Verizon, AT&T compete for iPhone customers

Verizon Wireless customers in Arizona and across the country finally will gain access to the iconic Apple iPhone on Feb. 10, ending AT&T's 3 1/2-year monopoly on the wildly popular smartphone.

Apple's new relationship with Verizon was announced Tuesday, ending months of speculation about the match between the top smartphone maker and leading wireless carrier.

The deal heightens the competition between the nation's two biggest wireless providers as No. 1 Verizon tries to lure No. 2 AT&T's iPhone customers while AT&T offers incentives to keep them.

The companies, two of the country's biggest advertisers, are expected to roll out aggressive campaigns touting the virtues of their iPhone offers.

The big winners likely will be consumers, who will be able to access the features of an iPhone on Verizon's extensive network, and Apple, which could see sales of its phones double this year as a result of the deal.

Analysts cite potential losers as AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile, who could see subscribers bolt for Verizon, and phone makers such as Research in Motion and Motorola, which could see sales growth slow for their BlackBerry and Android smartphones.

The deal could be costly at first for Verizon, which will have to shell out about $300 in subsidies for each phone it sells to keep them competitively priced.

Jenny Weaver, a spokeswoman for Verizon Wireless in Chandler, said customers who are eligible for an upgrade will be able to order an iPhone 4 on Feb. 3, a week before they are made available to the public.

With a new two-year service contract, the cost will be $200 for a 16-gigabyte phone and $300 for a more powerful 32-gigabyte model. The prices are comparable with AT&T.

Verizon will not offer the entry-level 8-gigabyte iPhone that AT&T sells for $49.

Weaver would not say how many of Verizon's 93 million wireless clients are eligible for an upgrade but did note the firm expects record iPhone sales.

"We believe there is a lot of pent-up demand," she said.

Steven Jim of Phoenix is a Sprint customer who plans to upgrade to an iPhone with Verizon when his contact is up. He has wanted an iPhone but was concerned about the reliability of AT&T's network.

Although AT&T has sold more than 25 million iPhones through its exclusive agreement with Apple, many customers have complained about the carrier's spotty coverage and dropped calls.

Verizon is expected to capitalize on AT&T's network shortcomings in its iPhone-marketing campaign.

A recent Consumer Reports survey ranked AT&T last in customer satisfaction in metro Phoenix, behind Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile, with poor marks for data, texting and reliability.

A recent survey by investment banker Credit Suisse indicated that 23 percent of AT&T's iPhone users would switch to Verizon given the opportunity. Only 3 percent would be willing break their existing contracts and pay a penalty to do so, however. Most AT&T customers have two-year service contracts with the carrier, and many recently took advantage of incentives to renew.

Still, Credit Suisse estimates that AT&T could lose 1.4 million subscribers to Verizon right off the bat and millions more throughout the year as contracts expire.

Not everyone is unhappy with AT&T, though.

Doug Allen, who was visiting Phoenix from Washington, D.C., bought an iPhone from AT&T when they were first offered in 2007 and said he is completely satisfied with the service. "I have no reason to switch," he said.

The iPhone will run on Verizon's 3G network instead of the much faster 4G network the carrier rolled out to its Valley customers in December.

AT&T contends that its souped-up 3G network is faster than Verizon's and that iPhone customers would sacrifice download speed by switching. AT&T is likely to stress its network speed in its battle with Verizon to retain and attract iPhone customers.

Although the iPhone will run on Verizon's slower 3G network, the company plans to add four Android phones to its 4G network by midyear.

While Apple's exclusive agreement with AT&T helped launch the iPhone, the deal may have served limit Apple's growth and helped foster the growth of BlackBerrys and Androids.

Market-research company comSource Inc. estimates 61.5 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones during the three months ending in November, up 10 percent from the preceding three-month period. BlackBerry maker RIM lost 4 percent but still led with 33.5 percent of the smartphones in use. Google's Android phones gained 6.4 percent to displace Apple at No. 2 with 26 percent of the market, while Apple held at 25 percent with a 0.8 percent gain in market share.

JPMorgan analyst Rod Hall estimated in a research note that Motorola could lose 4 million phone sales to Apple this year as a result of the Verizon deal and that RIM could lose 2.5 million sales.

