position or in a video-watching position.

Check them out after the break!

GarageBand for iPad: $4.99 on March 11th

Dieter Bohn — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 19:27:03 +0000

With GarageBand for iPad, Apple is showing that the iPad 2 isn’t just for consuming media, but also for creating it. They gave a rather long demo of the app today, showing off a slew of music creating and editing features that will make your old Four Track look like, well, an very old Four Track.

GarageBand projects can be recorded or played directly into the iPad 2 with up to 8 tracks, edited directly on the device, and then either emailed out or even saved so you can continue editing on the Mac. Apple is also including a suite of touch-based instruments including drums, drum machines, keyboard, and synthesizers. These instruments include clever features: they use the accelerometer to determine how hard you’re striking a key or drum and also allow you to swipe across keys and wiggle your finger to get vibrato. There are also “Smart Instruments,” which are simplified versions of instruments that will allow even the most tone-deaf to create music tracks. On the guitar, you can simply choose a chord and strum and even set it to autoplay.

A full-featured audio recorder, guitar amps, stompbox effects, and very good editing features round out GarageBand for iPad. It will be available on March 11th for $4.99 in the App Store.

Steve Jobs takes medical leave of absence

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 14:07:28 +0000

Almost exactly two years after he took his first medical leave of absence, Apple CEO Steve Jobs is taking another leave of absence to “focus on [his] health.” Apple COO Tim Cook will take over day-to-day operations while Jobs will remain as CEO. Here’s his email to all Apple employees:

Team,
At my request, the board of directors has granted me a medical leave of absence so I can focus on my health. I will continue as CEO and be involved in major strategic decisions for the company.
I have asked Tim Cook to be responsible for all of Apple’s day to day operations. I have great confidence that Tim and the rest of the executive management team will do a terrific job executing the exciting plans we have in place for 2011.
I love Apple so much and hope to be back as soon as I can. In the meantime, my family and I would deeply appreciate respect for our privacy.
Steve

On behalf of everyone here at TiPb and Smartphone Experts we wish Steve Jobs a full and fast recovery.

[Apple PR via Engadget, Reuters]

Verizon iPhone 4 Antenna is Redesigned …for CDMA

Dieter Bohn — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 16:47:21 +0000

Wondering if we’re going to have another “Antennagate” with the Verizon iPhone 4? We obviously can’t say until the device is released on February 10th, but what we can say is that Apple has redesigned the Antenna. Before you go and assume that suggests Apple thinks the original design was flawed, remember that Verizon uses CDMA for 3G, which requires a completely different radio than AT&T’s GSM network and therefore requires a completely different Antenna. This also confirms that leak from last week, by the by.

In any case, if you take a close look at the image above you’ll see a couple new black dividers in the external Antenna on the Verizon iPhone 4. Apple also removed the divider next to the headphone jack. Whether, as Apple says, they are just changes necessary for the switch to CDMA or, as the conspiracy theorists will no doubt spin any second now, they are changes to prevent the “Death Grip” remains to be seen. All we know is that it won’t magically allow your to keep your data connection active when a call comes in. Tradeoffs, people.

iPhone 4 vs Nexus S in Photos

Dieter Bohn — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 18:07:12 +0000

iPhone 4. Nexus S. There’s probably more to say about the differences than the similarities. Different operating systems? Check. Don’t work with 3G on the same networks? Check. Different screen sizes? Check. Different philosophy and methodology towards multitasking? Check. Different video conferencing solutions (insofar as few to none work yet on the Nexus S)? Check.

The list goes on, but we’re sort of guessing that for most the choice between the Nexus S and the iPhone 4 will be determined by carrier choice and OS preference more than whether Android’s latest can go head-to-head with Steve Jobs’ glass-encased wonderphone.

All that shouldn’t stop you from hitting us after the break for a photo fight between the iPhone 4 and the Nexus S – with some extra attention paid to how the iPhone still has the best music player around while Android’s just-released Google Maps 5.0 makes iOS’s version look a little lacking.

Want more? Be sure to hit up our frenemies at Android Central for all the latest on the Nexus S.

Best of Smartphone Experts, 21 Nov 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 04:32:41 +0000

Best of Smartphone Experts, 14 Nov 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 05:39:06 +0000

Best of Smartphone Experts, 7 Nov 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 03:51:42 +0000

Hands-on with the T-Mobile myTouch 4G
Prices leak on upcoming Samsung smartphones: Samsung Continuum is $199; Droid Pro is $179.
Android Central app hits Version 2.0

Win an iPad from Waze and TiPb!

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 14:17:38 +0000

Between now and November 10th, we’re partnering with Waze to give away an iPad (or a Galaxy Tab if you’re feeling Android-y). Here’s how it works:

Download and install Waze from the App Store
Drive around with Waze and collect “Road Goodies” – which basically just means drive over the TiPb logos as you move about your city. As you can see above, they are everywhere.
It’s a competition between iPhone users, Android users, and BlackBerry users – which is to say you’re up against the kids from Android Central and CrackBerry.com. Whichever site whose users collect the most Road Goodies will win and be able to give a tablet away to one of their users – selected randomly from amongst the top 25 collectors. Remember – you only get credit for driving over the iPhone icons.
That’s it! Use Waze, collect Road Goodies, and stick it to those Android and BlackBerry users while automatically getting a chance to win an iPad or Tab

What’s Waze, then? It’s a free social mapping tool: you can get directions, find out where the traffic is, ping other users, and generally find your way around while helping other Waze users get better location and traffic information. Check out the full details on the Waze Blog.

Best of Smartphone Experts, 31 Oct 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 03:39:44 +0000

Best of Smartphone Experts, 24 Oct 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 04:00:52 +0000

Complete Back to the Mac event coverage: FaceTime for Mac, will the new MacBook Air hurt iPad sales, why Apple is making Mac OS X like iOS
Setting the stage for 2011: Why Steve Jobs took a flamethrower to BlackBerry and Android
How to Jailbreak iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4.1 with: greenpois0n, PwntageTool, Jalibreak Help Forum

Best of Smartphone Experts, 17 Oct 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 04:15:13 +0000

Best of Smartphone Experts, 10 Oct 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 04:48:00 +0000

You may notice something’s different this week: just in time for the launch of Windows Phone 7, WMExperts is now wpcentral!. Be sure to check out the new design and to follow along as we cover the new smartphone platform’s official launch tomorrow.

