We know, half of you aren't even going to read past the headline before you start angrily banging away about Apple's admitted antenna gaff and the still-not-totally-fixed proximity sensor, but we're urging you to look deeper. Think harder. Critique your criticisms. In all seriousness, Apple's iPhone 4 garnered more attention (negative or otherwise) than any other phone released this calendar year, and for good reason -- in fact, Apple itself had to hold an emergency press event just to announce what could've been announced in a PR blast: everyone's getting a free case. That said, Cupertino has still managed to move millions of units in just a few months, and that demand doesn't seem to be dropping off at any significant rate. If you're one of the lucky (or unlucky) ones that have managed to procure Apple's latest iPhone, we're overly anxious to hear your thoughts on changing it. How would you have addressed the antenna issue? Would you have preferred a less drastic departure from the 3GS form factor? Would you have offered more colors than white and black? Thrown in Bluetooth 3.0 for kicks? Go ahead, the floor's yours -- just don't abuse it, cool?

How would you change Apple's iPhone 4? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 22:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What's a boy to do when he desperately needs a portfolio full of galactic imagery of his own doing? In most cases, we'd suggest he grab up a telescope (or one of these), the biggest DSLR he can find and a planetary expert who knows a thing or two about exposure. But thanks to a mod that's becoming more and more common these days, it seems that you can replace the latter recommendations with an iPhone 4. Yep -- Apple's latest smartphone, when paired up with a miniature tripod mount and a telescope, can apparently take lovely shots of our dear moon, and if you're struggling to actually spot it, we hear that Planisphere app is pretty handy. Hit the source links if you're scouting some inspiration.

iPhone 4 cuddles up against telescope, snaps impressive moon closeups originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Barnes & Noble told us this update was in the pipeline when it introduced Nook for Android, and sure enough, said update is hitting the intertubes this fine morning. The iPhone and iPod touch version of the Nook app is said to be completely overhauled, while the iPad edition is the company's first to offer an in-app "rating" feature. In case you couldn't guess, the former also adds support for the iPhone 4's Retina Display, while also tossing in a slew of new customization options (themes, day / night content options, line spacing, font styles, preferred justification, previews, etc.). Finally, today also marks the reintroduction of the Nook for PC client, though it seems that most of the fanciful new features are reserved for the more portable versions. Hop on past the break for the full skinny, and tap that source link to get to downloadin'.

Continue reading Nook for iPhone, iPad and PC see updates, slew of new features in tow

Nook for iPhone, iPad and PC see updates, slew of new features in tow originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 08:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fool us once, shame on us. Fool us twice? Fuhgetaboutit. Apple has a thing for introducing new iPods each fall, and given that the existing touch is being given away gratis with a new student computer (not to mention how long in the tooth it is), we're guessing the tradition will continue in 2010. We'd heard earlier on in the year that Apple may toss FaceTime over to the iPod line whenever it finally gained a front-facing camera, and now the evidence is nearly too strong to ignore. In the latest iOS 4.1 beta (numero three, if you're keeping count), there's an option to connect to a contact via FaceTime by ringing their digits or by pinging their email address. We're guessing that the latter is there mostly for iPod touch users (the ones without Apple Peel 520s, anyway), and it's the most glaring sign yet that the next generation touch will flippin' finally boast a camera (or just a way around that SMS-based activation?). Still, we wouldn't get our hopes up too high -- falling ain't no fun, you know?

Email-based FaceTime support surfaces in iOS 4.1 beta 3 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 Aug 2010 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Well, would you look at that? The v1.2 update to MobileMe iDisk that Apple pushed out last month has a secret -- er, did have a secret. One of the concealed new features of the app is background streaming, or as Apple puts it, the ability to "play audio from your iDisk while using another app." For starters, it's pretty fantastic just to have this functionality in-hand for your own garage jams, but what's more is that any licensed music on your iDisk still streams perfectly fine. Only time will tell if any record labels (or that mean, mean RIAA) step forward with a grievance, but this could very well be the beginning of iTunes in the cloud. Or a reason for buying Lala. Or a mysterious combination of the two.

Apple slyly enables background iDisk music streaming in iOS 4 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You know how we've good reason to believe that Verizon Wireless is at least mulling the switch to capped / tiered data plans? Yeah. An independent Validas research report has found that, between January and May of this year (pre-AT&T caps), Verizon's stable of smartphones collectively averaged more data consumption per month that Apple's iPhone. Of course, this quite literally compares an Apple to every smartphone on Verizon save for BlackBerries, but given how much squalling we've heard from Ma Bell about this rampant iPhone data usage, we're pleased to see a few facts that spin things the other way. The company's full report is due out in September, but investigation of over 20,000 wireless bills found that VZW smartphones "are consuming more wireless data than AT&T iPhones by a ratio of roughly 1.25:1," with the average Verizon user eating up 421MB per month and the average iPhone user consuming 338MB per month. It also points out that "nearly twice as many Verizon Wireless smartphone users are consuming 500MB to 1GB per month compared to AT&T iPhone users." You learn something new everyday, right?