MORE ON THIS TOPIC

Carrier comparison

Verizon Wireless

- Selling point: More robust network. Fewer dead zones and dropped calls.

- iPhone sales: Start Feb. 10.

- Projected volume: 9 million to 13 million units (2011 estimate).

- Price: $200 for 16 gigabyte phone; $300 for 32 gigabyte model.

- Headquarters: Basking Ridge, N.J.

- Current number of wireless customers: 93.2 million.

AT&T Wireless

- Selling point: Faster speeds for downloading music and videos and for surfing the Internet.

- iPhone sales: Since June 2007.

- Sales volume: 11 million units (2010 approx.)

- Price: $200 for 16 gigabyte phone; $300 for 32 gigabyte model; $49 for 8 gigabyte.

- Headquarters: Dallas.

- Current number of wireless customers: 92.8 million.

by Max Jarman The Arizona Republic Jan. 12, 2011 12:00 AM





Verizon, AT&T compete for iPhone customers

iPhone alarm glitch leaves users fuming - Yahoo! News

AFP/File – The bells weren't ringing for many iPhone users this New Year's weekend, when thanks to a glitch …

NEW YORK (AFP) – The bells weren't ringing for many iPhone users this New Year's weekend, when thanks to a glitch the alarms on Apple's iconic mobile phones failed to go off, causing many to oversleep.

It was the second time in just a few months that the alarm function on the phone failed to activate correctly, prompting an avalanche of complaints on the social networking micro-blog Twitter.

"Dear iPhone, why didn't your alarm go off this morning? I set six of them. I've now missed church. Thanks for nothing," said one user Sunday morning.

"Some sort of digital iPhone pandemic is going on. Alarm clock failure reports are pouring in from all sources around the globe," said another Twitter user.

Apple said in a message sent to Macworld magazine that the California-based company was aware of the problem. "We're aware of an issue related to non-repeating alarms set for January 1 or 2," spokeswoman Natalie Harrison said.

"Customers can set recurring alarms for those dates and all alarms will work properly beginning January 3."

The problem seemed to be affecting Apple's most recent versions of iPhones and iPods launched in November, but website Engadget suggested that it may also have hit earlier versions.

The problem first occurred when the clocks went back at the end of October and early November when Australian and British iPhone owners complained of being late for work because their alarms had not switched over to the new time.

Apple did not immediately respond to a query from AFP on Sunday.

New research has found the new generation of iPhone is more prone to damage.

by AFP January 2, 2011



iPhone alarm glitch leaves users fuming - Yahoo! News

New iPhone for Christmas? Download these games first

Yeah, your brand-new iPhone does a lot of great things to help you stay productive. It’s great for checking emails and staying up on Facebook, and even translating words and taking photos with its camera. Oh, and you can make calls with it.

But one of the most interesting and deepest functions of the iPhone is its gaming ability. There are tons of gaming apps in the iTunes App Store, and while many of them are a little mindless and not too impressive, many more are phenomenal -- making innovative use of the iPhone’s touch screen, internal gyroscope and other hardware.

But how to wade through all the sub-par games to figure out what’s essential for your new game machine/cell phone? We’ve done the hard work for you: below are 15 games you should check out right away to get the most out of your iOS device.

Action

Infinity Blade ($6.99)

Yes, the price tag’s a little steep compared to other games, but there’s a reason for that -- Infinity Blade is the best-looking game available on the iPhone, bar none. This one-on-one sword-fighting action game has a tendency to get addictive, looks great and packs a decent challenge. If there’s a game to show off what your new phone is capable of, this is it.

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light ($6.99)

Guardian of Light is a pitch-perfect port of the game of the same name that was available for download on Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network. With two-stick shooting elements, a top-down dungeon crawling feel, and a crazy amount of puzzles to solve and challenges to complete. Best of all is a great cooperative play mode that uses a Wi-Fi or 3G Internet connection and demands some intuitive teamwork and puzzle-solving strategy.

Eliminate Pro (Free)

The best part of this hardcore first-person shooter from ngmoco is that, like lots of its other games, it’s free.Eliminate is an online-only multiplayer deathmatch game that makes use of tilt and touch controls to play. It’s filled with in-app purchases, but you can’t beat a free chance to take on enemies all over the world, wherever you are.

