TechBytes: iPhone Order Overload
Playstation's new moves, Nintendo's 3-D device, power dietings.
June 16, 2010— -- The first day of the new iPhone pre-orders overwhelmed Apple and AT&T. Websites for both companies slowed to a crawl Tuesday, with some people receiving error messages when they tried to buy the iPhone 4. Many of the problems appeared to crop up when the sites tried to retrieve AT&T customer data. But the slowdown didn't seem to matter. On Wednesday morning, AT&T said it had stopped taking orders and was focusing on fulfilling orders already received. At midday Wednesday, the Associated Press reported that Apple was accepting orders for black models and would guarantee shipment by July 2. The white model was no longer available for pre-order.
Sony is adding 3-D to the PS3. At the E3 gaming show in Los Angeles, Sony announced that 30 3-D games will be released for the PlayStation 3 by March of next year. Sony also offered details about the console's new motion-control system, called Move. It will be available September 19, with 40 games in time for the holidays.
Those 3-D games for the PlayStation will require special glasses, but Nintendo has a new 3-D gaming device that doesn't need them. The company took the wraps off the 3Ds handheld console on Tuesday. Players can turn the 3-D on and off so it works with old games. It also takes 3-D photos and plays 3-D movies. Nintendo didn't say when it will be available.
Home utility bills usually soar in the summer, but technology can make it easier to keep your bill down. Google is partnering with several utilities to offer one solution. It's rolling out a power meter service that digitally tracks your usage patterns. The Wall Street Journal's Katie Boehret explains how it works.
"You can have all of your data accessible online and you'll be able to look at that data and tell what you can cut back on what time of day might be better for using a particular device. When you can use something in your neighborhood (at off-peak hours) rather than using when everyone else is using it," Boehret said. For more saving-energy tips, you can read her column on the Wall Street Journal website.
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