There has not been much iPhone news of note this week. Partially that is because Apple's upcoming iPad continues to dominate the conversations, and while much iPad news has an indirect connection with the iPhone, some does not. Today, I am starting with the pure iPhone stories, and then I end up by listing the iPad stories that I consider newsworthy for iPhone users.
Additionally, I don't know what is in the news where you live, but here in New Orleans the news is pretty much all Saints, all the time, with just a little bit of Mardi Gras thrown in there as well. This Sunday is, of course, the Super Bowl, and while most everyone seems to be picking the Colts to win (led New Orleans native Peyton Manning; we both attended Isidore Newman School in New Orleans, although he was seven years behind me and he is somewhat better at football than I am), the City of New Orleans and members of the "Who Dat Nation" around the world are hoping for something that not that long ago seemed truly impossible, the Saints winning a Super Bowl. Indeed, one of our state court judges here in New Orleans recently continued a trial date because of the excitement, taking "judicial notice that Saintsmania permeates the City of New Orleans," as reported in Above the Law and the New Orleans Times-Picayune. But anyway, putting my black and gold mania aside for the moment, here is the notable iPhone news of the past week:
- Brad Stone of the New York Times reports that the SlingPlayer app for the iPhone will soon be able to stream video over 3G, not just Wi-Fi. This feature was demonstrated well over a year ago, so as a technical matter it was possible, but AT&T wouldn't allow it. Now, AT&T has changed its mind. A press release from AT&T quoted in the Times article states: “Since mid-December 2009, AT&T has been testing the app and has recently notified Sling Media — as well as Apple — that the optimized app can run on its 3G network."
- I have never jailbroken my iPhone, but according to iPhone Download Blog, people who did so were able to use an app called Install0us to install cracked versions of iPhone apps without paying for them. The developer of Install0us wrote on his website that he is now shutting down shop because he finally talked to a lawyer and learned that "what we do would be very hard to defend against in court." Those lawyers are always ruining all the fun. Ahem.
- Attorney Robert Ambrogi warns that the iPhone app FR Evidence by Tekk Innovations is missing Rule 502, which was added in late 2008.
- Attorney Christopher Small writes that if you are starting your own law firm, you should get an iPhone. I will add that if you work at a large law firm like I do, you should also get an iPhone.
- If you are still in law school, Lauren Streib of Business Insider recommends 15 "must-have" apps for law students.
- I've written before about people using MobileMe to catch an iPhone thief. Here is a tale of retrieving an iPhone stolen on a plane ride to Los Angeles.
And now, on to the iPad news that may be of interest to iPhone users. The iPad is receiving both praise and criticism right now. Harry McCracken of Technologizer takes a look at some of the early complaints when the original iPhone was released. Some of the complaints were over issues that, frankly, don't matter; other complaints were missing features that have since been added (such as third party software). In a few years, it will be interesting to take a similar look back at the iPad critiques of today.
- Nicholas Bonsack writes for Macworld about the new Apple A4 chip in the iPad. Similarly, Agam Shah of IDG News Services writes an article that appears on Macworld wondering whether the A4 could appear in a future iPhone. The A4 is both faster and more efficient than the ARM chip in current iPhones. The article notes that the A4 brought breathtaking speed to the iPad as it launched apps instantly. Also: "The iPad was also able to turn the screen to landscape mode almost instantly, something iPhones lag at."
- For those spending the next two months trying to decide how much they would use an iPad, Chris Breen writes for Macworld about the many different ways that you might use an iPad in your daily life.
- I wrote last week that I can envision an iPad being very useful in the courtroom. Seattle attorney Aaron Pelley writes on his Criminal Defense Law With an Apple website that he envisions the same thing.
- Apple's new iPad is similar to the iPhone except that the iPhone is with you at all times. Well, at least I thought that was a key distinction. The ABA Journal reported that Scott Jordan, former Chicago lawyer and current CEO of Scottevest, has announced that his company will sell a $100 vest with an inside pocket large enough to hold an iPad and enough additional pockets to hold just about every tech device you could possibly imagine.
- Indeed, Engadget reports Stephen Colbert demonstrated at the Grammys that you can keep an iPad in your suit jacket. That must be a huge inside pocket.
- And finally, to wrap up this second week of iPad mania, the always funny web comic The Joy of Tech had this take on what an iPhone might think of the news of the upcoming iPad:
