Unlock your iphone

Unlocked Nokia N8

2011-07-18T18:05:00.000-07:00

If you put another simcard into your Nokia N8 phone and it does not allow you make calls with it, then your Nokia N8 is simlocked. If your N8 phone is "simlocked" when you put an alternative network simcard in your phone it could show "enter correct sim", "enter subsidy password", "wrong sim", "incorrect sim" or similar. If you want to use your N8 phone with another simcard then you will need to unlock your phone. There are some small considerations you need to make sure before you start such as simcard compatibility and making sure that your phone is definately "locked" not "blocked" there is a distinct difference!

Is your Nokia N8 Locked or Blocked?

A locked Nokia N8 means that your Nokia N8 phone ONLY accepts simcard from the network it was purchased with. This is easy to solve, we can supply codes that can fully "unlock" your Nokia N8 phone to all networks. This means that your Nokia N8 phone can then be used on ANY chosen network in any compatible country, WORLDWIDE. Alternatively a Blocked phone is a phone that has been reported lost or stolen, and has been blocked by the network for use. These phones are unusable and there is no way around this. Unblocking a phone is ILLEGAL and we offer no service for this.

Is it Legal to buy Unlocked Nokia N8

Unlocking a mobile phone to allow it to use any sim is 100% legal, it is law that the networks allow you to be able to get your phone unlocked so that you have choice in choosing the network you wish to use. However Unblocking a phone is a completely ILLEGAL practice and we do not offer such a service for this. You can learn more about the differences here on our blocked or barred pages

Could Unlocking Damage my Nokia N8

Unlocking your mobile phone with unlock codes we supply can not damage the phone in anyway, however it could invalidate any warranty offered by the network you purchased the phone from. You should check this fully before you unlock your phone if you have any doubts contact your network.

Know your mobile phones IMEI

Every GSM mobile phone that is produced has like a car its own unique "ID". This IMEI number is whatidentifies your phone from all the other millions of phones and allows you to log on to mobile phone networks. Every code that is purchased is unique to your phone, this is why genuine unlock codes arenot cheap or free and why unlock codes are unique to your Nokia N8. You obtain the IMEI from your phone by entering the number *#06# into the phones keypad.

Is it possible to unlock my Nokia N8 for free?

Unfortunately you cannot obtain free codes for the Nokia N8 and there currently is no way of unlocking the Nokia N8 for free, infact you should be very warey of companies offering codes for theNokia N8 for very cheap prices as these are often scams that take your money and do not provide codes, just information on how to unlock your phone only. We can supply the codes to unlock your Nokia N8 phone, we have been unlocking phones since 2003 and have thousands of happy customers, we may not be the cheapest but we provide a reputable service to trade and retail customers.

Order your Unlocking Code from Foneszone

Once your know your Nokia N8 unique IMEI number then you can place your order via foneszone entering some details about your Nokia N8 and after making payment you will receive confirmation. I will then order your Nokia N8 unlock code from my supplier and soon as it returns I will send it on to you via email and if you would like via sms text message.

BE WAREY of cheap sites offering cheap codes they are unlikely to be genuine!

Receive your Unlock Code Instructions

Once your order is complete you will have your unlock code and you will be ready to enter it into your phone. Login to your members area and you'll be able to get both your unlock code and full instructions. The codes we suppy for your phone are extremely easy to use, its as easy as dialling a phone number for most models of mobile phone. We also offer full support for any small problems you may have.

Enter your Code into your Phone

Full instructions and guidance is available showing you step-by-step in clear easy and consice instructions how to unlock your phone, it couldn't be simpler.

Any concerns or problems get full support

You should not have any problems entering your unlock code, the procedure for entering is very straight forward, however if you do have problems for any reason, you can login to your foneszone members area and get support easily and quickly from me. This service is for your convenience and for foneszone isALWAYS optional. Read Below for more details.

Alternatives to Unlock Codes

Should unlock codes not be available for your particular phone, for some models we may offer an alternative service that requires you to connect your phone to your pc with some software (we supply) and the cable that came with the phone.

Please note that foneszone do not insist on your using any particular method, we do not INSIST like some other sites that you take the cable option if the code is not available, its your descision.

Google Chromebook will feel for Music Fans

2011-05-28T05:26:00.000-07:00

Google honourable announced the exclusive progressive WebGL-enabled sound recording on Wednesday, but most importantly for the rising of computing- its chromebook series of netbooks, which sit between the tablet and laptop. It is fashioned from the ground op for cloud computing.

Google envisions schools and businesses maiden up buy Chromebooks, initially from Acer and Samsung, at swell rates for deployment crosswise students and community. Plenitude of lawful grouping testament also buy individual computers over the life. Their collection and software continue to migrate to places where they can be accessed by duplex personal devices.

If you opine of it, if all your sound and applications are stored online, you wouldn't necessary to gestate a laptop. Punishment fans are making the transformation from iTunes-style punishment aggregation to the cloud - not exclusive on these recently-announced Chromebooks, but also on smartphones, tablets, and else computer-like devices that are not computers - they're in for any big changes:

The principal entertainer of cloud punishment is its voiding of unhealthy client-side software equal iTunes, which duplicates penalisation files all over your hard get, eats up RAM, and requires wires to travel penalty to devices. Instead, the engineering devices present suffice solon as input symptom for uploading songs, bookmarking them in YouTube, tagging them as favorites, adding them to your ain compendium, or making playlists out of them in position to hit them statesman easily within a astronomic subscription aggregation.

The media and playback software present survive on a server far, far departed, whether it's administered by Google, Amazon, Apple, or whoever. You can now say goodbye to wise where your penalisation actually stays - the futurity of euphony grouping lies not in storage, but in hit.

How to connect iPhone to Chromebooks ?

2011-05-28T05:12:00.000-07:00

Microsoft’s Skype acquisition means more Windows PC and devices to Voice-over-IP. Google’s ChromeBook the Windows killer?

Microsoft acquired Skype for $8.5 Bn, and with at least 170 million users worldwide, Skype is now scheduled to invade Microsoft’s Outlook email program, Bing search engine and the Xbox video game console. Apparently, the Skype acquisition is totally related to the growing products and services of Google inc, one of the biggest rivals of the Redmond, Washington-based company.

Aside from expanding Bing by possibly integrating Skype (vice versa) to rival Google’s search popularity, Microsoft’s Skype acquisition is also related to Apple’s growing smartphone market, the iPhone, and Google’s Android operating system success. Microsoft is expected to pre-install all future Windows Phone 7 devices with Skype application to challenge the iPhone’s FaceTime and Google’s new Talk with video.

But here’s the issue, is Skype enough to attract more customers from Apple and Google? Windows Phone 7 will face another serious smartphone competitor from Apple, the iPhone 5 (or iPhone 4GS, an analyst claims), and dozen of new powerful Android-powered smartphones this year, including some Android phones that is compatible with LTE of Verizon Wireless.

Speaking of Google, the company recently unveiled the first buy Samsung ChromeBooks that will hit the United States store. According to ChromeBook’s official page, Samsung’s ChromeBook (WiFi+3G and WiFi only) and the Acer ChromeBook (WiFi+3G and WiFi only) are scheduled to debut in Amazon on June 15. Google also announced the flexible installment plans for business and students. The Chromebooks for businesses will begin at $28, while $20 is the price tag monthly per ChromeBook for educational institutions. You can see the specs of buy ChromeBooks here.

