[NT73]

Just noticed yesterday that someone's developed a Siri clone on Android - called Iris (Siri spelt backwards). Haha...

Is this what is known as reverse engineering?

I have said before a phone is no good for me, but as a PDA, the ipod-Touch is pretty good.
My last one cost £20.00, but felt like a wind up radio compared with this.

[Toad]

I have Zagg Smartbuds tha have volume, pause and step forward/back controls - so I don't miss the physical buttons on the actual device that much.

[Kombisaurus]

When it comes to music, by far the best accessory I have for my iPhone is a pair of Etymotic earphones with ipod controls on them.
Having those three little buttons up near your ears makes all the difference. One button is play/pause (and answer/hang-up if a phone call is coming through, or hold it down and then talk to Siri), the other buttons handle volume up/down or double-click for next/previous track. No need to lock/unlock the screen or even look at the screen. Just leave your phone in standby mode in your pocket.
It means I can use my iphone as an ipod without ever needing to take it out of my pocket. In fact I mostly use it to stream internet radio (Radio Paradise) rather than listen to pre-recorded audio, and the controls work just as well for that as for the ipod app. As well as listen to music while riding my motorbike, I can also have trapster running in the background keeping an eye out for, ahem, "safety cameras" (and conveniently muting the music to make announcements), I can get voice-guided GPS directions, and can hear when a call comes in and pull over to answer or make a call without even taking off my helmet, gloves, or taking the phone out of my pocket. I can even send text messages thanks to Siri while my phone is in my pocket. And I do! A number of times I've left home and realised I need to let somebody know I'm on my way, and I've managed to compose and send an SMS using Siri all while I'm stopped at a single red light. Of course on a motorbike the mic becomes useless while you're in motion thanks to wind-noise, so regardless of mobile phone laws it's not practical to use Siri on the move, but I've been surprised how much Siri still understands when I'm pulled over on the side of the road talking with cars whizzing past. Even with my motor still running.
The only problem I have is poor battery life. I ride a regular two hour trip every week which eats over 40% of the battery when streaming internet radio and running a GPS app like Trapster the whole time. If I just use the iPod app by itself instead it uses much less power.

[Kombisaurus]

lol, beat me to it Toad.

[NT73]

Can't you plug it into the bike battery, via an adaptor, Kombi.?

[matthew]

Thanks, Rob and Adrian, that seems like the direction I'm going to need to go in sooner or later. Right now I have a pair of Shure earphones that I like (and another smaller set that I don't like quite as much) for music, as well as Etymotic earphones and Sony headphones that I use as monitors. The idea of springing for another pair of earphones that essentially adds the controls of my iPod Shuffle to my iPhone doesn't fill me with excitement, but for longer trips it would be worth it to let me shed yet another device that needs to be recharged.

I have been very pleased to see that the music player doesn't take much power.

I'm also thrilled to see that playlists now update on the phone. I always use a smart playlist to collect the last fifty songs that I've played, and the iPhone is the first music player that doesn't need to be plugged in to update it. I was also able to create a fixed playlist by adding artists and albums almost as easily as if I had tethered it to my computer, which was great. It's becoming clear to me that it's just a matter of time before I add a set of earphones with built-in controls and an Apple TV that will let me play directly through my stereo, and watch movies on my TV, wirelessly. At that point my phone will be my digital hub – there may be something to this whole "Post PC World" thing.

I've also been getting good use from the Stalk-O-Matic application, aka "Find My Friends". There have been a couple of nights that I've been able to meet up with my wife on the way home because of it, so this phone has actually added to my quality family time. I can't imagine wanting anyone else to be able to track my every move, though.

