Posts Tagged ‘ iPhone ’

Essential Service: Rhapsody

When it comes to modern music services, few are exemplary as Rhapsody. It offers plenty of features, is available on a wide range of devices, and comes at a price that very hard to ignore. Rhapsody’s music streaming element is what originally caught my attention and turned me into a paying customer. However, I’ve decided to stay a paying customer because of its other features, such as Rhapsody Radio, the Music Guide, and the ability to download playlists. Rhapsody Radio allows users to create custom radio channels that will play music based off of either a single artist / band or a group of different artists / bands. Users can also choose to listen to pre-made Radio channels, such as those based on a particular genre or time of years. The Music Guide is where users will find the vast library of Rhapsody’s musical content. This content can be browsed in multiple ways, such as with the search box, by new releases, by top charts, or by genre. My favorite feature that Rhapsody offers is its ability to download playlists. When I use Rhapsody on my Android phone, I’ve gotten used to streaming music from my library. However, doing so depends heavily on my cell phone signal strength. Being able to download playlists removes this road block, since music is then played locally from my cell phone itself. On top of all these awesome features, Rhapsody also has apps available for a wide array of smartphone platforms, which includes Android phones and the iPhone. One more thing….all of this comes at a cost of just $10 per month. Not a bad deal at all.

If you’re an avid music fan, I would strongly suggest you subscribe to the Rhapsody music service.

Find out more here: http://www.rhapsody.com/welcome.html

 

 

Sign of The Times

 

After their instruments were stolen, members of Brooklyn, New York based rock band Atomic Tom were still able to put on a decent show in a subway car, of all places. Through sheer ingenuity, they decided to replace their instruments with apps on their iPhone 4’s.  They can be seen in the following video using apps such as Virtuoso Piano, Guitar, Pocket Drums, and Microphone Pro, all of which sound great together. The fact that a band can put on as great a performance as Atomic Tom did, with nothing more than their cell phones, is a real testament to the modern technological times we live in. It’s amazing to me that our cell phones are no longer just a communications medium, but everything else as well. They can also be our musical instruments, reading device, and video game platform, among other things. It’s awesome that everything that we could ever need, technologically speaking, can be found in a device that fits in our pockets.

Check out Atomic Tom’s impromptu subway performance:

 

Like their sound? You can find out more about them on the bands Myspace:

http://www.myspace.com/atomictom

Thoughts on iPhone 4

iPhone 4 is the latest iteration of Apple’s popular smartphone, and it includes several enhancements and new features.

Retina Display

One of the more notable enhancements is the screen, which uses Apples Retina Display technology to display clearer and sharper images and videos at a pixel density that is higher than the human eye can perceive. While the Retina Display does produce higher quality visuals than its predecessors,  the enhancement is not as great as Apple may make it out to be, simply because it may not be noticeably better than that on previous iPhone models. Case in point, during his keynote address at the Worldwide Developers Conference 2010 (WWDC10), Steve Jobs had to zoom in on the iPhone 4 screen in order to show the audience the enhancement. When viewed normally, the enhanced images quality on the iPhone 4 is hard to see.

Casing

Another enhancement of the new iPhone is its casing. The iPhone 4 is now covered on the front and back with manufactured glass that is said to be as strong as the windshield on military-grade helicopters. However, these claims made by Apple have turned out to be false, since the glass will shatter after a fall from as low as as 3.5 feet. The iPhone is also bordered in a stainless steel band that serves to hide its quad-band antenna, which allows it to be used as a world phone. Also, if size is an issue, the slimmer profile of the iPhone 4 will be a major selling point.

iOS4

The new iPhone comes loaded with iOS4, which is the new upgrade to its operating system that itself includes plenty of new features. One such feature is multitasking, which allows multiples apps to run at the same time, and I can see this being a very useful addition to the functionality of not only iPhone 4, but also to the iOS4 platform in general. Another new and useful feature is the ability to create app folders simply by dragging icons on top of each other. The operating system upgrade also brings with it new apps such as iBooks and iMovie.   iBooks is Apple’s eReader app that can be used to read not only books downloaded from iTunes, but also .pdf files and documents. However, I personally prefer the Amazon Kindle app because books downloaded from Amazon.com typically cost $9.99. iMovie is Apple’s simple video editing app that can be used to edit videos filmed with the new iPhones….

Two Cameras

Yes, iPhone 4 has not one but two cameras. The camera on the back, which has a 5MP sensor and an LED flash, can be used for both still photography and video capture. The new front facing camera can currently be used with Apples FaceTime app to make video calls. However, this feature only works for iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 calls, which means an iPhone 4 cannot make a video call to any previous iPhone model, or any other phone for that matter.

In my opinion, iPhone 4 simply does not scream “Upgrade!” Its new display is only marginally better than that on current iPhones, and its casing is no more durable than previous iterations. However, the new operating system does offer some enticing new features, but these features can also be used on the iPhone 3GS and 3G after upgrading to iOS4 for free. On top of that, the new video conference feature only works from iPhone 4 to iPhone 4. While iPhone 4 may not be a worthy upgrade, it can be a very useful smartphone for those new to the iPhone platform.

2000-2009: A Technological Retrospective


Wow, what a difference 10 years makes. In a couple weeks 2009 will be over, and with it a whole decade of technological innovations. This past decade brought us everything from the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console to augmented reality. Obviously, I cannot mention every single innovation that came out in the past ten years.  However, I can mention those innovations that were, at the time of their release, revolutionary in some form. The following is a list of just that:

2000

  • Innovation:
    • Sony PlayStation 2

  • How was it revolutionary?
    • The console not only played highly-graphical video games, but was also the first of its kind to play DVD movies. At the time, stand-alone DVD players were fairly expensive, costing $300 or more. The popularity of the PlayStation 2 helped push the DVD format into the mainstream market.

