IPhone news and information

Archive for October, 2009

The iPhone is one of the most wildly popular phones the world has ever seen, while Windows 7 is well on its way to becoming the globe's most ubiquitous OS. So compatibility between the two would be kinda sorta important, right? Tell that to Intel's quality control team who seem to have somehow missed an issue between Apple's app carrier deluxe and the P55 Express chipset's USB controller. Consistent (and persistent) syncing issues have been reported on Apple's support forums, wherein iTunes on Windows 7 machines recognizes the iPhone, but spits out an "error 0xE8000065" message whenever the user attempts to sync. While some have found limited success with using PCI-based USB cards (and bypassing the chipset), this is clearly a major issue and something Apple would expect to be fixed before shipping its Core i5 / i7 iMacs, which are likely to sport the chipset. Hit the read link for the original thread of sorrow and regret, and do chime in with your own experience in the comments.

[Via The Register]

Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops

iPhone and Windows 7 don't play nice, Intel P55 chipset to blame originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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id's classic shooter has finally been (officially) ported to the iPhone. And thanks to oversight from John Carmack himself, there are a number of improvements that make it worth a purchase even for Jailbreakers.

In a blog post from May, Carmack says he loves that players port Doom to every device imaginable, but he's disappointed that there's rarely any real effort to build a new, functional control scheme on platforms without a keyboard and mouse. In other words, he'd rather that instead of everyone stopping at "Does it run Doom?" they ask "Does it play Doom?"

That's why he personally developed the controls for the iPhone version, and according to early reviews, the iPhone can now play Doom. Users are saying controls as good as you would expect from Carmack. Not to mention the other enhancements like 24-bit lighting.

Sure, you might have put the game on your jailbroken iPhone years ago, but graphical upgrades and tighter controls might make it worth the $6.99 admission price. [Recombu]

Users on Apple's discussion board have been experiencing issues with their PCs locking out iPhones when using Windows 7 with the Intel P55 USB chipset. It's a pretty specific combo that you're probably not running, so don't panic.

The thread is only five pages long, but multiple users are claiming the exact same "0xE8000065" error message when trying to sync their data. The issue appears on P55-based motherboards from Asus, MSI and Gigabyte, and it seems like Windows 7 64-bit is more prone to the problem than its 32-bit brother.

Keep in mind the P55 is a new chipset, and unless you're computer is brand-spankin' new or you're the DIY type, chances are you have a setup that works perfectly fine.

If you do have a new P55-based motherboard, Microsoft is looking into the issue. Hopefully a fix for you unlucky few will come soon enough. [The Register via Engadget]

Each month, the best new iPhone apps—and some older ones—are considered for admission into Gizmodo's Essential iPhone Apps Directory. Who will join? Who will live? Who will die?

The Month's Best

Layar: There's the obvious reason to be excited about this:

Layar, the first camera-based AR app to really blow us (or anyone) away, has quietly slipped into the App Store. As with the Android version, the app overlays all kinds of information onto a live view of the world around you.

And the less obvious, but ultimately more important one: Layar layers, which let you install user-generated overlays of all different kinds of information, like this one, which tracks government bailout spending. Free.

Tweetie 2: From Matt's review:

It's the most polished Twitter app yet, oozing slickness with every swipe. Yet, it's exploding with new features, and still really fast. It manages to cram in every possible feature you could possibly want in a Twitter app-offline reading!-without feeling too complicated or bloated.

It's three dollars, even if you had the previous version, but totally worth it.

Photoshop: To call this app Photoshop is almost a misnomer—you can't have anything resembling desktop Photoshop on the iPhone, but you can have a decent photo processing app:

The tools are basic-you can crop, adjust exposure, saturation, and tint, among others, with some standard special effects like soft focus, colors and filters like "warm vintage" and pop-but using entirely swipe-based gestures as a virtual slider for how intensely or lightly the effect is applied is natural and easy

This, combined with ties to an online service and the fact that this, unlike almost any other similar app, is free, make it a must-download.

MotionX GPS Drive: At $3 a month without any kind of long-term commitment, this is currently the cheapest decent turn-by-turn app in the App Store. And it works, pretty well! Until Google Navigation for Maps hits the iPhone, this'll be the cheapest, least-risky turn-by-turn option out there.

NASA: Pure, welcome information overload for space geeks, in an app. NASA's really been killing it with their online strategy lately—lots of news, downloadable media and Twitter action—and this app is a wonderful extension.

Squareball: If Pong grew into a platformer, or Breakout into a sidescroller. You can pick it up quickly, but it gets progressively harder over time without ever getting frustrating. In other words, it's pretty close to a perfect game. Try the free demo before dropping the two dollars though, since with its retro graphics and soundtrack, dead-simple gameplay concept and fast face, this one can be polarizing.

Rock Band: It's not perfect—controls can be awkward, and the singing mode isn't really a singing mode, but it represents the first major rhythm franchise to hit the iPhone, and it bear gifts: Great graphics, decent, familiar, song selection, and multiple instruments.