Meanwhile, ZDNET’s Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols thinks that Google’s new internet-based PC operating system is a “Windows killer.” The pricing, ease of use, lots of application, brand name and security are the reasons he mentioned.

Unlocking AT&T iPhone to use around world not so simple

2011-05-28T05:04:00.000-07:00

Our weekly aspect at the latest gadgets, gizmos and trends in personalised study. Today's news by Andy Vuong of the Denver Post.

An welfare AT&T has hourlong had over contestant Verizon Wireless is that the former's GSM network discipline is many widely utilized around the class.

In element to gift greater coverage in overseas territories, AT&T customers can "unlock" their cellphones for use with a beamy ambit of international GSM carriers rather than pay muscular roaming charges.

But the good, as I recently u

ncovered, isn't as clear-cut with the nation's top-selling smartphone, Apple's iPhone.

In popular, you pauperism an "unlock code" to unrestrained up an AT&T-branded phone for use with added GSM immune, specified as Prc Floating.

AT&T testament wage this encipher if your care has been live for at small 90 life and is in good stagnant, your phone is not sold solely by AT&T, and the code is visible from the business.

The encipher is entered after inserting a outside SIM card, tho' other steps may be necessary to unlock the phone, depending on the maneuver. International SIM cards are often gettable preloaded with transactions and Internet-access packages that offering far outdo rates than AT&T's roaming fees.

Apple, notwithstanding, doesn't furnish an unlock cypher.

You can plant unlock the iPhone with supply from third-party businesses, specified as Yakety Yak. But the aid can value upward of $50, vacuum your warranty and leaving your phone unsettled.

Unable to unlock my mom's iPhone for her month-long catch to Assemblage (she didn't require to disorderliness with a third-party unlocking employment), I proved to interrupt request for a month. I hit another barrier.

I was told initially that AT&T can interrupt care to preclude overage fees, but because the phone is ease low contract, billing would proceed as is even tho' the phone would not be utilised for an full month.

In a follow-up, AT&T spokeswoman Sandy Goldberg said value suspensions are acquirable for a $10 fee per month for up to six months at a second. I went that way instead. This property is accessible if you tally six months' incumbency with AT&T and your invoice is not paid and is in good slack.

Goldberg also noted that AT&T customers can use a locked iPhone with roaming rates in bound countries by subscribing to the Experience Soul programme, which costs $6 a period. Globular book messaging costs $10 a period for 50 texts.

Save $315 - Invicta Men's Pro Diver Collection Brown Ostrich Leather Watch #0008-IS464

2010-02-09T06:34:00.001-08:00

The Invicta Men's Pro Explorer Group Brownness Ostrich Leather Watch calls to handle the tough-yet-comfortable examine of an airman's hoagie jacket. The stainless steel sufferer and simplex bezel founder the watch an unskilled pleasing, piece the mellow botanist ratite band adds emotionalism to the perception. Stormproof by a beam seeing window, the medal dial is reminiscent of an warplane's way body and includes monochromous geometric period indexes and pose careful markers, as symptomless as a
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Operators offer incentives to early iPhone buyers

2009-12-08T06:53:00.001-08:00

Israel's mobile operators are offering incentives for the first iPhone buyers at their points-of-sale that will open one minute after midnight on the night of Wednesday into Thursday.

The first customers arriving at Pelephone Communications Ltd. stand in the Ayalon Mall in Ramat Gan will receive a gift kit of Philips mobile speakers and anchor for the iPhone. Early customers will also receive a NIS 250 gift certificate for iPhone peripherals at stores of Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) franchisee iDigital Ltd.

iPhone will choose T-Mobile to AT&T

2009-12-07T01:11:00.001-08:00

For the US, it is generally assumed that the ultimate marriage between device and carrier would be the iPhone on Verizon. The iPhone is unquestionably the most popular single phone out there for consumers and Verizon is the largest network in the US with impressive coverage and a great 3G network. The iPhone though may be headed to T-Mobile first.

The iPhone has been an AT&T exclusive since it launched in 2007. It has long been rumored that 2010 was the year the exclusivity agreement would run out and the general feeling is Verizon is going to get the iPhone. On Tuesday, StreetInsider.com reported that Apple's stock actually dipped because of rumors that T-Mobile would be the next Apple partner. I guess having Verizon as a partner was actually priced into Apple's share price to some extent and when rumors indicated it was going from the largest network to the smallest of the big four, it caused a bit of nervousness from investors.

More reports came on Wednesday reinforcing the idea that Verizon and the iPhone are not meant to be. Verizon seems to be committed to its V Cast music service and the iPhone, of course, relies on iTunes. AT&T also gives Apple over twice as much money for an iPhone than Verizon gives for its most popular smartphone, a RIM device.

The point is, Apple and Verizon both have areas that they aren't likely to budge on and it may ultimately prevent an iPhone deal from ever materializing. That is a shame too. I think the iPhone needs to launch on a CDMA network in the US. By going with T-Mobile, Apple would be picking the nations second largest GSM network. It is already on the largest GSM network. My gut says that almost anyone that is on T-Mobile that wanted an iPhone would have already switched by now. I am not sure how many people on Verizon or Sprint that didn't switch to AT&T for the iPhone would do so with T-Mobile.

These are, of course, just rumors, but if true, it doesn't make a lot of sense to me. I don't see the upside for Apple with this move. Neither, apparently, did investors.

Best Way to Unlock iPhone 3GS

2009-12-07T01:06:00.001-08:00

If you want to insert in your iPhone other SIM card than the one from AT&T first to have to unlock it and you can find many ways to do it. You can find many software unlocking programs on the internet that will guide you to the process step by step and if you pay attention of the instructions you will see that is very easy to unlock the iPhone 3g.

One of the software programs is iPhone Unlocking; this program unlocks your iPhone 3g, you can jailbreak it as well is you want to add knew applications to your iPhone, application you can't find on iTunes Store.

After you used the software in a matter of minutes you can use whatever SIM card you want like T-Mobile, Orange or Vodafone. This software runs in any firmware version and it is able to find solution for iPhones that have been damaged or have been relocked because of the upgrading through iTunes.

Jailbreak and Unlock iPhone 3G/3GS 3.1.2 Using blackra1n and blacksn0w for Mac OS X Edition

2009-12-06T00:01:00.001-08:00

blackra1n is the latest, simplest Jailbreak tool from iPhone hacker George Hotz (Geohot) and supports all modern iPhone and iPod touch devices running the latest 3.1.2 firmware. blacksn0w is the associated Unlock utility. (Jailbreaking lets you run software not approved by Apple, like background tasks, Google Voice apps, etc. Unlocking lets you use your iPhone on other carriers, like T-Mobile US or international carriers when traveling). blackra1n makes the process faster and easier than ever before, but if you need extra help, TiPb has your back.

Note: For those of you who are planning on jailbreaking your new iPhone 3GS with the updated bootrom, you should be aware that BlackRa1n supports only a tethered jailbreak. This simply means if you have to reset your phone or your battery runs out on you, you will need to connect your device to your computer and run BlackRa1n to be able to boot your iPhone.

Disclaimer: Neither TiPb nor I take any responsibility for any problems/issues/bricking/etc. that may occur while using this software to modify your iPhone. Please be aware of what you are doing. If you don’t understand it — don’t do it.

Lets get started, after the jump!

