Apple Hong Kong Uses Lottery System in Selling iPhones

In an apparent attempt to ward off scalpers, the Apple store in Hong Kong introduces a new lottery system for customers who want its iPhones.

Prospective buyers have to visit the store’s website and enter their personal information, including their government-issued ID number, to reserve an Apple smartphone including the iPhone 4S. The system limits requests for only three hours each day, between 9:00 a.m. and 12 noon local time, and reservation slots are limited.

Buyers who are awarded with a reservation will be notified by email by 9:00 p.m., who will then bring the email to the Apple store at the specific time indicated in the notification to get their very own iPhone.
Do not even try insisting on walking into the store to purchase the smartphone, because you will not be entertained.

Reservations for the highly-sought-after smartphone was done on a first-come, first-served basis, but was abused by scalpers.

source: pcmag

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iPhone Skin is Really a Wind-Powered Charger

One of the few complaints about the iPhone is the short battery life. Most people need to charge their phones on a nearly daily basis. The possibility for a low battery while away from a power outlet is pretty good, so off-grid charger concepts have come up often over the last few years. Most revolve around solar power, but the new iFan concept from Tjeerd Veenhoven utilizes the power of a good strong breeze. However, is it at all possible a wind-powered charger could work for an iPhone?By using a modified computer fan, the designer was able to charge his phone in 6 hours. It's rather a lot of breeze to have to capture before reaching a full charge, but the total time sounds about right considering the charge time of wind-powered chargers already on the market like the HyMini and the Kinesis.

The iFan concept is a rubber skin you place around your iPhone, complete with a fan at the top to catch the wind. The designer is modifying it so that it can be attached to a bicycle handle to capture the breeze while you ride. He is also working to make the fan blades even more efficient, and changes that would allow a person to wear it while they walk or attach it to a car while driving.

Again, 6 hours is a lot of time spent in the wind, especially while having your iPhone hanging off your bike handle or, gulp, out your car window. We aren't sure that having it be a skin for the phone is such a great idea. But we do love the idea of getting an extra charge for your cell phone just by sticking a fan out on your window sill for most of the day.

source: stumbleupon

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Flipboard launches slick iPhone app

Mike McCue, the co-founder and chief executive of Palo Alto-based mobile reading app Flipboard, has one simple ambition: to turn Flipboard into your social reading platform. A year after successfully launching its iPad application, the company on Tuesday finally debuted an iPhone version of Flipboard, at the Le Web conference in Paris, France. (At our Mobilize conference in September, Flipboard’s editorial chief Josh Quittner had announced that the iPhone app was coming.)

While the iPhone app is partially inspired by the bigger iPad version, it also charts a new course. The page flip gesture that was associated with the iPad version of the app has been replaced by a flick gesture — from top to bottom or bottom to top — that is meant to take into account the smaller screen size.

McCue pointed out that the iPad version of the app saw most of the usage at the start or at the end of the day. The iPhone version is going to give people quick access to the content all through out the day. There are many clever little improvements in the new app. For instance, the app has “cover stories” that shows the latest updates — photos, tweets and more — from your closest friends. The idea is for you to check and leave and not linger.
With proliferation of niche focused social networks – Instagram for photos, for instance – there is growing need for an aggregation service. Flipboard is hoping that it can be that one stop shop.
After using the app for nearly a week, I have to say, Flipboard for iPhone is more addictive and more engaging than its grown up cousin. I have been using the Flipboard service much more often. To me, this is an example of form fitting the function. I hope you get a chance to download it and try it for yourself.

sourse: gigaom

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