The iPhone 5c? Wha?

So here’s the juice, kids. Apparently, according to super secret sources, Apple will be introducing a cheap version of the iPhone named the iPhone 5C, with the C standing for color.

Interesting.

Although the idea of Apple releasing a cheaper version of the iPhone has been kicked around and  rumored for a reallllly long time, these rumors have ramped up recently suggesting that perhaps there may be a grain or more of truth to them!

Here’s what’s been making the rounds:

* Sonny Dickson, an Australian dude in the know leaked these photos of the alleged phone:

*This supports the rumor and earlier leaks that the iPhone 5C will come in a variety of colors, green, yellow, red and blue for starters, much like the iPod mini. Sonny Dickson also leaked this photo of the supposed volume buttons:

*The shell will be polycarbonate, slightly thicker, and will have rear curved edges.

*There is believed to be a single flash camera.

*Although there seems to be quite a lot of information leaked about the aesthetics and hardware of the iPhone 5C ( trustworthy or not is up to you to decide!), there has been in comparison hardly any information leaked about the software capabilities, except that the 5C will most likely not have Siri.

*The iPhone 5C is believed to be released either on September 10th with the iPhone 5S, or, if separately, by the end of the year. The price is believed to be in the $400 range before carrier subsidy.

*Gene Munster, an analyst from Piper Jaffray predicts that Apple will discontinue all iPhone device’s except for iPhone 5, iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C.

That’s all we have for now, but we have a feeling we won’t have to wait for too long to discover the truth…. cos it’s out there. X-Files taught us that.

images courtesy of Sonny Dickson’s website, Macrumors.com

WWDC lowdown!

Alright guys, so yesterday was THE BIG DAY!

The four day annual world wide developers conference for Apple began yesterday morning, kicking off at the Mascone Centre in San Francisco at 10am.

As per usual, WWDC began with a perfectly orchestrated keynote speech given by Tim Cook, featuring a few other key Apple guys AND more importantly, featuring some new Apple software and hardware announcements and previews.

DOUBLE RAINBOW EXCITING!

For the first time, the keynote was broadcast live from the Apple website and on Apple TV.

The two hour address was, as expected, super stylishly presented, with multiple media presentations, some jokes, and a few fantastic and even surprising new Apple products and updates.

The top things you should know about that were announced today are:

– The new Mac Pro. Stellar, revolutionary and round.

– iOS 7, the biggest change to iOS since the iPhone came out.

– OS  X Mavericks – the new operating system named after a California beach break.

– New Macbook airs with super extended battery life.

– iTunes Radio – the much talked about radio product that actually sounds better than we expected!

Super double rainbow exciting, right!?

We’ll have even more from WWDC coming up this week!!

iOS 7

Yesterday we were given a preview of iOS 7, and apart from the fact that we only saw a teensy snippet of one of our personal favs and the man mainly responsible for iOS 7, Jony Ive, the new iOS announcement exceeded even our expectations. And we had high hopes!

Now, this system update will not change your life drastically, it will not do your job for you or make you a more beautiful person, but what it does is promise to enhance your life, with it’s combination of a pared down and simplified beauty and increased functionality.

This seventh system update is the biggest change to iOS since the iPhone came out with the user interface changing pretty drastically as well as the addition of a number of new features.

As was predicted ( or leaked in a timely manner by Apple), the new iOS has none of the skeumorphic, life like graphics or icons as seen in the previous versions.There is a whole new color palette, completely new icons and the overall impression is a much cleaner, flatter, brighter and simpler user interface.

There is a translucent feel to the screen, which gives depth to the phone, even down to the wallpaper, which you can now see behind app icons, and that moves intuitively in relation to the motion in your hands.The typography, also, has been redesigned to be bigger, spacier and cleaner.

Apple has said that this is the future of iOS, that as well as being the biggest change to iOS since the original iPhone, it is a new beginning.And, well, we haven’t tested it out yet, but we like the way it looks. We like the new features, and we like the direction Apple is going with it.

