iPhone up to the launch

roni · 06-21-2007

It is difficult to watch telly, read a newspaper or be in the US part of the world without hearing about the iPhone. Launch day is a week from Friday, 6pm local time. I am starting this thread thinking it can be the playa.info community iPhone channel.

Maybe it is not needed, but time will tell. The next post will be from a story in the USA Today talking about the secret testing of the iPhone by AT&T technicians.

roni · 06-21-2007

TOP-SECRET TESTS-From USA Today article

Most people lucky enough to snag an Apple iPhone probably will be quick to show it off to friends.

Not Balsu Thandu. He got an iPhone more than two months ago and has been hiding it from prying eyes ever since.

Thandu is one of about 200 field technicians who have been secretly testing the iPhone and looking for technical glitches for more than 10 weeks and counting. AT&T routinely tests new devices, but the iPhone has been different, Thandu says. The technicians have logged more than 10,000 hours on the phone, including more than 5,000 hours of voice calls and near 5 gigabytes of data usage. Most phones, he says, get about half that much test time.

AT&T's scrutiny is understandable. The iPhone is shaping up to be the must-have cellphone of the year, maybe the decade if it follows in iPod's footsteps. AT&T has exclusive U.S. distribution rights for five years and hopes to use the device to lure new customers.

To win at that, however, the iPhone must live up to its hype. That's where Thandu and his crew come into play. "My job is to make sure the devices we sell meet the high bars we set for them, in terms of technical requirements and test specifications," he says.

Doing dry runs with the world's most anticipated cellphone has been challenging. Tests had to be done in places frequented by wireless users. Under strict orders to keep the phone under wraps, technicians had to hide or disguise the phone when in public, Thandu says.

The disguises took many forms: an iPod "sock" was sometimes slipped over the iPhone. Other times, he says, testers kept the device inside a newspaper or pants pocket and used a wireless headset.

For the actual testing, technicians frequented all the places where consumers go: office buildings, subway platforms, stairwells, elevators, crowded bars, sprawling suburban malls and congested city streets. They also showed up incognito at Apple and AT&T stores.

To test iPhone's durability, Thandu says, they doused it with water, dropped it on concrete and bounced it off sidewalks.

Thandu says he took the iPhone with him on long runs, sweating all over it. "We wanted to test the limits of it."

Techs also did a lot of walking. "Many people don't realize it, but walking gives you the worst channel conditions," Thandu says. Cell signals tend to bounce off buildings, causing interference, and background noise is a constant problem in cities.

Feedback from the field was relayed to Apple, sometimes hourly, Thandu says. Early on, he says, technicians discovered that the iPhone's audio was "not loud or clear enough." Apple designers quickly fixed the problem, he says.

Though "iTesting" will continue on an ongoing basis, Thandu says he is comfortable that the device is good to go. "For the launch, I think we are there."

PlayadelSoul · 06-21-2007

Can I push products that I have a financial stake in, too?

**ryberg** · 06-21-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by roni

To test iPhone's durability, Thandu says, they doused it with water, dropped it on concrete and bounced it off sidewalks.

Trying to imagine laying down half a cool grand in my new iPhone and the going out and bouncing it off the pavement!!!

Wow. I hope they publish the results of that!

Quote:

Originally Posted by PlayadelSoul

Can I push products that I have a financial stake in, too?

I have started threads and posted on threads about the iPhone, too, as well as about a lot of Apple products, you know, and I (stupidly, I now think!) have never had any stake in Apple. Well only to the extent that a sliver of Apple be involved in the Vanguard 500 Index Fund my kids' Educational Savings Accounts are invested in.

For what it's worth, and naturally others may disagree, but I don't feel like Roni has crossed over some line or is spamming us. Apple customers are notoriously enthusiastic and loyal, and Apple product releases and designs are notoriously attention-getting, and while of course I also cannot read Roni's mind to know, I don't think one has to consider more than that general situation to understand his posts.

Just my opinion.

