Tech Time ::: iPhone 6 Rumor Mill

Image: Martin Hajek via BGR

Have you been keeping up on the latest with the upcoming iPhone 6 and the soon to follow iPhone 6 "phablet?"  I'd dare call them both phablets, but I digress.

Tech Time ::: Keynote Part 2

Image::: iMore's Apple Invite

So, an update to follow up on today's Keynote:::

Tech Time ::: Apple Keynote Day!

Photo: iMore of the Apple Keynote Invite

It's the big day, Apple Keynote day to announce the new iPhones! As I mentioned last week, there's quite a lot of rumored info out there, implying 4 colors of the iPhone5S, and several plastic-cased variants called the 5C.

The biggest question besides "what are they actually releasing, and when, and where" now remains, how will they price the new units, and what are their plans with the older models?

Tech Time::: The long-rumored iPhone 5S and 5C

Photo: SonnyDickson

I enjoyed my Labor Day weekend, I hope you did, too! I was noticeably absent yesterday as a result!

But I am back today because it's Tech Time, and it is that time of year again: Apple iPhone Launch Time!  I know my Android-loving readers are just rolling their eyes at this, but for the rest of us, it's time for cheering, for in just a matter of days, the official announcements will be made on the newest upcoming and soon to be released phones from Apple.  I feel like such a fangirl!

What's in My Bag?

Photo: Me, of my bag and wallet and keys

My favorite threads on a forum I frequent are the "what's in your bag" and "what's in your wallet" (why, yes I did just say that in a Viking voice), and any time I see something to that effect in a magazine, on another blog, or on a topical website, it's like a moth to a flame and I immediately tune in. 

Considering there's an entire site devoted to this topic, it's clear that I am not the only voyeur wondering what is inside someone's fantastic bag, so I thought I would share what I tote around on a given day. 

Tech Time::: Apple's WWDC 2013

Photo Credit: iMore.com

Last week was WWDC 2013 and Apple announced some pretty amazing new products, including iOS7, OSX9 "Mavericks" (I guess they ran out of big cats?), a new MacBookAir, and new spacecraft-like Mac Pro. 

I think the most exciting for me were iOS7 and the new Macs, though I won't be in the market for a new Mac for probably a year or so more.  But iOS7 I will be in the market for, and clawing the walls for, well, yesterday! (Seriously, when is the next iPhone coming out, I am overdue for the newest and best, like, last year.)  Click to keep reading--yes it's a bit long, but worth it, if nothing else for the fantastic video I include from Apple regarding iOS7.

I probably should stay off of Kickstarter...

I am seriously addicted to Kickstarter. It's becoming an issue. I have an Amazon account strictly to pay for the items I back on there!  

I seem to have a tendency to be on a mission for the latest little iPhone gadget, a stand of some kind, an alert bracelet of some kind--something that flashes when you get a message so you can keep your phone in your purse and know if you got a text without checking (if it was not so bulky...), a little contraption to set your phone up in to use a scanning app without having to contort yourself to hold it still...It works on more than just iPhones, it works on a few Android models too, though I believe the app for both variants of the "clap to snap" are still in development, with the iOS variant to come out first.  

My latest obsession is this little thing called KeyProp, which comes with a "clap to snap" app. 

Photo Credit: IntegralD.com

PRODUCT REVIEW: Case-Mate Vibe for iPhone

Photo credit: Case-Mate.com, Gadgetsin.com

About a month ago my quest for a new iPhone case brought me to the new Case-Mate Vibe. I had read about it online somewhere and it looked interesting bec the silicone part has some kind of curvature to allow the speaker output to amplify itself.  It bends the sound, if you will, so that it's louder.  I thought it might be cool to try out bec maybe Ill be able to hear the ringing better when it's inside the abyss of my bag.

iPhone 4S mini-review...4 months later.

Photo Credit: Forbes.com

I will not really mention the fact that I have had like NINE of them since October....but that's more an issue with something going on on my AT&T line and related to that theft, less so about the phone itself.

I really like it, now that I think the issue is being resolved.  It's relatively quick, and the camera is amazing. 8MP, and sharp. I usually just use the standard camera app, though I have been using Instagram to make those pics "cute".

One last update: Review to come..iPhone4S

Photo credit: Forbes.com

Obviously this new iPhone just launched and due to an unfortunate theft of my iPhone4, may she rest in peace with her creator, Steve "god" Jobs, I pre-ordered this new one, because if I was paying in full for the thing, I was getting the new one.

I received it from the UPS dude yesterday morning and tried activating it pretty much right away. That failed. So I set it aside. Tried again. Fail. Then I was on a damn mission. Kept trying. Little did I know that it was the beginning of an 8 hour disaster and a half. Supposedly there were issues with all the Apple-Sold ones, the carrier sold ones were fine. So I gave up. I had purchased a phone in the ATT store where my phone was stolen, and used a wonderful and gorgeous friend's upgrade on her account to fund it at a slightly less obscene pricetag as we were on a fun girls weekend.  When the announcement for the newest messiah phone was made, I immediately decided I was going to just preorder it. While a good idea, in theory, next time I am taking the damn day off and going to wait in line and get free goodies from the store. If the Woz can do it, I CAN DO IT.

