Angry Birds

Whether you are sitting on the subway heading to work, sitting in the doctors office waiting room or bumper to bumper traffic, your iPhone and iPod apps serve as the perfect time-waster and keep you entertained during the minor lulls in your day.

The use of the multi-touch technology allows for some pretty entertaining games and one of my all-time favorites is Angry Birds.
Angry Birds is a game where you fling birds into various structures hiding smug little pigs. The birds hop into a rubber band and you use your finger to flick the bird into the piggy-filled structures. I know this may sound strange but it is actually really entertaining.

The difficult part comes from finding the right trajectory and power to flick the birds. All of the various types of birds fly differently but getting the hang of the game comes naturally. The ease of the game and funny sound effects will have you instantly hooked. This game is not new by any means, however, I still find joy in knocking those green pigs off of their perch. If you have not played Angry Birds yet, give it a free try, I guarantee you will want to spend the 99 cents to purchase the full version.

Ray Displays Pico Projector

One of my favorite accessories for my iPod and iPhone is my Pico Projector from Ray Displays. Pico or Pocket projectors are super practical devices that allow you to project at 60″ image from your iPhone, iPod or other portable media device.

The Ray Displays Pico Projector is multi-talented, whether it is a presentation from your iPhone or a movie from your iPod, the Ray Displays Pico is about the size of a large cell phone and is equipped with an LED light source. The Pico projects at at full 640×480 VGA resolution which is higher than comparable 3M and Optoma models.

The Ray Pico Projector has a battery that lasts about 2 to 3 hours, which is long enough to watch a movie or give multiple presentations. The Pico comes with cables to allow you to connect with your iPod and any equipment with composite video output and stereo audio output using RCA plugs. Also, the Pico comes with a very useful small tripod that screws into the bottom of the projector, very cool. I love products that come with bonus extras like this.

I give the Ray Displays Pico Projector four out of five stars.

Since the introduction of the iPhone 4 back in June, there has been an incredible demand for the White iPhone. This buzz about the ever elusive White iPhone 4 has had the rumor mills turning since it was rumored that manufacturing issues were the cause for the delayed release. The release delay has been attributed to everything from proximity issues, light leaks, problems bonding the color to the glass as well as the inability to match the home button to the faceplate. These problems along with manufacturing mishaps have led to the White iPhone 4 never being released to date. The White iPhone has reached mythical proportions, like that of a unicorn or bigfoot. All of these factors only add to the mystique of the White iPhone.

Apple has continued to tease a release date and is hinting at a Spring 2011 release for the White iPhone 4. However, in an exclusive report from the Boy Genius Report, it is rumored that Apple could be canceling the release completely and has no plans to release the white iPhone.

Interestingly enough, the Apple Store app for the iPhone has included the 16GB and 32GB White iPhone 4 along side the black model. Some stores even show the White model and allow you to select the item before you are greeted with a pop-up that Apple is not taking reservation for that product.

So if you dream of one day owning the White iPhone 4 you may have to wait until the vague Spring 2011 release. My guess is that the Spring 2011 release is more likely than scrapping the white model completely. Apple would be losing out on a large number of sales by not releasing a the White iPhone 4. Good things come to those who wait.

For more information visit one of my favorite iPhone Blogs

iTunes Ping is a social network for music that allows you to follow your favorite artists and friends to find out what they are listening to and discover new artists. Ping allows you to find out what your friends are listening to and downloading on iTunes

Naturally, when you think about social media and sharing, Facebook is the first medium that comes to mind. Apple AND Facebook teaming up? Everyone uses iTunes and everyone uses Facebook, it’s match made in heaven, right? Wrong. According to reports on Business Insider, Facebook and Apple continue to have trouble working out the details. Although Facebook CTO Bret Taylor is “Very confident” that Facebook and Apple will work out the kinks and figure out how to integrate Apple’s Ping into the Social Network.

Ping is a service that allows you to follow your favorite artists and become part of their inner circle. Apple’s social music network also keeps you up to date with your favorite artists with status updates and photos that you can add comments to. The integration of Ping into the latest update of iTunes is seamless, Ping is already built into the iTunes app on your iPhone and iPod Touch. This allows you to access artist updates from anywhere. Also, Ping gives lets you know what your favorite artists are listing to on their iPod.

I like the idea but it still looks like some kinks need to be worked out.

The iPod Touch 4 has been on my mind ever since the iPhone 4 was released this summer. I was wondering if Apple would keep the tradtional look of the iPod Touch but continue to slim down the design or would they completely revamp the look and go with a boxier look to mimic the iPhone 4 and iPad. The tradition is a slimmer version of the previous installment and this time is no different.

The comparision between the new slimmer iPhone 4 and the iPod Touch is incredible, the Touch looks like a sliver of chrome and LCD Screen. The device is truly a work of art and keeps with the previous styling. I was a little curious to see if Apple would make the new iPod Touch look similar to the iPad and iPhone but they kept it the way I thought they should.

I am not a big fan of the new design of the iPhone, I liked the curved back and while I think the Gorilla Glass is a neat improvement, I wish they could have stuck to the curved back.

So does the iPod touch 4G have a camera? Inside sources say that the Touch will be equipped with an enhanced 5 megapixel camera with a flash that can capture HD video just like the iPhone 4 and be uploaded directly to You Tube.