If you’re especially perceptive, you’ll also see that Android Central has a new logo – tell us what you think in the Android Forums! Now, on to your weekly links:

Best of Smartphone Experts, 03 Oct 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 04:27:38 +0000

Best of Smartphone Experts, 26 Sept 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 02:58:28 +0000

More Android OS updates than we can shake a stick at: Droid X Froyo update; Sprint Evo 4G; Verizon Fascinate; Samsung Captivate; Nexus One; Sprint Hero; Samsung Moment; LG Ally.
The new HTC Sense.
T-Mobile G2 available for preorder, in stores Oct. 6.

HP Slate (prototype) vs iPad
iOS 4.2 for iPhone preview: set individual SMS tones, new Voice Memo icon
Apple releases iTunes 10.0.1, gives Ping a boost

Best of Smartphone Experts, 19 Sept 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 03:52:40 +0000

Samsung Galaxy Tab/Media Hub event: Coming to all 4 major U.S. carriers; Wifi-only Galaxy Tab is coming; hands-on with Media Hub on the Galaxy Tab; bonus interview
Fruit Ninja now on Android
Android app picks of the week

Best of Smartphone Experts, 12 Sept 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 03:52:25 +0000

Best of Smartphone Experts, 5 Sept 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:58:35 +0000

Best of Smartphone Experts, 29 Aug 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 01:50:06 +0000

Verizon says the Droid Incredible’s Froyo update is rolling out, but we have a forum full of people still waiting on it.
Verizon Fascinate finally coming Sept. 9, plus, some extra confirmation.
Exclusive new details on the Motorola Flipout for AT&T

Nokia 5250 runs Symbian^1

Countdown to Apple’s September 1, Special Music Event – iPod touch 4, iTV, iOS 4.1, and more!
Netflix app updated to support iPhone, iPod touch
Join us for iPhone live! podcast and iPad live! podcast, your weekly dose of news, reviews, and how-tos.

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Best of Smartphone Experts, 22 Aug 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 02:38:21 +0000

Facebook 2.3 brings Places to iPhone, plus 2.3.1 bug fixes and Jailbreak conflicts
Jobs: Performance fix for iOS 4 on iPhone 3G coming soon
New to iOS? Need help? Check out the iPhone Forum, iPad Forum, and Jailbreak Forum.

Best of Smartphone Experts, 8 August 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 04:38:41 +0000

Is Apple planning to ship millions of iPhone 4 for Verizon this January?
iPod touch 4 leaks: case with rear camera and flash, plate with FaceTime camera, and coming as soon as August?
How to Jailbreak iPhone 4, iPad 3.2, iOS 4 with Jailbreakme.com (and the security implications of the exploit)

Best of Smartphone Experts, 1 Aug 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 02:56:54 +0000

Two Galaxy S-class reviews: Samsung Vibrant Review, Samsung Captivate Review.
Froyogeddon has begun. We go hands-on with Android 2.2 on the Evo 4G, the original Droid gets Froyo this week, and the Droid X gets Froyo “later this summer.”
Check out our Android tips and tricks, including The Android Dictionary.

Best of Smartphone Experts, 25 July 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 02:06:13 +0000

Nexus One no longer available online; plus, a Nexus One retrospective.
Apple keeps iPhone 4′s Antennagate alive by taking on the Droid X
Sideload apps all you want with the Android Central Sideload Wonder Machine for Windows and Mac and Linux.

Best of Smartphone Experts, 18 July 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 03:27:04 +0000

Last week we saw the launch of the Samsung Captivate (watch our hands-on) and the Motorola Droid X (read our full review)
Review of the myTouch 3G Slide
Google down to its last batch of Nexus Ones.

Complete coverage of Apple iPhone 4 press conference, including TiPb and SPE post-game analysis
Apple releases iOS 4.0.1 for iPhone, iOS 3.2.1 for iPad, and iOS 4.1 beta for iPhone
iPad 3G speed test: built-in 3G vs. Google Android and Palm Pre Plus Mobile HotSpot Wi-Fi tether

Apple posts iPhone 4 Antenna Press Conference Video, Antenna Information Page

Dieter Bohn — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 19:17:36 +0000

That was fast! Apple has not only posted up the video of their iPhone 4 Antenna Press conference from earlier today (sadly, without the Q&A), they have also put up a dedicated page to discussion signal strength issues with the death grip:

On a mobile phone, signal loss typically occurs when your hand attenuates the most sensitive part of the antenna. In the photos and videos below, we demonstrate how different grips cause attenuation on many popular smartphones — including iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS.

Say what you will about Apple PR, but when they decide to make a move, they move fast and make as big a splash as they can. Give it a watch and let us know: are you convinced?

Video after the break.

Antenna page; via Engadget

BodyGuardz Skin for iPhone 4 – accessory review

Dieter Bohn — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 15:22:27 +0000

The BodyGuardz Protective Skin for iPhone 4 provides excellent scratch protection

I have just applied the BodyGuardz Protective Skin onto my iPhone 4 ($24.95 in the TiPb iPhone store) and I put at ease about not getting any more scratches on my iPhone 4.

Application can be a little daunting, but if you take a gander at the video above we’ll walk you through the steps. I find the trick is to not be shy about using the supplied spray so you can more easily adjust the screen protector and squeeze out those bubbles. It’s also worth noting that for at least a day after you apply it and sometimes a few days, your iPhone 4 is going to look a little weird – but having used these products for many years I know that the bubbles and ‘fog’ goes away completely.

After the break, a few more thoughts, a small gallery of photos, and a video showing how to apply the protective skin.

Once on, the iPhone isn’t any thicker, of course, and the glass on both the front and back are completely protected from scratches. The rear-skin is open so as not to occlude the camera lens, but that tiny extra thickness also means the lens isn’t resting on a table when you set it down, which I also like.

This particular skin has a glossy rather than a matted finish, but it also adds just a bit of extra grip to the sides and back, which I appreciate. I’ll note too that my iPhone definitely suffers from a fairly serious “Hold Different” Death Grip signal issue and the BodyGuards doesn’t attenuate it. If you’re looking to fix that, you’ll want to get an iPhone 4 case instead of (or in addition to) the BodyGuardz

So while application is a hassle (they include two full skins in the box), once you have it on your iPhone the knowledge that it’s protected from keys, grit, and other causes of scratches is indeed a balm.

You can get BodyGuardz Protective Skin for iPhone 4 from the TiPb iPhone 4 accessory store.

