Users Reporting Problems With iPhone 3GS, and iPod Touch,  since upgrading software to OS 3.0

Apple sold over one million …]]>

Users Reporting Problems With iPhone 3GS, and iPod Touch,  since upgrading software to OS 3.0

Apple sold over one million iPhone 3GS units in three days. Of course there are bound to be some problems.

Recently, a discolored overheated iPhone 3GS was discovered and blogged about on blogs like Gizmodo, Engadget, and PCWorld. I’m not 100% sure, but I think that the overheating problem might be being caused by the iPhone OS 3.0 software update and it isn’t affecting the iPhone 3GS only, it’s affecting other iPhone and iPod Touch devices as well. After updating my iPod Touch to 3.0 I did notice that it got warmer whenever I plugged it in to charge it or when playing a game. I just did a quick Google search, and it looks like I’m not the only one who has experienced this. I expect Apple to fix this in their next iPhone update (which will I hope will be coming soon!).

A White iPhone 3GS that has overheated, will discolor the plastic on the back to either pink or brown, due to the device running very hot.

There is an error message that can appear onscreen when the operating temperature has become too hot. This is a result of a built in safety mechanism that protects the components of the device. If this message appears, you should turn the device off, move it to a cooler environment, and allow it to cool before resuming use.

Note: When this message appears, the iPhone may still be able to make emergency calls.

Apple has replied, “Conditions and activities that may activate the Temperature warning message: leaving the phone in direct sunlight for extended amounts of time or using certain applications in hot conditions or direct sunlight for a long time”. An Apple proposed overheating scenario is; using GPS tracking in a car on a sunny day or listening to music while in direct sunlight.
Apple recommends Keeping your iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS within acceptable operating temperatures

“Operate iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS in a place where the temperature is between 0º and 35º C (32º to 95º F)”. 95º F! Has anyone from Apple been in Dallas in the Summer? “Low- or high-temperature conditions might temporarily shorten battery life or cause the device to temporarily stop working properly”.

Store your iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS (or iPod Touch) in a place where the temperature is between -20º and 45º C (-4º to 113º F). Don’t leave the device in your car, because temperatures in parked cars can exceed this range.

If the interior temperature of the device exceeds normal operating temperatures, you may experience the following as it attempts to regulate its temperature:

* The device stops charging
* Display dims
* Weak cellular signal
“Apple Admits iPhone Overheating Issues — Sort of”

The fact that none of these alleged overheating iPhone users have posted a picture of the warning screen tells me there’s not really an overheating issue. It’s just people feeling the phone get mildly warm, overreacting, or intentionally trying to cause a scandal. Leaving your phone (no matter the brand) in a 113º car is obviously a bad idea, and is no indication of a failure on the part of the hardware.

It’s been noticed one big difference between the 3GS and the original iPhone. The new one is A LOT lighter and seems thinner. To me this means a couple things that might be happening: 1) the faster processor obviously can generate more heat and, 2) The new case is noticeably thinner so more heat is felt by touching it.

It’s been noticed that using the GPS and some other higher intensity apps that the phone gets warm. But so does the original iPhone. It gets very warm! But then the original wasn’t used in a car on the dash with the GPS on. It doesn’t have a GPS

I think, basically, the phones reach the same operating temperatures but the thinner case, and a higher speed processor, is the main reason it feels hotter to the touch.

These reported overheating scenarios are “all over the map”. IMHO I just can’t draw any firm conclussions from all the reported “problems”. Are YOU experiencing any problems with overheating since the software upgrade to Version 3.0? I’m not! How has your iPhone OS 3.0 upgrade experience been so far? Do you have overheating problems because of iPhone OS 3.0?

© 2009, Dennis Dearborne. All rights reserved.

*Intel Core 2 Duo T9600 (6MB cache/2.8GHz/1066Mhz FSB) *4GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1067Mhz (2 …]]>

*Intel Core 2 Duo T9600 (6MB cache/2.8GHz/1066Mhz FSB)
*4GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1067Mhz (2 Dimms)
*Edge-to-Edge FullHD Widescreen 16.0 inch RBG LED LCD (1920×1080)
*2.0 MP Built in WebCam with internal microphone
*ATI Mobility RADEON HD 3670 – 512MB Dedicated Video RAM
*500GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive

*BluRay Disc Combo (DVD/CD read/write + BD read) Slot Load Drive

*Intel WiFi Link 5300 802.11AGN Half Mini Card

*ports: 2 USB 2.0, 1 eSATA, 1 HDMI, 1 Firewire (1394), 2 headphone jacks, 1 microphone jack, LAN, external Video

*Dell Wireless 370 Bluetooth Internal (2.0+Enhanced Data Rate)

*Integrated High Definition Audio 2.0

Microsoft Windows Vista with SP1 Home Premium Edition 64-bit Edition English (which is required for Windows to recognize 4GB+ RAM)

$2148.00 (plus shipping and taxes) and this could be YOURS too! Unfortunately, you can’t just “ditty-bop” into your local Walmart, or even your local Best Buy and pick one of these sublime “puppies” up, it has to be ordered directly from DELL. You CAN, however, configure this computer online and pick and choose the items of your choice. In practice though, it only takes Dell 3-4 days to build, and then can be received overnight, if you want to get it right away.

The DELL XPS-Studio-1640 is my most recent “Desktop Replacement” category Laptop. I NEED/WANT/COVET the latest and greatest “HiTech Toys” available dear readers! And this Laptop fills the bill perfectly! It plays BluRay movies flawlessly, and the LED back-lit LCD screen is just GORGEOUS!

I’ve recently upgraded my Windows Vista (Dell factory installed) o.s. with the RC1 version of Windows 7. See more POSTs on Windows 7 coming to this very site!

While the screen is “only!” 16 inches it’s in the “widescreen” format and is only slightly smaller (only in height!) than my prior favorite Laptop, the 17″ TOSHIBA QOSMIO. While the screen is only a “titch” smaller than the Toshiba’s, the outside dimensions are MARKEDLY slimmer all the way around. It amazes me how much “stuff” they can cram into such a diminutive package (15.0″x10.0″x1.25″). There is still enough room for 2 Altec Lansing speakers and a subwoofer! Very capable sound system indeed!

The Samsung NC20 (see Netbook eval on this site) measures in at 11.5″x8.5″x1.2″. It’s sound is “thin and puny” in comparison though.

The QOSMIO is a veritable “tank” in comparison at 16.5″x12.0″x2.5″! It takes two hands to pick up the QOSMIO, yet the Dell Studio XPS-1640 can (quite literally) be picked up by pinching it between thumb and forefinger! To be fair to the QOSMIO, it has excellent sound. It SHOULD with 4 Harmon Kardon speakers AND a subwoofer! The QOSMIO has only a 2Ghz processor, Florescent back-lit display, no Hi-Def DVD, and a smaller Hard Drive! Other than the dimensional differences, and the MUCH greater weight, this is still a pretty nice laptop itself, or I wouldn’t have purchased it.

While I had had the QOSMIO for only a couple of months (it’s my backup computer on the truck now) the DELL is a very welcome replacement. The DELL is quite refined and polished in its engineering and finish. Fine touches abound! The screen has to be seen to be believed, and the back-lit keyboard is a very welcome touch while typing in the darkness of the back of my truck.

And, for you gamers, this is close to being the most capable gaming laptop available. It’s, of course, nothing like a full-blown desktop gaming machine! However, I’ve not found a game yet that doesn’t play well on this mighty Laptop! Crysis (and other quite hardware demanding games of similar ilk) play smoothly, even at higher resolution settings and graphics modes.

I’ve, literally, owned a half dozen Toshiba Satellites (one HP Pavilion, and the one QOSMIO) and this DELL just “shines” in comparison. For those of you though that have only the requirement to get your e-mail, and surf the web, BOTH of these machines are radical overkill. I would suggest getting one of the far more cost effective “new breed” NETBooks. They are not only much cheaper, but they are a much more practical size. And we all know that our real estate in a truck can be very precious indeed!

Customer “Ratings” of this computer at : http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/laptop-studio-xps-16?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=corp&~lt=popup#reviews

© 2009, Dennis Dearborne. All rights reserved.

$299.99-$349.99  (Low price was at a Pilot, High price was at a T/A. I Originally obtained …]]> PC*MILER Navigator 430

$299.99-$349.99  (Low price was at a Pilot, High price was at a T/A. I Originally obtained my unit at a Loves for $349.99)

FEATURES
4.3 inch screen (Diagonally). Actual screen size is 2.25″ high x 3.75″ wide

Routing: Practical, Shortest, 53′/102” Trailer, HazMat, National Network and Toll Avoidance
13′ 6” height, 48′ length, 80,000 pound weight and 96” width restrictions

Truck-specific, loud spoken Dock-to-Dock directions throughout the U.S. and Canada

Easily detour around unexpected congestion and avoid specific roads

Miss a turn? Fast automatic route recalculation.

Truck stops, rest areas, weigh stations plus 6 Million additional Points of Interest

Easy-to-see Driver Safety Screen; flexible and clear 2D and 3D map views

Pre-installed software and map data, works out of the box

PRACTICAL USE

This is the highly anticipated GPS model that is designed to be used by Truckers (it took me about 4 months to find a Truck Stop that actually had one in stock!). It allows you to create “user profiles” that can contain such things as; Vehicle Length, Vehicle Height, Vehicle Width, and Maximum Gross Weight. Profiles can also include such things as; Preferred routing settings, such as your individual preferences to types of roadways. For example, do you prefer Interstates to Highways, care a little, care a lot? Or, do you need routing that is legal for Hazmat Loads? Or allow/disallow Toll roads?

These preferences, contained within your profile settings (switching profiles is very easily performed, if you have more than one) are then utilized to properly calculate your routing directions. Viewing your routing (which I will also refer to as a “Turns List”) can be easily performed by touching your finger to a “button” on the main screen.

On this same main screen you may also select whether you wish to use a 3-D or 2-D map presentation. There is also a VERY handy presentation called “Safety Mode”, where all you see is a very uncluttered blue screen with a large yellow directional arrow, Turning Instructions ["Stay on I-75 (Larry McDonald Highway) as GA-5 Splits off"], Miles remaining until that turn, and smaller info presented for ETA to destination and MILES to destination. A very useful screen indeed! I like this screen very much and, since I have TWO GPS units in front of me at all times (specific reasons for this will be found in the SUMMARY at the bottom of this GPS evaluation), this is my DEFAULT Screen on this unit.

This unit is quite fast with its route calculations (and re-calculations). Its computed total trip miles and ETA to destination figures are very accurate.

I find its smaller screen, however, to be hard to see, And the tiny “buttons”, used to control operation, “hard to hit” with my fingers.

Its visual “turn information” is quite easy to see and easy to interpret. However, its audible instructions are very difficult for me to hear clearly and to understand.

Once I’ve compared its “Turns List” to my other GPS, and to my Atlas, I write out a backup routing list (old fashioned pen and ink!) with the resulting routing and the mileage to the individual turns. Once I’ve done that, other than to monitor my UPCOMING NEXT TURN (using the Safety Mode screen) and to verify what the CURRENT road is (the Cobra will NOT do this), I find I have no use for it. It DOES make itself quite useful though if I need a very quick re-route (for road closures, wrecks, high water, circumventing stray dingos or sheep, whatever) OR if the Cobra should “White Screen” on me! See info on “White Screen” below in the COBRA “Practical Use” section.

I can NOT trust the routing that it gives me to be TRUCK SPECIFIC!! Once my given routing directions took me onto a street that briefly became a Bank ATM lane!! Hmmmmmmmmm! Think I could have made a very quick and easy “withdrawal” had I taken that route!

The unit will also, frequently, emit a very loud (and quite annoying) “eeeeeeh eeeeeeh eeeeeeh” warning alarm. This will be accompanied by a pop-up screen stating that, “CO-PILOT has identified this road as truck restricted. Always obey locally posted regulations”. This alarm will often occur when I am following the very (truck specific) routing that the GPS has calculated for me to travel! Also, these routes (when the alarm occurs) can be MAJOR INTERSTATES! I can also get the warning sound (jolts me right up into the air) when on roads to shippers, consignees, or even access roads into, or out of, Truck Stops!! I get these warning so often that I just ignore them altogether now! I call this ignoring phenomenon “User Fatigue”!

PRO’s

The processor chip in this unit is very fast. It can calculate your entire trip routing in 3-5 seconds! This fast CPU (Central Processing Unit) is particularly useful when you deviate from the unit’s proposed routing and it needs to re-calculate your route.

Safety Mode Presentation Screen, see description above.

Rock Solid hardware and programming. I have never experienced ANY error messages nor erratic hardware behavior from this unit.

CON’s

Do NOT trust this unit to give you routing intended for TRUCKS!! See Evaluation above for details.

Clumsy and unintuitive user interface. I find myself “lost” in the menus when trying to invoke a feature, or find trip info.

Small screen size also equals very small “buttons” and keyboard “keys”. I very frequently “miss” hitting a button at all, or worse yet, hit a “button” that was not intended.

Squawky and, at times, unintelligible sound quality. There are multiple “voices”, that you can select from, but only a couple of those are intelligible enough to suit me. Unfortunately, those clearer “voices” do NOT include Street Names when they tell you to make turns. Seems that speaking clearly takes so much effort so as to not being able to afford specificity. “Take next Right Turn” and not “Turn Right at Main Street in 1/4 mile”. Or, specific turn instructions like “Take Exit 45 ahead for I-75 South”. For the more detailed turn instructions you must select (to me anyway) one of the less intelligible “voices”.

COBRA GPSM5000

$349.99 or less (List price is $499.99)

FEATURES

5 inch screen (Diagonally). Actual screen measures 3.0″ high x 4.0″ wide.

The 5” OptiView Ultra-Bright Touchscreen provides the best view of your map screen under extreme lighting conditions, and the widescreen display lets you see more of it

The larger size allows for a much larger speaker for best clarity.

Over 7.6 million points of interest

The Cobra GPSM 5000 provides easy hands-free communication for Bluetooth enabled cell phones.

Speed and red light camera alerts.

Adjustable speed warning, magnified turn details, route comparison, SmartPower, customizable menus, automatic re-routing and more.

Pre-installed software and map data, works out of the box.

PRACTICAL USE

Comparatively speaking, this unit is a dream to operate. ALL GPS manufacturers could take a lesson from Cobra’s user interface. Most of the features and capabilities can be utilized right out of the box and without any reading of the User Manual. There is even a video (with sound) tutorial that plays automatically the first time that you turn the unit on. As part of the unit’s setup, you can specify (or remove) additional Help prompts.

The user interface is very well thought out and very easy to use. Just about any feature, or trip info that you desire, is just a few “finger clicks” away. This includes getting into the “guts” of the operating system to control setup, optimization, customization, and nice features like the Address Book. Don’t look for any Address book capabilities on the PC*Miler, much less a way to Save/Restore your addresses. Another very nice feature is a driver info screen (programmable) with Six Selections. Things like; Sunrise/Sunset times, Altimeter, Average MPH, Drive Time, Stopped Time, Current Date/time, and more! Another feature that I just haven’t found on ANY other GPS manufacturer, without regard to price.

Another capability that I just love (and use several times daily) is a “Favorite Brands” list. You can add to this list things like; specific Truck Stops, Restaurants, Retail Stores, and Institutions. My Favorites list contains; Flying J, T/A, Walmart, Best Buy, and Olive Garden. You can add many more brands (and categories) than I just listed, but those suit me fine. You can, for example, select the category of Restaurants. It is then broken down into things like; Fast food, Italian, Mexican, American, Seafood, etc. Once you select a category, it then presents you with a list of specific Brand Names. This feature is very easy to configure, and once setup, it takes just two “finger clicks” to get all of your favorites. Once you click on a specific favorite, this unit “finds” all locations within a radius of wherever you are at the moment. If any of the resulting locations are on your current route you will see a special icon next to that result. All of the “results” (whether on your current routing or not) are presented in another list which contains an “arrow”, indicating the direct of travel, and the mileage to the location. Once you specify a particular location, the unit will give you the address and phone number and allow you to either start navigating to that location, or merely place the brands logo on a flag marking its location on your current trip’s map. You can also select to CHANGE your current location to any other City or State, and THEN invoke your Favorites List. This is very handy if you are making a delivery in noname city and you want to find out if you should wait until you deliver, or if you should find a Walmart (etc) before you arrive there. The Cobra models are the ONLY manufacturer of a GPS that has this particular feature! This SINGLE feature, to me, is worth the price of the unit alone!

This is, by a very wide margin, the best GPS unit I have ever owned (or tested)! There are some behavioral issues that I have with this unit that make it frustrating at times, one of the MAIN reasons that I have TWO GPS units operating at all times.

The larger screen size (looks much larger than it actually is) is very well laid out and the “buttons” are quite large in comparison to just about any manufacturer of GPS units I’ve seen.

