iPhone 3G S: The Technologizer Review

On Wednesday, Apple released iPhone OS 3.0–an operating-system upgrade that not only sports a hundred new features but is free to iPhone users. Today, it began selling the iPhone 3G S, a product that offers eight significant improvements over the iPhone 3G at most, and which is most definitely not free. (If you’re not under contract to AT&T, it’ll run you $199 for the 16GB model and $299 for the 32GB one; if you’re in the midst of an AT&T  contract that isn’t running out soon, it’ll cost you more.)

The iPhone 3G S isn’t a dramatic reinvention of the iPhone hardware–it’s an evolutionary advance, in an identical case. But that’s in no way a criticism. The iPhone 3G was an exceptional product, and the 3G S improves strategically on most of the earlier phone’s weak spots; it packs the iPhone 3.0 software and all its improvements; it’s an extraordinarily   well-integrated product. I’m not going to say it’s the best smartphone for everyone–for instance, if you refuse to buy a phone without a physical keyboard, you have no reason to feel guilty. But when you judge the iPhone 3G S’s melding of hardware, software, services, and available applications, it’s the best smartphone the world has known to date. By quite a bit.

Here’s what’s new, in rough order of importance.

Continue reading this story…

Report: Steve Jobs Returning to Apple After Liver Transplant

We’re now in late June–the timeframe when Steve Jobs said he would return to his work as Apple CEO when he announced he was going on medical leave last January. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Jobs is planning to do so–possibly part-time at first–and that he had a liver transplant about two months ago from which he’s recovering well. If true, it’s all good news. Lotsa coverage going on about all this, but I’m not a doctor or an Apple shareholder, so I’ll just rerun a photo I snapped at Macworld Expo San Francisco in 2008, when Jobs announced the MacBook Air. May I be able to take similar photos again before too terribly long…

Microsoft Subsidizes iPhone 3G S

File this one under “irony”‘ Microsoft’s is providing an incentive to purchase Apple’s iPhone though its Bing marketing campaign. In an attempt to entice users to try its Bing search engine, the company is offering 35% discount for AT&T’s online store, which sells iPhones.

When Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said that Apple’s iPhone had “no chance” of gaining significant market share, no one would have expected that Microsoft would lend a hand one day.

The discount is valid for both existing and new customers. However, it is not immediately deducted from the purchase price for AT&T customers. Happy shopping. Could I also interest you in some Bing merchandise?

Microsoft’s Next Search Move? Bing Merchandise.

You have to give the Bing faithful some credit. These folks are a persevering bunch and despite indications that it’s not doing all that much better than Windows Live did, they’d have you believing its the second coming of Google. Well, now the company is going full bore now and plans to offer merchandise to promote its new “decision engine.”

That’s right. Want a nice t-shirt emblazoned with the Bing logo? According to sources at Microsoft, its coming. How about a nice coffee mug or mousepad? That will probably be on its way too.

(This seems about as well thought out as Microsoft’s attempt at making dorkiness fashionable through its own line of clothing introduced last December.)

Call me crazy, but what is the point of this other than to appease the Microsoft fandom? Who really would want to buy this stuff? Is Redmond that desperate to beat Google that it would do just about anything to get the Bing name out in front of consumers?

There is such a thing as over-saturation in marketing. It’s probably the most feared event among public relations professionals: where a brand is in front of the consumers face so much that it actually begins to drive them away.

Bing seems awfully close to this. Google did not get to where it is now through a $100 million ad budget: it just worked well for consumers, who gravitated to it naturally. Microsoft seems to think it will just be able to advertise it’s way into contention.

Unfortunately for them the world does not work like that.

AT&T: iPhone Tethering Rumors are False

The latest rumor du jour regarding AT&T’s tethering support says that it could cost as much as $55 per month on top of an unlimited data plan for the functionality. This has sparked even more criticism against the already battered carrier, something it is not going to allow to happen.