[Kombisaurus]

Hey NT, yes you can charge phones on a bike (I did that for both phone and ipad while riding across Aus), but the problem is finding a suitable location for a charging port (cigarette lighter socket) somewhere convenient and weatherproof. You don't want exposed electrical connectors or cables dangling around on a bike.
So on my last 3 bikes I have mounted a charging port under the passenger seat. It works well as most bikes have little storage compartments under the seat that will easily carry phones, wallets, etc. The trouble is that you need to pop the seat to plug and unplug the phone, and you can't easily use the phone while it's charging unless you listen via something like a bluetooth headset, which then has to be compatible with your helmet.
I'd love to get a little weatherproof iphone combination holder and charger that mounts on the handlebars. Then I could charge the phone, listen to music, and glance down at the GPS all at once. But I haven't found a good enough solution... yet. I also know that at some point I'd get off the bike and walk away while I still have the earphones plugged in and my helmet still on, breaking the earphones, the phone, or my ears in the process. I could destroy quite a few pairs of earphones before I learn. I suffered many minor facial injuries developing the habit of always taking my glasses off before removing my helmet.

TLDR; Charging phones on a bike is easy, but you won't be able to use the phone while it's charging.

[shuttertalk]

Just spotted this on Engadget and think it's an awesome idea. I hate the onsceen button as the shutter release on the iphone / most touchscreen phones - as it can be a hit and miss affair. Now you can use a physical button with tactile feedback...

http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/16/belki...he-middle/

[shuttertalk]

Another comparison article, this time with comparing to 8MP Canon 20D, and a 10MP Olympus XZ-1. Again, it's a "like for like" test where they set the parameters on the DSLR at least to emulate the iPhone settings to gain a fair comparison, but obviously the real camera could do much better in unrestricted real world usage.

http://arstechnica.com/apple/guides/2011...mpaign=rss

Compared to the XZ-1:

The combination of an updated sensor and the dual-core A5 processor also make the iPhone 4S much faster to start up and take pictures. It was nearly as fast at launching, focusing, and snapping sequential images as the Olympus XZ-1, and certainly faster than previous compact cameras we have used.

Compared to the 20D:

For snapshot purposes, the iPhone 4S is comparable to the 8MP Canon 20D when it comes to image quality. But that comparison is a little unfair—you can easily achieve better results with newer DSLRs in terms of exposure, noise, and megapixel count. What you can't do with any DSLR, though, is (again) slip it into your pants pocket. Lenses that have as bright an aperture as the iPhone 4S's f/2.4 will also either be limited to a single focal length or generally be much larger and heavier than the lightweight kit lenses that many users have.

[Kombisaurus]

Yet another test of the 4S camera, this time from Popular Photography mag.
http://www.popphoto.com/gear/2011/11/cam...-iphone-4s

This one seems a lot more down to earth than some others, comparing it against other premium camera phones and compact cameras like Canon's S95.

[enviroguy]

Lots of noise in the images from the I-phone 4S? Hmmmm....I wonder if its sensor size compared to even the smallest compact cameras might explain something.

The 4S has a 1/3.2" (4.54 x 3.42 mm) sensor with a 5 element plastic lens.

I got a 4S a few weeks ago. Still getting used to the camera, err.... phone.

....Dennis

[NT73]

I had Windows (albeit via some type-in program) on my old Atari computer, years before 'the other Windows' came into existence. I did not use it at the time as I could not see the point of it. How times change.

[Toad]

I had Windows (albeit via some type-in program) on my old Atari computer...

I used to have an Atari computer as well. I recall that the RAM was in cassette-like modules that you plugged directly into the computer in the same slot that you would plug in a program or game module (if you weren't actually programming at the moment).

I had the high end model with a whopping 48K of RAM. I was so high tech...

48K...how quickly things change. A lot of emails that I get are larger than 48K. Remember 1.4 MB floppy disks (not that long ago)? How many floppies would it take to save one RAW image from my M9? Answer: 25

[NT73]

I had Windows (albeit via some type-in program) on my old Atari computer...

I used to have an Atari computer as well. I recall that the RAM was in cassette-like modules that you plugged directly into the computer in the same slot that you would plug in a program or game module (if you weren't actually programming at the moment).

I had the high end model with a whopping 48K of RAM. I was so high tech...

