The New MacBook’s Green Credentials
By JOE HUTSKO
It’s certainly a step above other notebooks on the green front, but there are still some shortcomings.
Link to full story: The New MacBook’s Green Credentials - Green Inc. Blog - NYTimes.com.
Tag Archive for 'Mac'
Since every gadget site on earth already spread the news that the iPhone 2.1 firmware update is now available to download and install there’s nothing more to say on that front in general.
But I do have a weird 2.1 update quirk to share.
After downloading and installing the update and restarting my iPhone 3G, I received the message: ”This accessory is not made to work with iPhone.”
(Also weird: When powered on the first time my iPhone 3G’s speaker is mute when I tap my password into the “Enter Passcode” screen to unlock my iPhone.)
The only accessory attached is my iPhone 3G is the Apple iPhone Bluetooth headset travel cable, and I find it hard to believe that at least some of the testing engineers at Apple aren’t users of the headset themselves, which means they’d experience the same hiccup. What’s more, the battery icon showed that the iPhone 3G was getting juice to charge, yet the Bluetooth Headset icon was missing.
Then again, my the travel cable is plugged into a powered USB hub (by Belkin), so maybe that had something to do with the bug. After all, the powered hub on its own doesn’t even recharge my iPhone 3G unless I have it plugged into my MacBook, so maybe the hub was the culprit.
Guilty as charged?
First, I unplugged the iPhone 3G from the travel cable (still plugged into the hub) and plugged it in again, and this time I received no accessory incompatibility error (and the headset icon appeared).
I wondered if maybe the bug only occurs when powering on the iPhone for the first time. To find out, I powered off the iPhone, unplugged the cable from the USB hub and plugged it directly into my MacBooks spare USB port.
I powered on the iPhone 3G and once again I received the accessory incompatibility error.
And once again I unplugged the cable, plugged it back in, and as before received no error this time (and the headset icon appeared) - but still no sound when I typed in my passcode.
I powered off the iPhone, powered it on again, and I got the error again - yet this time there was sound whe I typed in my passcode.
Weird, right?
I’d be curious to hear from others about their own Weird iPhone 2.1 Update Tales.
UPDATE (10:51 AM): Further adventures in weirdness: When I power off my iPhone 3G and plug the Bluetooth Headset travel cable into the wall charger then power on the iPhone I still get no sound when I type in my passcode, and though I don’t get the accessory incompatibly error, the iPhone Bluetooth headset icon is absent until I unplug the iPhone then plug it back in.
You know there’s trouble ahead when a review starts with “I wanted to love this product.” I did want to love the The Kangaroom Bamboo Laptop Stand and Charging Station, but, overall, I don’t.
The love list: It’s bamboo, and beautiful to the touch. It’s reasonably wide, with room enough for my 13″ MacBook and Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000 (sort of), though it’s not exactly the best fit for my “Dave” Laptop Table by Ikea. The stand elevates my MacBook up a few extra inches, which provides less stress on my neck from angling my head downward all day. End of lovefest.
The don’t love list: The two so-called “docks” for gadgets are just recessed pockets with holes in the bottoms for cables and are not big enough accommodate my re-tooled iPhone Bluetooth Headset charging dock. That there are two of them means there’s less space on the right for my mouse hand. The company’s suggestion to hide a power strip underneath the stand and is fair enough, but because there’s no base to the stand the power strip and cables are left hanging when you lift the stand up. Worse, no base means you can’t comfortable rest the stand in your lap while sitting on the sofa.
As it stands the Kangaroom Bamboo Laptop Stand is definitely attractive at first glance, but unfortunately its usefulness bottoms out the moment you lift it off the table.
Brother unveiled the C-Combo line of high-tech sewing and embroidery machines that come tricked out with a LCD touch screens and PC connectivity.
The company says it got its inspiration for the new-tech needlers by shows like “Project Runway,” and cites a study by the Home Sewing Association that the art of sewing has increased by 5-million people since 2000. Oh, Brother.
The Wall Street Journal today reports sales of iPhone and iPod touch apps via Apple’s iTunes Music Store hit $30-million last month, and wiley Chairman and CEO Steve Jobs publically acknowledge his company does in fact have to power to hit a “kill switch” to zap on users’ devices applications the company deems dangerous. I wrote about antivirus and antispyware protection for portable devices for Salon two weeks ago, on how protection for smartphones has been around for some time and recently Intego announced a half-assed means of protecting iPhones and iPod touches (not quite), but the kill switch definitely rates as the biggest Big Brother means of active eradication ever. Here on the home screen one minute, gone the next?
