Rumor: Unlocked iPhone 4 to come to USA

(PhysOrg.com) -- The smart phone rumors are flying around again, and this time they are about the iPhone 4. If they turn out to be true an unlocked version of the iPhone 4 will be available in retail Apple stores for customers in the US on Wednesday. An unlocked iPhone has the capability of making international calling significantly cheaper than getting a bill from AT&T. Unlocked models of the iPhone 4 have been released by Apple in a variety of countries, including Canada and several countries in Europe. If the rumor proves to be true this will be the first time that Apple has released an unlocked iPhone in the United States.

The rumor comes from a Twitter user, @chronicwire, an account that is only about a week old. Despite this several sites are reporting this users as a credible and well-know source. At this point @chronicwire's track record is completely unknown. According to the tweets four phone models have been selected for the unlock. They include: the MC603, the 16GB black phone, the MC604 the 16GB white phone, the MC605, the 32GB black phone and the MC606 the 32GB white phone.

Of course, this is not the first rumor that has been posted on this account for the current week. Initially the user stated that Apple would be announcing a MacBook Air refresh on Wednesday, designed with the back to school or new to dorms crowd in mind.

So, is @chronicwire telling the truth? No one can be sure of that until Wednesday, but for now it would be best to take the rumors with a grain of salt and not get your hopes too high.

? 2010 PhysOrg.com

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Monster TRON Legacy Light Disc Audio Dock for Apple iPod, iPhone, MP3 Review

March 03, 2011 at 09:24 PM in Gadget Reviews
Monster TRON iPod Identity Disc Dock Instruction booklet AC Adapter (with two-prong Europlug adapter) Remote control (battery included) iPod Dock Adapters for iPhone 3G/3GS, iPod Touch 3G/4G, iPod Nano 4G/5G, & iPhone 4
Pros: Extremely well-constructed Five audio drivers: four 1.5" drivers and one 3.5" long-throw woofer
80 individually controlled energy efficient LEDs
TRON application visualizer iPhone app creates advanced lighting effects
It's TRON!
Comes with iPod docks for modern iPod/iPhones plus aux-in via 3.5mm cable (not included)
Incredible sound
On-board controls
Almost like a work of art - nothing else quite like it currently out there

Cons: Current version of the TRON app doesn't automatically load the application when iPod or iPhone is docked
Might be pricey for non-TRON fanatics
Flashing blue lights! We LOVE flashing blue lights! In all seriousness, I may not be the most objective person to review the Monster TRON Light Disc Audio Dock. I saw the original "TRON" in the theater as a kid, own a copy of the "TRON" collector's DVD, reviewed the TRON Xbox 360 controller, the TRON PS3 controller, the TRON Wii Remote, and even the TRON Identity Disc toy. I saw "TRON: Legacy" three times in an XD 3D theater - I guess you could say I have a bit of a TRON addiction. All that being said, I also know a quality product when I lay my grubby little gadget-addicted hands on it, and this Identity Disc dock is unlike anything you've ever rested your iPod or iPhone in. It's got incredible, incredible sound, tons of options for interface, and looks fantastic on any surface you set it on. Oh, and flashing blue lights. Highly recommended!

Make Your iPhone “Play Dead” to Keep the Battery Alive Longer

“You have an iPhone?! Can I see it? Does it have Doodle Jump/Angry Birds?” Even after all of these years, people can still act like another person’s iPhone is the coolest thing ever and that they have not seen a computer in ten years. If somebody wants to check Facebook and the room is full of Android and BlackBerry devices, four out of five times the iPhone owner will be nagged. (Unscientific statistic.) Well, for the entirely reasonable price of free, an app titled Play Dead will solve your “everybody wants to borrow my iPhone” woes.

Cleverly, the app simply displays the “power off” indicator. Just show that to somebody next time they want to see your iPhone and you’ll fool just about anyone.

No more zombies draining your iPhone’s battery so that the battery really is dead and unusable by the time it gets back to you. So, call Play Dead an app that can prevent a bad denouement for yourself, the actual owner. Ironic how a dead battery is prevented by pretending that it is drained.

The only setback is that you cannot use your iPhone in front of a person that you’ve fooled afterwards, if only because it will lead to trust issues and awkward conversations. Come to think of it, maybe the word “no” has less strings attached. Either way, both options are free.

[App Store link]

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October Release for iPhone 5 and Redesigned iPad 3

The rumor mill is changing its predicted date for two of Apple’s highly-anticipated, upcoming devices yet again. “Industry sources” have revealed to DIGITIMES that both the iPhone 5 and iPad 3 are going to be available for purchase in October of this year. Echoing other rumors, sources say that there will be a September announcement

Rumors of two distinct iPhone models being introduced this year were rebuked. Contrary to other reports, we may not see an iPhone 4S sold alongside iPhone 5. In all likeliness, there will only one device available in various storage capacities.

Apple is shooting for a production run of 6-7 million iPhone devices in the third quarter. When taking every iPhone model being sold in the calendar year into account, expectations are set at 85 million shipped once 2011 is over.

