Sirius XM just updated their satellite radio app for the new iOS 4 that adds the ability to multitask, basically letting you continue playing your music streams in the background while you work on other stuff. That’s the major addition (and it really is a big thing: now you don’t have to stop the radio stream whenever you get a text message), which applies to the iPhone 4, 3GS, and 3rd-gen iPod touch players, but the update also brings other features to the list that should apply to every other iDevice.
Consumer Reports just announced that they can’t recommend the iPhone 4 after they ran a number of tests to confirm the iPhone 4’s signal problems. Of course, if you don’t mind owning a phone that drops calls if you hold it wrong, they still placed it on top of their smartphone ratings (subscription required) anyway, thanks to the “sharpest display and best video camera” they’ve seen on any phone, as well as the iPhone 4’s battery life and gyroscope.
Apple just released four new iPhone 4 ads that highlight its FaceTime feature. Not necessarily as awesome or as “hip” as you’d normally expect (no rock and roll backdrops on these ads) from Apple, but they did manage to pull out the “aww” from awesome. So yeah, FaceTime’s pretty cool, in case you haven’t checked it out yet. Even if the ads showed that they’re holding it wrong. Zing! (Sorry, we couldn’t help it.) No big deal in this case though, since FaceTime won’t need a network signal (it uses a Wi-fi connection), there’s no danger of dropped calls no matter how you hold it.
Three more videos after the break.
Interesting tech-related stuff you might have missed the past week:
More Apple vs Droid points:
- YouTube: This iPhone4 vs HTC Evo video now has over 4 million views since the iPhone 4 launch (Spoiler: one of them dies at the end). Be warned: lots of text-to-speech profanity ahead. Not something you’d want to show the kids.
- Barrons: This telecom analyst thinks “it’s just a matter of time” before Google’s Android eats Apple’s lunch.
- Louis Gray can see it coming and jumps ship from iPhone to Android: “A bet on iPhone 4 today may be a vote for the best phone of today. But a bet on Android is a bet on the future.”
- Scobleizer agrees (kind of), but still can’t kick his iPhone habit.
Around the net:
- MediaPost: When ghostbusters sue other ghostbusters then drag MySpace into it, we all lose. The ghosts are probably happy about it though.
- Orange County Register: A 25-year-old gets a year in jail for sending hundreds of threatening text messages – to herself.
- CNET: Facebook isn’t overly fond of nipples.
Burger King recently opened a new tech-ified branch Japan, featuring a new concept to make your burger-eating experience a little more “musical.” The new restaurant will feature what they call “Sound Spots,” the new branch has a number of booths with a slot for playing tunes from a docked iPhone or iPod, and a shower-like speaker contraption overhead that limits the music (or noise) to the booth under it.
