By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest DokuName: Ernest Doku Email: ernest.doku@omio.com Site:http://blog.omio.com About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (240)
Good news for all those experiencing call drops and a distinctly non-3G performance from your iPhone 3Gs! The new 2.0.2 software update that has just been released is said to fix the issues once and for all.
After their unofficial official pledge to rectify matters regarding the shonky reception problem they have certainly been quick to act, with an update certified by iPhoneBuzz.com to make things much faster for all those slightly miffed iPhone owners.
Apologies for the audio quality, it is merely iPhone Buzz as opposed to an Omio text battle! Joking, obviously…
Some claim little to no change, but we will let you know once we take the 2.0.2 plunge. Still enjoying the return of Intelliscreen too much to do any more firmware updates just yet!
By Kate CrowleycloseAuthor: Kate CrowleyName: Kate Crowley Email: talk@omio.com Site:http://www.omio.com About: Kate's interest in mobile phones began when she realised she was supernaturally adept at Snake 2. She was less good at Battleships and, frankly, we shouldn't even mention Pipes.See Authors Posts (206)
RIM can breathe a sigh of relief; reports that HSBC will be ditching BlackBerry handsets in favour of the iPhone have proved erroneous. Judy Mottl from InternetNews (who resembles Onslow from Keeping Up Appearances) apparently called HSBC, where an anonymous source told her that “there’s not a snowball’s chance in hell” that HSBC will make the switch. It seems that BlackBerry is still the handset of choice for the discerning multinational company.
By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest DokuName: Ernest Doku Email: ernest.doku@omio.com Site:http://blog.omio.com About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (240)
A European Imaging and Sound Association Award is recognised amongst the mobile phone community as an impressive plaudit, recognising those handsets which break new ground in the field of multimedia functionality. This year was no different with very deserving winners, although not necessarily those one might expect…
The best music phone went to the Sony Ericsson W980, a justifiable winner through being the perfect combination of looks, functionality and audio support. 8GB of storage with that Walkman touch that Sony gives the W-series phone makes for a handset offering a better aural experience than even the iPhone 3G.
By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest DokuName: Ernest Doku Email: ernest.doku@omio.com Site:http://blog.omio.com About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (240)
Not really sure what to write about this beyond…wow. The picture says it all.
Using the iPhone’s 2 megapixel camera as a jumping off point, Brando’s telescopic lens is the device to make it into a paparazzo’s dream.
Overlooking the Jordan-esque top heavy stylings this contraption gives the iPhone, not to mention it making the phone imposible to hold whilst taking a photo, it is still a dumb idea. Come on, they are giving 8 megapixel cameras away in boxes of cereal these days, there really is no need to subject yourself to the embarrassment of taking this out in public.
Judging by the sample image provided by CrunchGear, it will definitely appeal to the amateur photographer who specialises in photos of their neighbour’s rear windows….
The only thing is the sleek lines of the iPhone are broken just a tad by this $20 behemoth, leading to those inevitable “is that an iPhone with 6x telescopic lens in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me?” gags.
By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest DokuName: Ernest Doku Email: ernest.doku@omio.com Site:http://blog.omio.com About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (240)
Everything needs to be instant these days. Just as updating blogs has been condensed into bite-sized witticisms on Twitter, the Youtube generation has had their world shaken up with the advent of video streaming. No uploading, just broadcasting events as they happen from almost any mobile phone.
Social streaming site Qik is the leader in this field and has added the iPhone to its list of supported handsets, allowing the internal camera to become a streaming video system!
Perhaps issues with the battery chomping potential or maybe Apple just doesn’t like them, either way the App store has denied access to Qik which meant they had to resort to a jailbroken solution…
Watch out for those data charges as you stream your dog to the world licking itself in an unappealing manner! The only thing scarier than this app being released is an official version of the App Store. Then everyone will have a shot at their 15 seconds of fame.
Yeah, that’s been shortened too, no-one has a 15 minute attention span these days…
By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest DokuName: Ernest Doku Email: ernest.doku@omio.com Site:http://blog.omio.com About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (240)
Another reason to jailbreak your iPhone has managed to find its way to the App Store, as hacker’s favourite Simplify Media has turned up for free to the first 100,000 lucky punters.
Arguably one of the best homebrew apps in its day, Simplify Media allows users to stream their iTunes library from their home PC/Mac to their handset, once an application is set up on the home machine and the iPhone. Not just your own library, mind. It allows up to thirty of your nearest and dearest to do the same, allowing full access into your most private of places…
No! That Peter Cetera album was an accidental purchase! And Charles & Eddie’s Greatest Hits? A gift, from a loved one. I swear.
