Apple Designs Solar-Powered iPhones & iPods

Apple may be planning to develop solar-powered iPhones, suggested in patent filings that describe putting solar cells on portable devices and on iPods.

This isn't the first attempt to bring solar power to iPhones. As you may remember, in May, Dexim brought us the DCA19 P-Flip, a solar-powered battery and dock for the iPhone 3G and 3GS. The most recent patent filed by Apple was on Touch Sensor Integrated Solar Panels on media players.

While the next couple of iPhones may not incorporate solar cells, given the recent patent applications by Apple, it's intuitive to realize that the company is looking to put more and more devices on solar power and eventually include iPhones. According to the patent application for solar cells on portable devices, Apple would completely cover the device in a thin film layer of solar cells, even the display.

According to Gizmodo, Motorola has considered fusing solar cells with LCDs. This would make your device even more efficient, because no matter which way you had it oriented in the sun, it would always be harnessing the power of the sun.

If Apple can cover your iPod or other devices completely in solar panels, then surely they can make a highly efficient solar powered phone. If not, you could always get a solar charging case.

[Patently Apple via Gizmodo]

Apple Designs Solar-Powered iPhones & iPods

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No More Unlimited Data Plans for New AT&T Wireless Customers

Just in time for the release of a new iPhone, AT&T will stop letting new customers sign up for its unlimited Internet data plan for smart phones and iPad's and charge more for users who hog the most bandwidth.

AT&T hopes to ease congestion on its network, which has drawn complaints, particularly in big cities. But the approach could confuse customers unfamiliar with how much data it takes to watch a YouTube video or fire up a favorite app.

Current subscribers will be able to keep their $30-per-month unlimited plans, even if they renew their contracts. But starting Monday, new customers will have to choose one of two new data plans for all smart phones, including iPhone's and BlackBerry's.

Subscribers who use little data — like those who may get dozens of e-mails a day but don't watch much video — will pay slightly less every month than they do now, while heavy users will be dinged with higher bills.

The move takes effect in time for the expected unveiling of Apple's new iPhone next week. Analysts said they expect other phone companies to follow. With no caps on consumption, data use could swamp wireless networks while revenue for the operators remains flat.

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No More Unlimited Data Plans for New AT&T Wireless Customers

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Apple Passes Microsoft as No. 1 in Tech

As reported by The New York Times, Wall Street has called the end of an era and the beginning of the next one: The most important technology product no longer sits on your desk but rather fits in your hand.

The moment came Wednesday when Apple, creator of iPods, iPhones and iPads, shot past Microsoft, the computer software giant, to become the world’s most valuable technology company.

This changing of the guard caps one of the most stunning turnarounds in business history for Apple, which had been given up for dead only a decade earlier, and its co-founder and visionary chief executive, Steven P. Jobs. The rapidly rising value attached to Apple by investors also heralds an important cultural shift: Consumer tastes have overtaken the needs of business as the leading force shaping technology.

Microsoft, with its Windows and Office software franchises, has dominated the relationship most people had with their computers for almost two decades, and that was reflected in its stock market capitalization. But the click-clack of the keyboard has ceded ground to the swipe of a finger across a smartphone’s touch screen.

And Apple is in the right place at the right time. Although it still sells computers, twice as much revenue is coming from hand-held devices and music. Over all, the technology industry sold about 172 million smartphones last year, compared with 306 million PCs, but smartphone sales grew at a pace five times faster.

Microsoft depends more on maintaining the status quo, while Apple is in a constant battle to one-up itself and create something new, said Peter A. Thiel, the co-founder of PayPal and an early investor in Facebook. "Apple is a bet on technology," he said. "And Apple beating Microsoft is a very significant thing."

As of Wednesday, Wall Street valued Apple at $222.12 billion and Microsoft at $219.18 billion. The only American company valued higher is Exxon Mobil, with a market capitalization of $278.64 billion.

The companies have comparable revenue, with Microsoft at $58.4 billion and Apple at $42.9 billion. But in their most recent fiscal years, Apple had net income of $5.7 billion, while Microsoft earned $14.6 billion.

Microsoft has more cash and short-term investments, $39.7 billion, to Apple’s $23.1 billion, which makes the value assigned by the market to Apple, essentially a bet on its future prospects, all the more remarkable.

Continue reading via The New York Times...

Apple Passes Microsoft as No. 1 in Tech

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Overclocking Your iPhone and iPod Touch

If you weren't already aware of this, Apple decided to underclock the processing speed on two of their most popular devices, the iPod touch and iPhone. The true processing speed of the iPhone 3G is clocked at a maximum of 600MHz, and 833MHz for the iPhone 3GS, but for whatever reason Apple underclocked them at 412MHz and 600MHz respectively. However, it might be your lucky day because a hacker has discovered a simple trick that will overclock your device to its maximum potential in a matter of minutes.