Two things to do with wireless audio. First, a number of iPhone users reported 2.0 devices paired with Bluetooth headsets worked fine on calls but they were unable to listen to visual voicemail messages via the headset, forcing them to dial in to their voicemail and listen to it the old fashioned way. My iPhone 3G had this problem with one headset, while it worked fine with a second headset - the Aliph Jawbone 2, which I reviewed for Salon’s Machinist column (giving it low marks for its underperforming noise-cancellation feature). Users are reporting the visual voicemail problem isn’t fixed with the iPhone 2.01 update; I’m unable to test because I don’t have a second headset handy.
As for the Jawbone 2, Aliph sent a second Jawbone 2 to try in case the first was defective, and also tossed in two “experimental” gel earbuds to try to see if they did a better job of keeping their Jawbone more firmly planted against mine. With the standard earbuds the NoiseAssassin was as ineffective as before while talking and walking my dog along lightly busy street traffic under low sea-breeze conditions. The test bud has an extended flange of sorts that makes plugging the headset into the ear awkward because of the loop, and though the extra-push it provided pressed the Jawbone 2 more firmly against my face, the sound quality was barely better, and the lightly yet still more forceful feel grew uncomfortable after 20 minutes of yapping. My only explanation: Maybe I need to work my jaw eating more junk food so my cheeks fill out to make the Jawbone 2’s job easier.
In my post for Salon’s Machinist column I wrote that eReader for the iPhone (and iPod touch) is a dream-come-true for me.
I’m pleased to see that FictionWise is sticking to its words to offer frequent updates and improvements to the program.
The first update offers the following enhancements:
eReader for iPhone and iPod touch version 1.1 includes the following new features:
- The ability to download eReader PDB files from web sites other than eReader.com and Fictionwise.com, as well as personal content in eReader PDB format. For details see the Personal Content FAQ.
- New options to: lock screen orientation, tap instead of swipe to turn pages, choose white text on black background, turn off page animation, and turn off full justification of text.
- Ability to sort the on-device bookshelf by author, title, or download date.
- Better error messages and several bug fixes.
A few days ago I wrote a post for Salon about programs to protect smartphones from viruses and malware, this story about Linux-based cellphones in today’s New York Times takes the conversation in a new and interesting direction. To wit:
Regarding security, the new phones will be able to identify their owners. If, by chance, a stranger uses the phone and requests downloads at odds with the owner’s profile, Mr. Gillis said the phone’s security feature will kick in and shut it down. Profile information would also make it easier for a consumer to find points of similar interest when they are traveling in, say, Barcelona or Kyoto.
On Friday I filed my last post as guest blogger for Salon’s Machinist column (complete list below). Special thanks to readers for taking time to comment - especially those who left very kind words for my final post.
- So long!
- How I spent (two weeks of) my summer as Machinist’s guest blogger.
- A Grimm take on games
- Video game designer American McGee loves the darkest tales best.
- One-minute review: Jawbone 2 headset
- A new Bluetooth is supposed to cancel noise, but all that’s canceled is the conversation you want to hear.
- Give us a (virtual) kiss
- Facebook gift designer Susan Kare on Mac icons, computer kisses and everything in between.
- Leave my phone alone!
- New software for protecting iPhones and smart phones.
- The movie-download food chain
- From big screen to hard disk, how Hollywood doles out digital media.
- All you can eat — for cheap?
- Comparing unlimited cellphone plans.
- Mini-Note has many problems
- The diminutive computer scores high on design but low on functionality.
- Noisy and oh-so-nice
- Das’ new keyboard has the look and feel of a classic.
- Searching 101
- Three tips for better search results.
- Can Cuil kill Google? Not yet
- The new search engine has its perks, but so far, it falls short.
- How safe is safe?
- Security expert Doug Camplejohn on building a smarter firewall to outsmart cyber slimeballs.
- A bookmark for the iPod
- Books on tape turn to books on iPod, and listeners must learn to find their places accordingly.
- (World wide) web of intrigue
- A high-tech mystery and more are on Machinist’s summer reading list.
- Do-good phone doesn’t look good
- Credo, a new green cellphone company, has great intentions but not such great gear.
- E-books galore
- Sony expands its e-library, challenging Amazon.com.
- Knol lacks knowledge
- Google’s would-be Wikipedia competitor doesn’t have the goods to challenge the Free Encyclopedia. Yet.
- Phoning it in
- Blogging from your mobile: Tools for the writer on the go.
- The DVD isn’t dead
- More movie and TV downloading devices have entered the ring, but the DVD hasn’t gone down (yet).
- User friendly
- XBox Live for Windows gets cheaper and adds gamer-generated content.