Here are some new features that make iOS 7 super, double rainbow exciting.

Control center
Swiping up from the bottom of the device, you can find the all-new control center. This innovation provides quick access to preferences and settings. You will find switches for wifi, Airplay, a flashlight, do not disturb, brightness, airplane mode, and quick music buttons.

Weather, Messages, Calendar

Messages and the Calendar app have both been cleaned up and simplified. The updated weather app has animation representing live weather, (the lightening looked particularly cool) with the ability to see more details such as humidity, and scrunch all your favorite places together to see not only the weather in each, but the time in world clock format.

Multitasking

Pressing the power button twice will now give previews of apps that are open, rather than the small app icons that we see right now on iOS 6.

The phone will intuitively learn which apps you use most often and at what time. Background processing will then provide updated content, ready and waiting for the time that you use them.

This also applies with apps that send push notifications- when that happens, the phone will start processing updates because it knows that you will more than likely be opening that app soon.

The phone will recognize and take advantage of power efficient times, such as when it is connected to Wi-Fi, to update apps.

Airdrop
This is a new function, sadly only available on the most recent devices ( iPhone 5, iPad etc).

Airdrop makes it super easy to share photos, videos, contacts and other stuff between friends with iPhones. Connecting via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, you can simply click the share button and choose the recipient from those around you.

You can send whatever you want ( from apps that support Airdrop) and the person receiving can choose to save the item- it will then be located in the appropriate app. Photos in iPhoto, etc.

Safari

Safari is updated with a new full screen look and smart search tab, one tap access to favorites and better parental controls.

You also have the ability to see and browse your tabs from other devices.

Also… and this is kind of a biggie… no more eight tab limit! Oh my god apple, why did that take so long, but thank you, thank you.

Tabs are also now organized differently- vertically in 3D instead of horizontally, with the ability to reorder the tabs. To get rid of one tab you just swipe it to the left.

Photos and camera

The camera app now includes 4 camera options- Normal, square cropped, video and panoramic. You also have the option of a number of live filters to apply to photos.

The photos app has a brilliant way of organizing your photos using time and location to bundle your photos into ‘moments’, which are photos from the same time and/or place. These ‘moments’ can then be organized into ‘collections’, which are groupings of moments using that same organizational information.

You can also view your whole collection via year, see what locations you were in for each year, and scrub to find a specific photo.

Siri

Siri now has not one but two new voices, a more human like female and male voice!

A new interface, with sound waves to represent Siri when he/she’s processing, French and German capabilities and a whole whack load of higher intelligence makes Siri exciting again.

The results can now include photos within the app and has the ability to answer more questions more intelligently, with Twitter, Wikipedia and web search results from Bing integrated into the app. Interesting choice with Bing, but we’ll ride with it for a while…

Siri itself has also become more integrated into your device, and can perform functions such as turning the brightness down, turning Bluetooth on etc.

New app store
For starters, the new app store looks way better. Secondly, all of your apps will now update automatically, (down with those little red numbers!) and thirdly, we now have some new search options.

You will be able to search for apps based on your location, or or an event or festival you’re at. You can also now search for and find apps using age range, which is designed with kids in mind.

Itunes Radio
We have a whole other section on iTunes Radio, go here to read it ☺

Ios in the car
iOS will soon be integrated into your car by having your device display through the in-car monitors. A bunch of cars will begin to be integrated with Siri, Maps, messages and more in 2014.

The introduction to this was pretty broad, however there will be more details to come. The car manufactuors who will be including iOS in at least one of their models include Honda, Mercedes- Benz, Nissan, Volvo, Kia, Acura, Ferrari, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jaguar, Opel, and Chevrolet.

OK, so those are the big features. There are also a ton of different, smaller features in iOS 7, like the updated notification centre that can now be accessed from the lock screen, and synced across all of your devices, and the activation lock to try to prevent theft ( no-one can use your iphone unless they know your iCloud username & password.)

