Apple Iphone Blog

Targus Versavu Review

2012-01-24T06:30:00.000-08:00

Targus Versavu appeared to be a strange name for a company that produces covers for the iPad2. But when I read the features of this cover keyboard and the feedback from the people, I ordered it immediately. It has satisfied me till the core.

I simply love the material of the cover both ways. From inside it protects my screen and from outside it takes care of huge damages due to fall. The case can be used as a stand in different suitable angles and the keyboard is also lovable. The keys are nice to work on and they are thin and adequately placed. It is one of the most comfortable keyboards I have come across.

All the ports are open for usage and I have never felt any issue with connecting or charging with the cover on. It cost me $73 but I am pretty happy because it has mastered the three basic functions every iPad2 user would want.
Compare to Zaggfolio review here.

Sell your Broken or Used iPhone

2011-01-05T02:01:00.000-08:00

You can turn your used or broken iPhone into cash now. Since there is still a huge demand in the countries outside of US, there are companies which buy broken, not properly functioning or old iPhones to sell them outside of US after refurbishing. At the worst case, they buy the iPhones to re-use its parts.

We would suggest iPhonesIntoCash.com website for this purpose. All you need to fill the application form and they will send you a prepaid envelope. After that, you put your iPhone and send the envelope to them back. When they receive the phone, they send a check in 3 days.

They accept iPhones in three levels and the money you will get changes accordingly. The condition factors are "Works, Kinda Works and Doesn't Work". See more details on iPhonesIntoCash.com website.

Best iPad Bluetooth Keyboard Case

2010-12-19T07:11:00.000-08:00

Zagg again becomes very popular with their super innovative, ultra-light aluminum case with bluetooth keyboard for Apple iPad.

This is a must-have accessory for iPad. Forget about other bluetooth keyboard cases, ZaggMate offers the exact match style aluminum iPad case for customers.

It adds only 1/8 inch of the size of iPad, making it one of the best no bulky hard cases as well. Keyboard is quite easy-to-type as well. Plus, as an iPhone owner you can use Zaggmate too. Recommended buy!

Here is a detailed Zaggmate review as well.

Logitech Touch Mouse Turns Your iPhone into a Wireless Trackpad

2010-01-29T10:11:00.000-08:00

A very useful application from the developers at Logitech.

I noticed that a new application at App Store allows controlling the computer with iPhone like a wireless touchpad or a keypad if you want to type on iPhone / iPod Touch for sure. You can use this application thanks to Wi-Fi. It is a free application. You will just need to download touch mouse server software which is available at logitech.com

Some features include multi-touch tracking with 2 ,3 mouse buttons, scrolling, full keyboard with vital keys like control, alt, shift etc. iPhone displays what you type as well. Keyword can be hidden/shown at any time. Support for both landscape/portrait modes.

I have tried it and can say that it quite fast works. 5 stars!

iPhone Cracker gets his hand on Sony Playstation 3

2010-01-29T09:54:00.001-08:00

iPhone cracker once again in action. George Hotz, who developed the first iPhone jailbreak application in 2007, now cracked the Sony Playstation 3. Three years ago, he could develop a software which unlocks the phone after spending more than 500 hours of development time. At that time, even Steve Jobs had stated that it was impossible. Now, according to latest news; Sony playstation 3 can play pirate games, home developed software you want.

His life motto is "nothing is unhackable" as he stated in BBC. Interesting point is that he is only 20 and surely he will continue a big headache for technology companies. Soon, we will see the details of his Sony playstation cracking technique publicly.

Tekkeon MyPower - Extending iPhone Battery Life Smartest Way

2009-07-28T03:18:00.000-07:00

I was seeing lately a new trend for iPhone. Sleeve cases with battery charging feature. The need was obvious because many advanced iPhone program features such as Data Push or 3G consumed much power and have eaten up battery quickly. Tekkeon MP1200 MyPower is a leather sleeve with a battery to double iPhone battery life. Protection and extended usability together. The sleeve case charges the phone on the go. myPower can be used as an iPhone dock as well with auto sync functionality.

It works with iPhone 3G 3GS and latest iPod models. Read reviews at Amazon here.

Amazing iPhone Game Sales Statistics

2009-06-22T03:12:00.000-07:00

There were a rush of new games during the year and iPhone games market is exponentially becoming bigger.

Firemint games is one of the most successful game developer companies and they shared their sales numbers for the air simulation game Flight Control. This game was #1 for a long time in App Store in many countries. Here are a few key values from the report.

Sales (6 March to 27 April): over 700,000

57% of sales in US , 35,000 sales for a peak day.

This shows how much money is waiting for iPhone game developers with simple applications.

You can find download the complete report at Firemint Flight Control Sales Report

JBuds J2 Premium Hi-FI Noise Isolating Earbuds for iPhone

2009-03-30T07:37:00.000-07:00

JBuds J2 Premium Hi-FI Noise Isolating Earbuds : Great earbuds from notable JBuds brand for all iPhone, iPod models and other music & mp3 devices, popular game units like PSP, Nintendo DS, laptop computers etc. Now, available at Amazon with 65% price fall. Earbuds are made from high quality silicone and there are 3 sizes. Especially designed to eliminate noise and provide colorful, dynamic bass and treble tones. I should add that 3.5 mm audio jack is gold-plated and assures no-loss sound connection with the audio music device. There are many color options for JBuds J2 being black chrome silver as my favorite choice.

JBuds J2 Premium Hi-FI Noise Isolating Earbuds (Onyx Black)

High Quality Apple iPhone Mount Holder

2009-03-13T06:12:00.000-07:00

Arkon Mini Windshield Mount pack includes the Travelmount mini windshield suction pedestal and the passive custom-made cradle for the iPhone. The mount will suit both iPhone models, 3G and the original. It is a patented product.

Positive customer feedbacks. Quite cheap at Amazon.

iPhone 3G Manual for Real Geeks

2008-11-05T00:23:00.000-08:00

Well, it is common that geeks don't need any manuals. It is true in most cases because they learn everything themselves by searching, trying and fighting with the gadget :)

Famous tech writer David Pogue provides a thorough review of all the features, tips, and tricks with the IPhone. After reading and applying 376 pages of iPhone: The Missing Manual: Covers the iPhone 3G, you will feel that you mastered iPhone 3G in every aspect. The book also works as a troubleshooting guide. My recommendation is to progress to book slowly applying the skills in each chapter.

Essential reading for iPhone geeks.

iPhone: The Missing Manual: Covers the iPhone 3G (Missing Manual)

Free iPhone GPS Tracker

2008-10-15T05:24:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for a good iphone gps tracking solution, Instamapper is an excellent free choice.

Just open your free account and they will send GPS coordinates periodically after you install a small application. If you login from a computer you can see the exact coordinates and gps tracking history in an interactive Google maps platform.

Try the Gps tracker for iphone.

Give Life to Your iPhone with Special Skins

2008-08-18T04:03:00.000-07:00

Whether you have a 1G or 3G iPhone, this website offers you glossy, high-resolution full-color skins with maximum protection. You can search according to color or themes like abstract, animals, camouflage, fantasy, fine art, flags, flames, floral, music, patterns, photography, retro, scenery, symbols, sports and textures.

I include two screenshots both for 1G and 3G series to give you an idea what you will find at this cool iPhone Skins website.

Click here for iPhone Skins from DecalGirl!

Highest Quality Leather iPhone 3G Cases

2008-07-27T13:49:00.000-07:00

Well, I have seen many cases for iPhone but these are one of the most charming and elegant ones. I will review one very popular product of manufacturer, Beyza Cases. First of all, all cases are from full grain cowhide leather. It is a durable, easy to care and resistant to water and dirt. They are individually crafted by skilled artisans. Maybe, it is the reason about their unique soft and shiny look. It is more expensive than most cases but the highest quality is the reason. If you look at the photos and review their website you will agree with me.

Roadline-Slim Vertical Leather Case is the new series for iPhone 3G. The strap looks in harmony with the case color nicely and has an easy way to take out the phone.

Available in 12 different colors. If you decide to buy a case from them use this %10 discount coupon code : CADRIPHONE878

Beyza cases have also other series for every taste including leather cases with and without flap and removable belt clip, slim, ultra slim models, an interesting dockable model.

Best Screen Protection for iPhone 3G

2008-07-19T06:16:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for the ultra protection for your brand new Apple iPhone 3G, ZAGG's invisibleSHIELD is an exceptionally clear and virtually indestructible film that will protect your iPhone 3G from unsightly scratches. Their exclusive, patented film (with nano-memory) technology covers and shields your device, keeping it like the first day from the box.

It has the toughest and most durable protection you will find because The invisibleSHIELD has its origins in the military, where it was used to protect high-speed helicopter blades from dust, dirt and debris. Now you can use that same powerful technology to protect your iPhone 3G.

The invisibleSHIELD is only .2 millimeters thick making it the slimmest iPhone 3G skin or iPhone 3G cover of its kind. It is so tough that they back it with a lifetime guarantee. So, if it ever does wear or scratch, they will replace it for free, for the life of your device. And if you ever need to remove the invisibleSHIELD, no problem; it comes off clean and leaves no sticky residue.

Currently it is the best selling and the most recommended iPhone 3G accessory.

iPhone Screen Protector
Scratch Proof your iPhone. Lifetime Warranty. Free Shipping.

Plantronics Voyager 510 : Best Bluetooth Headset on the Market

2008-07-09T15:28:00.000-07:00

Plantronics Voyager 510 Bluetooth Headset is currently #1 selling and best rated Amazon product for bluetooth and headset categories. According to me, the reasons for the customer appreciation are excellent battery time (at least 6 hours talking), great noise filtering, multipoint technology which you can use on multiple phones, easy volume buttons on earpiece, stability and comfort in the air and lightness.

There are also minor flaws like that it is bigger than most other devices and the earpieces are not staying secured as the first day after a year usage, but they don't affect the high quality of the product. Recommended gadget !

The Perfect Headset Earbuds Complement to Your iPhone

2008-07-04T06:55:00.000-07:00

V-MODA Vibe Duo Earbuds/Headset is known as the best headset/ear buds which is designed specially for iPhone considering the high sound quality (vibrant bass, vivid mid-range and colorful highs).

Discreet hands-free microphone with call button allows for extreme mobility and convenient communication with the best noise reduction possible.

It has two color options including black and chrome. I personally think that chrome set looks more stylish and modern for iPhone. It has 3 silicon fittings sizes (S,M,L).

Positive user comments on Amazon.com

ToughSkin iPhone Protective Case

2008-07-04T06:11:00.000-07:00

It is a high quality iPhone case for the people who are seeking real protection. Speck ToughSkin iPhone case includes a custom holster with swivel belt clip/stand for viewing. It provides optimal screen protection. With complete access to all controls, this case keeps your Apple iPhone safe and secure.

Cozip Slim iPhone is also another nice alternative. Both models have the most selling item rankings and very high customer ratings.

Perfect Slim Case for iPhone

2008-07-01T05:24:00.000-07:00

After my search for the highest quality case for my Iphone, I have decided to buy this slip-free polycarbonate Apple iPhone Case. It is the best selling iPhone case in Amazon and has the highest user rates. If you are looking for the best way to protect your iPhone, I can suggest it. Easy sliding and doesn't have a plastic feel. It doesn't change how iPhone looks and adds only 2mm to it. Quick and easy access to all iPhone features - Screen display, Dock connector, Headphone port, microphone, and camera lens. Recommended

Instant Messaging Patent for iPhones

2008-05-30T05:17:00.000-07:00

Apple clearly wants to add own instant message feature to the iPhone, because they recently have filed a patent about it.

The recent filing is entitled "Portable Electronic Device for Instant Messaging", and includes methods for sending, receiving, and viewing ongoing conversations. The planned GUI is similar to Apple's current interface for SMS.

iPhone IM has been missing from the cell phone to the dismay of many users. The patent filing shows Apple has "instant message" on its mind.

At the recent launch of the iPhone SDK, AOL demonstrated an AOL Instant Messenger client, but it isn't allowed to run in the background, which normal IM applications rely on.

Fring : First Mobile VoIP App for iPhone

2008-05-04T02:37:00.000-07:00

Actually Mobile VoIP functionality was a long awaited application for iPhone. Fring is a native iPhone application which allows iPhone owners to make SIP Voip calls.

You can talk without a headset. You can also make Skype-Out voice calls as well. As an additon, your contacts or buddies of all your chat services will be in one list, Skype Chat contacts, MSN Messenger contacts, ICQ buddies, Google Talk , Twitter(chat) and Yahoo(chat).

The application is great event hough has a major bug and minor concerns.

- Beware! SMS deletion bug (You can lose your sms inbox totally)
- Voice Quality is sometimes very bad (stuttering transmission)
- Battery drain: When Fring is active, the battery empties much faster.

To test it point your installer to http://fring.com/iphone.xml and install the Beta version. You have to register with sort of anonymous information once, to get all the service.

