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Keep track of your valuable collections with these iPhone apps – iPhone app article – Dan Kricke

On January 13, 2012, in hippopotamuses Collectables, by Luke Judge

If you’re excited to get your hands on the upcoming Steve Jobs action figure you might be waiting an awful long time. It seems Apple is attempting to block the sale of the toy Jobs. But while you’re waiting for the figure to release, you could take your spare time and start appraising your current toy collection with a few apps that will make the job easier.

If Star Wars figures are your main passion, the SW Action Figure Collector’s Guide ($0.99) should come in handy when assessing your favorite Star Wars collectables. the app includes listings for vintage Star Wars action figures (meaning figures covering the original trilogy plus an Ewoks and Droids series). you can also see lists of figure variations as well as the numerous accessories that come with the figures.

Maybe your interest in action figures goes beyond Star Wars. If so, take a look at Action Figure Collector (free), an app where you can search a database of over 40,000 action figures. you can note which figures are already in your collection and which you’re still trying to track down. If you’re in the market to buy or sell, the app also comes with access to an online values guide so you’ll be sure not to get ripped off in future transactions.

Maybe your love of collectables encompasses a wide variety of objects, from wine to coins, or from snow globes to comic books, and you want a way to catalogue and sort them. the free Collectors app should do the trick. Collectors lets you use barcode scanning, database search and manual barcode entry to list all of your valuable collectibles under one app. you can even note if you’ve loaned something out to a friend so you don’t forget.

If you’re a classic video game collector who wants something more specific to your hobby, the SNES Collector ($3.99) and NES Collector ($3.99) are tailor-made for your old school gaming collection obsession. Both apps list how valuable and rare each game ever released for the system is, and you can keep track of all the games in your collection to watch their value rise or lower before your eyes. Users can also keep notes, so if you’re missing instructions for a game, you’ll be able to note that without going back and checking the game box later if you decide to sell the title.

If your hobby is strictly DVDs, there’s an app for you, too. DVDLister ($4.99) lets you quickly list every DVD you own. once your DVDs are loaded, you can sort them alphabetically, by actor, date, genre or even studio. you can also email the list of your collection to your friends to contrast and compare. Essentially, DVDLister lets you keep every detail of your film collection in your iPhone at all times.

Unless your hobby is collecting Steve Jobs action figures, there’s an app to help you catalog and backup your collection no matter how specific it is. Now, if only there was an app that helped you keep track of all the collection apps you own… Whoa.

Create a list of your favorite apps

Tagged with: apple • apps • star wars • sw • toy collection

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New Commercial airlines Await Very first Flight

On January 6, 2012, in clocks Watches Electrical Collectables, by Luke Judge

Solito H.F. Personius

EOS Air carriers: like Maxjet, EOS offers received FAA certification as well as being planning to start out flying extra luxury Boeing 757 aeroplanes between Completely new York’ JFK Flight terminal and London’ ohydrates Standsted Flight terminal on Don’t forget national 1, 2005. Ticket specials give passengers so that you can fly just for “ just” $5000. game trip! Corporate headquarters are outside of Ny city in Order, NY. To learn more visit [http: // eosairlines. com]

Primaris Air carriers: Primaris Airline has been around business for many years already with the one aeroplanes, a Boeing 757 utilized exclusively so that you can fly in the Washington, DC mass media corps. Throughout October 2004, having much fanfare, the flight announced that they can were selecting nearly $4 billion at all new Boeing aeroplanes. in any meantime their site at http: // primarisairlines. com states that they can expect to start out flying between big apple, Chicago, Houston, and Frisco in latter 2005 having leased aeroplanes. International program and a strong expanded every day route procedure will supposedly take place someday in 2006.

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Tagged with: air carriers • airline • apple • boeing 757

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Apple extending AirPlay to low-power, low-latency Bluetooth 4.0

On December 22, 2011, in speakers Portable, by Luke Judge

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Money Manager Expects “Significant” Apple Dividend in 2012

On December 21, 2011, in half Dimes, by Luke Judge

Money Manager Howard Ward of Gamco Investors Inc said on Tuesday that he believes Apple will be announcing a “significant” dividend in the first half of 2012. The analyst didn’t cite sources, but he stated categorically that the company will be issuing a dividend next year.

