And the MobileMe Complaint Train Rolls On

Over at Scobleizer, complaints abound about how Apple's MobileMe completely deleted Robert's calendar. And while I don't use Calendar all that much--I'm kind of a Post-It sort of gal--I can imagine how a loss like this would cause panic, anger, and the desire to throw MobileMe out the window, if such a thing were possible.

My experience with MobileMe has been far from perfect. In fact, I talked about just two weeks ago. But there's a difference between then and now. Then, MobileMe was ironing out launch kinks, which can be expected. Now, it's exhibiting serious character flaws.

"Apple’s secrecy keeps them from properly testing out their apps with tons of users, the way other companies do who aren’t so worried about secrecy," says Robert Scoble. And while this may very well be true, I can't help but think the problem is even deeper than that. Apple lover that I am, I think they're in over their heads this time.

I haven't had any calendar troubles. Everything syncs just fine now. But when I tried to add a domain name to my "Personal Domains," MobileMe said it was invalid. Now, I did some digging and it seems even though MobileMe is supposed to recognize sites with hyphens in them, it's not. I also found out that Apple Support can help fix this for you. And that would be all fine and well if Apple Support, you know, worked.

When you go on the MobileMe Support site, you're prompted to browse through articles they have on various problems. If the articles don't help, you can select the topic that fits the closest and then fill out an email form. However, this e-mail form is nowhere in sight. And the live chat is "unavailable." But these issues are only on the U.S. version of the Apple site. Go in the U.K. site and the Email form is as plain as day. However, online reports seem to indicate that people are just getting a standardized email exactly 48 hours after their inquiry.

So what's the deal here? Is Apple turning its back on its customers? Is it merely overwhelmed with inquiries? Are they doing their best to fix the problems right now?

I don't know the answers to these questions, and while I doubt they're ignoring their customers, it would be the courteous thing to do to at least indicate they're working it. Including links to help chats and indicating there's an email support form when there isn't one, is just plain deceptive.

ColorWare Makes Your iPhone Uniquely Yours

The iPhone 3G is currently only available with white or black cases but ColorWare, Inc is striving to change that. While you still can only get the two colors from Apple, ColorWare can take your iPhone and custom color the case.

All you have to do is send in your iPhone 3G and they will take it apart, custom coat the case, put it back together and ship it back to you. Or, they will start with a brand new iPhone purchased from a reseller. The coloring process costs $150 for just the back or $230 for all parts that can be colored. Yeah, I know that's a little steep, but you can choose from solid and metallic colors. All the colors contain a high-gloss finish that is scratch-resistant, adding an extra layer to your iPhone.

What's really cool is you can have all areas of the iPhone colored including the back, frame, button and SIM card tray. You can even get the dock and earbuds dyed. The color system is described as a "hybrid of manufacturing and automotive coating materials."

[via ColorWare]

Quickie Review: Sudoku Unlimited

One thing I really like about Sudoku is how it manages to work my brain while still being fun. So when I came across Sudoku Unlimited, I had to give it a try. What's $2.99, right?

I think what I like best about Sudoku Unlimited is how simple it is. Not the game, mind you. Sudoku can be very difficult. But the layout of the application is simple and easy to understand. You're provided with just enough options to give you some control over the game but not so many it overwhelms you. 

For instance, when working on a puzzle, you can make notes in each of the open boxes for numbers that you think might fit there, just like you would on a piece of paper. Also, there are five different settings that provide you with beginner-level ease to you-have-to-be-nuts difficulty. Plus, you can change the way the board looks with three different skins. 

If you're brand new to the game, you can select the "Auto-fill" function which automatically enters in all the possible numbers that can go in the open boxes via the Notes function. This is a great way to get familiar with the game. You can also "Clear Notes" and get a Hint if you're stuck. 

I enjoyed this Sudoku game. And while there are several other games like this on the App Store--some of which are free--this one brings a sense of completeness to the plate. If you like Sudoku, this one's worth the few bucks.

Phone Carriers Easing Up Due to iPhone’s “Openness”

I'll be the first one to admit that Apple is anything but open. In fact, they have quite a vice grip over the development of their projects and like to keep things "in the family." But they are rather open toward the consumer, allowing users to add content and now download applications.

Because of this freedom toward the consumer, other cell phone carriers are now "opening up" with what they allow users to download onto their phones. 

However, there is concern that with so  many phone operating systems (Apple, Windows Mobile, Palm, BlackBerry, Linux, Symbian and the upcoming Android), there's bound to be cross-platform woes. Applications developers will have to choose a system, as it may prove too costly to develop for all systems. 

But only time will tell how this affects the app marketplace.