It works over 3G, Edge and Wi-Fi (although the sketchy 3G reception was causing buffering issues this morning), and also has last.fm support for artist biographies, alum covers and song lyrics. To offer this for free is a steal, so download now before it costs loads!
By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest DokuName: Ernest Doku Email: ernest.doku@omio.com Site:http://blog.omio.com About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (240)
All that business user talk for the iPhone seems to be gaining weight as HSBC has decided to adopt the device in favour of the Blackberry for 200,000 of their staff members.
The decision to move to the iPhone as their main device is in final review as it is obviously a huge decision, but if taken onboard this could prove to be terrible news for Blackberry makers RIM.
“We are actually reviewing iPhones from a HSBC Group perspective…and when I say that, I mean globally,” said Brenton Hush, HSBC’s Australia and New Zealand Chief Officer. Now the corporate tools for integration and Microsoft Exchange support are in place for the iPhone, the phone could become the de facto standard for tech-savvy businesses.
Trading applications, accountancy tools and the like are beginning to show the practical aspect of the iPhone. If they can add the city boys into the mix whilst maintaining the casual user, the iPhone could rule the roost!
By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest DokuName: Ernest Doku Email: ernest.doku@omio.com Site:http://blog.omio.com About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (240)
Further to our post on the substandard 3G connectivity for Apple’s newest headache, the US company has been swift to issue an ‘inside source’ based response (not to us, but to Business Week) promising a September update to cure all ills.
Fending off the frightening prospect of a product recall, their source says Apple has been working hard on a decent fix for this problem, said to stem from areas of high iPhone density. Those pockets of iPhone activity in built-up areas, plus the level of new sign-ups to the iPhone 3G are said to be wreaking havoc on the networks.
The chairman of chip-maker Infineon is obviously going to be delighted with this news, as he has been having to fend off rumours that their receivers are to blame for these iPhone 3G problems. However, he does make a very valid point in their defence: “Our 3G chips are, for example, used in Samsung handsets and we are not aware of such problems there”. Maybe if those handsets were as popular as the iPhone…
The embarrassing situation of Apple tech support telling users to ‘turn off 3G’ in order to improve reception will hopefully be at an end, once this firmware update is released and puts to bed all those rumours of dodgy mobiles!
‘Twice the speed, half the price?’ Half as fast, twice as annoying, more like. We’ll let you know if this rumoured update is all it’s cracked up to be.
By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest DokuName: Ernest Doku Email: ernest.doku@omio.com Site:http://blog.omio.com About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (240)
You are in a gleaming white room. There is a key on the floor beside you.
> Get key.
You cannot get key.
> I hate you.
I do not understand “I hate you”.
Remember the good old days of computer games, before fads like motion controllers and graphics were important? It was all about the text adventure games, where all that existed were hours of trying to figure out how to pick up the damn key!
With Frotz for the iPhone, you can relive all those times where games like Zork and Hitchhiker’s Guide were king and imagination was your greatest weapon. It also includes a bunch of public domain titles, and provides links to the Interactive Fiction Database, an archive of hundreds of the greatest font-based games ever!
In the past few years some of the most talented writers who have gotten nostalgic about text adventures have decided to make their own, leading to many great titles on the database for veterans and newbies alike.
Frotz is on the App Store now, and it’s free! Even if you’ve never played a text game and been brought up on next gen visuals, just try it. Play Dreamhold for a couple of hours and experience some real brain training. Just be patient with it…
By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest DokuName: Ernest Doku Email: ernest.doku@omio.com Site:http://blog.omio.com About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (240)
Our lovely new HTC Touch Pro has been put through its paces all afternoon, and one of the most exciting things about it is the nice 5-row QWERTY keyboard! It’s nice, but is it better for texting than the current undisputed champ of the Apple iPhone?
All mobile lovers want to know who will win the battle of the touchscreen and tactile titans… And if you can’t see our stock text clearly enough in the vid, it went as follows:-
“Here is some text, set by omio.com to test the keyboard of the HTC Touch Pro against the keyboard of the Apple iPhone 3G. To make it more fun, here are a few numbers 2 4 6 8 and an @ sign and a smiley :-)”
The results of our highly scientific tests may shock you, but probably not.
14 seconds…I admit to being the official text athlete for the iPhone, and I apologise for the shocking performance! If I didn’t fluff the first line, I would have bested the Touch Pro with ease! Truth is still that the Touch Pro’s keyboard is a far more enjoyable experience when it comes to typing than the iPhone’s monolithic display.
More serious vids of the interface, texting and the keyboard, and a review to follow once we’ve calmed down a bit…
P.S. Yes…we know that it wasn’t quite an iPhone 3G in the battle, just forgot to amend it as the owner had disappeared when it was time to text!
Maybe if those handsets were as popular as the iPhone…