Steve

Edit: And it just occurred to me that possibly an added circumstantial point in his defense is that he has freely admitted on more than one occasion that he does have money in Apple (or of course we wouldn't know of it in the first place to wonder), so it doesn't seem like he's trying to be so manipulative, to me. Again FWIW.

roni · 06-21-2007

Steve,

I didn't feel attacked and certainly do not need defended against rhetorical questions posed by PdS, but thank you just the same

**ryberg** · 06-21-2007

Following up on my post on the other iPhone thread the other day with the survey results that I suggested might be good news for Apple (that many might welcome it's simpler interface/usability, here), some possible bad news for them in terms of sales to diplomat types:

Quote:

France bans ministers' BlackBerries

It's not just BlackBerries, is my point: at the end of the article you find this:

Quote:

At a G-8 summit in Germany this month, White House aides were instructed to leave their wireless e-mail devices behind, apparently for fear of Russian eavesdropping.

Can boardrooms and other sensitive settings be far behind, if this catches on? Combined with that other article, is there a bit of a technology backlash?

Steve

**ryberg** · 06-21-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by roni

Steve,

I didn't feel attacked and certainly do not need defended against rhetorical questions posed by PdS, but thank you just the same

Geez, if you don't offend one guy, you offend the other!

Well by the same token I can say thank you just the same, but I was just expressing my view because I wanted to.

Steve

roni · 06-21-2007

YouTube Video to be available on iPhone

From Reuters:

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Apple Inc.'s widely anticipated music- and video-playing iPhone will allow subscribers to wirelessly stream material from Google Inc.'s popular video-sharing site YouTube, Apple said on Wednesday.

YouTube, which has developed a huge audience on desktop computers but is not widely used on cell phones, has begun encoding its videos in a new format to improve quality and save battery life when viewed over wireless devices.

The iPhone will be the first mobile device to use the new format, Apple said. More than 10,000 videos will be available on the iPhone when it hits stores on June 29, with more material added each week, it said.

AT&T Inc. has an exclusive deal to sell iPhones with its wireless subscriptions.

While the phone will not support AT&T's highest-speed cellular data links, Apple said YouTube would work well on the phone's short-range Wi-Fi network connection.

Prior to the development of the new mobile format, Verizon Wireless, a venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone Group Plc, had an exclusive deal to offer a selection of YouTube videos on its phones.

Verizon Wireless spokesman Jeffrey Nelson said YouTube has been one of its most popular mobile video offerings, frequently taking the top two or three viewership slots.

Apple said YouTube also works on its Apple TV home media hub, which acts as a bridge between a television and desktop computer, playing movies and TV shows.

From another site - I think it is macsonly.com

To achieve higher video quality and longer battery life on mobile devices, YouTube has begun encoding their videos in the advanced H.264 format, and iPhone will be the first mobile device to use the H.264-encoded videos. Over 10,000 videos will be available on June 29, and YouTube will be adding more each week until their full catalog of videos is available in the H.264 format this fall. [Bill Fox]

And from the Apple website:

iPhone has a special YouTube player that you can launch right from the home screen. So now you can access and browse YouTube videos wherever you go. And when you find a video you want to send your friends, iPhone can even create an email with the link in it for you.

I'm not a big YouTube user, but this sounds pretty neat - find a video of your favorite indie band and quickly email it to a friend from your iPhone, how cool would that be?

roni · 06-21-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryberg

Geez, if you don't offend one guy, you offend the other!

Well by the same token I can say thank you just the same, but I was just expressing my view because I wanted to.

Steve

You didn't offend me and I did thank you. Express away

roni · 06-21-2007

**ryberg** · 06-21-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by roni

You didn't offend me and I did thank you. Express away

That last one was kind of shameless.