Best Slim Case for iPhone

2008-04-14T08:18:00.000-07:00

Apple iPhone Soft Polycarbonate Slim fit Case. This is a great, slim phone case for the iPhone. It doesn't increase the size of the iPhone by more than a few millimeters. The case is rigid yet flexible and does not have a hard plastic feel to it, it has a nice rubberized grip to it, but is not soft and rubbery like other skin cases and does not attract lint and is easy to slide in and out of your pocket. The edges of it seem sharp but it has yet to leave a scratch from removing it from it's case to dock it. Does not fit in the iPhone Dock, but it does fit in the universal Dock with the case on. Overall, it is a recommended accessory for iPhone.

ICEfaces Project : Building iPhone applications

2008-03-28T03:42:00.000-07:00

ICEsoft Technologies has unveiled their open source ICEfaces Project this week which powers especially iPhone. Demonstration of an iPhone application which is used to order taxi from iPhone while on business trip, and taking status reports was really cool. Another interesting project was a program that allows users to “push” conference slides from a desktop to an iPhone.

ICEfaces itself is an Ajax framework that enables developers to easily create server centric rich internet applications in pure Java. The system works by extending JSF (java server faces) which is a component model for JavaEE development.

While working in standart JSF programming environment, you have the addition of Automatic AJAX which handles back-end AJAX Framework functionality for them transparently. In addition, a feature known as “AJAX Push” automatically takes care of synchronization between the desktop and the mobile device.

While iPhone was presented as a great platform, Steve Markya CTO of ICEsoft Technologies said it had some deficiencies like memory constraints, small footprint, and inability to support drag-and-drop.

Great iPhone Community: Planet-iPhones.com

2008-03-05T03:56:00.000-08:00

I have recently discovered a great iPhone website, actually better to say an iPhone community with a very active forum. The main topics of the forum are latest iPhone news, iPhone and iPod Touch accessories, iPhone software development, native and web applications, iPhone modification tutorials, iPhone mods, skin and theme creation and very active troubleshooting, technical support section. iPhone downloads section is also very active with iPhone wallpapers, media.

They review applications and inform about new ones regularly. All native and web applications are categorized in easy to navigate menus including dictionaries, games, multimedia, network, productivity, sports, system, toys, utilities, chat, communication and web application topics like movies, music, news, office, personal, shopping, travel, weather etc.

The iPhone wallpapers section is also very detailed. There are categories like abstract, animals, cars, food and drink, gaming, hot babes, hot guys, movies, music, nature, places, sports, tv and holidays. You can download them for free and install to your iPhone. I have chosen great looking Ferrari iPhone wallpaper for myself.

There are hundreds of iPhone mods including homescreen, battery, signal bar icons, themes, firmware, widgets etc.

Accessories section features the most needed ones and you can instantly go to buying pages by a click.

There is a great feature of the site. It works in two versions, standard view and iPhone view. That’s cool. Check it out. I suggest you to visit this iPhone community and join them.

Speed Boost from AT&T for iPhone users

2008-02-27T08:12:00.000-08:00

iPhone users who are struggling with the slow EDGE network, will be happy to know that AT&T got approved by the FCC to purchase 12 MHZ of a 700-MHZ spectrum for $2.5 billion from Aloha Partners.

It means that AT&T could use UMTS/HSUPA, which is a much, much faster alternative to EDGE. In comparison, EDGE is limited to 50 to 110 kilobytes per second (1024 kilobytes in a megabyte) - whereas HSUPA has a download rate of 3 MBPS (megabytes per second), and upload of 1.5 MBPS.

That’s almost a 3000% increase in speed, if AT&T utilized it correctly

Via Information Week

Video : Palm OS emulator for the iPhone

2008-02-25T03:03:00.000-08:00

StyleTap, the company which produces Palm OS emulators for Windows Mobile, has video proof that they're working on a Palm emulator for the iPhone. The emulator allows users to run Palm OS applications on the iPhone. It's still in the experimental stage and there is no public beta planned, but this video clearly shows that they've got something going on the right way. Here is the video :

Apple iPhone 2008 Sales Target : Too optimistic?

2008-02-25T02:58:00.000-08:00

According to Bernstein Research analyst Toni Sacconaghi, Apple may not be able to reach their 2008 sales target of selling 10 million iPhones, which could cause them to take a huge blow in their future outlook. He stated that the goal of 10 million iPhones being sold in 2008 is “optimistic.”

He also stated that if Apple has no plans on cutting the price of the current iPhone, or putting out a new model, it may be tough to reach that sales goal.

The iPhone managed to sell, on average, 180,000 units per week during the holiday quarter.The expectation, according to Sacconaghi, is for Apple to sell just under 8 million iPhones in 2008, which is pretty far below their sales target of 10 million.

Jailbreak for iPhone/iPod Touch 1.1.3 Released

2008-01-28T10:48:00.000-08:00

Even though jail breaking your iPhone or iPod Touch is generally forbidden and a terrific way to violate your device's warranty per Apple, there are some excellent resources available for people wanting to run third party software on the iPhone.

iPhone Pocket Guitar Application

2008-01-24T06:35:00.000-08:00

iPhone Pocket Guitar is a really cool application. A virtual guitar for iPhone and iPod touch.

You can even have guitar sessions with the songs in your iPod!

Here is a video in action.

It has been tested on iPod touch 1.1.1. See the details here

iPhone boosts the Apple Profit Record

2008-01-24T03:21:00.000-08:00

APPLE, the computer and electronics giant, today reported its "best ever quarter in its history" with profits soaring by 57 per cent to £806 million on overall revenues up 35 per cent to £4.9 billion, which was better than expectations.

Over the period, Apple saw strong demand for goods such as Mac computers – up 44 per cent to 2.3m against the same period a year ago – and sales of iPhones, which were introduced to the market last July, also hitting 2.3m.

In addition, Apple said it had also sold 22.1m iPod music and video players, beating its previous record set during the 2006 Christmas season by around five per cent. Apple said iPod revenue rose 17 per cent from a year earlier – the strongest growth in a year, according to executives – as the debut of a $400 (£205) model with a touch screen and wireless internet capability lifted average selling prices.

Steve Jobs, Apple's chief executive said: "We're thrilled to report our best quarter ever, with the highest revenue and earnings in Apple's history."

However, the group – which last week launched the MacBook Air, claimed to be the world's thinnest laptop computer – did not satisfy the market when it came to its prospects going forward.

Turn your iPod Touch into an iPhone with VoIP

2008-01-19T09:39:00.000-08:00

Just add the VoIP application , so you will be able to call and receive phone calls from your iPod Touch too.

This is for firmware versions 1.1.1 and 1.1.2.

(add this source to your ipod)
http://touchmods.net/rep.xml

http://sip.VoipCheap.com

For ordering the microphone:
http://ipodtouchdockaccessories.com

iPhone Security Issue - First iPhone Malware Found !!!

2008-01-15T07:08:00.000-08:00

The US Computer Emergency Response Team (US-CERT) has released a warning that a fraudulent iPhone upgrade is making its way around the Internet and users should not believe into installing it.

Malicious package called "iPhone firmware 1.1.3 prep," which described itself as "an important system update. Install this before updating to the new 1.1.3 firmware" is floating around on the Internet. The fact it does not come from Apple.

When a user installs the Trojan, other application components are altered. If the Trojan is uninstalled, the affected applications may also be removed.

Security firm F-Secure also warned that the first Trojan for iPhone has appeared and while the virus is a mild one, the incident could lead to more lethal viruses appearing on the iPhones.

Recommended iPhone Accessories

2008-01-15T01:26:00.000-08:00

These are recommended best selling Amazon accessories for iPhone and iPhone 3G.

IPhone Hurts Mobile Gaming Industry

2008-01-07T03:51:00.000-08:00

While it would seem that the growth of smartphones, with their bigger screens and faster processors, would be good news for mobile gaming, handsets like the iPhone are in fact hurting the mobile game industry in the short term, one expert said Sunday.

Apple's iPhone is a capable phone that holds promise for the future of gaming, said Travis Boatman, vice president of worldwide studios for Electronic Arts' mobile division, speaking during a panel session at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. "But it's a replacement for someone who had a Razr before. They still want their content but there's no distribution platform in place so there's a negative impact on the industry," he said.

The Coolest iPhone and iPod touch Applications List

2008-01-04T04:34:00.000-08:00

Life Hacker has a great list of iPhone software in categories like multimedia, communication, utilities, productivity and surely games ! Check it out !

Orange iPhone reaches the target: 70,000 in first month

2008-01-04T04:26:00.000-08:00

France Telecom says its Orange mobile unit sold more than 70,000 Apple iPhones in the month following the launch of the much-hyped handset in late November, broadly in line with the company’s target of between 50,000 to 100,000 sales. Orange is the exclusive supplier of the new iPhone in the country, which it sells for EUR399 (USD588) with a contract, or EUR749 for the handset only.

Read more

Best Selling and Best Rated iPhone Accessories at Amazon

2008-01-04T03:52:00.000-08:00

iPhone is sweet for O2 in Europe

2007-12-26T09:38:00.000-08:00

European telecomm O2 expects 200,000 iPhone sold in the UK by the end of the year while analysts expect up to 400,000 in the next few months.

Read More

REWE Group's Penny to sell iPhone in Austria

2007-12-21T07:41:00.000-08:00

Food discounter Penny, part of the REWE Group, is about to offer the "Invention of the Year 2007" in a number of its stores in Austria. Apple's iPhone will be available from Friday, priced at 799 euros. The Penny website states that the phone will be unlocked for all networks. Customers in Vienna, Salzburg and Graz, and others, will soon be able to pick up an iPhone from their local store.

Simple Group Conference Calling on the iPhone : Meet Talkster

2007-12-21T07:37:00.000-08:00

Voice 2.0 company Talkster is delivering a nice holiday gift to iPhone users: simplified group conference calling all over the globe for the cost of a single local call.

Read More

Next Destionation : iPhone goes to Japan Now

2007-12-18T16:49:00.000-08:00

Reports show that the Cupertino, California-based computer giant is trying to enrich its Japanese vocabulary with words like “arigato” or “konichiwa”, in the perspective of a potential launch there for the iPhone.

Already a massive hit in the US and recently launched on the European continent, “iPhone” is the word of the day among Japanese carriers, among which NTT DoCoMo and Softbank (first and third largest mobile operator respectively) seem to mutter it better than others.

Rumor has it that Steve Jobs met DoCoMo President Masao Nakamura in San Francisco to discuss details about a potential partnership between the two behemoths.

Read More

You can now buy up to 5 iPhones

2007-12-18T01:54:00.000-08:00

APPLE NOW ALLOWS FIVE iPHONES PER CUSTOMER

Apple is trying to discourage people from buying so many iPhones.

Since it started selling the multi-tasking incredible gadget in June, the company has four times defined limits on the number of iPhones it will sell to an individual customer. Apple loosened the restrictions a little bit last week, but customers still can't just go out of a store with more than five of the gadgets.

So, why is this approach necessary?

Apple says it's rationing iPhones in an attempt to discourage resellers, who stock up and offer them online at inflated prices.

The idea is logical to protect customers in long run

Easily Remove the 1000 SMS storage limit your iPhone

2007-12-16T03:45:00.000-08:00

There’s apparently a hack to remove the arbitrarily-imposed 1K limit of SMSs that can be stored on an iPhone.

iPhone Skinning tells us about a hack called “No SMS Limit” (heck of an imaginative title) that removes this block. Whether or not this will result in complications down the road remains to be seen, so hax0r beware.

To get it, just open up NullRiver’s Installer on your iPhone (assuming you’ve jailbroken your unit and are more or less used to adding third-party apps; if not, you need to go to a whole other post), and add http://iphone.totalmatrix.net to your Sources. Reload and look for it under Tweaks (1.1.1).

Be aware you’ll also need SMSD on your system to access the SMS archives (and you need to get this first before getting No SMS Limit), which in turn require Erica Sadun’s Ulctl, a UI for launchctl, first. Both SMSD and Ulclt are available on Installer already.

No SMS Limit will require you to cold-boot your iPhone, and will patch SMSD before it runs, so be forewarned.

As usual, Mac-A-Doodle just passes on the info; your risk, your call.

Nice yeah !

Top Worst and Lamest iPhone Lawsuits

2007-12-08T17:21:00.000-08:00

Apple always has been a target for lawsuits. With close to $15 billion in cash gathering dust in its bank accounts, it's no wonder that disgruntled or disillusioned customers and competitors might seek a payday. Here are six of the most onerous cases.

Do some of these people have legitimate complaints? Probably. Are some of them taking it a bit too far? I think so.

6. Klausner v. Apple, et al: This lawsuit was just announced this week and is patent related. Klausner Technologies is alleging that it holds patents that cover the visual voice-mail feature of the iPhone. Klausner said the patents in question (U.S. Patents 5,572,576 and 5,283,818) already are being used in products fromTime Warner AOL and Vonage. It is seeking $360 million in damages from Apple, AT&T and visual voice mail company SimulScribe.

Might Klausner have a legitimate complaint? Possibly. I guess that is for the courts to decide.

