Our friend Jens Chr Brynildsen, a Flash expert who maintains a number resources for the standard including Flash Magazine, has reportedly confirmed with Adobe Systems’ Sr. Director of Engineering, Paul Betlem, that Flash is coming to the iPhone. However, Betlem says that “Apple calls the shots as to when it’ll be available.”
Brynildsen got the confirmation at an Adobe Town Hall meeting session. He reports:
“Upon a direct question from the audience, Paul Betlem for the first time publicly confirmed that Adobe is actively developing a Flash Player for Apple’s popular phone. He said (not direct quote) ‘My team is working on Flash on the iPhone, but it’s a closed platform.’ He noted that Apple makes all the decisions, so in other words, the ball is in Apple’s yard at this time. If Apple says yes, Adobe will have the player available in a very short time.”
In mid-June, Adobe’s CEO said that company already has Flash running on an iPhone emulator (presumably the same emulator included with Apple’s iPhone SDK).
As we’ve pointed out several times, Flash performance and usage is abysmal on current mobile devices that support playback. Mobile device processors — including the iPhone’s — simply aren’t fast enough to handle most Flash-laden sites. Flash Lite, the scaled down standard designed specifically for mobile devices, is even too much for most devices, and isn’t widely used.
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It’s not exactly gadgetry, but if you think you haven’t been showing your iPhone some love lately, then accessorize! When it comes to serving drinks, there’s not much you can do with devices, but these coasters will not only let you serve in style, but will also complement your
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Microsoft has included keyboards in its SideWinder line of gaming hardware. Is this a case of too little, too late, or does the X6 stand a chance against the competition? Here are excerpts from the review: All things considered, it’s a very good gaming keyboard for the price. It’s
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Ted Landau
October 2008
Later this week, I’m off for a trip to Japan. I never go anywhere without my iPhone anymore. Japan will be no exception. But I will be taking the phone with some trepidation. Knowing that international charges can be exorbitant, I’ve spent a good deal of time determining what, if anything, I could do to keep costs to a minimum. To save you from having to do the same legwork, here’s what I learned:
Q. What’s the executive summary?
A. The cheapest thing you can do, by far, is leave your phone at home. Or treat it as if it were an iPod touch, never connecting to any network except a Wi-Fi one (Wi-Fi usage remains free except for any local charge). Otherwise, using an iPhone in most foreign countries will likely cost you somewhere between a hefty sum and your entire life savings. With some planning and prudence, however, you can make sure your costs stay down near the hefty sum end.
Q. First off, can I even use my iPhone as a phone in other countries?
A. For simplicity, I will assume you are a U.S. resident on a trip overseas. Given that, the answer still depends on the country you are visiting. Japan, for example, only supports 3G networks. So forget using an original iPhone there; at least as a phone. No cellular networked features will be available. AT&T has a Web page that can help you determine the network requirements for your destination; you may also find this other AT&T page helpful.
Q. Assuming I can use the phone, how much does it cost to make or receive a phone call?
A. You’ll be using the “roaming” rate. In most cases, the standard rate is $2.29 per minute (or $2.49 on a cruise ship). However, as an iPhone owner, AT&T gives you its discounted “World Traveler” rate of only $1.69 per minute.
Even with the discount, the dollars quickly add up. Get out your calculator. If you take a 10 day vacation, and use your phone only 5 minutes per day, it will set you back $84.50. Use it for an average of 15 minutes a day and you’ll be paying $253.50. And that’s on top of the normal monthly charges for the iPhone!
Don’t even think about having a conversation via text messages: they cost 50 cents per message.
Given all this, I’ve decided that I will only be making or taking calls in an emergency. If I want to make a reservation for dinner, for example, I’ll ask the hotel to do it for me.
Q. What about Internet data services? Is there an extra charge for that?
A. One guess.
You’re already paying $30 or more a month for a data plan. But that’s pocket change compared to what it will cost you to use Safari or Maps or send email while on an overseas trip. The standard rate is 2 cents per kilobyte. That may not sound like a lot. But get out your calculator again. Suppose you use just 5MB per day on your 10 day trip, or 50MB for your entire trip. That adds up to (you might want to sit down here) $1024. Your read correctly: more than 1000 greenbacks.