In many cases, companies choose to underclock their devices to save energy, reduce heat and make the overall life of your processor last longer. Overclocking will more than likely increase its operation frequency, which will usually increase its thermal output in a linear fashion, and could increase the internal heat quadratically (x4). Improper cooling may cause chip temperatures to rise almost instantly, causing the processor chip to be damaged or destroyed. It may also decrease the life of your battery, so it is imperative that you take extra precaution if you decide to try this.

Please be aware that these are not my directions and I am in no way responsible for any damage done to your device. This is not recommended for inexperienced users.


Steps to Overclock or Increase CPU Speed of iPhone and iPod Touch: [via GadgetsDNA]

1. Navigate to System/Library/System/System Configuration/PowerManagement.bundle/
2. You will see a file named "com.apple.SystemPowerProfileDefault.plist"
3. Instead of editing, you are just rename it to "SystemPowerProfileDefaultbak.plist" so the device does not recognize it.
4. Do a reboot and you've overclocked your device.

Overclocking Your iPhone and iPod Touch

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Apple Being Sued by HTC for Patent Infringement

In a complaint filed with the ITC and obtained by Reuters, HTC has accused Apple of infringing five of its patents related to cellphone directory hardware/software and power-management technology in portable devices. Action has been taken against Apple Inc. as of yesterday to halt the importation, marketing, and sale of the iPhone, iPad and iPod in the United States.

"As the innovator of the original Windows Mobile PocketPC Phone Edition in 2002 and the first Android smartphone in 2008, HTC believes the industry should be driven by healthy competition and innovation that offer consumers the best, most accessible mobile experiences possible," said Jason Mackenzie, vice president of the North American HTC Corporation. "We are taking this action against Apple to protect our intellectual property, our industry partners, and most importantly our customers that use HTC phones."

[view HTC Press-Release here]

Apple Being Sued by HTC for Patent Infringement

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8 Ways to Further Enhance Your Smartphone

Is your smartphone being used to it's maximum potential? Chances are that it probably is not, which is the case with most smartphone owners who typically push their devices up to only about half of their full potential. Here are 8 fantastic smartphone apps to help your Android, BlackBerry, or iPhone become much more than you thought it possibly could. Thanks to PC World for the info!


Turn Apps Into a Social Activity

Want to show off all your apps to your friends? Interested in how other Android users rate the apps they have downloaded? AppBrain is the service for you. AppBrain creates a personal app catalog that you can share with other users, as well as peruse the apps of your AppBrain friends and other users. For Apple users, similar services exist for the iPhone, too. Download AppsFire or Appfinder from the iTunes App Store to start sharing your favorite apps.


Communicate With All Your Friends via Fring

A unifying social networking platform for your mobile phone, Fring allows you to use one single app to communicate across multiple social networking platforms, including AIM, GoogleTalk, ICQ, Skype, Twitter, and Yahoo Messenger. Fring eliminates the need to download specialized apps for each social network or communication tool; now you only have to worry about which friends you want to reach. Fring is available for iPhone, Android, and Nokia devices.


Make Your Android Powered Phone Location-Aware

The smartphone app Locale for Android lets you set automatic preferences for your phone based on your location. If, say, you tend to forget to turn your ringer off when you reach the office, just customize your phone using Locale to switch your ringer to vibrate whenever you get to work. Once you experience Locale's power and convenience, you'll never want to be without it.


Get Around Town With Ease

Hopstop is one of the best ways to plan bus and subway routes in cities with massive (and often confusing) transit systems. Hopstop is available in 16 U.S. cities, including Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. The Hopstop service is available as a mobile Web application compatible with any smartphone that has a browser. For Apple handset users, the Hopstop iPhone app includes phone numbers for taxi services. An SMS version is available for directions, as well.


Find Wi-Fi in Your Area

Apple may have cut Wi-Fi stumblers out of the App Store, but you can still turn to Wi-Fi directories such as JiWire's Wi-Fi Finder to discover over 280,000 hotspots in 140 countries worldwide. JiWire also has an app for Android. A similar service, WeFi, can also help you find a nearby Wi-Fi hotspot; in fact, Fring recently released a WeFi add-on.


Master Automated Menus

Dial Zero is a free application for Android, BlackBerry, and iPhone that promises to deliver the best phone number or strategy for getting a human being on the phone when you're calling a company's toll-free number. Just as Fonolo.com allows you to skip automated menu services for big companies, so does Dial Zero. The major difference is that Fonolo.com automates the process, limiting the number of companies it works with. Dial Zero, in contrast, offers instructions and tricks on how you can reach a real person.


Compare Prices With ShopSavvy

You can find many applications out there that turn your smartphone into a bar-code reader, but the best one out there is ShopSavvy. This app quickly scans any product bar code to do price-comparison shopping online and at local stores. You can also create wish lists or set up price alerts based on your scanned items. ShopSavvy is available for Android, iPhone, and Nokia smartphone devices.


