Macenstein

Geek up your iPhone with the D&D Roller

Posted by Dr. Macenstein The iPhone has enjoyed a 6 month stay at the top of many people’s short list of must-have gadgets. Now, two weeks after its launch, and with some of the most positive press ever seen in a V1 device, it would be fair to say that the iPhone is now one of the most popular gadgets around. In fact, you could even go so far as to say, the iPhone has maximum Hit Points in charisma. Did I lose you? I hope so. If not, you may be happy to know that Yoav... Read More

Something to try on your iPhone when you are bored

Posted by iGor If you are ever bored, here’s something stupid that will kill about 40 seconds (most of it typing) on your iPhone. From the main menu, go to Maps, and type in 15.298683, 19.429651. “X” marks the spot. TREASURE! (or maybe Bin Laden?)  Read More

The iPhone’s auto-volume sensor: How do it know?

Posted by Dr. Macenstein Here’s something cool I just noticed about my iPhone. It apparently can remember the volume you last set when using the headphones as opposed to a car or stereo, and it will auto adjust accordingly. Because of the iPhone’s recessed ear piece jack, I had to buy a $10 Belkin Headphone Adapter in order to listen to the iPhone in the car (works great, by the way). When I listen to the iPhone in the car, via my Aux input, I have the iPhone’s... Read More

How To: Check your iPhone for dead/stuck pixels

Posted by Dr. Macenstein I was watching a certain Harry Potter movie last night on my iPhone, and since it is a particularly “dark” movie, I decided to turn my iPhone’s brightness all the way up. A couple minutes in, I noticed an annoying speck of “dust” on the screen, but try as I might, it would not come off. To my horror, I soon realized it was not a speck of dust at all, it was actually a “stuck” pixel. A stuck pixel is one that... Read More

iPhone nano? What iPhone nano?

Posted by Dr. Macenstein Apple’s stock today rose 1.55% on news that Apple was planning to release a discounted “iPhone nano” in the near future; this according to JP Morgan analyst Kevin Chang. However, mere hours later, JP Morgan issued a report retracting Chang’s claims. According to TUAW: “the majority of Chang’s assumptions appear to have come from a review of the patent that was published last week, adding that a near-term launch of... Read More

Why do journalists insist on saying the iPhone costs $2000?

Posted by Dr. Macenstein I always find it funny when columnists list the iPhone’s cost as somewhere around $2000, instead of the $499-$599 it sells for. Well, not funny, really. I find it confusing and frustrating, actually, and I am beginning to question their motives. In order to reach this insane number, they factor in 2-years of service into the price. That is perhaps one of the stupidest and most misleading arguments a tech journalist can make. EVERY smart phone/PDA... Read More

Teens want an iPhone more than a new car

Posted by Dr. Macenstein A report over at Autoblog sheds some light on just how effective Apple’s iPhone marketing campaign has been, particularly amongst generation…Y? Z? ZZZ? (What are they up to now?) Anyway, you know, the kids. It seems that CNW Marketing Research asked teens to choose their most desired items, and the iPhone came in with a whopping 70% of the vote! iPods also made the list, along with PS3’s and computers. Autoblog was somewhat disheartened... Read More

iWeathr brings live doppler radar to the iPhone

Posted by Dr. Macenstein I was showing my mother my iPhone the other day, and since for some reason all she and my father care about is the weather (not that their life revolves around outdoor activities in any way) I thought I’d show them the weather App (widget). Instead of being impressed that I can so quickly get a 5-day forecast, my mother asked “Does it show a real-time radar view?” Huh? Well, apparently there are more people like my mom out there than... Read More

Help Build the ultimate iPhone feature request list

Posted by Dr. Macenstein We’ve had the pleasure of using the iPhone for a couple days now, and while we certainly view it as a technological marvel, there is always room for improvement. Since Apple itself has said there will be future software updates to add new functionality to the iPhone, we thought we would compile a list of things we’d personally like to see in the iPhone, and we’d like your help. We invite you to add your ideas in the comments below,... Read More

After using the iPhone, I can tell you there will be no touchscreen iPod

After having now experienced the iPhone for a couple days, I feel I can now safely predict that we will never see the mythical “touchscreen, widescreen, Wi-Fi iPod.” Feel free to quote me. Back when Apple first announced the iPhone, I thought it was a very cool piece of gadgetry, and I knew I would one day buy it. However, what I really wanted was the widescreen, touch-sensitive Wi-Fi-enabled video iPod that all the rumor sites had been predicting (apparently based... Read More