Recent Articles

Following up his big blog rumor-fest with an appearance on This Week in Tech (TWiT), Kevin Rose filled in a few details, including that the supposed new Nano, face-lifted iPod Touch, and 2.1 firmware (presumably) would drop on September 9 at a Special Apple Event (or perhaps that the invitation for the special event would be issued on the 9th, it wasn't crystal clear).

Remember the Wired.com Global iPhone 3G Study Casey posted about a week or so back? Well, the results are in, and Wired's conclusion is interesting to say the least:

In our view, this data is a strong indicator that performance of the mobile carrier's network is affecting the iPhone 3G more than the handset itself.

Wired further cites the recent Swedish engineering tests, run by Bluetest, which showed that the iPhone 3G's eponymous radio and antenna performed roughly the same as those of the other handsets they tested.

Bluetooth headsets often offer the same feature set, the same styling, and the same performance. Plantronics is known for offering unique takes on Bluetooth Headsets and often add a new wrinkle to each headset in their product line. Popular because of their comfortable fit and Audio IQ technology, the Plantronics line constantly innovates.

With the Plantronics Voyager 815 Bluetooth Headset ($89.95), the innovation is an in-ear earbud and a sliding boom mic. Do they create a better Bluetooth Headset? Or are these features just bells and whistles? How does the Plantronics Voyager 815 perform?

Read on for the rest of the review!

Mild Mannered Industries, which claims some experience with Sync Services, has an interesting and insightful blog post about how MobileMe syncing probably works, why syncing in general is so hard, and if we can ever look forward to a day where MobileMe actually, really, truly "just works":

The developer lets us know [via Giz] that famously lawsuit-happy Tetris©-IP-owners "The Tetris© Company" has contacted him and told him he has to take down Tris. Noah writes:

That, I'm afraid, is essentially game over. Do they have a case? No. Not really. I am convinced that if it went to court, the "copyright" claim would get thrown out completely. The trademark, perhaps not — but if I changed the name, to e.g. “Trys”, that would be much harder for them to argue.

Already seen Dark Knight like 5 times and itching for some new content to fill your Saturday night? Well, if you're into short form, Apple has your fix of three all new, all App Store-focused new iPhone ads.

Featuring Lonely Planet phrases, the Cro-Mag rally game, and the location aware Vicinity app, the ads highlight how quickly and elegantly App Store downloads and installs work (insert your own crash joke here), and how the Phone App is still king -- interrupting your conversation, gaming, and sightseeing whenever a call comes in.

Could all the rumors -- and even Kevin Rose -- have been right? Will we see a longer, widescreen iPod Nano that brings the candy-bar shape back? MacRumors rounds up some "leaked" "case designs" that suggest maybe they are -- or merely that even the Chinese read Kevin Rose's blog? Roughly Drafted, on the other hand points out that a new aspect ration for the screen might cause problems for existing iPod formatted videos and games.