According to the leaked document, on June 11 of this year the first generation iPhone will enter vintage status in the United States and will be classified as obsolete in Asia-Pacific, Canada, Europe, Japan, Latin America and Apple’s retail stores. Vintage is a slightly different designation from obsolete, per Apple’s own lingo, which it lists on its website.

Says Apple, a vintage device was discontinued more than five years but less than seven years ago. If something is classified as vintage, it has a couple perks over being flat-out obsoleted, and will be serviceable in the state of California “as required by statute.” Those with a Mac that has entered vintage mode can get parts and service in the state from service providers, while vintage iPod owners can get both in California via Apple’s retail stores or AppleCare.

Once a product shifts from vintage to obsolete, all servicing options will come to an end. According to the leaked document, the 17-inch and 20-inch iMac G5 (iSight), late 2005 Mac mini, and 15-inch and 17-inch PowerBook G4 (Double-Layer SD) are slated to become obsolete. Meanwhile, the mid-2007 20-inch and 24-inch iMac, Mac Pro, late-2007 13-inch MacBook, late-2006 Xserve, late-2004 Xserve RAID SFP, 2.2/2.4GHz 15-inch MacBook Pro, and 2.4GHz 17-inch MacBook Pro will become vintage in the US and obsolete in Apple stores.

[via 9to5Mac]

According to the China Times and translated by BrightWire, it’s said that the iPhone Math will supposedly launch in June, which would sound logical a couple years ago, but Apple hasn’t done a June launch for the iPhone for a while now. It’s always possible that the company could move back to that timeframe, but we may not see that for some time, if ever.

First of all, Apple has always been about making slow changes. After most Android devices had moved up to larger 4.5-inch-and-higher displays, Apple only slightly moved up to a 4-inch screen with the iPhone 5. Plus, they were adamant about not making the phone wider, but rather taller, so that users could still navigate the entire screen with their thumb. Moving up to a 4.8-inch display would result in a really tall phone that would be cumbersome to use.

The iPhone Math rumor arrives just after we heard that Apple is rumored to be outing a less-expensive iPhone model with a plastic body, as well as different colors. The company’s Phil Schiller said that Apple will never make a cheap iPhone, but he never said anything about a less-expensive iPhone, so while we’re still keeping our eyes and ears peeled, we’re remaining suitably skeptical over these last few rumors.

[via BrightWire]

The game is rather simple: gamers are presented with a virtual shooting range populated with targets of various sizes and shapes, as well as a firearm. Guns include handguns, rifles, assault rifles, and sniper rifles. The weapon is then fired at the virtual target by aiming, then tapping the screen. All things considered, there’s nothing particularly violent or otherwise disagreeable about the game.

Except, of course, that a school shooting just took place, the game was released on the shooting’s one month anniversary, and the nation has been engaged in heated debates over firearms lately. As such, and especially because one of the weapons available in-game is an assault rifle, critics feel the game is, at best, poorly timed, and at worst that it is a deliberate political jab. Because of this, a petition has surfaced over at Sign On requesting that Apple pull the app.

Says the petition, “Apple: The National Rifle Association’s new app “NRA: Practice Range” is an insult to the victims of gun violence, having been launched on the one month anniversary of the Sandy Hook shooting. Out of respect for the victims and to signal Apple’s support for common sense measures to help end gun violence, we call on you to rescind your approval of this shameless new product.”

[via CNET]

Apple has already confirmed that Jobs will stay on as Chairman moving forward. Without getting into all the details here is the full open letter below.

To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community:

I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.

I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.

As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.

I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.

I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.

Steve

The news is just breaking and we will be sure to report more on this as we hear more details. We would like to take this moment to welcome Tim Cook and we at SlashGear will give him our full support. Here is the official press release below directly from Apple.

Steve Jobs Resigns as CEO of Apple

Tim Cook Named CEO and Jobs Elected Chairman of the Board

CUPERTINO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Apple’s Board of Directors today announced that Steve Jobs has resigned as Chief Executive Officer, and the Board has named Tim Cook, previously Apple’s Chief Operating Officer, as the company’s new CEO. Jobs has been elected Chairman of the Board and Cook will join the Board, effective immediately.

“Steve has made countless contributions to Apple’s success, and he has attracted and inspired Apple’s immensely creative employees and world class executive team. In his new role as Chairman of the Board, Steve will continue to serve Apple with his unique insights, creativity and inspiration.”
“Steve’s extraordinary vision and leadership saved Apple and guided it to its position as the world’s most innovative and valuable technology company,” said Art Levinson, Chairman of Genentech, on behalf of Apple’s Board. “Steve has made countless contributions to Apple’s success, and he has attracted and inspired Apple’s immensely creative employees and world class executive team. In his new role as Chairman of the Board, Steve will continue to serve Apple with his unique insights, creativity and inspiration.”

“The Board has complete confidence that Tim is the right person to be our next CEO,” added Levinson. “Tim’s 13 years of service to Apple have been marked by outstanding performance, and he has demonstrated remarkable talent and sound judgment in everything he does.”

Jobs submitted his resignation to the Board today and strongly recommended that the Board implement its succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO.

