Computerworld – Maybe the hoopla over the iPad put a crimp in the schedule, but Apple finally got around to begin pounding the iPhone drum.

In this case, that means Apple’s iPhone OS 4, the next version of the company’s mobile operating system, which was previewed yesterday to reporters, bloggers, analysts and industry watchers.

Apple’s a few weeks late — the last two years it’s touted the new iPhone OS in mid-March — but it’s not so late that it puts a mid-summer release at risk. The company’s vast network of developers still has plenty of time to start building apps that will take advantage of the new before Apple does its usual unveiling of a revamped iPhone.

So, what’s in iPhone OS 4? A lot of catch-up, say some, a whole lot of goodness, say most. That’s the quick analysis, anyway, of the next generation software that will add a bunch of features, including a few, like multitasking, that users have been yapping about for years, to the growing collection of Apple’s mobile devices.

iPhone OS 4, like its last two predecessors, has more than a single FAQ can cover; this will play out from now until June, the presumed ship date for the next iPhone, and long after. But we wanted answers to the off-the-bat questions right away.

When do I get iPhone OS 4? True to form, Apple was no more specific than “this summer” for the upgrade’s release, although developers got their hands on a beta and the SDK (software developers kit) yesterday.

But only iPhone and iPod Touch users get the new OS this summer. iPad owners have to wait.

Wait? Wait until when? iPhone OS 4 won’t reach the iPad until “fall,” said Jobs today. But he didn’t say why.

Ezra Gottheil, an analyst with Technology Business Research, wondered whether the delay was to give Apple time to set some hardware ducks in a row. “I’d like to be able to scan [photos] into the iPad,” he said, and noted that others have asked for direct printing from the iPad, rather than requiring users to e-mail files to or sync files with a PC or Mac.

In fact, Apple may already be vetting hardware vendors, said Aaron Vronko, CEO of Rapid Repair, an iPhone repair firm and experienced teardown expert. There’s a USB controller inside the iPad, says Vrnoko, who disassembled an iPad last Saturday. The evidence is Apple’s online store, where the company’s selling a kit that connects s camera’s USB port to the iPad’s sync and charging port.

Vronko’s bet? Apple will allow select hardware manufacturers to access the controller — again the Apple’s control of the iPhone/iPad ecosystem — for, say, printing.

f these experts are right, maybe Apple requires time to line up those vendors, who need to write drivers, and will add those drivers to iPhone OS 4 between its release for the iPhone and iPad.Or Apple’s just jerking the chain of every iPad owner. Hard to tell.

How much will I pay for the update? Apple didn’t say today, but in the past it gave away upgrades to iPhone owners and charged iPod Touch users $10.

However, there’s a good chance that the upgrade will be free to everyone. Last year, Apple received approval to change its accounting practices so that it could recognize iPhone revenue immediately, rather than spread the income over 24 months. That older accounting method was what Apple used to justify the upgrade charge to iPod Touch owners. With that now moot, Apple’s in a position, accounting-wise, to provide free upgrades.

What’s in iPhone OS 4? Not surprisingly, Apple said the upgrade is a big deal.

Yesterday, the company boasted that iPhone OS 4 includes over 100 new end-user features, although it described only a handful. It also claimed that the OS offers developers more than 1,500 new APIs that can be used to add limited multitasking, open e-mail attachments, access the iPhone’s calendar and more.

What’s the most important, or at least most impressive, new feature? As always, your mileage may vary, but multitasking would be our pick.

With iPhone OS 4, some apps will be able to offer multitasking for specific purposes. The Skype VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol), for example, can use one of seven new APIs to craft a new version that receives calls while other apps are in use, and lets users put callers on hold while they check something out in another app. The Pandora and Rhapsody music-streaming services, on the other hand, will be able to play tunes in the background, just like the native iPod app does.

How will I switch between apps that multitask? Double-tapping the home button brings up an app-switching tray that shows the active programs. Think of it as a dock for multitasking apps that slides up from the bottom of the screen.