N.O.V.A. 2 ($6.99)

N.O.V.A. 2 is the sequel to Gameloft’s iPhone clone of the Xbox 360’s Halo franchise, which contains quality graphics and first-person shooter action, using a combination of tilt and virtual controls to take the fight to various aliens. There’s also an online multiplayer deathmatch mode that’s a lot like Eliminate, but with a story driven single-player campaign to back it up. The original is also available for $4.99.

Related: Best free iPhone games of all time

More Appolicious coverage of great iPhone Games

Casual

Plants vs. Zombies ($2.99)

When it comes to strategic tower defense, there aren’t many better offerings than Plants vs. Zombies are attacking your lawn, and the only way to defend it is by planting various types of plants that block, blast and shoot the encroaching undead. The app packs 50 levels and was Apple’s choice for iPhone game of the year.

Osmos ($2.99)

An imaginative game with a great soundtrack, Osmos is one of those apps that shows the innovative thinking that’s happening on the iOS platform. You control a single-celled organism and work through puzzles by absorbing other organisms, unless they’re bigger than you are, in which case, they absorb you. Osmos takes quite a bit of strategy and light-touch precision to master, and is one of the best games available on the iPhone.

Flight Control ($0.99)

This is one of those apps that’s super-simple and yet tough to put down. Your job is to guide various airplanes to their appropriate runways by tracing a line from the plane to its destination. The planes then follow the flight path you laid out for them, and it’s up to you to keep them from crashing into one another. Flight Control is also available in a recently released free version so you can try it before you buy it.

Platforming

Trundle (Free, with in-app purchases of additional levels)

An interesting physics-based platformer that has you moving a gear around various levels by tilting your iPhone and jumping by tapping. You’ll solve environmental puzzles each time you advance to a new screen, with the only score being your need to explore further and master more of the game. Trundle offers a significant portion of the game for free, with more levels available for in-app purchase.

Pix n’ Love Rush ($0.99)

This pretty 8-bit style platformer with a great soundtrack is perfectly designed for mobile gaming. You control a little monster and work through endless, changing stages to collect “plus molecules,” while avoiding enemies and minuses, in order to better your score. Pix n’ Love Rusheven includes a five-minute mode to be just the right bite-size game to play when time is short. It’s easy to learn but tough to master.

Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor ($2.99)

Spider is actually two games in one: it’s part platformer-arcade game in which you control a spider using touch controls, swiping to jump and building webs on different pieces of furniture in an abandoned house. The webs catch you bugs, which you eat to advance to the next stage. But at the same time, as you explore the house, you’ll slowly uncover more and more information about what went on there -- adding a mystery element to your bug-munching spider fun.

Related: Best paid iPhone games of all time

More Appolicious coverage of great iPhone games

Puzzle

Cut the Rope ($0.99)

Another simple, yet nearly impossible to put down, puzzle game, Cut the Rope’s premise requires you to do exactly that -- you must cut the ropes holding food morsels strategically, so that they swing and avoid obstacles to reach the mouth of a little green monster you need to feed. The levels get progressively harder, working in more and more elements like bubbles and walls. At only a buck, Cut the Rope is in the running for one of the iPhone’s best casual games.

Angry Birds ($0.99)

There’s a reason this is the No. 1 paid game in the App Store: Angry Birds is a physics-based game that’s a pretty fair mix of easy and challenging. You’ll pick it up fast, but Angry Birds will keep you blasting through its 195 levels as you use a slingshot and various different birds to exact revenge on a group of egg-snatching pigs. Each level has you trying to destroy structures that the pigs are hiding in by strategically crashing through them -- it’s tough to master, and you get a lot for a dollar here.

Sudoku 2 (Free)

It may not be crazy in terms of graphics or physics-based controls, butSudoku 2 is exactly the kind of game you’ll want for a plane ride or car trip. Featuring puzzles that escalate in difficulty, this version of sudoku is plain and simple which makes it ideal. It’s also available in apremium edition for $2.99, which throws in online leaderboards and a points system.