- A stickies situation
- Simplify your workspace by squishing your stickies and separating your screens.
- Remember typewriters?
- Adios distractions, hello single-task focus, thanks to word-processing programs that re-create the simplicity of blank paper and ink.
- One-minute review: A balancing act for small spaces
- Staying cool in an upright and mostly locked-in position to get things done.
- Digital disasters friends and family should have prevented
- Oops, I was going to back up my computer, but…
- Why the iPhone is the best and worst e-book reader ever
- Reading a long novel on a tiny screen is claustrophobic, but if the book is good your brain will get the message.
I first learned about combo washer/dryers in 1999 in Manhattan, while checking out a potential sublet. I wound up in another apartment, but the idea of the tiny all-in-one machine that washes then dries clothes always came to mind whenever I endured vying for washers and dryers at the laundromat or dropped $15 to $20 per load at the wash and fold around the corner.
What makes combo washers so special is they don’t require hookups or the exhaust vent common to standard dryers. Instead, combo washer/dryers spin clothes at a super high speed, wringing most of the water away so the dry cycle has an easier time drying the load. Which brings up the top two minuses I’d read about when researching combo washer/dryers: A very long drying cycle and very wrinkled clothes.
Since my usual attire is a tee-shirt and jeans or shorts, the wrinkled part wasn’t a big deal, however the long drying cycle might be annoying.
So I was surprised and excited when the new home I moved into was outfitted with a combo washer/dryer, the LG WM3431HW. While the LG can be mounted on wheels and moved near a sink to tap into a faucet for water and the drain cycle, this one was neatly situated beneath the bathroom counter and hooked up to hidden hot and cold water taps in back.
The on/off switch bears the international symbol familiar to computers and other devices, and the Start/Pause button activates and pauses the machine at any point in the cycle. A twirl of the big know selects wash and dry cycles, which include Sanitary, Cotton/Towels, Normal, Perm Press, Delicates, Wool/Silk, Hand Wash and Speed Wash. Other buttons enable options like Extra Wash, Extra Rinse, Rinse + Spin, and Dry.
I tossed in a few towels, poured half a cap of detergent into the dispenser (with two additional slots for bleach and fabric softener), hit Start and through the front porthole window watched as the machine did its thing.
All was well during the 30-minute Speed Wash cycle - then all hell broke loose when the spin cycle kicked in. The LG shook and rocked like R2D2 in shock therapy, vibrating so violently it actually hammered itself halfway out from under the counter before I reached it and hit Stop.
I checked the manual, which states the machine must be on a level surface in order to function. It also mentioned four shipping bolts around back must be removed before operating the machine, but I didn’t worry about those since the thing was already installed and presumably operated by the prior tenants.
I adjusted and tightened the four feet, turned the machine on, and chose the Drain + Spin option. No luck. The LD did the same as before, rocking so wildly that using it was out of the question.
For the heck of it I pulled the machine out from under the counter to confirm that those shipping bolts had been removed when the machine was installed - and discovered they had not.
I unscrewed the bolts, pushed the unit back under the bathroom counter, and tried again - and this time the machine worked flawlessly, spinning the laundry at an incredibly high speed with practically zero vibration. I was amazed by how well it rung away the water, and doubly amazed when the estimated time for the dry cycle went from 2 hours and 30 minutes to less than an hour, thanks to an auto-sensor that adjusts accordingly.
The clothes came out somewhat wrinkled and very slightly damp but not wet, per se. A few shakes took away the wrinkles, and setting the clothes and towels out for a little while did away with the slight moisture. A More Dry option offers better drying, however the summer sun and a clothing rack on the porch have taken over that job, and my satisfaction with the LG WM3431HW has me absolutely beaming.
My verdict? I highly recommended the LG WM3431HW for solo occupants in small spaces where outside venting isn’t an option.
Just be sure to remove the shipping bolts before you hit Start.
Last summer I wrote a story for MSNBC.com the iPhone (Can the iPhone do double-duty as a laptop replacement?), and a companion story (iWish: iPhone updates we’d like to see).
With Apple’s release today of the iPhone 1.1.3 update for iPhone, a number of new features have been added. Weirdly, a number of the top wish-list items - like the ability to cut and paste, or lookup a contact by typing in a few characters of a person’s name or contact info, the way you can on every other mobile phone in the world - are still absent.
Although only one of the 25 wish list items was addressed in today’s 1.1.3 iPhone software update, it is a big one: The ability to “Manually manages music and videos.”
