FaceTime on iPhone 3GS

Okay, I know this has been already done, blah, blah, blah, but trust me the idea came to me before I actually did a Google search for 'Facetime on iPhone 3GS'. Basically, the concept here is to utilize the rear camera of an iPhone 3GS to perform video calls. Apple has excluded the iPhone 3GS from having FaceTime functionality simply because it has no front-facing camera. Although, this is very sensible, the option to have it wouldn't hurt.

Now, how would you use a phone without a front-facing camera to make video calls. The answer is you would be just able to view the person on the other end, or show he what your rear camera is capturing and here comes the best one; use a mirror. Yes, you heard me! Use a mirror. You could very well stand in front of a mirror for the rear camera to stream what the mirror has, i.e. YOU. This way the iPhone 3GS can be used to make video calls without multiple cameras. I know the idea is a bit lame, but trust me it's still useful.

FaceTime can be installed only on Jailbroken iPhone 3GSs. An app called FaceIt-3GS is available on the Cydia store which can be installed by adding the source http://apps.iphoneislam.com. 

There is another interesting iPhone accessory called iSeeU that helps you make video calls on an obsolete iOS device.

P.S. : Please bear with the image, had to use own picture to avoid copyright issues. ;)

The next iPhone Unicorn

The next-gen iPhone has always been this mysterious / mythical creature that everybody craves for. The only difference is that it does become a reality within a definite period of time unlike unicorns or mermaids, though annoyingly delayed often.

The iPhone 4 has been a tremendous success for Apple Inc. and is officially it's best selling device till date. They now ship it to several other countries and thank Steve Jobs ( read as God ) it is on multiple carriers. Though it was plagued by antenna-gate and other reception issues, the iPhone 4 has come out strong as the most wanted gadget. Apple has to be complimented for it's customer service and gesture of giving free bumpers to many customers to resolve the above issues.

Now, what about the next iPhone? What's it going to be called? Bloggers have come up with suggestions like iPhone 5, 4S or 4GS. Honestly, iPhone 5 seems more relevant because it is going to run the awesome (partially adapted from Android though) iOS 5 and is also most probably be incorporating Apple's proprietary A5 processor Now if Apple decides with the name iPhone 4S or 4GS, like it did with 3GS, I am sure they will have their reasons.

The following is a wish-list for the next iPhone unicorn:-

• Better camera, preferably 8MP, as most high-end smart-phones do have them already
• 4G / LTE compatibility
• Better quality front-facing camera too
• Bigger display, may be around 4 inches
• A5 processor for sure
• Facetime over 3G/4G
• Better Google maps, must contain turn-by-turn directions as in Android
• Better battery life, replaceable battery would be great
• 64 GB iPhone
• Expandable memory
• HDMI out to external displays ( at least 720p would do)

I have excluded the dedicated hardware camera button because they elegantly solved that issue with the volume rocker key.

Now for the people whose contracts are up and are planning to upgrade to an iPhone, it's quite a challenge to decide whether to wait or not. June 6th keynote's 'One last thing' was certainly disappointing but let's hope for the unveiling to take place in September. My advice would be to wait till September because it is very much likely that for the same price the next-gen iPhone can be purchased. If you get the iPhone 4 now, the launch of iPhone 5 would make your device ancient and that's not what you would want! There's money for the status symbol quotient in there too.

Rumors have been floating around about the next iPhone, but no pictures or nothing very substantial yet like what Gizmodo did with iPhone 4. 

Apple recently started selling unlocked iPhone 4s in the US. Looks like Apple is trying to empty its inventory of iPhone 4s before the launch of the iPhone 5, which is kinda suspicious. Actually not suspicious, I am pretty sure of it. Fingers crossed!!

Dear Soumyadip Choudhury, why do you hate Apple?

This is a very obvious response to this blog post from an avid admirer of Apple Inc. and its products. I personally have been very disgusted by this post and the hatred it has caused towards Apple Inc. over the internet. I am trying to be as polite as possible :) ( The smiley is intended to re-emphasize politeness)

Dear Soumyadip

I totally agree with your frustration over the delay of the launch of the latest Apple products in India. But this has very valid reasons. Firstly, India is not the only country in the list. Secondly, It is NOT UNETHICAL for a company to launch products in markets which have good selling potential. Just because Apple doesn't find India's market lucrative enough, it is not immoral on Apple's part and Apple or SJ are certainly not against India. Do you think a company like Apple would miss a market like India's if it thought it was profitable to launch products there? The reason you give for not owning even a single Apple product is respect? It is not true that Apple does not sell any of its latest products in India. Apple did partner with companies like HCL to sell iPods in India, which was not very successful, which is why it chose to delay the launch of certain products.

