"The iPhone has no secret for you? Well, that's what you think... join us and develop the most challenging product of your life!" So reads a now-removed job listing on Qualcomm's website for an "iPhone Developer Guru" (still cached, thanks to Google). Responsibilities will include "iPhone software design and development but not restricted to it" as well as some Android and... oh, you've already jumped to conclusions, have you? The forerunners of CDMA technology asking for iPhone software engineering? Teasing with the most challenging product of your life? We wouldn't fault for Qualcomm for a bit of boasting, and for all we know this could be much ado about nothing. Then again, we really don't know anything, and this isn't exactly some super clue in some giant mystery. Sorry, Encyclopedia Brown; don't get your hopes up.

Qualcomm job listing for iPhone dev guru sets internet absolutely aflutter originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 19:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We love Android's 24-hour app return policy, so when we heard about Apple opening a "Try Before You Buy" section in the App Store, we grabbed the closest iDevice in our proximity to see what exactly was up. Only, it isn't exactly what we expected given the name. Located under Features -> Free on the App Store, the new section serves only to highlight the free / "lite" edition of apps with premium older siblings. A smart and organized section, sure, but the for-pay programs without a demo will still be a risk your iTunes account will have to take. Them's the breaks; might as well add it to your personal iOS 5 wishlist alongside widgets and a new notification system.

iPhone's App Store 'Try Before You Buy' section isn't exactly what you're hoping for originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Aug 2010 20:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Back when we outlined the iOS 4 features missing from iPhone 3G, we forgot one key bullet point: performance. As more and more two-year veterans of Apple's phones have taken the plunge and upgraded to the latest firmware, slowdown and battery drain issues have become a common complaint, which is even more irksome when you think of just how little the update really adds to the UI. The Wall Street Journal reports speaking to an Apple spokesperson who said the company is looking into the matter. That doesn't necessarily mean a fix is coming anytime soon, but hey, at least you can hold the darn thing however you want.

Apple investigating issues with iOS 4 upgrade on iPhone 3G originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Developers, developers, developers: Apple is now seeding the second iteration of the iOS 4.1 beta your way. It's been just shy of two weeks since beta 1 hit the scene, which is about on par with the pace of revisions for previous beta releases. We haven't had a chance yet to dive in and see what changes are afoot, but we're downloading now and will be sure to let you know if we notice anything.

[Thanks, Brad]

Apple iOS 4.1 beta 2 now available for developers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sure, we in the US are pretty much stuck with AT&T when it comes to iPhone 4 indulgence, but Canada gets to pick -- for a price. We knew the of the option up north but not how much, and according to CBC News, that'll be $659 for 16GB, $779 for 32GB, and $549 for the 8GB iPhone 3GS. All Canadian dollars, of course -- the US conversion would be about $637 / $753 / $530, respectively. Carriers are still offering it up for a discount on contract, and to be perfectly honest, we think that's probably the route most people will take anyway. All the same, gotta love having a choice.

iPhone 4 for Canada gets unlocked price: freedom is far from free originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 01:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We had a feeling Apple wasn't done showing off the apparent reception woes of its competitors -- after all, the company already updated once this week with the Nokia N97 mini. Now it's going after Motorola's celebrity of the moment (and known iPhone 4 bully), the Droid X. You can see Cupertino's results in the video after the break, but unlike Apple's other videos, we can't seem to recreate this one as easily with our Droid Xs. But hey, it's not like anyone's gonna buy a big phone anyway, right?

Continue reading Apple keeps antennagate alive with Droid X's 'kill switch' (video)

Apple keeps antennagate alive with Droid X's 'kill switch' (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Well, it's about time. Touted back in March as one of the pillar apps to benefit from the new multitasking API, Skype has finally been updated to iOS 4 compatibility. We're seeing crisper, more retina display-friendly graphics and, more importantly, background VoIP (not for iPhone 3G, naturally). A notification window will pop up when you're called or messaged, and you can use other apps while on the line chatting to international friends at reduced rates. Even on the lock screen, if you receive a call, sliding to unlock will take you immediately into the call. Video chat still isn't here -- a darn shame given the lack of other options now -- but now you've got even more of a reason to rack up those rollover minutes on AT&T's voice plan. Download away!