We think that iOS 7 is really pretty cool, especially considering that we’ll be getting at least a few more cool features in the hardware component around the same time (Fall this year). What do you guys think?

iOS 7 will be available to the public in the Fall. Demos for iOS 7 are available on Apple’s site- here.

First image courtesy of techradar.com, all others courtesy of Apple.com

100 million iPod Touch’s sold and a new, cheaper update released!

Another milestone for Apple- they’ve just sold their 100 millionth iPod touch! That’s like, 5 iPod touches for everyone in Australia! Yay!

The device has been around since 2007 and the latest update has just been released last Thursday- with interesting results.

The updated iPod only comes in two colors, is only 16GB and has no rear facing camera. That all sounds …a little bit bleh, until you discover the reason for this is the lowered price- now only $229 compared to the 32Gb at $299 and the 64Gb at $399.

Selling cheaper versions of their products has been something that Apple seemed to have shied away from previously. Now however, with this cheaper iPod update, it seems like the first steps for Apple in trying to provide a bigger price scale of their product line to reach more people.

This gives credence to the rumors that Apple is planning to bring out a less expensive version of the iPhone.

According to Analysts, an ‘iPhone mini’ will be announced in July, called such not in reference to size, but in price- with guestimates pointing at a price tag of about $350- $400 to buy outright.

That’s a pretty penny saved compared to the price of the iPhone 5 which is currently $700-$900.

Just like Apple, we’ll have to wait and see if this iPod touch product meets with enough success in sales to know if the move to provide cheaper Apple products is a good path to take.

The risk of trying out this path is that people might rather stick to what they know, be it more expensive Apple products with all the bells and whistles, or another cheaper brand that is already established in that price range.

We vote… good move, Apple!

Image courtesy of engadget.com

Today is Google Day

Today is all about Google!

We realize that there is a lot of things in the world that are all about Google, but today Google had there big meeting thingy ( The 6th Annual Google I/O Developer Conference in San Francisco).

As always, we’re here to tell you all the things you might need to know, and all the things you didn’t even know you needed to know! (About new Google products and updates).

Frankly, it’s a lot of words, so we’ve organized it into bite sized, coffee break readable, lovely little Googly parcels of information.

Enjoy!

1. Google Hangouts (Integrated, multi- platform video & chat product)

2. Google Maps update and iPad App

3. Google Play Music All Access

4. Google Play Game Services

5. Updates and the future of the Google search engine.

The conference continues over the next three days, so we’ll be sure to keep you updated with all the goings on!

Image courtesy of Mashable.

1. Google Hangouts (Integrated, multi- platform video & chat product)

So, Google has this thing called Hangouts, available to Google + users, where a group of people (up to ten) can get together in an online ‘place’ and video chat, for free, with the option to share Youtube clips.

The program started online, and grew to iOS and Android usability.

Now, it’s been updated to a standalone App with integrated video, chat and multimedia sharing that many think (and Google hopes) is going to be a force in the video & chat industry- up against Skype, Facetime, iMessenger, Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp, etc.

According to Google:

“Today we’re launching a stand-alone version of Hangouts that combines text, photos and live video across Android, iOS and your computer.

Now that Hangouts spans modalities and devices, you can finally fuhgeddaboudit (the technology, that is), and focus on what really matters: creating lasting relationships. And that, we think, is a plus.”

I’m not sure what kind of relationships they think we should be creating, but, with most video chat products, it has the potential to be an excellent way to sustain relationships, from business meetings to family get togethers’, to taking shots with your buddies in the Australian outback.

In Hangouts, you have the ability to save your video chats in the cloud with multi-user access, (which can also be turned off). This could serve business and family video interaction well, possibly less useful for the inter-country shot takers out there amongst us.