As COO, Cook was previously responsible for all of the company’s worldwide sales and operations, including end-to-end management of Apple’s supply chain, sales activities, and service and support in all markets and countries. He also headed Apple’s Macintosh division and played a key role in the continued development of strategic reseller and supplier relationships, ensuring flexibility in response to an increasingly demanding marketplace.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

With AT&T, looking to gobble up T-Mobile it would be easy to expect the iPhone to come to that network eventually. T-Mobile USA has told 9to5Mac that it already has a huge number of iPhones operating on its network. T-Mo claims that over a million iPhones are on the network already. It says most of the devices are not the iPhone 4. To get the iPhone to operate on the T-Mo network the users have had to cut their normal SIM cards down to Micro-SIMs using scissors.

The surprising part to me is that since the radios inside the iPhone won’t operate on the T-Mo network at full capacity, the iPhones users can’t get 3G or 4G service. The T-Mo USA rep also noted that Micro-SIMs are in the works but offered no details on release. The tease that there may be a surprise come September was also offered hinting the iPhone might come officially to the network then.

[via 9to5Mac]

The current word from this same source is that the newest generation iPhone will be out in September of this year, and that carrier support for FaceTime is still being worked on, kinks being ironed out regarding iOS 5′s support for over the air updates. Whilst taking a snoop around some iOS 5 SDK files they had lying around, 9to5Mac located references to “N94″ and “N93,” both of which are apparently unreleased iPhone models. The N94 model is more than likely the iPhone 4 with A5 dual-core chip that Apple is supposedly sending out to developers as we speak.

The N93 is more than likely simply a variation of the N94. what this more than likely means is a carrier difference, noting that with the current model, GSM is N90 and CDMA is N92, this pointing toward such a situation quite blatantly. Could this new model be being prepared for Sprint or T-Mobile? We shall see!

Additionally 9to5Mac have found rather disheartening connections leading to the following image:

This is the same sort of situation that revealed the iPad 2 to be having the same camera as the fourth-generation iPod touch, now showing the newest generation iPhone to be rolling out with the same 5 megapixel sensor as found in the iPhone 4.

All this said, if you were asking yours truly, I’d say look for a slight reboot of the iPhone. Nothing too drastic – perhaps a bit bigger than the launch of the Verizon iPhone, but it’ll be no iPad 2. Look for a major reboot inside 2012, this 2011 model will be made simply to accommodate iOS 5 in its best form.

[via 9to5Mac]

Walmart only caries the 16GB Black and White versions of the iPhone 4, and the price drop applies to AT&T and Verizon versions. Consumers will be required to get a new 2-year agreement from one of the carriers to get the new discounted price. The price move seems to be a little premature, since the focus of Apple’s WWDC seemed to be on other announcements. It is especially interesting when other retailers don’t seem to be clearancing their own stock.

The sale will run from now until June 30 (if any remain in stock by then). Earlier this year AT&T made a similar move when they dropped the price of the iPhone 3GS to $49. With the release of the iPhone 5 still on the horizon, now would seem like the time to grab the iPhone 4 at this discounted price if you can find one at your local Walmart. We still can’t help but wonder: Is this just an attempt to get rid of some overstocked merchandise, or does Walmart know something we don’t? There certainly isn’t any history between the two retail giants to indicate the latter.

[via pcmag]

The app sells for $5.99 and you get a lot of cool new features along with it other than just controlling the flying machine. The app allows you to record video, capture images, and track objects from within the app. The app also controls autonomous flight and allows you to execute pre-programmed Drone animations and control the lights on the toy as well. The app will work on both the iPhone and the iPad.

Other features include the ability to save the settings for your Drone inside the app so if you reset you don’t have to enter settings again. The app allows iPad 2 users to mirror the screen to their TV. The app allows for control options you don’t get by default with reversed for left hand users, elevation control inversion and the ability to stalk a target with yaw and elevation or yaw, elevation, and pitch. The video is recorded in H.264 encoded QuickTime and can overlay flight data including altitude.

[via iTunes]

“Our research found apps are appealing to people at an emotional level,” said Ericsson ConsumerLab heard of research Michael Björn, in a statement. “Consumers become attached to a certain set of apps that makes them feel more in control of their lives, and turns everyday chores into positive experiences. Apps even give consumers a new sense of freedom; if a new situation arises, there’s probably an app out there that could help them.”

Ericsson found that the apps themselves are more important than the device people are using. They call this “app culture”. Apps make it easier for us to quickly access the information we’re looking for, without having to think about it too much. Before smartphones, people would use the internet for large chunks of time during the day, but now with smartphones we can hop on for quick sessions any time the impulse strikes us. Whereas before, you would need to turn on the computer, find a bookmark, enter an address, maybe log in, and then finally get where you were going, now, all you need to do for many purposes is open up an app.

Other interesting findings are that consumers have almost an equal interest in purchasing a tablet as they do in purchasing a notebook. 16% of consumers were considering purchasing a notebook, while 13% were considering a tablet. The numbers decline a little bit to 12% considering a desktop, and only 6% looking at ereaders and netbooks. Only 1% were considering a digital media player (of course not, you already have one on your smartphone, duh).

So, what about you? Do you bust out the smartphone before you even set foot out of bed? Where do you go first?

[via Digital Trends]

The team also points out that this is the third firmware update in a row where the same hole that was used to jailbreak iOS 4.3.1 is still unplugged and working. That is rather surprising and I am as surprised as Dev-Team is that Apple has left the hole open. I bet that Apple might have been more preoccupied with the location tracking drama to worry about people unlocking their devices. The PwnageTool that is available right now has the port to 4.3.3.