Preparation

First things first, before we start please be sure you are currently on the 05.11.07 baseband. If you are not, connect to iTunes and update your software to 3.1.2. Once that is done it is time to begin. You will need to go to the BlackRa1n homepage, and click on the Apple to download the proper software. You will want to save the zip file to your desktop and then double-click on it. This will then create the BlackRa1n launch icon.

The Jailbreak Process

Connect your iPhone to your computer. Once connected double-click the BlackRa1n icon to begin the process.

Now simply click “make it rain”. Your device will now enter recovery mode.

Your device will now reboot.

Once your device reboots the jailbreak process is complete and you will see the following message on your desktop.

Installing Cydia/Rock/Unlock

On your Springboard you will now see the BlackRa1n icon. Make sure you have a data connection and then press the icon to proceed.

* If you plan to unlock your device for T-Mobile USA (or any carrier not supporting iPhone 3G bands) you must first disable 3G in your settings before proceeding. *

Here you will now choose your installer. Your choices are Cydia and Rock. You can also select “sn0w” if you are unlocking your device. After you make your selections press “install”.

* Do not select “sn0w” if you are not unlocking your iPhone. *

Once complete your Springboard will reset and you will now see Cydia or Rock, whichever you chose, on your screen.

Congratulations, you have successfully jailbroke/unlocked your iPhone. If you wish, you can uninstall BlackRa1n from your iPhone by simply going back into the application and pressing “uninstall”.

If you are in need of some further help with this process please visit our iPhone Jailbreak/Unlock forums as there are many friendly forum members who are always willing to help you out.

There will over 300,000 Apple iPhone and iPod Touch Apps before 2011

2009-12-05T23:47:00.001-08:00

The iPhone App market and the App Store seem to be enjoying the attention it has been showered upon; thanks to the records it has been creating. After the much hullabaloo leading to the 1 billion iPhone app downloads saga, now comes the news from the market research firm IDC who has predicted that there will be 300,000 iPhone apps by 2010 end.

While Apple prominently figures in IDC's top 10 predictions for the coming year, released on Thursday, this is an indication enough to prove that Apple iPhone is nonetheless a revolutionary smartphone changing the mobile world for ever. Going by recent statistics, the iPhone is compatible with more than 100,000 applications that are available for download through the Apple App Store. And if IDC’s predictions are to be believed, the App store would have three times as many applications by the end of 2010.

IDC report: iPhone application momentum to grow

The IDC report has predicted at least 300,000 iPhone applications by the end of 2010, when many of the new apps coming from well-known Global 2000 business and consumer brands. These are slated to attract more consumers and businesspeople as their most frequently and profoundly used clients.

It is a fantastic record considering the fact that just only a year ago, the App Store had approximately 10,000 applications. And one year later in November, 2009 Apple has put up an announcement that it had reached the 100,000 milestone less than a year and a half after its debut; which marks an annual growth rate of 900%. The report further mentions that Google Android devices would get access to around 50,000 to 75,000 applications around the same time.

IDC report: Over 1 billion mobile devices to access the Internet in 2010

Market research firm IDC has predicted for the first time that more than 1 billion mobile devices will access the Internet by the end of the year 2010, which is 25 times faster in comparison to the 1.3 billion PCs accessing the Internet. Apart from Apple iPhone, the IDC report includes the RIM's BlackBerry and Nokia's smartphone lineup.

There are also an increasing number of phones running Microsoft's Windows Mobile, Google's Android, and Symbian^1 (notably Nokia). The report further mentions that more than 200 million of these devices, which are distinguished by their ability to run third-party applications — will be shipped in 2010. This represents 16% of the market IDC predicts by 2013, accounting for over 20%. What are your thoughts on the IDC report? Share your thoughts.

from IDC

The History of Rolex Watches

2009-12-04T06:10:00.001-08:00

Rolex Watches, founder of Rolex, Hans. Wilsdorf, 1908 in Switzerland he will be registered as a trademark of Rolex. The 20th century, 20 years, the company developed a waterproof Rolex watches. In 1953, Rolex introduced specifically designed for divers diving watch. Rolex watches designed in line with solemn, practical, non-significant flashy style, by the large numbers of people loved.

10k White Gold Hot Pink Topaz and Diamond Ring Review

2009-01-07T06:09:00.000-08:00

Read reviews from lady gifts reviews blog

10k white gold oval hot pink topaz and diamond cluster ring size 7 8×6mm 2.75cttw hot pink topaz 0.01cttw diamonds

Fujitsu Laptops on sale from Laptop on sale!

2009-01-07T05:46:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of good Fujitsu Laptops online on sale, you can have a look here: Fujitsu Laptops on sale !

Sony VAIO VGN-CS110E/R Notebook Review

2009-01-07T05:41:00.000-08:00

Performance-tuned and Microsoft tested, these machines provide you with a faster, safer and more enjoyable PC experience — right out of the box. They boot up and shut down in less time, maximize battery life, operate software and peripherals more reliably and provide increased security for greater peace of mind. Each one is also unique in its own way. With all this choice, it’s easy to select the PC that’s really you.

This Sony VAIO® CS is Performance-tuned. Microsoft tested.

Make a fashion statement while taking advantage of serious performance with the VAIO® CS Series. Weighing only 5.7 pounds, this notebook boasts an array of entertainment extras including a tricked-out pair of LEDs and a 12-tone music analyzer that translates your music into a colorful LED light show from beneath the trim of the CS. You can control your music and movies by sliding your finger across the lighted, touch sensor A/V slide control. It’s backed by an Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor using Intel Centrino® 2 processor technology, and a stunning 14.1″ widescreen LCD display with XBRITE-ECO™ technology. The CS is available in five striking colors including Sangria Red, Matte Black, Dove White, Glossy Black and Cosmopolitan Pink.

Read full: sony vaio cs110

Apple MacBook MB403LL/A 13.3-inch Laptop/Notebook Review

2009-01-07T05:39:00.000-08:00

Stylishly and intelligently designed for your on-the-go digital lifestyle, Apple’s MacBook is the perfect confluence of affordability, innovation, and powerful computing. This latest iteration of the MacBook line (model MB403LL/A) gets a boost of speed from Intel’s latest 45-nanometer Penryn series processors, which also helps to reduce power requirements and save on battery life. You’ll enjoy quick and nimble multitasking thanks to the 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo processor, and this MacBook also features a 160 GB hard drive and 2 GB of installed RAM (which can be upgraded to 4 GB). The 13.3-inch glossy widescreen display provides the perfect combination of pixels and portability, and the integrated 802.11n Wi-Fi LAN enables computing freedom from wires and compatibility with older 802.11b/g routers as well as the faster throughput of Apple’s Airport Extreme.

Measuring 1.08 inches thin and weighing only 5.0 pounds, the MacBook cuts a slim profile on any desk (or in any backpack or briefcase).

Measuring a mere 1.08 inches thin and weighing in at only 5.0 pounds, the MacBook cuts a slim profile on any desk (or in any backpack or briefcase). A durable polycarbonate shell in white keeps it ready for the rough and tumble of everyday life. It also offers a unique keyboard design that sits flush against the bed for a sleeker, lower profile. Other standard Apple “extras” includes a built-in iSight video camera and Apple’s magnetically connected MagSafe power adapter, which safely disconnects when under strain.