Here at iPhone Antidote, we’re pretty partial to Skype, so we’ll be testing this app pretty thoroughly over the next few days ( shots anyone?).

We’ll let you know how Hangouts stacks up against the loyal favorite!

You will need a Google account to participate ( which you will upgrade to Google + upon setup of the App). Check it out for free from the App store, Google Play and the Chrome Web Store.

1. Google Hangouts (Integrated, multi- platform video & chat product)

2. Google Maps update and iPad App

3. Google Play Music All Access

4. Google Play Game Services

5. Updates and the future of the Google search engine.

Photo courtesy of Engadget.

Some Tuesday Afternoon Stats

Comcast, the people who know whatsup in measuring the tech world, recently released a report measuring ( among other things) key trends in the US smartphone industry.

The report, done by comScore MobiLens, ranked the smartphone leaders using statistics garnered from the first 3 months of this year, otherwise known as the first quarter.

Unsurprisingly for us, but perhaps for some, Apple remain strong in their grasp on the leadership of the Smartphone industry, with 39% of the device market share and with continual quarterly gains.

This means that out of the 136.7 million people in the US that own smartphones, 39% own Apple iPhones, with Samsung coming into second place with 21.7% market share, HTC were third with 9%, Motorola with 8.5% and LG had 6.8%.

Google Android might be taking over the smartphone world not according to Apple though, with 52% of the platform market share.

So… this means that two companies, Apple and Google, control 91% of the total smartphone market. A little scary. Let’s just try and keep those two apart shall we? With rulers. Really, really big rulers.

p.s Go Apple!

Photo courtesy of ZDnet

iPhone Apps to help you celebrate New Years Eve!

Oh, Hi New Years Eve!

In case you weren’t aware, the biggest party of the year is just around the corner! Here at iPhone Antidote we are always wanting the best for our valued customers, and right now that means preparing you to party! We’ve got everything covered in apps to help make your New Years Eve a memorable one.

Countdown– The most important part of the party- the countdown of the last moments of 2012, and with everyone looking forward to 2013 ( and the kiss at midnight!) with hope and joy.

We suggest you check out Countdown Timer Pro– A simple countdown app that also includes an animated NYE time-zone map that lets you see when midnight is rung in all over the world.

The first ever Times Square New Years Ball Drop App looks great. You can customize your own countdown with your time-zone and a selected photo, take part in the official Times Square countdown and even have your face projected onto the Toshiba Vision Sign and send NYE themed e-card to friends and family.

Fashion– You have to look good for NYE, I think we can all agree to that, and here are the apps to help you look your most attractive, sparkliest self.

Trendabl is like social networking for your clothes- you can upload photos of yourself in your outfit options and get expert and random objective advice. ‘Go try it on’ is good for this as well. ASOS and Shopstyle are the go to shopping apps if you think you have time!

Fireworks– If you aren’t in a position to be outside enjoying fireworks, or don’t enjoy crowds, this app if for you. Flashmob New Year’s Fireworks lets you enjoy New Years Eve firework celebrations from all over the world including major landmarks including Sydney Harbour Big Ben, and the Eiffel Tower.

Transport- Make sure you guys are safe this NYE and have your transport options sorted out for getting home on New Years Day! Download the transport app for your town’s network to make sure you can work out what’s going on with going home- no matter how many drink’s you’ve had! If you optimistically drove somewhere and then realized you forgot you were going to drink on NYE, try StearClear. They’ll send a team of two to wherever you are, one to drive you home, the other to drive your car home.

Alcohol – If you’re out and looking for a good bar, Scenetap say that they can tell you how crowded a bar is- what the gender ratio is and the average age of the clientele- mainly focused on Chicago, SF and college towns. If you’re at home, try Mixology– an excellent assistant to cocktail making, even making suggestions based solely on what you have in the cabinet. Drunkguard is a quality app for keeping you safe and out of trouble- it helps you estimate your blood alcohol level (only estimate though- don’t drive if you’re even close to the illegal level), keeps your from drunk-dialing, drunk texting and drunk tweeting.