5. Cisco V. Apple: Just days after Apple announced the iPhone at MacWorld, Cisco's feathers were ruffled because it already trademarked the product name iPhone. So Cisco sued for willful trademark infringement. Apple had to have known about the trademark before announcing its own iPhone, but went ahead with the name anyway. Apple spokesman Steve Dowling called the Cisco lawsuit "silly," and noted that there are other companies using the name iPhone for VoIP products. Apple said Cisco's trademark was "tenuous at best." "We're the first company to ever use the iPhone name for a cell phone," Dowling said. "If Cisco wants to challenge us on it, we're very confident we'll prevail." They did.

Faster and Deeper - Google integration to iPhone

2007-12-05T13:52:00.000-08:00

Good news! Big boss has optimized its applications for the iPhone so they are integrated into a single interface and operate faster.

Now, if you visit Google's home page on your iPhone you'll see the Web search box and links to Gmail, Calendar and Reader up at the top of the screen for quick access.

Google also provides word suggestions as you type to make the query entry faster.

And once you click on links, the pages download faster than before. "When you click it's instantaneous," says Gummi Hafsteinsson, a senior product manager at Google. "Just like on the desktop; there's no difference between the two."

Google plans to optimize its applications for other phones eventually, he said.

Links to Google Maps and YouTube are on the main menu of the iPhone.

Newer and Faster iPhone is on the way in few months

2007-12-01T02:52:00.000-08:00

Apple plans to produce a new, faster version of its iPhone within the next few months, the company's U.S. mobile partner AT&T Inc. declared.

According to media reports Thursday, Randall Stephenson, the CEO of AT&T, said there'll be a faster, 3G version of the iPhone next year, but didn't provide much details.

Earlier this year, Cupertino-based Apple CEO Steve Jobs said battery life issues had kept the company from launching a 3G iPhone, but indicated the problems could be solved next year.

iPhone as a Spy Gadget

2007-11-26T04:00:00.000-08:00

A US security consultant has used a security-testing tool to crack the iPhone. The exploit allows a hacker to control an iPhone remotely.

The exploit is based on creating a Safari Webpage that contains the exploit, the inner workings of how this works were not detailed. Once the iPhone has visited a corrupted web page, it could be controlled remotely according to Jarno Niemel, a researcher at F-Secure.

However, the decision that every iPhone based Application should run as root gives this hack the legs it needs to do its dirty work.

Via: ZDNet UK

Want Free Magazines for Your iPhone / iPod?

2007-11-23T07:53:00.000-08:00

For iPhone or iPod touch users, you can now access the Zinio’s iPhone-centered website and read some of the most popular magazines on your beloved device, while on-the-go.
It is %100 free. Here’s the link that goes to the free magazines.

Diamond iPhone for Born Rich Fans

2007-11-12T01:25:00.000-08:00

We had seen before Golden iPhone, now appears a much valuable variant Diamond iPhone.

It costs $41.000.

Will you (be able to) buy and really use it?

UK prepares for iPhone attack

2007-11-08T02:23:00.000-08:00

The iPhone will go on sale in the UK tomorrow, and iPhone fever has already taken over the web.

Popular auction site eBay has seen fit to clarify its rules to sellers who are looking to make a quick buck on the device, which is already being advertised for sale on eBay.co.uk.

"Due to the high demand and limited supply of the Apple iPhone, eBay is taking strong measures to protect both buyers and sellers within our community," eBay said in a statement.

Read More >>

Another iPhone Hack Reveals, This time in Israel

2007-11-03T16:04:00.000-07:00

According to local daily Yedioth Ahronoth, three Israeli computer engineers have managed to hack Apple’s iPhone system, and made it available for use through Israeli carriers, reported on its website.

According to the report, the three were also able to lend the iPhone a Hebrew interface, thus breaking Apple's restriction on using the phone only through the AT&T company in the United States. The report said that Dubbi, Ofir and Eli, the three Israeli hackers, bought their iPhones abroad, long before the thought of hacking its systems entered their minds.

Ofir was told by the report as saying that he knew at the beginning that the iPhone would be just a nice gadget and not an active phone if it was used in Israel, but he didn't mind and still purchased it. Another hacker Eli declared that breaking into the system of iPhone didn’t cost anything, but did take a long time. The three are not ready to share how they got the iPhone to work, but did say that practically anyone could do it, said the report.

iPhones are not anymore in the jail

2007-10-31T23:32:00.000-07:00

The release of an easy-to-download method of opening up the iPhone to third-party applications prompted almost 150,000 downloads of the software in three days with AppSnapp.

AppSnapp was released Sunday to allow iPhones and iPod Touches running the latest version of Apple's iPhone firmware to run third-party applications. Nicholas "Drudge" Penree, one of the programmers of the AppSnapp "jailbreak" application, thinks the 144,000 downloads of the program reported since Sunday translates into around 100,000 devices that are now free to run applications developed outside of Apple.

Apple and hackers have been playing a cat-and-mouse game over the screen real estate on the iPhone almost since the day it was released. Apple CEO Steve Jobs initially told developers that the iPhone would be closed to native application development, saying that Web applications would be the initial venue onto the iPhone. That didn't sit well with many developers who were captivated by the promise of the iPhone's touchscreen interface and built-in accelerometer.

Hackers then managed to develop several methods of getting outside applications onto the iPhone only to be thwarted by Apple's OS X 1.1.1 software update. That erased all third-party applications from the iPhone, and caused all kinds of problems for people who had used the jailbreaking software to download applications in order to unlock their iPhones from AT&T's network.

Apple is clearly worried about unlocked iPhones. Chief operating officer Tim Cook offered an unsolicited estimate last week that 250,000 iPhones have been purchased with the intention of unlocking them, and the company recently enacted a credit-card only policy and a two-iPhone limit for sales through its stores with the goal of discouraging unauthorized resale.

But Apple knows just how much demand there is for third-party application on both the iPhone and the iPod Touch. Earlier this month, Jobs announced plans to release a software developer's kit for both devices by February of next year.

That SDK will pave the way for safer and more reliable iPhone and iPod Touch applications. Some security experts are worried about the security implications of the fact that all iPhone applications run as root, while others feel it's a question of priorities at the moment.

Still, the only way to get applications to run on the iPhone or iPod Touch is to take advantage of a security flaw (which the AppSnapp folks did take the time to patch for everybody), and that's far from ideal. As always, only install things on your iPhone or iPod Touch that are coming from sources you trust.

Source : News.com

Christmas Shock : Apple to limit iPhone sales

2007-10-29T00:18:00.000-07:00

The technology group Apple plans to limit sales of its hugely popular iPhone to two for each customer to prevent illegal trafficking in the telephones and preserve stocks for Christmas.

The company also said on Saturday it would refuse to let people pay in cash for the phones, insisting on bank card payments so sales can be tracked.

Apple spokesperson Simon Pope confirmed the press reports of the move, describing them as "accurate," in an email to AFP.

Apple said last week that some quarter-million iPhones, out of 1.4 million snapped up in the first three months after its June launch, had been unblocked with pirated software so they can be used with any telephone network.

Yahoo Pipes Integration To IPhone

2007-10-24T15:04:00.000-07:00

Yahoo Pipes recently released a brand new iPhone interface and some new ways of searching through the various Pipes to find ones that interest you.

The iPhone interface is the result of a Yahoo hack day and allows you to access your mash-ups at the new domain: iphone.pipes.yahoo.com. In addition to optimizing the pipes interface for the small screen, Yahoo has integrated Pipes with the built-in iPhone mapping application. You can put any of your geo Pipe results on the iPhone just by pressing the "Map" button.

iPhone : 13 percent of AT&T’s overall handset sales

2007-10-21T02:54:00.000-07:00

"The iPhone has become AT&T’s top selling device, commanding some 13 percent of AT&T’s overall handset sales, and the 4th top selling handset in the US market,” according to Barry Gilbert, VP of the Strategy Analytics BuyerTRAX programs.

“Although the iPhone hasn’t had an expansionary impact in the market, the iPhone has quickly assumed a leading market share position and raised the ante for smart devices,” according to Mr. Gilbert. “The sales trajectory we are observing with the iPhone could make it the top selling device in the US over the next 1-2 quarters.”

Currently, the top selling handset in the US continues to be Motorola’s RAZR V3, however, this appears to be losing momentum as new and more competitive models that erode both its share and popularity are being introduced. ProductTRAX research notes that the top 10 handset models account for approximately 25 percent of total handset sales in a typical quarter despite an increasing number of device offerings.

Source : Phonemag

Goldstriker : 24ct gold plated Apple gadgets !

2007-10-21T02:47:00.000-07:00

The backside of the gold plated iPhone has an organic shape that makes the gold iPhone even more unique. Goldstriker sells the full gold plated iPhone for £699.95 (~$1,430).

Besides the iPhone, Goldstriker also offers gold plated 3rd generation iPod nano, classic iPod and the iPod touch.

The full gold iPod nano with 8GB sells for £299.95 (~$612). The full gold iPod classic sells for £399.95 (~$817) and the rear gold iPod touch has a price of £299.95 (~$612).

More details on the Goldstriker site. (site seems to be currently down because of data transfer limit).

Greenpeace versus iPhone : Chemical wars !

2007-10-15T06:04:00.000-07:00

Greenpeace said it discovered high levels of brominated fire retardants (BFRs) in the iPhone, along with plasticisers in the iPhone's headphones that have been banned for use in toys in the UK.

"Steve Jobs has missed the call on making the iPhone his first step towards greening Apple's products," says Greenpeace campaigner Zeina Alhajj. "It seems that Apple is far from leading the way for a green electronics industry as competitors like Nokia already sell mobile phones free of PVC.

"Apple needs to re-invent its iPhone...in green. The company needs to design out all hazardous substances and materials from its products so that a real solution is found for the growing mountain of e-waste. Read more >>>

iPhone Web Applications Directory from Apple

2007-10-11T23:42:00.000-07:00

Apple on Thursday launched an online directory of more than 200 Web applications built to run in the iPhone's Safari browser.

The applications are organized in categories such as the most recent viewed, most popular, alphabetical and staff picks. The featured Web software on Thursday was a Facebook application that connects the iPhone to the popular social network in order to visits friends' pages, upload and share photos, or send and receive messages.

Other software listed as staff picks include a puzzle game called Sudoku, Fandango and MovieTickets.com applications for buying movie tickets, mobile dictionaries of translation for English, French, Spanish and German; and WeatherBug for checking on the local weather anywhere in the world. The directory provides a URL for each of the applications to access the service.

During Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in June in San Francisco, chief executive Steve Jobs disappointed many developers by announcing that the company would only support the making of applications to run in the browser and not directly on the iPhone's operating system.

While Jobs claimed Web applications built using Web 2.0 technologies such as Ajax would behave like native apps on the iPhone, developers have said that having access to the operating system makes it possible to build software with many more capabilities than a Web 2.0 application. To do that, however, they would need a software development kit from Apple. The company does not plan to offer an SDK for the iPhone.

Apple's approach is far different from Microsoft's. The latter company provides application-programming interfaces for developers building software for the Windows Mobile platform used in smart phones and other handheld devices.

Apple, on the other hand, has chosen to keep tight control of the iPhone's operating system, arguing that it's the best strategy to maintain security and high performance. Ajax applications built for the iPhone would run in a sandbox separate from the device's operating system to keep hackers out.

Apple iPhone Update 1.1.1 : Fast Hack

2007-10-06T03:29:00.001-07:00

A pair of hackers who go by the names of "dinopio" and "Edgan" appear to have successfully hacked an iPhone with the 1.1.1 software and firmware upgrade. When is Apple going to give up?

The two hackers in question actually live blogged their iPhone hack. Here is a look at their hack from The Unofficial Apple Weblog:

10:26 AM: Your iPhone has been updated, and is restarting. Activate iPhone, connect to iTunes

10:27 AM: Wrong SIM!!!!! Oh man. (Trust me, it's a pure AT&T (NYSE: T) SIM on a pure AT&T account.)

10:28 AM: I pull the phone out of the dock and then I reconnect to iTunes. iTunes could not connect to the iPhone "Bologna" because of an unknown error occurred.

10:29 AM: Switching to my Intel (NSDQ: INTC) Mac from my G4 Mac

10:32 AM: I have the full tree. Getting screen shot now. The phone is not activated but iPhuc connects to it without trouble. w00t!

Now, this hack looks really, really hardcore and beyond the expertise of most power-users (including yours truly). But the latest iPhone upgrade has already been hacked. How long do you think it will take until iPhoneSIMfree or some other group makes an easier-to-use hack available? Given that hackers now know the iPhone's guts pretty well, I suspect we'll seen one or two hacks commercially available in weeks.

This latest iPhone proves that one of the maxims of the Web 2.0 era -- networks are smarter than individuals -- applies to corporations too. The global networks of hackers and Apple geeks are, collectively, smarter than Apple's internal iPhone developer and engineering teams. Frankly, there are just more of them than there are people inside Apple.