Thankfully, there is a cheaper alternative. Much cheaper. You can purchase (before you leave on your trip) one of AT&T’s International Data Packages (see this AT&T iPhone page for full details). For example, keeping with our 50MB example, you can get a 50MB Data Global Add-On for just $59.99 per month. It doesn’t matter that your trip is less than a month. There’s no pro-rated discount. It’s $59.99 or nothing. Not surprisingly, there’s similarly no refund for unused MBs, if any, at the end of your trip. You also have to remember to call AT&T when you get back, and cancel the plan, or you will be automatically charged for additional months. One more thing: If, after you cancel, you are late-billed for data used during your trip, you’ll be billed at the standard rate even though the discount plan was in effect at the time of the usage! I’m not kidding. That’s what they told me.
In spite of all of that, the savings are enormous. $1024 vs. $59.99. That’s a savings of $964 or 94%. The package rate works out to only 0.12 cents per KB. Even if you go beyond your allotted 50MB, the Data Package still offers a benefit. The overage rate is bumped up to only 0.5 cents per KB. That’s 25% of the standard rate. This means that if you used 100MB during your trip, and you had the 50MB package, it would cost you $256 for the 50MB in overage. That’s far from cheap, but much less than it would have cost you at the standard rate.
Of course, if you knew for sure that you would be using 100MB during your trip, you’d be better off get the 100MB package for $119.99. The problem is that deciding the best package in advance of your trip is a guessing game. Guess too low and you pay the overage rate for some of your data; guess too high and you waste money on MBs that you never used.
Regardless, if you plan on using data services during your trip, get one of the Data Packages. Getting no plan at all is simply stupid.
This leaves one last question here: If AT&T can charge as little as .12 cents per KB and still apparently make a profit, how can they possibly justify the outrageous standard fee of 2 cents per KB? How can charging over $1000 for transferring 50MB of data begin to make sense? Here’s how: It’s the same reason that phone companies can charge ridiculous amounts for sending text messages or downloading ringtones. Because they can. It’s legal robbery — taking advantage of those who are unaware of the lurking dangers. But that’s another story.
Q. How can I tell how much data I am using?
A. To help you decide which Data Package to purchase, check on your iPhone’s data usage while still at home. To do so, go to Setttings > General > Usage. At the bottom is the Cellular Network Data category, showing the amount of Sent and Received data (in MB) since the time of your last reset (as listed at the very bottom of the screen). To set everything back to zero, tap the Reset Statistics button. You can now track how much data per day you are using.
Bear in mind that you may be accessing Wi-Fi a greater percentage of the time at home than you will on your trip. If so, the estimate may not be as accurate as you would want. Remember, Wi-Fi usage does not affect the Cellular Data Network Data stats.
Tap Reset Statistics again when you arrive at your destination. You can now check the Usage stats to see if and when you start approaching the limits of your Data Package.
The iPhone’s Usage screen.
Q. What else can I do to keep costs down while on my trip?
A. There are several things you can do:
For starters, as already implied, use Wi-Fi as often as possible, rather than the 3G network. That may not be an option if you need Internet access and no Wi-Fi connection can be found. But if it’s possible to delay your task until you have Wi-Fi access, do so.
Go to Settings > General > Network. Make sure Data Roaming is OFF. This will prevent your iPhone from accessing any cellular network data services, even automatically when you might be unaware of it, if a roaming surcharge would be applied. From this same screen, you can additionally turn off “Enable 3G.” In countries such as Japan, this effectively prevents you from making or receiving any phone calls.
At the most extreme, but simpler to do, you can enable the iPhone’s Airplane Mode, essentially turning your iPhone into an iPod and game machine.
If you intend to leave all of the above options enabled, at least disable Push and set Fetch to Manually. Do this by going to Settings > Fetch New Data. Also turn off Location Services at Settings > General. These changes can reduce usage at least a bit. Remember, you are free to reverse any of these settings whenever you want the access back temporarily.
