Google recently unveiled an application for the iPhone that could be used even when the phone wasn’t connected to any network.  This is great for working in an environment that does not provide you access networks, for example on a plane.
This is definitely a huge step for iPhone users as it will allow users to perform a lot of functions that Apple does not have feature for.

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Amazon has received a lot of attention after the launch of it’s Kindle and Kindle 2  . However there is a lot of speculation that the new generation of smartphones can do what the Kindle does better and much cheaper. At $359 the Kindle is far from cheap and with smartphones costing a lot less users might just decide to stay away from the device that is essentially a horse with one act.

Devices like the Apple iPhone are now offering a huge range of apps, some of which are ebook readers and at prices that are very competitive.

It will be interesting to see where this story heads.

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Microsoft Corp. is looking at bolstering its service offerings on the mobile platform the most important of which would be an online shop catering to software distribution. This is most definitely to counter the iPhone store that has been doing brilliantly since its launch last year.

The much awaited Windows Mobile 6.5 should be out shortly as well however how it’s going to fare against the iPhone and Google Android is to be seen.  Even Palm is out with its Pre that many people are looking forward to. Smart phones have evolved from the pure business tools they once were to what we see today. Phones being used for so much more than checking mail and calling people.

The biggest news ofcourse is the MyPhone service that Microsoft is talking about. Which is more or less along the lines of what the iPhone offers users today. The biggest difference ofcourse would be the fact that it will have a feature like MobileMe that the company will not charge users for. ( Apple charges $99  a year )

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TUAW has just released a story that I’m sure will spread like wildfire. It seems thee U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has awarded Apple patent number 7,479,949 which in effect covers the key aspects of the iPhones multi-touch user interface.

The filing clearly mentions the operation of the touchscreen and how the hardware and software interpret finger touches. This patent will allow Apple to aggressively defend its turf with Palm. With the recent stories out over the supposed “copying” of technology there is no doubt that there might be a showdown between Apple and Palm.

Whats interesting to note is that the patent also covers features that aren’t present on the iPhone but that are critical to the operation of the Palm Pre.

Will be interesting to watch how this unfolds.

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Apple will be releasing its latest installment of the iLife suite for ‘09.  The new features would include :

• Organizing and searching for phones using a face detection feature called Face ( iPhoto )
• Pictures can be uploaded directly to facebook.
• Garage Band to offer guitar and piano lessons ( a total of 18 )
• You can create themed slideshows
• iMovie has a video editor, stabilizer and animated travel maps.
• iWeb also gets an update with users being able to create websites with features like iSight, RSS and YouTube.

In a very interesting development users can now get lessons from experts like Fall Out Boy and Sting from the Garage Band store at $4.99 a lesson.

These upgrades are definitely going to be welcomed by users across the board.

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With one of the most interesting Presidency campaigns coming to a full stop today its interesting to take stock of the way it has affected everything else right down to your iPhone.

Word is that the Ustream video viewer has made it to the App Store today, so you might be able to stream the inaugural coverage. This is a great way for people to stay in touch with this landmark ceremony regardless of where they are.

Another very cool app you might want to add to your collection of applications is the Inauguration Guide iPhone app this  has been developed byPointAbout the idea is to give visitors to the capital everything they need to find their way around the city in the midst of the crowds.

The app has the following information:

1. Countdown times
2. Distance to the Capitol
3. Parking information
4. Public Transportation
5. Restaurants

There are a host of applications that have been developed around this event.

1. Inauguration Report - Which allows you to connect with the team at CBS News so you can send your impressions in text, picture or audio.
2. Guide to the inaugural event schedule
3. Comprehensive photo and speech gallery
4. America Deluxe, a reference app that promises rapid updates after the inauguration.

There are a host of other applications that you can try out, so feel free to mess around ( though there isn’t very much time )

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Source : Top Tech News

Japan is investigating a possible defect in Apple Inc.’s iPod after one of the popular digital music players reportedly shot out sparks while recharging, a government official said Wednesday.

An official at the trade and economy ministry, which oversees product problems, said a defect is suspected in the lithium-ion battery in the iPod Nano, model number MA099J/A. He spoke on customary condition of anonymity, saying he is reiterating a ministry position.

The problem surfaced in January in Kanagawa Prefecture southwest of Tokyo, and Apple reported the problem to the ministry in March. No one was injured, the official said. Other details weren’t available.

Apple Japan did not contest the ministry statement but declined further comment. Nano players are sold all over the world, and it was still unclear where else besides Japan the suspected model was sold, said Masayoshi Suzuki, an Apple spokesman in Tokyo.

The ministry has instructed Apple Japan to find out the cause of what it is categorizing as a fire and report back to the government.

The iPod was assembled in China, but it was unclear who made the lithium-ion battery, the ministry official said.

Lithium-ion batteries have been blamed for a series of blazes in laptops recently that have resulted in massive global recalls.

The ministry said Apple has shipped about 425,000 iPods of the same suspected model were shipped into Japan. It was unknown how many have been sold and how many might still be in stores.

Shipments of the model began in September 2005 and were discontinued after September 2006, the ministry said.

The iPod has been the symbol in recent years of the successful fashionable image of Apple. But its sales momentum may be gradually running out of steam.

Apple sold 22.1 million iPods during the holiday quarter ended Dec. 31, fewer than the 25 million iPods analysts had expected it to sell. That’s raising fears that the company, based in Cupertino, Calif., may suffer as it tries to convince consumers to buy higher-end iPods — a key part of its strategy.

The batteries in Apple products have had some problems in the past, largely about wearing out, not about being prone to fires.

In 2006, Japanese electronics and entertainment maker Sony Corp. apologized for the troubles it had caused consumers through defective lithium-ion batteries that had equipped Sony laptops and products by Dell Inc., Apple, Lenovo and other major manufacturers.

The Tokyo-based company recalled about 10 million batteries following reports of some computers using Sony power packs overheating and bursting into flames.

The lithium-ion battery is considered an overall good technology because of its ability to furnish power in relatively small sizes, although its suspected tendency to catch fire is a major reason Toyota Motor Corp. and other automakers are being cautious about using it in ecological cars.

Toyota’s Prius gas-electric hybrid uses a different kind of battery, and the switch in future green models to the lithium-ion battery will be seen as a considerable breakthrough.

Undergoing MyBlogLog Verification

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