To many the value of this feature (which has always been an option on iPods) isn’t obvious. The short explanation: With this feature turned on, you never have to worry about whether songs on your various playlists duplicate one another, hogging precious storage space. Thank you, Apple.
As Apple chairman Steve Jobs stated today, there are still 50 weeks left in 2008 to release more iPhone improvements, so at a rate one every other week they just might get to those remaining 24 wish list items by the time we’ve got a new president in the White House.
Let’s hope.
From the sewing machine-sized luggable Compaq of yore, to the diminutive original Mac and those that followed, all-in-one computers aim to minimize clutter by bringing everything (computer, DVD drive and monitor) together in one neat package.
Apple’s newest iMac models, ranging in price from $1200 to $2,300, are less about breakthrough and more about refinement, and once again set a new standard with an all-in-one design that’s aesthetically pleasant enough to display in the family room rather than relegate to a spare room or home office.
The loaner iMac Apple sent me to test was the 20″ model (1680 by 1050 pixels), with a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 320GB hard disk, 2GB of RAM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, bundled applications for Web browsing, e-mail, contact and calendar management and a host of media-centric programs.
Such fine design and bundled goodies cost two or three times the price of inexpensive Windows-based PCs or even Apple’s own Mac mini, the tiny white slab of a computer.
There is nothing junky about the new iMac, which trades its former white plastic casing and plastic screen for sleek aluminum and hardened, glossy glass.
It’s that latter element, the screen, which has already prompted a love it/hate reaction to the new iMac. I prefer glossy screens to matte and the new iMac is no exception. Turned off, the black screen reflects my visage with the clarity of a windowpane or dark mirror. Turned on, and my reflection vanishes, helped in part because I’ve stationed the iMac against the same wall as a window. Turned around, the iMac’s screen does pick up the window reflection, most noticeably around the wide black rectangle framing the screen.
The second dramatic change to the line, the keyboard, also runs the risk of turning off some potential buyers while turning on others. Candy bar-thin, the keyboard’s Chicklet-style keys respond to the same ultra-light touch as my MacBook’s keyboard. That part I like.
What I don’t like is how wide the new keyboard is on account of the right side cursor and page keys and 22-key numeric keypad. All of those extra keys mean positioning the wired scrolling Mighty Mouse half a foot away — a reach that causes a distinct stress in my right arm and shoulder.
Lefties won’t mind at all, but other right-handers like me may. To be fair, most any keyboard with a numeric keypad forces the same far-reaching mouse placement. Much nicer is Apple’s newly announced Wireless Keyboard (shipping in a few weeks), which eliminates the extra keys and cable, thereby closing the aching gap between hand and mouse.
Love or hate the keyboard and mouse, either or both can be swapped out for third-party alternatives such as those offered by Logitech, Belkin or Microsoft. Continue reading ‘Review: Apple’s new iMac’
I called a few EB Games and Gamestop stores in the area, and only one person knew what I was talking about when I asked if they had the newly revised 360 Premium system with HDMI in stock.
The other shops asked if I meant the Elite. Ditto at Best Buy - until the guy I asked called over his gaming specialist, Jeremiah, and this guy knew exactly what I was talking about. He checked the system and they showed 14 units in stock, however he said he couldn’t sell me one because of a September 1 street date.
I mentioned that others were already selling them, including Amazon, and he looked up some store policy info. Turns out they can sell the newly revised HDMI 360s as long as the older, non-HDMI units are out of stock or sold out. He grabbed one from the back, I paid for it ($349.99) and also sprang for Best Buy’s 2-year extended warranty ($60), which, my sales guy explained, allows me to return the 360 for a full exchange even if only the controller is busted. Back home I did a search and was bummed to discover that my new 360 with HDMI didn’t have the much-anticipated “Falcon” 65-nm chipset that promises cooler operation.
Sure enough the label on the box showed the word Zephyr as the chipset. Various reports say the Falcon chipset is forthcoming. I contacted a Microsoft PR representative and he gave me the stock reply to this question:
“We are constantly updating the console’s more than 1700 internal components and therefore will not comment on details of specific components or manufacturing processes.”
Even so, promises that the revised Xbox 360 with HDMI would be quieter are true: The machine is definitely quieter than the Elite it is replacing, with no noticeable sound when turned on and running without a disc inserted, and with a disc the operation does produce sound, but less than the Elite and the original 360.
While I can live without the 120 GB drive (since I download a movie, watch it, then delete it, and maintain only a few demos at any given time), I was bummed to find there was no analog audio adapter included like the one that came with the Elite. It allows me to use HDMI as my video but analog audio to connect to my surround sound speakers rather than use the less-than-stellar speakers built into the HDTV. I’ll either buy a replacement online or keep the one that came with my Elite when I sell or give away that black box without it.