Rhythm

Tap Tap Revenge 4 (Free, with in-app purchases of additional tracks)

If you’re familiar with Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero or Rock Band, you’ll understand Tap Tap Revenge right away. It’s a rhythm game in which you tap specific spots on your screen along with the music -- keeping the beat and thinking fast results in a higher score. With tons of premium track packs, plus free songs added all the time, there’s always a new song to play.

Racing

Real Racing 2 ($9.99)

Real Racing 2 feels like an expensive one, until you see how realistic and faithful this game is with its racing. There are more about 30 real cars include, and the game has some of the most impressive 3D graphics on the iPhone so far. It also supports up to 16 racers in its online multiplayer mode.

by Phil Hornshaw Yahoo Games December 27, 2010

New iPhone for Christmas? Download these games first

Lillian Wong's Blog: Get LILLIAN WONG on the Go...There's an App for that!

She's mobile now! Get LILLIAN WONG on the Go! There's an App for that! Get it now!

Follow her Tweets on Twitter!

Like her Page on Facebook!

Read her Blog Posts on Blogger!

Watch her Favorites on YouTube!

Listen to her Blips on BlipFM!

wbxapp.com/lillianwong


Lillian Wong's Blog: Get LILLIAN WONG on the Go...There's an App for that!

iPhone app rates its users' ugliness

Michael Chow/The Arizona Republic Jo Overline, co-creator of the Ugly Meter app for iPhones, shows a scan. The app snaps a picture of a subject's face, analyzes the image for symmetry, ranks one's ugliness and flings an insult or compliment.


It scans and analyzes, then it insults.

"You're so ugly, if you sat in the sand, cats would try to bury you."

An irreverent new iPhone application developed in Gilbert has attracted national attention and criticism for its caustically humorous approach to beauty-or the lack thereof.

The Ugly Meter, which costs $0.99 through Apple, enables an iPhone to snap a picture of a subject's face, analyze the image for symmetry and fling a corresponding insult or compliment based on the outcome that describes the person's appearance.

Love it or hate it, the app has sparked a fiery debate between those who defend its irreverence and others who worry it could become a psychological weapon for cyberbullies.

Co-creators Jo Overline and Ryan Allen insist the app is "supposed to be fun" and say the insults are all family-friendly.

The program uses a simple facial-recognition program to mathematically calculate symmetry and grades a person's "ugliness" on a scale from 0 to 10, with 10 being the ugliest.

"You can't take it too seriously," Allen said.

But not everyone is laughing.

Critics have used national media to blast the app, calling it a potential tool for cyberbullies and suggesting it be removed from Apple's online store.

Parry Aftab, founder of wired safety.org, a non-profit that works to prevent online bullying, said numerous apps and websites allow users to anonymously harass, annoy, or embarrass someone else.

"Some claim to have legitimate purposes but grow in popularity because kids figure out there is a way to abuse them to enable them to abuse each other," Aftab said. "It's so easy to use these technologies to do what we used to just think about.

"The Internet allows us to say a lot of things out loud that we normally wouldn't. It allows us to hide behind a fake persona."

But only a bad score would potentially harm the subject's self-esteem. On the other hand, some users say a good score on the app has boosted their confidence.

Ernie Myers, senior pastor at Deep Creek Baptist Church in Chesapeake, Va., last Sunday told his congregation that his Ugly Meter score gave him an ego boost.

He said he scored a 3.9 rating, which brought this praise from the program: You're hot enough to melt ice.

"I've always believed I was only passably good looking," he said during his sermon, which can be viewed on the church's website. "When I saw that I was hot enough to melt ice, I got a little more pep in my step. I got a little bit more joy in my heart because somebody, somewhere thinks I'm good looking."

About two months after its release, Ugly Meter has generated over 100,000 downloads, peaking at No. 3 on the most popular chart, Overline said.

The success has stunned the developer duo, who have been creating apps as a hobby for over a year.

"We didn't really have any expectations," Overline said. "When we saw we broke through the top 200 we were literally in shock. We couldn't work that day. We were just staring at the screen, watching it as it went up and up and up."

Now they're preparing to develop an Ugly Meter app for the Android market and are developing a new version that would rate the ugliness of babies.

"We might as well make everybody mad," Allen said.

When the concerns over bullying swept through the national media, the developers said they received hateful e-mails and even death threats.

