How to Use GPS on iPhone

How many times have you already been out somewhere and someone suggests going to a nearby event or place and you have hesitated to go simply because you didn't know how to get there? Do you own an iPhone 3G? Are you considering purchasing
one? Out of all the iPhone 3G's new features, the accessible GPS
integrated with Google Maps may be the most useful and may even change the way you live. Many people who own an iPhone 3G have yet to fully realize just how useful this technology is. I find myself exploring many new places, and doing many more activities than I had before--all without having to ask anyone for directions--since I started using this feature on my iPhone 3G.

The best thing about using the GPS features of your iPhone 3G is that you will not have to shell out the extra money for a dedicated GPS device or any additional monthly subscription fees. The only drawback to this is that you will not get turn by turn voice directions or 3D navigation. There have been rumors that TeleNav and Tomtom will be introducing an iPhone app that provides these features for a monthly subscription fee, but, for now, they are unavailable for iPhone. If you know how to read a map and know the difference between east and west, these features are superfluous anyway. There are some features that utilize Google Maps that have me convinced using the iPhone GPS is superior to a dedicated GPS device or Application anyway.

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BlackBerry’s Lack Of Free Memory is faced by App World

The BlackBerry App World has been among us for the better part of three weeks now, and the 25 million or so ‘Berry users have had a go at it. Now everyone waited for and has loved on the App World, but after a few days of getting over the initial infatuation, all BlackBerry users came to an annoying realization; their BlackBerry is sourly short on the memory needed to run apps. Add to this the fact that every ‘Berry since the BlackBerry Pearl 8100 has had memory leaks and you have got one pain in the neck. It doesn’t mean that your BlackBerry will cave the moment you run an app on it, but as compared to other smartphones in the market, it doesn’t handle as much app action. In other words, the more contacts, phone logs, saved messages and of course installed applications a user has on his or her BlackBerry, the less free memory the device has to dedicate to new apps.

RIM seriously needs to step out of the Stone Age and put its BlackBerry devices’ application memory on the 512+ MB side of the road. RIM could also put all of BlackBerry users in euphoria by giving them the luxury to install memory cards on their beloved ‘Berry. Also, it would be pure joy to see RIM come out with a new OS. The million year old OS with more updates per week than a baby’s diaper changes is annoying. We get it RIM, it was designed for business, but now that you want the individual user to get jiggy with it, cough up a better (read: new) OS. We love you, but we won’t lie! BlackBerry rocks, App World rocks, the only problem is, they don’t rock together.

taken from here

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BlackBerry Curve $50 from Sprint

Sprint has announced the BlackBerry Curve 8530 is now available to purchase. The phone is a low end entry into RIM’s line of wildly popular smartphones, and is targeted at consumers rather than businesses. It comes with WiFi, GPS, a 2MP camera, and instead of the former trackball, a new optical trackpad. It’s also sporting RIM’s latest OS, 5.0.

“BlackBerry Curve 8330 has been a tremendous success for Sprint. BlackBerry Curve 8530 continues that legacy with the addition of several important features that make it a winner for both entertainment and productivity,” said Kevin Packingham, Sprint Senior Vice President of Product Development.

The 8530 will be available in black, red or purple and can be purchased from Sprint’s website, telesales or stores. It’s available for $49.99 after a $100 mail in rebate and with a 2 year contract. It’s a nice upgrade from the original Curve and the fun colors should make it popular with consumers.
The Curve is also available from Verizon and GSM carrier T-Mobile.


taken from: here

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iPhone 3GS vs iPhone 3G

What's the point in buying a new iPhone if it looks exactly like the old one? Because once you start using it, the speed of the iPhone 3GS will amaze you.
There's a reason why Apple called this the iPhone 3GS for Speed and not the 3GC for "compass" or 3GV for "video recording." Speed is the central upgrade here, and probably is the single biggest reason you would upgrade to a 3GS from a 3G. And if you're coming in as a virgin iPhone user, there's definitely no question: The 3GS is worth an extra $100.

