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iPhone 4 Antenna Issues and Ping Rank Among Top 'Tech Fails' for 2010

Icaras said:
Do you realize you just contradicted yourself? ;)
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No, I said I'm not interested in other things than album releases. I don't really care about concerts and what the band are doing right now. I don't need to follow them just to know they are releasing an album, I can do that by myself, I don't need Ping for that. If you're a fan you probably want to know everything about the band even if it's irrelevant to anything, so Ping and Twitter are probably useful in that case. But I don't need suck frequent updates and extra information. Having favorite bands does not mean I act like a typical "fan", that's my point.
 
So Ping and Ip4 antenna is the tech disaster of 2010. I vote iTunes as the tech disaster of all time.

note: and that is coming from an apple fan.
 
While Ping was an epic fail, im pretty skeptical about the trueness in saying the iPhone 4's antenna was that big of a fail. Although every time i go into an apple store i touch the gap, jumping the 2 antennas with my sweaty thumb, and they all lose their signal every time.
 
I for one am glad that Apple has been shown in a "less than perfect" light for a change. Maybe this report and the continued non-recommendation from Consumer Reports will cause better quality control in the future.

I have an iPhone 4 and did not experience the antenna issue. I did experience the proximity sensor issue until the last update, however.

As for Ping...Never turned it on, never will. Wish Apple would quit forcing crap like that down our throats.
 
ChazUK said:
I wouldn't say the Nexus One was a total failure either as it's very close cousin, the HTC Desire has done well and it did make Android handset manufacturers raise the bar hardware spec wise.
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Exactly what I was thinking. If you think that the Nexus One was a failure, you do not understand what the Nexus One is. The Nexus One, the hardware, is a phone to demonstrate Android, the OS. Android has been quite successful so I would argue that the Nexus One, as part of Google's total Android strategy was a success. Unlike Apple, Google is not a hardware company, they are a search/software/advertising company. They want people using Android so they are using Google online services.
 
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what i find rather amusing about the list is that 3/10 fails are about the "smart phones"

Apple's antenna issue and the handling of the matter was a big fail... however it might have been a little over hyped,... Two of my friends owning an iP4 never had the issue... (i can't comment, don't own one)


and what about Hp Slate?
 
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fermat-au said:
ChazUK said:
I wouldn't say the Nexus One was a total failure either as it's very close cousin, the HTC Desire has done well and it did make Android handset manufacturers raise the bar hardware spec wise.
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Exactly what I was thinking. If you think that the Nexus One was a failure, you do not understand what the Nexus One is. The Nexus One, the hardware, is a phone to demonstrate Android, the OS. Android has been quite successful so I would argue that the Nexus One, as part of Google's total Android strategy was a success. Unlike Apple, Google is not a hardware company, they are a search/software/advertising company. They want people using Android so they are using Google online services.
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This is Google's problem. Maybe it's time to become a hardware conpany as well. Then they can achieve greater synergy between hardware/software, and maybe then their software wouldn't suck so much ass.

The old "they're not a hardware company" excuse. Yup. That makes it all better.
 
big business

of course CNN mentions Apple in any way they can... its good business to use Apple's name. Its why they are on the list twice.

and I guess the same goes for MacRumors, they love mentioning the antenna.

shrugs.
 
I've stopped listening to CNN's "news" after they dubbed the snowfall in New York "Snowpocolypse2010". They seem to love to over exaggerate things.
 
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The biggest "fail" this year was the iPhone 4 FUD campaign.
 
The antenna design is FAIL not the iPhone 4 itself because it, in fanboi wording, sold like hotcakes. The next gen iPhone WILL have a different antenna design yes oh yes.
 
Lancetx said:
The only "fail" was how incredibly far the media blew antennagate out of proportion. Considering that nobody has heard a peep about it for months now proves that beyond any doubt.
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I just bought a "refurbished" iPhone 4 on December 15, 2010 that clearly exhibits the problem. Within 5-10 seconds of touching the metal case, the bars go down by 2. When you let go, they go up by two in about 10 seconds. I'm seriously annoyed that Apple is still selling these defective iPhones. Unfortunately, I have to shell out $50 to get a non-refurbished phone as I can't get a replacement refurbished one. My recommendation is to not buy refurbished iPhone 4s.

For the record, my wife's refurbished phone works fine.
 
I'd argue that the overwhelming percentage of the population put cases on their iPhone 4's in the first place to protect what they (rightly) saw as a fragile object. There were, however, a small but very vocal majority that saw the iPhone 4 as a "status symbol" or "fashion statement" and wanted to leave the case off the phone. This same group of users were the ones losing their minds in the forums as their psychological makeup was geared towards a personal identity crisis when the object of their unnatural affections became tainted. For the rest of the world that were just using their cased phone as a phone, the problem was a "meh" since it wasn't as big of an issue with the case installed. The proximity sensor and hit-or-miss microphone/screen defects were a bigger quality control issue that both groups of consumers shared.
 
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PeterQVenkman said:
The TV companies aren't willing to give it a chance. All of the major network sites and hulu are blocking google tv. That sucks. You can bet if Apple TV were browser enabled and gave viewers access to hulu or abc.com, etc that they would block that in a heartbeat, too!

TV execs suck.
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Apple TV 2 will have apps next year....Hulu plus, ABC, VLC, ect...ect...ect...Its all over when that happens for GoogleTV and all others.. Apple will always get more support from developers..
 
NT1440 said:
There are many cars on the market today that won't let you shift into neutral if it thinks it will damage itself doing so.
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I don't know of any car that does that. You're thinking of Park, where you need to apply the brakes.

madmax_2069 said:
most newer cars do not lock the wheel when you turn the key back one notch (the ACC position). noted that some older cars have the ACC position below the off/lock position (that is when its bad to turn the motor off) because it will lock the wheel. why do you think that most newer cars have a dual ACC position or a single ACC position after the off/lock position ?

you still have reserve braking power with the emergency brake and some power left in the brake pedal (reserve vacuum). With the car rolling you still can use the wheel (its when you are stopped is when the wheel is hard to move), granted its really stiff but not so much to where you cant steer with it.

what happens when you loose power when going down the highway. you have to steer somehow thats why you can still move the wheel, and why there is still usable braking power left in the brake pedal (that's why you ride the brake instead of pumping) because you only have like 1 or 2 presses before the brake pedal gets really hard to press.

Things change slightly with a standard shift because you can still use the gears to help with stopping (engine braking).
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I said steering assist, not brake assist. You have enough vaccuum for one stop btw.

And all of what you said is much more complicated than shifting into neutral.

You pick up a thing or two with experience, and or classes that teach you how to deal with these kinds of situations.

madmax_2069 said:
You do know that you run the risk of jamming the parking ratchet or breaking or bend the parking pin doing that
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No, because you and NT1440 are confusing NEUTRAL (N) with PARK (P). God I hate automatic drivers, they don't know crap about drivetrains.
 
ReallyBigFeet said:
I'd argue that the overwhelming percentage of the population put cases on their iPhone 4's in the first place to protect what they (rightly) saw as a fragile object. There were, however, a small but very vocal majority that saw the iPhone 4 as a "status symbol" or "fashion statement" and wanted to leave the case off the phone. This same group of users were the ones losing their minds in the forums as their psychological makeup was geared towards a personal identity crisis when the object of their unnatural affections became tainted. For the rest of the world that were just using their cased phone as a phone, the problem was a "meh" since it wasn't as big of an issue with the case installed. The proximity sensor and hit-or-miss microphone/screen defects were a bigger quality control issue that both groups of consumers shared.
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Well said!:)

After 2 drops and shatters even my drop prone daughter got it that the iphone ALWAYS needs a case.
ALWAYS had mine in a case and saved it plenty of times.

So, antenna never an issue!

As for PING I have no idea what possessed Apple to try to duplicate Facebook in music. Who cares what somebody else listens to?