While analyst Gottheil drew comparisons to Windows’ task manager, Jobs disagreed. In a Q&A session after the preview presentation, the Apple CEO denied any similarities. “In multitasking, if you see a task manager…[Apple's designers] blew it. Users shouldn’t ever have to think about it.”

So I can finally switch between apps without closing the first, pressing the home button, then launching the second? Yes, you can.

Apple, in fact, called its “fast app switching” the biggest news within the big news of multitasking. “This is probably the easiest for developers to adopt, and probably the most important,” said Forestall.

Software that uses Apple’s fast app switching API can be put into what Forestall called a “quiescent state” in the background. We’d call it what it is … suspended. The app is frozen in place — “It’s not using any CPU at all,” Forestall said — and then resumes when you return.

“Most people don’t need multitasking,” said Gottheil of Technology Business Research. “They just want a way to quickly switch between programs.”

Will my instant messaging app use multitasking? What about Tweetdeck? Not really.

Apple is still, pardon the phrasing, pushing push notifications, the feature that debuted with iPhone 3.0 last summer. Push, sort of a poor man’s background processing, has the iPhone pinging Apple’s servers to see if there are, for example, new messages waiting for your instant message client. The upside? Push consumes less battery power than true multitasking.

Apple did add what it called “local notification” to iPhone OS 4. By using a new API, app developers can push notices from within the device, from their own apps. Until now, all push has come from Apple’s servers, sent to the iPhone. Scott Forestall, Apple’s senior vice president of iPhone software, showed how a television programming guide could ping you when “The Colbert Report” was about to begin.

But that won’t really help out the Tweetdecks of the world.

Why is Apple doing multitasking this way? Why not just do it full bore? Battery and performance, said Scott Forestall, Apple’s senior vice president of iPhone software.

“How are we adding multitasking while preserving battery life and performance?” Forestall asked, then naturally answered his own question.

Apple has long cited battery drain and processor strain as the reasons why it didn’t implement multitasking on the iPhone, a feature familiar not only to computer users, but to smartphone owners. Google’s Android operating system, offered multitasking from the get-go.

Concern about the battery was also the reason why Apple went with the “multitasking lite” push notification last year.

But I’ve heard only some people get multitasking in iPhone OS 4. What’s up with that? You heard right.

iPhone OS 4 brings Apple’s form of multitasking to the iPad, iPhone 3GS and the third-generation iPod Touch, which first went on sale in early September 2009.

Have an iPhone 3G or iPod Touch from the line that debuted in 2008? Sorry, Charlie. You can upgrade to iPhone OS 4, and according to Jobs, “run many things” with the older hardware, but not multitasking.

Apple said nothing about the original iPhone, the one that doesn’t do 3G, or the first-generation iPod Touch. Here, the expression, “No news is good news” probably doesn’t apply. Don’t expect to run the new OS on the oldest devices.

This isn’t the first time that first-in-line customers have been stiffed. Last year, for example, iPhone 3.0′s new MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) support wouldn’t work on the 2007 iPhone hardware.

I want more than multitasking. What else does iPhone OS 4 have?

• Folders, finally, to organize apps into some semblance of order. You can drag-and-drop apps to and from folders.
• Universal inbox that drops messages from Web mail, MobileMe accounts and multiple Exchange accounts (that last also a first) into one place.
• Support for BlueTooth keyboards. The iPad has this now; iPhone and iPod Touch get it this summer.
• iBook. Apple’s bringing its iPad online bookstore and e-reader app to the iPhone and iPod Touch, albeit scaled to fit the smaller screens. It offers Kindle-esque features, including bookmark and last-page-read synchronization between devices.

Is there a list somewhere of the 100+ new features? No, that would make it too easy, wouldn’t it?

As is Apple’s wont, it only touched on what it considers the highlights of the upgrade, but didn’t recite, or provide, a full catalog of changes. Apple hits those same notes on its Web site, and gave a bird’s-eye-view of some of the new APIs on the iPhone developer site.

And I’ll be seeing ads in my apps, is that right? Yes, indeed.

Jobs talked for quite some time yesterday about the new iAd mobile ad service that Apple’s kicking off with iPhone OS 4.