That declaration may be weird to most of us since we usually look for features, and not specs, when we're evaluating phones—and iPhone 3GS doesn't blow us out in the feature department. Instead, it's like getting a bigger TV or a faster car. Your old machine works just fine, but once you've tried the new one for a week, you'll never want to go back, even if it costs you a little extra.
Like we said, from the outside the 3GS is exactly the same as the 3G. It's slightly heavier and has glossy text on the back, but if Steve Jobs whipped one out in public before it was announced, you wouldn't have been able to tell the difference.
By holding the 3GS next to the 3G, you'll notice that the screen is slightly more reflective because of the new fingerprint resistant oleophobic coating. It even has a little bit of a rainbow effect if you reflect a monitor with it. Surprisingly, the coating actually works in preventing a good deal of fingerprints and face grease, and it allows the phone to still be smooth and usable even if there are fingerprints on the surface.

The shot above illustrates the fact. The two phones may look similar in how much finger and face grease are on the screen, but the iPhone 3GS is still usable and doesn't have the problem of "sticking" in certain areas that are slightly greasier. It's also easier to clean just by wiping on your shirt. The glass treatment won't eliminate smudging from your bodily secretions altogether, but it's a very useful improvement for something you're touching all the time.
The shot above illustrates the fact. The two phones may look similar in how much finger and face grease are on the screen, but the iPhone 3GS is still usable and doesn't have the problem of "sticking" in certain areas that are slightly greasier. It's also easier to clean just by wiping on your shirt. The glass treatment won't eliminate smudging from your bodily secretions altogether, but it's a very useful improvement for something you're touching all the time.
The video really shows how fast the iPhone 3GS is. Safari, Email, Camera all load noticeably faster than on the iPhone 3G (both running 3.0 software). Even booting the phone takes about half the time. Apps with long load times, like Sims 3, Oregon Trail or Metal Gear Touch all show how much faster you get up and running on the new device. Seriously, everything is faster. It's exactly the same experience as switching from a two- or three-year-old computer to something brand new. Your apps all look the same, but they load and run much more smoothly. Even if you're doing the same things on both machines, the new machine is that much better to work on.

What does this speed increase mean for future iPhone apps and games? With the iPhone 3GS running on a 600MHz CPU with 256MB RAM (up from 400MHz and 128MB), there's a much higher performance ceiling for apps to hit. The OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics standard that's now supported paves the way for an impressive visual boost. Hubert (a former Nvidia developer) from Ubergizmo says it's somewhere along the lines of going from Half Life 1 to Half Life 2, which is essentially going up a console generation. Gamers should pay attention.

Like we said before, the iPhone 3G will still run most of the games for the near future. That 40 million unit potential market of iPhone/iPod Touch devices is too big to just ignore and put out an app just for 3GS phones, so your old phone will still be able to keep up. But developers are like alcoholics. If you put more system resources in front of them, they can't help but use all of it just because they can. Also, they drink a lot.

Apple hates to emphasize specs in products like the iPhone 3GS, but even they couldn't resist bragging about the speed boost. That S is there for a reason.

The 3GS also has a 3-megapixel camera, adding auto focus and video recording. You even get an interface that lets you tap on a section of the screen that you want to focus on and the phone will automatically adjust the focus to that point in space.

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BlackBerry Storm

According to a source very close to the issue, Verizon has given the go for RIM to release the BlackBerry Storm 2 in September of this year. The followup to the groundbreaking Storm that was released last year as the first touchscreen Blackberry, SlashGear has been told that the new Storm 2 addresses one of the biggest criticisms of the first smartphone and of Verizon devices in general, in that it will support WiFi.
While we’re not able to name our source, we can say that we’ve no doubts regarding the veracity of their information. The source gave us their assurances that the Storm 2 would have WiFi, and would be an even better Pro-consumer device than the first Storm. We wonder if RIM and Verizon will make any changes to the touchscreen, a common point of complaint for the first-gen devices; comments he dropped lead us to believe WiFi isn’t the only thing RIM and Verizon have up their sleeve with the Storm 2.

The original Blackberry Storm debuted as Verizon’s challenger to the iPhone, remains one of their flagship devices. With the release of Blackberry App World, the Storm is in an even better position to make a dent in Apple’s market share. The launch of the Storm 2 with WiFi and an improved touchscreen could draw both consumers and business users alike in to Verizon.

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