It’s pre-loaded with Apple’s Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard operating system, which enables easy backup of your most important data via Time Machine, a redesigned desktop that helps eliminate clutter. It also comes with the iLife ‘08 suite of applications–including iPhoto, iMovie, Garageband, and iTunes–and the newest version of the fast-loading Safari web browser. Other hardware features include an 8x combo Superdrive (for burning dual-layer DVDs as well as CDs), built-in Gigabit Ethernet for high-speed networking, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate), a FireWire 400 port, DVI video output, and Intel GMA X3100 graphics processor with 144 MB of shared memory.

Read full reviews: Apple MacBook MB403LL/A

Hitachi CP-X301 LCD Projector Review

2009-01-07T05:31:00.000-08:00

Hitachi CP-X301 boast 2,600 lumens but weighs a very light 7.7 pounds is easy to install or use on a cart top. The CP-X301 features 7 Watts of built-in audio, eliminating the need for external speakers, while the Audio Pass Through function allows audio to play while the projector is in standby mode. The projectors maintain a low noise rating of 29 dB in Whisper Mode.

The CP-X301 features a new hybrid filter, which lasts for 2,000 hours before replacement, on the side of the chassis. Additionally, the lamp door is located on the top of the projector for easy replacement if the projector is ceiling-mounted. The CP-X301 also offer longer lamp life (3,000 hours in standard mode; 4,000 hours in Whisper Mode*).

The CP-X301 bring a new level of customizability to educators, offering Hitachi’s proprietary My Buttons functionality, allowing two buttons on the projector to be programmed to executive any projector command. The projectors also offer Input Source Naming, allowing users to rename input sources to fit their needs. An improved remote control now features a My Source/Doc Camera button, allowing users to directly choose an input source, or document camera. The new remote control also features volume buttons.

Apple MacBook MB403LL/A 13.3-inch Laptop/Notebook Review

2008-12-30T21:12:00.000-08:00

Apple Macbook reviews

Sony VAIO VGN-CR320E/R 14.1-inch Laptop Review

2008-12-30T21:08:00.000-08:00

This notebook is powered by the 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 processor, which offers a top-of-the-line 800 MHz front-side bus speed and 2 MB L2 cache. The Core 2 Duo processor provides an optimized, multithreaded architecture for improved gaming and multitasking performance, as well as excellent battery management. It also includes Intel’s 4965 AGN wireless LAN, which will connect to draft 802.11n routers and offers compatibility with 802.11a/b/g networks as well. A built-in 1.3 megapixel digital web camera lets you quickly snap photos and participate in live video chats. Other features include a 14.1-inch XBRITE-ECO screen, extra-large 250 GB hard drive, 2 GB of installed RAM (4 GB maximum capacity), dual-layer DVD±RW drive (which also burns CDs), Bluetooth connectivity, ExpressCard 34 slot, Intel GMA X3100 graphics (with up to 358 MB of total available video memory), and both Memory Stick and SD memory cart slots.
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium includes all of the Windows Media Center capabilities for turning your PC into an all-in-one home entertainment center. In addition to easily playing your DVD movies and managing your digital audio library, you’ll be able to record and watch your favorite TV shows (even HDTV). Vista also integrates new search tools throughout the operating system, includes new parental control features, and offers new tools that can warn you of impending hardware failures.

Read Full Here: Sony VAIO VGN-CR320E/R 14.1-inch Laptop Review

HP IQ506 TouchSmart Desktop PC Review

2008-12-30T21:04:00.000-08:00

Redesigned with a next-generation, touch-enabled 22-inch high-definition LCD screen, the HP TouchSmart IQ506 all-in-one desktop PC is designed to fit wherever life happens: in the kitchen, family room, or living room. With one touch you can check the weather, download your e-mail, or watch your favorite TV show. It’s also designed to maximize energy, with a power-saving Intel Core 2 Duo processor and advanced power management technology, as well as material efficiency–right down to the packaging. It has a sleek piano black design with elegant espresso side-panel highlights, and the HP Ambient Light lets you set a mood–or see your keyboard in the dark.
The built-in TV tuner (providing both standard NTSC and high-def ATSC transmission) and personal video recorder (PVR) let you watch, pause, rewind, and record live television–perfect for watching cooking shows in the kitchen or keeping up with your favorite series. Use the included remote control or touch screen to quickly and easily access music, movies, photos, TV shows, or radio programs. The TouchSmart IQ506 comes with a bevy of special software features to make your computing life a breeze, including TouchSmart Video and Photo for quickly sharing your snapshots and videos to the web, TouchSmart Calendar for helping your family manage its busy, overlapping schedule, and TouchSmart Notes for both text and voice notes right at your fingertips. And it comes with a wireless keyboard and wireless optical mouse to help you keep clutter to a minimum.

You can read full reviews: HP IQ506 TouchSmart Desktop PC Review

Great HP Compaq 6820s Laptop Products

2008-12-19T07:13:00.000-08:00

Supporting this powermachine is an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T5470 running at 1.6GHz. For your multimedia needs, you’ll enjoy watching your movies on the DVD Super-Multi optical drive, and your ears will also thank you for hi-definition audio. With other great features such as ATI Mobility Radeon X1350 dedicated graphics and Windows Vista Business, working on this laptop will be a breeze.
Stay connected on the goThe HP Compaq 6820s helps you stay connected where you need to work by offering Wi-Fi Certified WLAN options, so you can access your e-mails or the Internet – at work, at home and at your favorite hotspots. Read Full REVIEWS: HP Compaq 6820s Laptop/Notebook PC Review - $799.99

Acer Aspire One AOA150-1126 Netbook

2008-12-19T07:11:00.000-08:00

Empower yourself with the incredibly light yet remarkably productive Acer Aspire One AOA150-1126 Netbook. Great for getting things done - whether checking email, managing online accounts or chatting with friends - the Aspire One offers a familiar Windows XP Home operating system that clearly organizes everything needed to surf the Internet, work or simply have fun.

This small but smart netbook comes with built-in 802.11b/g WiFi for easy access to available wireless networks. The Acer Aspire One AOA150-1126 Netbook has an 8.9-inch CrystalBrite display with a resolution of 1024×600 pixels and features the unique Acer CrystalEye webcam for live video streaming, video chats and conferences. Other great features include a 1.60GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, 1GB (512MB onboard/512MB SODIMM slot) DDR2 533MHz memory, a 160GB hard drive, a SD Card reader, Multi-in-one card reader, three USB 2.0 ports, and a variety of pre-loaded software. Travel light, but smart, with the new Acer Aspire One AOA150-1126 Netbook.
Read Full Reviews here: Acer Aspire One AOA150-1126 Netbook

Acer TravelMate 5620-6285 Notebook PC Review

2008-12-18T06:10:00.000-08:00

Our new Acer TravelMate 5620-6285 Laptop Computer is ideal for mobile professionals looking for performance, connectivity, independence and security. Building on the growing demand for larger screen sizes, the Acer TravelMate 5620-6285 Laptop Computer offers a panoramic a 17-inch color TFT LCD display that boasts a brilliant WXGA+ (1440 x 900) resolution. This 8.06-pound powerhouse comes loaded with a 1.83GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5600 processor with Centrino Duo technology, a 160GB hard drive, 1GB of DDR2 memory, and a DVD-Super Multi dual layer optical drive. The Acer TravelMate 5620-6285 Laptop Computer also features splendid graphics performance with its NVIDIA® GeForce® Go 7300 graphics controller. And business pros who need to seamlessly switch from different connectivity options, will find the new Acer TravelMate 5620-6285 Laptop Computer a welcome work partner, as it offers a complete range of flexible connectivity solutions including, Gigabit LAN and 802.11a/b/g wireless, along with a built-in web camera. Read More: Acer TravelMate 5620-6285 Laptop/Notebook PC Review

iPhone 3G finally unlocked, to debut at New Years

2008-12-18T06:09:00.000-08:00

The iPhone dev team announced yesterday that they had finally achieved an iPhone 3G unlock. Until now, you could jailbreak 3G iPhones but not unlock them for use with alternative carriers. This new unlock allows the 3G to join the first-generation iPhone in providing service outside of those carriers that Apple has locked to the units.