From the company’s official Facebook page: “There are a lot of reports out there, but wanted you guys to know that rumors of $55 tethering plan on top of an unlimited data plan are false. We’ll have more news to share when the iPhone tethering option is closer to launch.”

It is not exactly clear what AT&T will charge, but apparently it’s not going to be $55. Probably far less (let’s hope free, like some other carriers).

iPhone Activation Meltdown: Not Again, Please

On a scale of 1 to 10, my experience buying a new iPhone 3G S this morning was a 9.5 (well, except for the part about showing up at 3:15am). I was in and out of the Apple Store in less than ten minutes with a working phone. It was a vast improvement on my buying encounter last year, when the store’s Windows CE-powered wireless terminals kept crashing and I spent close to an hour in the store–and left with an iPhone 3G that still didn’t work until I activated it at home.

But AppleInsider is reporting that some people are discovering that their phones aren’t activating, and that iTunes is telling them that it could take 48 hours before they’re all set. (I don’t think the “Waiting for Activation: This May Take Some Time” message mentioned by AI is a sign of trouble–I got that message too, and in my case, the “some time” was around twenty seconds.) Let’s hope that the 48-hour figure is an absurd worst-case scenario, not a likely experience.

I don’t know how widespread the issues reported by AppleInsider are, but a Twitter search for “iPhone activation” returns more tweets by people worrying about activation glitches than by those actually experiencing them. I choose to take that as a sign that things are going smoothly for most folks.

Fun With Microsoft’s Xbox Rumors!

At the risk of beating this story to death, I’m going to dip back into the Xbox 360/Project Natal hysteria to parse out what’s actually been established over the last week. As 1Up wrote after the most recent-back-and forth, Microsoft is “creating reasonable doubt until they unveil their plans.” Here’s how, using the original 1UP story and Steve Ballmer’s remarks along with official comments that followed:

Rumor has it: Project Natal, Microsoft’s 3D motion-sensing camera, will be released in 2010.

Microsofs official statement: The company says “we have not confirmed a launch date at this time.” That could mean anything. It certainly doesn’t rule out a release for next year.

Rumor has it: Project Natal will be sold as a standalone device for the Xbox 360.

Microsoft’s official statement: “Natal will run on Xbox 360 so no new console investment will be necessary.” This wasn’t much of a rumor to begin with, as the technology was showcased on the Xbox 360 at E3, but here’s the confirmation.

Rumor has it: Microsoft will also launch a new console with Project Natal built-in.

Microsoft’s official statement: “We’re not going to be launching a new console any time soon.” This is vague, I suspect deliberately. It’s like that scene in Spaceballs: “When will then be now?” “Soon.” “How soon?”

Rumor has it: The Natal-integrated console will have slightly better hardware than the existing Xbox 360, though publishers will be able to support both platforms simultaneously.

Microsoft’s official statement: “There will be no new console.” Okay, but that could be interpreted two ways. A slight CPU/GPU upgrade with the same interface, running the same software, could constitute a new console. Or it could be considered a different model in the Xbox 360 family, kind of like how some Xbox 360s have HDMI support and bigger hard drives.

Despite Microsoft’s supposed debunkings, there’s plenty of careful wording in the company’s statements, with wiggle room for everything 1UP reported to come true. Or not. Give Microsoft’s PR department a hand for “clarifying” this ordeal — with a smokescreen.

Incoming FCC Chief Wants Inquiry of Handset Exclusivity

Yesterday, Senators grilled AT&T on the subject of mobile phone handset exclusivity deals. Today, it was revealed that incoming FCC chief Julius Genachowski plans to take a look at these deals as well, saying he wants to promote competition and choice. Genachowski’s plans were revealed as part of a response to questions from the same  committee that held hearings on the subject this week.

Senator John Kerry pleaded with the FCC to act after the Rural Cellular Association, a interest group representing 80 rural carriers, complained about the practice. Genachowski acknowledged RCA’s petition, saying he planned to act on it if confirmed.