Since iPad 2 launched in March, it would be odd for a new version to be released in such a short timeframe. However it is not totally unlikely that Apple is aiming to change the iPad’s refresh cycle from quarter one to quarter three or four so holiday buyers are more compelled to purchase the brand new tablet. In the new tablet marketplace that Apple had reinvigorated, competitors are not following a strict schedule for tablet hardware refreshes.

If iPad 3 is released in October, then sources are pointing to it following in the second iteration’s thinning and lightening footsteps, possibly making it the thinnest 9.7? tablet on the market. More interestingly, its display may take a step towards Retina Display with a pixel depth per inch doubling to 250dpi. Though that is not quite Retina Display as Steve Jobs defined it, he had said that 300dpi was the minimum for pixel space to become imperceptible. Nonetheless, it would still be a step in the retina direction.

At this point, it seems like a September announcement is set in stone based on the amount of reports suggesting it. Practically everything else has shaped itself to become an inconsistent detail. So rumor mill, how about we wait until the September keynote so you can stop contradicting yourself?

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Tips: iPhone Battery Draining Too Fast?

Let’s face it people: whether it be excessive sunlight exposure, too much use, or what, after a while your iPhone battery does start to drain much faster. Below are a few tips to maximize your iPhone’s battery life and keep it from draining as fast as it normally would.

If you ever go to the Wi-Fi page on your iPhone, you’ll see the available networks are constantly refreshing. That just goes on to prove that even when you’re not browsing with Wi-Fi, your battery is being consumed. So when you know you’re not going to be using Wi-Fi (on a network-less plane, on the road, etc.) turn it off. How? Settings—>Wi-Fi—>Turn Off

You may not have known how many applications that you’ve allowed to send push notifications to you until you actually know. The problem is, push notifications do drain your battery. So go Settings—>Notifications and from here you can decide which applications can and cannot send you notifications or turn them all of altogether.

Believe it or not, I’ve seen some iPhone owners think it makes more sense to turn off their iPhone when not using it for extensive amounts of time (a day or so). Truth is, it takes up more battery to power up your iPhone after it’s been turned off; it would make more sense just to auto-lock (duh!), which doesn’t consume any battery.

Not only does not having Airplane Mode enabled pose a threat for planes, it also poses a threat for your battery when you’re in low or no-coverage areas. Turning on Airplane mode disables the iPhone’s connection with your cellular network, which means you also will not be able to receive calls/texts. Not a bad price to pay at all, especially if 1) you’re battery will last longer and 2) you wouldn’t even need those in low/no-coverage areas. To turn on: Settings—>Airplane Mode On

I’ve seen some people who refuse to realize that the brightness of their screen drains the batter pretty darn fast. They’ll keep the brightness of their screen cranked up to the maximum, only to respond that they “like it that way”. Yeah, I’m sure you’ll [won't] like it when your batter drains. You can adjust the brightness of your screen using a simple slider, and can also turn on Auto-Brightness, which will automatically switch the lighting when needed. To do so: Settings—>Brightness—>Slider or Auto Brightness On

The equalizer feature for music can be tempting, but it also does drain battery. You can turn your equalizer off, or flat (for those of you who have set the equalizer for particular songs in iTunes). To do so: Settings—iPod—>EQ—Off or Flat

Another something I’ve seen people do is keep their bluetooth on regardless if they’re using it or not. Bluetooth wastes battery, people! You can turn off your iPhone’s bluetooth when not using it by: Settings—>General—>Bluetooth—>Off

Turn off location services when you don’t need it: Settings—>General—>Location Services—>

I personally like push for my mail accounts on my iPod. They’re a way for me to instantaneously receive audible notification when new mail comes in. However, you may want to fetch data less frequently or even manually. To do so: Settings —> Mail, Contacts, Calendars —> Fetch New Data—>Manually or Hourly

You certainly don’t want to fry your battery or freeze it. So, keep your iPhone or iPod Touch in an environment around 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Don’t let the temperature stray too far up or down and don’t leave your phone in the car when it’s hot outside. Just some basic knowledge.

If your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad is still in warranty, (meaning you haven’t owned the device in its new state of being for over a year), or if you have AppleCare, Apple does replace your device’s battery for you – only if the battery drops below 50% of its initial capacity. If you’re out of warranty, and want to replace your battery, you can DIY or pay Apple. (details here)

There are also a large amount of applications available on the app store with the above tips and management. Most will also let you know the percentage of battery you have left, even though the iPhone can already do that, and will let you know how much of something (e.g Music, Videos, 2D Game, 3D Game, etc.) you can do before your battery dies. And of course, you can get a few external batteries – there are a ton available for the iPhone and iPod Touch, for pretty good prices. A simple search on Google should return with a good amount of hits.

I obviously didn’t do any of the above with my old iPod Touch 2nd generation, considering its battery drains, when I’m lucky, in 10 minutes – and I probably carelessly left it in the car on hot, sunny days. Though, now I really won’t make those mistakes again. Despite doing all of the above, if you’re device still dies very quickly, then you may want to resort to setting up a Genius Bar appointment at your local Apple store.

Any other tips that have worked for you?

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