In our over informed world less is more for me.
Don't want to hear or see anything from anybody that requires me to spring into action. Don't want to keep track of having to answer anything all the time in my spare time , somebody writing on my wall . (No I don't have one:)aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrgggggggh.

Just leave me in peace. If I need info I'll go get it on my time.

Today's generation interacts in a way that old farts like me don't get.

They meet in groups for dinner at a restaurant and everybody texts or talks on their cell to somebody else. Nobody talks to each other at the table.

Say huh?

My daughter says: Dad you don't understand!
 
This is total ********... CNN just proved its dumb again.... iPhone 4 is the best selling smartphone ever and it has been rated so by CNN's sister TIME... W/E they were thinking when they released this ratings... Dumbos.. :)
 
bug67 said:
I for one am glad that Apple has been shown in a "less than perfect" light for a change. Maybe this report and the continued non-recommendation from Consumer Reports will cause better quality control in the future.

I have an iPhone 4 and did not experience the antenna issue. I did experience the proximity sensor issue until the last update, however.

As for Ping...Never turned it on, never will. Wish Apple would quit forcing crap like that down our throats.
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Funny... you contradict yourself... You never turned on Ping, but yet Apple forced it down your throat? Interesting.

As for Apple quality, no electronics are perfect, but I still believe, and consumer satisfaction and other repair reports that have been here on MR, show that Apple tends to have some the best quality in the industry. Not saying they're perfect, but I also think Antenna Gate was way over-blown by the press and others.
 
karsten said:
maybe that that's a real issue? sheesh
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Read the thread, the DOT's investigation revealed that the Toyota issue was user error. The carpet was the sole responsible on a few models in the first place, the whole thing was blown out of proportion by people wanting to get settlement money. I posted the link earlier.

The iPhone 4 antenna issue was a real issue that while it affected all units, only affected some users because it was highly dependant on location.

rjohnstone said:
Modern transmissions will not allow the pawl to engage while the car is in motion. Older transmissions, yes, but anything made past the mid 90's does not allow it to engage.
The click, click, click is from a partially extended pawl skipping off the gear.
I agree, it "can" cause damage, but it's very rare.
As for the Prius, you can throw it in Park all day long and it will do nothing.. same with reverse.
The linkage is electronically controlled, not mechanical. The cars computer will only beep at you if you throw it in park at any speed.
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Anyway, it's a moot point. You do not throw a running car into (P) Park. That's a friggin brake, you risk locking up the wheels if you do manage to get it there which will most probably make you lose control of the vehicule.

Again, for everyone trying to find many complicated solutions to a very simple problem us Manual drivers have known since the beginning of time : You put the car in (N) Neutral. The engine will get protected by the rev limiter, you'll have both steering and brake assist and full control of the car to bring it to a safe stop.

I don't get why it has to be so complicated. No car prevents you from going to neutral. Heck, Manual versions of everyone of those cars REQUIRES that you go to neutral each time you change gears.

Haven't any of you people (not talking about you rjohnstone) ever driven stick once in your lives ?
 
brettsherman said:
I just bought a "refurbished" iPhone 4 on December 15, 2010 that clearly exhibits the problem. Within 5-10 seconds of touching the metal case, the bars go down by 2. When you let go, they go up by two in about 10 seconds. I'm seriously annoyed that Apple is still selling these defective iPhones. Unfortunately, I have to shell out $50 to get a non-refurbished phone as I can't get a replacement refurbished one. My recommendation is to not buy refurbished iPhone 4s.

For the record, my wife's refurbished phone works fine.
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lol so you bought a refurb phone...you says its defective...your wife buys a refurb phone...and it works....come on now...how is that a factory defect...and this issue happens with all phones...didnt you see the press release from HTC talking about the "death grip" Get out of here if you are going to complain about your phone, no one is forcing you to use it. ALL PHONE IF YOU GET THE DEATH GRIP WILL LOES SIGNAL. Only difference is Apple is the company everyone loves to pick at because they are the company no one can beat so you hear about their "issues" more...

http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/03/htc-responds-to-hd7-death-grip-reports-says-some-signal-drop-is/
 
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