The unlock also takes advantage of geohot’s limera1n boot ROM to inject the jailbreak. Dev-Team point out that this unlock will work on all iOS 4.3.3 devices EXCEPT the iPad 2. There are also other things to note before you unlock. One is ultrasn01 users need to stay away from redsn0w and will need a custom IPSW to update to the 4.3.3 OS or risk problems. A jailbreak for the iPad 2 is being developed right now.

[via Dev-Team]

You might also remember that back in March the major competitor to Square, VeriFone noted that Square needed to recall all of its readers because they lacked encryption at the read point. VeriFone claimed that the lack of encryption at the point that the card was scanned left the user’s credit card details open to a hacker. Square fired back and claimed that its readers were hunky-dory.

While Square was touting the investment from Visa, Square COO Keith Rabois wrote a blog post that basically validated everything VeriFone accused the Square reader of. The crux of the post was that Square would be meeting Visa’s industry standards, and those standards mean they have to encrypt all the credit card data, including the data at the point the information is read. Square will be releasing a new reader of the iPhone this summer that encrypts the data as soon as it is read, VeriFone was accurate after all.

[via TechCrunch]

iFixit is mostly know for tearing up gadgets that we would all like to own just to see what’s inside. The latest teardown came just this morning when they ripped the Nikon D5100 DSLR apart. The company has in the past ripped apart every iPhone model that has been made too. That means that if you want to pick up this cool clear back panel for the iPhone 4 that iFixit offers you can get the instructions for installing it from the site as well.

The clear back case for the iPhone 4 is cheap at $29.95. It fits the GSM AT&T version of the iPhone only and is product code IF182-021-1. I wonder if they will have one for the Verizon iPhone 4 in the future. I would like to have an iPhone 4 that is clear all around, not just on the back panel. You can order one of these covers right now if you are comfortable with voiding warranties.

[via iFixit]

In a global economy, the phone you have in your hand was sourced from all over the world. From the mining of the raw materials in the Congo that has coined the term “blood phones”, to the production of silicon chips throughout South East Asia, to the final assembly by factory workers in China, finally through your hands for an average of 18 months, and then most likely to a landfill somewhere in the States.

A person who thinks all the time has nothing to think about except faults, so he loses touch with reality and lives in a world of illusions.

By thought I mean the chattering inside the skull; perpetual and compulsive repetition of words, of calculations, and symbols going on inside the head.

For as a result of confusing the real world of nature with mere signs, such as money, stocks and bonds, title deeds, and so forth. This is a disaster. Time to wake up. – Alan Watts

Now here’s the part that makes me sick and angry. Apple will recycle all of their products for free. Yes, for free. Actually, it’s even better, if you bring some devices in to Apple retail stores, you can get a discount on a new one. And still only 10% of us are even bothering to do anything but chuck it in the trash. That’s ridiculous, wasteful, and just plain stupid, especially in these hard economic times. Many computer companies are offering free recycling programs. There are national coalitions like the Electronics TakeBack Coalition that are pushing for extended producer responsibility to be made law. It already has been made law in a lot of places.

Alright, surf on over to geekaphone to check out the rest of these facts and figures. I would have grabbed more shots to highlight for you, but it’s really worth taking a look at the image in it’s entirely. Really, it’s awesome.

[via Cult of Mac]

“Despite Apple’s longer tenure in the marketplace, we were surprised by the wide margin between Apple devices and others,” said Bill Mulderry, president of Bulletin Healthcare. The interesting thing about this data is the different mobile use by medical specialty. “We assumed that specialty-based segments of the medical community might differ in their media habits and use mobile devices to varying degrees,” Mike Donatello, vice president of research at Bulletin Healthcare parent company Bulletin News said. “Still, we were surprised to find a threefold range in mobile-device use, between emergency physicians and physician assistants on the high end, and clinical pathologists on the low end.”

According to the data, 41% of physician assistants adn 40% of ER physicians are using mobile every day. By contrast, a mere 20% of oncologists and 16% of clinical pathologists are using mobile. Other specialist fields stay between 24% and 31%.

Of course, this is only data from one publication, but it is interesting enough to warrant more research, and delving into why iOS seems to be preferred by the healthcare sector. The trends shown by Bulletin’s data do not reflect trends in the wider consumer market, where Android’s share of the smartphone market has now surpassed Apple’s.

[via Information Week]

Recently Apple hired a Senior Composites Engineer named Kevin Kenny that previously worked for a company that used carbon fiber to make bikes. This fact has led many including Cult of Mac into believing Apple is hard at work on iPods and other device with carbon fiber cases. They reckon that for wireless sync to come to the iPod line these carbon fiber cases are needed for good radio signal transmission.

The rub as Fast Company points out is that carbon fiber blocks radio signals as well. That means that any gains from moving to a carbon fiber case for the devices would potentially be no better than using a new aluminum case design. The other trade off with carbon fiber is that the material is very expensive and more difficult to work with than aluminum. So who’s right? My money says that the new composites engineer may have a lot of experience with carbon fiber, but I am sure he knows his way around other materials too. I don’t see the cost of carbon fiber being something that would make for an appealing price on an iPod or tablet at this point. I do know that a carbon fiber iPad would be dead sexy.

