Phone Scoop - Apple iPhone 4 (GSM) Updates

Released for T-Mobile

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The Apple iPhone 4 (GSM) is now available for T-Mobile.

Verizon Won't Charge for FaceTime Over Cellular

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:18:26 GMT

Verizon Wireless today said that users of iOS 6 devices will be able to use the FaceTime feature over Verizon's cellular network without paying extra for it. The feature will be available to the iPhone 5 and other Apple devices as a part of their monthly data allotment. The service can also be used by those who have grandfathered unlimited data plans with no extra penalty or cost. Like Verizon, Sprint will allow iPhone owners to use FaceTime over cellular without charging extra for it. Verizon and Sprint's policies are in direct contrast with AT&T's, which requires users to pay for a more expensive Mobile Share plan to access the feature.

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Apple Targeting Pandora, Slacker with Radio Service

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 12:01:08 GMT

Apple is preparing a personalized, online radio service similar to those offered by Pandora, Slacker, and others, reports the Wall Street Journal. Citing people familiar with Apple's plans, the Journal indicated that Apple's streaming music service would work on its iPhone, iPad, and Mac computers, but not smartphones and tablets that run Google's Android platform. Apple is negotiating new licensing deals with the recording labels, reports the Journal, and is looking for better interactivity options with its service than what's currently available from Pandora and similar competitors. However, it will likely be months before any such service might debut. Apple declined to comment on the Journal's story.

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Skype Adds Photo Sharing to iPhone App

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 14:50:34 GMT

Skype today announced the availability of an update to its application for the iPhone and iPad. The newest version of Skype for Apple's iOS devices adds the ability to send photos to other Skype users for free. According to Skype, there is no limit on the size of the photo sent through its messaging system to other devices, which can be used to circumvent MMS charges. The feature works with images that have been captured directly via the iPhone or iPad's camera. Skype has also made improvements to the app's power management. Skype claims that the app can run in the background for an entire day now and not kill the iPhone or iPad's battery. Skype also improved the time it takes the application to launch, and the time it takes the contacts list to load. Skype for iOS is a free download from the App Store. Photo and video sharing are already available via Skype for Android.

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TomTom Adds Foursquare to iPhone App

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 13:23:26 GMT

TomTom today rolled out a new version of its iPhone navigation application. The most significant new feature of TomTom version 1.11 is integration with Foursquare. Once the TomTom and Foursquare apps are linked on the device, users can search for and navigate to Foursquare locations and check in on arrival. Other new features include a revised user interface and a copy-and-paste functionality for porting addresses between apps. Owners of earlier versions of TomTom for the iPhone can download the new version for free. It costs $49.99 and is available from the iPhone App Store starting today.

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Instagram Relaunches Android and iPhone Apps

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 16:13:48 GMT

Instagram today rolled out a significant revision to its Android and iPhone applications. The photo editing and sharing application now lets users sort through photo albums by location. By default, geotagged images will all show their location, but users can manually turn off the location-sharing feature photo by photo if they so wish. The photo map lets users see their own pictures from a given location, as well as those shared by others from that same location. The app also makes several design tweaks, including a multi-line caption box and a cleaner view of user profiles. The updated Instagram for Android and iPhone will be available from their respective app stores later today.

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Verizon's Viewdini Appears on Apple iOS Devices

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 20:21:56 GMT

Verizon Wireless today announced that its viewdini video product can now be downloaded, installed, and used on Apple iOS devices, including the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPad 2, and new iPad. Viewdini can be used to search for anything -- a show title, subject, actor/actress -- and the application will tell the device owner which video service offers the content associated with the search, whether or not it is free to watch or costs money, and supply the user with related information and links to the content. The service was made available to Android devices earlier this year.

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HTC Hits Apple with Patent Counterclaim

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 12:05:31 GMT

HTC has filed claims against Apple in Florida that allege the iPhone maker is violating two patents that HTC acquired from HP. The first patent pertains to "installation of network services in an embedded network server" and the second pertains to "method and system for central management of a computer network." Between these two patents, HTC says a number of Apple devices violate its intellectual property, including the iPhone, iPad, Mac computers and certain software programs. The countersuit was filed in retaliation for a lawsuit from Apple accusing HTC os similar patent violations.

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Google Drive Arrives for iOS Today

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 17:34:48 GMT

Google today announced that its Google Drive cloud service will be available for Apple's iOS devices, including both the iPhone and the iPad, later today. Google Drive is an online storage service similar to Box or DropBox. It gives users 5GB of free storage and interacts with 30 different types of files, such as Docs, Excel, PowerPoint, Jpegs, etc. Google Drive automatically keeps files in sync across devices and can be used to control how, when, and with whom files are shared. Google Drive also automatically links up with Google+, and stored files can easily be shared to Google's social network. For users needing more than 5GB of data, Google Drive offers additional storage for a monthly fee. The application itself is a free download from the iTunes App Store.

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Google Adds Notification Support to iOS Gmail App

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 17:24:35 GMT

Google today updated the Gmail for iOS application with several significant new features. First and foremost, Gmail for iOS now supports notifications in the lock screen, including banners, alerts, and other options. The updated Gmail for iOS also adds persistent login, which means Gmail sessions no longer expire and users won't need to continually re-login every time they launch the app. Last, it adds support for sending email from alternate email addresses if so enabled within Gmail. The update is free from the iPhone App Store and is compatible with the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.

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Dropbox for iOS Gains Automatic Uploads

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 12:17:04 GMT

Dropbox for both the iPhone and iPad has been updated recently with a number of new features. Dropbox 1.5 for iOS allows users to upload the pictures on their device to their Dropbox folder automatically over either cellular or Wi-Fi data connections. It also allows users to move and delete multiple files at once, upload files of any size, and adds a gallery view for all photos uploaded to the service. The new version also lets users earn an additional 3GB of storage space over time. The update is free.