Update: Save 10% on all iPhone and iPad accessories — including BodyGuardz for iPhone 4 — with coupon code TiPb4 until Friday, July 9, 2010! [Sponsored]

Best of Smartphone Experts, 5 July 2010

Dieter Bohn — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:39:59 +0000

Complete coverage of the Samsung Galaxy S launch event in New York City.
Vlingo goes up against the Genius Button
Nexus One gets gets yet Android 2.2 / Froyo update

Best of Smartphone Experts, 27 June 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 02:37:52 +0000

Featured: Read TiPb’s iPhone 4 Review!

Complete Motorola Droid X coverage: initial hands-on, first-look video, spec comparison, benchmark tests.
working on Froyo for the Evo 4G, but the HTC Hero and Samsung Moment won’t.

iPhone 4 and iOS 4 are here and we have your complete iOS 4 walkthrough and iPhone 4 video guide.
iPhone 4 antenna band reception problems? Keep track of: iPhone 4 issues and iOS 4 bugs.
iPhone 4 forums: the best iPhone 4 community on the ‘net. Join now!

iPhone 4: Everything you need to know in 10 minutes [video]

Dieter Bohn — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 23:21:48 +0000

A quick, 10-minute video walkthrough of everything you need to know about iPhone 4

If you’re aware of the iPhone 4 hype but haven’t really gotten a handle on it yet we’re here to give you a quick 10-minute walkthrough and show you everything you really need to know about Apple’s latest mobile phone.

The fancier, thinner hardware includes chemically strengthened glass on both sides, a stainless steel antenna banded around the side, the incredible 960×640 Retina Display, and impressive 5 megapixel, LED-equipped camera that also shoot 720p 30fps HD video. There’s also a VGA-quality front-facing camera that’s used for Apple’s new FaceTime video calling feature.

iPhone 4 also comes with iOS 4. While most of the features, aside from FaceTime and a new class of apps like iMovie, aren’t unique to iPhone 4, Folders look great on the Retina Display, and multitasking is snappy on the Apple A4 processor for everything from 3D games to streaming music.

For more on iOS 4, check out our iOS 4 in 10 minutes video, and for much more check out our complete iOS 4 feature walkthrough.

If you’re updating from a previous iPhone, make sure you read our iPhone 4 upgrade guide. If you’re moving over from another smartphone like Android, Blackberry, Palm, or Windows Phone, take a look at our switcher guides.

My iPhone 4 has a hairline scratch – from normal use

Dieter Bohn — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 18:17:37 +0000

I have a hairline scratch on the screen of my iPhone 4 and I have no idea how it got there. I’ve had my iPhone for just over 24 hours and I’d like to think I’ve treated the little girl pretty well – it goes in my pocket, sure, but solo. I also have been using the bumper for most of the time. However, the bumper has been on and off and at some point I must have set it face down on a table with a bit of grit or something underneath there.

In other words, the phone has a small scratch from what I would definitely call “normal use.”

It’s a tiny, hardly noticable scratch. With the screen on, it’s invisible – but it’s there and I can feel it. I’ve preordered the Case-Mate Clear Armor Screen Protector for iPhone 4 and am trying not to let the scratch on my shiny iPhone 4 become a scratch on my mind.

After the break, a slightly photoshopped version (just over-sharpened, really, to better show the hairline scratch.)

iPhone 4 vs iPhone 3GS in Pictures

Dieter Bohn — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 21:34:57 +0000

You didn’t really think we’d let you get through a day without setting the iPhone 4 down next to the iPhone 3GS, did you?

The verdict? Well obviously we prefer the iPhone 4, but we will say that the lack of a curved back has us flipping the device around quite a bit post-pocket-pull. But the iPhone 4 is thinner, feels nicer to our hands, and… well there are a lot of “ands,” the last of which is …and you’ll have to wait for our full review for our full opinion.

Ok, we’ll let one thing out now: while you may have pooh-poohed the Retina display from what you’ve seen before, when it comes to viewing text there’s just plain nothing else like it out there. We’ve included a detail shot of the Retina Display up against the iPhone 3GS’s display after the break (along with the rest of the gallery) and we’re pretty sure it’ll put most arguments to rest. Yes, it’s not necessary to read web pages or ebooks, but seeing electronic text at this level of refinement changes you, deep down, and suddenly all other electronic text looks like amateur-hour.

iPhone 4 gallery

Dieter Bohn — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 21:16:40 +0000

Pictures of iPhone 4 and Test Photos / Video

So truth: we spent way too much time taking these shots of the iPhone 4. But the device, she is pretty; and glossy, so it took awhile. Truthfully, though, don’t blame us or our camera’s adoring eye, we just couldn’t help ourselves.

We also too a trip to the park to bring you some sample images from the iPhone 4′s 5 megapixel camera and shot some video from both the front and the back – with a loud fountain in the background to see how the microphone could handle it.

We include all of the above after the break. You’re definitely going to want to take a look at the (completely unedited) shots of a water fountain we took. We’re including an extra close-up crop so you can see the level of detail the camera can pull off.

iPhone 4 unboxing with FaceTime, Bumper

Dieter Bohn — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 17:23:47 +0000

TiPb unboxes iPhone 4, gets some FaceTime

We had to unbox the iPhone 4 for you all even though it’s moved beyond “exciting tech blog event” to “necessary ritual.” We left the burning incense out, though, and replaced it with some quick comparisons to the EVO 4G and the Nexus One. Toss in a quick FaceTime video chat and feature discussion and a quick look at the Bumper accessory and you’re looking at an unboxing extravaganza.

We’ll be bringing you more iPhone 4 impressions, pictures, videos, and thoughts from the entire TiPb team for the rest of the day, week, and – heck – year. Stay tuned. Meanwhile, video after the break!

Best of Smartphone Experts, 20 June 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 04:22:41 +0000

Best of Smartphone Experts, 13 June 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 05:38:30 +0000

iPhone 4 complete preview including Retina View 960×640 display, FaceTime video calls, 720p HD video recording, and more!,
iPhone 4 Giveaway!
Complete Coverage: iPhone 4 , iOS 4, WWDC 2010

Best of Smartphone Experts, 6 June 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 04:00:21 +0000

Complete coverage on the EVO 4G; EVO 4G review; EVO 4G help; Froyo on the Evo; accessories.
More on the Motorola Droid Xtreme
Bonus: The Android Phone is for Porn

Best of Smartphone Experts, 30 May 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 31 May 2010 02:33:19 +0000

A week’s worth of the top features in Android 2.2 — Froyo
Sprint HTC Evo 4G hardware hands-on and software hands-on
Speed test: Benchmarking Android 2.1 versus Android 2.2 Froyo

Best of Smartphone Experts, 23 May 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 24 May 2010 04:04:28 +0000

iPhone HD/iPhone 4G to come in white?
Massive iPhone Twitter app roundup , including new, official Twitter for iPhone
Our brand new iPad live! podcast is now available via RSS and via iTunes. Subscribe (and leave us a review!)