Q. What about charging my iPhone? Do I need to buy an adapter or something?
A. Possibly not. Here’s one place where you could save a bit of money.
The iPhone’s power adapter is designed for international use. It’s 100-240v and 50-60 Hz. These ranges include almost every possible combination you might confront in different countries. So there should be no need for any sort of converter.
However, you may still need to buy an adapter (such as Apple’s somewhat pricey World Travel Adapter Kit) to accommodate the varying plug designs in different countries. Japan is one exception. It uses the same type of 2-prong plug as here in the United States. So no adapter is needed. A minor financial victory for me, as I prepare for my trip. See you when I get back.
To get Ted’s latest book, Take Control of Your iPhone, click the link. To send comments regarding this column directly to Ted, click here. [Note the new email address. The old address, as listed in prior columns, is no longer active.]
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Perhaps because the categories had become unwieldy with the huge number of application submissions, Apple has suddenly removed the aggregate categories that combined all subcategories: “See All iPhone apps” and “See All iPod Touch apps.”
Per iPhone Atlas reader Craig Crossman:
“Without (these categories), now you really can’t browse the entire library anymore, seeing what has just been added, upgraded, etc. Now you are being forced to look at the individual categories making it really easy to miss something. This makes it very hard to keep on top of everything. This is awful. WHY did they remove them?”
Feedback? http://www.iphonetlas.com/contact.
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Apple has made an unlocked version of the iPhone 3G available in Hong Kong, letting consumers pick whichever carrier they so choose.
This is in sharp contrast to Apple’s policy for the almost everywhere else on the planet. Unlocked iPhones are rampant worldwide, but that isn’t something that Apple has sanctioned.
Freedom doesn’t come cheap. The 8GB version is available for about $695 (5,400 Hong Kong dollars), while the 16GB iPhone costs about $798 (6,200 HK dollars), according to Apple’s site.
The “iPhone 3G purchased at the Apple Online Store can be activated with any wireless carrier,” the site states. “Simply insert the SIM from your current phone into iPhone 3G and connect to iTunes 8 to complete activation.”
[Originally posted by Natalie Weinstein to News.com]
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The intellectual debate has been raging for quite some time now, with musty, libraryloving traditionalists sharpening their poisoned pencils to attack the new breed of ebooks. Now as easy to read as the printed page and capable of holding vast swathes of scribblings, ebooks are offering a new level of convenience and portability to book lovers. We freely admit that passing on a media file doesn’t quite hold the same romanticism as exchanging a battered, much-loved paperback, but we’d like to see you try and fit 160
paperbacks in your back pocket.
Death match 1: Ease of use
Sony Reader PRS-505
The screen is a decent size and very easy on the eye. The hopelessly hyperopic can hit the magnifying glass to enlarge the text. It’s easy to use, although four methods of turning a page seems a bit excessive.
Iliad Book Edition
We love the flip bar for turning the page and the touch-sensitive screen with stylus. It’s all more intuitive than the Sony, although some icons are too small and fiddly, and new pages take slightly longer to load.
Winner: Iliad Book Edition
Death match 2: Features
Sony Reader PRS-505
You get a free CD with 100 classic tomes, transferable via the simple eBook reader software. The Reader fixes some classic book problems, remembering your place and adding bookmarks that can’t fall out.
Iliad Book Edition
The Book Edition comes with 50 titles. If you invest a bit more and bag the Wi-Fi edition one day in the not too distant future you’ll be able to enjoy RSS and news feeds from newspapers and other providers.
Winner: Sony Reader PRS-505
Death match 3: Price
Sony Reader PRS-505
Supporting the open EPUB format, you can buy books from loads of publishers, including Waterstones and Penguin. Prices are similar to traditional books, but out-of copyright ebooks available for nowt.
Iliad Book Edition
Book prices at iliadreader.co.uk are also comparable to the high street. The Iliad is very expensive, but by using cross-platform MobiPocket reader fi les, you’re not restricted to one shop.