In an interview on Bloomberg TV, mr. Ward said, “Apple’s going to pay a dividend next year. It’s going to be significant. They’re going to have a hundred billion dollars in cash on the balance sheet at year end. My goodness, they don’t need all that. they can leave that on the balance sheet, still pay out a nice dividend, and still grow the cash hoard.”

Since the return of the late Steve Jobs to Apple in 1997, the company has never paid a dividend—mr. Jobs often made that dividends were for companies that weren’t growing. he also once said that he wanted to “keep the powder dry,” meaning that the company wanted to keep its cash handy in case it wanted to buy something or make some other strategic investments.

In the meanwhile, Apple also has a track record for leveraging that money to secure favorable component deals, and the company has made many direct investments in its supply chain.

Apple has even made a few acquisitions over the last ten years, but far fewer than other large tech companies, and always in small companies that brought people or technology it needed, rather than large companies that could provide new revenue streams for Apple. in recent days, for instance, Apple has been reported to be in the process of buying Israeli Flash memory firm Anobit for US$500 million.

The reality, however, is that Apple’s cash hoard as continued to increase in leaps and bounds, and some institutional shareholders and analysts have been increasing pressure on Apple to begin spending some of that money on stock dividends or a share buyback.

On October 18th, newly ordained Apple CEO Tim Cook said during Apple’s quarterly conference call with analysts that, “I’m not religious about holding cash or not holding it. The cash that we do spend, we’re doing an extremely good job of it and we’re very frugal about using it and using it in the right places.”

This marked the first indication of any sort that there might be a change in Apple’s cash plans, which brings us back to Gamco’s Howard Ward. mr. Ward, who noted that AAPL is the largest holding in the $36.1 billion he manages at Gamco, was quite definitive in his statement. “Apple’s going to pay a dividend next year. It’s going to be significant.”

As a definitive statement, it makes for a sexy story and sexier headlines, but without sourcing the basis for that statement, it’s impossible to know whether this is leaked information he is privy to or an opinion based on common wisdom that $100 billion is simply more money than a company needs to have on hand to do anything it wants. This is especially true with Apple, which has heretofore never spent anything close to even $1 billion making outside acquisitions.

Shares in AAPL have posted a strong rally during Tuesday’s sessions, and are currently trading at $394.57, up $12.36 (+3.23%), on moderate volume.

*In the interest of full disclosure, the author holds a tiny, almost insignificant share in AAPL stock that was not an influence in the creation of this article.

Tagged with: apple • year end

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Buying Guide: Musical Hardware for iPad Songsmiths

On December 15, 2011, in drum Machines, by Luke Judge

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Extra Large Wall Clock – Tips for Buying Quality

On December 6, 2011, in nautical Ships Collectables, by Luke Judge

Whether for the kitchen, living room, family room, home office, or bedroom, an extra large wall clock provides a number of benefits. The most obvious is that due to the large size, telling time would be much easier than with a small clock. In addition, today’s clock manufacturers have begun to design some unique and innovative designs that would easily enhance any dcor. Because of this, you could choose an oversized clock with modern flair, a huge nautical clock to complement a family room with an ocean theme, an apple-shaped clock for the kitchen, or a silver and gold clock to create a rich and elegant look in a formal dining room.

Depending on the maker and type of clock, the cost could be expensive or cheap. however, no matter the budget, it would be important to buy quality. Because the huge clock has become so popular, to meet consumer demand thousands of companies have cropped up to sell a variety of styles and designs. unfortunately, many of these companies are more interested in making a quick buck instead of selling a quality product. The goal would be finding a large clock made with quality materials and workmanship so you know it would last.

While multiple clock manufacturers are located around the world, a vast number come from China. In fact, regarding import into the United States, currently more than three million clock manufacturers from China are registered. China is known for incredible oversized clock designs but no matter the country of origin, you want to make sure you end up with a quality clock that would provide years of accurate service and little to no maintenance. After determining the style of large clock most interested in, we suggest you spend time researching information online to learn all you can before making a purchase.

As an example, if interested in a grandfather type of oversized wall clock, it would have a pendulum. For a newer clock, the pendulum function would be spring driven whereas for an antique clock the pendulum function would be weight driven. it would be to your advantage to learn the difference between the two so when looking at different antique clocks, you would be able to recognize whether the clock were truly an antique based on the way the pendulum functions.

