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Tag: ipod

  • HD Movies Now For Sale on Apple's iTunes Store


    HD movies are now available for purchase from iTunes for playing on Macs and PCs.

    Until now, high def movies had only been available to Apple TV owners.

    HD Movies will be sold for USD $19.99, while HD rentals will be priced at USD $4.99. Both are in H.264 compressed 720p quality and will come with an HD file and an iPod/iPhone SD file.

    Apple said "Transporter 3" and "Punisher: War Zone" are among the titles available immediately.

    Preorders are being taken for "Twilight" (set for a March 21 release) and "Quantum of Solace" (March 24).

    Interestingly, Apple TV has now gone from having exclusive access to all non-podcast HD content from Apple,then HD TV shows were made available generally in September and now that has broadended to include movies.

    Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of Internet Services, was confident HD movie purchases would be popular.

    "Customers have made HD content on iTunes a hit, with over 50 per cent of TV programming being purchased in HD when available," he said.

  • BMW Offers Legal Way To Drive Z4 Roadster While Using iPhone

    smartphone iphone
    BMW has come up with a novel – and legal – way to drive its new Z4 Roadster while using the iPhone.

    No, it’s not some ingenious hands-free device designed by engineering geniuses at the German car-maker.

    It’s a free game for the Apple handset created by mobile applications company Artificial Life.

    According to BMW, the launch of the lite version of the "BMW Z4 – An Expression of Joy" game offers BMW fans the first opportunity worldwide to virtually customize and test drive the new Z4 Roadster.

    While the game will no doubt appeal to fans of the German sportscar, it also demonstrates the potential smartphones offer to inventive marketing departments.

    Andreas Schwarzmeier, of BMW Sports Marketing & Cooperations,said the car-maker was always looking for innovative and effective communication channels.

    He said the game had been produced to accompany the BMW Z4 marketing campaign.

    "For a long time the game market has delivered new products and technologies closer to the consumer," he said.

    "Additionally this game perfectly fits with the key intention of our brand ‘Joy’."

    Presented in top quality interactive 3D graphics, the lite version is described as "a unique driving game that lets players drive the BMW Z4 while at the same time painting a picture using the car’s tires".

    The virtual car configurator enables players to choose between the official BMW Z4 colors and rims to create their own roadster.

    The option to drive with an open or closed retractable hardtop gives additional authenticity.

    Selections can be made by simply tapping on the various components. Players can virtually rotate the car around in order to view the car from different angles. The customized cars that players create may be saved for use in the driving game.

    The game is available for download for the iPhone and iPod touch in Apple’s App Store. A full version is being prepared for release in May.

  • Linux Successfully Ported To iPhone


    The open-source OS Linux has been ported to the iPhone and iPod for the first time.

    A member of the iPhone Dev Team – going by the screen name Planetbeing – has managed to load Linux 2.6’s kernel to the 2G and 3G iPhone, as well as the first generation iPod Touch.

    Although many drivers are missing, this first attempt offers support for the framebuffer driver, serial driver, and serial over USB driver.

    Certainly enough to announce that the iPhone is running an alternative OS.

    The dev team is still working on issues such as enabling write support for the NAND, Wireless networking, Touchscreen support, Sound, Accelerometer and Baseband support.

    It would appear there’s still much to be done, but it’s a big step forward for those desperate to have the iPhone able to boot an alternative OS such as Android.

  • Handshake App Simplifies iPhone Contact Passing


    Passing your contact entry to other iPhone users just got a whole lot easier thanks to a new app called Handshake.

    The free app, which also runs on the iPod Touch, allows contact information and photos to be exchanged with another user nearby.

    Handshake works by using Core Location coupled with other technologies to send address book cards over the air.

    Straightforward to use, Handshake sends data over WiFi, 3G, and EDGE connections.

    The iPhones don’t connect directly to each other – instead the connection goes via Handshake’s server, so it only works on the iPod Touch when there’s good Wi-Fi.

    When first launched, it will look for the address book card – or the user to specify a card if that can’t be located.

    Handshake then connects to its servers and the user’s card, contact’s card or a picture can be sent by selecting one of the main three buttons.

    The app also allows the default card to be changed by choosing the wrench in the top-right corner of the application and hitting the blue arrow under "My Card".

    Available from the iTunes Store it comes in two versions: free or the ad-free paid option. An updated version is due out any day.

  • iPhone Interface Allows Call Center Mangement


    Smoothstone IP Communications has developed a mobile interface that allows corporate call centers to be controlled from anywhere in the world using the iPod and iPhone.

    The company says Apple’s new support for corporate security standards allows it to provide a secure, enterprise solution for IT professionals to use when they are out the office environment.

    Utilizing the new technology available in Apple’s handset, clients with Smoothstone’s Intelligent Call Control (ICC) suite can now use the mobile version of the revolutionary ICC application to:

    * Manage call queues across multiple locations in real time

    * Reroute any calls to any other agent or call center location on the fly

    * Transfer held calls through a drag-and-drop interface

    * See instant statistics and analytics of call activity and agent performance

    * Listen to live calls via Bluetooth headset or speaker

    * Record and review calls for training and quality assurance

    The announcement comes a year after the initial launch of Smoothstone’s ICC suite, a completely integrated solution.

    ICC requires no customer purchased equipment, is flexibly priced according to client size, and can be tailored to each organization’s individual needs.