Source : Information Week

GlideOS : Website Creation for iPhone

2007-10-04T07:41:00.000-07:00

The creators of the web-based GlideOS operating system have introduced an update usable in its iPhone-compatible mobile version. New to GlideOS is a website creation tool, which allows users to build sites out of premade themes, or a custom one constructed with personal or public images. Users can also add items such as music, videos, calendar events and bookmarks, and automatically render their sites in both mobile and desktop versions. A sample site can be viewed here. Due to GlideOS' emphasis on collaboration, multiple people can work together on the same website, which is advertising-free. There is no default fee for using Glide, but an extra 10GB of storage is $5 a month or $50 per year.

Software developer Dylan Schiemann has 40 applications running on his iPhone

2007-09-27T22:32:00.000-07:00

Software developer Dylan Schiemann used Steve Jobs' own words against him in a presentation on developing third-party software applications for Apple's iPhone.

"You can write amazing Web 2.0 and Ajax apps that look and behave exactly like apps on the iPhone," CEO Jobs said at an Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in June in San Francisco.

"It depends on your meaning of the word 'exactly,'" Schiemann said Monday at the AjaxWorld 2007 Conference & Expo in nearby Santa Clara.

Jobs says Apple will allow third-party software developers to write applications to run on an iPhone, but not be installed on it. Instead, the apps can only be delivered through the device's Safari web browser. While an endorsement of Ajax from Steve Jobs is welcome, Schiemann and others at the Ajax conference say there are limitations on how their apps can run on Safari, and there is a vibrant community of developers writing apps to install directly on iPhone, contrary to Apple's wishes.

Schiemann's iPhone has 40 applications running on it, including the ones Apple ships from the factory, but also some unauthorised apps installed directly on the device. Christopher Allen, another AjaxWorld presenter who runs the website iPhoneWebDev.com, has 50 apps on his iPhone, including several unauthorised ones.

The Ajax conference, held Sept. 23 to 26 and drawing about 900 people, devoted five breakout sessions to developing iPhone apps using Ajax, a development tool for writing Web-based applications.

Schiemann, CEO of web-based applications developer SitePen, promoted the Dojo Foundation's open source Dojo Toolkit for writing iPhone applications but says even it can't overcome all the limitations in trying to work with the current iPhone version of mobile Safari. Notably, he said, web-based apps can't react to the iPhone's signature feature, which is the ability of a person to use finger-touch commands, such as the "pinch" to zoom in on a web page.

Allen adds: "When the user pinches, the web-based application is not notified that the end user is doing that . . . because the web browser does not tell them."

Allen makes a distinction between hackers who add software apps and those who break into the iPhone to avoid using AT&T's wireless service. Jobs says Apple will take action to prevent unlocking.

Asked for comment for this story, an Apple spokeswoman emailed a company statement that seems to make no such distinction: "Apple strongly discourages users from installing unauthorised unlocking programs on their iPhones. Users who make unauthorised modifications to the software . . . violate their iPhone software license agreement and void their warranty."
Apple did not reply to attempts to clarify the statement.

Schiemann argues that his adding apps to his iPhone does not constitute "unlocking" it, so he doesn't consider that a violation of the terms of service. "It is, after all, still my iPhone."

The developers hope that Apple improves support for developers and fixes other glitches when it introduces an updated version of Safari, expected in October, and when its long-delayed Leopard operating system is released.

Still, Schiemann and Allen understand why Apple is being protective of its platform. If someone installs an unauthorised application and it breaks some other part of the iPhone, a customer will blame Apple, not the developer. If an iPhone software upgrade somehow disables an unauthorised app, Apple can't have to worry about apps it doesn't support in the first place.

Despite the frustrations, the iPhone app market is worth pursuing, both men say. Given the robustness of the iPhone experience, its expansion into markets abroad and Apple's sales forecast of 10 million units, it is a significant opportunity.

"This is a gold rush, but we're basically in the alchemy stage where we're trying to turn lead into gold," Schiemann says. "We're trying to do all these things with the device because it's so freaking fun to use."

Source : Computer World

Unlocking programs can damage iPhone

2007-09-24T23:22:00.000-07:00

Apple warns of unauthorized iPhone software

Apple, which also makes Mac computers, iPod media players and runs the iTunes online music store, said that once an Apple-supplied software update is installed on the iPhone, it "will likely result in the modified iPhone becoming permanently inoperable".

Apple said it plans to release the next iPhone software update later this week, and warned that users who make unauthorized modifications to the software on their iPhone "violate their iPhone software license agreement and void their warranty."

Apple chief executive officer Steve Jobs said during a meeting in London last week that Apple will fight attempts to use the iPhone on unauthorized networks.

Some users are swapping the iPhone's included SIM card with one from another cellular service provider so they can make calls on that carrier's network.

The device debuted in the U.S. in late June.

Since the iPhone's introduction at the end of June, Apple has sold more than 1 million units, reaching that goal ahead of its original end-September target.

iPhone coming to France

2007-09-23T10:31:00.000-07:00

France Telecom announced today that it holds exclusive rights to distribute the iPhone in France.

CEO Didier Lombard did not reveal any pricing details but did say "the phone will not be subsidized by the operator and that French consumers will see iPhones before Christmas and as early as November."

The device is set for release in the UK on November 9th as well as in Germany in the same time frame. No word yet from Apple on when the iPhone will hit elsewhere in Europe

New Target : 2.7 million iPhones in the next quarter

2007-09-20T05:02:00.000-07:00

The technology group is now looking to manufacture about 2.7 million iPhones in the next quarter, up from the 1.54 million originally targeted, according to thestreet.com, the financial news website, which cited sources close to the company.

That would mean that Apple is now preparing to ship nearly 5 million iPhones this year, up from a previous target of 3.6 million.

Analysts suggested that a production increase could be related to the recent price cut of the iPhone in the United States and the device’s roll-out in Europe.

Earlier this month, Apple cut the price of the iPhone by 33 per cent only 68 days after its launch in the US. The $200 cut, to $399 (£197), was unprecedented for an Apple product in its speed.

It also fuelled fear that shares in its sector – Apple’s stock is up about 60 per cent this year – could be overvalued.

Steve Jobs, chief executive of Apple, was later forced to admit that his company had failed to look after iPhone customers.

On the Apple website, he said: “Even though we are making the right decision to lower the price of iPhone, and even though the technology road is bumpy, we need to do a better job taking care of our early iPhone customers as we aggressively go after new ones with a lower price.”

Apple is to offer people who bought the iPhone before the price cut a $100 credit note to spend in Apple stores. There will be a full $200 refund for those who bought in the past 14 days. Mr Jobs said: “Our early customers trusted us, and we must live up to that.”

Speculation over a production increase fuelled the view that the much-hyped device is meeting Apple’s expectations.

Earlier this month, Apple said it sold one million iPhones ahead of schedule.

Apple officials were not immediately available for comment to Times Online today.

In Europe, the iPhone’s next battleground, France Telecom said this morning that it had secured exclusive rights to distribute the iPhone in France.

Earlier this week, O2 confirmed that it would offer the phone in the UK and yesterday Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile division announced it would distribute the iPhone in Germany.

The France Telecom chief executive, Didier Lombard, said the device would be distributed in France “before Christmas, probably in November.”

Meanwhile, iSuppli, the market research company, said that Apple had slashed the cost of components for its newly remodelled iPod Nano – the most popular digital music player on the market.

Components for the iPod Nano came in at $58.85 for the version with 4 gigabytes of flash memory and $82.85 for the model with 8 gigabytes of memory, iSuppli said.

Total component costs for the 4-gigabyte Nano were nearly a fifth lower than the previous version released late last year.

Also in the smartphone sector, Palm, whose Treo device competes with the iPhone, lowered its first-quarter guidance slightly, saying it would break even at best.

For the three months to August 31, the company expects either to report a loss of 1 cent per share or to break even. Palm will report its full financial statement October 1.

In its last quarterly report, the company said it expected to post results in the range of a loss of 1 cent per share to earnings of 1 cent per share on revenue between $355 million and $365 million. Palm also submitted a narrower range of revenue on Wednesday, from $359 million to $361 million, with smartphone sales accounting for between $300 million and $302 million.

Analysts were expecting revenue of $359.9 million.

Source : Times Online UK

T-Mobile To Market Apple's iPhone In Germany

2007-09-19T04:38:00.000-07:00

Apple has named Deutsche Telekom AG's T-Mobile the exclusive distributor of the iPhone in Germany. The mobile phone with a 8 GB hard drive will go on sale from 9 November at T-Mobile shops for EUR 399, on a two-year contract with the mobile operator. T-Mobile plans to expand its EDGE network nationwide by the end of this year in order to facilitate downloads with the iPhone. The handset also works over the operator's network of 8,600 hot spots in Germany.

Beyond Britain and Germany, rumors have circulated for months that Spain's Telefonica SA -- the parent of O2 -- and France's Orange likely would offer the device in Spain and France. None of those companies has confirmed holding talks with Apple.

Apple announced last week that it had sold one million iPhones in the U.S. in the first 74 days it was on sale, shortly after also slashing the price by a third.

New Apple iPhone ads for UK [ youtube video]

2007-09-19T04:32:00.000-07:00

Apple and O2 announced the iPhone in UK.

No 3G iPhone Until Next Year

2007-09-18T00:42:00.000-07:00

TheStreet.com is reporting that Apple will not release a 3G iPhone until next year. Its sources, "people familiar with the production plans" say a Q1 2008 launch is planned for a faster iPhone.

The suggested timing of this news, when viewed in the context of the very recent deal Apple made with wireless tech company InterDigital, a 7-year agreement to provide wireless technology - possibly 3G/HSDPA - for the company's iPhone as well as any future handsets, makes sense.

If true, this will be a blow for those hoping for to see the launch of a 3G iPhone today, only really an outside chance, but us Europeans are much more used to the better speeds 3G offers over the iPhone's EDGE connectivty.

Apple are holding a special press conference at their Regent Street store in London today, with the only clue as to what might be announced the cryptic phrase "Mum is no longer the word", its widely believed to the launch of the iPhone in the UK.

TheStreet speculates that the two complaints with the iPhone - high purchase price and slow EDGE connections - are being addressed by the Cupertino company, but there will be more surprise tweaks to come.

Even more exciting for Apple-fans and gadget lovers is the news that this forthcoming 3G handset will come complete with GPS - Apple is apparently planning to use Broadcom's Global Locate unit to supply "assisted GPS" chips for the phone that use a combination of satellite and cellular antenna signals for location finding.

Pocket-lint will be reporting live from Apple's Regent Street press conference from 10am today, so stay tuned to site to find out what Apple has in store for this mysterious launch...

Source : Pocket-lint UK

O2 wins Apple iPhone deal - at a hefty price

2007-09-16T23:19:00.000-07:00

Mobile operator O2 is preparing to unveil Apple's much anticipated iPhone in the UK. But serious questions are being raised in the City about how much ground it has had to give away to Apple in order to clinch the deal.

The UK's largest mobile operator came from behind at the last minute to seal an agreement with Steve Jobs, Apple's chief executive, to market the iPhone in the UK, but one other operator described the deal as "madly money-losing".

O2 is understood to have agreed a margin on the retail price - to be confirmed tomorrow - but will return to Apple as much as 40% of any revenues it makes from customers' use of the device.

The price of the combined phone and iPod can be changed by Apple at any time, as happened recently in the US. Out of O2's share also comes a commission and further revenue share with Carphone Warehouse, which is understood to have secured the right to be the sole independent retailer of the device on behalf of O2.

Carphone appears to have been drafted in because of Apple's fears that O2 did not have a big enough presence in the UK even with its sizeable store portfolio which was enlarged by last year's acquisition of The Link stores. The rush to secure an exclusive iPhone deal has also been called into question by the arrival of the iPod Touch device, which does everything the iPhone does except make phone calls. This was not expected by any of the operators involved in negotiations with Apple over the phone.

The current generation iPhone cannot receive music from the iTunes store over the air and is expected to appeal mostly to existing iPod users who want to upgrade their device and have been "wowed" by the touch screen on the iPhone. The iPod Touch, however, has that touch screen and twice the capacity of the iPhone. It can also connect to the internet using short-range Wi-Fi technology.

Throughout discussions over marketing the iPhone in Europe, Apple has played off the UK's four main networks - O2, Orange, T-Mobile and Vodafone - against each other. All of them, at one stage, believed they had an exclusive deal for the British market.

As a result, many mobile phone company executives are unimpressed with the way the Californian computer group has conducted businesses this side of the Atlantic, although similar tactics were used in the US.

Vodafone is understood to have dropped out of the race relatively early as Apple pursued a "divide and conquer" strategy and decided against having just one operator stock the phone across the three initial territories of France, Germany and the UK.

The plan is believed to have switched to T-Mobile providing the device in Germany, which will be confirmed on Wednesday, and Orange in France, to be announced on Thursday. In the UK, the idea initially was for both operators to share the device because the British market is much more fragmented than in either continental country.

Orange and T-Mobile are understood to have signed contracts and at least one had Apple employees helping to implement the device on their networks. But at the 11th hour O2 snatched the UK deal with an offer that gave such a high proportion of revenues to Apple that none of its competitors could see any way of making any return on the phone, even over three years. They believed that even if it was treated as purely a loss-leading marketing product, a better return could be had by spending the money elsewhere.

