While the new iPod touch was definitely an attention-grabber with its iPhone-style touch screen, this very same innovation proved to be the source of early teething problems for this Apple gadget. This is with regard to recent reports that the new iPod's screen was (quite literally) lackluster - some users pointed out that the screen "Looks like a negative," in certain parts.
 
Is this some inherent design flaw with the new product? Not exactly, explained an engineer going by the online moniker drvelocity. According to the tech, what we're looking at may be a case of poor quality controls over at Apple's production facilities. Here reads drvelocity's technical assessment of the screen problem:

I'm an engineer with experience in the LCD industry and after seeing enough photos of the Ipod Touch I feel that I can make a pretty accurate assessment of the "black level" situation. It appears to me that it's a problem with the anti-reflective coating. The good news is this is most likely a temporary situation due to quality control issues.

The tech further indicated that an anti-reflective (AR) coating is a layer installed in the display's glass to prevent light from the LED reflecting back down into the display. Without it, the display distorts, creating the black areas that were spotted in some iPods.

drvelocity explained that the problem was most probably caused by the iPod touch's factory being forced to rush the the unit off the production line due to very heavy time pressure. What followed was a reduction in quality control, and the release of some sub-par iPod units lacking an AR coating.

The good news is that the tech also noted that this appears to be a temporary problem -  Apple should able to stabilize its QC soon. Now, in case you're among the guys who was unfortunate enough to get a damaged iPod touch, be sure to contact the company asap.

 

Everyone has been raving about the iPhone. This comes as no surprise as it really is one hell of a phone. However, considering it's Apple's first stab into the mobile phone market, it's expected that it will still have some flaws.

One of the problems that has been pinpointed is the lack of consistency with its Graphical User Interface (GUI). One of the main complaints from users involve the location of  the "compose email" button. Other phones have this on the same place consistently, however, the iPhone places this in various locations depending on the application you're running. Here are a few examples from tuaw.com:

• Compose Button: The compose button, which looks like a square with a pencil through it, appears at the bottom right of many Mail screens and in the SMS Text application at the top-right of the screen. The Reply/Forward button appears just to the left of the Compose icon in Mail. Tap this to reply to a message or forward it on to another party.
• Envelope Icon. In the Notes application, the envelope icon appears on the bottom of the page, to the left of the garbage can. Tap it to email the current note.
• Use-For Icon: The use-photo-for icon appears at the bottom left of the screen. It looks like a rectangle with an arrow jumping out of it-the arrow is basically a mirror of the Reply/Forward button. Tap this and select Email Photo from the pop-up menu.
• Share: You can share YouTube video and Safari URLs by email. Tap the Share button on the Information page in YouTube and in the navigate-to-URL screen in Safari. To find this in YouTube, tap the blue reveal button located to the right of the video name. In Safari, tap on the URL bar and then look up and to the left.

These inconsistencies show a very modular method of designing the iPhone. The product could have been better streamlined with its different applications working in a more standardized manner. While this is a minor issue and is easily overshadowed by what the iPhone does right, Apple will hopefully take this into consideration when designing future phones.

There's a lot to be happy about when you've got an iPhone, so it doesn't come as a suprise to find out that most owners of the gizmo are satisfied. According to recently published survey results, Apple's baby boasts of 92% satisfaction rating - the highest ever among cellular phone devices.

Last July 18 - 25, barely a month after iPhone became available, 74 owners were asked what they felt about their US$ 600 phones and what feature they liked best. Three in four, 77% to be specific, were "Very Satisfied." Some 15% owners were also "Somewhat Satisfied," totalling 92% of happy iPhone owners.

Most who participated in the survey, a good 66%, loved integration of phone, iPod, and Internet browser the most. Touch screen interface came in second, with 45% votes as the favorite feature. Some 22% appreciate how easy it is to use, while 16% like how big the screen is.

For the entire survey results, just head over the Read link below.

Looking at reports and data coming in, the folks down at Engadget believe that a new iPod is due to come out, and soon. They believe it should be out sometime on September or October (pending Steve Job's decision not to mess up their theory).

The conclusion of a new iPod coming out comes from some timing in the marketplace and info from retailers.

For one thing, it's been a while since the iPhone came out and there's sufficient passage of time between the recent release of the new iMac and the coming holidays for the market to be ready for another pretty Apple product.

Info from retailers also suggest a new iPod. Not only are iPods seeing a price drop but shipments are also declining. With the holidays coming up, this strongly suggests that they're preparing the market for something new under the same product line. It's also been brought up that a new iPod might cut down iPhone sales so a new version might not be questionable, but Jobs once commented that if there's any cannibalizing to be done in sales, it might as well be from Apple itself.

So don't go buying yourself an iPod just yet. Who knows? Maybe the next version will actually be the iPhone without the Phone.

Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter's eyes are on the iPhone and the DS, saying Apple isn't serious about gaming and mobile games on the pricey iPhone won't live up to Nintendo's handheld.

"The markets are different. The iPhone is an expensive toy for the wealthy and self-indulgent, while the DS is an inexpensive toy for everyone," Pachter said. This seems to be in response to Apple's recent moves to expand the iPhone's gaming library.

Some third-party publishers have been expressing interest and even support towards Apple's hottest multi-purpose handheld, but Pachter doesn't see good things in the future. He told GamesIndustry.biz:

I think that Apple will succeed in making mobile phone games a bit more accessible and fun, but cannot conceive of their gaining significant share of the handheld market. The iPhone is unlikely to ever compete effectively, as it is unlikely to attract the level of third-party developer support afforded the DS.