If you have your heart set on a huge French clock, you may want to rethink this choice. While French clocks are truly the most beautiful made, they are not cheap. In addition, French clocks are extremely difficult to maintain and in fact, very few professional clock makers know how to make proper repairs. For this reason, if you want the look of a French clock but without the expense and hassle, we suggest you look an extra large wall clock made in America, Britain, or Germany in a French design.

Tagged with: apple • china • extra large wall clock • ocean theme

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Disney Releases Marvel App

On November 30, 2011, in novelty & Activity Books, by Luke Judge

Disney will release a book app featuring Spider-Man.

When reading books, some children like to turn the page, others like to swipe the screen.

Seeking an opportunity to reach digitally curious children, on Monday the publishing arm of the Walt Disney Company will release its first app based on a Marvel Comics character, a children’s book app featuring Spider-Man.

Disney, the largest publisher of children’s books in the world, sells 700 million items a year in 85 countries, said Russell Hampton Jr., the president of Disney Publishing Worldwide. When the company bought Marvel Entertainment two years ago, “we saw an opportunity to build a complementary business with children’s books,” mr. Hampton said. the company began overseeing Marvel’s printed books for children, but it was Apple’s iPad that gave Disney a way to translate the books digitally.

“In kids’ books, art plays a bigger role in telling the story than the text does,” mr. Hampton said. However, “many of the devices were not capable of showcasing the art.”Disney is using the popularity of tablets to sell more children’s books. Through the App Store and Android Market, Disney has published 30 book apps, which have been downloaded more than four million times, mr. Hampton said.

The Spider-Man app will be released for the iPad, iPhone and iTouch for $6.99. Geared toward children ages 4 to 10, it includes interactive features, distinguishing it from e-books, mr. Hampton said.

“E-books tend to be pretty strict translations of the print products,” he said. “Book apps tend to be almost new products that didn’t exist before. They have embedded video, music, games and activities.”

One of those extra features is the ability to have the story read for you. And who better to tuck your children into bed with a story about Spider-Man than his co-creator, Stan Lee? mr. Lee narrates the app, telling the tale of how the web-slinger gained his powers.

“This is a whole new type of entertainment,” mr. Lee said of the app. “They can offer things comic books cannot offer, all those extra features. That’s the brilliance of these things. They don’t detract from the story; they embellish.”

Tagged with: apple • disney publishing • ipad • million times • s books • walt disney company

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Mini wonders from Apple

On November 21, 2011, in storage Boxes, by Luke Judge

Monday February 21, 2005 By MICHAEL CHEANG

it is hard to believe that the iPod Shuffle is a digital music player. At first glance, it looks like a pack of chewing gum. in fact, it is smaller and lighter than a pack of gum.

The iPod Shuffle is the newest member of Apple?s wildly popular iPod family of digital music players for both Mac and PC, which include the fourth generation iPod, the iPod mini, the iPod U2 Special Edition, and iPod photo.

The biggest difference between the iPod Shuffle and its predecessors (besides the size and weight) is that it has no LCD display for the user to see what song is playing. instead, it relies on the shuffle feature, which randomly selects songs from the user?s music library or play-lists, letting the unit decide what you are listening to. you can also choose to listen to your music in order rather than shuffled, with a mere flip of a switch.

this is the cheapest iPod in the market currently, and is available in two models ? one with 512MB that can store up to 120 songs (RM499) and another with 1 gigabyte of space to hold up to 240 songs (RM799). it also doubles as a portable USB flash drive with up to 1GB of storage space to back up personal files and exchange them between computers.

The Mac mini measures only 5cm in height and weighs just 1.3kg. But you have to get your own display screen, keyboard and mouse. The iPod Shuffle comes packaged with its own lanyard, earbud headphones, and a CD with iTunes 4.7.1 for Mac and Windows computers.

it also has several additional optional accessories. there is an armband that makes the iPod Shuffle perfect for many sports activities; a sport case with a clear case and neck strap that protects the device from outdoor elements; a dock that serves as a base for syncing and charging the iPod Shuffle, and a USB power adapter that enables the user to charge the iPod Shuffle at any electrical outlet, rather than the computer unit. there is also an optional battery pack that holds two AAA batteries and keeps the music playing for up to 20 additional hours.