My boyfriend and I have both recently experienced this problem several times – when one of us is calling the other via FaceTime, an old picture freezes on our screen, while the person receiving the call only sees a black screen. It’s kind of creepy, because it brought up photos of both of us at work, where I have used FaceTime a few times but he never has. We’re just wondering how/why this is happening, and if there is a fix. It’s not terribly inconvenient, but it’s definitely unsettling, where is seems that even if we haven’t taken a picture or used FaceTime, the camera is keeping images. If anyone else is experiencing this, we’d love feedback. Thanks!

I’ll make a quick guess as to what’s going on here. There’s probably some minor bug that’s misplacing a memory address when buffering the image data it’s getting from FaceTime. But, as any geek knows, assuming the user is remembering correctly is always a bad idea when it comes to weirdness like this. So, to follow that probably incorrect assumption, I wonder if it’s possible that the program is snagging data from the CCD without any user indication. I would prefer to have hardwired capture indicators enabled whenever a camera is going.

Most likely, the both of them did open up the FaceTime app, but didn’t connect a call. The app buffers image information right away to get it ready to start the whole process of sending that data over to the recipient. When no call connection is made, and the program is exited from, that buffer isn’t overwritten. So when the next call is made, the program opens up the same buffer and OMG! there’s already something that looks like image data there! So it sends along that old bit of buffered video and then goes black, because the camera is sending the new data to another chunk of memory. It sends that buffered frame and then gets stuck, it doesn’t have the right spot where the new camera images are being stored.

[via Intomobile]

As PC Mag pointed out, though, if you don’t have an iPhone, “you also didn’t fall victim to the glitch that kept the clocks on some iPhones from adjusting to daylight savings time last weekend.” But Apple’s marketing has been very effective, as shown by the half-million iPad 2s that were sold in the tablet’s first days in stores. And Apple’s previous “There’s an app for that” ads were also very successful. What do you think, do you like the new ads, or are they annoying? Your answer may depend on what phone you’re carrying around.

Here they are:
App Store:

[via PC Mag]

Apple didn’t even have a year to smoke the competition. Through April-December last year, Apple cornered 90% of the market on Tablets and still managed break 100 million total units sold on the various models of iPhone. This means 9.5 billion dollars in revenue for just nine months of 2010, and that’s from the iPad alone. Marry this to 200 million paying accounts with credit cards and one-click purchasing, and Apple has a revenue generating empire. They have consumer trust, they have brand identity, and they are kicking the competition out the window right now.

Shammo did not give details on the tiered data plans Verizon plans to offer. AT&T stopped offering unlimited plans in June, and now offers a $15 plan for 250MB and a $25 for 2GB. The new plans could be based upon desired buckets of data, data speeds, or a combination of both. We shall see.

[via Bloomberg Businessweek]

The company also states that the keyboard is available at Fry’s, but it is not listed on their website yet.

Apple also has a much higher percentage of paid apps (66%), but that percentage has declined from 70% since August. 34% of the apps on the Android Market are paid apps, and that has increased from 22% since August.

It will be interesting to see the impact that subscriptions and in-app purchases have on the app market in the next year as well.

[via CNET]

Blogger Mary-Jo Foley asked Microsoft if they planned to kill Zune, and they responded:

“We’re not ‘killing’ any of the Zune services/features in any way. Microsoft remains committed to providing a great music and video experience from Zune on platforms such as Xbox LIVE, Windows-based PCs, Zune devices and Windows Phone 7, as well as integration with Bing and MSN.”

But it should be pointed out that though they said they are not “killing any of the Zune services/features”, they did not say they would not be killing the brand.

[via ZDnet]

Steve Jobs said in a statement Tuesday: “Our philosophy is simple — when Apple brings a new subscriber to the app, Apple earns a 30% share, when the publisher brings an existing or new subscriber to the app, the publisher keeps 100% and Apple earns nothing.”

Kindle app users can still purchase books outside of the App Store, on Amazon’s web site or through a non-Apple Kindle app, and then have them loaded onto the device. Apple has not specified a deadline for developers to modify their existing apps.

[via Computerworld]

Expand Content Formats. Although music format stations represent 80% of total radio share according to Arbitron, a media and marketing research firm, many radio listeners are drawn to sports, talk, news and other forms of content beyond music. We think there is an opportunity over the long term to offer these types of content in addition to music.

Pandora’s offering also says that such diversification is what gives terrestrial radio an edge over it’s commercial free online service.  But when will we see a Rush Limbaugh or Howard Stern channel?  It’s unclear how a service, which creates a very personal music station for individual users, would be able to mimmick the same business model for talk shows and sports, but if they could pull it off, it could mean a boon to talk radio and sports talk fans who wish to focus listening to their favorite teams or political philosophies.

[via New York Times]

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The biggest change is the antenna. With the new design, Apple walled off the Bluetooth/LAN antenna for increased performance. The most expensive component of the iPhone 4 is memory, at $40.40. The display costs $37.80.

According to Andrew Rassweiler, senior director of teardown services for IHS:

“With the CDMA iPhone 4, Apple Inc. has shown once again that it never recycles a product design. Apple’s new designs always exhibit changes, evolution and optimization. This approach is evident not only in the antenna design but also in items like the integrated GPS functionality and the shrinking of the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth combo module. As we dig deeper into our teardown analysis, we’re certain that we will find a host of other tweaks all designed to improve quality but keep costs on a steady path of decline.”

To see SlashGear’s full review of the Verizon iPhone 4, go here.

