Consumer Reports now ‘can’t recommend’ the iPhone 4
After a recent positive review stating that the iPhone 4 reception issues were not something that should prevent someone from buying the new iPhone, the nationwide testing firm has now changed its mind and given a thumbs down to Apple’s latest efforts.
In lab tests, Consumer Reports says the signal “can significantly degrade to cause you to lose your connection altogether if you’re in an area with a weak signal.” Three iPhone 4s were tested in an RF isolation chamber, and while the signal fell out on the new iPhone, CR didn’t see the same issues on an iPhone 3GS or a Palm Pre.
The tests also showed that
On the road with the latest Navigon MobileNavigator
The iOS 4 update to MobileNavigator North America has been eagerly awaited by fans of the best selling turn-by-turn navigation system, and overall I’d call the update a win.
To test the system, I took a drive from Southern Arizona to Chandler, a suburb of Phoenix. First off, having the multitasking capabilities was wonderful. I could take or make calls without stopping the route guidance, and while I was on the phone, I could get notice of turns. Since my phone was connected to my car via Bluetooth, the voice announcements came through the car speaker.
I set up speed limit warnings, and the system dutifully warned me if I was going too fast, which is easy to do on those long, straight Arizona highways.
When you set your destination, the software gives you
New iPhone 4 ads highlight FaceTime, tug at the old heartstrings
It’s too early to say whether or not the phrase “There’s an app for that” has been banished to the fabled Island of Forgotten Taglines, but if the latest series of iPhone ads is any indication, FaceTime is now the star — not the apps.
Four new iPhone 4 ads have made their debut both on the air and online. In each ad, two people use FaceTime to discuss incredibly important news.
In Meet Her, a grandfather meets his new granddaughter for the first time. Haircut features a pensive young woman who is worried that her significant other isn’t going to like her new, really short haircut, and in Smile a dad tries to get his teenage daughter (newly fitted with braces on her teeth) to smile. Finally, Big News has a woman breaking the news to her hubby that the project they’ve been working on is successful — they’re going to be parents.
Daily App: Grokion
The controls are probably the game’s best feature; they are super responsive, so both platforming and shooting (after you’re able to reach your first weapon) are easy to do.
USB vs. AC outlet charging on the iPhone 4
This whole charging / not charging issue with the iPad and iPhone is pretty confusing. At least with the iPad, if it’s not plugged into an outlet or a USB port that’s delivering enough juice, you get the whole “not charging” message near the battery indicator … yet, it does charge, but slowly.
The “not charging” message doesn’t appear when the iPhone 4 is plugged into a lower-powered USB port (in my experience), but is it still sucking the same amount of juice it would from an AC outlet?
The folks over at When Will Apple? took the time to do a pretty decent job of comparing charging times on the iPhone 4, comparing USB to AC outlet.
