AT&T is rolling out a stopgap solution to its ongoing service woes in at least one major market: they hope to alleviate data congestion issues by blanketing New York City’s Times Square with free Wi-Fi. Any current AT&T customers with 3G smartphones or mobile broadband cards, or who have AT&T as their high speed Internet provider, will be able to hop on to what is essentially a giant hotspot being installed in the north central area of Times Square. Smartphone users should even automatically be switched over from 3G service and connected to the hotspot when they come within acceptable range. For now it’s just a pilot project, but if all goes well the company has said it will be considering free Wi-Fi implementations in other congested major markets in the U.S. It’s an interesting solution that shows the carrier is more than well aware of the service issues faced by customers in crowded locations, but it does leave other parts of the city (and country) out of luck for now. What do you think of the idea of alleviating cell bandwidth woes by providing free Wi-Fi? And would it be enough to prevent mass exodus if AT&T were to lose iPhone exclusivity? [via Boy Genius Report ] Image courtesy of iStockphoto , SVLumagraphica For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Tags: 3g , att , iphone , new york , NYC , smartphones , times square , wi-fi
Last night, the news broke that mega-retailer Walmart would be offering a 16GB Apple iPhone 3GS for the bargain basement price of $97.00. The news quickly spread like wild fire. Why? The same model… [{To Read More, Click On The Link Above]]
Wal-Mart starting today will cut 16GB iPhone 3GS price to $97 with 2 year contract and AT&T as carrier, with no mail-in rebate discount as they usually do the business. Due to Apple reveling the… [{To Read More, Click On The Link Above]]
Need more proof that Apple is launching a new iPhone soon? Walmart is cutting the price of the cheapest iPhone 3GS, with 16 GB of memory, to $97, provided you sign a two-year service contract. The $100 price drop comes ahead of Apple’s WWDC conference , where Steve Jobs is expected to officially present the new iPhone, unofficially dubbed iPhone 4. When Apple first introduced the iPhone 3GS in 2009, Walmart lowered the price of the iPhone 3G to $99. Since Apple itself is expected to lower the price of the older model when iPhone 4 arrives, the early price reduction of iPhone 3GS gives Walmart a nice head start. The price cut for the iPhone 3GS in Walmart stores starts today. For more Apple coverage, follow Mashable Apple on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Tags: apple , iphone , Wal-Mart
It’s official : Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference will start on Monday, June 7 at 10:00 a.m, with a keynote address by Apple’s CEO, Steve Jobs. Although Apple has lately been leaking far more information than usual, crowned with a double-leak of the next iPhone prototype and an iPod Touch with a camera , the expectations for this year’s WWDC are as big as ever. Besides the next iPhone, big sales figures for the iPad and some jabs at Android, we can probably expect a surprise or two. When asked by a concerned fan whether Apple has some good announcements prepared for the WWDC, Steve Jobs promised him he “won’t be disappointed.” That’s all we ask, really. The conference runs from June 7 to June 11, providing advanced content for developers across five key technology tracks: Application Frameworks, Internet & Web, Graphics & Media, Developer Tools and Core OS. Apple engineers will deliver over 100 solutions-oriented technical sessions and labs to developers in attendance. For more Apple coverage, follow Mashable Apple on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Tags: apple , wwdc
Chinese website Apple.pro has posted pictures of a purported next-generation iPhone, this time in white! While we’ve seen the black variant of the iPhone 4G in the wild on numerous occasions , the images of the white model are a nice change of pace. While the authenticity of the photographs haven’t been verified, the photos do show what appears to be a complete white faceplate sitting atop the standard iPhone 4G body. The phone itself looks likely to one of the same pre-production models (hence the seams) with the white faceplate not completely snapped on. Now, as Engadget astutely points out, this could just be a non-official faceplate. Engadget posted about the existence of a white faceplate for the next-generation iPhone, but its authenticity hasn’t been verified. After all, China does have a booming market of shanzhai merchandise and assorted accessories, but the existence of such a prefab that appears to fit the physical dimensions of the new iPhone prototypes is interesting to say the least. One of the reported hallmark features of the next iPhone is a front-facing camera for video conferencing. In that vein, BGR has more photos showing off some official video call debugging screens from the next iPhone. Thanks to the iPhone leaks and the data inside the iPhone OS 4.0 beta builds, video call support is all but a foregone conclusion; still, it’s nice to see some official debug screens that mention the feature. The next generation iPhone is expected to be unveiled at WWDC on June 7, 2010. What do you think of the white iPhone faceplate and the new video chat details? Let us know! [ via Engadget and BGR ] Tags: iphone 4.0 os , iphone 4g , iphone hd , video chat
You’ve already forked out plenty for your iPhone or iPod touch, so why tax your wallet further by buying an expensive stand? Whether you want to save money, keep your personal drain on the planet’s resources to a minimum, or are looking for a quick-fix solution at your desk, we’ve found five fantastic iPhone stand designs that require no more than everyday objects — and some MacGyver-style skills . Have a look-see below at our homemade docks, then have a go at making your own and let us know the results in the comments box below! 