Loo-Lee.com

What I’ve learned from FPS computer games (and a recent outing to see Avatar) is this: When tech meets military maneuvers, things are bound to get bloody. But this is no game or work of fiction, says the UK’s Daily Mirror: In real life, soldiers in Afghanistan are using an iPhone app called BulletFlight to get an edge in combat against actual Taliban fighters.

Born out of computer game technology, the military grade ballistics program helps sharpshooters calculate how various factors — like wind and earth rotation — affect the trajectory of their bullets. BulletFlight even estimates the potential collateral damage (meaning, the app predicts the wounds the combatant will suffer), as well as helps the user lock onto long-range targets.

This isn’t the first time game tech has been used out in the field. Allied forces are already using modded Xbox 360 game controllers to drive robotic vehicles, and new kinds of radar are being developed from cheap supercomputers made out of chips harvested from PS3 consoles. British experts at BAE Systems, Rolls Royce, Airbus and the Williams Formula 1 motor racing team are collaborating on a project that involves using computer game consoles to test new gadgets.

"Historically the military have invested in developing technology to meet their specific requirements,” says Stuart McDougall of BAE. "This technology has then filtered down to everyone else… But increasingly, modern consumer gadgets are so powerful and so highly competitive that they're often ahead of the game — and much cheaper to buy in and adapt." BAE itself is looking into 3D graphics technology borrowed from the PS2 to power next-gen military engineering designs.

The BulletFlight app was created from game software and developed for military use. There are three versions of program in the App Store, ranging from $4 to $30, and these are just a few examples of the dozens of apps endorsed by the US military for use in Iraq and Afghanistan. Others include maps, survival books and tactical guides.

Among the many things I am grateful for, as 2009 comes to a close, is the fact that I will (hopefully) never need to use an iPhone app like this. But for those who do — I hope 2010 will see you home safely.


Via: MaxConsole, The Daily Mirror

With a $99 price tag, the Apple iPhone 3G is perfect for the person that doesn't need the extra storage space, processor enhancements, or other goodies that come with the 3GS model.  That being said, another model is rumored to launch in June, so it's assumed that the low-end model will be refreshed.

According to a report by Gizmodo, a German user reported receiving a replacement for his 8 GB iPhone 3G.  Though the device was in fact a standard 3G model, the box clearly indicated "iPhone 3GS, 8GB."  So we're either looking at a typo on the box, or a complete mismatch between old and new packaging.  One thing is for sure: launching the 3GS at the $99 price point would re-raise the bar on other sub-$100 smartphones in the arena. 

Perhaps we'll hear more at the Apple event on January 26th.  Any speculations out there?

Via: PhoneArena

Coinciding with the recent Nexus One news out there and pulling a page out of Apple's playbook, Google has scheduled a press conference in Mountain View, CA on January 5th, 2010.  The text reads:

"With the launch of the first Android-powered device just over a year ago, we've seen how a powerful, open platform can spur mobile product innovation. And this is just the beginning of what's possible.

Please join us in Mountain View on January 5, for an Android press gathering."

I'd be very surprised if it wasn't directly related to the Nexus One device.  Stay tuned for more information as we get it!

Via: Engadget Mobile

It's a well known fact that the Palm Pre (Plus?) will grace Verizon's shelves at some point; the remaining question boils down to the timeframe for launch.  It's widely believed that the "P101" moniker seen in several leaked documents refers to a Verizon version of the device.  On the Wi-Fi Interoperability Certificate, the unit is referred to as a "P101EWW," and received certification on December 18th, 2009.

Call me crazy, but I think the leaked training slides, documents, and Wi-Fi certification that we've seen all make for a nice announcement at CES next week.  Are there any Verizon customers itching to pick up the Pre (or Pixi, since we know it's coming as well)?

Via: Engadget Mobile

A rogue German academic has decoded the Global System for Mobile Communications, used for seventy percent of all modern mobile phones, and there’s no James Bond to stop him.  Because Karsten Nohl’s not holding the world hostage - he’s released the decryption for free online to force phone operators to improve security.

Post from Dial-a-Phone, UK's no. 1 for Mobile Phones.

Are we really on the verge of the Apple tablet? Seems so, as the rumor mill has been working in overdrive lately.

First the mobile device has recently been outted as the iSlate — that is, if you believe the bloggers who’ve made like Robert Downey Jr and put on their Sherlock Holmes hats. Thanks to some super-sleuthing by MacRumors and TechCrunch, the investigation has exposed that the URL www.islate.com has been bought up by a company that may be a cover for a mega corporation known as (you guessed it) Apple.

And the name ISLATE is trademarked by another company, whose business dealings have been impossible to pin down, but whose description and other details matches Cupertino like a glove. Naysayers are commenting that this is just a diversion, and doesn’t necessarily mean that the iSlate name is official. This could be true, but factor in that Bill Keller from the New York Times (which has been in bed with Cupertino for ages) referred to something called an “Apple Slate” two months ago, and suddenly this rumor has an air of authenticity around it.

The tablet, or iSlate, was once expected to be released by now, but the gossip mongers are now looking to Q1 2010 (with some sort of announcement possibly happening next month, in January). The reason was seemingly an issue with the touchscreen.

Apparently, the device was delayed due to weaknesses in the glass display. According to DigiTimes, Innolux, a subsidiary of the Foxconn Group that assembles the iPhone, is on deck to manufacture the tablet. It will be the main plant for the tablet touchscreens. (Another company called Wintek might become an alternate supplier later on.) G-Tech Optoelectronics, Foxconn's glass-processing subsidiary, has a process for strengthening the display and will implement it with Wah Hong Industrial, a Taiwan-based company that makes optical film.