The moves to end exclusivity deals would signal a major victory for rural carriers, which are typically shut out of such deals. In addition, it would also likely mean broader availability of top handsets regardless of carrier.

Current acting chairman Michael Copps also has spoke out against the deals, saying “the Commission as the expert agency should determine whether some of these arrangements adversely restrict consumer choice or harm the development of innovative devices, and it should take appropriate action if it finds harm.”

He is also asking officials within the FCC to start investigating these deals, meaning by the time Genachowski is confirmed an inquiry could already be well underway.

iLine Report #3: First in Line, First With an iPhone 3G S

I didn’t set out to be the first person in line to buy an iPhone 3G S at the Stonestown Galleria Apple Store. I merely wanted to get my hands on said phone early so I could begin to write about it for Technologizer. And I figured there might be some fun in blogging about the experience.

After weighing all my options, I decided that preordering from an Apple Store and picking up the phone in person was likely to be the safest strategy for getting a phone early. And it worked. They let the first people in the AT&T line into the mall a few minutes before we Apple customers were ushered in, so it’s possible one or two AT&T buyers got a phone before I did. But at 7:09am, I was walking out of the mall with my 32GB iPhone 3G S in hand. (It’s white, not black–I figured that if Apple wasn’t going to change the iPhone’s case, I needed a different color as a crutch.)

A few photos from the morning’s events after the jump.

Continue reading this story…

5Words for Friday, June 19, 2009

Hey, it’s not just iPhone!

$55 to tether your iPhone?

iPhone 3G S box: unexciting.

Microsoft “clarifies” Ballmer xBox news.

Bing: a waste of money?

Microsoft’s free antivirus looks promising.

Pre apps and downloads lag.

Blogger starts to show ads.

A bowling ball for Wii.

Activision might abandon Sony hardware.

iPhone 3.0 stereo Bluetooth rocks.

iLine Report #2: Nothing to See Here

Hey, the sun just came up–which makes it a lot easier to type on a laptop without a light-up keyboard. I felt the need to check in here, but have nothing of consequence to report. There are about eight of us waiting to get into the Apple Store, and maybe three over at the AT&T line. Everyone’s being perfectly pleasant, but there’s not much chatter going on. Maybe we’re too sleepy.

People keep going up to the mall’s front doors and rattling them, as if they might mysteriously turn out to be unlocked, allowing us to go inside and ransack the place. Nope. If we’re lucky, we might get to go inside the mall before the Apple Store opens at 7am, but I don’t see that happening until at least 6:15am.

This is clearly the first year when the release of a new iPhone prompted only a mild iFrenzy, not the all-out iMadness we saw in 2007 and 2008. I wonder when the first year will be when there simply isn’t anyone frantic enough to show up at the crack of dawn at all? iPods seem to sell pretty darn well, but as far as I know, even the most fanatic iPod fan doesn’t rearrange his or her sleeping schedule to buy one.

And while I’m randomly musing: One of the earliest examples of people being so anxious to buy a tech product that they showed up in the wee hours was the release of Windows 95, with its famous midnight lines at CompUSA. It’s been a while since a version of Windows was a big enough deal to merit a shopping extravaganza, but Windows 7 is a substantial upgrade that a lot of people are looking forward to. Will there be midnight openings at Best Buy or Staples? I dunno–one relatively recent development with software is widespread public betas. If you’re super-excited about Windows 7, you’re probably running the release candidate already, and may well sleep in on October 22nd.

More updates later, but if you don’t hear from me, it’s probably good news–I may be making progress in becoming an iPhone 3G S owner.

iLine Report #1: No iMadness Just Yet

Decades from now, when I’m reflecting on a long and happy life, I may pause to take pleasure in having been the first person in line to buy an iPhone 3G S. Or, at least, the first person in line for the Apple Store at the Stonestown mall in San Francisco. When I arrived at 3:15am, I found a velvet rope and nothing else. So I parked myself on a bench. And here I am.

