wwdc 2009

FCC welcomes Apple iPhone 3G S

Less than a day after it was unveiled at WWDC 2009, the new Apple iPhone 3G S got the Federal Communications Commission's blessing. You now can peruse fascinating technical data about Apple's newest device, including its SAR measurements. If you're not an iPhone fan, there's no reason to despair, as a handful of other new cell phones passed through the FCC as well.

Because the FCC has to certify every phone sold in the United States, not to mention test its SAR rating, the agency's online database offers a lot of sneak peeks to those … Read more

How the iPhone can overtake all gaming handhelds in five steps

Apple had its own E3 press conference at the beginning of the week, with its newest model in the iPhone line finally being unveiled to the world. The iPhone 3G S, while in some ways a modest upgrade, introduces significant improvements for gamers--some obvious, others not so much. Will it help even further cement their growing position in a handheld games market previously dominated by Nintendo and Sony? Read on.

Faster processor speed, more RAM. T-Mobile leaked the hard 3G S specs, and they're all-around zippier than the old 3G--which Apple confirmed when it promised overall speeds up to 2x faster. This will matter in particular with game load times and game crashes, both of which can tend to plague an overstuffed iPhone. While the spec bumps are relatively modest, the iPhone's game-playing prowess has already been more impressive than early pundits predicted, especially on recent releases like The Sims 3 and a PC-perfect port of Myst. The only thing missing now is...

Proper controller support. Sneaked in under the radar amid the iPhone 3G S news is the fact that the 3.0 software update allows third-party app interfacing with peripherals. While a larger focus on this functionality has been on medical devices, it's now possible for someone to make a clip-on control pad case and to have that controller be usable in any game. What should happen is that publishers gather to designate one universal controller that then gets adopted as the iPhone's "gamepad." The question is, who will make that accessory? For a while last year it was rumored to be Belkin, although it was unclear who would support the device. On consoles, the manufacturer usually settles these issues by making the controller themselves (except in the case of peripheral-driven games like Rock Band).

While it would be easiest if Apple made a gamepad, it's entirely unlikely. The whole appeal of the iPhone is its interface simplicity--too many plug-ins kill the minimalist chic. If a third party makes a controller, there's a likelihood that some publishers would support it, while others splinter off under some other controller accessory. Either way, someone should make sure there's a good consensus. Otherwise, soon enough we'll be buried in plastic miniperipherals, not unlike what's currently happening to (or plaguing) game consoles.… Read more

Friday Poll: Which of your hopes did Apple dash?

Clearly, one of the biggest pieces of news this week was the forthcoming iPhone 3G S.

But there were a few items people expected Apple to make official at its Worldwide Developers Conference that weren't mentioned. And sometimes what's not said at these keynotes is as important as what is. Which of these were you hoping for, but didn't get?

If we missed anything, let us know in the TackBack section below.

The iPhone 3G S: Coming to a country near you

Like the iPhone 3G, the new iPhone 3G S won't be released to the entire world at once. Rather, it will be released on three dates following its initial June 19 debut. Apple announced the 90 countries at the WWDC 2009 keynote, but they flashed by quickly so we don't blame you if you missed your country. Here's what we know so far.

June 19 releases

Canada France Germany Italy Spain Switzerland United Kingdom United States

June 26 releases

Australia Austria Belgium Ireland Japan Netherlands

… Read more

iPhone 3G S and OS 3.0 photos

We couldn't grab hands-on photos of the iPhone 3G S at the WWDC 2009 keynote, so we delved into Apple's Web site to find out what press shots the company had to offer.

Since the new handset's design is unchanged from the iPhone 3G we'll save you a gallery of exterior photos, but we'll show how the 3G S's unique features will look on the display. Again, these are shots supplied by Apple--we haven't tested the new device yet--but they'll give you an idea of what to expect from the compass, Voice … Read more

iPhone OS 3.0 revisited

Since Apple first unveiled the iPhone OS 3.0 last March, we've been impatiently awaiting its full release. Yes, we did manage to get a beta version of the update on the CNET iPhone--I even did a preliminary review--but we prefer to wait for the real thing to give our official evaluation.