Continue reading Validas study finds Verizon smartphones consuming more data than iPhones

Validas study finds Verizon smartphones consuming more data than iPhones originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 09:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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digg_url = 'http://digg.com/apple/Best_Buy_Offering_Free_invisibleSHIELD_to_iPhone_4_Owners'; It's hard to say for certain what exactly this flyer means, but it sure looks as if at least some iPhone 4 owners will be able to snatch a free invisibleSHIELD 4fix (valued at $9.99 or so) from their local Best Buy. Based on a number of tips that we've received, we're getting the impression that the yellow-tagged retailer could be handing out (and installing) completely free side coverings for any iPhone 4 owner that waltzes into a store, presumably as a proactive measure to fend off returns or to upsell consumers on an entire invisibleSHIELD / separate case. Nothing about this notice makes clear that you actually have to buy your iPhone 4 from Best Buy in order to take advantage, but we probably wouldn't waste a lunch break giving this a go without a verbal confirmation from your local store manager. Until it's made official, of course.

Update: We've heard from another tipster that the deal is indeed legitimate, and it's for any human with an iPhone 4, not just those who purchased their phone from Best Buy. We'd recommend calling your local store to double check, but things are looking up.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Best Buy to offer free invisibleSHIELD 4fix to aggravated iPhone 4 owners originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 10:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oh, sure -- you've got at least 893.1 options (at last count, anyway) when it comes to noise cancelling headphones for your iDevice, but do any of those plug directly into the dock connector instead of requiring a separate battery? Exactly. That's the claim to fame for Blackbox's i10, a new set of earbuds that rely on power from your iPod or iPhone in order to achieve that active noise cancelling action that the youngsters are so crazy about these days. According to the company, these will filter out 92 percent of background noise using Phitek Systems' ANR technology, and the inline remote makes it easy to adjust volume and the like. They're available today for £79.99 ($123) over in the UK, but only heaven knows when they'll mosey over to North America.

[Thanks, Sharmee]

Continue reading Blackbox i10 noise cancelling earbuds tap into iPod / iPhone dock connector for power, pleasure

Blackbox i10 noise cancelling earbuds tap into iPod / iPhone dock connector for power, pleasure originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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digg_url = 'http://digg.com/apple/Apple_begins_iPhone_4_Case_Program_get_your_free_case_now'; Well, there's nothing like masking bad news with good news, right Apple? Just moments after quietly announcing that the white iPhone 4 is now scheduled to ship sometime between tomorrow and your New Year's Eve party, the company has also fired up its iPhone 4 Case Program. Just as Jobs promised last week at an emergency press event, this program will ensure that anyone who purchases an iPhone 4 prior to September 30th will be able to receive an iPhone 4 Bumper or select third-party case from the company at no charge. 'Course, you need to be located in a country or territory that Apple actually ships to, but if that's all squared away, feel free to hit up the App Store to download the iPhone 4 Case Program app. Once there, you'll need to sign into your iTunes Store account, select your Bumper or case and wait oh-so-patiently (read: "3 to 5 weeks"). Better hurry -- wouldn't want the servers to get overloaded, now would we?

Oh, and if you happened to have already purchased a Bumper, the company should be hitting your credit card with a full refund (including any applicable taxes and shipping) momentarily. As for the case / Bumper choices? Every single option is available in any color you like... so long as it's black, of course. There's a black Apple Bumper option, an Incase Snap Case, Belkin Shield Micra, Griffin Motif, Griffin Reveal, Speck Fitted and Speck PixelSkin HD, but again, don't go in hoping to select your favorite hue. Yeah, you're free to bicker about free things -- we won't judge.

Update: If you're one of those wise guys who purchased an iPhone 4 right away just to sell it, you can forget about getting a free case for the handset you no longer own. Apple has arranged this so that only one case can be ordered per iPhone 4, so even if you ordered two under your account name, you'll need two phones to place both of those orders. Check out the error message below if you still don't believe us.

Apple begins iPhone 4 Case Program: apply for your free case or Bumper now originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 08:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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digg_url = 'http://digg.com/apple/White_iPhone_delayed_AGAIN_until_later_this_year'; Man, there's about a zero percent chance that Steve Jobs and company are happy about this. Just days after shocking the market with higher-than-expected profits and revenues, Apple is having to grit its teeth once more with yet another iPhone 4 problem. This time, the elusive white iPhone -- yeah, that one that we toyed with at the WWDC announcement keynote -- is being delayed again. The new due date? Sometime "later this year." Here's the full, and unsurprisingly brief, announcement:

"Statement by Apple on White iPhone 4

White models of Apple's new iPhone(R) 4 have continued to be more challenging to manufacture than we originally expected, and as a result they will not be available until later this year. The availability of the more popular iPhone 4 black models is not affected."

Apple delays white iPhone a second time, won't ship until 'later this year' originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 08:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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