I ended up going to the AT&T store last night after I shipped the aforementioned gorgeous friend the phone I had bought on our trip so that she has a nice new iPhone4. She is and was elated. I did however just neglect to mention that I had shipped her that PRIOR to activating my new one. Woops. But thankfully after a fight with traffic, I got to the ATT store, and a few kind sirs were able to make it work.  I got home, synced it. Put on a perfect application of the screen protector--I used a Zagg Invisible Shield. So when I turned it on this morning I was pissed to spot on the middle of the screen a tiny black microfiber, under the screen protector. Gah! Thankfully I had ordered a few new ones to test out by comparison to these.  I will have to do some kind of comparison shots before I peel this off. I cannot deal with things under the screen. Of COURSE it would be a perfect application....

So, as far as the phone, so far I noticed much more "zippiness" in how things are done, I have experienced MUCH faster internet, woohoo! I can read Perez and Dlisted and TMZ faster! I have tested the camera, and so far I love it.  The screen somehow seems nicer than on the 4, and I can't pinpoint why. The iCloud is interesting, though I don't usually use WIFI so I haven't tested out the photo stream thing. I also only have specific things syncing to that, and prefer to keep my backups and syncs on my computer where I have many backups. I might try to do a weekly iCloud backup of stuff only because that way if ALL my stuff walks off one day, I at least have something backed up.  I have NOT tested out Siri, though I might because I want some damn humor in my day, and thankfully Apple has a comedian on staff, because some of the replies I've read are pure gold, Jerry.

I went again with another Speck Candyshell, this time in Pirate Cove Teal and Black. I got it at the Apple store, it's built to work with the verizon version, and works perfectly for the new 4s.

I have only made a few calls, and those have been fantastic, though now I want to go to the few notorious cell dead zones and test this out.

I will do a better review in a few weeks after I have played with it. Not a TON has changed from original.

I do have a huge complaint that I hope Apple addresses in the next iOS5 update: MAKE NEWSSTAND MOVE INTO A FUCKING FOLDER PLEASE. I have my icons arranged 8 to one page and 8 to the other. I had to make another page to put this eyesore on because I can't jam it anywhere.  I have no desire to test it til good magazines are added, and will work in iPhone, so hiding it is important.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Speck Candyshell iPhone 4 case

Photo: Speckproducts.com

So one of the many expenses that go into a new phone purchase, a hard case is definitely one I always immediately grab and always recommend. I am not particularly clumsy with my phones, but in the event that it takes a dive, I want as much protection as possible. Especially with all the reports of broken screens on the iPhone. I got myself a Speck Candyshell, and one for the husband as well, in part because it works well with a screen protector (I like Invisible Shield and Phantom Skins, both wet-apply) and because it seems to have an extra space or airgap between the phone and the case. 

PRODUCT REVIEW: the iPhone 4 ...aka the review I never thought I'd be doing

So after Sprint screwed most if not all of their customers, especially long-time customers who were with them over a decade, by taking away their upgrades and credits and employee discounts for some asanine reason they thought was good customer service, I decided I was done. They haven't put out an exciting phone out in years, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. They also cannot seem to figure out when I really joined Sprint, despite being repeatedly provided with a copy of my receipt from when I first switched in 1999, New Years Eve to be exact.  I have been told and read several different dates and years, not one is correct.  They wouldn't correct it, even with proof, and of COURSE after repeatedly losing the copy they wanted the original (why, so you can lose that too? No.)

Despite my deep disgust for ATT, and because my husband no longer works for another telecom company and works to support ATT, I figured I might as well start looking around. My entire family and all my coworkers recently had gotten iPhones, simply for lack of any better phone options. None of us were all that excited about Android, and it seems awfully unstable in the times I have played with it, not to mention a battery destroyer.  The folks at the ATT store out by my Boss's house were very helpful with all the guys at work, so I began to harass them about contract buyouts, options, etc.  Because our Sprint Contracts were almost up, they were willing to buy us out, which really was a credit on the bill and I covered the payout to Sprint on my final bill. Easy enough.  We started the port, ironically when there was an outage after a software update for ATT, though I would probably have waited had I talked to the husband first....

Anyway...About the PHONE:

GADGET-GASM: CDMA iPhone might really be coming this year...plus the first 4G phone out on June 4th--SHIT!

I read Boy Genius Report every few days because I like gadgets and despite my stunning good looks (HAH) and svelte physique (HAH HAH) I am really just a total dork. For the last year at least there have been loud rumors going around about the iPhone finally hitting a CDMA Carrier--that carrier being the big red V. (Ignore obvious off-color correlations there for now). It's gone back and forth with how long ATT (henceforth known as the debil) would really have this device exclusively. I still don't entirely believe that the exclusive rights end this year, as I seem to recall it really being 5 years, which would mean at least next year, if not the following. Forgive my math, I'm an idiot.

So imagine my surprise, and not necessarily delight but Ill go with it for now, when I see this post:
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2010/05/13/report-10-million-cdma-iphones-on-order/

Could it really be? ...Inneresting.