48K...how quickly things change. A lot of emails that I get are larger than 48K. Remember 1.4 MB floppy disks (not that long ago)? How many floppies would it take to save one RAW image from my M9? Answer: 25

Ah! but they would be so cheap now (as nobody wants them) Practically free storage. Plus it would make you take less photos (like the good old days of film)

[shuttertalk]

This is a concept only, but an interesting one. Basically, you plug your iPhone into the back of a assembly with a large lens and sensor, and the iPhone just becomes storage (possibly the processor as well) and the viewfinder. Neat idea, kinda reminds me of the Ricoh GXR system.

http://www.petapixel.com/2011/11/28/appl...or-brains/

[Toad]

This actually appeals to me in a strange sort of way, but I'm still not convinced. There are already many bits of junk out there that allow you to use real lenses with an iPhone such as this thing: http://photojojo.com/store/awesomeness/i...slr-mount/

Most of these "solutions" are so cumbersome and non-ergonomic that they are really concepts - even if they are being marketed as products. I mean, really, who is going to carry a massive telephoto and adapter around and quibble about carrying a small camera body to place it on.

I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that the cell phone camera is the logical "always with you" camera, and it would be nice to see a cell phone camera with real controls and a real lens - and why not a bigger sensor while you are at it. Even the smallest cameras that I have owned were at home more often than they were on my person - the sole exception being the camera in my iPhone. At the end of the day, if there is *anything* else to carry other than your cell phone, you will probably not have it on you that much of the time, and if I am carrying something else, it might as well be a *real* camera.

I completely support putting good point and shoots in cell phones. It may never have the IQ of my M9 - but I'm not suggesting that a cell phone camera be my only camera. I am not sure that I can get behind franken-phones like this though. Not enough gain for the pain.

[shuttertalk]

One thing that would make it a much better "camera" in its own right is a dedicated shutter hardware button. Some phones like the HTC ones have it, and it's much better than trying to press a 'virtual' onscreen button.

[Toad]

I agree. I think the 4s allows you to use the Volume Up button for the shutter.

[Kombisaurus]

Using the Volume Up button as a dedicated shutter button is built into iOS 5 for all devices. It's not just the iPhone 4S that has it.

I just checked my 18-month old iPod Touch (which I've updated to iOS 5) and confirmed that it works. You can also quickly access the camera from the lock-screen by double-pressing the home button (making a little camera icon appear).

[NT73]

Even the smallest cameras that I have owned were at home more often than they were on my person - the sole exception being the camera in my iPhone..

The TZ5 never left me (until I lost it) as I had a little belt held battery case to put it in. The LX5 having a protruding lens does not fit the bag so it does tend to stay at home more. It also has a plastic screen (I thought it was glass like the TZ5). Seems like backwards progress.

[Toad]

Using the Volume Up button as a dedicated shutter button is built into iOS 5 for all devices... You can also quickly access the camera from the lock-screen by double-pressing the home button (making a little camera icon appear).

Yes - you are right - I just tested that on my iPhone 4. That actually makes the camera quite handy and quick top use.

[shuttertalk]

Using the Volume Up button as a dedicated shutter button is built into iOS 5 for all devices. It's not just the iPhone 4S that has it.

Wow, thanks for that, good to hear. I've been out of the IOS loop now for 6 months, and was using a 3GS back then.

[matthew]

… I can never remember which button it is, and usually end up having to hit the on-screen one instead…

(QUICK: is it the button on the left, the right, or in the middle?)

But then I'm notoriously bad at remembering which button to press on my cameras. Such is life.

[shuttertalk]

Hey all, I'm back on the iPhone bandwagon. My company gave me an iPhone 4S so I've shelved my Android Samsung Galaxy S2 and I'm back in Apple land.

I must say it's a breath of fresh air. With Android you get a lot of flexibility, which I really enjoyed, but I found that there were minor niggles throughout that ruined the whole experience. The biggest one was battery life, which really crippled the usage of the phone. Another was calendar and contact syncing, which didn't work after a while.

IOS may be bland, generic, and you need to mould yourself to their interface and way of doing things, but it works reliably and flawlessly.