Short Short-Movie Made On An iPhone 4

The iPhone 4 has the ability to shoot 720p video but the less advertised feature is the iMovie app that allows the iPhone to edit video and sound as well.

Here is a short movie called "Apple of My Eye" by Michael Koerbel of Majek Picture. It is entirely amazing. That does it. I'm not waiting. I will get the next iPhone, black or white, when it comes available to me. This is just too amazing and cool.

One might even call it "magical". If you go to the Vimeo page for the movie, there are explanations about how the movie and sound was edited. Amazing once again.


"Apple of My Eye" - an iPhone 4 film from Michael Koerbel on Vimeo.

More at Vimeo.

How Will Video Chat Change Society?

In Star Trek, away teams don't exactly communicate with one another or their starships through vid chat. It has almost always been through a video-less communicators or other communication devices. And in our "reality", there have always been devices with video conference abilities. But the idea of chatting via video has always been plagued by a multitude of hurdles.

Apple's iPhone 4 isn't the first mobile device with to have a frontal camera for video communications but it is the first to overcome the hurdles I mentioned: quality of the video chat, lack of market saturation in the market, ease of use, and other technical and, likely, social obstacles.

We don't know if Apple's iPhone 4 will usher in a new paradigm in social communication through video but we should begin to talk about it now.

Apple posted a video of a father way from his family but being able to view his baby live from his hotel room. Staying in touch. That is going to be the key for video chat, not just Apple's FaceTime to be accepted as a viable mean for communication. Is society ready for this? Is it even necessary?

Imagine being able to examine a factory in China live using an iPhone 4 or another mobile device by the company's executives in the United States. Also consider the ability for a team of reporters to offer live broadcast of a breaking news event.

As good as the above scenarios look, this is going to take time. Right now, Skype is the dominant player in the VOIP market for consumers. Just last night, we conducted an hour long video chat with families overseas. However, Skype uses a closed and proprietary system to make that happen. Apple has open-sourced FaceTime but it remains to be seen if it will be adopted by others. Having either Microsoft or Google, two of its main competitors, accept this will go a long way in making that happen. And yes, MSN Messenger allows video chats as does Google Talk over the Web.

Also, FaceTime isn't available over 3G or other cellular wireless networks at this time and only works over Wi-Fi. Steve Jobs promised this ability next year. Nevertheless, it is a setback for Apple and video chat in general, not being able to over FaceTime calls over cellular data.

Thus, compatibility will be a key issue as is accessibility.

Still, this is very exciting for mobile users. I am waiting for a white iPhone 4 and when I get it, I look forward to trying it out.

-- Post From My iPad

iPhone 4: Drop Test

I don't know what rating this video from iFixYouri should get in the mobile world but it was gruesome as far as the desecration of an iPhone goes.

But it does show you how fragile the iPhone is or isn't. I've dropped my 2G iPhone countless number of times and the iPhone 4 does seem much more fragile than any of the other iPhones.

Anyway, here you go. If anything, I will be getting a case for my iPhone 4, whenever my order comes through.



Video from 9-to-5 Mac.

720p Video Quality of the iPhone 4, 3GS, and Samsung Camera Comparison

Thanks to Macrumors, they've found a link for video taken by the iPhone 4. As you may know at this point, some lucky folks already have their iPhone 4s in hand.

And thanks to this individual, we now have a sample of the quality of the HD recording capability of the iPhone 4. What do you think? Directly below it, I've posted another video with the iPhone 3GS compared to a Samsung handset. I'm not say that we should be comparing the iPhone 4 with the 3GS but we at least can know what's possible.

And the video quality taken by the Samsung NV8, a camera seems better than the one taken by the 3GS. Hey, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right? Plus, this is Apple we're talking about here. It's about quality after all.





Lots more at Macrumors.

Note: Be sure to selection "720p" for the Youtube quality.

iOS 4 Is Out But Nothing To Install It On

As you know by now, iOS4 is out. Unlike when iPhone OS 3 was released last year, I am no hurry to rush home to download it. Why?

Because I have no iPhone to install it on. Rather, I don't have the right iPhone or iPod Touch to install it on. I am a guy but I can see this as an analogy where a girl has the perfect dress for a party but no shoes to go with it.

Are you one of the lucky ones? Well, I'll know on Thursday if my iPhone 4 order from Radio Shack came through as I hoped. And if get the call to go down and pick it up, I'll have the perfect dress and shoes to go to the party with.

Ah...that's if I was a girl. Which I'm not. I know nothing about dresses and shoes and match. Damn, I shoulda thought of a better analogy.

But for those if you who have a 3G or a 3GS version of the iPhone, I envy you. For everyone else, sorry. Apple is going to support officially us. Unofficially, I am waiting for jailbreak solutions.

And for slower iPhones like the 2G and 3GS (and older gen iPod Touches), if the jailbreak community does come through, the iOS 4 does have quite a bit to offer us.

Right off the bat, multi-tasking is pretty much out (yes, some have gotten it to work but I don't want to go there just yet). But other features like Folders is an immensely important feature. There are other subtle features like Spotlight searching the Internet and wireless notes syncing that I think a lot of users will appreciate.

I'll run through a list of great iOS 4 features that the rest of us can appreciate even if we don't have the right dress and shoes to go together. Yet.

iPhone 4: Shipping Already and FaceTime Will Not Use Up Minutes

First, ATT is confirming iPhone shipments have begun. I read over the weekends that Apple was doing the same but I did not want to get into it but with a secondary source like ATT, it's a lock. As a matter of fact, MacRumors has a screen shot of the matter.

This is fantastic news despite the dismal day everyone had trying to order the iPhone last Tuesday. This Thursday is going to be wild. As a matter of fact, iOS4 is suppose to be released today. So be ready to be flooded with Apple and iDevice news.

If you have not order one, I feel for you. I went through Radio Shack because there was no line and I was the second person to have ordered that day in person. I noticed that many of the Radio Shack folks were ordering for themselves and friends.

FaceTime.  Although I anticipated as much it's good to have confirmation that users will not be charged their cell minutes for using FaceTime.

It would have been moronic for ATT to charge mobile users who use their own Wi-Fi network to use video chat that has nothing to do with ATT itself.  But you can blame us after all right?  ATT will be charging users who use microcells to improve network connection extra.  

Ma Bell hasn't been exactly consumer friendly.  At times, Apple also has a take-it-or-leave-it attitude and that does drive me crazy.  But the difference is that Steve Jobs sells great products.  It's Apple so everyone who buys into it knows there are certain things we have to put up with.  The main thing is that with an Apple product, it works.  It just works as advertised.

We are with ATT because we don't have a choice.  So it's great to hear that ATT is going to jack users further with FaceTime.

More at MacRumors.  More about FaceTime at Appleinsider.

3D on iPad

Here's a clip of how 3D can be done on the iPad.  Last week, the rage was all about Nintendo's 3DS. Of course, this video coming up is a simulated 3D. I don't know how the 3DS will actually look like since we'll have to see it in person.

For now, this works for me.