Here lately, Navigon has been crushing it on the iPhone GPS front. Every couple of weeks, it seems that MobileNavigator is getting yet another fantastic update, all while TomTom’s lackluster offering hangs back in the land of complacency. Thankfully for us all, the outfit has just pushed out the v1.3 update, which adds real-time traffic (an unfortunate $19.99 add-on), Google local search, updated roadways, automatic music fading between text-to-speech instructions and the ability to add locations from other apps and websites. We’d still recommend Navigon’s software if you’re looking to buy into iPhone GPS for the first time, but this is certainly a boon for those already locked into the TomTom alternative.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

TomTom iPhone app hits 1.3, gains real-time traffic and Google local search originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 15:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Whoa, Nelly! Isn’t this something? Apple has just posted details on its iPad battery replacement service, which is really not a battery replacement service at all. Check out the company’s opening line:

“If your iPad requires service due to the battery’s diminished ability to hold an electrical charge, Apple will replace your iPad for a service fee.”

Now, let’s compare that to the verbiage found in the iPhone’s battery replacement program details:

“If your iPhone requires service only because the battery’s ability to hold an electrical charge has diminished, Apple will service your iPhone for a service fee.”

We can see the puzzled look on your face from here, and we’re sharing in the same disbelief. Apple is actually saying that it won’t bother cracking open your withered iPad, replacing the battery and sending it back your way; instead, you’ll pay $105.95 (including shipping) for a completely different iPad, which certainly has its pros and cons. On one hand, you’re getting a new (or potentially refurbished, actually) iPad in around “one week,” but on the other, you’ll be waving goodbye to every morsel of personal data on the device that you send in — unless you backup beforehand, of course. Here’s Apple’s take on answering “will the data on my iPad be preserved?”

“No. You will receive a replacement iPad that will not contain any of your personal data. Before you submit your iPad for service, it is important to sync your iPad with iTunes to back up your contacts, calendars, email account settings, bookmarks, apps, etc. Apple is not responsible for the loss of information when servicing your iPad.”

Lovely, don’tcha think? Head on past the break for the full text.

[Thanks, David]

Continue reading Dead iPad battery? Never mind replacing it, Apple just sends another iPad for $99

Dead iPad battery? Never mind replacing it, Apple just sends another iPad for $99 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 13:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While these figures are far from official figures by Apple, it’s still very interesting to take a peek at what some people have analyzed over the latest Apple iPad pre-orders. It seems that, based on the order numbers from purchases, and taking into account the 15,000 online orders that come in a typical day, the fruity company has managed to snag about 91,000 iPad pre-orders in just six hours, which is certainly an amazing feat. It still remains to see how successful Apple’s iPad will be in the long run, but if the pre-order numbers are anything to go by, Apple certainly has something good on its hands.

Permalink: Unconfirmed: Apple Sells 90,000 iPads On The First Day Of Pre-order? from Ubergizmo | RSS Sponsor: Win a Fellowes Microshred Paper Shredder!

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Considering the trend of cramming diamonds into Apple products, nobody should be surprised to see a Diamond iPad show up on the Internet, much less from Goldstriker, the company which came up with the gold-plated iPod nano and Diamond iPhone 3G. This $19,999 iPad sports a diamond studded frame featuring 11.43 carats of diamonds, hand-set in a micro-pave styling. You’re currently able to place your order online to reserve one, so there’s nothing but your wallet and common sense to stop you from placing an order now.

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While it’s hard to say if Apple’s Magic Mouse really needs “fixing” — it depends somewhat on your grip — it’s not a huge stretch to say that the slender multitouch device doesn’t quite fit in the palm of one’s hand. Sensing a market opportunity, Will of MMFixed.com recently decided to come to our collective rescue. For $10, he offers a simple silicone block that matches the mouse’s contoured surface nicely, with an integrated suction cup that keeps it securely fastened. While it’s not quite a one-size-fits-all solution, it’s certainly a lot cheaper than buying one of the new whacky, adjustable mice we’ve seen recently; and if the idea of ergonomics via marshmallow doesn’t appeal to you, you can always try the white bread variety. Video after the break.

