There is so much going on in the tech world, I literally could not decide on one topic for this post, so consider this an overview of today’s events.
Author: hilzfuld
Toshiba Comes, Sees, and Conquers
As I woke up this morning, I was happy to discover that the entire Web (OK, at least all the geek sites that I visit first thing in the morning) was covered with a story about a truly amazing new cellphone. I was pretty surprised that this new cellphone does not originate in the Apple kingdom, not Palm, not Samsung, not even Nokia.
Perfecting Twitter
The topic of this post is a sensitive one, how to improve Twitter. The reason it is sensitive is that Twitter is already hands down the most addictive and enjoyable website on the current worldwide Web, and talking about its imperfections, even though there might be a few, is like discussing what would make Vanilla Haagen Dazs ice cream even better.
Next iPhone Makes Me Forget All About Pre
Seems like Apple has been reading its customers’ feedback, if I am judging by the latest rumors on the Web. The long list of missing features for the iPhone will not be as long very soon, if these rumors are true.
The Future of Online Video
I am not sure if something else like this exists, but it is a pretty cool concept, which I think could totally dominate the online video space. The possibilities are endless, just think about a company using interactive video to market their product, I have some pretty awesome ideas.
-Hillel
Apple’s In-Ear Headphones- A Winner
I was recently approached by an old friend of mine (when I say approached, I mean by email of course. Who talks in person nowadays?), who had just purchased the Apple in-ear headphones, which I posted about when they were announced. At the time, I was under the impression that they were not worth the money, to which employees of Apple inc. commented that I was wrong, and they are actually fairly priced compared to other headphones in their class. Anyway, I just received the review, and it is a good one folks. Seems like Eli knows a heck of a lot more than me when it comes to audio quality. So with no further ado, the in depth review of Apple’s flagship accessory, the in-ear headphones.
-Hillel
The Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic:
A Review by Eli Ungar-Sargon
When I bought my new Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic, I had mixed feelings. On the one hand, I felt the usual rush of excitement that only an Apple product can elicit. I love buying Apple technology and the company has earned my trust by consistently producing best-in-class products. On the other hand, my experience with Apple-made accessories has not been so rosy.
While the ubiquitous white Apple headphones that come with every iPod have evolved over time, they’re still not very good. They fall apart after a couple of years and their sound is not really fit for serious listening. Sure, they get the job done, but the sonic range that these ear-buds can reproduce is so limited that music ends up sounding muddy and unclear. Given this fact, it’s not surprising that the 3rd party market for iPod headphones has thrived. Apple saw this happening and in 2004 decided to try to get a piece of the higher-end headphone market by releasing their “In Ear Headphones”. Like a good Apple sheep, I bought them and I’m sorry to report that they were a total disaster. Not only did they have the most bizarre frequency response of any headphone I’d ever listened to, but they didn’t fit properly in my ear.
To make matters worse, their strange shape prevented them from achieving a tight seal, which is what an in-ear headphone must do in order to effectively reproduce those deep lows. In the end, I invested in a pair of pricey in-canal Shure headphones and let me tell you, going from stock iPod headphones to the E4cs was like moving from box wine to a ‘95 Chateau Margaux. My ears were happy until I bought my first iPhone.
While I loved the convenience of having my iPod and cell phone in one device, the Shures did not offer two key features that now came standard with the iPhone ear buds. Apple built into the new buds a clicker and a microphone that made answering calls while listening to music a breeze. That convenience won out for me and I found myself back at square one listening to music through the stock ear buds. But like an Economy flier who finally gets a taste of First Class, I yearned for better sound. What I needed was a solution that would allow me to enjoy the quality of the E4cs and the convenience of the mic/clicker at the same time. Enter the new Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic.
The first notable difference between Apple’s original foray into the world of higher-end headphones and its latest effort is price. The original in-ear headphones sold for $39 while the new pair go for $80. The second difference is that the new headphones fit really well. Apple clearly learned from their past mistakes in this arena and I’m happy to report that the new ear buds actually stay in my ears. The clicker works as well as the stock iPhone clicker, though it is somewhat larger in order to accommodate the new volume controls which, as of the writing of this article, only work with the latest generation of iPods. In addition to allowing iPhone owners to answer calls, the mic also allows iPod Touch owners to make recordings and use Voice Over IP services from the App Store.
