Wish list for iPhone 4.0

With the speculation and hype surround the iPad subsiding now that it's an official Apple product, attention turns to the next announcement that comes in just four months.  For the past few years Apple has used the World Wide Developers' Conference to announce updates to the iPhone.  Some rumors have already surfaced as what the fourth version will bring. Here's just a few things that Apple can and should do to update the iPhone:

Replaceable batteries: Cell Phones, like many other devices often outlive the rechargeable batteries they come with.  Make the batteries replaceable will help people keep iPhones longer and will be better for the environment.

Advanced Wireless Spectrum (AWS ) support: Putting in support for new frequency bands for cellular systems collectively known as Advanced Wireless Spectrum will help Apple expand the reach of the iPhone to more carriers.  T-Mobile runs their 3G on AWS bands, so when the exclusivity with AT&T runs out and Apple looks to more carriers having AWS support on the iPhone will be necessary to operate on T-Mobile.  In order to get the iPhone on Canada's new carriers Wind Mobile and Mobilicity AWS support will be required.

A change in display screen technology:  Changing the display screen on the iPhone from a traditional LCD to a LED backlet LCD or making a complete change to OLED will allow Apple to make a claim better battery life than previous iPhones, since these newer technologies are more power efficient.

WiFi Tethering: Using the iPhone as a 3G modem for use with a laptop computer has been high on wish lists since the original iPhone launched back in 2007.  Newer Palm and Android smartphones have Tethering using WiFi for sharing 3G data service with up to five computers.  Maybe it's time for Apple to catch up.

What To Expect When the iPad Comes To Canada

Within a couple of months people will be getting their hands on the recently unveiled Apple iPad.  Depending on Apple's negotiations with Canada's cell carriers the 3G version could be delayed.  However just like Amazon's Kindle the delay could be short now that Rogers doesn't have a stranglehold, now that Bell and Telus are operating GSM/HSPA networks compatible with the iPad, which started offering iPhones back in November.  Since the iPad comes unlocked consumers can buy a 3G iPad and choose their own carrier. 

Once cellular Internet access plans are in place deals with Canada's print media will need to be made in order to provide access to Canada's newspapers and magazines on the iPad.  Since those who own much of Canada's print media are also own 'local' TV stations that are crying out for corporate welfare in the form of a tax to be placed on cable and satellite TV bills, are probably are going to look for some way to charge for content through some kind of similar tax on the wireless Internet service charged by cellular carriers. 

For newspapers operators, putting their content on a device like the iPad doesn't address the loss of revenue issue caused by mass diversion of eyeballs from one of the bread and butter sources of advertising that newspapers depend on for revenue, the classified ads.  Free classified ad websites like craigslist, kijiji.com others have allowed people to sell and buy their stuff for free.  The only thing the iPad changes is that people will be reading something other than newsprint which costs more to buy, print on, and transport than the Internet bandwidth to provide a newspaper on the iPad.

For TV networks the iPad is a mixed blessing at best.  While the iPad gives viewers access to original programming produced by CTV, CBC and Global, the iPad will also give Canadians easier access to the forbidden fruits, the shows produced by premium networks such as HBO, Showtime, TNT, USA Network and FX.  The iPad is hyped by the speculators as well as Steve Jobs to revolutionize other kinds of media in the same way the iPod revolutionized the music industry, In Canada that couldn't be more right.

Five Badly Overpackaged Tech Products

For many of those who make modifications to their lifestyles to create a cleaner world in the days to years to come, choosing products with less packaging is one of the most important steps to decreasing the amount of waste going to landfills.  Many technology products however still come with more packaging that there needs to be.  Here's five products that technology companies still put into packages that are way too much.

1. iPod, Shuffle, Nano, and Touch: Look at the displays of portable media players in retail stores, and the shiny iPods in their plastic boxes are sure to leap out.  For every pair of Apple's iconic white earbuds seen just about everywhere there is a plastic box that once held that iPod sitting in a landfill somewhere.  The first generations of iPods came in a cardboard box.  Going to the clear plastic box to house iPods during their journey from the factory to the customers' hands was just to make the iPods look pretty on retail store shelves it serves no other useful purpose.

2. Cardboard DVD/BluRay Sleeves:  More often or not buying the latest movies on DVD or BluRay comes with a piece of packaging that serves no purpose and becomes waste just as fast as the shrink wrap comes off.  Many movie DVD's and BluRay discs come with a cardboard sleeve over the plastic protective case for the disc.  The graphics on cardboard sleeve are identical to the graphic on the insert sheet in the case and completely unnecessary.

3.  Microsoft Xbox Live subscription and points cards:  Players on Microsoft's Xbox Live online service need to pay to play online and pay for points to download add-ons for games such as extra levels.  Both the subscriptions and points are sold on plastic cards with codes on them which are redeemed online.  Buying the cards in electronics stores and in specialty video game stores the cards come attached to a cardboard backer card and the whole thing comes in a plastic blister pack.  Xbox live cards sold at convenience stores come without the blister pack, this at least gives consumers the opportunity to choose not to buy unneeded packaging.

4.  Microsoft Windows & Office:  Recent version of both Windows and office have come in hard plastic cases where retail packages for Windows and Office in the past was just a cardboard box.  While other software publishers have reduced the size of the boxes that their software is packaged in, Microsoft has made a similar reduction but has made an unneeded switch from cardboard to plastic. 

5. Printer ink cartridges:  The ink cartridges for most printers come in a sealed bag in a cardboard box.  Isn't it possible that the sealed bag could become the retail package and skip the cardboard box entirely?  It has been worse though, some ink cartridges also had a plastic blister pack to hold the cardboard box that holds the sealed plastic bag.  While it is encouraging to see those blister packs gone the cardboard boxes should go too.

For more information on decreasing the impact on the environment while using and enjoying technology check out the 25 Things Geeks Can Do To Go Green