Apple iPhone and related items (cont.)

[ChrisFilter]

For sure, I'd love to see that, its a lovely screen. However unless they could back it up with the same kind of advertising that apple did to capture a new market I'm not sure of it beating the iphone outside the geek world. Not that would bother me at all, provided they sell enough to keep making them. Now if they could build a slide out hardware keyboard into that would be cool.

BTW what's with the "L33T" speak recently?

This is just it. Bar the multi-touch screen, the HTC is superior to the iPhone is nearly every way, but it will never have the kudos associated with iPhone amongst the general public.

Interestingly, in a few road tests, the Touch HD is winning the best internet award. The iPhone wins the best interface award though, rightly.

After having had a Touch HD for a few weeks now, I'd give it a solid 9/10. It is still Windows Mobile, and whilst it's well hidden it's still in evidence.

A decent Android rom for it could bump it to a 10/10. The screen is jaw-dropping, sound quality superb, and the touch functions are very, very good for resistive tech.

 

[Sunray]

Sorry but that interface is miles behind the iPhone. The touch HD is for feature geeks.

Superiority is very subjective in this instance.

 

[Crispy]

Sorry but that interface is miles behind the iPhone. The touch HD is for feature geeks.

Superiority is very subjective in this instance.

Indeed. The opinion of us gadget addicts is not the most important one that counts when apple consider their iphone plans, I'd imagine.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Indeed. The opinion of us gadget addicts is not the most important one that counts when apple consider their iphone plans, I'd imagine.

Indeed.

 

[ChrisFilter]

Sorry but that interface is miles behind the iPhone. The touch HD is for feature geeks.

Superiority is very subjective in this instance.

You'll note that I said the iPhone rightly deserved the interface award and that I marked it down for still being WM despite it being well hidden

 

[paolo]

I've just discovered something brilliant (for me at least)...

...although you can't download podcasts over 10mb, over 3G, you can still stream them. On a long journey, fancy watching a video? Just dig around in iTunes and click on the name, rather than the button. Half hour programme, huge video file? No problem.

Fab. I can see my bus journey to work now being a battery draining experience.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

That's an odd way of doing things, why limit the d/l amount if you can still watch more than that via streaming?!

 

[Sunray]

So you can, you press the pod cast name rather than the big download button. I wonder if the operators know that....

 

[Kid_Eternity]

So you can, you press the pod cast name rather than the big download button. I wonder if the operators know that....

Well I'm sure once Endgaget finds out it'll be all over...

 

[paolo]

That's an odd way of doing things, why limit the d/l amount if you can still watch more than that via streaming?!

The bandwidth and potential usage dynamics are quite different. Downloads are "max rate", and can be stacked up.

Still, I'm not complaining. Videotastic.

 

[editor]

Microsoft Live Labs have just released its first iPhone application, Seadragon Mobile

The program is a demo of the Seadragon photo technology - and was released on the iPhone first because most WM phones don't have the necessary accelerated graphics built in!

http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/12/14/microsoft-releases-first-iphone-app-seadragon-mobile/

 

[paolo]

Just downloaded and had a play. Although it looks like a solution trying to find a problem, I do like the rendering style as you zoom. Very swish, more Apple-like than Apple. The Maps app should render like that - silky smooth.

 

[Sunray]

I never realised the iPhone had accelerated graphics.

The visible light map of the globe shows how light polluted the UK is an how humans effect the globe now...

Ooo very cool with the picture wall.

 

[Sunray]

O2 have a new free Xmas application.

Somebody got paid to create that!

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

O2 have a new free Xmas application.

Somebody got paid to create that!

I've got a snow globe (that works when you shake the phone) and a customisable xmas tree on my G1

 

[Sunray]

Exactly that (but of the O2 Arena ), some xmas bells that don't react properly when you shake them and something else that is bad including woeful music.

I just downloaded the Star Wars sound board, 59p but worth every penny. Fantastic...

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

59p

Everything on the Android Market is free so far

 

[Sunray]

Its Star wars sound clips so there would be rights issues.

There are well over ten thousand applications on the App store now, I could be here forever going on about this app and that app. Lots are free lots are 59 or 99p, some are loads of money.

I think all the Android apps are free as there is no billing model in place for the market place at the moment.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

There are well over ten thousand applications on the App store now

How easy is it to find what you want/keep track of new stuff?