Best of Smartphone Experts, 16 May 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 17 May 2010 03:14:34 +0000

Best of Smartphone Experts, 9 May 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 10 May 2010 02:26:22 +0000

Best of Smartphone Experts, 2 May 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 03 May 2010 06:02:43 +0000

Getting started with your new Verizon HTC Droid Incredible
Video hands on with the ‘official’ Android Twitter application
Hands on with a couple new Android browsers: The Skyfire 2.0 beta and Firefox mobile pre-alpha release.
Bonus: The Android Central custom keyboard

HP buys Palm! – listen to our Special podcast
Our take on the HP/Palm buyout
What’s coming this summer for webOS

Best of Smartphone Experts, 18 April 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 04:36:34 +0000

Best of Smartphone Experts, 11 Apr 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 02:38:15 +0000

Review of the Motorola Devour on Verizon
Hardware hands-on with the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10
Verizon HTC Incredible specs galore Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

iPad Keyboard Dock Hands On

Dieter Bohn — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 15:02:54 +0000

We just took delivery of the iPad Keyboard Dock and what can we say – it’s an iPad dock with a keyboard attached to it. Ok, we can say more – the keyboard is excellent, it matches Apple’s usual quality with keyboards and while we know some don’t like their recent designs as much as the older stuff, we do. The keyboard dock is also heavy, we’d guess at least a pound. The obvious benefit there is that, unlike the standard dock, when you lift the iPad out the keyboard stays put.

More thoughts, video hands-on and gallery after the break!

The dock works like a standard iPad dock with a charging port and line-out on the back – though unfortunately it doesn’t come with any cables or a 2nd charger. At $69.99, that would be nice to see but it’s not entirely surprising.

The keyboard has some nice functional touches as well. You can (obviously) use the shift + arrow keys to select text; command + X/C/V works for cut, copy, and paste; and finally there are is a row of buttons at the top for various iPad functions. You can jump to the homescreen, go to Spotlight search, adjust brightness, start the lock-screen slideshow, toggle the on-screen keyboard, control the iPod, adjust volume, and finally instantly lock the screen with the top row. Another nice bit is that hitting any button immediately turns on the iPad without forcing you to slide-to-unlock.

So it’s a nice keyboard and has Apple’s standard elegance. Unfortunately it’s not a great travel keyboard – both the weight and the fact that the stand doesn’t fold down means that road warriors will likely be doing some very serious soul searching when they think about tossing it in their gear bag.

How to use a Bluetooth keyboard with the iPad

Dieter Bohn — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 17:48:28 +0000

It’s remarkably simple to use a Bluetooth keyboard with the iPad. First, you just need to ensure that your keyboard supports HID mode, that’s Human Interface Device Profile and is pretty much the closest thing to a universal Bluetooth keyboard interface out there these days.

You simply need to put your keyboard into pairing mode, go to Settings -> General -> Bluetooth on the iPad, and then tap the keyboard’s entry. Then the iPad will pop up a message with a pairing code you need to enter into the keyboard. Once that’s done, you’re all set. Now when you come to a text entry field, instead of the on-screen keyboard popping up on the iPad, you simply enter text on your Bluetooth keyboard.

I used the Freedom Universal Bluetooth Keyboard, which is available in the TiPb iPad Accessory Store for $99.95. If you order before April 14th, you can enter coupon code iPad10 to get 10% off.

Video after the break!

Quick Review: Twitteriffic on iPad

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 21:58:42 +0000

Twitteriffic on the iPad is straight-up elegant and clean. Although it’s not quite the powerhouse of Twitter mania that is Tweetdeck on iPad, it makes up for it by having a nicer and more intuitive layout.

In portrait mode, you get a large list of tweets, but the real excitement comes in landscape. Twitteriffic uses the now-familiar setup of a list of options on the left, the main window on the right. Your options are simple and straightfoward – viewing recent tweet, messages, direct messages, favorites, a search bar, and so on. I’m especially happy to see lists on the sidebar – that’s a feature that’s been lacking on many other Twitter clients. The app offers a $4.99 in-app purchase to enable multiple accounts and eliminating ads. Twitteriffic also does a great job with links – photos appear in a small pop-up and web-links appear in a large pop-up browser that’s very usable. Tapping a profile brings up an iPhone-style pop-up that lets you browse that user’s tweets.

I do sort of wish the lefthand bar was customizable – I’d rather see multiple accounts listed there rather than Twitter trends. You also can’t change accounts on an active tweet you’re writing – instead you have to back out of one account and into another.

Video and gallery after the break!

Quick Review: Mirror’s Edge for iPad

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 21:57:53 +0000

Mirror’s Edge is flat-out fun. More than any other game I’ve tried on the iPad so far, it shows what the potential for gaming on the platform can be. The basic mechanics of the game are simple: you control Faith, sending her running over the city and through tunnels to, well, do something that clearly has The Man unhappy. Whatever, the story is secondary. You control the game with a series of simple gestures – swipes left, right, up, and down – with the occasional tilt here and there. There are no health indicators, ammo bars, or anything else to get in your way.

I think it’s a great game for iPad because you can perform these swipes without covering up half the screen – you can always see the action and it really does feel pretty immersive.

The game is relatively simple to beat in story mode, but there’s plenty of extras to keep you in the game – including speed runs, going back to find hidden bags, and even a multiplayer option. It’s a little pricey at $12.99, but it’s addictive enough that I’ve lost a solid two hours to the game just toda. It’s only through great force of will that I was able to stop playing long enough to write this quick take.

Video and gallery after the break!

Best of Smartphone Experts, 4 April 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 05:27:42 +0000

The big news of the week: clearly iPad. Our site for all things iPhone, iPod, and iPad, TiPb, has total coverage of the iPad launch and a huge helping of iPad app reviews. Stay tuned for a full iPad review tomorrow!

