Some iPhone 4S owners reporting "No SIM card installed" error messages

Back in mid-October an iPhone 4S owner posted a thread stating they were using their phone when it start producing SIM error messages, finally ending with a “No SIM card installed” message. Seventeen pages of responses later, this seems to be a reoccurring issue with no direct tie to any particular carrier or geographic location.

One site, Woo Servers, points out the iPhone 4 use micro-SIM rather than the mini-SIM form factor that was used in previous models. Woo Servers believes that the issue is directly related to a design flaw of the eject mechanism on the new SIM card tray. The blog post states that sometimes the eject mechanism touches the metal contacts on the SIM, creating a short circuit. It goes on to detailing ways to create a barrier with a non-conductive material, such as tape.

The Woo Servers blog post was originally posted back in July of 2010, obviously in reference to the previous model, the iPhone 4, and there has not been any word from Apple on this issue. Perhaps with the additional onslaught of iPhone 4S users experiencing the error as well, we will eventually hear from the creator itself.

New Batteries Last Longer, Charge Faster

Engineers at Northwestern University are creating batteries that last longer and charge faster, a potential solution to battery drain on mobile devices.

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The technology uses a method to allow more ions to flow through lithium-ion batteries so smartphones, tablets, and even electric cars to hold a charge ten times longer and charge ten times faster. Using the innovation, a typical smartphone is expected to charge fully in 15 minutes and last for at least a week on a single charge.

As consumers use smartphones and tablets for more data-intensive purposes like watching movies, playing games and surfing the web, battery life has become a big concern. Apple just completed software updates on its iPhone 4S to fix battery drain problems, and researchers are always on the lookout for ways to make batteries last longer or charge more efficiently.

Recent innovations include Energy-Minimizing Idle Listening Technology, or E-MiLi, which prevents cell phones from searching for signals while in sleep mode, conserving battery life. Other advances include silicon chips that double processor efficiency, enabling devices to perform intensive activities without battery drain, and even a transparent screen film that allows smartphones to charge up using the sun's rays.

These battery-boosting ideas center on making devices more efficient; however, Northwestern's invention is one of the first to improve the battery itself. This may give the technology wider use across many types of devices.

The engineers report the development also addresses the problem of batteries wearing out over time.

"Even after 150 charges, which would be one year or more of operation, the battery is still five times more effective than lithium-ion batteries on the market today," said Northwestern's Dr. Harold Kung.

Kung predicts the new longer-life batteries could hit the consumer market in five years, good news to smartphone and tablet buyers frustrated at the battery limitations on their increasingly powerful and sophisticated devices.

PC vendors may be readying to abandon tablets

This is definitely news that we never expected to see. Apparently, there are rumors that some tablet makers are going to bow out of the race because they don't believe they can compete in a market with the Apple iPad, Amazon Kindle Fire, and Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet. 

Today, the DigiTimes reported that anonymous sources in the component supply chain are saying that HP, Acer, Asustek and Dell may give up on tablets next year. Supposedly, a big reason is that both Amazon and Barnes & Noble are bringing very inexpensive options to market, although even before those tablets hit the market HP, Acer and Dell hadn't been able to gain much market share. We're surprised to see Asus on the list though, because the Transformer was the best selling Android tablet for a time. 

There is also talk that the slowdown in iPad demand is proving that the tablet market as a whole is slowing down, but we're not sure the PC market is the solution to that lag. More likely, all of these devices are finding their niches (and all devices are niche devices now, even traditional laptops,) and the markets are settling. Some manufacturers are also waiting on Windows 8 before making a real run at the tablet game, because Windows 8 is expected to be something of a game-changer. Especially given that it is expected to offer the same apps across tablets and PCs. 

Obviously, time will tell, but what do you guys think: has the tablet market already peaked?

Samsung Galaxy Note N7000 now available on www.m2cmobile.com

Good news, Samsung Galaxy Note is already available in the market, you can get it on www.m2cmobile.com

Apple Fixes IPhone 4S Battery Woes

Apple released an iOS 5 update with fixes for iPhone 4S battery and iCloud issues, polishing its popular handset's image after initial glitches marred its release.

