Every time I see one of Apple’s stunning iPad adverts, I truly struggle to resist the urge to go out and get me one. That’s despite the fact that I owned one briefly.

I was lucky that it was a free iPad that I’d claimed from Freebiejeebies.  Even then, the simple fact is that however impressive a bit of kit the iPad is, there is no way that it will replace the iPhone (which I also got free!) and laptop combo that I have come to know and love.

If I’m in the home, then the laptop can do so much more than it’s tablet counterpart.  Step outside and I have Apple’s number one smartphone to service my every need.  It even makes calls and sends texts, why would I want to buy an iPad contract on a flimsy dongle!

Even as I write this there’s a bit of me that wants to run off to Freebiejeebies and claim another iPad free but I know that it would soon be back on eBay.  The money would come in handy of course!

If anything, I will be stepping up my campaign to bag another free iPhone, maybe the iPhone 4S this time.   That would make a nice Christmas gift to myself!

Steve

With it’s stunning design and array of amazing features, the iPhone 4S is undoubtedly going to be the most sought after gift for Christmas 2011.

Unfortunately, for those of us who don’t believe in Santa, cost is going to a major issue.

Well, worry no more!  Like Santa’s elves, we’ve done the hard work for you and searched out an exclusive free iPhone 4S offer.

A free iPhone 4s really would change everything!

Just imagine…

* Siri—your intelligent assistant. Just Ask.
* Dual-core A5 chip
* All-new 8-megapixel camera and optics
* 1080p HD video recording
* iOS 5—the world’s most advanced mobile OS
* iCloud—your content on all your devices

Three Mobile have given us an exclusive handset offering on the Apple 3GS 8Gb Refreshed until the end of July 2011.

It is available on their best selling tariff the One Plan.

For just £25 per month, you get a massive 2000 minutes along with 5000 texts. Not forgetting the All You Can Eat Data plan which is exclusive to the Three network.

Go To Deal

The upfront cost of the handset is £69 and the features of the handset include:

600MHz application processor
3.5″ Widescreen Multi Touch Capacitive screen
3.0 megapixel Auto Focus Camera

With quite a number of users ready to grab the Verizon iPhone 4, the major question they might have surrounds jailbreaking the CDMA based iPhone. The Verizon iPhone 4 runs on iOS 4.2.6 and recent reports state that it can be jailbroken.

The jailbreak comes with thanks to Pod2g and users will be able to make full use of the GreenPois0n RC6 to jailbreak the device. This comes after a few users confirmed jailbreaking the CDMA device.

It is uncertain how much  jailbreaking the iOS 4.2.6 will differ given that both the iOS 4.2.1 on the GSM iPhone 4 and the iOS 4.2.6 on Verizon iPhone 4 are very similar many ways.

Perhaps bear in mind that the test rolled out has only been verified by users and there is a tendency to want to be the first to successfully use GreenPois0n RC5 or RC6 to jailbreak the device.

It will be interesting to see how things progress and if there are any issues associated to using the GreenPois0n RC5/RC6 to jailbreak the Verizon iPhone 4.

Source:  Startupmeme

Reports are emerging that future Apple iPhones (and maybe the iPad) will have capabilities to pay for goods electronically through a swipe system.

It’s rumoured that this fifth generation iPhone 5 will have these capabilities integrated on launch.

The release date is predicted to be somewhere around June 2011 and many technology experts are suggesting that the iPhones may include Near Field Communications (NFC) to make payment by swipe possible.

This new technology could mark the start of the end for using plastic cards by using a payment system included in your iPhone for free.

It’ll be interesting to determine how the credit card companies react and what impact it has on their business.

Although Apple have not yet formed any partnership with NFC, common sense says that Near Field Communications would like to do business with Apple and put money into this technology.

Recently there’s been several statements released through high technology establishments including Tech Radar (this week) and Crone Consulting suggesting this rumour can be reality.

We’ve waited and waited, and now Apple and Verizon have made a million dreams come true: the iPhone is coming to Big Red. After talking up his new LTE network a bit, Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam confirmed a CDMA (non-LTE) version of the iPhone 4 is coming to Verizon Wireless next month.

Talks started way back in 2008, and the phone has been in testing for a year — it sounds like they wanted to get this one right. Current Verizon customers will be able to pre-order on Feburary 3rd for the standard $200 price for the 16GB model on a two year agreement, $300 for the 32GB version — everyone else can order on February 10th.

Just to clarify and put any wild rumors to bed, the phone is Verizon 3G (EV-DO) only, no 4G data or GSM roaming. It’s not a world phone or an AT&T + Verizon phone, it’s just a Verizon phone.

Outside of Verizon connectivity, the phone is basically unchanged, although Verizon’s CDMA network doesn’t support simultaneous voice and data as with the GSM version. It does have the new antenna design we were hearing about last week, but that’s just because CMDA requires a different configuration of antennas. (Apple says they didn’t go LTE just yet because first-gen chipsets would force unwanted design decisions, and customers want a Verizon device now.) That slight modification also equates to a slight bump in where the volume buttons and mute switch — a new case might be required. Software-wise the big innovation is five user WiFi hotspot functionality, something that’s standard on Android phones, while Apple has kept the iPhone only able to tether directly to one computer.