[via NYTimes]

Why Was Box Office Removed from App Store?

Box Office is a pretty nifty little app. It's free, for starters, and it lets you look up movies that are currently playing in your area. You can get movie times and reviews. It's convenient and works great. Well, at least it did. Box Office was yanked from the App Store with no reason provided to the developer and that's left many wondering if Apple even has developer relations reps to deal with this sort of problem.

The developer was left in the dark on Friday and he still has no idea why Box Office was removed. 

If you already have Box Office on your phone, it still works. However, it remains a mystery why a free, seemingly harmless app would be removed in the first place. Security bug, perhaps?

All the focus on Friday was on the removal of the tethering app, NetShare. Maybe now that the new week has started we'll get some answers. 

[via iPhone Central at MacWorld]

iPhone Nano in the Works?

So, this isn't the first time a rumor involving a smaller iPhone has been circulating. In fact, about a year ago, talk was high that we'd be seeing an iPhone Nano for Christmas. But this time the DailyMail.co.uk is reviving the speculation.

This tiny iPhone would have the distinctive candy bar shape and would be targeted to the pay-as-you-go market, to which the iPhone and iPhone 3G were a bit too pricey. This is all fine and well, but one thing makes my suspicions rise and makes me want to call this rumor bogus: 

One expert suggested the nano phone would have a touch wheel on the back and display on the front so that numbers would be dialled from behind.

Um, I just don't see that happening, do you? Oh, and that photo is from when we all thought an iPhone Nano was coming last year. It's fake, fake, fake.

[via MacRumors]

MagicPad, Bringing Copy and Paste, Now Available

We talked about it last week, but now it's finally arrived. MagicPad has hit the App Store! You can get out all of your copy and paste needs with this $3.99 app. But wait, there are a few drawbacks.

While you can, indeed, copy and paste with MagicPad, you can only copy and paste text from within the app. There's no cross-app copy and pasting. But there are a few different font options, styles and colors to choose from. You can also email text but it seems that may be a bit sloppy. 

This should be a good introduction to what copy and paste would be like on the iPhone, but I'm afraid we're still not seeing the true cut and paste that we all so desperately want. I think only Apple will be able to deliver that.

[via Gear Diary]

Belkin’s 3G-ready TuneCast Auto

Belkin has just released this 3G-ready TuneCast Auto which will help you get all of those slightly fuzzy radio stations by utilizing your iPhone or iPod. Just set both it and your iPhone to the station of choice and you'll have your favorite radio station once again.

It will work with not only the iPhone 3G but the 1st Gen iPhone as well as iPods. They have a full list of all compatible devices here if you'd like to confirm your gadget will work with it.

It also doubles as a car charger to make sure your iPhone stays juiced up. To pick one up it will cost you $80.

[via CrunchGear]

Quickie Review: Apache Lander

Apache Lander is a game with a very basic concept. You control a helicopter that needs to land safely on the pad below. Your controls are based on the accelerometer, with left and right moving your chopper side to side and tilting forward or backward changes your altitude. So how well does this simple game play? Not so great.

Apache Lander

First, the controls are horrible. Just the slightest tilt forward sends you flying up again. One of the best things about a helicopter is its ability to hover in one spot, however, trying to do this task is next to impossible. You also have a fuel limit, which runs out rather quickly as you continually get launched back up into the air. After around 10 minutes of frustrating gameplay I was finally able to land the chopper, and was given some sort of point ranking. I'm guessing that the amount of fuel left and completion time had something to do with this, but they don't bother telling you.

I wish that the horrible controls were the worst part of this game. Unfortunately it seems that after you crash, the the bottom 10-15% of your screen is an invisible advertisement. Essentially, if you tap this area, Safari will open up and take you to the developer's website. Since this is immediately where my thumb tends to go, I opened up more windows than I'd care to count. This game isn't worth your time, so don't even bother.

Carmack belives the iPhone to be almost as powerful as PS2, Xbox

We've heard from Sega's president that he thinks the iPhone is almost as powerful as their Dreamcast. That's great to hear, even though the Dreamcast was laid to rest some time ago. However, John Carmack seems to think that the iPhone is more like the PS2 or Xbox in terms of power.

He went on to say that it was "more powerful than a Nintendo DS and Sony PSP combined." If that really is the case, then I really can't wait to see some Wolfenstein or Doom on my iPhone.

[via Joystiq]

iPhone Buzz Week in Review - August 3rd

It's that time again where we recap all the going's on in the Apple iPhone world for the past week. Developer news was a hot topic, especially when word spread that new firmware was seeded to 3G developers. Plus, there's talk that background-conscious apps may be available soon that allow users to receive instant messages and the like, even when such an app is closed. Developers can also now keep track of their daily downloads in the App Store.