Nintendo is having tremendous success with its handheld console, the DS, despite the fact that Sony's PlayStation Portable has been providing intense opposition. Given Nintendo's recent moves, it seems that the company is planning to delve deeper into the casual games arena, engaging Apple in the process.

Accordingly, Nintendo recently filed a patent that will bring the Wii's motion-sensing features to the handheld platform hinting that a new DS SKU is coming soon. More interestingly, analysts have said that a motion-sensitive DS is similar to Apple's motion-based accelerometer-enabled iPhone.

  

Apple has reportedly been preparing its library of games for the iPhone. Engadget.com Editorial Director Peter Rojas commented that "Apple is expected to make a gaming announcement soon by Macworld in January at the latest". AppleInsider.com Editor-In-Chief Kasper Jade added, "I was told that a major game developer was seeded with iPhone [technology] quite some time ago".

Some of you may comment that iPhone is not really a contender because it lacks buttons. But technology expert Seth Porges already has an answer to that, "If people could get over the lack of real buttons, the fact that the screen is multi-touch could be ideal for light gaming".

If all of these turn out to be true, then all we can say is that we are all in for a great war between titans Nintendo and Apple and we hope that the consumers will benefit from this in the end.

Steve Jobs has been known to have a thing against buttons. You can see this in almost all the products that Apple has released under his direction. This minimalist approach to technology has been successful, and has been one of his principles ever since the company released their first computer.

Some of our older readers may remember that the original Macintosh's keyboard had fewer buttons than a normal PC keyboard. This was done because Jobs said that this would force independent programmers to make programs that would use the mouse, which wasn't common to systems during that time. His gamble worked.

Another example of this would be the iPod, which people now praise for its innovative and simple interface. What most don't realize though is that when the product was first released, a lot of people were calling Apple tech support just to figure out how to turn the product on. It took time for people to get used to it, but when they did, they preferred it to the more common buttons prevalent in the electronics industry.

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak had the following to say about Jobs' attitude: "When Steve hits on something important to him, for either a personal reason or a design reason, he sticks with it for pretty much his whole life... until someone can absolutely prove him wrong."

What Jobs insisted on some 27 years ago has become a cornerstone in the development of Apple's products. He has become a legend in his own time not because of the complexity of the technology his company developed, but because of how simple it is to use.

People all know by now that the iPhone's current features can easily be outdone by most smartphones out in the market, such as Nokia's groundbreaking N95 smartphone for example. Still, the iPhone is being touted as the best device that hit the market, and it's not just hype - people who bought the iPhone were very satisfied with their purchase. So, what's the deal?

According to a comprehensive review in Download Squad, it's because the iPhone was never marketed as a smartphone; rather, the iPhone was being advertised as an iPod, a mobile phone, and a portable internet device.

iPhone was meant for users who could never be bothered with such complicated power features, which are crammed in today's smartphones. Instead it put its emphasis on ease of use. So easy to use, that the iPhone does not come with a user's manual (the manual can be downloaded from Apple's website).

The iPhone's lack of complex features added to its appeal to the mass market as well. Multimedia experience with the iPhone is seamless with a less cluttered user interface that is almost a part of every other smartphone in the market.

It is therefore no wonder that the iPhone turned out to be such a hit with the mass market, despite its high-end price. In the end, it is not the features that made the iPhone win, but it is how the iPhone allowed people do things with ease.

Check out the entire review in the Read link!

An iPhone without the Phone? Media Loper believes that this may be exactly what the new generation in iPods will be.

Here are some things they think would be included in the new generation of iPod:

• Big screen with auto adjustment - Here's the "true video iPod" for you. Big screen with automatic orientation adjustments. You can't expect the next video iPod to come out without this feature, it just wouldn't be right to call it a video iPod when you put it beside an iPhone.
• Touch screen interface - Well with a big screen where would the controls go? And if it has a touch screen, why not have all the things the iPhone has as well? It'd also be advantageous for Apple to have one common interface for their products. It'll make making decisions easier since you don't have to worry about familiarizing yourself with an unfamiliar interface.
• An iPDA? - Well why not? The iPhone is basically a tiny Mac. Why not integrate it into a new iPod / PDA hybrid.
• WiFi - If Microsoft comes out with a new gen Zune complete with WiFi, this would certainly be a kick in the balls profits for a new gen iPod. They can't afford not to put it in.

Theorists also believe that the next gen iPod might not be in the works, since it would compete with the iPhone. Apple would be stealing from its own cookie jar. But Steve Jobs answered this by saying that if there's going to be cannibalization of Apple, it might as well be by Apple. Imagine an apple biting itself and you'll see where that goes.

Watch out for official updates when we get them.

A recent survey conducted by CNW Marketing Research of Bandon, Ore. recently established that owning an Apple iPhone makes one's popularity among the youth soar by a whopping 70%. Another surprising revelation is that the Survey has found electronics to have a higher desirability rating than cars.

When this survey was conducted last 2000, 35% of all 16- to 29-year-olds gave word that a new car impressed their friends. There was a shift in priorities from then till now with the most popular possession being cellphones. This is followed by electronic games (27%), iPods (26%), footware (24%), computers (23%), and finally new cars (20%).

Apparently car manufactures now have to compete against non-transportation items to sell vehicles. CNW general manager Art Spinella gave an explanation on this trend saying that "in the highly sensitive, fashion-oriented youth market, the most bang for the envy buck is usually something that can be worn, keyboarded, or heard."

Is this just a fad with the recent iPhone's release or could it be the underlying trend that the youth today have slowly been gravitating towards? We'll have to wait and see how this develops.