Quick Review: iBooks on iPad

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 00:03:13 +0000

iBooks on the iPad is the best ebook reading experience I’ve ever had (though to be fair I only have compared it to the Kindle 2nd Gen, Kindle on iPad, Kindle on iPhone, and various ebook readers on webOS and PalmOS).

Although initially I was a little concerned that reading on an LCD for extended periods of time would cause eye strain, reading for a couple of hours last night wasn’t a problem at all. I will have to wait and see if even longer sessions cause problems, but my hunch is that won’t be the case. You can adjust the brightness of the screen, the font size, and even the font type right from inside the app as you’re reading to ensure that you’re not squinting into some insanely bright screen.

You can search an entire book, look up words in the dictionary, jump to chapters, and so on. Bookmarking seems to only work on specific words, not on pages, but once you figure that out you’re set to go. Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be a way to enter notes, only to highlight text in one of five colors. In other words, academics can add the inability to add margin notes to the other reasons to shy away from ebooks for now (the others including the fact that you can’t trade or sell ebooks and, of course, DRM).

The iBooks Store is in-app and ties into your iTunes account, so you won’t need to remember a different password to use it. Book selection seems to be slightly worse than what you can find in Amazon’s Kindle store – but this early it’s not completely fair to judge on selection. As with iTunes, there are plenty of top-charts like the NYT bestseller list, categories, and the ability to download samples of books to see if it’s something you’d really like to read. One nice bit – iBooks uses the ePub standard, so it has the entire Gutenberg Project library

If you were thinking of buying a Kindle, don’t.

Video and gallery after the break!

Quick Review: Kindle on iPad

Dieter Bohn — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 21:48:34 +0000

Kindle on iPad is, well, not as good as Kindle on a Kindle or iBooks. That’s going to be the bottom line for a lot of people. It works in both portrait and landscape – though curiously I can’t find a way to get a two-column book view in landscape. You can do most of the traditional ebook things: change the font size, adjust brightness, jump to any point in the book, have your place saved, etc. On Kindle you can also bookmark pages and add your own notes – all of which get synced up to Amazon’s cloud so you can see them on other Kindle devices like your iPhone, a Kindle, etc.

Instead of an in-app store, Amazon sends you to Safari to browse and search for Kindle book – which I don’t find especially annoying because the iPad’s web browser is so good. Amazon has a slightly better selection of books than Apple does too, though in both cases I often find myself stymied when trying to find a particular book.

With both Kindle and iBooks my basic feeling is that they’re good for light reading, but the difficulty of entering and exporting notes means that while I’ll use them for entertainment, I won’t use them for ‘serious’ work.

Hopefully Amazon will update this app to support two-column landscape mode soon.

Video and gallery after the break!

Quick Review: TweetDeck on iPad

Dieter Bohn — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 19:11:00 +0000

TweetDeck on the iPad is a mixed bag – most of the contents of that bag are utterly awesome for the power-twitter user. If you need to follow a lot of Twitter streams then there’s simply no better way to track them all than TweetDeck. If you use TweetDeck on the desktop, you can set up a TweetDeck account and have your chosen columns synchronized between your desktop and iPad. If you have multiple Twitter accounts, you can send from multiple accounts too.

The not-so-awesome part of the bag comes when you want to view a link from a tweet. In landscape mode you simply can’t. In portrait mode what happens is the tweet appears in a at the top of the screen. You can also view profiles, recent tweets, and more. For displaying a single tweet, that area is simply giant. For displaying a web page linked from a tweet, it’s maddeningly small.

I said in the video that TweetDeck might my favorite iPad Twitter client, but I’m finding more and more that the portrait mode isn’t quite working out for me.

Video and gallery after the break!

Quick Review: Crosswords on the iPad

Dieter Bohn — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 00:22:23 +0000

My love of Crossword apps on mobile devices is no secret, so I was pleased to see that Standalone, Inc had their Crosswords app ready for the iPad at launch [$9.99 - iTunes link].

The phrase “just a big iPod Touch” is getting tossed around a lot this week and in some ways Crosswords is a perfect microcosm of that – some of the same iPhone screens and elements are available as pop-ups and in general there’s no actual functionality that’s available on the iPad version that you can’t get on the iPhone — except the gigantic screen. Portrait mode has enough space to show you a long list of clues, the keyboard, and in most cases the entire puzzle without zooming. Landscape is even better, giving you both the across and down clues in separate columns, the keyboard, and a zoomed-in view of the puzzle.

Naturally, there are plenty of features like hints, the ability to tweet your time, and of course the ability to download dozens of different crossword puzzles every day from both free and for-pay premium sources.

Video demo and gallery after the break!

iPad Video: ABC, Netflix, and Videos Apps

Dieter Bohn — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 00:06:31 +0000

We have to say we’re pretty excited about the streaming video possibilities on the iPad. So excited, in fact, that the YouTube app feels pretty much like old hat. Jeremy already took a quick look at Netflix on the iPad and the verdict is that it works and the magic of simply having Netflix streaming on an iPad does much to overcome the fact that what you essentially have here is an app made of up Netflix’s webpage.

ABC Video, however, is much more elegant and is a nicer iPad app. You get a set of tabs at the bottom for viewing video, your video history, and even a schedule of ABC shows. The video looks crisp to my eyes, but I’m especially impressed at how well the app saves my place on the various shows I’ve watched.

A quick video comparison of ABC, Netflix, and the default Videos app, along with a gallery of ABC and Netflix, are after the break!

Apple iPad [gallery]

Dieter Bohn — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 12:40:31 +0000

We know, you’ve seen plenty of photos of the iPad. But we have one and, dang it, we want to show it off!

Best of Smartphone Experts, 28 Mar 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 02:54:46 +0000

T-Mobile HD2 finally released
Windows Phone 7 Series reportedly running on HD2
Hands-on at CTIA with the TerreStar Genus satellite phone and Mangrove 7 tablet

TiPb Apps 6.2: Opera Mini for iPhone (CTIA 2010)

Dieter Bohn — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 18:28:00 +0000

Live from CTIA 2010, Dieter takes a look at Opera Mini for the iPhone, just now submitted to the App Store.

Watch along after the break!

YouTube link

Best of Smartphone Experts, 21 March 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 02:51:09 +0000

Barriosquare Foursquare app now in Extras-devel, getting closer to Ovi Store

Best of Smartphone Experts, 14 Mar 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 04:00:51 +0000

JoikuSpot Premium for N900 1.0 available now for less than $10

iPhone SDK 3.2 Beta 4 is Out

Dieter Bohn — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:53:54 +0000

iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch developers: get yourself over to Apple’s developer center, as iPhone SDK 3.2 Beta 4 is ready for you to download, a mere two weeks after Beta three was unleashed for your coding pleasure. As MacRumors and Engadget note, it’s too early to say what magical new capabilities are to be found here – but don’t let that stop you.

