McLean begins with a profile of Imagination's Open GL ES 1.1, PowerVR MBX that powers the current iPhone (and many other mobile devices), and then gets into the next generation, 2.0, PowerVR SGX -- which brings the shaders, and the VDX core with its mobile HD video codec.
Once I finally trained myself to no longer reflexively reach for a stylus on my iPhone, it truly hit me that the world was at my fingertips (warning: pun alert). Flipping through photo albums with the flick of my finger just doesn't get old. Pinching text and photos to fit on the screen or expanding the same with my thumb and index finger was intuitive from the time my iPhone came out of the box.
I like the little things, like tapping the very top of the screen to return to the top of a web page after scrolling down for miles. Conversely, it would be nice to have a similar mechanism for instantly jumping to the bottom, eh?
Well, ladies and gentlemen, here were are at the end of April pretty much exactly where we were at the beginning: 6 iPhone launches on the board representing the US, UK, Germany, France, Ireland, and Austria.
Rumors recently swirled about a super-secret RIM development project affectionately dubbed AK (for Apple Killer) that would help Blackberry not only retain market share in face of the iPhone juggernaut, but regain mind share which has wholly become the property of Apple as of late:
..two independent developers writing software for coming R.I.M. devices say that a touch-screen BlackBerry is in the works, and that R.I.M. engineers privately refer to it as the A.K. — for “Apple Killer.”
Would it be another iClone like the 9000? Would it be the fabled touchscreen Blackberry?
This week on the Phone different podcast we compensate for Mike's absence by bringing on PD Writers Chad Garrett, Brian Hart, and Rene Ritchie. We talk up iPhone 2.0, iPhone 3G, and discuss what's wrong with Canada. Listen in!
Looking for Internet radio on your iPhone? Tired of not having built-in FM like Zune owners? Look no further than Flytunes (http://www.flytunes.fm/) for the iPhone! Flytunes is a web-based media player for iPhone and iPod touch that allows you to stream music and talk channels for free!
Can’t wait any longer for Native Apps? Me neither. (Late) June seems too far away? I’m with you. So why wait, when you can jailbreak! Over the next couple months before 2.0 is released, I’ll give you guys a glimpse into the jailbroken world of native apps every week. If we don't find anything life-changing, hopefully we’ll learn a few things along the way. Plus: let's face it, Jailbreaking isn't going anywhere. The SDK is awesome, but some people won't settle for anything less than full-on access to all the hidden bits of the iPhone.
Today, we start with another look at the ever-evolving program that is Installer.app. Developed by the guys at Nullriver, Installer.app is the first app you see after jailbreaking. Its main goal is to serve as an outlet for all the rest of the iPhone’s native apps and it has come a long way since we first showed you how to use it. Does it succeed? Is it effective? Can Apple learn something from Installer.app?
Read on for the rest of the review! (and remember you'll need a Jailbroken iPhone to take advantage of this native app)
Well known consumer-friendly site, the appropriately named Consumerist, brings the confessions of an anonymous Apple Specialist. While these cover everything Apple sells, from Macs to iPods, they certainly apply to the iPhone.
Top tips? If you can't reset or restore your iPod (or iPhone!), it's done. AppleCare extends your warranty, that's it. .Mac and ProCare may not be worth the cash, but One-to-One is a deal. If your item (and iPhone?) is outside the return date, Apple may take it back if it's still sealed, maybe even if it's not. No insider info on unreleased product. And the email survey is your one way ticket to managerial ear-time.
During their Q1 Press Conference Call this week, Rogers Mobile announced that they had finally (finally!) finalized a deal to bring the iPhone to Canada:
"We're thrilled to announce that we have a deal with Apple to bring the iPhone to Canada later this year. We can't tell you any more about it right now, but stay tuned."
This would make Canada the 7th country to officially announce an iPhone deal, after the US, UK, Germany, France, Ireland, and Austria. (Whether they launch 7th will be another matter...)