The iPod Shuffle requires a Mac with a USB port and Mac OS X version 10.2.8 or Mac OS X version 10.3.4 or later; or a Windows PC with a USB port, or a USB card and Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 or later, or Windows XP Home or Professional Service Pack 2 or later.

The iPod Shuffle has extras that can be purchased with it, including this arm band which allows users to enjoy their music while jogging, for instance. due to overwhelming worldwide demand for the iPod Shuffle, only a limited number of units are available in Malaysia now. however, consumers can place pre-orders for the unit at the Applecenters, Apple Experience Centre, Apple Corners and Apple authorised resellers.

Does the Mac Mini require long legs?

my first impression of the Mac Mini was that it looked like one of those Tupperware boxes my mum used to pack sandwiches in when I was a child.

Measuring just 5cm tall and weighing only about 1.3kg, the Mac Mini is the most compact and most affordable Mac ever.

As Apple CEO Steve Jobs said during its launch: ?Just plug in your display, keyboard and mouse and you?ve got an incredibly compact Mac for a price that almost anyone can afford.?

although the Mac Mini does not come with its own display unit, mouse or keyboard, it is compatible with PC monitors and display units as well as PC keyboards and mice, as it comes with the essential ports and sockets for easy plug-and-play connections to popular peripherals, such as digital cameras, iPods, printers and so on.

it also comes installed with Apple?s Mac OS X operating system, and also features iLife?05, the latest version of Apple?s suite of digital lifestyle applications for managing digital photo and music collections, editing movies and creating music.

The Mac Mini is available in two standard configurations. One comes with a 1.25 GHz PowerPC G4 processor, a 40MB hard drive and retails at RM2,199. The more powerful version has a 1.42 GHz PowerPC G4 processor, a 80MB hard drive and retails at RM2,499. Both units come installed with an ATI Radeon 9200 graphics with 32MB of dedicated DDR memory, a built-in slot-load Combo drive for watching DVD movies and burning CDs and a built-in 10/100BASE-T Ethernet and a 56K V.92 modem for easy Internet access.

Both standard configurations of the Mac Mini will be available in Malaysia towards the end of this month, through the Applecenters, Apple Experience Centre, Apple Corners and Apple authorised resellers.

For more information on the iPod Shuffle and Mac Mini, visit the Apple website at apple.com

Tagged with: apple • chewing gum • ipod shuffle • models

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Mislabeling of Steve Jobs’ ailment irks charity

On October 28, 2011, in charities Collectables, by Luke Judge

What really killed Steve Jobs?

If you answered pancreatic cancer, technically you’d be wrong.

Jobs, the creative genius behind Apple, died after a long battle with neuroendocrine tumors, an often slow-moving cancer.

And while it’s true that the tumors developed in Jobs’ pancreas, it’s incorrect to say he died from pancreatic cancer, a much faster-moving disease that forms in a different part of the pancreas.

“It’s still all pancreatic cancer,” a spokeswoman at the nation’s largest pancreatic cancer foundation told The Pulse.

No, it’s not, countered Dana-Farber Cancer Institute neuroendocrine researcher Dr. Ramesh Shivdasani.

“People in medicine see the two as very separate,” Shivdasani said. “The pancreas just refers to the anatomical site where the tumor arose, and perhaps more than 95 percent of the tumors that grow there are adenocarcinomas.

“The median life expectancy for someone with that is typically under a year,” he said.

But neuroendocrine tumors — the other kind of cancer that develops in the pancreas — “is associated with a much better prognosis. Patients will live for many years, even though it is a cancer.”

That distinction is more than a mere technicality for Jonathan Soroff, whose mother Lynne W. Marcus died from neuroendocrine tumors in 2000.

Twelve years later, there’s still so much to be learned about this little known disease, said Soroff, a columnist at the Improper Bostonian magazine.

And the public confusion over Jobs’ illness hasn’t helped, he added.

“We’ve got all these people making charitable contributions that have nothing to do with neuroendocrine tumors,” he said.

Soroff’s intensely personal ties to the disease led him to a board position on the Caring for Carcinoid Foundation, the Boston nonprofit that raises money for neuroendocrine tumor research.