He took a swipe at now-fierce-rival Google when he got started. “On a desktop, search is where it’s at,” he said. “But on mobile devices, that hasn’t happened. Search is not happening on phones. People are using apps. And this is where the opportunity is to deliver advertising is.”

Apple’s plan: Ads run within apps — that’s where the eyeballs are, Jobs essentially said — and those ads can be interactive and include video. Apple will sell and host the ads, then drop them into cooperating apps. Developers, said Jobs, can add iAd capability to their software in “an afternoon,” and get the big end of the 60%-40% split with Apple of the advertising proceeds.

From the demonstrations that Jobs gave yesterday, many of the ads will resemble, if not apps exactly, then apps within an app.

Will you see ads? You bet you will. Yesterday, Jobs claimed that the iPhone-iPod touch-iPad universe could provide as many as 1 billion ad impressions — one impression is one person seeing an advertisement one time — each day. Say that again: 1 billion ads each day.

How come we didn’t hear about a new iPhone? Not the time, wouldn’t be prudent.

The last two years, Apple has trotted out a preview of the next version of the iPhone OS in March, but waited until June to announce new hardware, then three to five weeks later, put the brand spankin’ new handset in stores.

So Apple’s just following iPhone protocol.

The original article can be found here.

MYMAC: How did you and Ben Levy happen to create Rapid Repair, Aaron?

RAPID REPAIR: Ben had an original 1st Gen. 5GB iPod that he was messing around with it (because that’s what tech curious guys do) and broke it. When he looked to see if there was someone who had parts or any other assistance for iPods all he found were other iPod owners in basically the same situation.  Since we both have a background in computers (worked in IT for a Fortune 500 company), Ben decided to collect and repair some.  I was living on his couch at the time (literally) and we realized that this need wasn’t a one-shot deal, it was real consumer demand. In March of 2004 the first website, iPodMods.com, went online.  At the same time, we were lucky to land a repair contract for a large refurbished goods dealer and that cash flow, experience, and parts helped us launch in a big way.

MYMAC: Is it an asset or a liability to be located in the rust belt, near the cereal capital?

RAPID REPAIR: Michigan has a great public education system including one of the top five public universities in the country, so even though many of its major manufacturing employers have struggled my entire adult life, it has been a major producer and exporter of skilled workers.  That has actually made it pretty easy to attract and retain knowledge workers, who have the talent, but don’t want to move out-of-state to use it.

Along the same lines, we don’t have the opportunity to attract as much local or walk-in business as we would in a more modern metropolitan area such as New York, Chicago, or L.A., but the improvements in technology and infrastructure have made our business easily extend beyond the physical limits that applied even 15 years ago.

MYMAC: How do you obtain your parts and supplies to repair iPods and other hand held equipment?

RAPID REPAIR: Apple does not officially endorse or supply for repair of customers’ iPods, meaning we have to obtain our Apple OEM parts from array of third parties which and often includes de-manufactured new units.  Our refurbished iPods are built from tested and certified parts from used iPods which makes them the most environmentally friendly option because they just re-use goods that were previously manufactured.

MYMAC: What distinguishes Rapid Repair from your competitors?

RAPID REPAIR: Rapid Repair is the oldest and largest end-user electronics repair company who started with a focus on repairing iPods.  As such we have a keen focus and love of these devices.  While many of our smaller competitors have faltered with issues of customer service or other problems we have continued to be run as a professional organization with this important tenet guiding us:

The purpose of a business is to create value for its shareholders, employees, and customers.  If you fail on any of these, you can not succeed.

MYMAC: Who is your number one competitor?

RAPID REPAIR: This may sound evasive, but truthfully it’s the trash bin!  It’s a general sense from people that iPod repair doesn’t exist, or it’s too expensive, or it’s too much effort to be worth it.  While we certainly have other companies in our line of business, our number one goal when devising marketing strategies is not to fight over the people who have decided to get their iPod repaired.  Instead we try to inform and attract the millions who will otherwise just throw this technology away.