Steve

Seakony · 06-21-2007

What is so lucky about snagging this product? I think it's a huge waste of money. Better to donate it to a worthy charity than spend it on some toy.
For those of you who are against wire-tapping and intrusion on your privacy...now more jerkoffs will be able to snap your photo without your knowledge and send it all over the world.

roni · 06-21-2007

From The Onion (a satire e-zine):

The Onion's Favorite iPhone Features ; )

My favorite is the last one. Yes, I want an iPhone hat!
Apple's New iPhone

Apple is set to release the much-hyped iPhone Friday, June 29. Here are some of its most highly anticipated features:
Apple's New iPhone

Nanotechnology enables it to reassemble itself when thrown against wall

Exclusive link to Google Street View so you can watch yourself using your iPhone at all times

Takes Polaroids

When moved from hand to ear, makes Lightsaber sound effects

Prominent Apple logo

Reproduces through asexual budding

Has way, way more PRAM than the last thingy

Comes with an iPhone hat, so people know you own an iPhone during the brief periods you're not using it

PlayadelSoul · 06-21-2007

It must get tiring to have to keep topping IPhone threads. You almost let the other thread slip off the first page, yesterday.

**ryberg** · 06-21-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by roni

When moved from hand to ear, makes Lightsaber sound effects

I still want one.

Steve

06-21-2007	#1 (permalink)
roni añejo Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Oregon Posts: 59,680	iPhone up to the launch It is difficult to watch telly, read a newspaper or be in the US part of the world without hearing about the iPhone. Launch day is a week from Friday, 6pm local time. I am starting this thread thinking it can be the playa.info community iPhone channel. Maybe it is not needed, but time will tell. The next post will be from a story in the USA Today talking about the secret testing of the iPhone by AT&T technicians.

06-21-2007	#2 (permalink)
roni añejo Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Oregon Posts: 59,680	TOP-SECRET TESTS-From USA Today article Most people lucky enough to snag an Apple iPhone probably will be quick to show it off to friends. Not Balsu Thandu. He got an iPhone more than two months ago and has been hiding it from prying eyes ever since. Thandu is one of about 200 field technicians who have been secretly testing the iPhone and looking for technical glitches for more than 10 weeks and counting. AT&T routinely tests new devices, but the iPhone has been different, Thandu says. The technicians have logged more than 10,000 hours on the phone, including more than 5,000 hours of voice calls and near 5 gigabytes of data usage. Most phones, he says, get about half that much test time. AT&T's scrutiny is understandable. The iPhone is shaping up to be the must-have cellphone of the year, maybe the decade if it follows in iPod's footsteps. AT&T has exclusive U.S. distribution rights for five years and hopes to use the device to lure new customers. To win at that, however, the iPhone must live up to its hype. That's where Thandu and his crew come into play. "My job is to make sure the devices we sell meet the high bars we set for them, in terms of technical requirements and test specifications," he says. Doing dry runs with the world's most anticipated cellphone has been challenging. Tests had to be done in places frequented by wireless users. Under strict orders to keep the phone under wraps, technicians had to hide or disguise the phone when in public, Thandu says. The disguises took many forms: an iPod "sock" was sometimes slipped over the iPhone. Other times, he says, testers kept the device inside a newspaper or pants pocket and used a wireless headset. For the actual testing, technicians frequented all the places where consumers go: office buildings, subway platforms, stairwells, elevators, crowded bars, sprawling suburban malls and congested city streets. They also showed up incognito at Apple and AT&T stores. To test iPhone's durability, Thandu says, they doused it with water, dropped it on concrete and bounced it off sidewalks. Thandu says he took the iPhone with him on long runs, sweating all over it. "We wanted to test the limits of it." Techs also did a lot of walking. "Many people don't realize it, but walking gives you the worst channel conditions," Thandu says. Cell signals tend to bounce off buildings, causing interference, and background noise is a constant problem in cities. Feedback from the field was relayed to Apple, sometimes hourly, Thandu says. Early on, he says, technicians discovered that the iPhone's audio was "not loud or clear enough." Apple designers quickly fixed the problem, he says. Though "iTesting" will continue on an ongoing basis, Thandu says he is comfortable that the device is good to go. "For the launch, I think we are there." __________________ - .. New Da Blog

06-21-2007	#3 (permalink)
PlayadelSoul Registered User Join Date: May 2005 Location: We'll know when we get there, We'll find mercy Posts: 8,963	Can I push products that I have a financial stake in, too?