Source: Engadget

Firemint’s Real Racing was a defining moment for the App Store – it showed that true, proper games could exist on the platform and whilst it wasn’t perfect, the driving sim took the iPhone by storm and ensured that everyone stopped and listened.

More importantly, it helped pave the way for other top tier games to find their feet amongst the crowd of me-too puzzlers and meant that developers could invest time and effort and still come out on top without having to resort to bargain bucket prices.

Enter Real Racing 2, Firemint’s follow-up, which released at the end of last week to unanimous acclaim; and rightly so, it’s absolutely stunning. This isn’t just a lazy rehash of the first game, R2 (as it’s known) features a completely rebuilt career mode, proper real-world vehicle licenses and graphics to die for as well as some welcome tweaks to the handling of the cars and a fair chunk of driver aids to ensure that players of all skill levels can jump right in and get onto the track with the minimum of fuss.

But first, it’s worth mentioning that Firemint have absolutely nailed the user interface. With a bold mix of hot orange buttons and steely grey boxes, R2?s menus are a joy to use and offer up a masterclass for anyone wanting to know how to present consistent, cascading, deep menus without ever making the player feel lost or disorientated (like some other racing sims around just now) – they really are gorgeous and a breeze to navigate. From the garage screens to the way vital stats are presented, this is sheer tactile perfection.

And the in-game graphics aren’t bad either. In fact, Real Racing 2 is probably the best looking game on the iPhone, and that includes the likes of Infinity Blade: the cars are highly detailed, the tracks alive with character and the framerate’s smooth for most of the game. Yes, it’s crispest on iPhone 4 but R2 actually contains two graphics engines and swaps in the best one for your hardware and in some respects 3GS owners come out on top with some lovely motion blur, despite the drop in resolution over the Retina powered 4th gen models.

It’s tough to compare Real Racing 2?s vehicles against console equivalents because the screen is so small, but it’s hard to understate how good they look both in the menus and out on the tarmac – richly modeled, transparent windows, realtime reflections, cockpit views, visual damage, smooth shadows and fully 3D wheels and lights on the higher spec phones make these cars, from the starter Golf GTi right through to the race-spec JGTC rides, the best we’ve seen on the platform by a mile. And that’s not counting the fact that R2 sports 16-vehicle races, offline and online.

How the player controls the cars is a matter of personal preference – you can choose between tilt and touch and opt for all manner of assistance, from automatic acceleration to braking and steering help; and you’re never penalised for taking the easy way out other than the simple fact that you’ll get quicker lap times and more out of the game if you choose to manage everything yourself rather than letting the AI take over the trickier aspects of racing. Likewise, you can play through the career mode on Easy, Medium or Hard – the game doesn’t mind.

The career mode is a sublime single player experience – split into tiers and then further into tournaments, time trials, one-on-one duels and special events, each individual race comes with requirements and limits (like the power rating of your car, measuring as ‘P’) but these are clearly presented and picking a car to fit is never more than a tap or two away. Visual customisation is limited to paint jobs, but performance wise each vehicle has a number of purchaseable options that vary from car to car and realistic ceilings are in place in terms of raw engine output.

The online real downer is the multiplayer mode, which whilst smart enough to match you against online opponents with similar classes of cars (which keeps races as close as possible) there’s nothing other than a simple one off race and the ever present leaderboards for time trials – some kind of tournament or cup would have been nice. Races were a little laggy too, and although most races worked just fine we did get a couple of connections – hopefully Firemint can smooth over any issues with updates down the line.

Pros:

* Incredible graphics
* Gorgeous UI
* Superb handling
* Expertly crafted single player mode

Cons:

* Multiplayer needs beefing up a little

Real Racing 2 is an absolutely brilliant game. It epitomises what’s possible on iPhone and iPod Touch if you’ve got time and money to invest – but make no mistakes this is up there with console games in terms of scope, depth and quality and as such it feels disingenuous to rate it alongside fellow iDevice racers. Indeed, the price point (£5.99) suggests that Firemint are looking to make some serious money back on the development of the game – they needn’t be concerned, this is an exemplary title and a showcase for portable gaming.

Source: The Sixth Axis

All the signs are pointing to 2012 for Apple to take control of how you use and connect to your network services on the hugely popular iPhone.

This final step by Apple would put the gadgets and media company in firm control of every iDevice on the market within a couple of years of the service starting, as old models are replaced with better functions, unrestricted by the limits of current network providers.

If Apple does decide this is the way to go, the iPhone will likely get smaller again, as there will be no requirement for a SIM card slot. Instead, the SIM data would be embedded directly into the existing hardware of the phone.

The same method would be used for the iPad and any other iDevice that uses network services.

