iPhone 5 Reviews Point to an Apple Home Run

Apple’s new iPhone, despite claims of “boring” and “uninspired” from some detractors on launch day, is receiving some strongly positive reviews across the interwebs.
The iPhone 5 will hit stores this Friday, September 21st, but that doesn’t mean you can just stroll down to your local Apple Store and snatch one up whenever you feel like it. If release day purchasing is the way you want to play it, I’d suggest arriving early and bringing a tent. Demand is high, as Apple.com’s shipping estimates have slipped to 3-4 weeks for pre-orders, and the major U.S. carriers are all reporting ship times in the 2-3 week range.
The iPhone 5 sold 2 million units in the first 24 hours of pre-orders, shattering the previous record held by the iPhone 4S. Will all of these eager Apple fans be disappointed, or will it live up to what Apple has called it – the best device they’ve ever made?
Let’s check some of the early reviews:
Engadget
The iPhone 5 is here — or will be soon, anyway — and it’s every bit the device that people were asking for when the iPhone 4S came out. Its new design has less mass yet leaves room for a larger display and LTE wireless, all while increasing battery life. In nearly every respect, this is an upgrade over the 4S that came before, though it arrives almost a year later than many had hoped.
Pick your benchmark and you’ll find Apple’s thin new weapon sitting at or near the top. Will it convince you to give up your Android or Windows Phone ways and join the iOS side? Maybe, maybe not. Will it wow you? Hold it in your hand — you might be surprised. For the iOS faithful this is a no-brainer upgrade. This is without a doubt the best iPhone yet. This is a hallmark of design. This is the one you’ve been waiting for.
CNET
The good: The iPhone 5 adds everything we wanted in the iPhone 4S: 4G LTE, a longer, larger screen, and a faster A6 processor. Plus, its top-to-bottom redesign is sharp, slim, and feather-light.
The bad: Sprint and Verizon models can’t use voice and data simultaneously. The smaller connector renders current accessories unusable without an adapter. There’s no NFC, and the screen size pales in comparison to jumbo Android models.
The bottom line: The iPhone 5 completely rebuilds the iPhone on a framework of new features and design, addressing its major previous shortcomings. It’s absolutely the best iPhone to date, and it easily secures its place in the top tier of the smartphone universe.
The New York Times
Let’s start with design. The new phone, in all black or white, is beautiful. Especially the black one, whose gleaming, black-on-black, glass-and-aluminum body carries the design cues of a Stealth bomber…
At 0.3 inch, the phone is thinner than before, startlingly so — the thinnest in the world, Apple says. It’s also lighter, just under four ounces; it disappears completely in your pocket. This iPhone is so light, tall and flat, it’s well on its way to becoming a bookmark…
There’s no breakthrough feature this time, no Retina screen or Siri. (Thought recognition will have to wait for the iPhone 13.) Even so, nearly every feature has been upgraded, with a focus on what counts: screen, sound, camera, speed.
The phone itself runs faster, too. Its new processor runs twice as fast, says Apple. Few people complained about the old phone’s speed, but this one certainly zips.
Should you get the new iPhone, when the best Windows Phone and Android phones offer similarly impressive speed, beauty and features? The iPhone 5 does nothing to change the pros and cons in that discussion. Windows Phones offer brilliant design, but lag badly in apps and accessories.
TechCrunch
[The] iPhone 5 shines in just about every conceivable way. In fact, I’ll go a step farther: I really do believe this is the best iPhone upgrade that Apple has done yet (besting the iPhone-to-iPhone 3G jump and the iPhone 3GS-to-iPhone 4 jump). As such, it’s the best version of the iPhone yet. By far.
Those worried about the talk of “disappointment” surrounding the iPhone 5, I suggest you simply go to an Apple Store starting on Friday and try it for yourself. My guess is you’ll immediately recognize just how ridiculous all that bluster actually is. The iPhone 5 is the culmination of Apple doing what Apple does best. This is the smartphone nearly perfected.
The Loop
My experience with the iPhone 5, iOS and the EarPods has been great. The iPhone is everything Apple said it would be and with iOS 6 built-in, it’s clear to me that Apple has another winner on its hands. I can’t think of any good reason why anyone wouldn’t upgrade or purchase the iPhone 5.
TIME
The bottom line, in case it isn’t clear already: The iPhone 5 is one terrific smartphone. Ignore the naysayers — even without any awesome technological breakthroughs, it’s a sizable improvement on the iPhone 4S. For many upgraders, LTE alone will be worth the price of admission.
Bloomberg
The launch of a new iPhone long ago passed from mere product introduction into the realm of cultural phenomena. Still, underneath all the hype, the iPhone 5 really is just a new smartphone. A terrific new smartphone…
In the end, the debates over the iPhone 5 will be as endless as the lines waiting to buy it starting Friday. Apple- bashers will say the screen is too small, compared to giants like Samsung (005930)’s Galaxy S III. And they’ll bemoan the absence of a Near-Field Communications chip, which among other things can be used for mobile payments. (Apple says there isn’t yet enough consumer demand to warrant including it.)
And they’ll have some valid points. The iPhone 5 is by no means perfect, and we’re lucky there are a lot of really good smartphones on the market.
But only one great one.
All Things D
The world’s most popular smartphone becomes significantly faster, thinner and lighter this week, while gaining a larger, 4-inch screen—all without giving up battery life, comfort in the hand and high-quality construction…
If you own an iPhone 4S and especially if your carrier won’t let you upgrade yet at the $199 price, you may be content with just upgrading to the new software, which gives you a lot. But you’ll be stuck with the smaller screen, bulkier size and pokier cellular speed. If you own an older model iPhone, or are switching from another phone, however, the iPhone 5 is an excellent choice.
SlashGear