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Amazon Brings Its Cloud Player App to iPhone

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 13:21:40 GMT

Amazon today announced a version of its Cloud Player application that's compatible with iOS device such as the iPhone and iPod Touch. Amazon Cloud Player lets iOS device owners stream or download music stored in their Cloud Player to their device, as well as the play music that is already stored on their device, and manage or create playlists on their device. Other features include the ability to manage their music in the cloud and import MP3 purchases from Amazon, which are then are stored for free. The base service offers 5GB of cloud storage for free. Amazon Cloud Player customers can choose to pay extra for more storage.

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Apple Prepping Anonymous App-Tracking Tool

Sat, 09 Jun 2012 13:20:17 GMT

Apple is preparing to offer developers a new way to gather information from iPhones that doesn't include information that can be tied to a specific device or owner. Citing unnamed sources familiar with Apple's plans, the Wall Street Journal reports that the new tool would permit developers to access the location and preferences data they need to serve advertisements without betraying the device or device owner's identification. Apple last year restricted use of the UDID in iPhones for app tracking and has yet to replace the technology. Though Apple declined to comment on the Journal's story, the new tracking tool is expected to debut in the coming weeks.

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Facebook Intros Dedicated Camera App for iPhone

Thu, 24 May 2012 17:33:18 GMT

Facebook today announced a separate camera application for the Apple iPhone that works independently from the full Facebook app. Camera for iPhone can be used to take photos as well as quickly access photos and albums that have been shared by their Facebook friends. Users can swipe through albums, enlarge photos, as well as edit and share their own using Instagram-style filters. Camera for iPhone supports tagging and captions, and multiple uploads to new or existing albums. Camera for iPhone is available for download from the iPhone App Store. It is free to use.

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Yahoo Debuts Axis iOS Search and Browsing Tool

Thu, 24 May 2012 11:48:11 GMT

Yahoo recently announced a new application for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch that promises to make transitioning from phones to tablets to desktop computers less painful. The app is a combination search tool and web browser that can be used to find anything on the web. Yahoo says search results are delivered instantly in a visually rich application that finds the most direct path to the search subject. It also syncs phone- or tablet-based browsing sessions with desktop browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and IE. This allows users to move from one platform to another without losing their search/browsing history. Axis for iOS is a hybrid app that is part native objective-c and part HTML5. Yahoo says this gives Axis the smooth performance of a native app and combines it with the flexibility of today's web technologies. Axis is a free download from the App Store. A browser plug-in is required to access the session syncing features.

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Google Redesigns Search for iPhone

Wed, 23 May 2012 16:08:52 GMT

Google today announced the availability of Google Search 2.0 for the Apple iPhone. The new version of Google's mobile search app has been completely redesigned and Google says it is much faster. The autocomplete function has been sped up, search results load faster, and Google says navigating between results pages is also faster. Image search results are now much richer and load faster, and can be accessed easily from the main results page. Last, Google Search 2.0 makes it easier to access other Google apps and services, such as Gmail, Drive, Google+ and others. The application is a free download from the iTunes App Store.

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AT&T Wants Device Subsidies to Be As Low As Possible

Thu, 17 May 2012 17:07:14 GMT

AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega told investors at the JPMorgan Global Technology, Media and Telecom Conference today that the company is doing what it can to offer devices with low subsidies. "We have to watch subsidies and make sure that we bring devices to market that customers love and will keep and have low subsidies," he said. In the U.S., wireless network operators often subsidize the cost of handsets for customers who sign new contracts. Customers are then able to afford a decent device, and the carrier recoups the subsidy over the life of the contract. de la Vega cited the Nokia Lumia 900 and HTC One X as good examples of devices with low subsidy points. "These are great devices that I think customers will like," de la Vega said. The full retail price of the Lumia 900, for example, is $449. AT&T sells it for $99, meaning it subsidizes $350 of the device cost. The iPhone 4S, however, costs $649 at full retail (16GB version). AT&T sells it for $199, meaning it subsidizes $450 of the device cost. Keeping device subsidies low will help AT&T reduce its margins and other costs. de la Vega also reiterated that the company is working to offer shared data plans later this year, which he believes will help increase sales of tablets.

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Two More Regionals Throw Their Hat in the iPhone Ring

Tue, 08 May 2012 16:48:38 GMT

On the heels of Bluegrass Cellular's announcement today that it will offer the Apple iPhone starting May 18, Golden State Cellular and Nex-Tech Wireless will also sell the iPhone on May 18. The regional carriers are offering the iPhone at the same discount as Bluegrass, C Spire, and others, at $149, $249, and $349 for the 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB models, respectively. Golden State Cellular is based in California and Nex-Tech Wireless is based in Kansas.

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Bluegrass Cellular to Sell Apple iPhone May 18

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:21:36 GMT

Bluegrass Cellular today announced that it will sell the Apple iPhone starting May 18. The iPhone 4S will cost $149 for the 16GB model, $249 for the 32GB, and $349 for the 64GB. Bluegrass Cellular will also offer iPhone 4 for $49. Plans range from $65 to $100 per month.

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Apple Releases iOS 5.1.1 with Bug Fixes

Mon, 07 May 2012 17:27:04 GMT

Apple today released iOS 5.1.1, a maintenance update for the iPhone/iPad that fixes a number of bugs. Some of the repaired features include improved reliability when using the HDR camera mode, fixed 2G-to-3G hand-off bugs in the iPad, improved AirPlay video playback, more reliable Safari bookmark syncing, and fixed purchasing bug in the app store. The update is about 54MB and can be downloaded and installed over the air.

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