2001

  • Innovation:
    • Apple iPod

  • How was it revolutionary?
    • The original iPod not only helped bring Apple back into the forefront of modern technology, but also sparked the MP3 revolution. This is the device that pushed CD players out of the market and replaced it with hard disk based music jukeboxes.

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  • Innovation:
    • Microsoft Windows XP

  • How was it revolutionary?
    • This is the operating system that most people and businesses still use today. It is a force to be reckoned with, even for Microsoft which has released two newer operating systems (Vista, 7) in more recent years.

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  • Innovation:
    • ReplayTV

  • How was it revolutionary?
    • ReplayTV was the original TiVo,  in a matter of speaking. It was the first DVR to come to market that gave TV viewers the ability to pause, fast forward, rewind, and even record live TV broadcasts. Today, all cable and satellite TV providers offer DVR’s to their customers.

2002

  • Innovation:
    • Mac OS X Jaguar

  • How was it revolutionary?
    • The new version of Apple’s operating system included improvements in stability, speed, and added several new applications. The addition of Quartz Extreme processing allowed all graphical tasks to be handled by the systems Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), instead of the Central Processing Unit (CPU).

2003

  • Innovation:
    • XM Satellite Radio

  • How was it revolutionary?
    • Subscription-based satellite radio was the biggest change in radio since FM. XM’s main selling points were coast-to-coast channels and fewer commercials than FM radio. The service has become so popular that several automakers now offer it as an option in their vehicles.

  • Innovation:
    • Intel Pentium M Processor

  • How was it revolutionary?
    • Intel new mobile processor standardized wireless networking in laptops and spurred the growth of wireless hot spots. Today, free wireless Internet access can be found all over the world in coffee houses, restaurants, and even in airplanes.

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  • Innovation:
    • Apple iTunes

  • How was it revolutionary?
    • By pairing their iTunes music program with their iPod MP3 players, Apple effectively figured out how to get consumers to buy music online, which is something the record labels themselves could not do. What made it possible was iTunes intuitive interface and the limited restrictions on usage.

  • Innovation:
    • Camerphones

  • How was it revolutionary?
    • Cellphones with built-in cameras, such as the LG VX6000 (shown), came to market in 2003 and were a huge hit. So much so that nowadays all modern cellphones, even basic models, are capable of taking and sending pictures.

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2004

  • Innovation:
    • Bluetooth

  • How was it revolutionary?
    • The new wireless communications protocol made big waves in 2004 when Bluetooth headsets became the must have accessory for cell phones. A few years later, after their benefits were noticed by US governmental officials, use of Bluetooth headsets became mandatory in the US.

2005

  • Microsoft Xbox 360

  • How was it revolutionary?
    • Microsoft’s latest video game platform introduced their redeveloped Xbox Live service, which allows gamers to play against each other all over the world. The console has recently also become a social and media hub, with features such as Facebook and Netflix integration.

2006

  • Innovation:
    • Youtube

  • How was it revolutionary?
    • This video sharing site sparked an Internet revolution by allowing videos to be uploaded and shared for free.

  • Innovation:
    • Toshiba HD-A1

  • How was it revolutionary?
    • Toshiba’s original HD-DVD player sparked the movement to high definition movies at home.

2007

  • Innovation:
    • Nintendo Wii

  • How was it revolutionary?
    • The Nintendo Wii’s major selling point is it’s motion controls, which adds an extra level of interactivity to it’s games.
  • Innovation:
    • Apple iPhone

  • How was it revolutionary?
    • The extreme popularity of the original iPhone sparked the touch revolution, inspiring other phone makers to offer models with touch sensitive user interfaces as well.


2008

  • Innovation:
    • Macbook Air

  • How was it revolutionary?
    • The popularity of the Macbook Air inspired other notebook makers, such as Dell and Lenovo, to offer smaller and more portable notebook models.

2009

  • Innovation:
    • Augmented Reality

  • How was it revolutionary?
    • Augmented reality is a brand new technology that promises to change the way we see the world around us. It started this year with smartphone applications, such as Layar and Yelp, that provide users with information based on what they point their phones camera at.

If you have read this far, then you should realize by now that the past 10 years has brought a number of revolutionary technologies. I simply cannot wait to see what the next 10 years brings us. Look out for my next Technological Retrospective sometime in December 2019. That is, if WordPress and the Internet are still around….

Air Mouse for the iPhone / iPod Touch

airmouse-icon2Do you have an awesome home theater PC or Mac set up, but need a cool, efficient way to control it? While there are plenty of solutions to this common problem, Air Mouse is by far the best, in my opinion. You’ll soon see why it is even worth its $6 price tag in the iTunes App Store. Not only does this app have the common trackpad and keyboard, but it also has accelerometer support that allows it to be used in either portrait or landscape orientation. On top of that, it also recognizes and indicates the active program or window. For example, if you are using a media player, such as Windows Media Player or iTunes, appropriate function keys appear on the bottom half of the iPhone screen. If you are giving a presentation, Air Mouse can even be used a pointer. I have even found it useful as a trackpad for my PC, where it replaces my mouse.

To use this application, you must first download and install the server program onto your PC or Mac from the website below. This is a small program that runs as a background process and allows the iPhone app to control your machine. Once that is installed, you can then download and install the client application onto your iPhone, just like any other app from the iTunes App Store.

Air Mouse is really a great app that I’m sure you will find very useful.

More info: http://www.mobileairmouse.com/