MYMAC: Are you able to keep sufficient inventory in house to maintain a steady workflow for your customers?

RAPID REPAIR: This is the biggest area where much of our competition has failed, and we pride ourselves on being in-stock for over 95% of the items in our catalog.  In fact, this is often our deciding factor when considering whether to add support for a new device or model, “will we have the supply to fill our customer orders?”

MYMAC: Are your iPod and other device parts third party, or original factory equipment?

RAPID REPAIR: All but a few parts (most notably our eXtended Life Batteries) are original, but it is clearly stated in the product description if they are not.

MYMAC: How do Apple’s new touch screen iPods and iPhones alter your business, internally and with your customer base?

RAPID REPAIR: For the most part, the devices we service have gotten more compact and complex ever since we started.  However device models including the iPod Classic (6th Gen. iPod), Nano 3rd Gen., Touch 1st Gen., iPhone, and all models since have really attained a new level of complexity in what it takes to service them.  As a result, we have gone to a specialization model where each technician only services 2-3 different devices for 6 months at a time.  This has allowed each to really be a true expert of their models improving efficiency and quality.

MYMAC: Is it possible to stay ahead of the incoming gear for repair, and still be profitable?

RAPID REPAIR: It’s a perpetual challenge, but the day you wake up and don’t look forward to it, is the day you’re done.  At one point a basic iPod cost $400 and the most expensive model was $600 (iPod Photo 60GB, late 2004.)  During that time most repairs only took 10 minutes or less to complete and only moderate skill was required, and with 8-9 significant replaceable parts it was easy to make an economical repair out of almost anything.

Now, the iPod Nano starts at $150, can easily take 30 minutes just to service one, and the main board has all major system functions including storage integrated, so the cost of the part plus labor make extremely difficult to compete with just buying new.  Despite this, there is still ample opportunity to run a business that creates value for everyone as long as you are efficient and carefully balance all the ingredients.

MYMAC: What is your knowledge base? How do you figure out how to work on brand new technology?

RAPID REPAIR: Many of us have a background in computer repair, A+ certifications, have worked in desk-side service for corporations, and a general love of technology.  However, we have found the most important pre-requisite for a successful technician is a mechanical aptitude and desire.  Even with no experience, if you have the ability to analyze and understand how a machine works, then disassemble and put it back together, you have what it takes.  Typically, when we take apart a new device we are forging new territory, our success depends on people with this aptitude and innate sense of electronics — and often times we still break the first one! (Nobody said it was easy.)

MYMAC: What about game consoles? Are they easier or harder to work on than iPods/iPhones?

RAPID REPAIR: Different; more screws, more glue and more complex hardware, which occasionally lead to some really hard to solve problems.  On the other side there is also more space to work with and besides the occasional odd nut, the failures are usually easily recognized from a short list of 2-3 for each model.

MYMAC: What percentage of your customer repairs are iPhones, iPods, or other-ware?

RAPID REPAIR: When we started it was 100% iPods, currently, we are approximately 40% iPods, 20% iPhones, 20% Zunes, and 20% consoles.

MYMAC: Why should people repair used, old, broken iPods/iPhones, when they can buy new ones so easily and affordably?

RAPID REPAIR: Two good reasons, 1 – it’s cheaper.  Yes, new ones may not break the bank, but most repairs cost between 25-60% of the cost of replacing the device and especially in tough times like these, $100 savings can be a lot. 2 – It makes sense socially and technologically.  Our business of reusing, repairing, and refurbishing saves over 10,000 pounds of (sometimes hazardous) electronics waste from hitting the landfill every year. Also, spending the short dollar now, to make your current device last 1-2 more years usually means that next time you’ll buy something more advanced at a lower price.

MYMAC: Do you also sell refurbs? Are you mostly sales or repair, and where is the trend going?

RAPID REPAIR: We resisted for a long time, insisting that your device repair is a refurb.  But the customer is always right and building certified refurbished iPods makes better use of all the broken units that people sell to us.  At this point, we are about 90% repairs and 10% refurbs, but the needle definitely continues to move towards more refurbs.  In many ways this makes sense, because we can build up a stock of tested good devices which are ready to ship, and avoid the lead time in processing devices one-off.