Use Your iPhone as a Mouse

For iPhone users, Logitech offers a handy free app called TouchMouse that turns your iPhone into a wireless mouse by way of your Wi-Fi network. This could be great if you wanted to sit back on the couch and control a laptop hooked up to a TV, for instance. All you need is the iPhone app and the desktop software for Windows or Mac. If you find TouchMouse difficult to control, adjust the "Scrolling Speed" option under "Settings" on the iPhone app.

8 Ways to Further Enhance Your Smartphone

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Android Shakes Up U.S. Smartphone Market Outselling the iPhone

According to information from The NPD Group's Mobile Phone Track there has been a shift in the smartphone market as the Android OS has edged out Apple's iPhone OS for the number-two position just behind RIM. NPD’s leading wireless market research reveals that based on unit sales last quarter, the Android operating system moved into the second position at 28%, ahead of Apple’s OS at 21%, while RIM's OS remained at the number one spot with 36%.

"As in the past, carrier distribution and promotion have played a crucial role in determining smartphone market share," said Ross Rubin, executive director of industry analysis for NPD. "In order to compete with the iPhone, Verizon Wireless has expanded its buy-one-get-one offer beyond RIM devices to now include all of their smartphones."

Strong sales of the Droid, Droid Eris, and Blackberry Curve via these promotions helped keep Verizon Wireless’s smartphone sales on par with AT&T in Q1. According to NPD’s Mobile Phone Track, smartphone sales at AT&T comprised nearly a third of the entire smartphone market (32%), followed by Verizon Wireless (30%), T-Mobile (17%) and Sprint (15%).

"Recent previews of BlackBerry 6, the recently announced acquisition of Palm by HP, and the pending release of Windows Phone 7 demonstrates the industry’s willingness to make investments to address consumer demand for smartphones and other mobile devices," Rubin said. "Carriers continue to offer attractive pricing for devices, but will need to present other data-plan options to attract more customers in the future."

The continued popularity of messaging phones and smartphones resulted in slightly higher prices for all mobile phones, despite an overall drop in the number of mobile phones purchased in the first quarter. The average selling price for all mobile phones in Q1 reached $88, which is a 5 percent increase from Q1 2009. Smartphone unit prices, by comparison, averaged $151 in Q1 2010, which is a 3 percent decrease over the previous year.

[via NPD.com]

Android Shakes Up U.S. Smartphone Market Outselling the iPhone

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3 Tips and Tricks for Your iPhone Keyboard

New technology is released to the world nearly every day it seems. Every time that you have a new technology, you are required and responsible for learning how to use it correctly. However, sometimes this can become very confusing and frustrating, especially if there isn’t a whole lot of additional information out there. A prime example of this is would be Apple’s increasingly popular iPhone.

Upon purchasing your very first iPhone, you will probably spend at least a couple of hours by yourself getting familiar with the various technologies inside the amazing multi-use cell phone. However, there are some tips that cannot be learned just by you playing around with it and must be learned with guidance from another source. Fortunately, that source is right here in front of you.

One of the best tips concerns the keyboard, so let’s begin. With such a unique feature as the touch screen keyboard, there are a number of tips you should be aware of in order to keep your messages flowing. Following these tips will enable you to type faster with fewer errors, and you will find typing to be a breeze. The first tip involves typing the letters into your iPhone.

When you want to enter a letter, you tap on it; but the letter isn't placed onto the screen until you lift your finger off of it. What this means is that if you accidentally touch the wrong key, you just slide your finger to the correct letter. When you have found the right letter, lift your finger and it will be placed onto the screen. This tip helps fix most typing errors, and will hopefully save you a lot of time.

At the same time, there are many people that have found the auto-correction within the keyboard to be a great way to keep your text clear and easy. The downside is that it is very easy to accept a word that you didn't intend on typing. In order to stay free from this confusion, you must learn how to accept and reject suggested words. When you are ready to accept a word, you will tap either return, space or a punctuation mark. If you want to reject a suggested word, you need to finish typing the word and then tap it.

In addition, if you write out a full word two different times and tap on them both times, that word will automatically be entered into your iPhone’s dictionary. It could take a while to store all of your most used words into the dictionary, but it will be worth it because your iPhone will become blazing fast.

And lastly, here is a tip for capitalizing your words. To capitalize the first letter of a word, you simply tap the shift key and then tap the letter you want capitalized, but what about capitalizing the entire word? Go to settings, and then tap general, followed by keyboard. From here just tap the "Enable Caps Lock" setting. Now when you double tap the shift key it will turn blue, indicating that you will be typing in all caps.

3 Tips and Tricks for Your iPhone Keyboard

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