Best of Smartphone Experts, 7 Mar 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:01:29 +0000

Best of Smartphone Experts, 28 Feb 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:40:33 +0000

Palm Updates Guidance and CEO Letter to Employees on poor sales
webOS 1.4 Changelog Leaks, it arrives for some phones; we see webOS 1.4 screenshots before it’s released on Sprint and then Verizon
Improved webOS Facebook App on the Way?

Keep your eyes peeled on CrackBerry.com this week as they unleash a slew of contests for their third birthday – they’ll all be listed here!

Best of Smartphone Experts, 21 Feb 2010 – MWC Edition

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 02:30:20 +0000

We’re back from Mobile World Congress 2010 battered but excited for the upcoming year in smartphones. We had coverage from the show at all six sites. If the above isn’t enough to whet your appetite for Mobile World Congress news, we’ve helpfully collated a list of all our coverage up to this point after the break. There are still a few more posts to come as we empty our memory cards and ponder what we held in out hands out in Barcelona – so stay tuned!

Android Central

CrackBerry.com

Nokia Experts

PreCentral.net

TiPb

WMExperts

TiPb Apps #1.4 — Documents To Go for iPhone to get Google Docs, Desktop Sync (MWC 2010)

Dieter Bohn — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 12:27:43 +0000

We just finished having a sit down with the fine folks from DocsToGo and they shared some exciting news about DocsToGo Premium: Desktop Sync and Google Sync are en route! They expect they’ll be submitting the app to the Apple in a couple of weeks, so stay tuned for the release. DocsToGo is currently $14.99 in the App Store.

Document Sync with the desktop works just like you would expect it to: plug in and Sync. What’s more exciting for me (and for cloud-lovers everywhere) is that you’ll be able to sync with all the documents you’ve stored up at Google Docs. It’s a full sync client – meaning that you can download and edit documents offline and then sync them up with Google Docs later. Another thing worth noting is that Google recently updated Google Docs to allow you to upload any file – which means you will be able to upload and store PDFs, images, and documents to Google Docs and then access them later with DocsToGo. (Video after the break!)

Otherwise, as it always is with major mobile conferences, the iPhone isn’t officially here but unofficially it’s everywhere. My completely unscientific method of “hey, what’s in people’s hands” poll shows that it’s slightly edging out Nokia as the most popular phone at Mobile World Congress.

Smartphone Experts at Mobile World Congress

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:31:23 +0000

This week Smartphone Experts’ Dieter Bohn, Kevin Michaluk, and Phil Nickinson are at Mobile World Congress, covering what’s basically the biggest cell phone show on the planet. Different sites will have different coverage. Palm and Apple aren’t expected to do much here this year, so the bulk of SPE’s coverage will be at sites not called PreCentral.net or TiPb (but don’t forget that TiPb blew up Macworld last week – tons of news there).

So for what’s shaking, keep an eye on Android Central, CrackBerry.com, Nokia Experts, and this year especially keep an eye on WMExperts.

As long as you’re following things, be sure to hit up the twitter feeds for those sites too, as when we have news we want to get out there quickly, we’ll be doing it there.

Meanwhile, Phil, Kevin, and Dieter will record a podcast from time to time, like we did just now on the eve of the craziness at MWC. You know you want to partake of these 17 minutes of smartphone joy. Keep an eye on the above mentioned sites for more!

Download it directly with this link

Contest Reminders: Developer Survey and Round Robin — Win a 32GB iPod touch, iPhone 3GS!

Dieter Bohn — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:12:50 +0000

A couple quick contest reminders as deadlines loom (LOOM I tell you!):

The Developer Survey we mentioned here is still running but will end this weekend. Interpret is putting together an exciting set of data about mobile app development and needs your input. Take the survey here and be entered for your chance to win a 32GB iPod touch. Heck, if that isn’t your style, you can also opt for up to $550 to purchase the phone of your choice.

Since not everybody will qualify for the developer survey prize, one more reminder: the Smartphone Round Robin contest is still running, but will end on Thursday. You can enter to win an iPhone 3GS by posting in this thread. Everybody’s been asking so here’s the news: we are announcing the winners on Friday!

Say Hello to TiPb: The iPhone, iPod, and iPad Blog!

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 01:58:00 +0000

We’re proud to say that The iPhone Blog is now TiPb: your #1 iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad blog!

A little SPE network news before we get to our weekly list o’links. We’ve been calling TiPb ‘TiPb’ instead of ‘The iPhone Blog’ for so long now, we figured we may as well make it official. Add in that the iPhone platform now encompasses the iPhone, iPod Touch, and the newly announced iPad and renaming the site pretty much became a foregone conclusion. Same great content, new shorter URL to type in!

Best of Smartphone Experts, 31 Jan 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 02:46:30 +0000

What Do You Think of the iPad?

Dieter Bohn — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:46:36 +0000

Ok, quick take: what do you think of the iPad? Is it truly the “third category” between your laptop and your iPhone? It is overblown, overpriced, and overhyped? Or is it like the iPod: something most people thought was “kind of neat” at first, but which ended up revolutionizing the consumer industry?

Vote below, but more importantly, expand in the comments: mind blown?

Best of Smartphone Experts, 24 Jan 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 03:47:19 +0000

Best of Smartphone Experts, 17 Jan 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 04:36:10 +0000

Best of Smartphone Experts, 10 Jan 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 07:37:04 +0000

Gosh, did anything happen last week? Oh yeah: there was that one show, the Consumer Electronics Show. Good times – here’s what we liked:

Apple iPhone 3GS vs Google/HTC Android Nexus One Hands-on Video — Round Robin Redux
4th Generation iPhone Rumors: New CPU, New GPU, LED Flash, Limited Multitasking, and Verizon!
TiPb Hands-on iPhone Coverage of CES 2010 (with more to come!)

Smartphone Experts at CES: The Podcast

Dieter Bohn — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:32:20 +0000

Since the entire SPE team was here at CES in Las Vegas, it made perfect sense to take some time away from ogling gadgets and chatting up our friends in the blogosphere to record a podcast. We talk up what we’ve seen so far, including the Nexus One and Motorola Backflip; we also chatted a bit about what we’re hoping to see at Palm’s event today.