And as the App Store continues to grow--they're at over 1,000 apps now--we're doing our best to keep up with the reviews. In fact, everything from games to useless little tools passed through our eager fingers this week. But a few highlights include free gems such as Pandora and Palringo and paid games like Lucky 7 Slots. Apps have been overall impressive this week, with just a few disappointments, Jott, namely. 

There were a few helpful how-to's discussed, specifically, how to speed up that pesky back up process, how to share apps with those in your household and a especially helpful description of how to use Ad Hoc Helper for beta testing apps.

Several consumer alerts found their way onto iPhone Buzz as well, as many question the quality of their iPhone 3Gs. For instance, some 3G cases appear to be cracking, many aren't getting 3G service (even in 3G areas) and others are concerned about the GPS and how it may provide malicious people with access to your personal information.

Finally, news was hot this week on all things iPhone 3G. We had several rumors about iPhone unlocking with YESSIM sim cards and the interesting revelation that Apple and AT&T had extended their exclusivity agreement until 2010. Plus, Apple retail stores have implemented a ticketing system that better streamlines the iPhone 3G purchasing process.

Wolfenstein and Doom 2 for the iPhone?

There's been buzz about RPGs coming to the iPhone for some time now, but it looks like this may become a reality sooner than previously thought. CEO of id Software, Todd Hollenshead says he would very much like to see both Doom 2 and Wolfenstein on the iPhone. I mean, it's been on the PSP, why not the iPhone, right? 

But easy does it. When it comes to porting games to new consoles, it is important to ensure a game would even work in that format. The iPhone is very different from anything else out there right now. We'll have to see what becomes to this pseudo-announcement, but I for one, am very interested to see what they come up with

[via Gizmodo]

Apple/AT&T Exclusivity To Be Extended?

As you know, Apple and AT&T have an exclusivity agreement. Up until recently it was thought to expire in 2009, but now it seems AT&T may have one more year to firmly connect themselves with the device.

USA Today is reporting that 2010 is now the magic number when other carriers can pick up the iPhone. But I can't help but wonder if extending the contract is a good move on Apple's part? After all, AT&T has many known problems and their reception is definitely not the best out there. 

In fact, the one thing I don't like about the iPhone is the AT&T part. Hopefully customers won't become too irritated and will be accepting of the ability to choose their desired carrier come the new decade. 

[via The iPhone Blog]

Quickie Review: Wooo Button and LOLCats

There's nothing I love more than a useless app. And today, I'm bringing you two that I've stumbled upon that I think are worth mentioning.

First up is the Wooo Button. Talk about useless! This little free app works by providing you with a button called "Wooo!" When said button is pressed, it elicits an exuberant sound that, while can only be described as "Wooo!" is really so much more than that. Think I'm being overly dramatic? Think again. This button provides a wooo unlike any other wooo, and we'll leave it at that.

Another useless but fun app is LOLCats. You've probably heard of the site, LOLCats that includes pictures of kitties in funny situations with oftentimes barely legible captions. Now, you can have it right on your phone. 

LOLCats works by feeding you images from Flickr that contain the tags "lol cats" or "lol cat." Once the app loads up, all you have to do is swipe through the photos and enjoy! 

Now, would I recommend you download these apps? Since they're free, sure, why not? And if you enjoy wasting time as much as I do, then go right ahead. But if you're looking for something with a little more functionality or um, a purpose, then look elsewhere.

Quickie Review: Flashlight and myLite

Sometimes, an app just doesn't need to be complicated. And that's definitely the case with both Flashlight and myLite. 

There's nothing fancy here--just two free apps that turn your screen into a flashlight so you don't have to go fumbling around in your purse for your keys. It can also help you unlock the door at night. Basically, both apps work like flashlights. Pretty self-explanatory, yeah? 

But there are a few notable features worth mentioning. The Flashlight app opens as a blank, white screen. If you press the "i" for more information, you can set the screen to a strobe-light effect. I don't know how useful that would be, but fun, nonetheless. 

myLite, on the other hand, offers up a bit more. While it also opens as a blank screen, if you tap it, you can change the color of the screen by means of sliders. Plus, if you press the "Show Effects" button, a drop down menu appears from which you can select a variety of flashing color settings. Everything from "Police Car" to "Rock Concert" is included, the latter of which is a lighter flame. 

So, when you need a flashlight, you can always put your iPhone to work on double duty. And though the extra features are cool, they're really pretty much useless. Flashlight apps are cool and all, but I have to wonder, wouldn't just turning on your phone in the dark suffice?