News for Tuesday, 15 July 2008

As we already mentioned it, the iPhone 3G will not be available in France before July 17th, so we got our sample from Belgium where the law forces Mobistar to offer it as a subscription-free device. We decided to queue with other consumers in front of an APR, Macline, and due to shortage only the "White" 16 GB model was available.

We then tested the 3G model with the first generation iPhone:


Once activated, both model worked flawlessly with both SFR and Orange SIM cards. Having an SIM unlocked iPhone makes it possible to choose you carrier, as well as using pre-paid SIM card when you are visiting other countries for business or holidays; avoiding roaming costs.
Hereafter is the iPhone first generation on the right, while the new 3G model is on the left.


When looking at them on the display side, both models look almost identical, the main difference is located on the backside. The first generation iPhone features an aluminum-type case which is more than appealing, while the 3G looks a bit "cheap" with its white or black plastic back case, the only advantage is to be less sensitive to finger prints.
The new 3G model also feature a more rounded back side, making the iPhone easier to hold in hands, however, it makes it although less stable when having it lying horizontally on a table and entering text with the virtual keyboard. Depending how you type the iPhone can move or even rock...
We then conducted couple of simple tests, especially to evaluate the new functions:
- 3G: as we already posted about it, it really changes the experience of web browsing and emailing with the iPhone, so far the signal strength is good enough (3G: 150 KB/s vs. EDGE: 15.5 KB/s tested data transfer speed)
- GPS: we could only test it in Paris where the geolocalization feature available with the iPhone first generation was already working perfectly thanks to Wi-Fi hotspots. As the iPhone does not include integrated maps, you will have to download them, and better while you still have access to an ADSL connection. The iPhone 3G starts to positioning process with Wi-Fi hotspots when available, then get satellite data, and your location appears as a flashing dot on the map, evolving in real time while you are moving.
- The iPhone 3G supports all headset without the need of an adaptor.
- One can get a call while using the data network, something impossible with the first model (due to EDGE limited bandwidth).
Last but not least, the key question for many owners of the first generation iPhone: Is it worth dropping the first generation iPhone to the new 3G model?
Honestly, 90 % of the new features and functions are directly inherited from the firmware 2.0, which is available on both models. The question should then be only restricted to the true needs of the new technical features (see above): true GPS and 3G. If you do not use them regularly, or were not desperately missing them with the first generation iPhone, then no need to buy the new model. Of course, if as many of us you were waiting for the iPhone update, which will bring GPS and 3G supports, then do not wait any longer, and run to get one. For practical reason, it would also be nice for customers to get iPhone as SIM unlocked to let them choose their carriers...

If the SLI has been for a long time restricted to hardcore gamers, the availability of CUDA has changed the environment, and SLI could become a way to increase GPU performance without offering faster GPUs. It seems that NVidia could accept to license its SLI technology to third-party, and not restrict it only to AMD processor-dedicated motherboards, but open it to Nehalem-compatible motherboards.
However, it will of course not be easy. To have the SLI functional on a non-NVidia branded motherboard, one will need an extra chips on the board. In addition to the R&D costs linked to its integration, this chips will be priced 30 USD. So for the time being, NVidia decided to lock the SLI via a hardware protection, instead of licensing the technology to third parties at the firmware level which could have been simpler to implement in existing and future chipsets. But things might also change till the end of the year, when the Nehalem is supposed to be released, and the current success of AMD/ATI with the new Radeons could force NVidia to revise its current position about SLI. Especially if we consider that the new Radeon are pretty impressive when associated via the CrossFire technology, AMD/ATI's equivalent to NVidia's SLI.
This could only be positive for Mac users as Snow Leopard should (finally) support multiple graphic cards (in SLI and/or CrossFire settings).

NVidia is crossing a difficult period. the new Radeon have captured much more market share than originally expected, and NVidia had to cut prices of the GeForce GTX for the second time in less than a month.
The new prices are:
- GF GTX 280, the flagship model costs now 499 USD instead of 699 USD when it was launched.
- GF GTX 260 costs "only" 299 USD, instead of 399 USD at launch (33% cheaper).
In addition, the on-going issue with NVidia GF 8400 and 8600 desktop and mobile GPUs could also cost the company much more than the 200 millions USD alreadu budgetized.

