WITH IOS5 CAME A FEW DIFFICULTIES, NICE SURPRISES

On Saturday I decided to un-jailbreak my iPhone 4 and upgrade to iOS5 in preparation of selling it on eBay. The process took all day long, and it came with some woes, and a few exciting moments too.

Overall, the upgrade to iOS5, no matter how great the benefits are, practically sealed the deal for me to finally get rid of my iPhone 4 and migrate to Android. But there are several new features on iOS5 that will make me miss having the opportunity to grow with it and use it.

First off, I unloaded the jailbreak on my iPhone 4 and backed up the device every way possible. I transferred my contacts to Google, emailed all of my personal note files, and copied all pictures and videos off the device. I then performed a backup three separate times just to play it safe.

The biggest difficulty that I had (and have had in the past) was iTunes not knowing how to allow the iPhone to take precedence on which apps I wanted saved and backed up. It seemed like it was always warning me wanting to erase the applications on the phone and replace them with what was on the computer.

No matter how many times I backed up the device, the app list on iTunes never really matched what I had on the phone. Out of frustration, I proceeded with the upgrade in haste. By the time I got done downloading and installing iOS5 to my phone, I was missing half of my applications. Many of the missing ones were paid apps, not free versions.

I have a couple of friends who had experienced the same issue when upgrading from iOS3 to iOS4 a year ago. I had no problem whatsoever when I performed that particular upgrade, and wondered if it was something they were doing wrong, Well I guess it was my turn to experience the disappearing apps thing.

Since my Apple experience is going to be short-lived, I wiped my tears and decided to just accept the disappearing app problem. I’ll only have a day (or two or three, depending on how the sale goes) to enjoy iOS5, which I believe to be an excellent upgrade of the operating system

The thing I like most about iOS5 is the new notification system where you can swipe to unlock directly to the notification you want to see. I also like how you can pull the keyboard up and down when in the messaging window in order to free up screen space to read your messages. That’s pretty nifty.

The speed of loading and running apps is either the same, or close enough that I don’t know the difference. But overall, it’s seemingly a great upgrade.

Speaking to my good friend and fellow Apple user Tim, I was informed of the same disappearing apps issue that I had with my upgrade. Tim transferred his data from his iPhone 3GS to his brand-new iPhone 4S. Apparently, these issues are popping up on restoring data to a new phone just as well.

Thus far, there has been a lot of talk about how much faster and more spectacular and amazing that the iPhone 4S is over previous models, but we don’t see that big of a quantum leap. The download speeds on Tim’s iPhone 4S are about the same as my iPhone 4. It looks the same, operates the same, but can run Siri. Plus you have the beefed-up processing power and memory.

Overall, I think the iPhone 4S can be a great upgrade for those that have never owned a smartphone, prior 3G owners, and possibly 3GS owners, and for those that would enjoy the ease of use with iOS5.

If you have had any whacky upgrade issues with iSO5, share it here. And also give your overall thoughts on your satisfaction with it. Any other iPhone 4S owners out there who have something to report? Sound off!

Carlton Flowers
Apple Short-Timer

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DOES FLASH-BASHING APPLE REALLY SUPPORT HTML5 OR ARE THEY BLOWING HOT AIR?

Over the past year, I have complained about Apple corporation’s snubbing of Adobe Flash on iPhones and iPad devices. Apple tells us that HTML5 is the future of the web. They also bash Flash and don’t want it on their devices for a variety of reasons. As far as Apple being the big supporter of steering everyone to the bright future of HTML5 by keeping Flash out of their playground, well, I call shenanigans on Apple. They are feeding us all a load of horse manure.

Apple enthusiasts (aka Koolaid drinkers) believe Steve Jobs when he says Flash is a memory hog, causes system crashes on iOS devices, and is a proprietary product that should be replaced with HTML5. “Flash is outdated”, he tells us. That’s why you don’t get to enjoy Flash on your iPads, iPhones, and iPods (we won’t even get into that debate, though). Mr. Jobs is going to help usher in the dawn of the new HTML5 millennium and save the Internet… or so he says.

