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NEW 3Gs Iphone

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
I think I found my thrill in life. Check this out . I can do a voice memo on the phone than e-mail that voice memo to people. I am going to drive people crazy now. Quick better change your e-mail accounts :ROTFL::ROTFL::ROTFL:
 

stephengilbert

Active member
The coolest hardware upgrade is the compass: it can be activated when you use the map function, causing the map to rotate as you turn the phone so the map remains oriented, north on the map pointing north.
 

LJL

New member
Magnetic OR true north!
Apple really does not say. However, if you read their disclaimer on the compass, it suggests magnetic north.

From Apple:
"Compass reliability may be affected by usage conditions such as nearby magnetic fields."

I would have thought that it could provide a "true north" reading since it is using satellites and triangulation GPS technology within the Maps function. However, not sure most folks would really know what to do with the magnetic declination for their particular location, so might as well just provide the magnetic north reading and hope folks do not get too lost :p

LJ
 

Terry

New member
Everyone is correct because it has BOTH. You can set the compass for either true north or magnetic north. When in the compass hit the little i button in the bottom right. Voila you now can chose.
 

LJL

New member
Thanks, Terry. I just got that updated info from another colleague. I think that is very cool to have built in. This may not matter much for folks that live on or near a zero declination field line, but for those at higher latitudes on either coast, things are quite a bit different, so knowing what is what can be helpful for both travel and spotting things in the night sky.

LJ
 

charlesphoto

New member
Picked up my new iPhone 3Gs yesterday (with a white back). Coming from a first gen this is a great improvement, though my wife is shaking her head as to why I needed a new phone when my other worked just fine.

It is a lot zippier and the screen is really nice. Main thing is the video camera. Sure a flip might be just that much better, but it's one less thing to carry.
 
O

Oxide Blu

Guest
There is just something so very Darwinian about someone with an iPhone getting lost and needing the compass in their cell phone.
:ROTFL:


Fwiw, Intel and Nokia have just hooked up on the next generation of wireless networking -- that would include telephone applications. Nokia is about 100-gajillion light years ahead of anyone and everyone else on the wireless networking thing. Back that up with Intel's design and manfrg ability and there is no limit. Well, there is a limit, bandwidth, but NTT has implemented packet sharing spread spectrum transmission that moves data between a cell phone and the cell tower at about 6-times faster than the average hardwired DSL connection in a US home. The technology is used to allow users full use of their laptops on the go -- the laptop plugs into the cell phone, the cellphone transmits to the network. Not cheap. Don't be surprised if the iPhone goes Intel-made-guts, too.

Heard on the news 1-million 3g iPhones sold in a weekend. :eek: :eek: :eek:
 
O

Oxide Blu

Guest
HEADS UP!!! If you have a new 3G iPhone and do something foolish, like attempt to use GPS/compass outside in the sun, the phone may overheat and shut itself off. Other foolish things you can do to cause the new 3G iPhone to overheat and fail; listen to MP3s, watch video, or surf the web.

Lots of info about it all over the web, and on Apple's iPhone website. From what I have read it appears to be a design flaw -- processor heat was not taken into consideration when the selection of a faster processor was made.
 

stephengilbert

Active member
You're right about that heat issue: I saw an article about it from July, 2007.

As I understand it, Apple issued a tech memo listing best practices for iPhone use, and said not to use it for extended periods of time in direct sunlight. I can live with that; I get hot when spending extended periods of time in direct sunlight too.
 
O

Oxide Blu

Guest
It's a problem every cell phone manfr has to deal with -- processing more bits of data (web surfing, video, etc) means more energy needed, means more heat build up inside of the case. Guess what the byproduct of increasing screen resolution is ... yup, more heat in the case. And the byproduct of increased pixel resolution for the built in camera: heat. Cell phone access to multimedia suggests things are going to get worse before they get better.

From what I read, Apple went from 400MHz processing in the last iPhone to 600MHz in this new 3G model. That translates into a vast speed improvement but at the cost of a crap load more heat. No idea what the processor speed is in the LG cell phones that are preceding the iPhone, no heat problem with them...yet. (Don't believe Apple is copying the LG phones, probably both companies taking the same path, coincident the LG phones is released a couple of months ahead of the iPhones in different markets.)