A new minor update of VLC is available. 0.8.6i fixes several bugs and closes some security holes:
http://www.videolan.org/

You probably remember about CenterStage as we previously talked about it on hardmac. This has been often defined as The interface that the AppleTV forgot and the community waited and wanted it to be brought to life. To speed up the development of the Mac Media Center application, the CenterStage group and Plex (formally OSXBMC) have joind forces. If you want to enjoy the demo of the CenterStage GUI, visit the following page: http://centerstageproject.com/the-future.php
A fresh update is although provided regarding the near future time-line for CenterStage development:

There will be a lot of changes in the coming weeks as we reposition ourselves and the goals of this project. The CenterStage group will now be concentrating on frontend UI development and the Plex group will be taking care of backend development.
In the future a full blown merger may take place, both groups will come together and the project given a new name. We have an exciting website update ready to be implemented when that day comes and everything is in place to become one of the best OpenSource communities out there.

More know about it: http://centerstageproject.com/splash.php

Hereafter is a report from Jean:

I was really impatient to try the iDisk file sharing function demonstrated during the WWDC keynote, as with the previous .Mac similar function it was almost not usable. I was very disappointed to notice that the function was simply NOT available on MobileMe even though it was demoed during the WWDC!! Despite the clear improvement of MobileMe when compared to .Mac, I decided to contact Apple Support, hereafter is the answer:
Dear customer,
Thanks for your interest in iDisk file sharing, unfortunately this function is currently not available on MobileMe.
When MobileMe was announced, the iDisk file sharing was mentioned as an existing function, but on the MobileMe webpage is was stated that the list of functions is susceptible to be modified. When MobileMe became available on July 10th, the iDisk file sharing was not included.
We are sorry for this inconvenient.
However, you can use the Public folder of your iDisk to share files...
I am not fully satisfied with the answer, and I think .Mac users could have been better informed and treated before the launch of MobileMe.

If it is difficult to define if there is more satisfied users than annoyed ones, MobileMe is clearly not being unanimously acclaimed, ant not fulfilling the needs of previous .Mac users. Some of them are even trying to get the months remaining on their subscription to be paid back as they do not intend to keep using the service as there are not satisfied anymore.

If Apple tries with its iPhone to compete with the Blackberry with, especially for the corporate market, its competitor is also adopting some iPhone functions as illustrated below:

The future Blackberry can have a virtual keyboard, both horizontally and vertically. Apple will have a hard time to compete on the corporate market, even though the customer electronic market seems to be already convinced by the quality of the iPhone 3G.

iPhone Atlas published a news about an issue we already experienced ourselves with the iPhone 3G.
As with all 3G handheld, when the 3G signal is too weak, the iPhone automatically switch to 2G. In practice, the iPhone is relatively slow to perform the transition, and sometimes when it is carried out, it has lost the signal leading to the following message:

As soon as you are one the edge of the 3G signal, then this message pops-up couple of seconds before the transition to 2G.
iPhone Atlas offers several tricks to boost the iPhone 3G signal strength, however none of them will not turn iron into gold, but can sometimes improve the reception.
The easiest way is certainly to wait for the next firmware update which should fix such parameters.
We have also tested the 3G signal performance, and as illustrated below, we could reach data transfer speed of 150 KB/s (equivalent to 2 Mbit/s ADSL):

When using the EDGE 2G network the data transfer speed dropped to 15.5 KB/s.

Benefitting from the incapacity of the AACS to copy protect the Blu-ray disks, the company X-PROTECT proposes a new system coming to be added to the precedents. It would not require an complex update in order to counter the attempts at hacking. It would be compatible with all the Blu-ray profiles (without update of the readers) thus with the computers and the PS3.
We are intellectually curious to know if this solution will hold up longer than the others.