The iPhone 5 probably won’t take any more marketshare from Android than the iPhone 4S did before it. Neither of the major platforms is going anywhere, and each has its loyal user-base. But, it’s the best iPhone so far, and breaking 2m sales in the first 24hrs of preorders suggests the public at large is confident of the same thing.
What the iPhone 5 really convinces me, though, is that throwing bells and whistles into a device doesn’t necessarily make it a better phone in the end. I’d drifted from the iPhone 4S because I had core needs it was no longer satisfying: a larger screen, for instance. Where the iPhone 5 edges back into the picture is in how well it integrates into my daily life. So many things I can make work on Android – video calling, for instance, but iPhone simply makes them more straightforward. If they’re straightforward, that means I use them more.
Telegraph

The iPhone 5 is a marvellous piece of design, arguably the most beautiful object Apple has ever produced. It certainly stands comparison with the first iPod, the iMac and the original iPhone. Yes, it’s thinner and lighter and more powerful than the iPhone 4S but to really understand it, you need to hold it in your hand…The iPhone 5 is a great smartphone made even better. It’s fast, lightweight and backed by the largest application store for any device. It’s also probably the most beautiful smartphone anyone has ever made.

source: webpronews

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iPhone 5 Has a Laser Keyboard, Holographic Images According to This FOX Affiliate

With all of those concept videos floating around out there, I’m kind of surprised that this didn’t happen sooner.
People are already waiting in line to purchase the iPhone 5, which is set to hit the shelves on September 21st. That’s crazy enough. But that’s not what’s really special about this clip.
FOX 5 in New York sent a reporter to an Apple Store to snag an exclusive interview with a fanboy. Everything seems to be going according to the plan until she starts talking about the features of the new iPhone.



source: webpronews  

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LG Optimus G Touts Quad-Core CPU, LTE, 13-Megapixel Camera