My reaction? Nonsense! He is feeding us a shovel-full of horse crap and telling us it’s health food.

Think I am off-base by saying that? Well I have two words that will shut you up immediately: App Store. Think about it! There are 350,000 native applications in the Apple app store. Read that again slowly. There are 350,000 native apps in the app store. If you think Steve Jobs and the Apple Corporation would really push a web standard like HTML5 to their developers over native apps, then you are stupid.

Read this post on the revenue from Apple apps in January of 2010 on GigaOm’s site. Fast forward a  year and triple the amount of applications, then think about the revenue it is producing. Sure, HTML5 will be growing, but native apps for Apple’s app store are exploding. This is one of their biggest revenue sources. So while they sit and tout HTML5 as the reason they won’t allow Flash on their portable devices, don’t believe the hype.

Apple is controlling the app market right now. It is nearly a monopoly, and they are putting the pinch on developers by taking a 30% chunk out of app revenue. If you are a developer, are you going to take a chance writing an HTML5 app, or are you going to spend the time and money writing a native app for Apple with a built-in client base of millions of people? The answer is the number of top-quality Apple apps on the market, and the number of garbage-quality HTML5 apps available on the net for free.

When a developer submits and app to Apple for approval, and they get rejected, the corporation encourages the developer by telling them they are welcomed to create an HTML5 version that can run on the iPhone browser. What a joke! You can do a Google search to find out how many top-notch apps are re-coded in HTML5 that were rejected by Apple (or save your time and believe the fact that they don’t exist).

The point is, before you believe Apple’s high-mindedness in their stand against Flash for a better Internet, give yourself a reality check and consider where their main revenue source is coming from: native apps.

I am done.

Carlton Flowers
Non-Koolaid Drinking Apple Fan
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RIGHTWARE SHOWS OFF STEREOSCOPIC INTERFACE FOR ANDROID DEVICES

This is a video example of what is soon to come for Android devices. Tero Sarkkinen, CEO of Rightware, calls this “The world’s first fully functioning stereoscopic 3D home screen for Android…it’s now up and running, and will be show-cased by Rightware at Mobile World Congress.” How cool would it be to have a functioning 3D interface for a hand held device? I think this is truly amazing! My hope is that Apple isn’t resting on its laurels, and that something similar is in their development pipeline for iOS. Check it out and comment below!

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SMALLER CHEAPER MINI IPHONE COMING TO BATTLE ANDROID PHONES

Now this could be flat-out cool! Is Apple planning on a mini iPhone to compete with lower-cost Android handsets? If Bloomberg is right, it’s already in the works. They claim several anonymous sources have confirmed this as fact.

There have been rumors for quite some time that Steve Jobs wants to close the gaps on the iOS devices. This would certainly serve that purpose. With so many cheap Android handsets on the market, this would be a stroke of genius. Check out a few of the features this little baby iPhone is rumored to have:

• a smaller display and form factor 1/3rd less in size
• compatibility with multiple wireless networks
• universal SIM technology (meaning no SIM card needed)
• a $200 price tag, unsubsidized (meaning non-contract price)
• CPU and components similar to iPhone 4, but less than next-gen iPhone 5

Keep your eyes peeled for breaking news in the next few months. I would expect this to become public when the iPhone 5 is released. Would you purchase a mini iPhone without a contract? Sound off!

Carlton Flowers
iPhone Prognosticator
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WHAT’S IN STORE FOR THE NEXT IPHONE?

The new iPhone is just around the corner. If we lucky, and if Apple keeps with its usual routine, we could see the iPhone 5 in June or July of 2011. Everyone wants to know what is in store for the new iPhone, and I have lots to share from some of my most trusted sources! You will want to bookmark this page because I will be updating it on a regular basis, as it will serve as my official iPhone 5 rumor mill andcountdown page! Will my predictions be accurate? Time will tell. We’ll see how accurate my prognostication skills are when the iPhone 5 (or iPhone 4G) is released this summer.