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Apple iPhone 4S

The Cupertino, Calif.-based company said the 5.0.1 update solves users' complaints that 4S phones lost battery power randomly and significantly following iOS 5 upgrades.

In addition, the upgrade fixes bugs in iCloud Documents, gives iPad owners multitasking gestures, and helps the Siri voice-recognition service better understand Australian accents.

The update is available for all iPad and iPhone models from 3GS onward, as well as third-and fourth-generation iPods.

Apple's upgrade addresses at least some of the many problems that have plagued its iPhone 4S and iOS 5 launches.

Beginning in mid-October, some iPhone 4S owners began tocomplain of a yellowish screen tint that may have been caused by uncured adhesives.

Then in the first week of November, reports surfaced of iPhone 4S battery drains that occurred even when the device was not in use. Two days later, Apple acknowledged the issue and promised the software upgrade it rolled out today.

The iPhone 4S also faced a Siri outage on November 3, prompting the personal assistant to say, "There's something wrong, and I can't answer your questions right now," when addressed.

Siri's silence lasted only one day, but analysts from the Saugatuck research firm warn this blackout may discourage businesses from adopting apparently unreliable cloud-based services.

Some people owning the iPhone 4S also report they can't hear outgoing calls through the handset's earpiece.

Despite these problems, Apple's handset is surging in sales, and people are still lining up to buy the device, even after four million purchased the handset in its first three days. The 4S is set to debut in 38 total countries including the U.S., heralding high sales in time for the holidays.

Consumer Reports recommended the iPhone 4S but listed Samsung's Galaxy S2, Motorola's Droid Bionic and several others ahead of Apple's handset.

Apple's quick responses to the reported 4S problems earn the company credibility, but if it wants strong sales to continue, Apple will need to seek out and eliminate any further bugs.

Another bendy concept phone by Nokia

Nokia showed off a cool concept in bendable smartphones last month, but there was another device along the same vein called HumanForm which we only saw briefly in our video demo. Besides being able to do the stuff like twist to browse and bend to zoom, the HumanForm would include gesture interaction, so you could shake your phone to navigate backwards, touch sensitivity on the outer casing (much like the Synaptics concept phone, Fuse). The phone would also include mood awareness of incoming correspondents, which is an idea we’ve seen played around with a bit before. Of the more far-fetched parts of the concept is an electro-tactile mode, where you could actually feel an image, such as a lumps on picture including a bunch of rocks.

Of course, bendable displays are a big part of bringing phones like this to reality, and Samsung is set to make the first steps in that direction starting next year. I’m worried that the technology will be more gimmicky than useful, but at least bendable phones will be less prone to shattering from impacts. What do you guys think – will a phone that bends attract a lot of buyers, or will be it a short-lived fad like 3D displays?

Nokia N9 now sold in the States via www.m2cmobile.com, costs $769.98

Even though Nokia said it won't officially sell the MeeGo-running Nokia N9 stateside, retailer www.m2cmobile.com has taken care of customers by bringing the much anticipated devices to US/Canada on-line shores. And you can get yours now, but it's offered only unlocked, which means that you don't get a carrier subsidy and have to pay the full retail price, which stands at $769.98. But in exchange, you're granted carrier freedom and no 2-yearly ties.

The Nokia N9 is a GSM handset, which translates into compatibility with such US carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile and Simple Mobile with 3G enabled. The $769.98 price applies to the 16 gig model of the Nokia N9.

If you're still making your mind up about the handset, you'd want to check out our in-depth review of the Nokia N9, which will help you make an informed decision. Put in a nutshell, though, the N9 offers stellar calm convex design and a colorful polycarbonate body, but the real highlight is MeeGo – an all-touch experience that you'd love for its simplicity, but hate for its lack of apps if you care about them. The N9 also has a pretty capable 8-megapixel camera on its back to round up the package.

Excited? There seem to be only limited supplies, so you'd better hurry up if you really want this device and share your feelings about it in the comments below.