Bottom line: A quieter Xbox 360 with HDMI.
A month after the iPhone began life as the most desired/derided tech gadget ever, the first update is available for download via iTunes. The update patches Safari security flaws which, left unfixed, make the iPhone vulnerable to hacks. Unfortunately the update includes none of the fixes or new features I and others are anxious to see, as described in my iPhone wish list (companion piece to my iPhone feature story for MSNBC.com).
In other update news, while pouring my own morning java fix my MacBook’s Software Update alerted me to two updates for my system: Safari 3 Beta Update 3.0.3, and Security Update 2007-007 (Intel) version 1.0. Information about the updates can be found on Apple’s web site.
I became acquainted with Matt Richtel several years ago by way of the New York Times, where he’s a reporter and I’m a freelance contributor (which is to say he makes more money and enjoys health care benefits).
Matt was enthused about my first novel and did his best to get it covered in the Times, however the editor at the time took a pass to Matt’s pitch. I always appreciated the effort.
Now that Matt has published his own first novel it’s my turn to return the favor, giving Matt a little electronic ink here on JOEyGADGET.
The novel is the well received high-tech thriller Hooked, and here are Matt’s answers to my couple of questions about the writing life, the married life, and whether Hooked is a once-in-a-lifetime effort or will we see more fiction by Matt Richtel in the future.
JG: Rather than raised by wolves as I was, you were raised by readers. Have you always been a reader of fiction yourself, or more a non-fiction man, on account of your career as a journalist?
MR: Fiction Man (sounds like an ad for a cologne, or the name of a superhero who confuses people into submission by reading to them from James Joyce). I love getting swept up and lifted away by great fiction. Non-fiction, when I connect to it, is a great experience too. That usually entails very accessible writing and a compelling narrative. Also, I have to have enough brain space to permit engagement. But those are high hurdles in my book, and I don’t get over them as often in non-fiction.
JG: Were any particular novelists influential as far as style or voice
or in any other way?MR (a.k.a. The “Fiction Man” cologne man): At this point, I don’t think I draw from others’ voices or styles but there are things I hope to accomplish - that I’ve particularly appreciated in other books:
- stories based on emotion and character
- fast, compelling reads
- a satisfying, even surprise, ending
- that sheds light on the rest of the book and even makes you see the book differentlyThese are basic tenets I hold to. I’ve loved a lot of books that I’m sure have influenced me in some way:
As a kid, I read Robert Ludlum and imagined myself a spy. And tried to read non-fiction history, and imagined myself as serious and scholarly as my father. I once was influenced by Douglas Adams and Rick Reilly (from Sports Illustrated) but have long since seen the limitations of my sense of humor and the fact they can’t be mimicked. Favorite fiction works over the years that have stuck with me include Confederacy of Dunces, Lolita, Catch 22, The Magus (John Fowles), Catcher in the Rye, various things by Kurt Vonnegut, and a ton of other books I can’t seem to recall at the moment…
Non-fiction: In Cold Blood, Into Thin Air, The Executioner’s Song (transcendent), and some anthropology, The Third Chimpanzee and The Selfish Gene. My tastes lately are varied and voracious In the last year or so, I’ve particularly enjoyed: Cormac McCarthy (the road, no country for old men, blood meridian), David Mitchell (Cloud Atlas); Jonathan Lethem (motherless brooklyn, guns with occasional music); Jonathan Safran Foer (everthing is illuminated, exremely loud and incredibly close); Jeannette Walls (The Glass Castle - GREAT non-fiction), Walter Mosely (the only writer whose books I collect; otherwise, our house is a library where you don’t have to return what you check out). Recent thriller/mystery reads: Lee Child, David Liss, Dennis Lehane, T. Jefferson Parker.
JG: Phew, that’s quite a list. Let’s take a breather from fiction for a moment and change the subject to tech. You’re a tech-savvy guy, so what do you think of the iPhone?
MR: Neat. Cool. Futuristic. Wouldn’t spend the $600.JG: You know Madonna was pissed when Kevin Costner said her concert was “neat” in her film Truth or Dare. I wonder if Steve Jobs is touchy that way too. Anyway, speaking of movies, any chance we’ll see a movie adaptation of Hooked?
MR (a.k.a. Kevin Costner impersonator): Always a chance, but so far no one have stepped up to buy the movie rights and the chance to make zillions of dollars on what clearly is a zillion-dollar project just waiting to be made (perhaps we should upgrade our “make a zillion dollars” marketing pitch.