I may be the first person in line, but within ten minutes I had company: There are four of us now. My compatriots are a sociable group, which is a relief-last year, when I waited here for an iPhone 3G, I found the wee-hours crowd a tad feral. The second guy in line confused me by asking if I was here to buy one of the new Macs (which were released last week, and which have inspired no frenzied shopping) but also pointed out that there’s another line set up on the opposite side of the mall entrance. That one’s for an AT&T Store–which the fourth person in line explained to us wasn’t here last year–and it’s actually two lines. One’s for people who reserved a phone in advance; one’s for newcomers. Apple, by contrast, will apparently make us all queue up together. But neither has anyone in it so far.

Other notes on the wait so far:

A) There’s a security car parked here, but as far as I know, there’s nobody in it. If this year’s experience mirrors last year’s, we won’t see any sign of mall or Apple employees for quite awhile.

B) The fourth guy in line is on his third iPhone already; he had one that would get red-hot and burn his ear when he tried to use it.

C) I made the mistake of running out of the house without having had a hearty breakfast. There’s an Olive Garden here awash in neon, and it’s making me hungry.

D) The fifth guy in line (who was just joined by a sixth guy) has started an ugly rumor that the Apple Store decided to delay its planned opening from 7am to 8am.

E) The only people here besides us iLiners are truckers. One’s trying to figure out how to deliver something to the Starbucks inside the mall.

F) Update: A couple of skateboarders have just shown up.

G) It’s cold.

More reports as events warrant…

The Web Evolves to Reflect the Developments in Iran

Almost exactly twenty years ago, the Tiananmen Square uprising made history, and the protesters used a then-hot gizmo called the fax machine to coordinate their efforts. This week, something extraordinary is going on in Iran–and whatever happens, it’s clear that social networks and other Web tools will be remembered for the role they played.

Fax machines were hunks of plastic that remained unchanged throughout the drama in Beijing. The Web, however, can adjust itself on the fly to reflect the situation. Or rather the people who make Web services can. Facebook has just launched a version with a Persian interface, based on contributions from more than 400 Persian speakers. Iranians were already using Facebook; now they can use a version in their native tongue.

Similarly, Google has rolled out a version of Google Translate that can translate from Persion to English and vice versa. I’m not sure about how Google goes about adding new languages to the machine-translation service, but it was able to add Persian this quickly from a standing start, I’m impressed.

Meanwhile, Twitter continues to play an important communications role within and outside of Iran, and I hope that each and every people who’s ever sneered at it as amounting to nothing more than boring people sharing what they had for breakfast will reflect on its use by the Iranian protesters. If you’re gonna by snarky about a medium at its worst, it’s only fair to celebrate it as it helps make history, no?

iPhone 3.0 is a Giant Security Rollup

In the countdown to iPhone 3.0, users were not just waiting for the ability to cut and paste: Apple was sitting on a slew of critical security fixes. CNET is reporting that the iPhone 3.0 software update fixes 46 security vulnerabilities, and I’m not the least bit surprised.

While some teams at Apple may have security expertise, the company lacks a holistic company-wide approach to secure development. The company practices security through obscurity, hoping that hackers will not exploit bugs if that do not know about them, which is not security at all.

Earlier this month, Security expert Rich Mogull sharply criticized Apple for falling short on protecting its customers. He recommended that Apple adopt a security development life cycle (SDL) process that a handful of companies, including Microsoft, implemented several years ago, and share with third party developers.

The number of security vulnerabilities found in Microsoft’s product have dropped markedly, because it changed how it makes its software. No code can be shipped out of Redmond unless it has gone through the SDL process. Apple is another story.

If left unpatched, the iPhone is as exposed as the broad side of a mountain. Twelve iPhone components are exploitable ranging from its Mail application and Safari browser down to lower level graphics and telephony stacks.