[via PCMag.com]

Line in Louisville KY, via Flickr user Jason Hiner

The iPhone 4 has already been out for over six months, and though it is new to Verizon, many people may be waiting for the iPhone 5. Also, at $30, Verizon’s data plan is more expensive than AT&T’s. More importantly, perhaps, Verizon made the phone available to existing customers on February 3rd, and it was available online yesterday.

Check out SlashGear’s full review of the Verizon iPhone 4, and let us know if you were one of those who braved the cold to get a new phone today.

[via TechFortune]

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To see more Daily Slash posts, click here: [The Daily Slash] or here: [SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up]

The iControlPad supports all phones, console, or computer with Bluetooth. Any phones which are a similar in size with the listed supported device may fit, you might have to make your own adjustments to the iCP clamps to match.

[via iControlPad]

Apple’s stylus will have built in pressure detecting circuits which would communicate with the iPad through WiFi or Bluetooth. This is important because the iPad can’t detect pressure, or how hard the stylus is being pressed down. There would also be an accelerometer built into the stylus, something that would be great for gaming. The stylus described in the patent would also have built-in squeeze buttons that could be programmed for shortcuts, like changing colors or brushes.

There are no plans to manufacture this device so far, but keep an eye out, it may be coming soon. We also wonder if Google may begin developing a stylus for Android tablets. If a tablet stylus were available, would you buy it?

[via Cult of Mac]
from Patently Apple

Apparently, if employees purchase an iPhone on a company line, rather than a personal line, they will be asked to pay for the service. But there is nothing stopping Verizon employees from purchasing an iPhone for personal use, it is just “frowned upon”.

So what does this mean? Verizon iPhones may be tough to get for a while.  iPhones are available for existing Verizon customers starting today, and will be available online for new customers starting February 9th at 3:01am. They will be available in stores on February 10th at 7am.

[via TiPB]

Hardware

The Verizon iPhone 4 may be a new model, but outwardly it’s almost identical to the AT&T version announced back in June 2010. That means the same 4.54 x 2.309 x 0.37 inch glass and metal chassis, a slimline slither of premium-feel hardware held together with a band of metal that doubles as the smartphone’s antenna (now with four sections rather than the original’s three). Physical controls are limited to a home button, a power/lock button on the top edge next to a 3.5mm headphones socket, a pair of volume buttons on the left hand side, and a ringer mute switch that has shifted down just slightly. On the bottom edge is the regular Apple dock connector.

Up front is Apple’s brilliant Retina Display, a 3.5-inch 960 x 640 IPS TFT LCD panel with a much-vaunted 800:1 contrast ratio, covered with oleophobically-treated glass. It remains the highest-resolution panel of its size on US smartphone, with the same crispness of text and clarity of color, as I’m familiar with from the AT&T iPhone 4. In fact, the general hardware experience of this Verizon version is near identical to its sibling: same 5-megapixel rear camera with 720p HD video capture, same WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, same choice of 16GB of 32GB of flash storage inside.

The processor, too, is the same: the 1GHz Apple A4 as also found in the iPad, paired with PowerVR SGX 535 graphics. It’s a single-core chip in a market where I’m beginning to see Android devices promise dual-core, but it’s also important to note that there’s more to performance than how many cores you’ve got on hand. That comes down to iOS, after all.

Verizon CDMA vs AT&T GSM

Demand for the Verizon version of the iPhone generally comes down to one thing: dissatisfaction with AT&T’s network. Ever since Apple and AT&T signed their exclusivity agreement, the GSM carrier has struggled with iPhone load. Dropped calls and sluggish data connections have both been blamed on AT&T, marring the overall experience for many iPhone users. Several of the SlashGear team have abandoned the iPhone and crossed over to rival carriers – and, invariably, Android handsets – out of frustration, and they’re not alone.

To those users, a CDMA iPhone promises access to Verizon’s much-vaunted network, with its reputation for reliability and speed. Although AT&T argues it has boosted performance across the US – and indeed some GSM iPhone owners have no problems whatsoever with their handsets – the CDMA version is still seen by many as the magic bullet for their coverage woes.

The design of the iPhone 4 means there are compromises along with benefits this Verizon version brings, however. Apple opted not to include a 4G modem for use with Verizon’s LTE network because of the size constraints of the first-generation chipsets; it seems likely that those same constraints are the reason that the Verizon iPhone 4 is not a so-called World Phone with both CDMA and GSM connectivity. That means international travelers won’t be able to use the Verizon iPhone 4 in most countries outside of North America, where GSM is the prevalent standard. As a workaround, Verizon offers a loan program for travelers; you get free use of a handset (not, though, an iPhone 4) and only pay for service while abroad, all the time receiving calls on your regular number.

Another limitation of the CDMA version is its inability to do simultaneous voice calls and cellular data. Like the majority of Verizon’s handsets, receiving a call will automatically shut down an active data connection, meaning you can’t surf over the Verizon network – or check Twitter, or post on Facebook, or anything else that requires a mobile data connection – while you’re on that call. However, the smartphone can maintain a WiFi connection during voice calls.

Finally, for those crossing over from the AT&T iPhone 4, the slightly repositioned ringer mute switch on the Verizon version may mean that tight fitting cases such as “bumpers” no longer fit. Apple’s official bumper has been updated to suit both variants, but if you plan on using your existing cases then you might find things don’t quite line up.