J.G. Your editor is the esteemed Jonathan Karp, who is also publisher of Twelve - an innovative press that which aims to fully focus all energies on one book per month. You were June’s pinup boy. Did the Twelve come through as promised?
MR: Karp. The Twelve. It was like having a Porsche for my first car. First class all the way. Attentive editing, a strong publicity and marketing effort, easy back-and-forth with Karp. I’d recommend it for anyone. From that perspective, I feel blessed by my association with the Twelve. The book has had a solid commercial run but has not been a national bestseller. Does that mean that things could have been done better? I tell you in all candor that I have no idea. I would imagine, given Karp’s track record, that he second guesses himself at times. I do not know for a fact. I think the reality is that it is not possible to will or create a bestseller, particularly something perceived as mystery/thriller genre. If that sounds passive/aggressive, I don’t mean it to. I have been incredibly fortunate.
Continue reading ‘An Interview with Matt Richtel, author of HOOKED’
A friend visiting the boardwalk at Point Pleasant, NJ this weekend snapped shots of two arcade claw crane grabber machines with iPhone as hard-to-win booty. AT&T plan sold separately.
Four days old and my iPhone has crashed and won’t come back to life. It does not turn on when unplugged from USB cable or power adapter. When plugged into either of those, it starts up with the Apple logo for a few seconds, then goes black for a few seconds, then comes back to the Apple logo again, repeating the same thing all over and caught in an endless reboot/restart loop.
I tried restarting the iPhone by holding both the Home and Sleep/Wake buttons, as described in Apple’s iPhone help - but that’s simply meant to restart a stuck iPhone. Because the iPhone is caught in an endless loop iTunes does not recognize it, which means it cannot be restored.
I assumed there has to be some way to force the iPhone into recovery mode, so on a whim I held the Home and Sleep/Wake buttons through two of the restart cycles (about fifteen seconds) and got a yellow alert icon that instructed:
Please Connect to iTunes.iTunes found the iPhone and stated: iTunes has detected an iPhone in recovery mode. You must restore this iPhone before it can be used with iTunes.
iTunes then downloaded a software update. I clicked the Restore button and iTunes presented a warning message: Are you sure you want to restore the iPhone “iPhone” to its factory settings? All of your songs and other data will be erased, and the newest version of the iPhone software will be installed.
I clicked the Restore and Update button and iTunes popped up the message: Preparing iPhone for restore…
The iPhone then got caught in the endless restart loop again, trying over and over, until finally iTunes gave up after about two minutes and gave me the message: The iPhone “iPhone” could not be restored. An unknown error occurred (1603).
I’ll be going to the AT&T store where I purchased the iPhone with the hope that they’ll simply replace it with a new one, though whether they even have a replacement in stock remains to be seen.Stay tuned for updates.
Update (3:36 pm): I called the AT&T store where I bought the iPhone and the very helpful manager, Jason, said customers with bum iPhones must contact Apple for support. I contacted Apple by way of a public relations contact and was told someone would call me to take care of the unwell iPhone. While awaiting the call from Apple I decided to drive over to the Apple Store in Atlantic City to see if they could help more immediately.
As it turned out the Apple support person who called was going to have me do exactly that, go to the Apple Store, to meet with Sean, the very friendly and pro manager on staff.
Nate patched Sean in on our call and he was on the phone with us as I walked into the Apple store. We hung up on Nate and took care of the phone.Sean grabbed a new, unopened iPhone from the back, same as my defective 8 GB model, and then turned me over to two guys named Chris who were working the Genius Bar.
Transferring my phone account from one device to another took a couple of minutes. Out of curiosity I asked if we could see if we could get the defective iPhone to show up on a Mac (since I was using it on a Vista PC when all of this started) so we could restore it. Not because I wanted the phone back, but rather because I wanted to know for sure that my personal data would be erased and not viewable by others, whether at the Apple store or by the service persons at wherever the iPhone would wind up.
We tried to restore it, but no luck. As earlier, the device kept cycling through the Apple logo in an attempt to restart, over and over. One of the Chris guys said he couldn’t get it into recovery mode, and so I showed him that you have to hold the Wake/Sleep and Home buttons for more than a few seconds until it cycles at least once, and I think twice, before it then puts up that alert triangle icon and tells you to connect to iTunes (see above).