06-21-2007	#5 (permalink)
roni añejo Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Oregon Posts: 59,680	Steve, I didn't feel attacked and certainly do not need defended against rhetorical questions posed by PdS, but thank you just the same

06-21-2007	#8 (permalink)
roni añejo Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Oregon Posts: 59,680	YouTube Video to be available on iPhone From Reuters: NEW YORK (Reuters) - Apple Inc.'s widely anticipated music- and video-playing iPhone will allow subscribers to wirelessly stream material from Google Inc.'s popular video-sharing site YouTube, Apple said on Wednesday. YouTube, which has developed a huge audience on desktop computers but is not widely used on cell phones, has begun encoding its videos in a new format to improve quality and save battery life when viewed over wireless devices. The iPhone will be the first mobile device to use the new format, Apple said. More than 10,000 videos will be available on the iPhone when it hits stores on June 29, with more material added each week, it said. AT&T Inc. has an exclusive deal to sell iPhones with its wireless subscriptions. While the phone will not support AT&T's highest-speed cellular data links, Apple said YouTube would work well on the phone's short-range Wi-Fi network connection. Prior to the development of the new mobile format, Verizon Wireless, a venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone Group Plc, had an exclusive deal to offer a selection of YouTube videos on its phones. Verizon Wireless spokesman Jeffrey Nelson said YouTube has been one of its most popular mobile video offerings, frequently taking the top two or three viewership slots. Apple said YouTube also works on its Apple TV home media hub, which acts as a bridge between a television and desktop computer, playing movies and TV shows. From another site - I think it is macsonly.com To achieve higher video quality and longer battery life on mobile devices, YouTube has begun encoding their videos in the advanced H.264 format, and iPhone will be the first mobile device to use the H.264-encoded videos. Over 10,000 videos will be available on June 29, and YouTube will be adding more each week until their full catalog of videos is available in the H.264 format this fall. [Bill Fox] And from the Apple website: iPhone has a special YouTube player that you can launch right from the home screen. So now you can access and browse YouTube videos wherever you go. And when you find a video you want to send your friends, iPhone can even create an email with the link in it for you. I'm not a big YouTube user, but this sounds pretty neat - find a video of your favorite indie band and quickly email it to a friend from your iPhone, how cool would that be?

06-21-2007	#10 (permalink)
roni añejo Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Oregon Posts: 59,680

06-21-2007	#12 (permalink)
Seakony añejo Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 16,152	What is so lucky about snagging this product? I think it's a huge waste of money. Better to donate it to a worthy charity than spend it on some toy. For those of you who are against wire-tapping and intrusion on your privacy...now more jerkoffs will be able to snap your photo without your knowledge and send it all over the world.

06-21-2007	#13 (permalink)
roni añejo Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Oregon Posts: 59,680	From The Onion (a satire e-zine): The Onion's Favorite iPhone Features ; ) My favorite is the last one. Yes, I want an iPhone hat! Apple's New iPhone Apple is set to release the much-hyped iPhone Friday, June 29. Here are some of its most highly anticipated features: Apple's New iPhone Nanotechnology enables it to reassemble itself when thrown against wall Exclusive link to Google Street View so you can watch yourself using your iPhone at all times Takes Polaroids When moved from hand to ear, makes Lightsaber sound effects Prominent Apple logo Reproduces through asexual budding Has way, way more PRAM than the last thingy Comes with an iPhone hat, so people know you own an iPhone during the brief periods you're not using it

06-21-2007	#14 (permalink)
PlayadelSoul Registered User Join Date: May 2005 Location: We'll know when we get there, We'll find mercy Posts: 8,963	It must get tiring to have to keep topping IPhone threads. You almost let the other thread slip off the first page, yesterday.

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