Appletell

You always see manufacturers overestimating battery life, but how often do you see them underestimating it? iLounge recently did some tests with Apple’s new iPod nano and iPod classic, and the results might just surprise you.

The iPod nano managed to perform for 30 hours (audio) and 5 hours 47 mins (video), compared to Apple’s estimate of 24 and 5 hours respectively. The 160GB iPod classic, on the other hand managed to last for an amazing 58 hours (audio) and 9 hours 35 mins (video), up from 40 and 7 hours specified by Apple respectively.

Via [iLounge]

IndieHIG is pointing out several flaws with Leopard’s folders. In particular, they’re annoyed with the fact that the new folders do not have a distinct overall shape or color cues. They’ve even gone so far to coin the term “Fix the Leopard Folders”, or FTLF if you like.

While I agree that the new icons make it much harder to differentiate between your music and movie collections, remember that Apple is trying to move away from the old Aqua interface. Almost everything in Leopard has been, er, iTunes-ified?

With just one more month to go, there probably is still room for Apple to roll out last minute graphics.

Read [IndieHIG]

According to rumor site AppleInsider, the next iteration of Tiger is supposed to solve a whole lot of issues. Known as Mac OS X 10.4.11 build 8S2151 (Intel) and build 8S151 (Power PC), the update will address more than three dozen bugs.

Apparently, the Intel build is currently hindered with bugs that could prevent drives from mounting. In its current form, the update measures a sizable 65MB for Power PC Macs and 119MB for Intel Macs. Expect to see it sometime this month or in early October.

Read [AppleInsider]

If you happen to own an iPhone (and face it, not a lot of us do), you’ll have no doubt heard or even tried some of the 3rd-party native apps. It’s always been a gray area as to how Apple views these hacks (not only on the iPhone, but also on the Apple TV). Thank goodness Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of iPod marketing recently rang Gearlog to confirm his firm’s stance on iPhone hacking.

Apparently, Apple does not mind at all. Or so it seems. They’re not going to stop people from developing these apps, but future “software updates will most likely break” unofficial software. Of course, the company is not going to support these apps, so you’re on your own should you require assistance.

Another reason to go ahead and purchase that iPhone you’ve always wanted, or at least wait till Apple officially rolls them out in your area.

Read [MacNN]

Earlier last week, Griffin Technology upgraded their lineup of cases for Apple’s new iPod models. In particular, the iClear (clear case), Reflect (screen shines through metallic surface), Elan (made from leather), Streamline (sports armband) and Courier (utility case) now support the new iPod Nano, Classic and Touch.

I particularly like the Reflect line of cases; in a market where there are more than several dozen competitors, it’s innovative products like the Reflect that truly stand out. All these products will be hitting retail stores sometime in October 2007 nationwide; expect a review or two on one of their products in the near future.

Via [Griffin Technology]

So you might’ve bought an iPod (RED) to help fight AIDS in Africa. But did you know you could also help fight breast cancer too? Belkin has brought out new “Hope” iPod Nano cases, colored in pink to celebrate women’s empowerment and strength.

According to the press release, these products will only be available in the U.S. on 2nd September. The good news is, the company will donate $2.50 from every “Hope” case to the Komen for the Cure (with a minimum guaranteed donation of $225,000).

Strangely enough, none of the “Hope” cases support Apple’s newest 3rd generation iPod Nano. Hopefully we’ll see some of those soon.

Read [Belkin Press Release]

There’s another uproaring on Apple’s discussion board (second one this month, I think). Turns out, the displays on the first batch of 20-inch aluminum iMacs shipped with inferior displays. The color at the top seems to be darker, while the bottom feels rather washed out. In addition to that, the colors will change even when tilting your head from left to right.

Is this really surprising? Apple’s 1st-generation products have always known to come with lots of issues, so like that old economic saying goes: “Buyer Beware!”. Still, the company provides one year warranty on their products, so you can still get it fixed. If you’re totally paranoid, there’s always AppleCare, which will extend that by another two years.

Read [Apple 2.0]

According to Loop Rumors’ trusted sources, Apple is supposedly hard at work on a major software update for Apple TV. Said update is rumored to feature an option allowing users to make iTunes Store purchases directly from the Apple TV. Currently, a Mac (or PC) is required to purchase content, which is then streamed to the living room.

I see this happening really soon. Remember that the new iPod Touch runs Mac OS X, which is the same operating system that the Macs and Apple TV use. If they’ve already got all the underlying software to handle the iTunes WiFi Music store, then it shouldn’t be hard bringing it to the living room. Just one more reason to buy the Apple TV.

Read [Loop Rumors]

iLounge and Ars Technica are both reporting that the iPod Touch may not be as capable as we thought. It seems that Apple has removed all references to entering calendar events from their websites. Furthermore, screenshots of the iPod Touch have shown that the “Add” button is nowhere to be found in the calendar application.

I’m hoping this is just a little error on Apple’s part, but it would certainly force a lot of people to consider an iPhone for a complete information management system. I happen to be one of those, so this new discovery might just put me off buying the iPod Touch, at least until Apple sells the iPhone worldwide.

Read [Ars Technica]

When Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced the $200 price cut on the iPhone, I could almost hear the hearts of every iPhone owner sink to the ground. Of course, that all changed when the company announced a $100 store credit as compensation. Reaction on numerous forums on the internet have been generally positive, although it’s still easy to find the odd one who still has gripes.

Apparently, these sort of things are unprecedented, at least in the technology industry. Analyst Ezra Gottheil at Technology Business Research Inc. said: “I can’t think of any [others] that have this kind of relationship with their customers. I could see a specialized automaker doing this kind of thing, a BMW, maybe.”

Honestly, price drops on technology are always inevitable, and besides, most of you walked out of the Apple store on June 29th saying that the $599 was totally worth it, so stop complaining.

Read [MacWorld UK]