As such, we chose the recovery option from iTunes running on a MacBook, it appeared to be doing something, then the iPhone shut off and iTunes reported the same error as earlier on the Vista PC: The iPhone “iPhone” could not be restored. An unknown error occurred (1603). Chris was about to open the new iPhone box to move my SIM from the defective phone to the new one, but I said I’d already done that. (Before leaving I popped it into my the excellent Nokia 6682 that the iPhone was replacing, and yes, your iPhone-activated AT&T SIM does pop out and work on another AT&T/Cingular phone or, in my case, an unlocked phone.) So I left the store feeling reassured that a brand new iPhone was replacing the defective one - but not very reassured that my data on the iPhone I was leaving behind (contacts, calendar, notes, Safari bookmarks and email) was gone. Had the iPhone died totally and wiped whatever was in memory? Or would Apple’s service team wipe it out, as part of a company policy? I don’t know the answer to that latter question, but I will find out soon after Apple’s PR department gets back to me.
I also asked what do customers who are not in range of an Apple Store do. I guess with any data device there’s a risk of personal information being at risk when said device needs to be sent in for repair. And like other SIM-based phones, the owner must part with the device if it needs repairs, but can generally use the SIM on a replacement phone.
Will Apple offer a replacement phone in the repair process? The AT&T store manager Jason said it isn’t AT&T’s policy to offer customers a temporary replacement phone when a phone is being repaired.Meanwhile, I popped my SIM card out of the Nokia and into the iPhone. It said to connect to iTunes to activate. I plugged the iPhone into the dock, let iTunes find it, and about a minute later it was activated without any additional input from me. iTunes synced all of my data from the automatic backup iTunes made this morning, before the first iPhone failed.Stay tuned for additional updates.
Update (4:43 pm): Just got off the phone with an Apple PR contact. She sent me a link to Apple’s iPhone Service: Frequently Asked Questions - which pretty much answered all of my questions. So, if you’re in the first 30 days you can walk into an Apple store and get a replacement if your iPhone is considered “DOA” like mine was. After 30 days you go through the service-by-mail option, by which you’ll ship your iPhone to Apple (minus your SIM) for service, and they’ll ship it back to you when it’s fixed. You have the option of renting a replacement iPhone for $29 while yours is being repaired.
As for AT&T, a spokeswoman for the company said an iPhone you’re unhappy with can be returned for a refund (minus a 10% restocking fee) within 14 days of purchase, but replacing or repairing a defective phone must be taken up with Apple.
In sum: I was lucky the Apple Store had a replacement 8 GB iPhone in stock to swap for my defective one. I was unlucky, however, on my way out of Caesars Casino on my way back to the parking garage. I slipped a $10 bill into one of the nickel slots, pressed the first button I saw (labeled 8X), watched the digital reels spin and come to a stop, and wound up with “Game Over” with nothing more to go on with or about - which is an apt conclusion for this story, as well. (Or so I hope.)
Thanks to all who took my calls and to those who dealt with me in person, and have a great July 4th holiday.
Five Safari for Windows tips
by Joe Hutsko
Apple this week jumped into the Windows Web browser world with Safari 3.0, available to download in beta form from apple.com/safari. Beloved by Mac users for its speed (but begrudged for incompatibilities with certain websites and features, including the inability to use those handy pop-up section navigations buttons on this site itself, for instance), Safari for Windows test-drivers will find some things old, some things new. Here are five tips to help you get started.
UPDATE - Xbox 360 Spring Update “Reference Levels” explained.
Received an updated reply from Microsoft that further clarifies the reference levels enhancement included in the Spring Update. The reply is from Microsoft’s John Rodman, Senior Product Manager, Xbox Global Platform (followed by the original post):
Q: Any chance one of your tech contacts could explain in layman’s terms exactly what VGA level referencing is and how it affects 360 users who connect with VGA?
A: We added a new feature to the 2007 Xbox System Update which is actually fairly common among consumer electronics devices. You may know it by a variety of names; Reference Levels, Output levels, Black Levels, Blacker than black, Enhanced Blacks, Setup, PLUGE -all of this is talking about roughly the same functionality. In Xbox 360 we call it
“Reference Levels” for those using HDMI or VGA cables and “Black Levels” for Component or Standard cables.At a very high level, this feature is here to accommodate the different methods that TVs use to receive a video signal. More specifically it addresses the different ways that “black” and “white” can be represented in that video signal. If you want to dig a little deeper, the easiest way to think about this is to imagine a scale from 0 to 100. 0 is the dark end and 100 is the light end of the scale.
Because of the multiple “standards” put out by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) there is some confusion around what the term “Black” actually means. Some TVs expect black to be 0 while others expect it to be at 7. So, if the Xbox 360 outputs 7.5 as “Black” and it is connected to a TV that expects “Black” to be 0, it will result in a washed out colors. Conversely, if the Xbox 360 outputs 0 as black and the TV expects to get 7.5, it will end up with a very dark picture.