1. The Paper Clip Stand What you’ll need: Overview: This solution utilizes a large paper clip, cunningly straightened and then twisted to make an impromptu stand for your iDevice. Depending on how strong you are, you might need pliers to help manipulate the clip, but the principle is pretty darn simple — and pretty darn effective. Mods include wrapping a rubber band around the “legs” to aid stability. In the immortal words of MacGyver himself: “A paperclip can be a wondrous thing. More times than I can remember, one of these has gotten me out of a tight spot.” MacGyver Rating: 5/5 2. The Cassette Case Stand What you’ll need: Overview: We love that this takes (almost) obsolete tech and upcycles it into a useful object. You can use either a cassette case from an old camcorder tape, or an old audio tape (which, if you’re of a certain age, you’ve almost certainly got lying around at home). Put the tape and the cardboard sleeve to one side, open the case, flip it around, and — presto! — a minimalist desk stand. To make it a super-stable solution in landscape, you might want to use a file to make a nice neat groove for the iPhone to better sit in. This really works for us as an easy way to keep our iPhone out of calamity’s way on a desk surface. MacGyver Rating: 4/5 3. The Pencil Stand What you’ll need: Overview: This easel-esque stand can be created from five pencils and several rubber bands. It will require some dexterity to get the pencils in the right place, as you use the bands to hold it all together, and then a little more to get it to stand up straight. However, it is a strikingly simple design once made, and can be collapsed down to nothing again, should the occasion require. Although this requires the most stuff to actually make, the Boy Scout-style binding process keeps it firmly in MacGyver territory. MacGyver Rating: 4/5 4. The Sticky Tape Stand What you’ll need: Overview: Perfect for those “I just want to catch ten minutes of [insert favorite show] while I eat lunch at my desk” moments, this devilishly simple solution requires only a roll of sticky tape to work. Simply stick a bit of tape to the back of your iPhone or iPod touch — and voila! — your iBuddy is propped up at a nice angle while you consume both your lunch and choice of video-based media. It’s not quite duct tape, but damn! MacGyver Rating: 5/5 5. The Paper Stand What you’ll need: Overview: The instructions call for the use of at least a 270 gsm paper or card stock, so assuming you have that, simply print out the template (available for both A4 and U.S. letter size paper), cut, fold, and faster than you can say “origami,” you’ve got yourself a new dock. And this one really is a dock (rather than just stand), as it includes space for the iPhone’s cord underneath. We would suggest that anyone not old enough to have a Facebook account should find a responsible adult to take care of the craft knife elements. MacGyver Rating: 3/5 For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook More iPhone resources from Mashable: – Top 10 Free iPhone Word Games – 10 Free iPhone Apps To Learn A New Skill In 10 Minutes – Top 10 iPhone Apps for TV Fanatics – HOW TO: Give Your iPhone a Spring Clean – 10 Great iPhone Apps for Growing a Garden Tags: apple , docks , gadgets , how to , iphone , iPod Touch , stands
This post is part of Mashable’s Spark of Genius series, which highlights a unique feature of startups. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here . The series is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. Name: Trip Journal Quick Pitch: Real-time travel sharing through Facebook & Smartphone GPS – Broadcast photos and videos live from your vacation! Genius Idea: Trip Journal is a mobile app for iPhone and Android that lets you capture photos, video and route marks of your vacation as it happens. You can then share your trip with your friends and family via Facebook, Flickr and Twitter. Trip Journal 5.0 has just been released for iPhone and Android, and it adds full Facebook support for you to export your trip, your photos and your route to your friends. Your friends can then comment on your trip in your Facebook stream and also make comments to items in your Trip Journal directly. Trip Journal is a really great app for users who might be traveling abroad or covering lots of area because it uses your phone’s built-in GPS to give your photos and places a location and marker on an interactive map. That map, which can even be exported to Google Earth, can act as a running log of your trip. You can go back later and add tags, descriptions or notes to the images, but everything associated with your trip is kept in one easy-to-access and attractive place. One of the things that really impresses us about Trip Journal is its design. The app looks beautiful on both iPhone and Android. In fact, this is easily one of the best-looking Android apps we’ve ever seen. What’s also great is that when you export your trip to Facebook or Google Earth or upload videos to YouTube, the overall look and feel of Trip Journal can become a part of those services. In other words, your friends following along on Facebook get the same sort of vintage-scrapbook feel as you do in the app. The app is $0.99 for iPhone and $2.99 for Android. If you’re planning on a vacation this summer and want a way to chronicle and share your adventure, you might want to give Trip Journal a try. Sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark BizSpark is a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today . Entrepreneurs can take advantage of the Azure Services platform for their website hosting and storage needs. Microsoft recently announced the “new CloudApp()” contest – use the Azure Services Platform for hosting your .NET or PHP app, and you could be the lucky winner of a USD 5000* ( please see website for official rules and guidelines ).” Tags: Android apps , facebook , google earth , iphoen apps , travel , trip journal , vacation
iStoryTime and DreamWorks Animation have teamed up to bring a children’s storybook [iTunes link] based on the final film in the Shrek series, Shrek Forever After , which opens in theaters today. As we’ve discussed before, the iPhone and the iPad can both make fantastic digital storybooks for parents and their kids. The touch interface allows kids to skip ahead and interact with content on each “page” and the story can either be read aloud by a narrator or kids can read it themselves. We’re impressed with the sound effects and character audio from the movie, including the voices of Mike Meyers and Eddie Murphy. We also like how Sir Squeakels, a squeaky ogre toy from the film, is hidden into every panel, a la “Where’s Waldo” (clicking on Sir Squeakels even makes a squeak). Check out the video below for a visual preview. For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook , Twitter , iPhone Tags: ipad apps , iphone apps , Kids , shrek , shrek forever after , storybooks
Having entered the mobile software market late with its Android offering, Google’s initial efforts were a pale imitation of the iPhone OS, a clunky user experience on sub-par handsets. Fast forward to 2010. Suddenly, Google Android is winning over the hearts and minds of technologists and signing up 100,000 converts a day. That raises the question: Is the iPhone losing its sheen? That’s the topic of my CNN column this week. Check out the column at CNN.com > > For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook , Twitter Tags: android , android froyo , apple , cashmore , cnn , Google , iphone , pete cashmore