NASDAQ: It's much more intensive that the stock stock (stock stock stock) app, and comes with StockTwits integration, which provides a little crowd-sources insight to go along with your stream of numbers. Best of all, it's free.

ReelDirector: This is as close as you're going to get to iMovie on your iPhone. (Which isn't very close, to be honest!) Video stitching alone, will be worth the ($8) price of entry for many people, but keep in mind that Apple instantly render this app obsolete if they just built decent editing into their OS.

Nikon Learn and Explore: It's heavily branded and obviously intended to promote the Nikon name, but hey who cares: Nikon's Learn and Explore app is actually a great, free photography primer no matter what kind of camera you carry.

App Directory Inductees

So, who will join the illustrious ranks of Gizmodo's Essential iPhone apps? I've sifted through user submissions, app updates and new arrivals to find our newest inductees:

• MotionX Drive, for its brilliant value-to-functionality ratio.

• Photoshop, for undercutting almost all of the overcrowded, underinnovating photo app field with something decent and free.

• Layar, for being a free, solid platform for augmented reality on the iPhone, which will be made great by new layers.

• Tweetie 2, for being even better than it was before, and for being the best iPhone Twitter app out there, assuming you're willing to shell out a few bucks.

• Instapaper, for its tragic exclusion in the last update: the ability to save pages for offline reading is useful for just about anyone, but absolutely essential if you're a frequent flyer or subway rat.

• Runkeeper, for simultaneously offering the most feature-complete outdoor exercise app I've seen in a while and offering a decent free version as well.

• Backgrounder, a jailbreak app, for giving everyone a taste of what a multitasking iPhone is like. (Hint: pretty great)

And Farewell To...

• Twitterfon, not because it's bad—it's still the best free Twitter app, but because it's not called Twitterfon anymore. Hello, Echofon.

• TomTom, because Navigon has done more to innovate in the last few months, and because with great, cheap options nipping at their heels, expensive iPhone apps like this are harder to justify.

• Tweetie, for you have been replaced; cannibalized by your own child.

• CameraBag, for being two whole dollars more than Photoshop. (Sorry!)

What counts as an essential iPhone app changes all the time, and so should our guide: If we've missed anything huge, or you've got a much better suggestion for a particular type of app, let us know, or say so in the comments. We'll be updating this thing pretty frequently, and a million Gizmodo readers can do a better job at sorting through the app mess than a single Gizmodo editor. Enjoy!

[Gizmodo's Essential iPhone Apps]

New York Daily News

Leaked docs confirm Droid Eris details: November 6, $99 CNET News About the iPhone comment, one of the Eris' was praised and the other was blamed. I'll wager on the latter. by baconstang October 31, 2009 2:36 PM PDT by ... Droid vs. iphone: Predictions, Weigh-ins, Pre-Bout ChatterSan Francisco Chronicle PC World Podcast 51: Motorola Droid, Sneaky Fees, and Google's GPS AppPC World The Droid is ready to take on iphoneThe Free Lance-Star HULIQ -GigaOm (blog) -The Week Magazine all 1,967 news articles »

Geohot, the same hacker who first jailbroke OS 3.1.2, is now also the first to crack the 3.1.2 baseband. Previously, anyone who had unlocked their phone at version 3.0 or lower was fine as long as they were careful when upgrading, but anyone running 3.1 or higher was out of luck. Good news for anyone looking to unlock a newly purchased device. You'll have to be patient, though. The exploit won't be released until November 4. [BGR]

guardian.co.uk

iphone Halloween App Gets You A Last Minute Halloween Costume I4U No worries there is an app for that on your iphone. The Halloween Costume Generator app for the iphone generates a virtual costume for you complete with ... iphone Halloween CostumesPC World all 135 news articles »

Siliconrepublic.com

Motorola "Droid does" gets rave reviews HULIQ This is a big feature missing from the iPhone, as more states pass more stringent regulations on the use of cell phones while driving. ... Android This Week: Droid Lands on Verizon; Google Adds NavigationGigaOm (blog) Google Maps Nav Will Not Kill Standalone GPSPC World A Comeback for Motorola?Barron's Gizmodo.com -Apple Insider -Washington Post all 497 news articles »

DailyTech

In Hindsight: As Great Recession ends, does Droid era begin? San Jose Mercury News Apple's Vice President of iPod and iPhone Product Marketing, Greg Joswiak speaks during an event to officially launch the Apple ... Motorola's Droid May Be a Boon for iphone OwnersPC World No iphone On VerizonGerson Lehrman Group iphone's Apple Logo Will Survive the Droid LaunchiPhone FAQ (blog) MacNewsWorld -xchange Magazine -InternetNews.com all 694 news articles »

CNET News

Wi-Fi-free iPhone officially lands in China CNET News A saleswoman introduces Apple's iPhone to customers in Chengdu in southwest China's Sichuan province on Saturday. It could be the year of the ... iphone Gets Slow Start at China Sales LaunchPC World Biz Break: Consumer fright sinks tech stocks; plus: iPhone frenzy in ChinaSan Jose Mercury News Apple iPhone Launches In China -- Without Key FeatureChannelWeb I4U -TopNews United States -Xinhua all 285 news articles »