Resolutions – Now, the serious part of New Years Eve. Everyone likes to dabble or fully immerse themselves in the idea of Resolutions. Most of these will have to do with fitness, money, career or Love. To help you keep these wonderful promises to yourself, we suggest the following apps.

For health– My Fitness Pal, or, for the smokers, Livestrong Myquit Coach.

For money– Mint to keep a track of money going in and out and helping you to save.

For career- Business Building Secrets, Evernote for organization, and CareerBuilder for those looking to switch careers.

Lastly but by no means least, Love. Here are some apps to help you step out and find that special someone in 2013! Give these a try- OkCupid, How about We, or Are you Interested?

Wishing you all a safe and Happy New Year From all of us at iPhone Antidote!

Who got an iPhone 5?

Who got an iPhone 5 today? Who got any new iPhone? Lucky bastards!

Well, here’s a way to earn good karma, give back to the world, and earn some sweet cash on top of it all.

Recycling your stinky old iPhone with the iPhone Antidote is the best way to sell your old iPhone, no matter what condition it’s in. We accept broken, water damaged, cracked, used and new iPhones, and with quote prices guaranteed, we offer you 40% more money for your iPhone than the nearest iPhone buyback program on the Internet.

We’re a fast and  reliable company  that is interested in creating the best possible experience for our valued customers. We want to give you cash, and we want to do it easily and quickly.

So what are you waiting for? Simply go to our quote page, fill in the details of you old iPhone, print off a shipping label, and send it in to us. Sit around and play with your new iPhone 5 for a few days (bastard) and then go spend your cash! Go! Seriously, dude… go.

Apple Maps for iOS 6 review

So, Apple Maps. Garnering a lot of press and a lot of anti-apple ammo, maps was the rather large hiccup of the iPhone 5 release. The premise made sense- take the advantage of owning one of the biggest and most useful apps away from one of their biggest competitors- Google. If they had the brainpower, they could build their own version. And they did, built using Dutch navigation equipment and Tom Tom’s Data.

And it works. Just not… perfectly. Yet. Soon after the release the internet was flooded with screenshots showing the inaccuracy of the application, from wrong destination information to odd looking buildings, roadways etc. Stating that your destination was in the ocean 10 miles out is not very good for a maps application. Unfortunatley the more humerous the inaccuracy, the worse it was for Apple- and anyone relying on the app to get them somewhere…

So. The app itself is not quite fully formed. It does, however, work very well for a lot of people. Here at iPhone Antidote we have used it extensively- across two countries, in the city and in the middle of nowhere, and have only come across one inaccuracy. Don’t get us wrong- there are  apparently lots out there, we just haven’t happened across a lot of them.

Disregarding the flaws for a moment-  the features of Maps are great- turn by turn directions, voice intergration, flyover and vector based maps. The 3D looks brilliant, vibrant and lifelike, and it’s really fun to play with- the pivoting action of being able to rotate the point of view and zoom out so you can play with the whole globe is stupidly fun. A lot of people find the interface a lot simpler to use and more pleasing to the eye.

It’s definitely something that holds promise, which, yeah, is not really what you want with a cornerstone feature of a new operating system. You want that shit dialed in.
So, Good Guy Apple organizes a press release where they tell their own customers that they made a mistake in releasing their maps too early, that they were sorry, and advised them to go to their competitors- please. They showed remarkable customer service by admitting their mistake and doing the right thing for their customers.

Apple have told their customers that they are improving maps and that the problems like buildings or roadways looking a bit funny will be fixed by user feedback, so an increasingly perfected system. Until that point is reached, we suggest using Apple maps until you run into a problem, then using Google maps as a backup. To do this- go to google maps in safari, and you will be prompted to ‘save as an app for your mobile’ by touching the arrow on the bottom and choosing the option to add to homescreen.

Happy travelling.