Winner: Sony Reader PRS-505
Death match 4: Conclusion
The Sony Reader PRS-505 is perfect for holiday reading and commuters and
we love the compact size and open format support. We reckon the price is right too. On the Iliad it has great features, smooth interface and an
open source format; there’s a lot to love. If only it wasn’t so pricey…
Winner: Sony Reader PRS-505
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Considering we’ve had one of each for close to a week now, we’re surprised it’s taken SanDisk this long to formally introduce the 16GB microSDHC and M2 memory cards today, after months of rumours.
True, they’re just memory cards, nothing to get particularly excited about - until you hear just how many songs and photos you can squeeze onto them and play via your mobile phone.
Available in October in the US, Europe and Asia, they’re a must-have for anyone with a mobile phone featuring an expandable memory port, such as the Samsung INNOV8 i8510, which we tested the microSD card on. Coupled with the i8510’s internal memory of 16GB, this gave the phone an impressive 32GB of storage.
Depending on the bitrate of the choons and videos you’re transferring to the cards, you can squeeze on between 3,000 - 4,000 tracks and around 16 hours of video footage. Whilst we didn’t test the limits on how many photos a 16GB card can hold (it would’ve taken us years to snap that many on the i8510), supposedly 16GB can fit 15,000 or so pics on. Anyone who actually tests that gets our ultimate respec’.
Transferring MP3s and video onto the cards was a dead-easy process, with a couple of options available - including hiding the small cards in a microSD card adaptor, or just connecting the mobile (with the card inside) to the PC.
Available in October, the 16GB microSDHC will be £45 and the 16GB M2 card will set you back a steep £60.
Related Links
- SanDisk Sansa review
- Samsung INNOV8 review
SanDisk
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It’s the one every axe-wieldin’, drum thrashin’ mic wreckin’ wannabe has been waiting for. Point those Devil horns skywards. We’re going on a World Tour.
Guitar Hero: World Tour sees the first multi-instrumented instalment from the Activision crew, relegating the Rock Band cover group to lowly support act.
Our in-depth video report has a full hands-on with the look and feel of the new kit in this video rock powerhouse, but there’s plenty more to talk about here.
The setlist is the best yet, featuring voice-bustin’ classics like “Livin’ on a Prayer” and “Eye of the Tiger” alongside a host of classic rock and metal tracks. It’s all balls to the wall here.
Online gamers will find a host of new game packs to download, including the new Metallica album Death Magnetic, from the new GHTunes store. You’ll also be able to engage in a full on battle of the bands in the new 8-player mode
Character-wise you can achieve every budding guitarist’s dream and play as Jimi Hendrix, drum as Travis Barker from Blink -182 and have your band fronted by Paramore superfox, and T3’s future wife, Hayley Williams. Shawing!
Graphically it’s Guns N’ Roses to Rock Band’s Nickelback. The motion-capture has been improved with the drummer getting in on the act now. The game just feels more alive and is packed with rich colours.
There’s an extra difficulty setting too. For every drunken 35-year-old woman who loves to bust out “I Will Survive” or “The Greatest Love” at their local Karaoke, the beginner setting is for you. How thoughtful.
Guitar Hero has reached it’s true potential here. Wonderful new instruments, improved gameplay, graphics and downloadable content, it really is the nuts.
Can Rock Band 2 get anywhere close to this? We’re looking forward to finding out, but once again Guitar Hero headlines the virtual rock universe.
Related videos:
- Video Review: Guitar Hero: On Tour for DS
- Hands-on with Rock Band
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Now that we’ve been suitably impressed by Blackberry’s new sexy direction seen in the Bold, the next big thing on everyone’s mind is RIM’s touchscreen wunderkind, the Storm.
Previously named the Thunder, the Storm will feature (save for four tiny buttons on the unit’s base) complete touch screen control, including a revamped browser to go with it and an 8 Gigabyte memory card out of the box. Either way, these pics confirm what we were all hoping; that the Storm will be a sexy beast indeed, and a strong contender iPhone botherer of the year.
(Via Crackberry)
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