As you might have guessed, the show was recorded and hosted by our pal Mickey Papillon of TCPJ. Give it a listen!

The Cell Phone Junkie
Subscribe with your favorite client
Subscribe via iTunes
Listen via phone with Podlinez: 510-495-6352
Download the show directly

[Rene apologizes for quality of iPhone-taken pano, but felt the behind-the-scenes peak made up for the lack of photography skillz]

Smartphone Round Robin Podcast Part 2: Device Impressions!

Dieter Bohn — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 20:09:56 +0000

You may have heard that we’re taking a short break from the 3rd annual Smartphone Round Robin for CES this year (and for our own sanity, truth be told.) Lucky for you, we have just the thing to tide you over this week: two podcasts with your favorite editors from the Smartphone Experts Network.

This week we have the second podcast we recorded over the course of our time together. We’ve embedded it below, but honestly: you’ve subscribed to TCPJ by now, haven’t you?

How to listen to the Smartphone Round Robin Podcast Part 2:

The Cell Phone Junkie
Subscribe with your favorite client
Subscribe via iTunes
Listen via phone with Podlinez: 510-495-6352
Download the show directly

Best of Smartphone Experts, 3 Jan 2010

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 01:14:19 +0000

Last week was a good one as usual for SPE, but next week we’ll be blowing the walls out for CES: expect plenty of CES coverage from all of our sites. This year we’ll have our biggest team ever at the show and are pumped up. All that CES coverage means we’ll be taking the week off from the Smartphone Round Robin (excepting another group podcast on The Cell Phone Junkie, stay tuned!).

Year 2016 hits Windows Mobile on New Year’s Day
HTC, on Twitter says the HD2 will get Windows Mobile 7, and then says it’s not a done deal after all
Microsoft inadvertently confirms Windows Mobile 6.5.3, and earlier even spoke about Windows Mobile 7

AT&T, iPhone, and New York City: Fraud? Really?

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 14:26:27 +0000

As Rene mentioned earlier today, AT&T online is not selling iPhones to people in the New York City areas, but physical stores and Apple are selling them. AT&T’s latest explanation for this is fraud.

I mentioned this story to the folks that run The TiPb Accessory Store and they said that they have experienced ‘waves’ of fraud from the NYC area over the years, necessitating increased scrutiny on every order destined for the Big Apple. Much of their anti-fraud system was developed, in fact, in order to deal with fraudulent NYC area orders. AT&T Online refusing to sell anything to New Yorkers is an extreme and extremely bad solution, but it’s not crazy to think that it’s a bad solution to a real problem.

So either AT&T is lying about their incompetence in running a network or AT&T is telling the truth about their incompetence in running an online store. Or it’s a third issue we haven’t heard yet, one which we would like to think doesn’t involve incompetence.

Best of Smartphone Experts, 27 Dec 2009

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 03:43:03 +0000

The end of the year and the holidays aren’t stopping us from keeping an eye out for smartphone news and continuing to bring you comparative reviews in the Smartphone Round Robin. Be sure to check out the latest updates page to see what’s new, or you can follow via Facebook, Twitter, and of course RSS. This week, you can listen to us discuss the iPhone on The Cell Phone Junkie Podcast, so don’t go missing that either. On to the big news of the week!

Best of Smartphone Experts, 20 Dec 2009

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 05:47:13 +0000

Week one of the Smartphone Round Robin is over and week two begins tomorrow. We’ve just scratched the surface here and already we’ve run the gamut from a Windows Mobile user examining webOS to a BlackBerry user having an encounter with the Droid. If you have a Smartphone need, we’re pretty confident that the Round Robin will help you find out how to fill it.

We could go on, but there’s egg nog to be spiked and presents to be wrapped, so hit up the updates page for a list of reviews by platform and hit this post up after the break for the best of Smartphone Experts this week.

Best of Smartphone Experts, 13 Dec 2009

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 01:14:26 +0000

As we bring you the best of SPE for the past week, don’t forget that starting Monday, we’ll be starting the Smartphone Round Robin in earnest – with new hands-on videos on six sites. If you haven’t already, go ahead a take a listen to our kick-off podcast hosted by The Cell Phone Junkie and take a tour of the Smartphone Round Robin website, where you can learn how to enter to win one of six smartphones we’re giving away!

Announcing The 3rd Annual Smartphone Round Robin!

Dieter Bohn — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:50:36 +0000

We are ridiculously excited to announce that today we’re launching the 3rd annual Smartphone Round Robin! If you’ve never heard of the Round Robin, buckle up: Each year the sites of the Smartphone Experts Network spend some time out of our comfort zone, examining the platforms of our sister sites and learning how other smartphone users live. This year, the event will span six weeks, eight sites, over a dozen phones, over five hours of video, hundreds of photos, several hours of podcasts, dozens of discussion threads, and of course dozens of comparison reviews. Seriously.

What’s in it for you? Plenty, we hope. To start with, each site will be giving away one smartphone (or your choice!) representing its platform. We have a Twitter contest for accessory prizes every week too. You can find contest details here.

More than that, though, every year we hear from grateful readers who have said the Round Robin helped them decide on their next smartphone, made them happier about the one they have, or even compelled some to switch outright. Researching and learning six platforms and all the phones on each is a massive undertaking – so we’re doing it for you and you can just follow along.

If you want to know more about how to play along with this crazy event, hit up SmartphoneRoundRobin.com, where we explain the contest, the schedule, the participants, and even have an archive of the last two events.

The event begins in earnest on Monday, but today we’re releasing the first of several podcasts, all of which are hosted by our friends at The Cell Phone Junkie. We’ll toss direct links to download and subscribe after the break, plus let you know who’s playing along this year.

How to listen:

The Cell Phone Junkie
Subscribe with your favorite client
Subscribe via iTunes
Listen via phone with Podlinez: 510-495-6352
Download the show directly

Participating sites

Smartphone Round Robin

@speroundrobin

Android Central, Casey Chan (@caseychan)

CrackBerry, Kevin Michaluk (@crackberrykevin)

Nokia Experts, Matthew Miller (@palmsolo)

The iPhone Blog, Rene Ritchie (@reneritchie)

PreCentral.net, Dieter Bohn (@backlon)

WMExperts, Phil Nickinson (@philnickinson)

The Cell Phone Junkie, Mickey Papillon (@TCPJ_Mickey)

Best of Smartphone Experts, 6 Dec 2009

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 01:00:46 +0000

BlackBerry Storm2 for Enterprise and Business: a Review
Official OS Updates for Tour 9630, 880, 8820, 8100
CrackBerry Holiday Gift Guides: Traveler, Mom and Dad, Students, and Music Lovers.