Less clear is how the Verizon model will impact Apple’s upgrade cycle for the iPhone, which has settled into a yearly refresh. It’s still six months away from the predicted “iPhone 5″, assuming Apple keeps to form, but whether that will be a GSM-only model (with a CDMA version to follow) or, perhaps more unlikely, a refresh of both the CDMA and GSM handsets simultaneously is unclear. Alternatively, Apple might delay the cycle altogether, giving the Verizon model more time to flourish.

As with any mobile device, I’d always recommend buying a handset because it does what you need it to today, not because of what’s believed to be coming later. It’s the nature of the industry that today’s new handsets are superseded tomorrow; there’s no global “right time” to buy a device. If, like many on the SlashGear team – and many thousands of other would-be users – the iPhone 4′s functionality caters to your needs, but the AT&T network doesn’t, then the Verizon version addresses that.

Software

The iPhone 4 originally launched running iOS 4.0, a significant update to the platform that added multitasking support along with background processes, conversation views in the messaging apps, homescreen folders and other improvements. Incremental updates since than have brought us to iOS 4.2.1 on the GSM version, though the CDMA model will launch with iOS 4.2.6 with some small UI changes and the Personal Hotspot feature in the settings. You still get the AirPlay wireless audio streaming and AirPrint wireless printer functionality of iOS 4.2, along with Game Center access and HDR photography from iOS 4.1.

Migrating from an AT&T iPhone 4 to the Verizon version was as straightforward as upgrading from a 3GS had been. I plugged the CDMA iPhone into iTunes and all our music, videos, apps and other data was automatically carried across. From there it was iOS as usual, and while the iPhone 4 may not have a dual-core processor, it’s tough finding a place to fault the smoothness of the overall experience. Apple’s multitasking methods – which freeze a snapshot of each running app, leaving only certain core APIs still running – still prompt arguments over whether it’s “true multitasking” or otherwise, but the end result is a system that seldom feels sluggish and allows you to quickly pick up where you left off moving between apps.

The only significant difference in software is the Personal Hotspot feature, which allows users to turn the iPhone 4 into a MiFi-style mobile hotspot. Up to five WiFi-connected clients can access the smartphone’s EVDO Rev.A data connection at any one time, though it’s worth noting that Verizon will charge extra for tethering use. To save battery power, the Personal Hotspot automatically powers down after five minutes of inactivity or no connections.

Performance

All the changes and the migration polish would be for nothing if the user experience of the Verizon iPhone 4 underwhelmed, but happily I’ve been very impressed with the CDMA smartphone’s performance. In the week I’ve been testing the phone I’ve not experienced a single dropped call, and voice quality has been amazing both for me and those on the other end of the call.

Data speeds are solid, though not the best I’ve seen; having experienced what Verizon’s LTE network is capable of I do find myself wishing Apple had found some way to fit in the necessary chipset. Still, the carrier’s 4G network is still very much a work-in-progress, and most would-be Verizon iPhone 4 users aren’t in areas with 4G coverage anyway. I’ve experienced higher on AT&T’s iPhone 4, but what the GSM experience lacks is Verizon’s consistency: the AT&T version has multiple high and low peaks of data performance, depending on your location, whereas my multiple Speedtests in different places have shown that the EVDO Rev.A is far more stable.

As for the voice/data switchover, I found the iPhone 4 immediately picked up its 3G data connection after the voice call was completed. Individual experiences may vary, but I found the limitation didn’t particularly impinge on my daily use. The one exception was with the mobile hotspot functionality, where an unexpected call can momentarily stop the data pipe you’re sharing with a laptop or tablet. Reconnection is automatic, but if you’ve been using it to upload a file then it can be frustrating to have to start the process again. I’d like to see Apple add some sort of automatic call rejection toggle in the settings to prioritize the data link.

Battery life for the CDMA model is quoted as the same as the GSM model: up to 7hrs talktime, up to 300hrs standby, 6hrs of cellular browsing or 10hrs of WiFi browsing. In practice, with push email turned on I managed a day’s use out of the Verizon iPhone; that fell, unsurprisingly, when I also ran a push-based IM client and made more use of the browser over 3G. There are plenty of external battery options for the iPhone, though as with bumper cases it’s worth checking to see if they’re designed to suit the slightly moved ringer switch.

Pricing

Verizon will be charging the same as AT&T for new iPhone 4 agreements, with the 16GB version coming in at $199 and the 32GB version at $299, each with a two-year contract and mandatory voice and data plans. Existing subscribers will get the first opportunity to buy, from Thursday February 3, with general sales from February 10, one week later.

Three voice plans will be available, at $39.99/mo for 450 minutes, $59.99/mo for 900 minutes (and unlimited calls to five people on any network), and $69.99/mo for nationwide unlimited calls. Meanwhile two data plans are offered, $29.99/mo for unlimited data or $49.99/mo for adding in 2GB of mobile hotspot data; each additional GB of mobile hotspot data is charged at $20.

Finally there are four messaging plans, either pay-per-use (at 20 cents a text or 25 cents for a picture/video message), 250 messages for $5/mo, 500 for $10/mo (and unlimited to other Verizon customers), or completely unlimited for $20. Verizon has previously suggested that unlimited data will be a promotion rather than the norm, though I don’t know how long it might be before on-device data caps are introduced.

In contrast, AT&T has two data plans, both cheaper than Verizon’s but neither offering unlimited access. Instead, $15 gets you 200MB and $25 gets you 2GB. Voice and messaging plans are roughly comparable.