But what about the sound? Has this Economy flier finally made his way back to First Class? Not exactly. For the price, the quality of the new Apple headphones is hard to beat. They produce a rich sound and even provide an impressive amount of noise attenuation. Unfortunately, they can’t hold a candle to my old E4c’s. Part of this has to do with the fact that the E4c’s are in-canal headphones and so produce a better seal and superior noise isolation, but part of it is just plain old frequency response. The Apple headphones seem to have a strong emphasis on the mids and highs while the E4c’s produce more satisfying lows while maintaining an overall balanced sound. My only other criticism of the new headphones is their build quality.
Apple used the same gauge of wire that the stock buds come with and I can see them fraying after a few years of daily use. Having said that, the new Apple In-Ear headphones are a big step up from the stock buds in terms of sound quality and they come with that fantastic clicker/mic. If you have an iPhone or any of the latest generation iPods and you’re looking to improve your listening experience without spending an arm and a leg, this product offers great value. Walking around with my new headphones, I may not be back in First Class, but it sure feels like Business.
Another Peek at the Pre
Palm’s VP of design apparently did not read our blog yesterday, as he seems extremely confident and calm in this video of him showing off the Pre. Either that, or he has a really good poker face, and he thinks Apple will flinch first. Yea, that is more likely than him not reading the best tech blog on the Web.
-Hillel
The 1981 Electronic Newspaper
Robin Wauters of TechCrunch claims “You need to see this video”, and I agree.
-Hillel
iPhone is Now Officially Smarter Than People
With all the talk and Hollywood movies about robots outsmarting humans, we might have reached a dangerous point (no, not really). A new app called Cube Cheater proves that the iPhone is in fact more intelligent than your average homosapien (I have not used that word since like 6th grade).
The app analyzes a Rubik’s Cube (can you believe they have a website?) in any given state and tells you how to solve it step by step using a 3D interface. You can input the state of the Rubik’s cube by painting it in the app’s UI, or by taking a picture of it, how cool is that?
I don’t know about you, but I do not know many people that can solve a Rubik’s cube, and the few that can, take much longer than Cube Cheater. Should I prepare for the revolution? (OK, so I watched one too many Terminator sequels, so what?)
-Hillel
Palm Might Sue Apple
No, I am not confused. It is true, Apple might get sued for infringement on numerous Palm patents that are implemented in the iPhone, as reported in a very lengthy and interesting article on Engadget. To sum things up, it is true that certain technologies we saw in our brief introduction to the Pre seem to be patented by Apple, and therefore if acted upon, might cause a delay in the release of the Pre. One of these so called technologies is the way the iPhone UI “springs” when reaching the top of a Web page (I seriously cannot believe they patented that). You can see it demoed in the video below.
However, it seems that for every one patent owned by Apple and possibly “stolen” by Palm, there are two of exactly the opposite. Seems like Palm has a patent on the way the iPhone adjusts the screen’s brightness, the method in which the iPhone toggles between different dialing options (speed dial, dialer, contacts, and call history to be exact), searching for a contact by typing initials only, and the way you implement conference calling in the iPhone. So, it is safe to say that if Apple does decide to sue Palm over certain patents implemented in the Pre, Palm will not go down without fighting. We might all be surprised to see Apple actually lose a legal battle at the end of the day.
Of course, chances are none of this will ever happen, kinda like the Cold War and how neither side ever launched out of fear of the other side’s retaliation. If Apple loses this battle, they will owe Palm royalty fees for every iPhone ever sold, that would be a whopping 16 million devices. I also do not see Palm taking the first shot in this war, I don’t think anyone doubts the amount Palm has to lose. If they lose this battle, say goodbye to the Pre, and therefore we can pretty much uncover the grave we dug for them right before they surprised us with the Pre.
As Nilay Patel of Engadget so elegantly puts it, “All we want is for both Apple and Palm to come to the table, hammer out a cross-licensing agreement like other companies in the wireless industry do all the time, and get back to work on innovative, exciting technologies and devices. The lawyers get paid that way too, you know”. Could not have said it better.
Watch the video below to see an iPhone technology for which Apple could sue Palm. I did not even know the iPhone did this, did you?
-Hillel
The Unbreakable Cellphone
You gotta see these videos of the amazing LG Renoir being seriously tortured and surviving. Engadget summed it up by saying, “The handset was left in the freezer at -20C (-4F) for 12 hours, dropped to the floor, stepped on, thrown in a clothes drier for 15 minutes, caked in dust, dunked in wine, and run over by a Ford Focus”. All that, and it worked perfectly. Pretty awesome.
Watch the videos below, might as well turn down your volume, unless of course you speak Russian.
-Hillel