MY PREDICTIONS FOR THE NEXT-GENERATION IPHONE

The next-gen iPhone is going to be a definite leap forward in the evolution of Apple’s series of smart phones. This won’t be an ordinary “small” upgrade. There’s a lot in store. Here’s what we have to look forward to:

Fast HSPA+ “Quasi 4G” Speed

The iPhone 5 will utilize the new version of HSPA called HSPA+ (Evolved HSPA). The current version of HSPA is a combination of HSUPA and HSDPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access & High Speed Downlink Packet Access). AT&T’s 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) network will not be ready until 2012. Until then, they will have the hopped-up version of HSPA+. This is what T-Mobile is calling their 4G, but it is not true 4th generation technology. It is the 3rd generation tweaked. That’s why I call it “quasi 4G”. In order to compete with T-Mobile’s “fake 4G”, AT&T is tweaking the current network to run at HSPA+, and it is a very wise move. Once they roll out their true LTE, customers will have a much faster network of HSPA+ to fall back on when they aren’t in an LTE 4G zone. Read about the network transition on the AT&T website here.

New Form Factor

Even though the iPhone 5 will not be the final LTE version, it will be highly likely that they move on to a totally new form factor. The reason is that the current iPhone 4 is experiencing serious issues with breakage. The glass sandwich design is taking a beating on the net due to the breakage rate going up by 68% over the previous 3GS model (read about iPhone 4 cracked screen issues here). Giving the iPhone 5 a complete overhaul in design would solve the breakage issue, and it would also push the thin form factor to the extreme. Plan on seeing the thinnest smart phone ever made when it is released.

Slightly Larger Display

There’s a definite trend towards jumbo smart phone screens with several Android handsets featuring a 4″ to 5″ display. The most popular size seems to be 4.3″. I believe Apple will acknowledge this trend and bring a 4″ display on the iPhone 5. I firmly believe this because Steve Jobs has talked about closing the gap between the iPhone and the iPad. It would be a smart move. With the increase in network speed of the iPhone 5, web surfing would be more enjoyable on a larger display. Plus, this would be the perfect opportunity to increase the display size when the form factor will be changed.

Higher Resolution Cameras

The iPhone 5 will have at least an 8 megapixel rear facing camera, and at least a 1.3 megapixel front facing camera. This is the new standard minimum for smart phones. It is a logical upgrade from the iPhone 4 that more than likely won’t cost any more than the current 5 megapixel rear and VGA front cameras. With an increase in use of FaceTime due to the faster network capability, the higher resolution front facing camera will be a plus.

A Fresh Rendition of iOS

The iPhone 5 will feature iOS5, the next major firmware update for Apple’s mobile devices. It will be the logical time to release the new operating system. I am betting that we will see some seriously eye-catching new features and capabilities with iOS5 due to the fact that the iPhone 5 will have more processing power and memory.

Advanced Haptics

Apple has been sitting on some seriously advanced haptics capabilities for a few years. They evidently hold a patent to multi touch haptic feedback that nobody else has. I don’t know why they have yet to release this for any of their products, but surely they won’t skip yet another generation of iPhones without unleashing the new technology. Haptic feedback is the vibrational effect you get when touching your screen to let you know that you have activated a virtual button. All Android devices feature haptic response displays, but not Apple devices. This would certainly be a great feature that would go hand-in-hand with a ramped up iOS5 release.

Share your thoughts!

That sums up the information that I have right now from my most reliable sources. Stay tuned, and I will be posting more details and tweaking the information that I already have as things develop. Think my predictions will be a “dead ringer” when the iPhone 5 is released this summer, or do you have a different opinion about what you believe will be unveiled? Share your comments below!

Carlton Flowers
iPhone Prognosticator
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MERCURY BROWSER SOLVES LACK OF TEXT REFLOW ISSUE ON IPHONE

Forever searching for a better browser for my iPhone 4, I have gone back to a browser that I tried several months ago that recently got a serious upgrade! It’s called the Mercury Browser, and they have a free version along with a full-featured version for only 99 cents.