Apple’s saving grace is that it controls the iPhone’s application ecosystem, and it’s harder for malware to reach users . It has said that it evaluates apps against security criteria, but I wonder how comprehensive that process is in light of its disjointed vetting process. Maybe it has just been lucky.

In March I called for Apple to assist its developers to write secure Apps for the iPhone. I repeat that call, and am upping the ante by challenging Apple to share its internal processes for secure development (if those processes are even mature enough to share).

I love my iPhone, and own several Apple computers, but I’m not in love with Apple’s halfhearted approach to security.

New Xbox 360 in 2010, Ballmer Says

Microsoft’s motion-sensing video game controller will be integrated with a new Xbox 360 model, due to arrive in 2010, according to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

Ballmer, quoted by TG Daily at an Executive’s Club of Chicago event today, said the console will have a “natural interface” with a built-in camera that can detect movement and voice. That sounds like Project Natal, the 3D motion-tracking camera announced at E3, to me.

Ballmer’s comments confirm — in a roundabout way, perhaps, as TG Daily’s report doesn’t mention Project Natal by name – at least a portion of earlier rumors. 1UP had reported that Project Natal will be integrated into Xbox 360 hardware in 2010 as a rebranded console, along with some minor boosts to the hardware. The motion camera will also be sold as a standalone product for existing Xbox 360s, 1UP’s story said.

This week, the Xbox 360′s director of product management, Aaron Greenberg, halfheartedly debunked the rumors, telling Eurogamer that Natal will run on the Xbox 360 and that “no new console investment” will be necessary to enjoy the motion controller. Another anonymous Microsoft source said the company urged people not to believe the “nonsense on the Internet.” Neither of those comments are firm denials of upgraded hardware, and TG Daily had nothing to report on the matter.

I’ve already talked about why a new console with shinier graphics is a bad idea. In short, the headaches for existing console owners and for game developers would outweigh the benefits of more processing power. But it’s perfectly logical for Microsoft to release an Xbox 360 SKU with the motion camera built in. If the company’s looking to attract new gamers, selling an all-in-one bundle is the best way to do it.

Update: Here’s what Microsoft is saying on the matter; it seems very similar to what Eurogamer got this week: “As the Xbox team stated at E3 two weeks ago, we are not even halfway through the current console generation lifecycle and believe Xbox 360 will be the entertainment center in the home for long into the next decade.  Project Natal will be an important part of this platform, but we have not confirmed a launch date at this time.”

Blu-ray Might Have Won the Battle, But It’s Losing the War

Polling from research firm Harris released on Thursday paints a not so rosy picture for Blu-ray, the winning high definition optical disc format. In fact, more than a year after it “won” over HD DVD, it still trails its now-defunct competitor by several percentage points. That has to have some at Sony a little concerned.

Harris says 7 percent of Americans own a Blu-ray player, up from 4 percent a year ago. Compare this to HD DVD’s performance, which is actually up 5 percent from 2008 to 11 percent. How could a format that doesn’t even exist anymore do better than one that does? Simple answer — price.

Since HD DVDs fall, prices on Blu-ray players have changed little. Similarly, media remains expensive. I chuckle when passing by the Blu-ray section: most films are still retailing for $25-30 in many cases, which seems high given the current state of the economy.

Players are also expensive — generally remaining above $200. There are a few now below that, but most are not. Like many have said, high-def disc just isn’t enough of a change for most to justify the premium.

There’s worse news down the pike. Only 7 percent of respondents say they plan to buy a Blu-ray player in the next year, which is actually down two points from 2008.

I don’t see how Blu-ray ends up winning this battle. With streaming media continuing to become more popular, and the technology behind it improving, the format’s window of opportunity is closing.

Streaming, on-demand media is the future of entertainment. Physical media is not. I wonder how many inside Sony are regretting now not trying to work with HD DVD and avoiding the format war.

Sony may have won against HD DVD, but it seems to be losing with the consumer.