Wrap-Up

A device is only as good as its weakest link, and for many iPhone users that link has been AT&T. Although there are plenty of satisfied users getting the best from their iPhones on the GSM network, there are others for whom the iOS experience has been significantly undermined by connectivity problems. Even if you’re content with AT&T’s coverage, the prospect of iPhone competition for the first time in the US bodes well for pricing.

My own concerns with the iPhone 4 had always been patchy AT&T coverage and the absence of native Google Voice support. With the Verizon model and the arrival of the official Google Voice iOS app back in November 2010, both of those issues have finally been addressed. On the flip side, international use is now considerably curtailed; you can use the Verizon iPhone with Google Voice over WiFi, but for most destinations a cellular connection is out of the question. Frequent international travelers may find that too limiting a factor.

Attempting to divine Apple’s plans for their true next-gen iPhone is, as speculation over the past four or more years has shown, invariably an exercise in confusion and frustration. What I do know is that, with frequent iOS software upgrades and the capacious App Store, there’s a legitimate effort to bring older models as up to date and stretch as much functionality out of them as possible. Whether that’s future-proof enough will depend on individual subscribers, but it’s clear that the CDMA iPhone addresses an issue very much of the present. Out in the real world, away from the rumors and speculation, the Verizon iPhone 4 performed as you’d want it to: consistent network service to match the consistent software experience.

When the time comes, you’ll be able to order from this link. Verizon will begin taking General Reservations on February 9. Sales will open to everyone on February 10 at 7 AM.

The game seems to be loosely based on the popular Angry Birds, but it has several additional features. For example, there are Holy Grail and other power-ups on each of the 80 levels of the game. You can also purchase upgrades for your catapult and use different types of animals for throwing, including the African swallow.

Monty Python Cow Tossing will be available for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and select mobile handsets in the next few weeks. No price has yet been released.

See the video of the iPhone game here.

[via PocketGamer]

The first release on January 12th featured the new Personal Hotspot feature which allows an iPhone to share its 3G Internet connection with up to 5 devices over WiFi, and allowed third party applications to use AirPlay for streaming video. It also included a software option to change the iPad hardware switch between mute and orientation lock.

The second beta issued on Jan. 19 was a preview of the new iPad multi-touch gestures, which included four-finger gestures to switch between multitasking operations or return to the home screen. This feature will not be enabled in the final release, but is planned for the future.

Unicom runs on the 3G global standard and is not the largest carrier in the country. The largest carrier is China Mobile, which uses a different standard called TD-SCDMA and will use TD-LTE for its next gen standard. According to China Mobile chairman Wang Jianzhou Apple has committed to supporting TD-LTE.

China Mobile has been working with Apple for years trying to get Cupertino to build an iPhone supporting TD-SCDMA. The pledge for support of the next generation TD-LTE format brings new expectations of Apple perhaps offering an iPhone for the Chinese carrier that will support the current 3G network.

Via Reuters

Apple continued to be the most popular device maker with 21% of the impressions on its devices for the month. Samsung was in the second spot, and HTC was in third place. One interesting fact was that on an individual device basis, Android devices held 16 of the top mobile device spots. The iPhone was number one, the Blackberry Curve was in the second spot, the iPod touch was third, HTC Nexus One was fourth and the Motorola Droid took fifth.

The OS mix showed that Android was tops with 46% of the impressions, iOS was second with 32% of all impressions, and RIM had third with 16% of all impressions. The Windows OS share of all impression was only 1%. Android surpassed iOS as the largest smartphone OS on the network for the first time in December with its 46%.

Via Android Community

This version of the Zeppelin not only differs with wireless funtionality, but with sound quality as well. The improved amplifiers and bass will prove to be an excellent upgrade from the previous Zeppelin purchased three years ago. An interesting design implemented is the ability to actually grasp your iPod as it is docked into place making iPod selection more user-friendly.

[Via BowersWilkens]

The Clutch app has been updated, which is software that allows the cracking of iOS software and the GUI for the app Crackulous has been updated too. Hackulous also has a new piece of software for uploading apps to the pirate store called Mobile Hunt. Mobile Hunt will tell the user when it sees an app not on the pirate app store and prompt them to start a background upload.

Mobile Hunt is described as a reverse BitTorrent where it takes a tiny piece of the app from the users device, uploads it to the cloud and then combines that tiny bit with tiny bits from other users to recreate the complete and working app. Hackulous also says that it has a hack app ready for the Mac App Store too. However, it will not launch the Mac App Store hack until the app store has enough “crap” apps in it to make a hack store useful for trialing apps. The developers reckon to start with all of the apps in the app store for Macs will be good and crap apps will come later.