In order to take advantage of this unlock, you'll need to make sure that you did not upgrade your iPhone's baseband past 2.11.07. The team warned about this baseband issue as firmware 2.2 was about to debut. At this time, you can upgrade to 2.2 by using QuickPwn or Pwnage to disable the baseband component.

If you're looking to unlock, however, prepare to wait a few weeks. The new unlock will be released around New Year's Eve, said the team. When released, the unlock, which is codenamed yellowsn0w, will let you use third-party GSM SIMs in your iPhone and both send and receive calls. In the US, AT&T and T-Mobile are the only two major carriers who use this technology. Because of technology differences, if you use a T-Mobile data plan with your unlocked 3G iPhone, you'll be able to use EDGE data but not 3G data (AT&T uses different HSPA/WCDMA frequencies).
Source : arstechnica.com

How Apple Could Survive Without Steve Jobs

2008-12-18T06:02:00.000-08:00

Apple Inc. set off shock waves Tuesday by announcing Steve Jobs will not speak at what the company said would be its final appearance at the Macworld trade show. The news sent the company's stock downward, and raised questions about whether Mr. Jobs had new health problems or some new products were not ready.

But another question is likely to persist after the debate dies down: How well could Apple keep up the pace of new products without its iconic chief executive?

Speculation about the continued reign of Mr. Jobs -- which has popped up from time to time since his 2004 treatment for cancer -- underscore how closely Apple's fashion-setting products are identified with its co-founder. There is no sign of any change in his status; an Apple spokesman won't address the issue of his health, but said, "If Steve or the board decides that Steve is no longer capable of doing his job as CEO of Apple, I am sure they will let you know."

What if that situation does change? There is reason for optimism, based on the evolution of the team that develops Apple's hardware, software and services, some people familiar with the company's internal workings say. Some of them believe the group is now strong enough that, barring an exodus of top talent, the company could keep churning out innovative products without Mr. Jobs.

Mr. Jobs did not respond to a request for comment.

In one possible sign of confidence in the management team, an unprecedented number of executives presented during the company's press event to unveil its new MacBook lineup in October, though Mr. Jobs still dominated the event.

Mr. Jobs returned to Apple in 1997— he had left in 1985— and has since overseen the introduction of such ground-breaking products as the iMac, iPod and iPhone. He plays an unusually important role for a CEO in the gestation of such gadgets, agonizing over details that could impact users' experience.

Not that Mr. Jobs actually designs products himself. He serves more like an "editor in chief" in refining and improving ideas for Apple gadgets, according to former Apple executives.

"He didn't come up with the ideas, he just filtered them," says Bill Bull, a retired Apple engineer who worked for Mr. Jobs at Apple in the 1980s and again after Mr. Jobs returned.

The hands-on work of Apple's innovations depend more directly on subordinates such as Jonathan Ive, an Apple senior vice president who oversees the company's industrial design team. His group is primarily associated with the physical look and feel of products, such as the unusually slender Macbook Air.

Scott Forstall, another senior vice president, leads the team responsible for the iPhone's operating system and other software. In a sign of his growing importance at the company, Mr. Forstall was twice given the chance to speak at media and technical events earlier this year--and has shown some of the same showmanship that is Mr. Jobs' trademark.

Other crucial figures at Apple now include Ron Johnson, senior vice president of Apple retail, who has masterminded the success of Apple's stores, the hip electronics emporiums that have played a crucial role in the growth of the iPod and Macintosh in recent years.

One change to the team was the announcement in early November that Tony Fadell was stepping down as senior vice president of Apple's iPod division, which makes the innards of those popular gadgets carry out their products' slick features. He first conceived of the iPod, and convinced Mr. Jobs to support the idea despite skepticism from others in the company. Mr. Fadell said he will remain an adviser to Mr. Jobs; Mark Papermaster, a former International Business Machines Corp. executive, has been named to assume the iPod post.

For every design project in the pipeline, Mr. Jobs will hold meetings of two or three hours every week or two with key members of the product team. At those meetings, Mr. Jobs will critique the work in progress and also suggest adding or cutting features.

Read more wsj.com

iPhone apps round-up: Wine reviews, Hanukkah apps, and the inauguration

2008-12-17T05:46:00.000-08:00

You could follow my lead and just pick the bottle that has the most eye-catching label. Or you could consult an expert in the form of WineReviews . The recently released application from Steve Saxon lets you look up reviews of wines on your iPhone. The $4 application also features a Favorites screen and lets you write your own reviews.

Speaking of the holidays, festive apps continue to jam the shelves of the App Store; today, we’ll highlight a pair that have a Hanukkah bent. The $2 iMenorah from Jutanabet joins the ranks of virtual menorah apps from RustyBrick and LilBros. iMenorah lights candles with the touch of a finger, features sung blessings, and promises to donate a percentage of its proceeds to charity. Meanwhile, iDreidle for Chanukah is not made out of clay, but rather is a $1 mobile dreidel game from Gp Imp. just in time for the festival of lights.

Finally, we’re a little more than a month out from another significant event—this January’s presidential inauguration. And 2009 Presidential Inauguration Guide figures to help visitors heading to Washington D.C. for the big event. The free app from PointAbout features a countdown screen to Inauguration Day as well as a distance calculator that tells you how far away you are from the steps of the Capitol Building. More important, the app offers info on local restaurants, parking, transit info, and nearby Wi-Fi hotspots.

Other apps of interest that recently debuted at the App Store include:

* LogMeIn Ignition , from LogMeIn: This $30 app lets mobile users connect to a Mac or PC and control it remotely.
* Snowdome , from Yotta Digital: The $1 virtual snow globe takes advantage of the built-in accelerometer for the iPhone and iPod touch to cause snowflakes to fly whenever you shake your mobile device.
* iBreviary , from Dimitri Giani: The $1 app comes in Spanish, French, English, Latin, and Italian offers mobile worshipers the prayer of the Breviary, readings of the Mass of the Day, and other principal Catholic prayers.
* FriendCast , from CallFire.com: The free application lets you record a message and send it to many contacts simultaneously.
source: macworld

Metal Gear, Silent Hill, Frogger get iPhone treatment

2008-12-17T03:55:00.000-08:00

Last week, a teaser page on the English-language page of Konami's Japanese Web site led many to believe the Japanese publisher was working on bringing the Metal Gear Solid franchise to the Xbox 360, reviving the Metal Gear Acid brand, or even porting the long-running series to the Wii. However shortly after information leaked via scans of gaming magazine Famitsu, Konami has confirmed a different mission for Solid Snake.