But even the negative attention has been "the best thing that ever happened to us," Allen said. After dozens of radio interviews and a national TV spot, sales of the app spiked even higher.

"We didn't design it to bully," Overline said. "Parents need to take responsibility for putting their iPhone in the hands of 8-year-olds. They have the whole Internet at their fingertips. Really, the Ugly Meter is one of the least harmful things they could be messing around with."

Overline and Allen said they generally rate around an 8.2. Despite their unflattering score, they're both married.

by Parker Leavitt The Arizona Republic Oct. 31, 2010 12:00 AM




iPhone app rates its users' ugliness

Apple gives software developers guidelines for app approval

NEW YORK - Apple Inc. on Thursday handed software developers the guidelines it uses to determine which programs can be sold in its App Store, yet it reserved for itself broad leeway in deciding what makes the cut.

The move follows more than two years of complaints from developers about the company's secret and seemingly capricious rules, which block some programs from the store and hence Apple's popular iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices.

The guidelines go some way toward addressing those complaints and broadening the discussion about Apple's custodianship of the App Store.

The rules consist of a checklist specifying that "apps that rapidly drain the device's battery or generate excessive heat will be rejected." Also bound to be rejected are "apps containing rental content or services that expire after a limited time."

But some of the guidelines leave much for developers to figure out.

"We will reject Apps for any content or behavior that we believe is over the line. What line, you ask? Well, as a Supreme Court Justice once said, 'I'll know it when I see it.' And we think that you will also know it when you cross it," the guidelines say.

Earlier this year, Apple forced the creator of a comic-book version of James Joyce's novel "Ulysses" to alter panels featuring nudity, echoing the censorship debate in the 1920s and '30s, when the novel itself was banned in the U.S. for obscenity.

In the guidelines, Apple draws a line between broader expressions of freedom of speech and the App Store.

"We view Apps different than books or songs, which we do not curate. If you want to criticize a religion, write a book. If you want to describe sex, write a book or a song, or create a medical app," the guidelines say.

Apple also says it will block applications that don't do "something useful or provide some lasting entertainment."

The App Store's chief competitor, Google Inc.'s Android Marketplace, has few restrictions for developers. That has been welcomed by developers but has also led to a flood of low-quality applications and even some that prey on buyers. Security firm Kaspersky Lab said it found one media-player application that secretly sends text-message payments - which get added to phone bills - when installed by Russian phone users.

Despite restrictions, Apple's store has been a runaway success since its launch in 2008 and now has more than 250,000 applications.

by Peter Svensson Associated Press Sept. 10, 2010 12:00 AM



Apple gives software developers guidelines for app approval

New iPhone released to public

by John Yantis The Arizona Republic Jun. 25, 2010 08:18 AM

Hundreds of mostly young, patient and tech-savvy customers lined up for hours at Biltmore Fashion Park in Phoenix on Thursday to be the first to get Apple Inc's latest iPhone.

Even at lunchtime, hours after the Apple Store's 7 a.m. opening, a double line - one for those who reserved the phone and one for those who didn't - snaked from the front of the Apple Store around the corner to a sidewalk ringing the mall parking lot.

Some reports said that, after introducing the iPhone 4 model in five countries, Apple was on its way to selling a record 1 million iPhones on Thursday alone, raising concerns about supply shortages.

By 3:30 p.m. Thursday, an employee at the Biltmore store said the phone had been sold out for at least two hours. Customers who ordered one were not being promised delivery dates because the store did not know when it would get another shipment, he said.

More than 600,000 people pre-ordered the phones earlier this month, according to Apple.

The launch was the latest triumph for the Cupertino, Calif.-based company, which announced this week that it had sold 3 million iPads in the 80 days since the tabletlike product hit the market.

Although there are a few glitches, including the replacement of some SIM cards and problems using the iPhone's new antenna, customers were excited to try the new features, including video calling, high-definition recording and what Apple says is an improved crystal-clear display. The new version, which starts at $199, is thinner than its predecessor and features tougher glass in its design.

Armando Sausedo, 29, began his effort to get one at 4 a.m. Wednesday. By 11:45 a.m. Thursday, he was fifth in the line for those who hadn't pre-ordered.