LG is aiming for the Galaxy S IIIs and One Xs of the world with its latest Android handset, the Optimus G. Announced on Tuesday in Seoul, the new phone features top-of-the-line accoutrements such as a 1.5 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB of RAM, NFC, and 32GB of built-in storage.
Oddly enough, LG is going to offer the Optimus G with either an 8- or 13-megapixel rear camera, both capable of shooting up to 1080p video. For viewing all that content, the Optimus G will make use of a 4.7-inch, 1280×768 pixel display with a unique 15:9 screen ratio (16:9 is common on Android handsets and even Apple’s iPhone 5).
LG is also touting the Optimus G as the first 4G LTE smartphone with a quad-core processor. While quad-core handsets are becoming quite popular overseas, they’ve so far been limited to 3G networks. We’ve seen the growth of LTE phones in the U.S., but so far there hasn’t been a quad-core 4G handset stateside.
Aside from hardware, LG has made a lot of software changes to Google’s Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. LG’s “QSlide Function” enables users to view two different apps side-by-side on one display. The idea here is to allow users to multitask more efficiently on their phone — e.g., sending a tweet while looking at a website at the same time.
LG has also added a feature that allows for zooming in and out of a video being played on the device, whether streamed or stored on-board. And another feature, called “Dual Screen Dual Play” allows for an Optimus G user to stream one image to a nearby HDTV while looking at a different image on their phone. For example, a business presentation could be wirelessly streamed to a TV while the phone displayed speaking notes.
Another cool feature: The camera can snap a photo as soon as a user says a specific word, such as cheese, kimchi or smile (those are LG’s examples, not ours).
LG says the Optimus G will go on sale in Korea next week, with launches in “key global markets in October.” No word yet on whether the Optimus G will hit the U.S., but LG is hosting a press event in New York Wednesday morning, so we might have an answer on this tomorrow.

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Galaxy Tab 10.1 Injunction Still Stands in Apple v. Samsung

Apple v. Samsung judge Lucy Koh issued an order Monday denying Samsung’s motion to dissolve the June 26 preliminary injunction banning U.S. sales of the Galaxy Tab 10.1.
Judge Koh listed a few reasons for the decision in the five-page order. First, both parties agreed that the jury’s Aug. 24 ruling in the case “did not resolve all substantive remedies” for the parties, so the judgment is not final as far as the appeals process goes. And since the case is in appeals now, Judge Koh no longer has authority to dissolve the injunction unless the Federal Circuit returns the case to her court.
The preliminary injunction was originally filed because the court found that Samsung had “likely” infringed Apple’s D’889 patent; the jury did not come to the same conclusion.
Because of this, Judge Koh acknowledged in this ruling that Samsung’s motion raised “substantial issues” that could send the case back to her court. Specifically,  since the jury did not find Samsung infringed the D’889 patent, the circumstances surrounding the injunction have changed.
Judge Koh cancelled the parties’ upcoming Sept. 20 hearing about this preliminary injunction. Instead, a post trial hearing to discuss this and other issues, like Apple’s request for a additional damages and “injunctive relief,” will take place in early December.

 source: wired

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iPad Mini now in production, says Taiwanese newspaper

There's been no shortage of rumours about the so-called Apple iPad Mini, which is a smaller 7.85-inch version of the popular iPad tablet. However, speculation has just been given renewed life by a report in one of Taiwan's Chinese-language newspapers, United Daily News, which was picked up by Engadget's Richard Lai.
The UDN story reports that, according to Yuanta Securities, Pegatron has a contract to manufacture iPad Minis, which means that Hon Hai (aka Foxconn) will no longer be the sole supplier of iPads. Foxconn is, of course, under some strain meeting orders for Apple's iPhone 5, as shown by the forced labour of bussed-in "work experience" students on the assembly lines, according to China Daily. (Following publicity, any unwilling students were quickly allowed to return to their studies.)

Is a smaller version of the iPad on its way?