Continue reading Make your Magic Mouse oh-so-ergonomic with this pasty silicone grip

Make your Magic Mouse oh-so-ergonomic with this pasty silicone grip originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 01:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A pair of iPads was just revealed in the FCC’s system in perfect synchrony with that little pre-order sitch with which you may or may not already be familiar. Apple, of course, has a track record of timing its FCC filings perfectly so that virtually nothing is revealed before Cupertino wants it to be, and frankly, you’re not going to get much here that you didn’t already know — the photographs (both external and internal) and the user manual are all still under confidentiality. Both units were tested for WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n and Bluetooth, while one — model number A1337 — adds in GSM 850 / 1900 and UMTS 850 / 1900, so it appears that Apple has bundled all of its 3G and non-3G models into just two filings regardless of storage capacity. We caught A1337 flipping through an old issue of 2600, so for all we know, it socially engineered its way to FCC approval — whatever it takes to make that late-April launch window, right?

Apple iPad — model A1337 — phreaks the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How do we know we’re years away from a final resolution to the Nokia / Apple patent lawsuit? It’s been six months since Nokia first filed its complaint, and the two parties are just now starting to argue about which specific substantive claims they’re eventually going to argue about. Let’s do a quick refresh: at the heart of the lawsuit is a conflict over Nokia’s wireless patents, some of which are almost certainly essential to how cell data and WiFi operate. As a member of the ETSI and the IEEE licensing groups which oversee GSM and WiFi, Nokia’s required to license its patents to anyone who asks on fair terms, but those terms aren’t set in stone — Nokia can negotiate separate licenses as it sees fit, and it apparently wanted Apple to cross-license its touchscreen patents as part of the deal. Apple said no, and now we’re all in court, with both sides alleging patent infringement in three different lawsuits (one of which is on hold) and Apple claiming that Nokia is also liable for breach of contract, because it promised fair licensing terms and didn’t deliver. Got all that? Right.

So that brings us to yesterday, when Nokia asked the court to dismiss all of Apple’s contract-related claims, saying that they’re simply a distraction from the real issue, which is patents, and that its license offers aren’t unfair simply because Apple doesn’t like them. In short: Apple and Nokia’s patent lawsuit is currently not really about patents at all, but about whether or not it should also be a fight about contract terms in addition to a fight about patents, and that question won’t be resolved for months. And that’s why vigilante justice is the future of America’s tarnished civilization something like 90 percent of patent cases eventually settle out of court.

P.S. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, today Reuters reported that the first trial date isn’t expected until 2012. So, yeah.

Nokia asks court to dismiss part of Apple patent lawsuit originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We talk about the FCC a lot here, but usually the ways ye olde Commission affects our lives are indirect. A little extra spectrum here, a nice leaked image there, that kind of thing. Not this time, though, as the FCC is getting involved directly with its own Consumer Broadband Test app, designed to probe network latencies and download speeds on your home connection or mobile device. Part of the hallowed National Broadband Plan, this will furnish the FCC will useful data to show the discrepancy between advertised and real world broadband speeds, and will also — more importantly perhaps — serve as a neat way for users to directly compare network performance in particular areas. It’s available on the App Market and App Store right now, with versions for other operating systems coming up, so why not get with the program and give it a test drive?

FCC comes through with a Consumer Broadband Test app for iPhone, Android and the home originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Users who are planning to purchase Apple’s iPad with a 3G modem probably already know that AT&T is offering two data plan prices for the device, which are $14.99/month for 250MB or $29.99 for unlimited data. While it’s not too hard to walk into an AT&T store to request for the change in plan, it seems that Apple has gone one step further, and made things easy for everybody. You’ll be able to sign up, check your data usage, manage your account, and even cancel your service directly from the iPad. Since there is no contract binding you to a specific data plan, you’ll be able to switch between plans as and when you wish, which is certainly good news. Users who are on a 250MB/month plan will be sent 3 alerts (20%, 10% and 0% remaining), in order to let users know when additional data might be needed for the month. As an added benefit, AT&T’s 3G service plans for the iPad allows users to access over 20,000 of AT&T’s Wi-Fi hotspots, which just makes the deal seem sweeter.

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It’s going to take $40,000 worth of diamonds to get me to buy an iPad. So nice try, Mervis Diamond Importers. They’ve taken an ordinary iPad—not sure which model, I’m afraid—and added 11.43 karats worth of diamonds. Yup.