He and others, including a man who had a tent and beat the crowd by arriving at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, lined up before sunrise along Camelback Road because mall management didn't want customers close to the store until it opened, Sausedo said. There were about 400 people waiting to get in when Apple employees opened up, he said.

At first, the store was allowing 15 people inside who had pre-ordered to every one who didn't.

"The crowd became irate, so they lowered it," Sausedo said. By the time he got to the front door, the ratio was two people who reserved a phone to every one who didn't.

"I did not upgrade to iPhone 3GS, so I got left behind in one upgrade," he said, adding that he was looking forward to linking the phone with other wireless Internet products. "Now that I am eligible, I definitely want one of those new phones," Sausedo added.

Sausedo was assured he would get one while he was standing in line when employees with a counter walked past him two hours before he entered the store.

"When they passed our section, we were happy," he said.

Police officers kept an eye on the store and the crowd. Water, snacks and pizza were provided to those in line under an awning that provided shade. Every time a customer was allowed in, the crowd clapped and cheered. Apple associates shook hands with the lucky ones as soon as they entered the store.

Stan Swartz, who splits his time between Phoenix and San Francisco, emerged from inside with a grin and a small iPhone box.

"I've had Apple (smartphones) since the first one," he said. Swartz paid a friend of his son $50 to stand in line for him early Thursday morning. When the iPad was released, he paid $200 for someone to save his spot.

He compared the new iPhone to his BlackBerry smartphone. The BlackBerry doesn't work well in some areas of San Francisco, and it takes more steps on the BlackBerry to perform simple tasks, including taking a photo, he said. "It's like a Volkswagen and a Rolls-Royce," Swartz said, praising Apple's customer service..

Not everyone in line was ready to try the more than 225,000 applications available for iPhone users.

"I just talk and listen to Pandora Radio," said Jonathan Ibarra, who drove from Goodyear to the Biltmore store, partly because his older iPhone had cracked. "I don't do all the techie stuff. It's just a nice phone."


New iPhone released to public

ASU journalism school develops iPhone app for 'Arizona Guardian' - Phoenix Business Journal

by Mike Sunnucks Phoenix Business Journal June 4, 2010

Arizona State University and the Arizona Guardian news organization have developed an iPhone application that allows mobile users to identify a region’s elected officials based on the global positioning systems in their smart phones.

The free Arizona Political Directory application lets users search for their federal, state and county representatives. No matter where a user is in the state, the app will identify which elected officials represent that area. The app is searchable by office, district or name, and it provides links to the officials’ websites, short biographies and contact information.

ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication’s New Media Innovation Lab and the Guardian news website developed the application, which also allows for database searches of Arizona’s elected officials. They are developing the same app for Motorola’s Droid phone.

“Our hope is that voters will use the app to become more engaged more often with their elected officials,” said Guardian Publisher Bob Grossfeld. “We all felt very strongly that we would make the application available for free as a way of saying ‘thank you’ to everyone who has supported the Arizona Guardian over the past 18 months.”

Grossfeld did not say how much the Guardian paid ASU for the work.

“We hired them to do the programming as a way of supporting what the Cronkite School is doing in the area of training young people for the kind of online journalism work that we do,” he said.

The application was developed by ASU graduate students Cody Shotwell and Elizabeth Hill at the New Media Innovation Lab. The student-staffed lab has been working on research and product development since it was established in 2006.

“Today, we can deliver relevant information to people when they need it — when they are engaged in an issue and want to immediately call, tweet or e-mail a representative — and where they need it based on the geographic location of the user,” lab director Retha Hill said in a prepared statement.

Hill previously was a vice president of Black Entertainment Television.

The ASU lab also has developed a green game to increase energy awareness and conducted research about how young people use new media for the Newspaper Association of American Foundation and the Gannett Co.

Gannett is the Virginia-based corporate parent of the Arizona Republic newspaper and KPNX-TV Channel 12.

The Guardian was established in January 2009 by former news staffers from the East Valley Tribune. The online news group focuses on the Arizona Legislature and politics in general. It competes with the Arizona Capitol Times.

Arizona Guardian: www.arizonaguardian.com

ASU New Media Innovation Lab: nmil.jmc.asu.edu

ASU journalism school develops iPhone app for 'Arizona Guardian' - Phoenix Business Journal