The iPhone contract was apparently signed after Mr Jobs received a visit from César Alierta, the boss of Telefonica, which bought O2 more than two years ago.

O2 will also have to spend a considerable amount of money installing the Edge technology which the iPhone needs to operate on its network, in the run-up to the device's launch this year.

Neither O2, Orange, T-Mobile nor Vodafone would comment. During the long-running negotiations over the iPhone, all signed non-disclosure agreements.

Source : Guardian Unlimited

T-Mobile's iPhone Rights

2007-09-16T08:46:00.000-07:00

Deutsche Telekom AG's mobile-services arm T-Mobile is to gain exclusive marketing rights for Apple Inc.'s iPhone in Germany, said a person close to the matter.

T-Mobile will sell the device for €399 ($554) and will pay Apple a share of iPhone sales. Deutsche Telekom declined to comment.

At a news conference Tuesday in London, Apple will give details about the iPhone's availability in Europe. An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment about whether T-Mobile will distribute the iPhone in Germany.

Source : WSJ

Totally Free Custom IPhone Ringtones

2007-09-12T07:58:00.000-07:00

Apple started selling iPhone ringtones for $2 apiece through its iTunes store last week, but if you aren't afraid of a little tinkering, you can get that "Hey Ya" or "Sexy Back" ringtone without shelling out the extra bucks.

Users have to pay Apple $1 for a song, plus an extra $1 to convert that song into a ringtone. Of course, hackers immediately set out to find a way to generate iPhone ringtones for free. In a classic game of cat and mouse, Apple has spent the last few days trying to block iPhone owners from installing free ringtones on their devices -- only to watch hackers come up with workarounds just hours after each patch is released.

Apple has continued to update its iTunes software (which syncs with the iPhone to add ringtones) to block the specific loopholes uncovered by the hackers. In fact, iTunes was updated almost immediately after the first loophole was uncovered Friday.

Despite Apple's best efforts, the chase continues. The most-popular desktop applications for installing custom ringtones were updated this weekend, in one case only hours after Apple updated its software to block them.

Mac users can rely on applications like iToner ($15 from Ambrosia Software), which is a full-featured ringtone manager for the iPhone. Windows users can get similar functionality from iPhoneRingtoneMaker ($15 from Efiko Software).

These options feature drag-and-drop ringtone management, including the ability to use just about any sound file and the option to set specific songs to play when specific people call. The latest iTunes update appears to have crippled iPhoneRingtoneMaker for some users, but the developers at Efiko are working on the problem. IToner is currently up to date.

Granted, the methods described below may very well be rendered obsolete the next time Apple updates iTunes or the iPhone's firmware.

ITunes 7.4

The simplest DIY method involves just using iTunes and some free software. Apple quickly disabled this ultrasimple free ringtone method with the release of iTunes 7.4.1, but if you haven't yet upgraded to 7.4.1, this method will work.

Shortly after the release of iTunes 7.4 -- which came out last Wednesday, the day ringtones were announced -- users noticed that the main difference between ringtones and regular audio files were their file extensions. Regular AAC files have the file extension .m4a, while ringtones use the file extension .m4r.

ITunes 7.4 will automatically create a new folder for storing ringtones in your music library the first time you open a .m4r file, provided you have the "Keep iTunes Music Folder Organized" option checked. This folder is where you'll want to put your ringtone files, but first you'll need to edit the song down to a suitable size. The size of an allowed ringtone on the iPhone tops out at around 3 megabytes.

For Mac users, there are several ways to whittle down your tracks. You could use Apple's Quicktime Pro or Garageband if you have them. You can also edit MP3s in the free Audion 3, which features a nice waveform editing tool. Windows users can edit audio files with the free Audacity. Pick the 20 to 30 seconds you want to use as your ringtone, and save the file as an MP3.

Next, add the shortened file to your iTunes library, then right-click on it in iTunes and choose "Convert to AAC." The clip will need to be an AAC file in order to be used as a ringtone. Finally, change the file extension to .m4r, and move the AAC to the "Ringtones" folder in your music library.

Since both Windows and Mac OS X like to hide file extensions, the renaming part can be tricky. Make sure you aren't just appending a file extension to the hidden one. On a Mac, choose "Get Info" in the Finder and make sure "Hide extension" is unchecked. In Windows, make sure the "Hide extensions for known file types" option in Windows Explorer is turned off.

When you sync your iPhone, you should see the new ringtones displayed in your phone's sound settings.

ITunes 7.4.1

Even if you have already upgraded to iTunes 7.4.1, all hope is not lost.

First, complete all the steps listed above for version 7.4. Then use this simple trick: Head back into the iTunes music folder and change the extension of your .m4r ringtones back to .m4a. Convoluted, yes, but it does work. For now.

More Alternatives

Or, rather than mess around with your file extensions, you can also use applications that automate the process. Rogue Amoeba's MakeiPhoneRingtone and AppleGazette's iRing are both free downloads for the Mac. Create the ringtone clip, and these apps will handle the rest.

There is another method of getting custom ringtones on your iPhone as well, though it requires using the Jailbreak application and a bit of command-line sauce.

Using Jailbreak to unlock your iPhone and installing the SSH application will let you interact with the iPhone's file system just as you would any other external device. You'll be able to install ringtones and much, much more.

The legality of all this futzing is still being debated. Some say using a song you purchased (either on a CD or online) as a ringtone does not constitute fair use and may be grounds for copyright infringement. So, proceed with caution.

And before you go crazy making a dozen ringtones, we can't help but suggest you consider another ring option: the ever-popular vibrate setting. Like a timeless black suit or little black dress, vibrate is classy, demure and doesn't annoy the hell out of everyone within 20 feet of you.

First iPhone Unlocking Hack

2007-09-12T07:55:00.000-07:00

Gadget website Gizmodo, among others, has revealed and provided a download of what is apparently the first iPhone unlocking hack to be made available for free. This comes just days after iphonesimfree started offering a similar piece of software for $59.99 trough a number of resellers.

The commercial model Apple appears to have developed for the iPhone is that, in addition to the money it makes from the sales of the hardware, it also takes a percentage of the revenue its exclusive operator makes from contracts, call charges, etc.

If people are able to make any SIM card work in the iPhone then they are free to use whichever operator and contact they want, the vast majority of which would offer no kickback to Apple. Apple presumably won't be too happy about this development.

iPhone Hits One Million Mark

2007-09-10T07:34:00.000-07:00

After last week Steve Jobs announced Apple is going to cancel the 4GB version of its popular iPhone and the $ 399 price tag for the 8GB version, today the Cupertino company announced it sold its one millionth iPhone yesterday. The iPhone was launched 74 days ago on June 29.

“One million iPhones in 74 days—it took almost two years to achieve this milestone with iPod,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We can’t wait to get this revolutionary product into the hands of even more customers this holiday season.”

In fact, the holiday season was invoked in Jobs’s open letter posted on the company website after early adopters of iPhone were enraged by the price cut.

“First, I am sure that we are making the correct decision to lower the price of the 8GB iPhone from $599 to $399, and that now is the right time to do it. iPhone is a breakthrough product, and we have the chance to 'go for it' this holiday season. iPhone is so far ahead of the competition, and now it will be affordable by even more customers. It benefits both Apple and every iPhone user to get as many new customers as possible in the iPhone 'tent'. We strongly believe the $399 price will help us do just that this holiday season.” Jobs wrote in his letter.

Apple’s announcement is a confirmation of the previous reports that had indicated that iPhone is a best-seller. Last week, iSuppli said that in its first month of presence on the market, the iPhone accounted for 1.8 percent of all mobile handset sales in the U.S, meaning that more than 220,000 handsets have been bought during summer’s hottest month.

Also, the iPhone was indicated by the research firm IDC as the big story of the last. "Even though limited in the number of units shipped, the iPhone is likely to have a disproportionately large impact on the industry. For one, it has pushed the envelope on industrial design and user interfaces for all vendors”, said Shiv K. Bakhshi, Ph.D., director of worldwide mobile device research at IDC.

iPhone features a touch-screen input technology called Multi- Touch, controlled by sliding a finger across its touch-sensitive, 9- centimetre (3.5-inch), 160-pixel-per-inch display. The display automatically switches between landscape or portrait mode thanks to a built-in sensor.

The 11.6-millimetre thick device also sports a 2-megapixel camera, headset jack, 3.5-millimetre audio jack, SIM tray, a sleep-wake switch, speaker, microphone and an iPod dock connector. The quad-band GSM plus EDGE phone also has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 capabilities.

Some rumors have indicated that Apple is working on a version with 3G capabilities to be launched in Europe, later this year.

In January, Steve Jobs said that Apple is targeting 10 million iPhones sold until the end of 2008.

Most iPhone owners happy with $100 credit

2007-09-08T07:05:00.000-07:00

Apple's turnabout offer yesterday of a $100 credit to customers who bought iPhones in its first two months has brought most, but not all, back into the company's fold of the faithful.

It was also a smart business decision, added an analyst, that won't cost Apple nearly as much as people might think.

Late Thursday, Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs announced the credit as his response to customer complaints about the $200 iPhone price cut made the day before. Although he staunchly defended the discount -- "now is the right time to do it. IPhone is a breakthrough product, and we have the chance to 'go for it' this holiday season," he said in his open letter. He also apologized and said Apple had stumbled. "Our early customers trusted us, and we must live up to that trust with our actions in moments like these."

Reaction on Internet message boards, including Apple's own, was swift and generally positive, sometimes extremely so. "Completely satisfied. Faith restored," wrote one user on the Apple support forum. "This is way more than a step in the right direction, this makes everything OK," added another.

Others, however, weren't satisfied. "I still feel it should be $150 but this is at least a better solution than giving some credit and others nothing," griped one.

And some remained mystified by the whole mess. "For someone presumed to be 'cutting edge,' Mr. Jobs appears to have suddenly misplaced his 'Marketing for Dummies' book," said a user identified as y-me. "In one fell swoop, he has cheapened his most impressive product, diffused its mystique, undermined thousands of loyal consumers, circumvented positive attention on new products with negative attention on an existing one, cast doubt on future product pricing ... and generally torpedoed a campaign under full sail."

It wasn't that bad, said Ezra Gottheil, an analyst at Technology Business Research Inc. In fact, he suspects that the credit wasn't pulled out of Jobs' hat.

Apple trims iPhone's price, unveils a revamped iPod with some iPhone's features

2007-09-07T06:44:00.000-07:00

Apple has shaved the price of its hot-selling iPhone, while simultaneously unveiling a touch-screen iPod. This is timed to coincide with the year-end holiday shopping season.

The new iPod caters to of consumers who didn't want new mobile phones, but desired other features of the product.

Apple's tweaking of the iPod saw the company add video, memory and some other coveted features, while keeping prices constant, if now down.

Among other add-ins, the iPod also has Apple's famous Safari web browser, along with a built-in wireless antenna, which lets users connect directly to the Internet at Wi-Fi 'hot spots', eliminating the need for carrying around laptops.

The 8GB iPod Touch is priced at $299, with the 16GB costing $399.

Source : domain B

Microsoft may be developing its own iPhone

2007-09-05T00:11:00.000-07:00

An executive in Microsoft Corp.'s entertainment and games division Tuesday hinted that Microsoft may be developing its own rival to Apple Inc.'s iPhone, based on Windows Mobile OS.

Speaking at Citi's annual Global Technology Conference in New York on Tuesday, Mindy Mount, corporate vice president and CFO for Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division, said it's not "unreasonable" to think that Microsoft will integrate photo, music and touchscreen features into a Windows Mobile product in the future, though she declined to comment on the specifics of when or what that might look like.

Microsoft's idea with Windows Mobile has been to move everyday business capabilities, such as accessing e-mail, from the PC to the mobile device. However, most people "tend to have one phone for personal as well as work [use]," Mount said. "Being able to do pictures and music is something that consumers are going to want, so it's a natural thing for us to want in our product roadmap."

Microsoft is rumored to be evolving its Zune multimedia player -- its rival to the iPod -- with new features out by the holiday time at the end of the year, though Mount declined to confirm this on Tuesday. But a hybrid product melding Zune, which so far has had lackluster response from consumers, with Windows Mobile features is not completely unrealistic for the future.

Microsoft has already worked with hardware partners to develop Windows Mobile handsets with touchscreen capabilities that are similar to the iPhone's. For example, the HTC Touch from High Tech Computer Corp. is one of the latest Windows Mobile devices to offer users the ability to use a touchscreen to scroll through e-mail and contacts and browse Web pages.

But the HTC Touch smartphone, which is available in the U.K., Europe and Asia and should makes its North American debut later this year, doesn't have the type of multimedia capabilities that give the iPhone an edge over rival smartphones, at least in the short term. Market research firm iSuppli said Tuesday that in July, its first full month of release, the iPhone outsold popular competitors such as the Research in Motion Ltd. Blackberry and Palm Treo devices.

Regarding RIM, comments Mount made Tuesday also seemed to shoot down speculation last week that Microsoft is in talks to purchase the Canadian maker of mobile hardware and software. "We don't comment on rumors, but what I would ask people is, what that really gets you," she said.

Much of RIM's success has been with the device portion of its BlackBerry business, whereas Microsoft has been very successful with using third parties to build its Windows Mobile devices, Mount said. The company sold 11 million Windows Mobile licenses last year, and expects to do 20 million in the current fiscal year. "We're pretty happy with that roadmap right now," she said.

That roadmap so far does not include Microsoft offering hardware for its Windows Mobile OS, which also means if the company did release an iPhone rival based on Windows Mobile, it's unclear whether it would be through a third party or from the company itself. Still, if the Xbox 360, Zune and Milan table-top computer with touchscreen features the company previewed earlier this year are any indication, Microsoft seems to be warming up to the idea of offering consumer hardware devices alongside its traditional software, so an iPhone rival from the vendor is within the realm of possibility.

Source : ComputerWorld

iPhone is in China

2007-09-05T00:04:00.000-07:00

The iPhone can be bought in China, even though Apple isn't selling it there, and the gadget doesn't function properly despite costing twice as much as in the United States.

Enthusiasts willing to pay 8,800 yuan ($1,170) can buy the iPhone at electronics markets in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, according to newspaper reports. The Chinese version can make calls and send text messages, but it can't receive calls. The voicemail function also doesn't work.

Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris said the company was not aware of specific reports of its phones being sold in China but said the sales were not authorized.

"We said we would launch the iPhone in Asia in 2008," she said. "This is not that launch."

Unlocking the iPhone?

2007-09-03T11:09:00.000-07:00

According to reports, an anonymous group of software developers claims to have developed a program that unlocks Apple's iPhone, thus making it operational on any GSM network across the globe.

As of now, the iPhone is available only in the US, and is operational only on the AT&T network, under an exclusive two-year agreement between Apple and AT&T.

The iPhone unlocking program was demonstrated by Los Angeles-based software consultant named Brett Schulte, who replaced AT&T with a T-Mobile SIM card, and within a few seconds, the iPhone became operational.

Schulte said the procedure doesn't require opening or disassembling of the device, and unlocking can be done in just about two minutes.

Apparently, the anonymous group includes six people from three different continents, who claim to have unlocked the device just as a hobby.

The developers plan to put the software on sale, though no price has been finalized yet. They have also created a Web site called iPhoneSIMfree.com, which has some information on the program but does not give a way to purchase it yet.

Meanwhile, an AT&T spokesman said that though they could not hypothesize on the authenticity of hacking the iPhone, they hurried to remind users that by buying the iPhone, they become contractually indebted to AT&T.

A similar incident took place about a week back, where a teenager claimed to have found the way to unlock the iPhone, though by disassembling the device.

Refurbished iPhones from Apple online store

2007-08-22T13:11:00.000-07:00

The iPhone certainly isn’t the first product Apple has chosen to sell refurbished. It is currently offering refurbs on a variety of iPods, Apple TV, Cinema Displays, AirPorts, desktops and portable Macs, and even some Xserves.

Apple has begun selling refurbished iPhones from its online store. The phones can be purchased for $100 off the list price, which may be enough to convince some people that were concerned with the price to take the leap.

While some people may be surprised Apple is offering refurbished iPhones, it may actually be more of a surprise if they didn’t offer them considering their history in this practice.

There is also a warranty available with the refurbished iPhone.

Source : MacWorld

Facebook for Iphone

2007-08-17T10:08:00.001-07:00

“Today we are taking our first step into that new mobile world with a new Facebook website designed just for iPhone at iphone.facebook.com,” wrote Facebook engineer Joe Hewitt.

Welcome to the future of mobile media.
As speculated, the release of the iPhone has proven to change the way advertisers and publishers approch mobile media. Many publishers are scrambling to become relevant to iPhone owners by launching sites that work seamlessly with the Safari browser on the iPhone. Many agency experts have trumpeted the value of the iPhone audience as being the consumers of choice. Yesterdays announcement by Facebook reflect this growing trend.
The mobile version of Facebook allows members the freedom to enjoy most of the functions incorporated into the traditional Facebook site with the additional benefits of direct calling to friends and directions to Facebook events. ”If you are like me, you may find yourself updating your status a bazillion times a day once you have Facebook in your pocket everywhere you go,” Facebook engineer Joe Hewitt wrote on the Facebook blog.

Source : Adotas

Get Skype On Your iPhone

2007-08-14T09:29:00.000-07:00

Shape Services has launched a version of Skype for the iPhone, no hacking required.

Shape Services' Skype client is Web based so you can use it on your iPhone without the need for a hack. Otherwise, though, it works just like Skype. You can use Skype chat, make peer-to-peer VoIP calls, and even use SkypeOut to call regular phone numbers.
Well, almost. There is one drawback. You have to pay for all the calls you make, even the Skype-to-Skype connections which are normally free:
There is a catch, though. Unlike PC based calls, you'll need to pay even if calling another Skype user: IM+ places the free VoIP call as usual, but then calls you back on your iPhone at SkypeOut rates. Still, if you are making calls abroad, it'll be a lot cheaper, and the service is free while in beta testing.
Aside from having to pay for the Skype calls, this looks pretty cool. It also demonstrates that the iPhone, unlike most smartphones, is ready for desktop-style Web-based applications.
Have any of you figured out another way to use Skype on your iPhone? If so, let us know.

Source : Information Week

Doom and Altered Thumb

2007-08-11T18:31:00.000-07:00

Hoorah! The iPhone was worth the $599 after all! Well, almost. The game runs, but it can't be controlled and it's lacking audio of ... DOOM is on the iPhone! (almost)

iDiot modifies thumbs to fit iPhone ... was so worried that his thumbs were too big to operate his shiny new Iphone that he had them surgically ...

Dead spots on iPhone screens!?

2007-08-09T23:46:00.000-07:00

Posters on Apple's support discussion boards and forums belonging to both AppleInsider and MacRumors have complained of dead spots on their iPhone's touch screen, almost like the old floor at the old Boston Garden. On a phone based almost entirely around touch-screen input, this would obviously be a serious problem.

It's not at all clear how widespread a problem this is. There were several active discussions about the problem on Apple's own support forums noted by AppleInsider and others, but they appear to have been recently pulled from the site. Other threads are still active with fewer individuals complaining of dead spots on their iPhone screens. (Update 5:39 p.m. PDT: Now that link is dead as well.)

Apple appears to be replacing iPhones for customers who have encountered this problem, according to AppleInsider's report and the forum postings. An Apple representative did not immediately return a call seeking more information about the problem.

Source : CNET News

Second iPhone Patent Lawsuit

2007-08-08T02:02:00.001-07:00

A doctor who is headed to prison for defrauding government health insurance programs claims he patented the touchscreen keyboard used by the iPhone and is suing Apple in federal court.

Peter Boesen, a surgeon from Iowa, was convicted last year of seeking reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid for medical procedures that were unnecessary or not performed. He’s also tried to get money by filing patent claims against companies including Canon, LG Electronics, Kyocera and now Apple, according to news reports.

Boesen and Thomas Mann were granted a patent in 2004 that says they invented “a method of entering data on a touchscreen display” with a graphical keyboard area that automatically terminates once input is received.

Boesen, through a company called SP Technologies in Florida, sued Apple last week in U.S. District Court in Tyler, Texas.

The suit reportedly demands a permanent injunction against Apple, as well as damages and attorney's fees.
InformationWeek reported that Boesen was sentenced to 51 months in prison in May and ordered to repay US$900,000 to the state of Iowa and private insurers.

“Boesen is free pending an appeal. No word on whether he is using an iPhone to text his lawyer,” InformationWeek’s Paul McDougall writes.

SP Technologies claims it warned Apple in February that the iPhone would violate the patent, but says Apple did not respond. Apple has not yet filed a formal response to the lawsuit, news reports say.

Boesen’s patent, which was termed “absurdly generic” by one Wired blogger, includes drawings of a touchscreen keyboard and pages worth of programming code.

“External programming may selectively access the input area through a dynamic link library,” the patent states. “The input area has no task bar and may not be minimized, maximized or deleted. Therefore, the input area becomes an integral component and provides the user with a constant and reliable method of inputting information into the computer program."

Source : Digital Arts

InfoSpace Find It! for the Apple iPhone : Local Search

2007-08-07T12:26:00.000-07:00

InfoSpace announced the availability of InfoSpace Find It! for the Apple iPhone, enabling the hundreds of thousands of consumers who have already purchased the Apple iPhone to easily access and enjoy InfoSpace Find It! for free. InfoSpace Find It! is a premium local search application that distills millions of listings into six categories tailored to the on-the-go user, including: Dine Out, Go Out, Shop, Travel, Health and Services. “The Apple iPhone has introduced a new level of innovation in mobile user experiences, and its intuitive interface and vivid display screen really maximize the usability and benefits of InfoSpace Find It!,” said Jeff Torgerson, senior product manager at InfoSpace.

Free local search for Apple iPhone
“As consumers increasingly seek locally-relevant information on their mobile phones, InfoSpace Find It! for Apple iPhone helps users quickly and easily discover what’s nearby - anytime, anyplace.” InfoSpace Find It! for iPhone is the most dynamic version of the application to date. The user interface is uniquely optimized for the Apple iPhone touch screen, which allows users to quickly gather relevant directory information with just a few taps. For example, InfoSpace Find It! can tell users the nearest Italian restaurant, how to get there, and where to get cash along the way - for more than 35,000 U.S. cities.

Apple iPhone local search
InfoSpace Find It! provides a straightforward interface with the simplicity and ease of use one would expect from an iPhone application, including: Extensive Content Library: Find nearby events, local entertainment and more than 15 million other points of interest. Refreshed Listings: Content is refreshed weekly. Outdated listings are removed to keep the data as relevant and useful as possible. What’s Nearby : Access details on what’s close, even if the user doesn’t know exactly where they are. Find People by Name or Number: Search using only first and last name, or by entering a phone number to find out to whom it belongs.

Apple iPhone info
Apple iPhone is a revolutionary new mobile phone that allows you to make a call by simply tapping a name or number in your address book, a favorites list, or a call log. It also automatically syncs all your contacts from a PC, Mac, or Internet service. And it lets you select and listen to voicemail messages in whatever order you want - just like email. With Apple iPhone, making a call is as simple as touching a name or number. In addition, you can easily construct a favorites list for your most frequently made calls, and quickly merge calls together to create conference calls.

Apple iPhone digital still camera
An industry first, Visual Voicemail allows you to go directly to any of your messages without listening to the prior messages. So you can quickly select the messages that are most important to you. Apple iPhone features a 2-megapixel camera and a photo management application that goes far beyond anything on a phone today. Sync photos from your PC or Mac, and you’re ready to browse or email them with the flick of a finger.

Source : PMA Show

Super Mario Bros on the iPhone: Nes Emulator

2007-08-07T06:07:00.000-07:00

The flood has really started. Programmer Stepwhite has ported the InfoNES portable NES emulator to the iPhone, and along with it a whole bunch of classic game ROMs, including Super Mario Bros, Metroid and the Legend of Zelda. Right now it's too slow to play, and the control system looks horrendous – an on-screen touch version of the NES controller. You can see how bad it is in the video below.

It's possible that this could be a video fake, but as Stepwhite has a project page on Google Code and the source is available, any of you intrepid readers can test it out and report back in the comments.

This is just a stepping stone, of course, to the true Holy Grail of iPhone hacking: An Apple Newton emulator.

Project page [Google Code via TUAW]

iPhone battery recharging tricks.. No hope!

2007-08-05T23:33:00.000-07:00

... standing in line to be one of the first to purchase the $500 gadget.

But then you found out how much more you'll have to spend if the battery ever dies. You can't replace it yourself, sending it to Apple for battery service costs $79, plus $6.95 shipping, AND it takes three business days. Who can live without their iPhone for that long?

The battery-replacement policy has sparked complaints from consumer groups and even a class-action lawsuit this week that alleges Apple and AT&T failed to properly disclose the associated replacement costs and limited life of the gadget's battery.

It's also brought to mind the old tech trick of guarding battery health by plugging in electronic devices only when they completely run out of charge. But does that work with new gadgets?

___

Question: If we allow the iPhone battery to completely run out of juice between rechargings, will it maintain its capacity longer?

___

Answer: No, says Yet-Ming Chiang, professor of materials science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He says that was the case with nickel-cadmium batteries, which were used in some of the early cell phones.

Those had a "memory effect," he says, which means that if you didn't completely discharge the battery before recharging it, the battery would start to store less charge. In other words, the battery would think its capacity was 50 percent if you repeatedly recharged it when it still had half its juice left.

That phenomenon does not apply to modern cell phones because they use lithium-ion batteries, says Chiang. However, even those lose capacity -- but much slower.

"Most cell phone and laptop batteries start to show significant loss in the amount of energy they can store after a couple hundred charge and discharge cycles," says Chiang. "After a year of use, most people would start to notice it."