In six years, the group has raised $6 million and paid for the first genome sequencing study of neuroendocrine tumors, foundation executive director Lauren Erb said.

More recently, the FDA approved two new treatments for these tumors, according to Erb.

Tagged with: apple • spokeswoman • steve jobs • tumor • twelve years

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iPhone 4S: The Opinions Are In – SlashGear

On October 17, 2011, in irish Sim Cards, by Luke Judge

With the iPhone 4S hitting stores and mailboxes this week, it becomes one of the most vital times for reviews of this newest member of the legendary smart device family. Only a select few hand-picked people were given the iPhone 4S with enough time to review the device at length, and you KNOW that they’re going to go just about as in-depth as you could possibly want them to go. that said, what we’re going to try to do here is to soften the immense blow that would be the hours of reading you’d normally have to do to get through all of them. What’s the general consensus amongst the first reviewers of the iPhone 4S? Let’s take a look!

Note that the image you see above is a photo of Vince whooping after picking up the very first iPhone back in 2007. This photo was spread across the news like butter for months and even years after it was taken, (minus the 4S mark, of course,) and continues to represent the excitement that the Apple-loving community has when they first walk out of the store with their brand new Apple device.

Our own SlashGear review has Vince starting off with a quick talk on Apple’s keeping of the iPhone 4 case design, hits on the power of the A5 processor, knocks out iOS 5 in a whole separate review, and hits on the point everyone should always be looking for: battery life.

“From the outside the iPhone 4S looks identical to the iPhone 4. inside, it’s anything but. Apple has resisted the urge to change design for the sake of change, and stuck with the same 3.5-inch Retina Display, glass and aluminum casing, and minimalistic aesthetic as before. It’s a decision that frustrated some in the aftermath of the launch event, but makes sense if you consider the evolution of the iPhone.

Apple says the iPhone 4S offers twice the processing power of its predecessor, along with an impressive 7x the graphics abilities. The proof is in the real-world performance, and as you can see in our side-by-side video with the iPhone 4 up against the iPhone 4S, the new handset consistently pulls ahead. Much of the advantage is yet to be unlocked: we’re expecting that, just as with the iPad 2, as developers get to grips with the upgraded hardware there’ll be even more ambitious software to showcase it.

Battery life, meanwhile, has also impressed. Apple quotes up to 8hrs of 3G talktime or 14hrs of GSM talktime, up to 200hrs standby, up to 6hrs of 3G browsing or 9hrs of WiFi browsing, up to 10hrs of video playback or up to 40hrs of audio playback. Real-world use will be a combination of each of these, naturally. still, with very heavy use, including over five hours of constant play, an hour of talktime, everything set to push, auto-upload of images and video to Google+ and more, along with almost seven hours of standby, the iPhone 4S was down to 12-percent. That’s an admirable worst-case scenario for a power-user: we expect the iPhone 4S to deliver 7-9+ hours of active use under normal conditions, certainly sufficient for a full work day.” — Vincent Nguyen for SlashGear

Before we continue, have a look at the SlashGear hands-on video with the iPhone 4S so you have a better idea of what we’re dealing with here:

Baig praises Siri, noting the partial need for hands in the short run:

“The neatest feature on the iPhone 4S is the chatty personal assistant. You can summon Siri on the 4S by holding down the Home button or merely bringing the phone to your ear. and there is a lot she can do. She can dial a friend, send a dictated text or e-mail, look up a stock price and find movie times. The real power comes in the many ways you can converse with Siri and be understood. asking “Will it rain tomorrow?” yields the same weather results on the phone screen as “what is the forecast for the week ahead?” When you ask a question of Siri, you’ll see that question typed out on the screen, followed by the appropriate response. (In that way, Siri isn’t always hands-free.)

Apple concedes that Siri isn’t a finished product; she is in beta. but even with her blemishes, Siri is pretty darn cool. and she helps make the iPhone 4S pretty darn cool, too.” — Edward C. Baig of USA Today

Jaroslovsky also holds Siri high, noting the science fiction nature of it:

“The most interesting new feature is Siri, the voice- recognition system. You’ve long been able to run searches on phones using Google Inc.’s Android software, and Microsoft Corp. has embedded speech-based features throughout the latest version of its Windows Phone 7 operating system. those phones, though, have a limited vocabulary and often require you to phrase your inquiries very carefully.