In an official press release today, Konami of Europe revealed that Metal Gear Solid Touch would be heading to the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch early in the New Year. According to the release, "Metal Gear Solid Touch focuses on action elements of Hideo Kojima’s classic stealth series, and will see series veteran Solid Snake embark on an all-new mission." It won't be a completely new experience for MGS fans however, with players "using locations and characters introduced in Konami’s Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots [including] eight action-packed stages, with more to be added at a later date."

In addition to the feted stealth-action series, Konami also confirmed Frogger for the iPhone, reportedly "a pixel-perfect conversion of the classic arcade game," and Silent Hill: The Escape. It looks like these releases may only be the start, with Konami's Head of Mobile Business Department quoted as saying, "We welcome the iPhone and iPod Touch to our product line-up and look forward to these initial games." (Emphasis added).

The teaser page on Konami's Web site now links to what appears to be a placeholder page with the Metal Gear Solid Touch logo.

Source from gamespot.com

Sun company still not give up JAVA on iphone.

2008-12-16T21:02:00.000-08:00

Sun is not going to end their tireless pursuit of getting Java to the iPhone. Sun is still in talks with Apple over the goal. Sun has been very vigorous in their attempts at getting Java to run on the iPhone via a JVM, or Java Virtual Machine. Java is a functionality that Apple would have to approve, as it is very unlikely that Sun could get Java to the iPhone without Apple’s blessing.
“We’ve expressed our intent to do this and our desire, really, to work with Apple to build a JVM (Java Virtual Machine) for the iPhone and we’re sort of moving forward with that” -Eric Klein, Vice President of Java marketing
Although Java functionality would be a very big hit for the iPhone, especially if the many current Java applications could run on it, Apple has not said too much about it. They have had not clear approval or disapproval over bringing Java to the iPhone. The benefit of Java for the iPhone is not only the end user, but for the developer as well. The more phones your application can run on, the more successful it will be.
A Java Virtual Machine is not the only approach to Java for the iPhone. Innaworks is looking to provide a solution to bring Java to the iPhone as well. The Innaworks Java solution would create an application to translate Java application to the native iPhone programming environment. In conjunction with an actual JVM, this solution could provide an easy way for developers to bring their applications to the iPhone.
[Via Info World]

South Korea finally making progress with the iPhone 3G

2008-12-16T20:59:00.000-08:00

After much delay, the iPhone is finally coming to South Korea. Based on the mobile industry as a whole we expected South Korea to be one of the first to get this handset. The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) had been requiring handsets to use the locally built WIPI mobile platform, but that has changed.
“…considering global industry trends toward the use of general-purpose mobile operating systems, we concluded that there was a need to allow carriers the freedom to decide whether to use WIPI or not,” said Shin Yong-sub, the director of KCC’s policy bureau.
Restrictions such as this have kept many foreign manufacturers, like Apple, from bringing their handsets to South Korea. Carriers KTF and SK Telecom will be testing the iPhone out in South Korea for the next few months. People in South Korea who have been patiently (or impatiently) waiting to get their hands on one will still have to wait because as the rule requiring WIPI will be effective until April of 2009.
[Via MacDailyNews]

Google’s Voice Search Finally Hits The iPhone

2008-11-18T06:32:00.000-08:00

Google’s search-by-voice application is finally available on the App Store. To grab it, visit this link (the page still shows the old version, but you’ll download the new one). The application was originally announced on Friday, leading to widespread excitement that quickly turned to unrest as the application failed to make its debut on the App Store. The delay led to criticism of Apple’s App Store approval process, which apparently leaves all developers in the dark - even Google.

The app allows users to speak into their iPhones to submit queries to Google’s search engine, which can serve up both standard search results as well as movie showtimes, addresses, and other handy information. Voice detection seems to work pretty well, though it sometimes takes a few tries with long phrases and names (I was able to correctly search for the “answer to life, the universe, and everything” after only two tries). And when it works, it’s really cool - I’ll probably be using it on a daily basis.

My biggest issue with the app is that there is apparently no way to use the voice detection feature to call a contact, despite the fact that you can search through contacts using manual text entry. One of my biggest gripes about the iPhone is that there’s no way to make a hands-free call, and while this would still require at least one buttonpress, it would be an improvement. A free application called Say Who offers voice dialing on the iPhone, but it would have been nice to see the functionality integrated into the Google app.

source: techcrunch.com

National Geographic launches Games division

2008-11-18T06:31:00.000-08:00

National Geographic Global Media on Tuesday announced the launch of National Geographic Games (NGG), a new business unit that is creating games for multiple platforms, including the Mac and iPhone.

NGG will work with game publishers and developers to create games based on National Geographic’s core themes and media properties, the company announced. As part of that effort, NGG announced that it has partnered with Namco Bandai Games America and Sony Computer Entertainment to bring new titles to market. Namco Bandai has brought several of its own game properties to the iPhone and iPod platforms.

The first title to be released is “Herod’s Lost Tomb,” a downloadable game for the Mac, iPhone and Windows that can also be played online through the National Geographic Channel’s Web site. The game, featuring content from the December 2008 issue of National Geographic magazine, features information about the biblical figure King Herod.

Other titles coming in November include “National Geographic: Panda” and “National Geographic: Africa.” December will bring “Sudoku Traveler: China.” And releases planned for 2009 include “Rain Forests,” “Greencity” and “From the Bottom Up.”

source: macworld.com

China Mobile eyes buyouts at attractive valuations

2008-11-18T06:26:00.000-08:00

MACAU (MarketWatch) -- China Mobile's chairman and chief executive said Tuesday that the company was looking for acquisitions in emerging countries as the slump in global financial markets over the past year has opened up opportunities at attractive valuations.

"Telecom assets have become very inexpensive and some people say there's a good opportunity for buyers. I agree with them, but it's not so simple. There is no reason for sellers to sell at such a low price," said Wang Jianzhou, speaking at the GSMA Mobile Asia Congress in Macau.

"We have to find some opportunities ... when someone needs the money. [Meanwhile], we will do our best for our Pakistani company," he said.

"We have [non-]disclosure agreements with Apple, so I can't disclose many details. All I can say is that China is still interested in [bringing the] iPhone into China Mobile markets," he said.

"China Mobile is open to all operators, all vendors, content providers and service providers," he said.

China, the world's largest mobile-services market with more than 600 million subscribers, is one of the few big markets in Asia where the iPhone is still not formally launched.

Apple and China Mobile started talks more than a year ago, but differences over Apple's demand for sharing revenue delayed an agreement. The companies reportedly resumed talks earlier this year after Apple abandoned its demand for splitting revenue.

source: marketwatch.com

When Will Apple Add Copy/Paste To The iPhone?

2008-11-13T06:57:00.000-08:00

Apple is set to release version 2.2 of the iPhone operating system on Nov. 21, according to a Greek language post in enthusiast blog iPhone Hellas.

In addition to a redesigned MobileSafari interface, the iPhone 2.2 update will reportedly add Google Street View, transit route information, walking directions and over-the-air podcast downloads, according to Gizmodo, which described iPhone Hellas as "consistently reliable."

Gizmodo noted that because the 2.2 feature list hasn't changed from previous beta versions, it's possible that Apple could decide to sneak copy/paste into the 2.2 update, a development that could lead to a collective outcry of joy from iPhone users who've long been clamoring for this basic functionality.