    ICC is a part of Smoothstone’s comprehensive managed solution for mid- to large-size enterprises, which delivers next generation applications over Smoothstone’s nationwide, private, MPLS network that utilizes proven Cisco Systems technology.

  • Video, music and celebrity gossip on new app for iPhone

    Free vSNAX Videos application offers the latest from MTV Networks and more to iPhone and iPod Touch

    Rhythm NewMedia, a leader in mobile video, has announced the availability of the free vSNAX Videos native iPhone application on the Apple App Store.

    vSNAX Videos promises to deliver mobile video clips to iPhone and iPod touch users from more than 20 premium media partners including AccuWeather.com, Ford Models, Ripe TV, and MTV Networks’ VH1, Spike and GameTrailers.

    Refreshed throughout the day it will offer the latest celebrity gossip, TV show highlights, breaking news, national weather forecasts, fashion and comedy clips.

    Jim Morris, chief product officer of Rhythm NewMedia, which developed vSNAX Videos, said the iPhone allows for “significant improvement” in the way customers experience and consume videos on their mobile devices.

    “We’re excited to launch vSNAX Videos and fully expect users to continue to devour more and more snack size video clips on their iPhones,” he said.
    “vSNAX Videos brings mobile viewing to an entirely new level by using the iPhone’s groundbreaking Multi-Touch user interface so, for the first time, iPhone owners are able to continue to watch their video clip while simultaneously swiping through thumbnails to pick their next selection,” he said.

    vSNAX Videos will be available exclusively in the US and can be downloaded for free from Apple’s App Store on iPhone and iPod touch.

    Alice Kim, senior vice president, Digital Distribution and Partner Relations, MTV Networks, said: “With vSNAX, we’re expanding the industry-leading reach of our mobile video portfolio, serving up content to the consumer that is both engaging and free, on two industry changing devices.”

  • iPhone 3G costs US$ 173 to make – 23 per cent less than predecessor


    The new iPhone is expected to carry an initial hardware Bill Of Materials (BOM) and manufacturing cost of US$ 173, according to a preliminary “virtual teardown” analysis conducted by iSuppli Corp.
    If correct, the second-generation iPhone could be even more profitable for Apple than either the original iPone or the iPod.
    Dr Jagdish Rebello, director and principal analyst for iSuppli, said that at a hardware BOM and manufacturing cost of US$ 173, the new iPhone is significantly less expensive to produce than the first-generation product.
    He said this was despite major improvements in the product’s functionality and unique usability, due to the addition of 3G communications.
    “The original 8Gbyte iPhone carried a cost of US $226 after component price reductions, giving the new product a 23 per cent hardware cost reduction due to component price declines,” he said.
    Last week, a survey revealed that nearly a quarter of US consumers questioned in a survey highlighted price as the main reason why they were not considering buying an Apple iPhone 3G.
    Dr Rebello said Apple was making a significant departure in its pricing strategy from the original 2G phone, which was sold at an unsubsidised price of US$ 499.
    Unlike the first version of the iPhone, Apple will not receive a portion of the wireless carriers’ revenue from service subscriptions – making it more imperative that the company makes a profit on the actual hardware through the carrier subsidies.
    He said the estimated subsidy to be paid by the wireless carriers to Apple would be about US$ 300 per iPhone.
    “This means that with subsidies from carriers, Apple will be selling the 8Mbyte version of the second-generation iPhone to carriers at an effective price of about US$ 499 per unit, the same as the original product,” he said.
    This represents a higher BOM/manufacturing margin than that on Apple’s iPod and original iPhone, which typically are priced about 50 per cent more than their BOM and manufacturing costs.
    The analysts project that with BOM costs likely to decrease over time as component prices decline, the BOM/manufacturing cost of the second-generation iPhone will decrease to US$ 148 in 2009, down 37 per cent from US$ 173 in 2008.
    If the design remains unchanged, this cost will decline to $126 in 2012.
    iSuppli’s preliminary virtual teardown estimate of the 8Gbyte 3G iPhone’s costs doesn’t include other costs, including software development, shipping and distribution, packaging, and miscellaneous accessories included with each phone.
    Once the 3G iPhone becomes available, iSuppli will perform an actual, detailed teardown of the new iPhone’s components and cost structure.

  • The iPhone takes on new role as universal remote control


    A new application is to go on sale in July that turns the iPhone into an all-purpose remote control capable of operating everything from your HDTV to audio, video and lighting.
    While the iPhone is popular as an interface for home-control systems such as home automation (HAI, Savant), multiroom audio (SpeakerCraft) and media servers (Sooloos), so far there hasn’t been a low-cost solution for using the iPhone (or iPod Touch) as an ordinary universal remote control.
    Now London-based integrator, Steve Moore, has launched the AirRemote application which he modestly describes as “the greatest little TV remote you’ve ever used”.
    The setup includes the AirRemote software and a communications box from Global Cache, which can turn the iPhone’s IP commands into signals to operate an array of home electronics devices.
    “The beauty of the iPod Touch or iPhone versus other tablets is that it has bullet-proof Wi-Fi, doesn’t need to wait for Windows to boot up, and can be held in a hand,” Moore told CE Pro.
    “And they sell loads of them so they cost almost nothing.”
    AirRemote will be available from July 11th exclusively from the iPhone App store for $99. The Global Cache transmitter will retail for about $100.