The rate that apps are being added to the Market is pretty impressive, but it does make keeping tracks of them all quite tricky. There's a great search facility (it is google after all), and stuff is divided into categories, but that relies on you knowing what you're looking for.

I tend to check it every day now, just to make sure I've not missed anything cool

 

[Sunray]

Its iTunes, so its the same categorised instant searching, 'Whats Hot', 'Top Ten' etc as you'd get for music. Load it up and take a look you don't need an iPhone.

They have started make it less unwieldy than it was for the phone. I stopped looking any more, too much stuff to browse through now. Starting to rely on review sites to sort through them for me.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Its iTunes... Load it up

I'd rather fellate a dead dog than install iTunes on my machine

I'll take you word for it

 

[Sunray]

I'd rather fellate a dead dog than install iTunes on my machine

I'll take you word for it

Have you ever used it? If not then I suggest having a look, there is a lot of unjustified negative opinion on iTunes, probably stemming from when it was 1st released as that was shit.

They seem to have fixed all the serious issues I had with it and after grudginly using it for my phone I've warmed to it.

The its worth pointing it at your music library for the >instant< searching alone, it doesn't copy any more it just creates a database. All the podcasts are free and you can subscribe to them via iTunes and copy them onto your phone. It'll even try to find album covers for your tunes.

 

[editor]

You lucky iPhone and Touch owners can now play Sim City on your devices and it looks great.

http://palmaddict.typepad.com/palmaddicts/2008/12/simcity-for-iph.html

I tell you much more because the link insists I install fucking iTunes cack. Oh, and there's no trial version, as usual so it's a ten buck gamble. Worth it, I'd say though.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Have you ever used it? If not then I suggest having a look, there is a lot of unjustified negative opinion on iTunes, probably stemming from when it was 1st released as that was shit.

They seem to have fixed all the serious issues I had with it and after grudginly using it for my phone I've warmed to it.

The its worth pointing it at your music library for the >instant< searching alone, it doesn't copy any more it just creates a database. All the podcasts are free and you can subscribe to them via iTunes and copy them onto your phone. It'll even try to find album covers for your tunes.

I've used it loads, and aqua has it for her iPod.

I can't fucking stand it. I don't need to search my music, I've got over 100gig's worth, and because I've got a sensible directory structure I can tell you where every single track I have is. Why do I need to see a jpeg of an album cover? I want to hear music, not look at it.

To be fair this isn't really specific to iTunes, I can't stand any of those "media libray" programs, for me at least they're utterly pointless as I organise my files properly myself.

 

[Sunray]

I've used it loads, and aqua has it for her iPod.

I can't fucking stand it. I don't need to search my music, I've got over 100gig's worth, and because I've got a sensible directory structure I can tell you where every single track I have is. Why do I need to see a jpeg of an album cover? I want to hear music, not look at it.

To be fair this isn't really specific to iTunes, I can't stand any of those "media libray" programs, for me at least they're utterly pointless as I organise my files properly myself.

So do I, but its way quicker in iTunes to type Pend to get up all the Pendulum tracks. 4 key presses and a click and music is playing.

You have to get away from the old and consider the new Bees. Your such a creature of habit.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

So do I, but its way quicker in iTunes to type Pend to get up all the Pendulum tracks. 4 key presses and a click and music is playing.

Any album I own is no more than 4 (double)clicks away, no keyboard required

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

You have to get away from the old and consider the new Bees. Your such a creature of habit.

I got a G1, what more do you want?

 

[Crispy]

Innit

Smart playlists are great too. I have a 'freshen me up' one that plays music I haven't listened to in the last 3 months and that I haven't given a 1-star rating to. Plenty of others too. Oh and that song called "fish in my pants" by oh, what's his face, I can't remmeber, search for fish and there it is.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Innit

Smart playlists are great too. I have a 'freshen me up' one that plays music I haven't listened to in the last 3 months and that I haven't given a 1-star rating to. Plenty of others too. Oh and that song called "fish in my pants" by oh, what's his face, I can't remmeber, search for fish and there it is.

I hate random playlists

 

[Gromit]

Innit

Smart playlists are great too. I have a 'freshen me up' one that plays music I haven't listened to in the last 3 months and that I haven't given a 1-star rating to. Plenty of others too. Oh and that song called "fish in my pants" by oh, what's his face, I can't remmeber, search for fish and there it is.

Nice idea. I may set up something similar.

I'm terrible and mainly play my favourites smart playlist. All songs I've rated with 5 stars.