Coming to the prices of iPhone in India. Companies like Apple and many more sell mobile phones with the concept of 'subsidy'. A contract-free iPhone costs around $599, the reason it is being sold for $199 in the US is because it is subsidized by telecom operators like AT&T and Verizon. The same applies to the Indian market. The service providers ( Airtel and Vodafone ) have to be blamed for the sky-high, unaffordable prices.

Mac is a PC, true. But for a common man, PC is a device which runs Windows OS and that is the point and basis for the Mac VS PC commercials. PC is a generic word now, more generic to the Windows domain. Like how Googling is synonymous to searching on the internet, PC is to a windows machine.

No one can deny the fact that several devices have adapted the design and UI concepts from many Apple devices, be it tablets or mobile phones. Samsung did come up with its second iteration of the Galaxy Tab. But Why? Because it realized that 10.1 inches is a better form-factor than 7 inches and that is because of the tremendous success of the iPad. Just because Samsung launched its second tablet first does not make it a pioneer. Let's not forget, Apple started selling thousands of iPad 2s even before a single Galaxy Tab 10.1 was shipped.

The MacBook. Could there be a better design for a laptop? Hell no! There's nothing wrong with flaunting a device like that. I won't deny that it is not affordable to most people but is definitely worth every penny you  pay for it. When it comes to Macs, it is not the specs that matter. It is the hardware/software integration and overall experience that counts and no one does it better than Apple. 

Also, your blog post is not clear whether you are criticizing the tech by Apple ( by praising openness of Android and Linux ) or just have a problem with the delay of sale of awesome Apple products. No doubt about the success of Android. Remember, there are a ton of companies in the Open Handset Alliance and hence so many Android devices. Kudos to Apple as it competes with so many companies with just three devices, viz. iPhone, iPod, iPad.

Again, I share everybody's opinion over Apple not launching its products in India along with other major markets. Let's hope this changes soon.

Wishing SJ good health!

Kartheek Pathuri

(An ardent Apple fan)

veriPhone!!!

Well, the three exclamation marks after the title of this blog post DO NOT signify any revolution in the mobile phone industry. It's just a sigh of relief.. Ah the iPhone's finally on Verizon! After four years of the first iPhone's launch.

Now, let us come to the details. So what is the Verizon's iPhone all about? It is exactly the same iPhone 4 but on a CDMA EV-DO network., no 4G, no international roaming.  When re-phrased, that means better call reception, faster data and lesser dropped calls. However, there is a drawback to this. Verizon's CDMA network does not allow simultaneous voice and data, i.e. you cannot browse while you are on a voice call, which is a big deal and AT&T actually allows you to do that ( Surprising, ain't it? ). Of course, there are the trivial design changes, the extra black seams on the metallic edge. Hope that after-all they aren't that trivial, and solve the antenna-gate issues.

Verizon's iPhone is being offered with a Personal Hotspot feature which can connect up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices, pricing of which is not known yet. It also comes with the choice of an unlimited monthly data plan which is now unavailable on AT&T.

Whether a customer should go for an iPhone with Verizon now is highly questionable. Apple launches product updates for the iPhone every year around September, which is around seven months after the launch of the veriPhone. Say you purchase it right now, your mobile phone will become obsolete in less than a year and you know how it is, Apple makes every predecessor look almost ancient.

So the moral of the story is:-

The Better

• America's most reliable network
• Better reception when compared to AT&T's network
• Personal Hotspot option
• Choice of unlimited data plan
• The differences in design might solve reception issues with iPhone 4

The Worse

• Lack of simultaneous voice and data connection
• No international roaming
• Cannot be unlocked and used with alternative operator *Wink*
• Product launch not simultaneous with actual product upgrade

So it is up to you guys to decide whether to upgrade to a veriPhone ( if already a Verizon customer ), or switch operators just to get one. Decide wisely!!