Next month, all eyes will hopefully be on those glass screens, as the tablet — which has been the subject of rumors, including a 7-inch model or a 10-inch version (depending on which blogs you follow) — is expected to be unveiled by Apple late next month. March or April are pegged as the ship dates, thanks to a DigiTimes analysis of shipping schedules for Apple component vendors.

It looks like the Yerba Buena Center of the Arts in San Francisco has been booked for a few dates in late January, presumably by Apple. The stories are swirling around January 26th as an announcement date. And the New York Times spoke to current and former Apple employees, who claim that Steve Jobs is "extremely happy with the new tablet," which has apparently "hit the sweet spot."

On an interesting note, one former Apple staffer says that the ways users will interact with the tablet will be very surprising. Could that have anything to do with the reports that two Apple patent applications involved a tactile feedback keyboard? I can only hope. A keyboard with tactile feedback on an Apple tablet would be ridiculously sweet. So would an OLED screen, though there’s nothing resembling confirmation on that yet. Maybe that’s for the best. The price would be jacked up pretty high for that. And yet, I can’t help but daydream.

Now this doesn't mean all the questions have been answered, far from it. What operating system will this sport? An iPhone OS or a variation on Snow Leopard? How much will this daydream cost? Will it be 3G-enabled or available via carrier subsidy? What carrier could it possibly go to?

I know we’re about to see 2009 come to a close, but the new year still just can’t seem to get here fast enough.


Via: BoyGenius Report, Phone Arena

Every day, there’s always some piece of tech news or rumor that excites, frustrates or baffles people en masse. But this weekend takes the cake.

AT&T temporarily stopped selling iPhones online to people in New York City. Why does an AT&T-NY connection ring a bell? Because it’s one of Blue’s two most data-intensive areas in the country. (The other is San Francisco.) And not that long ago, the carrier admitted that “Gotham” suffered bad service on its network and vowed to address this — while notably pinning the trouble on the data-heavy habits of iPhone users in the region.

So this was their fix? Wow. It’s like saying, “Well that’ll teach you NY iPhone users to complain. You’re the worst offenders in the bunch, so we’re going to thin your numbers for the good of everyone, you cry babies.” (Note: To be fair, the company didn’t actually say that. This is just my own imaginary musings starring AT&T’s Ralph De La Vega, twirling his mustache and throwing iPhone hopefuls under a bus, one after another.) What’s strange about this is it only affected online shoppers. Brick-and-mortar customers were still able to buy them at retail stores, so as a defensive strategy, it wasn’t exactly logical.

The Consumerist actually went to try and find out the truth. The site confirmed over the weekend that online shoppers with NYC zip codes were prevented from purchasing iPhones via the AT&T website. Then blogger Laura Northrup contacted the carrier customer service department directly. Things only got more baffling from there:

Daphne: Welcome to AT&T online Sales support. How may I assist you with placing your order today?

Laura: Hi, I was looking at the iPhone 3GS and the system tells me that I cannot order one in my ZIP code. My zip code is 11231 (Brooklyn). Is this true? Are iPhones no longer available in New York City?

Daphne: I am happy to be helping you today. Yes, this is correct the phone is not offered to you because New York is not ready for the iPhone.

Daphne: You don't have enough towers to handle the phone.

But AT&T released a statement by spokesman Fletcher Cook, who simply gave a ho-hum explanation to The Consumerist that contradicted these remarks while actually illuminating nothing: "We periodically modify our promotions and distribution channels."

Ooookay…

I guess it’s AT&T’s network and services, and I suppose they are at liberty to do what they want with it (within legal limits). Not that I agree with the company’s approach here, but I suppose it’s not a crime. A weird, wacky, nearly inexplicable course of action, yes, but not a crime.

Alright, PhoneDog readers — In all honesty, here’s where this post was going to end, with a conclusion in the vein of one of those “Waddayagonnado?” type of articles. But things keep getting weirder, and I can’t seem to look away. Since the story broke all over the webs, AT&T reps started telling people the following: "Due to increased fraudulent activity, the Apple iPhone may not be available to purchase online in certain ZIP codes."

Is it me, or does none of this make any sense? Earlier on, some blogs hinted that the strange drama could’ve been due to some sort of New York–based online sales fraud, but that theory was (and still is) full of holes. First, the shutdown was completely iPhone-centric — none of AT&T’s other equally costly handsets were singled out. And even if some sort of scam targeted the iPhone only, why does it make sense to target only one region? Meanwhile, the handsets are still being sold in stores. (As a response, the AT&T customer service rep quoted above added: “We do have others at similar prices, you’re right, but nothing else that is as popular… sometimes popularity leads people to make poor decisions.")

But in the 2008 Internet Crime Report (PDF), from the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center, New York isn’t the No. 1 state for internet fraud; that’s California. New York is No. 2, and Florida is No. 3.  But residents in neither California (including San Francisco) nor Florida have had trouble purchasing iPhones online.

At this point, online iPhone purchasing has been restored to New York. So I guess that internet fraud thing must’ve sorted itself out at lightning speed, or perhaps the carrier’s modified its promotion and distribution channel again. Or maybe Big Blue just decided that the bad press wasn’t worth its crazy scheme to “fix” the area’s network.

Whatever the real truth is, I can’t help but wonder one thing: Would AT&T ever dreamed of pulling this stunt if it wasn’t about to lose iPhone exclusivity? I doubt it. (No wonder the carrier hired Luke Wilson to give a celebrity recorded pep talk/holiday greeting to its own, probably demoralized, ranks. If I had to work there and deal with upset people when I didn't know what the heck was going on, I'd be demoralized too.)

Via: Consumerist, Gizmodo, BoyGenius Report