In this gallery from my favorite iPod/iPhone site, tipb.com you can see some great up-close pics of what the iPod Touch 4 will look like.

I have been a fan of the iHome since I purchased the iP9 a few years ago. The new iA5 is the first iHome that is app-enchanced and promises to be the “most connect and engaging sleep experience available.” Whatever that means. I get it, they needed a new gimic because the clock radio with an iPod dock on it was old hat. But why change what works?

The new iHome iA5 has all of the good stuff from the previous models but it allows you to stay connected to your social networks for bedtime status updates and wake up updates. I think the need to stay connected while you sleep is a little unneccessary but the people must have asked for it because it exists.

All in all, iHome makes a great product. It’s always good to wake up to music and I always liked that aspect. My favorite aspect of the iHome has always been the wakeup playlist. If you don’t own an iHome this would be a good model to get you started so I would definitely recommend.

These are the first iPhone commercials that aired back in June of 2007. It is weird to see the evolution of the iPhone. First it was all about an iPod that can make calls and browse the internet. Find a restaurant and call to make a reservation all in a matter of seconds. The first iPhone really was an incredible leap from anything that was on the market. It was really a pocket computer that had the ability to make calls.

Fast forward to the iPhone 3G. The driving force behind the 3G was the creation of “apps” for everything. Need to check snow condidtions on the mountain? There’s an app for that. The creation of apps was an ingenius way for users to be constantly interacting with their device. With the creation of the app store, users would begin to pump money into Apple like none other and an entire new business sector was created. Suddenly there were Applications developers using their talent to create an “app” that everyone would have. Think of the creators of Words with Friends

In my personal opinion, the iPhone 3Gs and iPhone 4 commercials are lacking compared to the earlier iPhone commercials. Could it be that Apple is losing some of it’s cool? I’ll let you be the judge.

Photo Credit:accedian.com

In photos found on tipb.com, the unmistakable camera hole can be found on the front of a replacement iPod Touch 4 case. Steve Jobs did mention that Apple would be launching 10,000 Face Time devices and they are not all necessarily iPhones and with the use of your iTunes ID to connect calls possible, FaceTime is not strictly for the iPhone 4.

Steve Jobs is brilliant, but being able to connect using your iTunes ID is such a great idea. It doesn’t just limit the application to iPhone users and gives the application a whole new world to expand in to. By expanding the number of devices on the FaceTime network, the success of Face time is that much greater. I am more likely to purchase an iPod Touch 4 rather than an iPhone 4. The iPhone 4 has had so many problems.

I have to admit one of the immediate drawbacks I saw when FaceTime was initially launched was the amount of users on the network. No one I knew had FaceTime so what was the point? I thought, Ok, I will get on this bandwagon eventually, just not right now. I did not even consider the iPod Touch having the compatibility. I guess I just associated FaceTime with phone calls.

Steve Jobs will give a free case to everyone with an iPhone 4

If you keep up with Apple news, and since you are reading this blog I assume you do, you have no doubt heard of the “death grip” that causes major antenna and reception problems with the iPhone 4. I am feeling a little snarky with this post because I purchased the iPhone 3Gs with the option to upgrade to the iPhone 4. I debated whether I should just make the switch and get the latest iPhone but looking back I am glad I stayed with the 3Gs.

In a press conference at Apple’s Cuppertino campus, Jobs announced that to combat the antenna problems, Apple would provide customers with free cases. This is a great PR move for Apple. Instead of deflecting the problem and blaming AT&T, (not like they didn’t try) Jobs solved the problem by giving away free cases. Now there is a new problem, not enough bumper cases. The highly sought after bumper case is already is shortage and now that Apple is giving them away, they are going to need millions more. Jobs solved this problem by giving customers a choice of cases.

Bottom line, I like the message that the guy in the video is delivering, if you don’t want an iPhone 4 don’t buy one, if you bought one and you don’t like it…bring it back.

Photo credit: macnn.com

It is likely that a new generation of the iPod Touch will be released in the fall

Every fall since 2007, the fellas over at Apple spit out a new iPod Touch. Given this trend, it’s not hard to speculate that yes, the 4th generation iPod touch will be released year at Apples annual iTunes/iPod Special Music Event.

The iPod touch Gen. 4 will get the usual iPhone hardware update and could include an upgraded Retina Display, Apple A4 chipset, 802.11n Wi-Fi, gyroscope, and maybe even that long awaited camera as well as a front-facing one to help make FaceTime more of a reality. If Apple actually decides to do this it could mean a big expansion in the use of FaceTime.

Usually, Apple will increase the storage space and double the pre-existing memory. The Gen. 3 iPod touch is already at 64GB. Could we possibly see 128GB of storage? This is clearly the way Apple is moving in terms of portable music devices, hand-held gaming and possibly photos. With the iPod Gen. 3 a slim as it is, it will be hard to imagine how thin this device will actually be.

If you are a reader of this blog, you know that I can’t stand when things are leaked out early. With the iPhone 4 being leaked early, it will be nice to see a new device that (hopefully) won’t be seen until we are meant to see it. I’d like to be surprised with one Apple Product this year.