Source : Hampton Roads

Hackers' iPhone : Hello World

2007-08-05T07:46:00.000-07:00

Despite Apple's restrictive policy, "Hello" is likely just the first fruit of the efforts by a band of programmers collaborating mostly via online chats. These developers have teamed up to create their own set of programming tools for the iPhone, led largely by Patrick Walton, a 21-year-old computer science student at the University of Chicago who goes by the online nickname "Nightwatch."

By the standards of modern software, it wasn't much. All the program did, after all, was display the words "Hello world!"

What set it apart was the fact that it did so on Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPhone, and that it was created by a group of independent programmers without the blessing of the famously control-freakish company.

The simple little program appears to be the first downloadable program created for the iPhone, bypassing Apple's "approved" method of developing software for the device: applications hosted on Web sites and accessed through the iPhone's Web browser rather than its internal memory.

Scores of browser-based applications for the iPhone appeared in the first month after its debut in late June. These include iPhone-optimized versions of the game "Bejeweled" and Zoho.com's Web-based office productivity service.

Hacking Flair

However, so far, Apple hasn't released any development tools for creating dedicated software programs that reside and run on the phone itself. The less-than-convincing explanation given is that the company doesn't want mischief-making programmers to create software that might bring down AT&T's (NYSE: T) wireless network.

Having specialized in writing emulators -- programs that allow new personal computers to act like outdated PCs so that they can run old software and classic video games -- Walton brings a flair for working with the Samsung-made ARM (Nasdaq: ARMHY) processor inside the iPhone.

"One of the reasons I was so interested in getting an iPhone was that I thought it would be great for running third-party programs," he says. "And even though Apple said there would be no third-party programs, I thought hackers would eventually enable them. I just didn't think I would be one of them."

'With Spit and Bubblegum'

One key motivation: While the iPhone can send and receive cell phone text messages, it lacks an instant messaging program like AOL Instant Messenger or even Apple's own iChat. To fill that void, there are already at least two clients compatible with AIM and other IM services -- JiveTalk and FlickIM -- that work via the iPhone's browser.

Though its capabilities are far more primitive, building a program like Hello wasn't an easy process, says Erica Sadun, a Denver-based programmer who collaborated on the initiative, and a contributor to AOL's The Unofficial Apple Weblog. "This project has so far gone through different stages," she says. "To say it's been put together with spit and bubblegum is an insult to spit and bubblegum."

Yet, it works. The first step involved figuring out how to gain access to the iPhone's file system . While Apple's iPod music players feature the option of acting like an external hard drive for storing files from a Macintosh or Windows-based PC, the iPhone has no such capability, Sadun says. A program dubbed "interface" cut through the protective wall that had kept prying eyes from seeing the phone's inner files and directories.

First Words

Next came a tool called "jailbreak," which allowed them to see the files associated with the phone's Unix-derived operating system. "It was missing a lot of the Unix utilities you'd normally expect to see on a Mac," Sadun says. From there it became possible to install custom ring tones and to change the wallpaper image shown on the iPhone's display. A more recent program called "iFuntastic" has made that process easier. Now in its second version, it also allows iPhone owners to change the order of the icons on the home screen.

More tools followed. One instructed an iPhone connected to a Mac to run a program that displays "Hello world!" in a command line interface. Then came the "Hello" application that allowed the iPhone to display the phrase on its own.

Why this fascination with "Hello world!," by the way? It's a common first step in learning to write code in any given computer language, dating back to early programming manuals from the 1970s, Sadun says. It's also a good way to test that a set of programming tools is working and installed properly.

Next Up: Practical Apps?

Why all the effort? The basic hacker impulse: Curiosity, says Andrew Jaquith, an analyst with the Yankee Group and an iPhone user. "It's really a powerful mobile computing platform the likes of which hasn't been seen before, and a certain segment of the population is eager to play around with it," he says. "This is hacking in the purest sense, not for causing trouble or getting free service, but just tinkering around."

For Walton and Sadun, there's also the hope of building some practical applications that could in time prove useful, they say. "The iPhone has one of the most powerful processors of its kind, and it would really be a shame if we weren't able to take full advantage of it," Walton says. "There are all sorts of things it can do that at the moment we just don't have access to, like its 3D-rendering capabilities and the multi-touch screen." Moreover, Walton says, a Web-based app is useless when the phone isn't within reach of either AT&T's wireless data network or a WiFi network.

There's been no official reaction from Apple, and the company didn't immediately comment on the matter when contacted by BusinessWeek.

"So far Apple doesn't seem worried about people who are doing this," says Jaquith. "But if it starts to spread and somehow eats into the revenue that AT&T is getting, they might have to take a strong stance against it.

Source : MacNewsWorld

Google making iPhone rival : gPhone?

2007-08-03T03:52:00.000-07:00

Web giant, Google wants a share of the massive mobile phone market and is actively working on a prototype device nicknamed the ‘gPhone’, according to the latest reports.

Insiders have reported that the company has pumped hundreds of millions of dollars into creating a handset that will use Google applications including email, the search engine and a new mobile Web browser.

Google has already been in talks with key US mobile operators, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile USA to build phones based on its plans, according to the Wall St. Journal,
The specifications for the gPhone are supposed to include 3G support, photo and video cameras, Wi-Fi for accessing the Web from wireless hotspots and GPS functionality.

Google is already making its popular search engine and other applications available on certain mobile phones in the US but the company wants its own offering. Google has made no secret that it wants a bigger share of the lucrative mobile phone advertising pie. In May, Google’s chief executive, Eric Schmidt said:

“What's interesting about the ads in the mobile phone is that they are twice as profitable or more than the non-mobile phone ads because they're more personal.”

Global mobile-phone advertising, which covers ad placement in text messages, video, Web pages and other content amounted to just $1.5bn in 2006, according to eMarketer, but this is expected to rocket to $14bn in the next four years.

Google refused to comment on the gPhone’s existence, but did reiterate its desire to get its services on as many mobiles phones as it can.

Source : Computer Active

iQase FLiP2 is ready for pre-ordering

2007-08-02T06:41:00.000-07:00

iQase has finally started taking pre-orders for one the iPhone's most anticipated cases, the iQase FLiP2. The FLiP2 comes in three different colors, Black, Brown, and Maroon with white thread. The FLiP2 was design to meet customer requests of a quality feature-rich case. Some of the many features, are: a choice for a belt-clip, headset strap, Proximity Sensor compatibility (without the ugliness), Credit Card slits, and a lot more. You can see more details on the FLiP2 by visiting iQase.com

iQase is also readying the new SiDE PiVOT, and three other new iPhone cases.

OpenMoko : iPhone killer candidate?

2007-08-02T00:07:00.000-07:00

In the race to be the first "iPhone killer," the most unlikely but perhaps most intriguing candidate is based on a new Linux platform with the peculiar name OpenMoko.

Major mobile phone vendors are tripping over themselves to release devices to compete with Apple's iPhone.LG Electronics Inc. has its Prada, High Tech Computer Corp. has the Touch, and Samsung Group will release its Ultra Smart F700.

Read the article here.

iPhone Update 1.0.1 Released

2007-08-01T06:17:00.000-07:00

With the iPhone about a month into its product cycle, Apple has just released the first firmware update for the best-selling handset.

According to Gizmodo, the update, which is available through iTunes, makes the following changes and adds the following features:

Safari
Impact: Visiting a malicious website may allow cross-site scripting.
Description: Safari's security model prevents JavaScript in remote web pages from modifying pages outside of their domain. A race condition in page updating combined with HTTP redirection may allow JavaScript from one page to modify a redirected page. This could allow cookies and pages to be read or arbitrarily modified. This update addresses the issue by correcting access control to window properties. Credit to Lawrence Lai, Stan Switzer, and Ed Rowe of Adobe Systems, Inc. for reporting this issue.

Safari
Impact: Viewing a maliciously crafted web page may lead to arbitrary code execution.
Description: Heap buffer overflows exist in the Perl Compatible Regular Expressions (PCRE) library used by the JavaScript engine in Safari. By enticing a user to visit a maliciously crafted web page, an attacker may trigger the issue, which may lead to arbitrary code execution. This update addresses the issue by performing additional validation of JavaScript regular expressions. Credit to Charlie Miller and Jake Honoroff of Independent Security Evaluators for reporting these issues.

WebCore
Impact: Visiting a malicious website may allow cross-site requests.
Description: An HTTP injection issue exists in XMLHttpRequest when serializing headers into an HTTP request. By enticing a user to visit a maliciously crafted web page, an attacker could trigger a cross-site scripting issue. This update addresses the issue by performing additional validation of header parameters. Credit to Richard Moore of Westpoint Ltd. for reporting this issue.

WebKit
Impact: Look-alike characters in a URL could be used to masquerade a website.
Description: The International Domain Name (IDN) support and Unicode fonts embedded in Safari could be used to create a URL which contains look-alike characters. These could be used in a malicious web site to direct the user to a spoofed site that visually appears to be a legitimate domain. This update addresses the issue by through an improved domain name validity check.

WebKit
Impact: Visiting a maliciously crafted website may lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution.
Description: An invalid type conversion when rendering frame sets could lead to memory corruption. Visiting a maliciously crafted web page may lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution. Credit to Rhys Kidd of Westnet for reporting this issue.

Other tidbits include the fact that the firmware may be working against changes made by the group(s) working to hack and unlock the iPhone. This is currently being explored.

Additional tidbits include the following:
-There seems to be other bug fixes, not only security.
-YouTube lists work.
-The "This Week" tab under "Most Popular" in the YouTube application is fixed: it no longer duplicates the contents of the "All Time" tab.
-Microsoft Exchange folders now appear to show up correctly.
-Applications such as Mail, Address Book and Music Player appear to have been altered on the back end, even if no changes appear readily visible.

Source : Powerpage

iPhone hacked for Australia

2007-07-30T03:15:00.000-07:00

The Apple iPhone has been hacked to enable users in Australia to make calls on the Telstra mobile network.

But the hack, which was demonstrated in a video clip posted to YouTube over the weekend, does not allow the user to receive calls or send and receive SMS.

It is the furthest anyone has come to unlocking the iPhone for use outside the AT&T mobile network in the US. The device isn't scheduled for release in Australia until next year.

Earlier this month, another hacker, Jon Johansen, the same man who broke the encryption code for DVDs, hacked the device to allow users to bypass the AT&T network to use the phone's wireless internet and music features, but the phone function remained disabled until now.

The YouTube user who hacked the iPhone to work on the Telstra network, "ozbimmer", declined to be interviewed for this story and soon after that deleted the clip from the video sharing site.

The user did not respond to messages asking if the clip was removed following threats from Apple or AT&T.

The clip showed a man performing the hack and making a call over the Telstra network to his voicemail account.

But steps on how to unlock the phone can still be found in a message ozbimmer posted to the hackint0sh online message board.

It involves creating a custom SIM card using information taken from both the AT&T SIM card that comes with the iPhone and a Telstra SIM card.

The hack is not a simple process and requires a SIM card reader and writer and various software applications.

Ozbimmer acknowledged the hack was not a complete unlock, but it is a significant milestone for the iPhone hacking community, which has collaborated on unlocking the device since its release in the United States on June 29.

The collaboration has been facilitated by forums such as hackint0sh.org and the iPhone dev wiki, where hackers pool the results of their attempts.

Unlocking the iPhone is proving more difficult than many hackers had expected; many said they would have unlocked the device within weeks but it could now take months.

Last week, Apple announced it had sold 270,000 iPhones in the two days following its launch, and reiterated its goal of selling 10 million by the end of next year. It took nearly two years for Apple to sell one million iPods.

Speculation is rife over which mobile carrier, if any, will win exclusive rights to distribute the iPhone in Australia when it launches here next year.

Telstra is considered to be a frontrunner because the iPhone lacks 3G support but is compatible with EDGE networks (also known as 2.5G), and Telstra is presently the only operator in Australia to use EDGE technology.

However, Telstra may lose its advantage after analysts predicted Apple would launch a 3G version of the iPhone early next year.

Furthermore, it is understood that negotiations between local carriers and Apple are still in their very early stages, as Apple is concentrating first on launching the iPhone in Europe by the end of the year.

Source : Sydney Morning Herald

Custom Ringtones For Your Apple iPhone

2007-07-28T01:00:00.000-07:00

The iPhone comes with 25 ringtones, with the ability to set a different one to different contacts. But what if default ringtones like Bark, Marimba, Old Car Horn, and Trill just don't do anything for you? Sadly, with an out-of-the-box iPhone, you're out of luck -- there's no built-in way to customize your ringtones.

If that sounds like a minor inconvenience, for a lot of power phone users, it's not. I know -- I include myself in that group, and customizing ringtones is usually one of the first things I do when I get a phone.

You'll notice I included the phrase "built-in" when I said that there was no way to change your iPhone ringtones. That's because Apple may not have offered a method, but enterprising members of the iPhone community have. There are at least two ringtone hacks at there that allow you to modify your ringtones -- both iFuntastic and iRingtoner are available at the ModifyMyiPhone community site. I tried out iFuntastic to successfully restore Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" as the ringtone for my incoming calls. And I'd like to walk you through how it works.