Fortunately, we got our wish Monday at the WWDC 2009 keynote. During his portion of the presentation, Scott Forstall, Apple's senior vice president of iPhone software, announced that OS 3.0 will be released to the world June 17. We'll still have to wait until later this summer for AT&T to activate multimedia messaging and tethering, but all the other new features will go live next Wednesday for iPhone 3G, iPhone Classic, and iPod Touch users. Two days later, the new iPhone 3G S will launch with the full update.

In total, Apple is promising that the update will bring 100 new features, but we've barely scratched the surface. Once we fully evaluate OS 3.0, we expect that we'll find more. We were hoping that OS 3.0 would also include video recording and voice dialing, but those features will be available only on the new iPhone 3G S.

Though we've detailed most of the OS 3.0 improvements already, we wanted to revisit them following the keynote. Forstall mostly gave a recap of what we already know, but he provided more detail in a few areas and covered topics that we had not heard before. Here's what he had to say. … Read more

Hands on: Apple MacBook (13-inch, white)

Apple's lowest-end laptop occupies a special place in the Mac spectrum. As of WWDC 2009, it's the last MacBook standing in the lineup--all the other Apple notebooks are now MacBook Pros. The MacBook (we can call it "the" MacBook, now) also is the last to retain the polycarbonate white plastic glossy casing that once defined a whole line of machines.

While the MacBook's more pedestrian appearance may not catch the eye as much as the unibody aluminum MacBook Pros, don't be fooled by its throwback looks--inside, Apple's done a good job of … Read more

The gap in Apple's MacBook lineup

Despite the litany of Apple announcements at the opening keynote speech of the company's developers' conference, what could turn out to be more interesting than the new products it named is what Apple didn't say Monday.

The bumping up of the 13-inch laptop to MacBook Pro status, and the price cuts along the MacBook Pro line certainly grabbed headlines. They did something else: they left the little $999 white MacBook as the only true MacBook in the bunch. Gone now is the option to buy a silver unibody design version of a MacBook. The rest are all MacBook Pros now, which leaves buyers with little choice if they don't want a high-end notebook from Apple.

So what gives? Apple doesn't talk about products before it's ready to, but with that subtle change it may be signaling some tantalizing possibilities for upcoming products.

The white MacBook, at $999, is the cheapest notebook Apple offers right now. It also looks a bit out of place, compared to the clean, silver, cut-from-a-single-block-of-aluminum design of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models. More importantly, there is a big gap in Apple's product lineup between the $299 iPhone and iPod Touch and the $999 laptop.

Apple could bridge that with the much discussed touch-screen tablet, which, of course, Apple has never actually said is in the works. If it were, the tablet could certainly make sense with the MacBook name attached, especially if its primary purpose was as a portable device for reading e-books, reviewing documents, and viewing videos.

But there is also room for a lower-cost laptop, with fewer bells and whistles aimed specifically at the education market. It would be similar to what the rest of the computer world calls a Netbook, or a mini-notebook. If Apple did make one, it would seem to represent a change in attitude toward "junky" Netbooks. But here's the thing: Apple wouldn't have to make a poor-quality mini-notebook. Historically, in the tug between features and style, and affordability, Apple usually errs on the side of features. But the company can, in fact, aim for a broader Mac market from time to time. It did so with the eMac in 2002, which lasted until 2005. That Mac desktop was aimed at students, and no one would call that a junky version of an iMac. It was however available with fewer features and a corresponding (slightly) lower price.

… Read more

The 404 359: Where we protect our heads from falling Apple iPhone 3G S rumors

WWDC has come and gone and The 404 has been groaning ever since the lights dimmed. Listen or watch as we analyze all of the announcements and whether or not any of us are tempted to bite the bait.

Next we'll give you an update on Jeff's Palm Pre saga as it continues. If you didn't catch yesterday's show or special segment, Jeff's Pre is acting a little wonky.

Finally, Wilson wraps up last night's Webby Awards, where CNET picked up a few wins in various categories. Was it the best Webby Awards ever? We think you already know the answer to that one.

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