Although third-party copy/paste software is available from the AppStore, Apple has yet to provide a road map for adding it natively. This omission is ironic in light of Apple CEO Steve Jobs' recent claim that the iPhone is basically the same thing as a netbook.

Chris Carlton, a systems engineer with Mac Business Solutions, doesn't think the lack of copy/paste is a big deal for some iPhone users, given the broad range of other iPhone features. But for users who treat the iPhone as a laptop replacement, the lack of copy/paste is "glaringly obvious," he said.

"As more iPhone applications come out, and people want to do more editing and e-mail, copy/paste is really becoming more of an issue than when the iPhone first came out," Carlton said. "Even lesser devices have that basic functionality."

But despite some users' anxiety over copy/paste, November has been full of positive industry reactions to the iPhone.

Earlier this week, NPD Group reported that the iPhone has overtaken the Motorola RAZR for the top spot in handset sales to U.S. adult consumers. SquareTrade, which sells extended mobile device warranties, published data that shows the iPhone is twice as reliable as the BlackBerry and three times more reliable than the Palm Treo.

And earlier this month, J.D. Power and Associates said the iPhone ranked highest among business users in terms of customer satisfaction, beating out smartphones from Research In Motion, Samsung, HTC, and Motorola.

source:crn.com

Web-based Office to work on Macs, iPhone

2008-11-13T06:56:00.000-08:00

A Microsoft blog reiterated this week that the Web-based version of Office won't be tied to either Windows or Internet Explorer.

In a blog posting on its Channel 10 site, a Microsoft blogger noted that, owing to support of Firefox and Safari, the forthcoming Office Web Applications will run on Linux and the iPhone.

The blogger, Microsoft's Sarah Perez, also noted that Microsoft won't be mandating use of Silverlight, its rival to Adobe's Flash.

"Silverlight is not required," Perez said in the Q-and-A posting. "Using Silverlight will enhance the user experience, resulting in sharper images and improved rendering. Also, the Office Live Workspace has integrated Silverlight technology into the multi-file upload function for a better experience."

Microsoft has said a technical preview of the Web-based Office apps will come later this year. Microsoft hasn't explicitly said there will be a free version, though executives have said the apps will be part of Office Live, which comes in both free and subscription flavors. Perez takes that to mean--as do I--that there will be both free and paid options.

On the corporate side, Microsoft has said the Office Web Applications will be tied to SharePoint.

The forthcoming Web-based version of Microsoft Word, like online versions of Excel and PowerPoint, won't be limited to the PC, Microsoft says.

(Credit: Microsoft)

Apple bans iPhone app for changing version number

2008-11-13T06:49:00.000-08:00

Apple has banned version 1.3 of return7's CastCatcher internet radio service from the iPhone App Store, complaining that it's "transferring excessive volumes of data over the cellular network."

But you can still buy version 1.2, which transfers exactly the same amount of data over the network.

In fact, when Apple complains about 1.3 hogging its network, it's really talking about 1.2. Version 1.3 hasn't even used the network. It never actually made it into the iPhone App Store.

Plus, you can still buy all sorts of other internet radio apps from the iPhone App store, including Pandora, AOL Radio, Tuner, FStream, WunderRadio, and the list goes on.

We say all this only to show that even logic is powerless in the face of Apple's iPhone app censorship.

CastCatcher version 1.3 differs from version 1.2 in four small ways:

Adjustable buffer size (see Preferences on your iPhone)

Experimental AAC+ support (works w/ 2.0.2 but not 2.1 - bug report filed w/ Apple for assistance - this feature is NOT supported)

Minor fix around Icecast metadata

Fixed crash on downloading invalid playlist files

But when it was submitted for review, Apple replied like this: "CastCatcher Internet Radio cannot be posted to the App Store because it is transferring excessive volumes of data over the cellular network, which as outlined in the iPhone SDK Agreement section 3.3.15, is prohibited."

return7 CEO Amro Mousa is not pleased. "Our disappointment stems from the inconsistency of the decision and not the decision itself," he tells The Reg. "Three other versions of CastCatcher plus many other music applications were already approved. We understand the concern of burdening cell networks but believe it should be left to the carriers to control via their mobile plans. If a mobile plan allows up to 5GB of data, we believe the user should be able to use their 5GB of data."

Since the initial rejection, he has resubmitted version 1.3. But he's not holding his breath.

source:theregister.co.uk

BlackBerry Storm Coming Nov. 21 For $199, iPhone Not Toast

2008-11-13T06:43:00.000-08:00

(alleyinsider.com) -- It's official: Verizon Wireless will start selling RIM's (RIMM) new touchscreen BlackBerry Storm on Nov. 21. The iPhone-ish smartphone will sell for $199.99 after subsidy and a $50 mail-in rebate, assuming you are eligible and sign a two-year contract.

This is an important launch for both companies, as Apple (AAPL) beat RIM in unit shipments last quarter, and Verizon (VZ) hasn't yet had a credible answer to the iPhone.

However, this is hardly an aggressive play. We think Apple still has the upper hand.

We had read rumors that Verizon Wireless was considering selling the Storm for free after subsidy, as its part-owner Vodafone (VOD) is doing abroad. That would definitely give the iPhone a run for its money.

But at $199, the Storm is the same price as Apple's 8-gigabyte iPhone, while offering fewer features. The iPhone, for example, has a better app platform, more built-in memory, multi-touch controls, better music/video platform, and wi-fi.

Meanwhile, the Storm's only potential advantages that we can think of so far: Better 3G Internet service -- the iPhone's has ranged from average to terrible in our experience; better mobile email; and maybe a better on-screen keyboard, if RIM's "click-screen" is any good.

So it seems that most people who'd buy it are people who are tied to/prefer Verizon Wireless/BlackBerry email -- or people who hate Apple. (We'll reserve judgment until after we've had time to play with it.)

It's also possible one or both companies will cut prices again before Christmas sales ramp up, which could help sell more phones. Especially if this quarter is really as terrible as everyone says it's been.

One thing we don't know yet: How much Verizon will charge for monthly service. Our bet is $70 per month, the cheapest plan AT&T (T) offers for the iPhone.

source: money.cnn.com

IBC Bank Launches iPhone Mobile Banking Application from mFoundry on Apple App Store