PRO’s

Large Screen Size
Large Buttons
Customizable strip at top of screen that displays YOUR choices
Intuitive Programming
Easy access to many types of information and program features
Very Clear Audio and “voices”
Save able Address Book
Favorites List

CON’s

I’m not sure if it’s just my particular unit or a characteristic of the Brand. I get occasional Hardware and software errors, sorta like any version of MicroSoft Windows I’ve ever owned! The PC*MILER seems to be immune from such things, rock solid in its operation. Several times a week I will get what I will call “White Screens”. All visual information is GONE. The unit, however, continues to function and give its audible commands. To recover from this, I just power it down and back up again. I get a screen asking me if I want to continue with my previous route or select a new one. One “finger click” and the unit recalculates the trip and you’re right back where you were. The PC*MILER is much quicker at recalculation because of a faster processor. Just so that you know what “quick” means, we’re talking about a few seconds vs 15-20 seconds!

The Cobra is not “truck aware” and CAN route you on an illegal route. It gives the same routing for cars, trucks, planes, boats, camel back, and even if you are on foot!

SUMMARY

Both units can generate a “Turns List”. However, the PC*MILER tells you only what road you will take, and for how many miles. That’s IT! If you want a quantity of total miles (say you’re using your speedometer’s “trip odometer”) before the next turn, then you’d better break out a calculator!!

The Cobra model presents the same information but adds to that the capability to “finger click” each individual turn on the Turns List. Once you click on an item it will then take you to a separate screen that will show you the TOTAL miles you will have to travel to get to that location, but will also allow you to “show on map” and get a small map (or large – you can also zoom in or out) showing you the roads leading into (or out of) that particular turn. Again, ANOTHER feature that is almost worth the price of the unit in, and of itself!

The Cobra’s bigger screen is definitely better for my tired old eyes. Everything is so much more legible. The Cobra can easily zoom in/out and a scale of miles can be configured to display on each map screen. While the PC*MILER can also zoom in/out it does so with tiny little buttons that are very hard to “hit” with your finger. There also is no scale of miles capability, so one has no concept as to how much distance you are looking at when zoomed.

Both units allow you to select different types of map displays. The PC*MILER has more selections to choose from than the Cobra, but I find ANY of the Cobra selections to be better than ANY of the PC*MILER’s. This, of course, is a matter of personal preferences and tastes.

Both units can do either a 2-D or a 3-D map presentation. Although the PC*MILER has the additional “Safety Mode” presentation, of which I run it in almost exclusively. This display is very nice if you just want a quick (and SAFE) glimpse of what to do next, and when. I like this PC*MILER feature a lot.

Both units allow you to select routing that is based on your preference of “Quickest Time” or “Shortest Route”.

Both units contain a rechargeable battery and can be used on foot if you like.

Both units can be configured to present separate map styles dependent on Night or Day operation.

Both units can display ETA and Mileage to Destination.

Both units feature “type ahead” often saving you entry keystrokes.

Again though, if you are purchasing the PC*MILER because it is “Truck Aware” DON’T! Do NOT trust it for “Low Clearances”, Bridge Weight Restrictions, etc. In most cases, I find that both units will frequently recommend virtually identical routes anyway. AND… don’t EVER RELY on ANY GPS for your routing anyway. ALWAYS plot your routing manually as a primary “tool”. A GPS should only be used as “backup” for a sanely planned (by a real human) route. ALL electronic devices can either FAIL unexpectedly OR make choices for you that border on the insane!! I always check my GPS routing against a map AND write my routing down on a piece of paper!

My “truck aware” PC*MILER has attempted, many times, to take me onto roads/streets with weight restrictions of “less than 10 tons”. Or instructions to make right angle turns that a 10 Wheeler would have trouble with. So exactly WHY did I take the time to input my truck length, max weight, height, and width for anyway? Expecially if the unit is just going to ignore them! That was my SOLE reason for buying the PC*MILER in the first place. And I will submit to you, is the main reason why ANY of you will be attracted to it!

In the end analysis, these units are more alike than they are different. But each unit has its own particular strengths and weaknesses. THAT is why I have TWO GPS units hanging in front of me my dear reader! Combine the two units and what you have is, in this writers opinion, the perfect GPS unit! If I had to select only ONE, it would, without hesitation, be the COBRA 5000.

© 2009, Dennis Dearborne. All rights reserved.