This particular iPad goes on sale on June 1 for the low, low price of $19,999.

Rumor has it that if Manchester City gets that fourth place spot, all the players will be getting one of them.

And to break the fourth wall: this is the type of post that’s merely meant to kill some time, and not particularly add any happiness to your day.

via Luxist

Read the original story at CrunchGear.

iPad mute switch magicked into a ’screen rotation lock’ overnight, a flurry of other tidbits emerge originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wait! Stop. Before you hand over Apple your credit card and pre-order the iPad, you may want to check out the other touchscreen options available now and in the near future. The iPad isn’t the only game in town. Sure, it might have a fancy-pants interface, but each of the follow seven tablets win the hardware fight, which is just as important to a lot of consumers.

Of course the hardware only tells part of the story. The iPad has a leg up on all of these options because of the user-friendly iPhone interface, but it’s not like you’re dropping $600+ on a tablet for your parents, right?

Currently available

ModBook

The ModBook is the original Apple Tablet — besides the Newton of course. Except it’s not made by Apple proper, but rather Axiotron who has been making them since 2007. Prices start out at $899, but customers have to provide a pre-polycarbonate unibody Macbook making the total price closer to $2,000.

Advantages over the iPad

• Full OS X
• Multitasking
• Flash support
• Built-in camera
• Built-in optical drive
• 13.3-inch screen
• 120GB hard drive
• Windows compatibility

Disadvantages

• No 3G modem
• No multitouch
• No access to the App Store

Viliv X70

Viliv came out of nowhere last year — South Korea actually — and introduced a round of sleek portables with the X70 heading up the tablets. This widescreen 7-inch tablet has nearly every piece of hardware missing from the iPad. Prices start out at $597.

Advantages over the iPad

• Windows
• Flash support
• Multitasking
• Unlocked 3G GSM modem
• GPS
• SD card slot
• Camera
• USB slot
• Haptic-feedback touchscreen
• Video out
• 128GB SSD

Disadvantages

• No multitouch
• No access to the App Store
• Only a 7-inch screen

Archos 9 PC tablet

Archos has been a major player in the MID market since it started. The Archos 9 PC Tablet is the company’s largest slate device to date. It also proves that Apple isn’t the only one to out beautiful looking devices. Prices start out at $549.

Advantages over the iPad

• Windows 7
• Flash Support
• Multitasking
• Two USB slots
• SD Card slot
• Webcam
• A kick stand
• Optical trackpad nub

Disadvantages

• No multitouch
• No access to the App Store

Upcoming

Viliv S10 Blade

The S10 Blade is Viliv’s first product of 2010, and it’s a looker. It has a 10-inch multitouch touchscreen in a convertible notebook setup that’s not much thicker than the iPad. The Viliv S10 is shipping soon at a starting price of $699. (We just got our review sample yesterday so look out for a hands-on shortly)

Advantages over the iPad

• Windows 7
• Multitasking
• Flash support
• Unlocked 3G modem
• Webcam
• 2 USB ports
• SD card slot
• Video out

Disadvantages

• No access to the App Store

Notion Ink Adam

News about the Notion Ink tablet broke late last year and many chalked it up to a fanboy dream. But it’s real and supposed to be coming this spring.

Advantages

• Android
• Multitasking
• Nvidia Tegra 2 platform
• 10-inch Dual-mode display (full color to ePaper)
• Rear-facing trackpad
• USB and HDMI ports
• Unlocked 3G modem

Tie

• Android Market to Apple’s App Store
• Multitouch

HP Slate

We joked that CES 2010 would be full of tablet computers. It wasn’t and only a few major players like HP and Dell showed off prototypes. Both take a totally different approach too as the HP Slate (the unofficial name, btw) opts for a Windows with full flash support. It should hit the market this year at a rumored price of between $500-$600.

Advantages

• Windows 7
• Multitasking
• Flash support
• Camera
• USB ports

Disadvantages

• No access to the App Store
• No 3G modem (at least not yet)

Dell Streak

While HP decided to go with Windows, the 5-inch Dell Streak uses Android. The 5-inch Streak is clearly meant for a different market than the 9.7-inch iPad, but it’s also possible that we’ll see a larger version sometime soon, too. At least we hope we do.

