Support Our Site
Get Better Gear!
- Texas Tea for the iPhone and iPod touch from Snakehead Software, $1.99
- Tenqa SP-109 Stereo Wireless Bluetooth Speaker from Tenqa, US$39.99
- RedLaser from Occipital, LLC , US$1.99
- iSkin solo, solo FX, and solo FX SE iPhone cases from iSkin, US$29.99 (solo); $32.99 (solo FX); $34.99 (solo FX SE)
- MobiValet from MobiValet, US$24.99 - $49.99
Premier Sponsors
Top 5 Free Apps
iTunes New Music Releases
Top 5 Paid Apps
Discover New Music
- Poe
Poe rocked my world with "Angry Johnny" (I want to kill you/I want to blow you/Away) and "Trigger Happy Jack" (Trigger Happy Jack/ You're gonna blow/But I'm gonna get off/Before you go), as powe
The Wall (Deluxe Packaging Digitally Remastered)
- Pink Floyd
- Okay, someone had to say it, and though others on the iPO staff are more qualified to review this album, I decided the time was now. This is the quintessential concept album. Though others came before
Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Once More, with Feeling
- Various Artists
Most musical episodes of TV shows frankly stink. They are usually little more than ill-conceived vehicles intended to let the stars show off what musical talent they have. Once More, With Feeling,
- Weather Report
- This is Weather Reports quintessential line-up captured live. Jaco Pastorious and Peter Erskine join Wayne Shorter and, of course, Joe Zawinul to create this masterpiece.
- Massive Attack
"Black Milk" knocks me off my feet in this collection of moody and eclectic songs. Massive Attack uses samples and keyboards in a very unique way, but not all the songs pack the same punch.
Reader Specials
Visit Deals On The Web for the best deals on all consumer electronics, iPods, and more!
News
Apple to Support EU Micro-USB Standard for iPhone
Monday, June 29th, 2009 at 11:32 AM - by Jeff Gamet
Apple, along with several other cell phone makers, has agreed to support the micro-USB standard the European Union is pushing for smartphone chargers. The standardized connector will let smartphone owners charge their handheld without worrying about compatibility issues if they need to use chargers that didn't ship with their phone.
According to Reuters, Motorola, LG, RIM, Samsung, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments and NEC have all agreed to adopt micro-USB. The transition to micro-USB means that 90 percent of the EU smartphone market will be able to share standardized chargers.
The chargers will be compatible with data-enabled phones, meaning basic cell phones that support voice calls and SMS won't be able to use them.
The initial batches of micro-USB ready phones will include chargers, but eventually the phones and chargers will be sold as separate items. That shouldn't be an issue, since users can continue to rely on the same charger even if they switch to a different smartphone.
The chargers will, however, be compatible only with European phones -- at least at first. EU Industry Commissioner Guenter Verheugen commented "We're assuming this new European initiative will have a knock-on effect globally and manufacturers won't just be doing this on the European market."
If so, switching to standardized chargers could help reduce thousands of tons of waste each year.
Recent Headlines
- Texas Tea for the iPhone and iPod touch
- Notebook, iThoughts Add TextExpander touch Support
- Fixing iPhone and MobileMe Sync Headaches
- Juniper Readies Software to Improve Cell Carrier Networks
- Survey: iPad Announcement Increased Awareness, Fails to Convert New Buyers
- Pwnage Tool 3.1.5 Adds iPhone OS 3.1.3 Support
- Mobily Adding iPhone Tethering Support in February
Post Your Comments