AT&T approves SlingPlayer for iPhone to use 3G

Isn't competition a wonderful thing?

Don't worry, Apple will have to give in to multitasking and Flash too if they expect to keep up with WM and Android devices. The cult mentality can only carry Apple just so far.
 
As far as backrounding goes, I just want the ability to keep one program of my choice running while using another.

Such as listening to Slacker or SiriusXM while checking my email.
 
Isn't competition a wonderful thing?

Don't worry, Apple will have to give in to multitasking and Flash too if they expect to keep up with WM and Android devices. The cult mentality can only carry Apple just so far.

I don't know, the fanboy cult is pretty strong. :)

Now Sling, get off your keester, and give us an Android client.
 
Here is a press release from AT&T and Sling/Echostar on this.

AT&T AND SLING MEDIA COLLABORATE ON SLINGPLAYER MOBILE APP
FOR 3G MOBILE BROADBAND NETWORK

SlingPlayer Mobile app optimized to conserve wireless spectrum

DALLAS, Feb. 4, 2010 – AT&T* today announced that its 3G mobile broadband network will support Sling Media, Inc.’s SlingPlayer Mobile™ app.

Sling Media, a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), originally developed its wireless app to make efficient use of 3G network bandwidth – and to conserve the finite wireless spectrum available to the wireless industry. Since mid December 2009, AT&T has been testing the app and has recently notified Sling Media -- as well as Apple – that the optimized app can run on its 3G network. The SlingPlayer Mobile app already is available for use today on AT&T’s Wi-Fi network, the nation’s largest with more than 20,000 hotspots.
“Just as we’ve worked with Sling Media in this instance, we look forward to collaborating with other developers so that mobile customers can access a wider, more bandwidth-sensitive, and powerful range of applications in the future,” said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “Collaboration with developers like Sling Media ensures that all apps are optimized for our 3G network to conserve wireless spectrum and reduce the risk that an app will cause such extreme levels of congestion that they disrupt the experience of other wireless customers. Our focus continues to be on delivering the nation’s most advanced mobile broadband experience and giving our customers the widest possible array of mobile applications.”

“We’re delighted with AT&T’s decision to approve the SlingPlayer Mobile app on their 3G network,” said John Gilmore, senior vice president and general manager at Sling Media. “SlingPlayer Mobile on AT&T’s 3G network gives customers the best experience possible for watching their home TV while on the go.”

AT&T will provide developers with wireless network optimization requirements for video and other applications by the end of the first quarter via its AT&T Developers Program website (AT&T Developer Program | devCentral Home).

AT&T’s announcement today further demonstrates its commitment to fostering the development of a wide range of mobile applications for smartphones, quick-messaging devices and other mobile devices. In January, AT&T hosted its fourth annual Developers Summit, where it announced a range of initiatives to support app development.
 

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Even then I'll keep my jailbreak for this reason.

I need tethering once in a blue moon. If I need to perform some support task while on the road, it is very helpful. I would never pay $60.00/month for wireless service on my laptop.

Hopefully, the new app will work with sling classic. Time will tell...
 
iPhone still has several strikes against it (compared to the Samsung Moment that I have)

No Physical Keyboard
AT&T - (as a result they don't have NFL Mobile Live)
No ability to do widgets on the front screen
Home screens not customizable
No ability to hide apps on the home screen (I guess you could put the apps you don't want on the last x screens, but with Android you can bring your hidden apps up immediately)
No multitasking - BIG downside IMO
Cannot expand hard drive - what you buy is what you are stuck with (although with the moment, the apps aren't downloaded to the SD Card which they need to fix in the next release)
If the battery dies, then you are screwed - They should have a replaceable battery.

Also, the syncing with ITunes is nice, but can also be a curse. It sometimes takes FOREVER to sync if you haven't done it in a while (as much as an hour) - especially if you have TV shows or if there is a software update. With the Moment, you just transfer the files in the file manager and you are done.

Of course, iPhone has more apps, but Android still has a bunch. Android doesn't have Sling yet, but I don't have Slingbox yet, so at the moment, it is not a downside for me. However, I expect them to have an app by the end of the year. If I get a Slingbox, I can just watch on my wife's iPhone until Android gets Sling.
 
As far as backrounding goes, I just want the ability to keep one program of my choice running while using another.

Such as listening to Slacker or SiriusXM while checking my email.


The iphone's OS is Apple's version of debian linux. Like all Unix/Linux flavors, the OS is fully capable of running multiple processes at a time. In fact, it is always running quite a lot of processes to keep the base phone features, clocks, schedulers, touchscreen, email, etc running. The problem is that Apple only gave the iphone and iphone 3G 128MB RAM to run it's OS and programs (the other 8 or 16GB they advertise is just storage for programs and data). After a clean reboot of the graphically intense OS, you're lucky if you have about 40ish MB left to run apps. After you have started a few things (email etc) that number quickly drops to less than 20MB free.

If you use backgrounder on a jailbroken phone, you probably already know that it works great with 1 or two small apps, but if you try to background a large app, and then start another large one, the phone runs out of memory, kills both apps, and returns to the home screen. Apple wouldn't want this to happen because it looks like a bug and causes the phone to appear unstable. So it appears that their solution was to only allow one "user" app at a time.

I'd be surprised if they ever enable backgrounding on the older iphones with that memory limitation. The newer 3GS has 256MB of RAM, and has more potential. Perhaps they'll enable it on the 3GS in a future update?

- Paul
 
I'd be surprised if they ever enable backgrounding on the older iphones with that memory limitation. The newer 3GS has 256MB of RAM, and has more potential. Perhaps they'll enable it on the 3GS in a future update?

- Paul

That is my current thought, they will enable multitasking on the 3GS with the introduction of the next iPhone. That way all the iPhones and iPhone 3G users will be out of their 2 year contract and will be able to upgrade.
 
I will continue to jailbreak for MultiExchange. One ActiveSync account just won't cut it anymore.

And I like the RetroFuturist theme and custom txtmsg sounds.
 
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