Siri is something different. Remember the scene in the old “Star Trek” movie where a time-traveling Scotty tries to direct a Mac by picking up the mouse and casually speaking into it? Imagine it with just the mouse and not the Mac, and you’ve got the essence of Siri: natural language integrated with the phone’s sensors and software.” — Rich Jaroslovsky of Bloomberg

Mossberg notes the uniqueness of Siri (noticing a trend here?) but immediately notes the Beta nature of it, not praising it quite as readily as other reviewers. also note how Mossberg doesn’t have a heart attack as some reviewers, certainly none in this pack of course, are prone to do, instead noting the likelihood that people may enjoy the device.

“The standout feature, not available in other iPhones, or in any other phone I’ve seen, is Siri. It answers questions and provides information using natural language and an intelligent understanding, not just of words, but of context and colloquial phrasing. It isn’t perfect, and is labeled a beta, but it has great potential and worked pretty well for me, despite some glitches.

The iPhone 4S is one of Apple’s less dramatic updates, but, when combined with the Siri, iOS 5 and iCloud features, it presents an attractive new offering to smartphone users. some may be content to skip the new hardware and just enjoy the software and cloud features with older models. but those buying the phone will likely be happy with it.” — Walt Mossberg on AllThingsD

Have a look at Siri in action here in SlashGear’s hands-on with the system on the iPhone 4S, this again part of the larger iPhone 4S review we’ve got up.

Next, Pogue takes the opportunity to divide the iPhone 4S carriers by what he sees as the best reasons to grab the device on each in one of his four new “Things” the iPhone 4S has, starting immediately into SIRI in the next.

“THING 3: The iPhone 4S is a world phone. as of Friday, you will be able to buy it from AT&T, Verizon and, for the first time, Sprint ($200, $300 or $400 for the 16-, 32- or 64-gigabyte models). but even if you get your iPhone 4S from Verizon, whose CDMA network is incompatible with the GSM networks used in most other countries, you’ll still be able to make calls overseas, either through Verizon or by inserting another carrier’s SIM card. call ahead for details.

Each carrier has its selling points. Sprint is the only one with an unlimited iPhone data plan (example: $110 a month for unlimited calling, texting and Internet). AT&T says it has the fastest download speeds. but if you care about calling coverage, Verizon is the way to go.

THING 4: Speech recognition. Crazy good, transformative, category-redefining speech recognition.” — David Pogue on Personal Tech for NYT

Snell, in contrast with Mossberg, does not hold back his love of the device, not at all, complimenting his love with some GLBench Pro tests (also included below).

“It’s a classic look, easily my favorite of all the iPhone designs to date. The fit and finish are immaculate; not a single thing about the iPhone 4S feels cheap. In terms of styling, the iPhone 4 feels like the most expensive electric razor ever made, or maybe like a finely-tuned luxury watch.

The results of my general-performance tests showed the iPhone 4S to be roughly twice as fast as the iPhone 4. Apple claims graphics performance on the iPhone 4S has been boosted even more by the graphics component of the A5, with speed gains of as much as 7x. That’s a best-case scenario, but my tests with the GLBench Pro graphics benchmarking app did show enhanced graphics performance. one 3D test sequence played at roughly five times the frame rate of the same scene on the iPhone 4; another was roughly double the frame rate.” — Jason Snell of Macworld

Chen brings us back to Siri once more – and here you should note why this is happening in basically every review. It’s not JUST because Siri is the most unique and easy to single out features on the device, not just because it actually DOES seem to be pretty awesome, but because the iPhone 4 was reviewed back when it came out. what does that mean? It means that these reviewers know that you’ve already seen the iPhone 4, and it doesn’t make a bit of sense to go back over all the features that are carrying over to the iPhone 4S.

The bulk of the iPhone 4S is the same as the iPhone 4, and although most reviewers do feature sections on the new 8-megapixel camera and the A5 dual-core processor, we’ve already seen those before too, not necessarily on the iPhone, but on other similar devices – the iPad 2 has the same processor and essentially every high-end smartphone on the market has an 8-megapixel camera. The camera has an impressive new setup that boosts it to at least the quality if not better of all the rest, and the iPhone 4 is still the most-used camera on Flicker, this one higher quality. what more do you need to know?