If video from your Xbox 360 looks too bright or too dark, you should try each of the settings and see what works best for your particular TV. If you are happy with you’re the video from your Xbox 360, then don’t bother changing it.
(Original post, April 29, 2007):
Got my Xbox 360 Elite this morning. I went to Walmart first, found a woman in the electronics section, and asked where are the 360 Elites. She looked at the flyer in her hand and said “They ain’t out yet.” I said they’re shipping today, and asked if she’d check the computer for me, to see if they’re in back. “They ain’t here, I tol’ you - some people axed the same thing yesterday, we ain’t got none.” I said okay, told her to have a nice day, and she said the same in return.
I figured I’d go to Circuit City or Best Buy and wait till they open at 10. On the way there I noticed Target was already open, and on a whim went in to ask if they had the 360 Elite. The nice young guy in the games section said he thought so, he’d go check. He came out with four 360 Elites, selling one to me, and two to another guy who showed up.
I opted for the 3-year warranty for $29.99, bringing my total receipt to $544.62.
At home, I unpacked the 360 Elite and was bummed to find that the rumored transfer cable/kit was not included. I did a search to find out what was up, and learned that even if it was included, using the transfer cable would wipe out whatever new stuff was on the 360 Elite’s drive - not that any of it is very interesting. (A downloadable coupon in the Xbox.com support section entitles 360 Elite owners to a free transfer cable kit.)
I decided to transfer my stuff using the 64 MB memory card I had on hand. One look at the size of some of my saved stuff - like more than 1 GB for Oblivion alone - gave me pause. The I realized that for that game, and most others, I needed to transfer only the actual save game files, which were rather smallish; the rest, such as the 1+ GB Shivering Isles expansion pack I bought a few weeks ago, I could re-download once I was all set up. I also transferred over Arcade games like Uno, Wik, Worms and some others. The back and forth process from 360 to 360 Elite took about 45 minutes.
Now, for my most burning question: Would the HDMI connection be noticeably better than the VGA connection I was already using?
In a word: No.
An email to my Xbox press contact, asking for clarification, received this reply:
As you mention, the console can output 1080p resolution video over both VGA and HDMI. There may be very, very subtle differences depending on a consumer’s display, but we wouldn’t expect many people to notice.
There will be a difference between HD DVD video played over component and that played over HDMI. The content protection policies of HD DVD allow a maximum output of 1080i over component, so if you have HDMI (or VGA for that matter) you will get the full 1080p resolution.
In the end, by supporting HDMI we are giving our customers who have HD displays another option in the case their display doesn’t support VGA, plus they get the benefit of audio and video over a single cable.
In fact, others have reported that the HDMI isn’t noticeably better than the component video connection, either. On that, I disagree - switching from component to either HDMI or VGA is considerably different, and I notice a dramatic improvement with the Xbox 360 dashboard, in games, and when watching DVD movies.
My second biggest curiosity was noise, and whether the 360 Elite would be quieter than my original 360.
In a word: Yes.
When the DVD drive isn’t spinning, the 360 Elite is quieter than my original Xbox 360. When playing a game it is also quieter. Others have reported the drive isn’t actually quieter, just different in tone. That may be the impression for those who are comparing the old and the new in a large office environment, but in my bedroom, the new is quieter than the old. Perhaps that’s because my original Xbox 360 was the earliest of early units - shipped to me a few days before the 360 was released to the public. It’s that “old.”
But is it whisper-quiet? Nope. It’s still a pretty noisy product.
Bottom line: If you’re HDTV or monitor has an available VGA port, use it (by purchasing the optional VGA cable) with your existing Xbox 360 and enjoy video as good-looking as the 360 Elite’s. If my HDTV had only HDMI and component connection, I would definitely buy the 360 Elite for the sharper picture it delivers when connected that way. As for the hard disk, I had at least 8 GBs available on my old 360 and I don’t see filling this one up fast. My media lives on my MacBook (which I can tap into via the 360 with the add-on program 360Connect), and as far as downloading movies, which I do quite often (last night I watched The Parallax View, a 70s conspiracy theory film starring Warren Beatty that I highly recommend), I watch them then delete them, since they’re only viewable for 24 hours once you start watching. Still, others may want a bigger hard disk for their stuff, and the 360 Elite satisfies on that front (albeit at a pretty high price when compared to the GB-per-buck ratio found on PC add-on drives).
It’s been more than a decade since I’ve written for MacWorld, and I’m happy to be back in the magazine with this story in the April, 2007 issue: Living a Second Life: Maximize your experience in the virtual world. Here’s a PDF version of the story as well.