Advantages

• Android
• Multitasking
• Front and rear facing cameras
• USB ports
• Dual microSD slots
• Rumored unlocked 3G modem

Tie

• Android Market for the App Store
• Neither support Flash

Disadvantages

• Smaller screen
• No 3G modem

Read the original story at CrunchGear.

I’m a sucker. It’s true. As much you guys think we rail against Apple, we’re like abused puppies, slinking back to our master’s hard ankles, shivering and awaiting praise. Why did I pre-order the iPad? Well, first I’m a gadget blogger. Second there is no certainty that mother Apple will grace us with an early review unit so I want to hedge our bets. Third? I want to see where computing is headed.

Bear with me here. Apple is not the bringer of fire to a benighted world. Far from it. In my recent writing I’ve been struck by a few parallels with Steve Jobs to Abraham Louis Breguet, a French watchmaker who lived in the 18th century. He was a mechanical genius, to be sure, but he was also a salesman. While the rest of the benighted world was sloshing around in an admixture of feces and mud in the streets of Paris and telling the time by whether the pikemen were stabbing them for being out after curfew, Breguet was selling watches that would not be out of place on the wrist (had they had straps) of a whale in Las Vegas. He invented secret anti-counterfeiting measures but made them part of the allure and not part of a DRM scheme. He designed elegant and beautiful watches in an age of rococo designs but wasn’t above creating a “subscription” watch for the masses who wanted to own a piece of the good life without paying an exorbitant sum of money. Other watchmakers were making commodities and following Breguet’s lead. That’s what’s happening here.

Like Steve Jobs, Breguet knew what his hipster, nobler-than-thou audience wanted and he supplied it. Sure it was expensive and sure it wasn’t generally popular but he made a boatload of money and in the end moved on to explore new avenues of inquiry, improve the general perception of scientific precision, create new forms of telegraphy, and his kids even became pioneers in airplane design. Linux and Windows geeks often put Apple down for locking things up but I say I can do more in the OS X command line terminal than I ever was able to in the Windows DOS window. I usually installed Unix tools under XP just to get any work done when I ran Windows.

Look at the watch above. It was one of the most complex watches in the world when it was made. It came with two dials – the crystal one you see and a while enameled on that hid the innards. If you put the white enamel dial on that watch, you’d have four visible hands. That’s it. It was as austere and beguiling as an early iPod. You saw it, you knew what it did, but there was nothing to get in the way of reading the time or, the the case of the iPod, playing your bluegrass albums. Behind it – complexity – in front – elegance.

I’m also not saying the iPad is the Marie Antoinette Watch of our day. It’s definitely not. I would wager that our current business climate does not allow for the sort of advances in the state of the art that the MA represents. Sure, there are better watches right now, but the MA was finished in 1827 using tools little removed from what was available in the previous three centuries and by 1900 watchmaking was a dead art and is now, at best, relegated to shoe repair bodegas that also specialize in watch battery replacement. The MA wasn’t just a watch, it was that generation’s mechanical moonshot and the ultimate steampunk artifact. Nothing Apple has done is worth that level of praise.

Also nothing – and I mean nothing – about the iPad is particularly new or particularly appealing to the geek in me. It’s a slate that I’ve seen countless times running an OS that is underpowered at best with a trade dress that we’ve seen a thousand times. But the whole is great than the sum of its parts. Apple is about to change how I browse the Internet in the bathroom, on the couch, and on the train. I bought a WiFi enabled model because I figure I’ll have WiFi more often than I’ll have 3G coverage with AT&T (HAR!).

So anyway, flame on, flame warriors. I’m sticking by my decision. Did you pre-order?

Read the original story at CrunchGear.

Read the original story at CrunchGear.

After years of rumor and speculation, Apple’s now taking orders for its iPad tablet. And now that cash money is involved we’ll finally see if Apple has a success on its hands by filling the void between smartphones and netbooks/laptops — something Microsoft and its hoard of vendors just haven’t been able to muster. Today’s order is delivered on April 3rd (in the US) for free and orders are limited to two per customer. But rather than wait for analysts and Apple’s financial reports to tell the tale, let’s get a jump on things with an informal poll: are you ordering the iPad?

View Poll

iPad pre-order is go — will you buy one? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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