You all know about my beef with Apple and the lack of text reflow on the Safari browser. I recently wrote about the Atomic browser that has the text resizing feature that reflows text after selecting the “increase font size” button. It’s not dynamic reflow, but it gets by. The Mercury Browser recently updated their app and they now have the text resizing feature with reflow kicking in after you resize the text.

I like Mercury browser better than the Atomic browser. It’s half the price had has double the features. One of the best features besides reflowing the text would be the scroll bar on the right side. It is very convenient to have, and easy to use. The functionality impresses me for a smart phone browser, being that you are using it on such a small screen and it actually works.

Check out this browser in the App Store and download the free version to get a feel for what the browser can do. You might find yourself upgrading to the full version once you see how spiffy it is!

Carlton Flowers
Guardian of Frustrated iPhone Owners
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APPLE SETS THE BAR AGAIN WITH BREAKTHROUGH 5TH GENERATION IPHONE

The Apple iPhone was the first smart phone on the market that broke new ground for devices of the future. All anyone could do was attempt to copy the best. Now that Android devices have caught up to the iPhone to provide serious competition, Apple has done it again. They have pulled away from the pack.

This leaked video shows what Apple has hiding in the warehouses for a June 2011 release… the iPhone 5. This time, it’s serious. Apple has laid down the gauntlet and brought something to market that competitors will find seriously hard to even imitate. The features on the next-generation iPhone are so far advanced, I don’t think we’ve ever even seen a concept like this in a Star Trek or Star Wars movie.

With major advances in durability, screen size flexibility, text entry, and a huge improvement in the realness of Facetime video, I will be locking in and upgrading my current iPhone 4 as soon as it is possible. I take my hat off and applaud the engineers at Apple for finally creating the perfect phone concept. Thank you Apple!

What do you think about the new iPhone 5? Post your comments below!

Carlton Flowers
Geek Prognosticator
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APPLE ON THE HOT SEAT OVER iOS4 UPDATE

The possible class-action lawsuit against Apple over the iOS4 update appears to be real. A California woman claims that Apple purposely put out the update to slow the iPhone 3G to a crawl, thus forcing customers to upgrade to a newer iPhone 4. I’m not so sure that Apple would do such a thing on purpose, but the lawsuit does have credibility.

Apple said nothing about how much iOS4 would slow the iPhone 3G when they rolled out the update. Because of the slower processing power of the 3G as compared to the 3GS, iOS4 renders it practically useless. You might as well power it with molasses instead of electricity. The problem was so bad, one of the CNET “Buzz Out Loud” podcast hosts put out an instructional video on how to actually downgrade your iPhone 3G to roll back the operating system to the original.

Several people I know who own the older 3G model did the upgrade and had major regrets afterward. Even if Apple didn’t do this on purpose, they are still guilty of not showing one bit of concern for their customers who hold the older devices. Once again, their true customer service attitude shows. Why didn’t they test iOS4 on an iPhone 3G before the rollout? I’m sure they did. And if they did, why wasn’t a warning of slower operation issued for 3G owners?

Can anyone verify whether or not they were given a warning before unpacking iOS4 to their device? I’m curious to know. I installed iOS4 to my 3GS at the time, and that was the minute it was available on iTunes. If there was a warning, I was too anxious and excited about getting iOS4 loaded that I probably didn’t notice.

I’m curious to hear what your experience is. I also want to know if you think Apple dropped the ball on this issue, and whether or not you think this was par for the course regarding their poor customer consideration.

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WHAT IS THE WINNING DEVICE COMBINATION FOR INFO-GEEKS?

I have an iPhone 4. I have been eying the iPad since its release, and I am also eying several Android and Windows 7 based tablets. Do I need a tablet computer in addition to my iPhone? Would I need a 3G device if I purchase a tablet of some type? Or is my smart phone enough?