A word of caution, first: Apple doesn't sanction these hacks, so if something goes wrong, chances are the Genius at your local Apple Store will be unsympathetic to your woes. Again, this hack worked just fine for me, but if this sort of thing makes you nervous, best leave your $499 mobile phone with its standard ringtones.

After downloading the free iFuntastic, here's what you do to get an Ozzy ringtone (or one from a lesser artist) on your phone. (I did this by following exNavy's iFuntastic ringtone installation document on the modmyiPhone wiki.)

Step 1: Plug your iPhone into your Mac, quitting both iTunes and iTunes Helper -- to quit the latter you'll need to use Activity Monitor.

Step 2: Launch iFuntastic, and click number 2. This allows you to choose a ringtones folder. You can put any MP3 or AAC file in here and the application will recognize them as ringtones to be uploaded later in the process.

Step 3: Click the Unlock button in iFuntastic and hold down the Home and Wake/Sleep buttons on the iPhone for a full 25 seconds. You will notice the Apple logo at about 15 seconds -- keep holding them down until you see the yellow triangle with the notice "Please Connect to iTunes."

The iPhone will then reboot a second time, displaying the white Apple logo. But this time when it connects to your Mac, it'll be connecting to iFuntastic. Your iPhone will chirp and iFuntastic will play a creepy little sound effect.

Step 4: iFuntastic's ringtones list will update to include all the ringtones on your iPhone. The ringtones on your local system have a hard drive icon next to them. Click the ringtone you want on the iPhone and a green plus (+) sign appears next to it. You can remove a ringtone that is on the iPhone by clicking the red x that appears next to it.

Step 5: Click the update button and your ringtone will be uploaded to the iPhone.

Step 6: Once you're done, click the lock button. Then hold down the Home and Wake/Sleep buttons on your iPhone until you see the Apple logo, and click the Done button in iFuntastic.

Now on your iPhone, tap Settings -> Sounds -> Ringtones. The ringtones you added to your phone should be listed alongside the stock ringtones from Apple.

If you did everything right, you now have Ozzy Osbourne announcing your incoming calls. Or another artist, I suppose -- we try not to judge.

Source : PC World

Nokia to attack the iPhone

2007-07-28T00:55:00.000-07:00

Fortune reports that Nokia is developing a new mobile music service to counter Apple's upcoming launch of the iPhone in Europe.

Last summer, the Finland-based mobile phone giant paid $60 million for Loudeye, the Seattle digital music distributor.

And earlier this week, Nokia bought Redmond digital media startup Twango, which in addition to allowing people to share photos and video in the mobile environment also has an audio component.

Will these Seattle area companies help Nokia take on the iPhone?

The Fortune story, citing anonymous sources, also says that Nokia will include mobile games in the offering. There's plenty of activity in that arena in Seattle as well, so maybe Nokia is still on the acquisition trail.

Criminals could hijack your iPhone to send spam

2007-07-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

iPhones, like computers, could be hijacked and used to spread spam if the device's owner visits a doctored website or Internet hotspot, security researchers reported recently.

The vulnerability of Apple Inc.'s popular only theoretical for now. There are no reports of criminals actually taking advantage of the security glitch to remotely access an iPhone.

But if it were exploited, hijacked iPhones could be very useful to the same gangs that take over personal computers and use them to disseminate spam, said Charlie Miller, principal security analyst at Independent Security Evaluators, which discovered the flaw.

"You could have a million iPhones dialing the company's main line and overwhelm it that way," Miller said.

Hijacked iPhones could also be used to send spam by cell-phone text message, which computers generally can't. Any personal data on the phones, such as private phone numbers and text messages, would be accessible as well.

The flaw applies not only to the iPhone, which was launched just three weeks ago, but also to Apple computers running Mac OS and the company's Safari Web browser, a version of which comes with the iPhone. It does not affect Safari running on Microsoft Corp.'s Windows systems.

Miller and the rest of the ISE team, which included Jake Honoroff and Joshua Mason, discovered holes in the security of the iPhone within minutes of getting their hands on their boss' phone.

"He didn't really want to let us do it, but eventually he gave in, and we poked around with it for a few minutes, and already saw some things that could make the programs crash," Miller said.

The researchers at Baltimore-based ISE haven't released the specifics of the vulnerability to the public, but have provided details to Apple and supplied the company with a patch, a software update for plugging the hole.

Source : People's daily online

Apple 3Q Profit Surges More Than 73 Pct.

2007-07-25T22:21:00.000-07:00

Apple Inc.'s fiscal third-quarter profit soared more than 73 percent, fueled by demand for its Macintosh computers and the strength of its iPod media players.

The company also said Wednesday it sold 270,000 iPhones in the first two days on the market, though the multimedia handset had little impact on the quarter's results because the company plans to account for its sales as subscription revenue over two years.

Apple shares jumped more than 8 percent in extended-session trading Wednesday even as the company issued a conservative outlook that fell short of Wall Street's expectations.

For the quarter ended June 30, Apple's profit rose to $818 million, or 92 cents per share, up from $472 million, or 54 cents a share in the year-ago quarter.

Sales grew to $5.41 billion from $4.37 billion last year.

Analysts polled by Thomson Financial expected Apple to report earnings of 72 cents per share on sales of $5.28 billion, while Apple itself had projected earnings of 66 cents per share on quarterly sales of $5.1 billion.

"We're thrilled to report the highest June quarter revenue and profit in Apple's history, along with the highest quarterly Mac sales ever," said Steve Jobs, Apple's chief executive. "IPhone is off to a great start _ we hope to sell our one-millionth iPhone by the end of its first full quarter of sales _ and our new product pipeline is very strong."

But for the quarter ending in September, Apple said it expects to earn about 65 cents per share on revenue of about $5.7 billion. Analysts were expecting earnings of 83 cents per share on sales of $6 billion.

The gadget maker's highly anticipated iPhone launched June 29 and sold out within days. Wall Street analysts and investors have had lofty expectations for the multimedia mobile phone, driving up Apple's stock more than 30 percent during the quarter.

Apple's silence on how many iPhones were available at launch added to the frenzy, and analysts were hoping to gain some insight on the iPhone's initial sales impact and outlook when the Cupertino-based company discussed its quarterly earnings during a conference call late Wednesday.

Apple officials reiterated the company's target of selling 10 million iPhones in 2008 but declined to elaborate on how much of a cut it will be getting from exclusive service provider AT&T Inc. under their multiyear deal.

During the June quarter, revenue from iPhones and iPhone accessories totaled $5 million, the company said. Shared revenue from AT&T was not included, it said.

Apple's established products were the money makers. The company said it shipped a record 1.76 million Macs, up 33 percent from the year-ago period, accounting for $2.5 billion, or more than 60 percent of the quarter's revenues. Unit sales of iPods increased by 21 percent from last year to 9.8 million and generated $1.57 billion in revenue.

Yet all eyes were on Apple's newest mobile phone gizmo, and investors seemed uncertain at first with how to react to Apple's financial report.

Before Apple's results were announced, its shares rose $2.37, or 1.8 percent, to close at $137.26. Then in heavy-volume trading after hours, shares as fell as much as 6 percent before they rose more than 8 percent to $148.42.

Just the day before, on Tuesday, Apple shares tumbled more than 6 percent after AT&T Inc. said it activated 146,000 iPhones on June 29 and 30, a number that disappointed investors following some analyst forecasts that Apple would sell 500,000 or more iPhones in its first weekend.

The reason for the discrepancy between Apple's and AT&T's numbers was unclear. But service activation problems may be the reason, and Apple Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer apologized during the analyst call for the "less-than-stellar" activation experience some early iPhone customers had.

"There was initially some disappointment in the 270,000 iPhone units, but as people realized the gross margins came in at 37 percent, they were very encouraged by the profitability of the company," said Caris & Co. analyst Shebly Seyrafi. "Clearly, Apple is a growth story."

Source : The Age

AT&T paying Apple up to $415 for each iPhone sold

2007-07-24T22:47:00.000-07:00

Considering Apple was adamant that the iPhone wouldn’t be carrier-subsidised (the usual practise of selling a handset cheaply with a new contract, the operator making the money back via signal charges and line rental), AT&T’s pockets must still be feeling light after news emerged that they’re paying Jobs & co amidst $150 and $200 for each handset sold.

more >>

RSS reader for iPhone from NewsGator

2007-07-24T11:55:00.000-07:00

NewsGator announced a new mobile RSS reader specifically designed for the iPhone today. The reader is called NewsGator Mobile for iPhone, according to the parent company to the popular NetNewsWire RSS reader and was designed for the iPhone's unique touchscreen interface.

The obvious benefit to NewsGator Mobile for iPhone is that if you already use a NewsGator Online account, either online or in conjunction with any of NewsGator's products (like NNW for the Mac or its Windows software), the mobile version will sync up with all of your other RSS habits. That is, if you use NNW on one computer with a NewsGator Online account to sync up your read items and whatnot, the mobile version will take that into account and only display to you items in your feed list that were unread. And if you read them from the mobile version and mark them as read, they won't show up as new when you get home to your desktop reader.

"The iPhone provides a best-of-breed mobile experience that is in line with our focus on creating exceptional reading products," NewsGator's Brian Kellner said in a statement. "At NewsGator, we are committed to developing new ways for people to easily and quickly access their favorite feeds, and we are inspired to deliver outstanding experiences on the iPhone so that people can have the power of information within their reach at anytime."

The reader can be found at http://m.newsgator.com.

Source : Arstechnica

According to CIBC iPhone has seen a significant decline

2007-07-24T06:58:00.000-07:00

CIBC's Ittai Kidron is out with monster call on Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) saying based on their store checks, they believe that demand for the iPhone has seen a significant decline in the past 10 days. CIBC has noticed decent inventories at stores, and thin demand at best. In fact, most Apple store visitors were not looking at the device and only a very small subset bought it.

With the weakness, they wouldn't be surprised to see AT&T and Apple step up their marketing efforts. Firm's channel checks suggest Apple is actually looking to introduce a 3G version of the iPhone for the U.S. market in November, ahead of the holiday season and earlier than currently expected.

Recent survey of iPhone buyers suggested that the key shortcoming of the current device is its poor data connectivity (EDGE). This isn't a surprise and Apple's CEO Steve Jobs admitted the iPhone's cellular connectivity can use an improvement. CIBC now believes the "improvement" could come soon.

Notablecalls: AAPL stock is going to get hit today. Big time! Positive iPhone flow has driven AAPL up 50 bucks over the past months. CIBC's call will erase some of this. I expect to see 5 bucks of downside today! Actionable call! Short at will!

PS: Note that ThinkEquity upped their tgt on Synchronoss (NASDAQ: SNCR) yesterday to $44 from $36 based on increased expectations for the iPhone. The stock was also added to Think's Top Picks list. SCNR has enjoyed a nice run, fueled by iPhone flow. I would not be surprised to see weakness in SCNR following CIBC's call.

Source : Street Insider

New Apple Patent : Charger Disarmer!

2007-07-24T01:43:00.000-07:00

Apple has filed a patent for a new protection system linking your iPod or iPhone to a particular power source

Digital rights management (DRM) has a bad name among many, and rightly so. Interesting, then, that the New Scientist's Invention Blog has spotted a strange little patent filed in the US by Apple engineers which it says it the equivalent of DRM for power.

The idea, apparently, is to have your gadget (presumably an iPod or an iPhone in this case) tied to a particular charger. A broken connection means that the device can't be charged, so theoretically making it useless if it gets stolen.

According to the patent itself:

For devices that are mainly powered by a rechargeable-power-supply (e.g., music-players, phones, Personal Digital Assistants), disabling the recharger effectively renders the device inoperable when the power of the main power-supply has run out. As such, disabling the recharger should serve as a deterrent to theft.

This system, says the patent, would be enacted by the user having to authorise every bit of hardware that you might want to charge from - say, your PC, Mac, dock or plug.

Good idea? Can you imagine the tedium of having to authorise a new charging device every time you plug in? What about when you borrow a charger from a mate or colleague - the sort of thing that happens all the time in real life?

Still, I suppose it might stop those annoying office emails saying "does anybody have a spare iPod charger?". Every cloud has a silver lining, and so on.

Source : Guardian Unlimited

Survey: 70% of Microsoft Zune owners ready to switch to Apple iPod or iPhone

2007-07-22T22:44:00.000-07:00

A new survey conducted by the eagle research group says Zune owners may not be all that satisfied with their purchase.The survey shows that 70% of those questioned did not have a firm loyalty to Zune and intended to switch to an iPod or iPhone when their current phone contract expires.

The survey went on to say that the most compelling features of the iPhone was the ability to swipe through music play lists easily and of course making phone calls.

Of the 30% of people unwilling to switch brands to iPhone the most common reason given was a lack of music storage, 43% and the dislike of all things Apple, 22%.

Apparently Zune buyers are no different than any other consumers when it comes to buyers remorse with 36% saying they would not have purchased Zune if they knew Apple would produce such a ground breaking product as the iPhone.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the data is that 3% of the survey group was affiliated with Microsoft as either employees or contractors.

Source : Apple Tech News