Via Torrent Freak

R3 Media Network

Editor’s Choice

BlackBerry PlayBook poses for lengthy video demo [WEIRD FISHES]
MacBook Air screen glitch fix released [GOOD GAME]
Sony Ericsson pico-projection phone patent app hides its own display screen [WEIRD]
GM touts Robonaut 2′s hands [ROBO HANDS]
Andrew Chase Steampunk Mechanical Horse is galloping marvel [ROBO HORSE] [SORT OF]
BenQ Releases S1420 Orange Anti-Shake Handheld Camera [YOU ARE THE ONE SHAKING]
Sony Ericsson PlayStation Phone Gets Benchmarked on Video [WANT NOW]
Extreme Design Legacy of the River TRON-Themed Room in Ice Hotel is Awesome [Video] [COLD]
Notion Ink Adam Full Details [BLACK AND YELLOW]
Mafia Wars Coming to Android This Month says Zynga [RAT TATTAT TAT]

SlashPhone
LG LU3000 Heading to South Korea
myTouch 4G Dock Lands In T-Mobile Retail Stores
iPhone 3G Goes Free via Best Buy Mobile On December 10th

Android Community
Madden 2011 Demo Upgrade is $9.99, Coming to the Android Market Q1 2011
HTC Legend Update to Android 2.2 Now Live Across Europe
New “Mute A Twitter User” Feature On Twidroyd Excellent
Galaxy S will get Android 2.3 Gingerbread confirms Samsung India
Amazon offers cloud services integration for Android with new SDK
Gingerbread launcher hits Android Market for Froyo devices
Twidroyd Factory Equals Twitter Goodness for Android
LinguaSys TGPhoto Translation App for Android translates foreign signs for you
Nexus S updates to be OTA not via Samsung Kies
AT&T Dell Streak Froyo update not due until January 12?
Samsung coy on Galaxy S Gingerbread update despite apparent hardware compatibility
Over 300,000 Android devices activated per day confirms Rubin
Seesmic Brings Salesforce Chatter To Android
LG Optimus One Series Will Receive Android 2.3
Gmail for Android Tweaked, Users May Now Set Up Priority Message Alerts
AntiSpamSMS App to Block All Non-Whitelisted Contacts
Playstation Phone Zeus Z1 Benchmarked in Clear Video (Prototype)
LG and VMWare To Produce Dual OS Android Phone
Notion Ink Adam Full Details
Mafia Wars Coming to Android This Month says Zynga
Advent Vega Dock In Production, Shipping Soon
Drift Mania Championship Available in the Android Market
Mega Jump For Android Ready for December Release

SlashGear
Notion Ink Adam pre-orders from 1.30pm EST: Price-cuts & more
Samsung India confirms Galaxy S Android 2.3 Gingerbread plans
Sony Ericsson pico-projection phone patent app hides its own display screen
Apple Sandy Bridge testing tips huge CPU/GPU refresh
Electric Butterfly in a Jar is not cruel
WikiLeaks Kindle ebook appears on Amazon [ITS ALL PUBLIC]
Jawbone THOUGHTS puts PTT on iPhone
Computer casemod puts gaming rig in a bomb disposal robot
Samsung and Ambarella from ASIC collaboration for hybrid camera SOCs
Intel expecting 35 Atom tablets in 2011; Dell’s Intel Android plans quietly deleted
GM touts Robonaut 2′s hands
MacBook Air screen glitch fix released
Sewell unveils cool HDdeck to convert USB to HDMI
Lite-On eNAU608 8x external DVD burner gets interchangeable designs for lid
Lava A10 smarpthone uses IPS touch screen
Halo JC 3 Phono preamp is now shipping
Stem Innovation debuts TimeCommand alarm clock dock for Apple gear
Epson and Thinxtream offer free app for PrintJinni printing from iOS4.2 devices
Sceptre launches a new 37-inch 1080p HDTV
Pioneer Network Vision head-up display for in-car PNDs due 2012 [Video]
Samsung 2.3 Gingerbread update for Galaxy S uncertain despite Nexus S similarities
AMD Radeon HD 6970/6950 due third week of Dec, undercutting GeForce GTX 580?
Sony Ericsson PlayStation Phone on sale March 2011 tips insider
BlackBerry PlayBook poses for lengthy video demo
VGA dead by 2015 say Intel, AMD & PC/display makers
iTunes 90-second song previews added to US iTunes store
iPhone gaming evangelist Graeme Devine leaves Apple
Google accuse US Government of Microsoft favoritism
Prima plan release-day digital movies for $500 a pop on $20k system
Android activation rate now over 300,000 per day; blazes past iPhone
2010: The year I forgot about DVDs [COLUMN]
Google Cr-48 Chrome OS notebooks being delivered today
SlashGear Lenovo ThinkCentre M90z Giveaway [FEATURED]
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception Unveiled
Lenovo IdeaPad Y460p/Y560p notebooks & IdeaCentre K330 desktop outed
BenQ Releases S1420 Orange Anti-Shake Handheld Camera
LTE 50Mbps Wireless Internet in Rural Wales
Apple Products to No Longer Be Sold at Costco Membership Warehouse
Toshiba Power Outage Stops Flash Memory Supply
Sony Ericsson PlayStation Phone Gets Benchmarked on Video
Snapstick iPhone App Lets You Snap the Internet to Your TV [Video]
Time To Buy a Blu-Ray [COLUMN]
Delu Rebot Restaurant in China Features Robots Serving Food, Greeting Guests
BamBoo Electric Vehicle is a Grown-Up Golf Cart
Extreme Design Legacy of the River TRON-Themed Room in Ice Hotel is Awesome [Video]
Housewives Used to Smuggle iPads and Smartphones Into China
Andrew Chase Steampunk Mechanical Horse is galloping marvel
iPad 2 Case Shows Up on Website, Shows Opening for Camera
Notion Ink Adam pre-orders shipping around January 6 2011

To see more Daily Slash posts, click here: [The Daily Slash] or here: [SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up]