UDN also notes that "the iPad mini will adopt a new generation of connectors" — presumably the new Lightning port introduced with the iPhone 5.
Finally, it says that "iPad mini can be shipped in September", though this does not indicate a launch date. Apple will want to build up a stockpile of several million units to satisfy initial demand.
Although not all Taiwanese sources can be considered reliable, The Wall Street Journal reported on 5 July that "Apple Inc.'s component suppliers in Asia are preparing for mass production in September of a tablet computer with a smaller screen than the iPad."
The idea that Apple would never do a tablet smaller than the iPad has already bitten the dust. One of the disclosures from the Apple vs Samsung trial in the US was an email from Eddy Cue, one of Apple's senior staff, saying: "I believe there will be a 7-inch market and we should do one." That was dated 24 January, 2011.
Today, there clearly is a market for 7-inch tablets, and more than a dozen companies sell them, including Samsung, HTC and RIM. Both Google and Amazon have low-cost 7-inch tablets that appear to sell in volume, with the Nexus and Amazon's Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD models. These are eroding the iPad's market share. However, an iPad Mini seems likely to reverse that trend, with production starting at 5 million per month.

source: zdnet

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Facebook Skips On Hosting The F8 Conference This Year

An tech company is only as strong as the developers who make apps for their services. That’s why Google, Apple and the rest court developers every year with a big show that touches upon the latest in developing for iOS, Android and the like. Facebook has joined in with this tradition over the past few years with their F8 conference. Unfortunately, it will be MIA this year.

Facebook told reporters yesterday that their seemingly annual F8 conference would not be happening this year. The reason being that Facebook hasn’t shipped a major new product this year. In fact, the company is still pushing Open Graph, which was introduced at last year’s F8 conference.
For their part, Facebook is still pushing development on the Facebook platform, but in other ways. A conference doesn’t let Zuckerberg and crew get intimate with developers. That may be why the company vouched for putting more emphasis on World Hack 2012 with more locations around the world. In fact, the Facebook crew is hosting a Hackathon in Barcelona today.
Facebook will hold other F8 conferences in the future. The developers who love gathering together and talking about the latest movements in the Facebook scene need not worry. It’s just that Facebook needs something on par or greater than Open Graph to make such an extravagant event worth the cost. The company does have to answer to investors now, and a conference without any major announcements could only hurt their market growth.
As for now, Facebook is going to keep focusing on mobile growth. They have the desktop development market squared away, but the mobile market is still an untamed frontier ripe for the taking. Facebook may be the big name in town, but a small start up could easily usurp them. The next F8 conference will undoubtedly address this potential problem.

source: webpronews

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Pakistan cuts off all access to YouTube

Pakistan has now blocked YouTube entirely from the country, after the video sharing site declined to remove the "Innocence of Muslims" trailer that sparked protests throughout the world.
Attempting to browse to the site results in users within Pakistan being redirected to a page that states "this page is blocked due to restrictions enforced by the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA)," even if the video is not related to the offending trailer.
The PTA has stated that it was ordered by the Chief Justice of Pakistan to block all anti-Islamic videos. It had previously been provided with a list of 753 anti-Islamic sites, which has now grown to 934 sites.
Google's Transparency Report shows that, at about 7 a.m. AEST (2 p.m. PT), YouTube traffic from Pakistan dropped off dramatically, and states that the site is inaccessible from the country.
Google has not put in place a country-wide block, and has told ZDNet that there are no issues with its network that would prevent Pakistan users from visiting the site.
YouTube has previously stated that the video is "clearly within our guidelines and so will stay on YouTube," but the Australian Department of Broadband and the Digital Economy (DBCDE) disagrees with the video remaining online, stating that the video is "clearly offensive" and is calling on Google to "review its terms of service to see if they are being appropriately applied in this case."
"Australia has strong anti-vilification laws. If people believe this video is in breach of these laws, they can make a complaint to Google or the Human Rights Commission," the department said in a statement.
"What people shouldn't do is engage in violent protests on the streets. It is totally unacceptable behaviour and should be condemned."
DBCDE did not respond to queries as to whether it had actually made a request of its own to have the video removed.

source: zdnet

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