MYMAC: What are your return, exchange, and warranty policies?

RAPID REPAIR: Basic synopsis is it’s 90 days on parts and labor for all repairs we do.  We accept returns with no fee if something is wrong with the part/repair, and if you decide you want something different we will exchange for something else with 100% item credit in the first 30 days. For full details of our policies see, http://www.rapidrepair.com/policies.htm (with links to the most important along the top of that frame.)

The original article can be found here.

Size matters, especially when it comes to how many songs, podcasts and videos your iPod can carry.

If you’re toting around an iPod Video, which originally shipped with 30GB, 60GB or 80GB hard drive,  you can now upgrade to a whopping 240 gigabytes of storage for your pocket player.

A 240 GB drive can hold roughly 60,000 songs, 300 hours of video or 50,000 photos.

Leading online electronics repair service Rapid Repair just announced the world’s first 240 GB hard drive upgrade for iPods, using a new 1.8-inch Toshiba drive compatible with fifth-generation (5G) iPod Video players.

The cost for the drive is $294.99, but Rapid Repair is offering free installation for the time being if you’d prefer them to handle the switch for you. (You must send your iPod to them, at your expense.  It takes 1 to 2 days in the service center to switch drives.)

Data recovery and transfer from the old drive to the new one is optional, but adds to the cost. Otherwise you’ll receive your iPod with a fresh 240 GB drive installed (media-free) and your original drive, too, unless you want to trade it in for a credit towards a future purchase.

The Kalamazoo, Michigan-based company says these drives use an exclusive mechanical and firmware design for enhanced durability, as well as a 33 percent improvement in overall energy efficiency over past Toshiba drives.

A warning: If you open your iPod it voids Apple’s warranty.  Rapid Repair says their drives come with a 1-year manufacturer’s warranty against defects.

Rapid Repair is currently testing the use of the Toshiba 240 GB hard drive in other iPod Classic and Zune 2G media players.

By Marc Saltzman

The original article can be found here.

The article I contributed to the first issue of MAKE was about fixing my daughter’s iPod Mini. The stem for the earphones had broken off in the socket. To remove it, I had to break into the iPod Mini, using a hairdryer to melt glue that held the plastic top in place. I had to search all over to find instructions on how to do it.

I saw this press release today for RapidRepair.com that “lets device owners order parts online and do repairs themselves, auickly and affordably.” We need more services like this one that extend the lives of the gadgets in our lives. I like that they provide guides that allow you to make the repair yourself. I took a screenshot below of iPod Nano disassembly.Rapid Repair offers a complete line of replacement parts for many of the most popular electronic devices and game systems, as well as repair tools and guides to make the job easy.

“Many people who own these products are technology-savvy to begin with,” said Aaron Vronko, co-founder and service manager of Rapid Repair. “We’ve made it easy to do the repairs that are within their skill set by making available the parts they need, as well as any tools they may require, which allows them a great way to get the repair done at a savings. For those repairs that are beyond what they’re comfortable doing themselves, we’d be happy to do the repair for them with our usual affordable rates and quick turnaround.”

Rapid Repair stocks a complete line of parts available online for iPod, iPhone and Zune MP3 players, as well as for the most popular Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo game systems including the latest generation handhelds and consoles. Parts range from a plastic center frame for the Zune Flash to an 8GB mainboard assembly for the iPhone. Several tool kits are also available, as well as repair guides and troubleshooting help to get the ball rolling on disassembly of the device and the DIY project itself.

Parts, tools and guides are available at www.rapidrepair.com
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The original article can be found here.

By Lisa Mackinder | MiBiz

KALAMAZOO — Mans best friend has long displayed an affinity for childrens homework and expensive shoes. But dogs also consider iPods a tantalizing treat.

Aaron Vronko, co-owner of RapidRepair, a Kalamazoo-based company specializing in the small electronics repair of iPod, iPhone, Zune and other devices, has witnessed the grizzly remains of one-too-many iPods victimized by canine incisors.
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