Once again some French people need rescuing… This time, two French tourists were skiing in the Swiss Alps when they got lost. They had tried to make a phone call but the phone ran out of juice right as they connected. Temperatures in those mountains could go as low as -15 degrees Celsius (5 degrees Fahrenheit). Fortunately, one of the tourists brought along an iPod and was able to signal the rescue helicopter with the light from the MP3 player. Both were rescued without any serious injuries. Unfortunately that’s all the details released but hopefully next time the duo will bring along a flare gun or flash light to avoid a similar situation.
-Derek
[Source: Gizmodo]

Apple may have been harsh to outside iPhone Application developers, but they are trying their hardest to be open to 3rd part Apps. Apple has just announced their iPhone Developer University Program that will allow higher education institutions to offer classes on iPhone and iPod Touch application development and programming. With this program, iPhone developers would be able to take a class on iPhone programming and at the same time work within the constraint of Apple’s iPhone SDK non-disclosure agreement. Apple released the following statement:

The University Program provides a wealth of development resources, sophisticated tools for testing and debugging, and the ability to share applications within the same development team. Institutions can also submit applications for distribution in the App Store.

In addition to Apple’s iPhone Developer University Program, Stanford University is also jumping into the mix. Stanford has also announced that they are working on a project that makes several of their web-based services as iPhone applications. Stanford released the following statement regarding the project:

A suite of five software applications developed by students is now being tested on campus. Two of them, for managing course registration and bills, are intended for students. The other three will allow access to Stanford’s searchable campus map, get team scores and schedules, and check listings in the university’s online directory, StanfordWho.

Here are some screenshots of Stanford’s iPhone applications:

- Geoff

[Source: MacRumors]

The battle between the Zune and the iPod has raged on for two years now and the iPod is still king, but the Zune is no slouch either and is said to be making some ground with their new 3.0 software and 120GB Zune player. Here are the stats on both the Zune and iPod brands.

Zune

Debut: November 2006.

Number sold: 2.5 million.

Price range: $150-250.

Hues: Black, blue, red, pink. Green available online only. No longer available in an unusual brown, as it once was.

Favorite activities: Downloading Zune Marketplace songs via Wi-Fi, listening to FM radio, watching videos.

Worst aspect: Having to explain why you have a Zune instead of an iPod.

Frequently spotted? Still quite elusive in the wild, but sometimes seen on public transportation.

iPod

Debut: October 2001.

Number sold: 160 million.

Price range: $49-$399.

Hues: Black, silver, purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, red, pink. No longer sold in the original white.

Favorite activities: Watching movies, scrolling through album cover art while listening to music, buying more tunes and videos from the iTunes Store.

Worst aspect: Feeling like an Apple drone.

Frequently spotted? Pretty much everywhere.

-Ray

[Source: bostonherald]

With the release of the new Apple iPhone 3G the new iPod touch was sure to follow. Revealed at Apple’s “Let’s Rock” event on September 9th, 2008 in San Francisco the second generation iPod Touch is sure to be as popular as its predecessor. With pretty much all the same features as the previous iPod touch at first glance it seems not much is different between the two devices. The new iPod touch features a slimmer sleeker size with a curved back much like the iPhone 3G. When compared side by side next to the first generation iPod touch the size difference is very noticeable. Turn on both devices and you also notice the second generation touch has a significantly brighter and crisper screen. Play a song from your song list and one of the biggest changes is apparant, speakers! While the iPod touch is no boombox, the addition of speakers is a welcomed new feature.

The iPod touch 2G has built-in 820.11 Wi-Fi which lets you browse the Internet on Safari and access the iTunes store to download apps and games. The user interface to navigate your music, videos and photos is the same as the previous iPod touch and the iPhone. Syncing with iTunes is pretty much the same as well. The original iPod touch was a revelation in music player technology. It was an iPhone without the phone, an iPod with a touchscreen and Wi-Fi capabilities. While the 2G touch is not too different from its predecessor, it’s still a move forward. It’s a music player that can be continually improved and updated via firmware updates or apps. It is simply the best portable media player on the market today.

-Ray

The new fourth Generation iPod nano is here and it’s quite the looker. With it’s sharp new looks and slim and sleek new size. And is it slim indeed! The iPod nanos have always had a slim tall design until the third generation model which changed things up a bit and went with a shorter and chubbier design. It gained not only width but screen size as well, which was the best feature of the third gen iPod nano.

Continue reading »

After images of what appeared to be a 4GB version of the new 4th generation iPod nano were seen online recently Apple has confirmed that it’s the real deal. An Apple spokesperson confirmed that a 4GB iPod nano was made for international markets. No numbers were given regarding price or how many were made or where they were offered. This is most likely a low priced budget iPod nano to attract consumers abroad.

-Ray

[Source: gizmodo]

The Steve Jobs conspiracy theorist will all be disappointed. There’s no special reason for the barcode on the back of Jobs license-plateless Mercedes. It’s merely the cars VIN number, my car came with one didn’t yours?

The controversy and questions surrounded the supposed UPC barcode pictured on Jobs’ Mercedes SL55 AMG in lieu of of an official California license plate. We discovered wild rumors have dated back several years spawning constant speculation over Jobs’ barcode license plate. The most absurd rumor alleges that Jobs paid California DMV a lot of money for a special exemption that allows him to have a UPC barcode instead of a real license plate. A lame idea invented by the village idiot.

Continue reading »

The Microsoft Zune 3.0 music player is here, but how does it stack up against the new 4th generation iPod nano? Well the folks at Zunerama did a head to head comparison of the new Zune 3.0 player vs the new iPod nano. Check out the specs of both players in the comparison chart above.

The essential differences and similarities:

* Both are the same price, at $149 for 8GB capacity and $199 for 16GB.
* Nano has a 2-inch screen, while the Zune has a 1.8-inch screen.
* Both support music, video, pictures, podcasts, and games.
* Zune has wireless capability, which means it lets you find and purchase new tracks from its online store from wireless hotspots.
* Zune also has FM radio, and you can tag a song you’ve listened to and also purchase it wirelessly.
* Zune can be synced wirelessly to your PC.
* Both have 320×240 resolution screens, and have touch-sensitive input devices (the ZunePad and the Clickwheel).
* Both are available in multiple colors, with Nano having more colors available.
* Nano has an accelerometer, used for games, for “shuffling” music, and for switching from portrait to landscape mode.
* Nano has a voice-recorder (needs external microphone to be plugged in).

-Ray

[Source: zunerama]

Check out this article I found by Seth Porges from Popular Mechanics regarding several features gadget geeks were hoping would be unveiled for the iPod Touch, but didn’t. A very good and interesting read.

Top 5 iPod Features Apple Won’t Unveil (Even Though It Could)
By Seth Porges

Nothing sets gadget geeks into a frenzy like an Apple product launch. The drama! (Will Steve Jobs play nice?) The mystery! (Will he unveil a MacBook Touch?) The inevitable disappointment! (What, no iPhone Flip?)

Continue reading »

Continue reading »