The move to an embedded SIM for iPhone users would be a frustrating one for consumers and retailers alike. Currently, many network providers such as O2 or Vodafone sell the iPhone on their own data plans at a heavily subsidised rate. Without the guaranteed monthly income for network providers, this subsidisation will of course end as iPhone owners will be able to select their preferred network at the point of sale, and would possibly be able to change providers at will, using Apps downloaded from the App store that re-encode the phone.

Apple already manage to control stocks of their popular devices very well, seemingly restricting supplies to retail stores when demand is at its highest – which only serves to further increase consumers’ desire to get their hands on the latest models. With Apple in control of stock levels and network services, they really will have complete say in how their products are distributed and used.

A source from Apple has stated that the iPhone 5 that is scheduled for launch in mid-2011 is not expected to contain an embedded SIM so network providers can relax for at least another 18 months.

Tom Advani – Guest Poster, owner of FreeiPhones4me.com – another great resource to get yourself a free iPhone

Qualcomm CDMA-GSM chip will enable next-generation tablet to run on most cellular networks in U.S., Europe and Asia.

Apple plans to launch early next year a second-generation free iPad that’s thinner and capable of running on cellular networks worldwide, according to media reports.

The next free iPad will reportedly include a Qualcomm chip that makes it possible to run the 3G version of the tablet-style computer on CDMA and GSM cellular networks. Such a move would make it possible for the device to run on the cellular networks of the four major U.S. wireless carriers AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless as well as on the networks of carriers in Europe and Asia.

“Recent checks suggest Apple is going to be ratcheting down production of the existing 3G iPad over the next two months in anticipation of ramping up a new World iPad that is powered by Qualcomm and will run on both GSM- and CDMA-based networks around the world,” said Brian Blair, analyst for Wedge Partners, as cited Friday by The Wall Street Journal’s All Things Digital.

Blair said that his recent Qualcomm channel checks also reveal that Apple is preparing to build about 48 million iPads next year and that the devices will be thinner than the current model. To reduce the thickness, Apple is making the new iPad out of a single piece of metal, essentially adopting a manufacturing process similar to what it uses for its uni body MacBooks.

Apple doesn’t comment on future products. However, Ezra Gottheil, analyst for Technology Business Research, told Information Week that the report makes sense, given Apple’s long-time strategy of avoiding the production of several versions of the free iPhone to run on networks based on different standards. In the U.S., for example, the iPhone has only run on AT&T’s network since its release in 2007, though a Verizon version is reportedly near completion.

“It certainly makes sense for Apple to produce a run-anywhere product,” Gottheil says of the iPad report. “Apple always wants a definitive, single product.”

The rumours that Verizon will be selling Apple’s wildly productive iPhone in the coming year have more life than the proverbial cat. Here are a few of the latest developments inside a story that is as persistent as a bad cold and almost as incurable.

After confirming that a Verizon iPhone would be manufactured by Apple to the nation’s biggest wireless company, the Wall Street Journal revised the report about them. It says the production of a Verizon iPhone similar to the Apple iPhone 4 and according to an alternate technology will start at the end of this year. It’s being created by Pegatron Technologies Corp., a contract producing subsidiary of Taiwan’s Asustek Computer. Shipments are expected within the first quarter of 2011.

“Not so quick”, says Infosync. If Pegatron is producing an iPhone, would-be potential buyers should be anxious, it contends. “Pegatron, primarily a PC producer, doesn’t have significant experience in producing smartphones,” it opines.

“Does it sound like a workable path to let an inexperienced producer produce a great iPhone for Verizon?”Simply no, of course it doesn’t.

If genuine,”we should all cross each of our fingers and also hope the particular iPhone for Verizon Wireless will act as intended”

Why so long in order to finalize a deal? Delays have been pegged to Apple’s insistence on controlling the retail outlets to the new cell phone and protecting its i-Tunes store, according to the Journal. Apple did not need Verizon’s list partners to trade the phone. In addition, it wanted Verizon not to promote music and videos on the phone through its private V Solid service.

The Journal, and also other observers, are assuming the particular Verizon Apple iPhone will be based on CDMA technological innovation. The current iPhone uses GSM, one used by most. The Apple Company considered making a combination GSM/CDMA iPhone for Verizon however scrapped the concept, according to the Journal.

But those technologies may in fact be an alternate, states David Goldman, writing for CNNMoney. It could be LTE (Long Term Evolution) Wi-Fi. The 4G technology is actually 10 times faster than present 3G technology and Verizon will be going out for the LTE circle by the end of the year. It will be accessible in 38 cities and reach 110 thousand Americans. The modern network can easily allow for the data demands of an iPhone 4g, something existing iPhone carrier AT&T has received trouble handling. And the LTE iPhone could increase the demand for the brand new network.

This specific latest crop of rumours stirred upwards by the Wall Street Journal has many folks shouting, “Enough!” as well as sharing these kinds of sentiments through Washington Publish columnist Rob Pegoraro:

“I believe my partner and i speak for every tech news reporter in America after I write this Very few issues would make me happier as compared to not to have to answer ‘When is the free iPhone arriving at Verizon?’ “