Interesting change with the new LG KF900 (Prada II) 3G cell phone, a slide out QWERTY keypad as been added to the touch screen. Touch screen cell phones are not new. There is a reason why most other manfrs abandoned the idea. I've said since day-1 of the iPhone the touch screen was its weak link, it will have a lot of "ooh" factor initially but smears and skin oil will be a problem. Turns out it is. The new iPhone screen has a special coating to resist oily smears, no idea how well it works but it is pointless if using a phone case (haven't seen an iPhone being used without an optional protective case) -- the phone case screen area smears with skin oil.

 

LJL

New member
Well, I broke down and got a 3G S to replace my first gen iPhone. I am delighted with its overall performance and significantly increased speed. Have NO problems with screen smear, and I do not use it in a case. (Never used my original one in a case either, and it still looks amazingly "new". Bit of wear on the aluminum back, but not a scratch otherwise. Cases are NOT needed for these phones, but folks may prefer them for shock cushioning and to keep them from being so slippery.)

The download and upload speeds on WiFi are pretty impressive. I have seen 7.6Mbps down and 1.5Mbps up on WiFi (gated by my own network connections). The 3G transmissions are significantly faster than the EDGE model, but are still capped at 384kbps upload speed by the chip in the iPhone. (This is apparently the case for ALL HSDPA network phones, regardless of make or carrier.....at least in the US.) Downloads are very good, but seem to be at the mercy of the poorer performing AT&T network in many cases. That being said, the 3G S rocks, and the entire issue about heat I think is more overblown than real. Some folks may have some issues, but I have not seen anything like that with mine, even as I put it through some heavy use....though not in direct sunlight, as Apple suggests one not do anyway.

The improvements that this model sports, both in speed and some new features make this a real gem of a smartphone. Now, if only AT&T would get their act together and improve their network speeds as they keep promising, things would be truly wonderful. If you use the new 3G S on a WiFi network, it is very impressive.

LJ

P.S. Also nice to NOT have that keyboard coming out to collect dust and create thickness. The new horizontal mode for typing on the iPhone is very good, and much less error prone than before. The touch screen tech Apple uses seems much more advanced and sophisticated than on any other smartphone I have had or played around with. Just a personal opinion.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Have to agree , I really like the 3GS . Just the finger prints and smearing alone was worth the cost
 
O

Oxide Blu

Guest
... Now, if only AT&T would get their act together and improve their network speeds as they keep promising, things would be truly wonderful.

You are spot on with that! The US is virtually 3rd world when it comes to cell phones. Japan is at the apex of cell technology, Korea, Taiwan and China close behind. All are small countries with govt driven cell phone industries. The US is free enterprise, capitalism driving the cell industry. Back that up with the US cell market spread over a gazillion sq miles and the cost of updating the cell network (originally a US technology) is staggering, not going to happen unless there is a profit to be made.

I was glad when the iPhone was released because it would put pressure on the US cell phone industry to update the infrastructure that could not support 3G technology.

Here's what a Japanese cell will do:

- 2-lines, one cell phone, 2 cell phone numbers.
- video conferencing
- internet access
- watch TV on your cell phone -- some phones store multiple episodes of the broadcast series you select.
- the cell phone will receive and store up to 5 voice messages
- the cell phone acts as a credit card (invented by Sony) -- swipe you cell phone to make purchases. You can connect to your bank to transfer "money" to the cell phone if you are making a big purchase.
- and my personal favorite -- the cell phone reads QR code.

QR code (invented by Toyota to track parts for car assembly):




These codes appear in the corners of magazine ads, movie posters, all over the place. Select QR mode and pass the cell phone camera over the QR. The phone automatically reads it (like a bar code reader) and goes to the internet webpage for that item or brings up email composition to send email to destination defined by the QR.

Ad for new Mercedes -- yeah, you have to choose, a new S2 system or a new Mercedes. :D Note the QR code at the bottom of the page. It's there for cell phone QR reading only.





And NONE of that is in a "smart phone" -- just regular old cell phones.

The iPhone is just the beginning. Cell phone advancement in the US has a vrey long way to to, but it can't get there unless the infrastructure can support the features. And the infrastructure won't get there unless there is money to be made updating it -- and it is a vast area that needs to be updated, will take a lot of return on that investment to motivate the cell phone gods.


ETA: out of curiosity, I ran my cell phone over the QR code I linked to above. To goes to: www.japanmarketnews.com.
 
J

Johannes01

Guest
uh..i like DIY.ipone is like a magic.do you have more to share?
 
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