This is a question that I have been mulling around in my mind for months. On my previous post, “My Next Generation iPhone Wish List“, my friend Kelly V Brown (@KellyVBrown on Twitter) made an interesting comment at the end of her post. Concerning her iPhone 3G which does not run well on iOS4, she said “I’m ready to chuck it and just get a Windows based slate and a GoPhone.” This got my mind cranking, and made me really think about the sense (or lack thereof) in having an iPhone AND a tablet computer.

The main reason I want a tablet computer is to read tech blogs and marketing blogs. Article reading is one of my favorite activities (hence the above-mentioned term, “Info Geek”). I also want a tablet computer to create blog posts using the Quansite system of which I am a member. It is a flash-based site. But reading articles on an iPhone can be difficult when you have poor vision like me, thanks to the lack of Text Reflow (read all bout that here). That’s why I have considered getting a tablet computer that is Flash enabled. But would it make sense to pay for yet another 3G service contract in order to have total portability?

That’s where Kelly’s comment really hit home. Why would I need 2 devices with 3G internet access? What I really need is an intermediate computing device that has full internet access with Flash support, and a phone. Often times I wonder why I have an Apple device when I am a heavy-duty Windows user and PC builder/troubleshooter. But I originally bought my iPhone because there was nothing on the market that could compete. That still holds true, but I could certainly consider dropping the entire smart phone thing and get a Windows 7 or Android-based tablet with a plain ole phone for talking.

Heck… I mentioned in another post that I’d be satisfied carrying around a phone with a 6″ screen if it did everything I needed it to do! Who needs micro-sized devices when you don’t have the eyeballs to see the screen? Not me. But anyhow, what would be your optimum geek gadget combination? Smart phone plus tablet? Dumb phone plus laptop? Netbook plus desktop and GoPhone? Sound off!

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APPLE IPHONE 4 FEATURES “TEXT NO-FLOW” TO HELP YOU READ EAZIER

One thing I am really excited about is how Apple pays attention to every little detail on their breakthrough products, especially on the iPhone. I bought my iPhone mainly to be able to read information on the web. That’s why I am so happy that Steve Jobs has my best interest in mind when he came up with the genius idea to add “text no-flow” to the Safari browser.

It is simply amazing. Most people are not even aware that the iPhone can do this. It’s really easy to use it, too. All you have to do is go to one of your favorite blogs or news sites. If you have bad vision like me, just zoom on in and make the words bigger. Here’s where the amazing feature will kick in like magic! Instead of wrapping the words down to the next line like that crappy Android 2.2 Froyo browser and all the cheap imitation junky plastic phones that the sell with that sad excuse for an operating system on them, the cutting edge iPhone browser will simply shove the words off the right side of the screen so you don’t have to worry about them!

Reading is SO much easier with Text No-Flow. When I zoom in far enough where I can actually read the words on my Retina Display iPhone, my magical Safari browser will automatically get rid of the majority of those pesky words where I don’t even have to figure out what they said in the first place. But when I get extra-nosy, and I just HAVE to know what those words were that went flying off the right side, allz I gots to do is easily pan from side to side to read them fancy long words that the browser done got rid for me. What’s great is the fact that a lot of times, it gots to re-draw all those pictures every single time I try to pan over to see that sentence.

That lets me know that it really isn’t important to see all those extra details after I zoom in. It cuts down on my total reading time when I let the Safari browser shove the words off the right side of the screen. You think this doesn’t work? Test it yourself! Read a 1,000-word document on iPhone, and then on an Android phone. Zoom in and make the words equally huge. You will then notice that stupid Android will save all those extra words by doing a carriage return every singe time they try to go off the right side of the screen. That forces you to read the entire article. But the iPhone’s smart word system (TM) which is the base of Text No-Flow will get the majority of the words shoved off the right side of the screen so you never ever have to worry about them again!

In the end, it looks like a clear win for Apple and “Text No-Flow” versus the inept Android 2.2 and “Text Reflow”. Sorry Android, better luck next time. Maybe you’ll think twice next time when you try to come up with something fancy that Steve Jobs tells us we obviously don’t need.

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