Best of Smartphone Experts, 29 Nov 2009

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 04:22:59 +0000

Welcome to the Best of Smartphone Experts, catch-up edition. We’ve recovered from our tryptophan stupor (yeah, we know it’s a myth) and are back with our favorite stories from the network.

Be sure you pay attention tomorrow morning – it’s Cyber Monday and there’s a 10% off coupon in the offing. Stay Tuned.

Best of Smartphone Experts, 15 Nov 2009

Dieter Bohn — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:26:27 +0000

Best of Smartphone Experts, 8 Nov 2009

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:29:51 +0000

Best of Smartphone Experts, 1 Nov 2009

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:34:35 +0000

Best of Smartphone Experts, 25 Oct 2009

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 01:20:24 +0000

How to get QWERTY keyboard on an unlocked Palm Pre
Mundu IM and Agile Messenger coming to the Palm Pre.
Flash on the Palm Pre: the other side

Best of Smartphone Experts, 18 Oct 2009

Dieter Bohn — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:19:36 +0000

Best of Smartphone Experts, 11 Oct 2009

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:01:42 +0000

Last week was the CTIA Wireless IT & Entertainment conference. We had coverage at a few of our sites, but Kevin Michaluk and I also sat down with Mickey Papillon of The Cell Phone Junkie to record a podcast about our thoughts on the event – worth checking out. Here’s what else went on in the smartphone world this week.

Best of Smarpthone Experts, 4 Oct 2009

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:15:19 +0000

webOS 1.2 Released, followed by webOS 1.2.1, which fixed webOS Exchange Issues and Palm Pre iTunes Sync
How to Restore a Pre
Homebrew apps and patches back for webOS 1.2.1

Best of Smartphone Experts, 27 Sept. 2009

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 01:57:01 +0000

Best of Smartphone Experts, 20 Sept. 2009

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 03:15:29 +0000

Google Says Apple Did Fully Reject Google Voice

Dieter Bohn — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:54:11 +0000

In a post on their official blog, Google has let the world know that, “in the interest of transparency,” they’re allowing the FCC to comply with a Freedom of Information Act request to fully publish their response about the whole Google Voice Rejection Brouhaha, and it’s an interesting read, to say the least. You can grab the PDF of the letter right here.

The letter, which had been previously redacted, claims that not only did Apple fully reject both Google Voice and Latitude, but the rejection came after conversations between top executives, including Phil Shiller. This contradicts Apple’s claim that they had not rejected the apps, but merely reviewing them in a more extensive way.

The reason for the rejections (as Google calls them) is what you probably expected: “duplicate functionality.” Google writes:

Apple’s representatives informed Google that the Google Voice application was rejected because Apple believed the application duplicated the core dialer functionality of the iPhone. The Apple representatives indicated that the company did not want applications that could potentially replace such functionality

The story is much the same for Google Latitude, but has a bit more shadenfreude to it since the functionality that’s being duplicated is “a version of Google Maps.” Google also details the dates of calls, emails, and in-person conversations between Alan Eustace of Google (VP of Engineering and Research) and Phil Schiller of Apple (VP of Worldwide Product Marketing, but you knew that).

So… the worm and turned and Google’s letting the world know they feel rejected. How do you feel after this latest development?

Best of Smartphone Experts, 13 Sept. 2009

Dieter Bohn — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 23:39:08 +0000

It was an awfully big week for Smartphone Experts. In addition to coverage of the iPod and Android announcements, we also celebrated the ten year anniversary of our network, which began back in 1999 with the launch of VisorCentral. It’s been a wild ride and we look forward to another ten! Let’s get on to the week’s news, here’s what you may have missed.

Complete iPhone 3.1 and iTunes 9 Software Walkthroughs.
Full Apple 2009 iPod and iTunes Special Event Coverage
GSM Encryption Cracked: Know Your Security Risks

Celebrating 10 Years of Smartphone Communities

Dieter Bohn — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:30:26 +0000

Ten years ago today, 9/9/99, our fearless leader Marcus Adolfsson launched VisorCentral.com - a community providing news, reviews and forums focused on a single product: the Handspring Visor. The Visor, you may recall, was the PDA that was destined to start the smartphone revolution with the VisorPhone.

Ten years later, we have grown from that single small site to a network of seven different communities, each focused on a core brand of smartphone and dedicated to providing everything a user could need or want to know about their smartphone – from news to chat, reviews to ringtones, podcasts to apps, accessories to wallpapers. The Smartphone Experts Network has over 1.8 million members in our forums; on any given day there are thousands of users logged in: finding help, talking about the latest news, reviewing products, and more. We still have plenty of active members that signed up literally within days of our 9/9/99 launch. Millions of visitors every month come to us to find out the latest information for their smartphone.

The original VisorCentral

On our blogs, we have moved from an average of a single post a day on a single site to around thirty per day across our network. In our accessory stores, we provide a wide variety of accessories for every major smartphone platform and were named the fastest growing retailer of 2007 by Inc500. Our stores also provide sales and support for a large and growing network of affiliate sites.

Back in 1999, it wasn’t at all clear that a ‘Blog’ (the term still needed quotes back then) and community could be formed around a single device and thrive – VisorCentral was one of the first to do it and looking at the landscape of the technical blogosphere today, the model has worked. Since then we’ve kept the same goal: give users a place to learn about their specific smartphone and use it better. We couldn’t have done it without an incredibly great team of editors and writers, but most of all we couldn’t have done it without you.

So we just wanted to say thanks to our users and readers – thanks for sticking with us on what started as a strange experiment in web communities, thanks for being so passionate, engaged, and intelligent about your phones. We’re grateful for the knowledge, the discussions, and the friends we’ve gained over the past ten years and look forward to even more in the future.

To celebrate our ten year anniversary, each of our sites is giving away ten $50 gift certificates to its respective accessory store. To enter, simply make a post in this forum thread (not here on this post) sharing how this site has helped you better use your smartphone before midnight Pacific this Friday.

The Smartphone Experts Team

Best of Smartphone Experts, 6 Sept. 2009

Dieter Bohn — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 02:27:34 +0000

Best of Smartphone Experts, 30 August 2009

Dieter Bohn — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 23:50:31 +0000

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