Chen is here with a bit of Siri, then we’ll get back to the camera next.

“To give you an idea of how convenient Siri is, it takes about three seconds to create a reminder with a voice command, as opposed to the 10 seconds it takes me to manually type an event into a to-do list or calendar entry. Before, with the standard iPhone calendar, I would often forget to add an event because I was too busy to type it, and as a result I would forget I had something scheduled altogether. with Siri and Apple’s new Reminders to-do list app, it’s unlikely I’ll forget anything important again because the process is so effortless.

It’s kind of like having the unpaid intern of my dreams at my beck and call, organizing my life for me. I think Siri on the iPhone is a life changer, and this is only the beginning.” — Brian X Chen of Wired

Baig speaks on the camera, speaking both on how the camera has been improved and how it’s become easier for him to manage.

“Apple improved the optics in the iPhone 4S to the degree that the camera inside the phone matches, if not exceeds, many decent point-and-shoots. The camera has 8 megapixels (up from 5 megapixels in the iPhone 4), but the megapixel count doesn’t nearly tell the whole story. Among other things, Apple engineered the sensor so it will let in a lot more light. It added face detection, too, for detecting whether you’re capturing a portrait or group shot. and the camera fires up and lets you shoot the next picture in a snap.

In the past, I’ve found snapping a picture on the iPhone a bit clumsy because of the way you had to tap an onscreen shutter button. Now, you can press the volume-up button on the side as a new way to take a picture, much more shooter-friendly. The iOS 5 upgrade adds a couple of tools to help you compose an image: optional grid lines and pinch to zoom.” — Edward C Baig of USA Today

Take a look at this time at a couple of photos and videos as taken with the iPhone 4S by SlashGear, and note that they’re all either 1080p or 8-megapixels strong:

Continuing on, Gruber brings it back to speech and hits on Siri in the gut, showing here the one obvious downfall (at the moment) for the iPhone 4S’s most talked about feature being the lack of real 3rd-party integration.

“People are going to start clamoring for third-party Siri integration as soon as they see Siri in action. but I’m not sure what form that integration could take. best I can think is that apps could hook up to (as yet utterly hypothetical) Siri APIs much in the same way that Mac apps can supply system-wide Services menu items. but how would they keep from stomping on one another? if Siri supported third-party apps and you said, “Schedule lunch tomorrow at noon,” what would Siri do if you have multiple Siri-enabled calendar apps installed? This is similar to the dilemma Mac OS X faces when you open a document with a file extension that multiple installed apps register support for.” — John Gruber for Daring Fireball

Topolsy also pulls a punch, or perhaps a compliment, in noting the difference between contrast values between the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S — see the photo taken by Topolsky below, the iPhone 4S above and the iPhone 4 below.

“The display on the 4S is Apple’s well regarded 960 x 640 Retina Display, and it looks no less impressive now than it did when the iPhone 4 was first released. one thing I did note, however, was how much less contrast-heavy the screen looks in comparison to the previous model. The iPhone 4S has a noticeably different color tone, and blacks seem far less dark. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; when comparing Dead Space (a pretty dark game) side-by-side, I found the iPhone 4S display more eye-pleasing. still, the newer screen definitely has a slightly more green-tinted, washed-out look compared with the older device.” — Joshua Topolsky of ThisIsMyNext

Metz ties it all off nicely with a few quick sentences on what it means to own an iPhone 4S instead of waiting for the iPhone 5.

“To some people, Apple’s new iPhone 4S isn’t the complete overhaul they have been hoping for. Its model number, which doesn’t include a “5,” reeks of the status quo.That’s ridiculous.

Sure, the 4S doesn’t render the iPhone 4 hopelessly obsolete, and on the surface they’re nearly identical. but with a faster processor, new software, a voice-activated personal assistant and a souped-up camera, it’s a major improvement over the current iPhone.” — Rachel Metz of Associated Press

Got all that? Remember to keep attuned to our [Apple portal], our [iPhone 4S portal], and our review of both of the newest of Apple’s big mobile heroes. SlashGear has a gigantic iOS 5 review as well as a iPhone 4S review, both written, as mentioned above, by Vincent Nguyen.

Tagged with: apple • iphone • loving community • mailboxes • photo • reviewers

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