Update: Remember when Skype was talking about charging extra for calls over 3G starting this month? Straight from the horse's mouth: "we no longer have plans to charge a supplement to make calls over 3G."

[Thanks, Tyler C]

Skype updated for iOS 4, background VoIP is a go (update: no plans to charge for 3G use) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You may ask yourself, why on earth would anyone pay 99 cents for an iPhone app whose sole purpose is to flash bright, solid colors? We certainly wouldn't recommend it, but Handy Light has a great little Easter egg that undoubtedly doesn't jive with the folks at Cupertino HQ. Like Nullriver's Netshare app before it, this little piece of software allows for SOCKS proxy tethering, without having to sign up for AT&T's tethering plan. Instructions available via the video below, and if you're looking to pick up the app yourself, better hurry -- we can't imagine Apple will let this one stay in the store for very much longer.

Continue reading Handy Light for iPhone's dirty little secret: tethering (video)

Handy Light for iPhone's dirty little secret: tethering (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 20:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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"An iPhone, an iPhone, my carrier's reputation for an iPhone." Grab a cup of coffee and get yourself comfortable, fans of behind-the-scenes industry drama. Wired has published an exhaustive and fascinating expose on the "loveless celebrity marriage" that is Apple and AT&T -- all from sources familiar with the matters but who cannot (or will not) be named, of course. In other words, don't take this as gospel, but frankly, none of this sounds too crazy or outside the realm of what we've already surmised ourselves. In brief, the two companies have been contentious towards one another since just after the iPhone was unveiled. For AT&T's part, the carrier was reportedly taken aback when its requests (delivered by Senior VP Kris Rinne) to restrict YouTube's bandwidth usage (or make it WiFi-only) while the network infrastructure was built up fell on deaf ears in Cupertino. Word has it Apple also refused to allow its devices to be used in campaigns to combat Verizon's Map for That ads: "It was [effective] because of AT&T's network. We would have been letting them use the iPhone to put lipstick on a pig," remarked one anonymous Apple exec.

What's most interesting to us here is the ongoing reported discussion to drop AT&T in favor for Verizon. That chapter apparently begins just months after the original's launch, with an investigative team (including Scott Forstall) ultimately concluding that Qualcomm's CDMA (or CDMA / GSM hybrid) chips would require a complete redesign of the device, not to mention a nasty lawsuit with AT&T over its exclusive contract (perhaps a minor issue, knowing Apple). Back then, Verizon wasn't seen as a guaranteed improvement, and according to one executive privy to such meetings, the carrier switch has been discussed at least a half dozen times, with the general consensus always being that it would "cause as many problems as it solved." We can't imagine this is gonna help stem the perpetual VZW iPhone rumor mill.

Hit up the source link for the full tale, which does hit on a fundamental issue of the mobile industry going forward: as smartphone makers continue to push their devices' capabilities, bandwidth concerns will continue to grow and carriers are likely to take the majority of the blame. If you ask us, David Fincher has just found his ideal follow-up to The Social Network -- we'd especially love to see someone film the part where AT&T asks Steve Jobs to ditch the turtleneck and wear a suit when meeting with its board of directors.

Apple discussed Verizon switch 'at least half a dozen times,' and other stories about its AT&T relationship originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Critix has been touting its "Nirvana phone" concept -- a handheld device that can be paired with a monitor / keyboard for remote desktop use -- for quite some time now. Back in February, the minimum hardware specs were nothing to challenging, and as it turns out, Apple's iPhone 4 pretty much exceeds 'em by a long shot. And it has VGA out capabilities and Bluetooth keyboard support. So, you can imagine where this is going. The company is back in what looks like the same depressing cubicle space to show off what looks to be a mature demo of the Receiver 4.0 virtual desktop client on an iDevice, pushing 1024 x 768 resolution and some gesture integration as a mouse replacement. There's definitely some noticeable lag, but hey, you gotta start somewhere. Video after the break.

Continue reading Citrix enlists iPhone 4 in its quest for 'Nirvana phone' portable desktop client (video)

Citrix enlists iPhone 4 in its quest for 'Nirvana phone' portable desktop client (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 10 Jul 2010 08:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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