2008-11-12T06:33:00.000-08:00

LAREDO, Texas & SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 12, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Mobile financial services leader, mFoundry, today announced that IBC Bank's mobile banking application for iPhone and iPod touch is available on the Apple App Store.IBC Bank is the Laredo-based flagship bank of International Bancshares Corporation, one of the largest bank holding companies in Texas.IBC's mobile banking application for iPhone gives customers on-demand, secure access to IBC checking, savings and loan accounts and also provides access to account balances, search and retrieval of account transaction histories, money transfers, bill pay, and location search for IBC branches and ATMs.
"The iPhone has quickly taken a large share of the smartphone market and its users have shown a great propensity for downloading applications so we're excited to now offer a mobile banking app for iPhone and iPod touch users," said Dennis E. Nixon, chairman of International Bancshares Corporation. "mFoundry's ability to quickly support new platforms and devices separates them from competitors and we're proud of the application we've created together for these important customers."
"iPhone and iPod touch users are unmatched in terms of mobile content consumption. We're pleased to be able to work with IBC Bank to serve this important audience," said Drew Sievers, CEO and cofounder of mFoundry. "IBC Bank is a very forward-thinking regional leader who has made great strides this year in offering a variety of mobile banking options. We look forward to our continued partnership."
The mFoundry platform supports full mobile banking and mobile payments and serves as an ideal foundation for mobile wallets. Adopted by some of the largest banks and mobile operators in the U.S., the mFoundry platform has become the leading mobility platform for financial services.
About IBC Bank
IBC Bank is a subsidiary of International Bancshares Corporation (IBOC:
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IBOC 24.45, 0.00, 0.0%) , a $11 billion multi-bank financial holding company headquartered in Laredo, Texas, with more than 265 facilities and 425 ATMs serving more than 100 communities in Texas and Oklahoma.
About mFoundry
mFoundry provides a comprehensive mobile banking and payments solution for banks, credit unions, processors and operators. With specific programs for financial institutions of all sizes, the out-of-the-box platform supports full service mobile banking and mobile payments and serves as an ideal foundation for mobile wallets. The platform has been adopted by some of the largest banks, mobile operators and bank technology providers in the U.S.
mFoundry is based in the San Francisco Bay Area andhas been recognized as one of "10 Emerging Wireless Players to Watch" by IDC as well as the top "Tech Company to Watch" by Bank Technology News. For more information on mFoundry, please visitwww.mfoundry.com.

Merge Healthcare Announces New Merge Mobile(TM) for the iPhone(TM)

2008-11-12T06:32:00.000-08:00

a leading medical imaging solutions provider, announced mobile technology that enables patients and healthcare professionals to view digital medical images such as CT, MRI, X-ray and other images on an Apple iPhone(TM) or iPod(R) touch. A demonstration of Merge Mobile(TM) for the iPhone(TM) is available free of charge from the iPhone App Store.
Merge Mobile is breakthrough technology intended to help health organizations and clinicians improve quality of care, reduce costs and improve responsiveness to patients. Today, radiologists and physicians have access to patient medical images from computers connected to their practice management or PAC (picture archiving and communications) systems. Applications(a) built upon Merge Mobile technology will enable radiologists to view emergency cases directly from their iPhone or iPod touch, consult with colleagues and, when necessary, forward critical findings directly and securely to a patient's referring physician.
"Merge Healthcare will usher in a new era of mobile healthcare by bringing advanced medical imaging information to the fingertips of physicians," said Justin Dearborn, Merge Healthcare Chief Executive Officer. "Merge Mobile leverages the rapid convergence of mobile and medical technology development to empower new approaches in healthcare delivery and coordination."
Merge Mobile technology will enable the development of applications to retrieve CT, MRI, X-ray and other images wirelessly, and to perform standard radiologic manipulations to guide decision-making, much like computer-based solutions such as PACS. Few solutions of this kind exist today, and most experience download delays associated with medical imaging's large data sets. Merge Mobile incorporates advanced remote rendering techniques, including multi-planar reconstruction (MPR), which eliminate downloading of large data quantities to the mobile device and enable near-immediate access to images. Features include remote stack viewing using the iPhone multi-touch interface, scroll, contrast adjustment, zoom and pan. A secure communication protocol addresses privacy.
Merge Healthcare provides sample images and data via a demonstration server with the free Merge Mobile download at www.apple.com/iphone/appstore.
Apple, iPhone and iPod are registered trademarks of Apple Inc.
Merge Healthcare's solutions solve mission-critical issues for radiology practices, outpatient imaging centers, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and device manufacturers worldwide. For additional information, visit www.merge.com.
The matters discussed in this news release may include forward-looking statements, which could involve a number of risks and uncertainties. When used in this press release, the words "will," "believes," "intends," "anticipates," "expects" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, such forward-looking statements. Except as expressly required by the federal securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update such factors or to publicly announce the results of any of the forward-looking statements.
(a)Note that as to Works In Progress, Merge Healthcare is not legally obligated to develop or continue to develop such Works in Progress that may include the features and functionality described herein.
SOURCE: Merge Healthcare

Screenshots: iPhone OS 2.2 Adds App Store Sorting

2008-11-12T06:31:00.000-08:00

Fresh off the heels of rumors that iPhone OS 2.2 will be landing within ten days, Boy Genius Report posts a few screen shots of Apple’s unreleased iPhone OS 2.2 Firmware. The new images show new App Store “sorting” functionality not present in any iPhone Firmware build to date.

…you can sort the categories themselves by “Top Paid”, “Top Free” and “Release Date”. In addition to that, each category gets a cute little icon instead of just text-based lists, and you can finally browse through all the application screen shots, BGR explains.

What this means is that instead of looking at just text-based lists, you can now browse through the applications screenshots, just like in iTunes. As previously mentioned, rumors that came in today point to November 21st as a release date for iPhone OS 2.2, though it is still unconfirmed.

source:macblogz.com

`BlackBerry less reliable vs iPhone’

2008-11-12T06:29:00.000-08:00

NEW DELHI: Apple's iPhone has half the failure rate of RIM's BlackBerry in the first year of use, says a study carried out by a mobile-phone war

ranty firm.

The SquareTrade study, which analysed cell phone failure rates for more than 15,000 new phones, found iPhones had a malfunction rate of 5.6 per cent in the first year, compared to 11.9 per cent for BlackBerry smartphones. Palm's Treos fared worse, with 16.2 per cent having some sort of malfunction in the first 12 months of use.

The study noted that the most prominent malfunctions for iPhone users appear to be touchscreen-related, accounting for a third of all reported issues with the handset. However, 12 per cent of iPhone users reported accidental damage to their handsets within the first year of use -- the average for other handsets is nine percent.

"It's likely that any iPhone owner can guess the reason iPhone accidents are so common," the authors wrote. "After two minutes of handling an iPhone, it's impossible to escape noticing that the handsets are incredibly slippery. The form doesn't help, either. The dimensions make for a difficult grip, especially for those with small hands. These two factors conspire to make the iPhone more accident prone than just about any other handset model we've seen."

The report's authors also noted that fewer than half-a-percent of iPhone owners reported battery problems after a year of use, compared with around one percent for BlackBerry and Treo users.

SquareTrade's study did not take into account software issues handled directly by the retailer or fixed by firmware updates.

source:indiatimes.com

Billing Revolution Brings One-Click Payments To iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android Apps

2008-11-11T06:51:00.000-08:00

When it comes to charging for mobile apps, payments usually have to go through either the carriers or one of the emerging mobile app platforms such as Apple or Google’s Android. The problem with charging for an iPhone app through iTunes is that Apple takes 30 percent. A startup called Billing Revolution wants to charge about one tenth as much for a seamless, mobile one-click shopping experience. Already available on other phones, Billing Revolution is announcing availability today for iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android apps.

Once a consumer signs up to pay for things through Billing Revolution, he is presented with an Amazon-like one-click payment option no matter what app is using it. (Didn’t Amazon patent that?). Billing Revolution charges a 3.5 percent transaction fee plus 50 cents per transaction.

That pretty much kills any app developer using it for micro-transactions. Nobody is going to sell a digital song for $1.00 if they need to pay Billing Revolution 53.5 cents. But it could become an option for larger purchases, and as a way to charge for premium subscriptions for apps that build adoption with a lighter-weight free version.

source:mobilecrunch.com

Debian Deviously Ported to Android, G1

2008-11-11T06:48:00.000-08:00

If increased functionality, more usability, and greater geekiness have any place in your mobile heart, this post is for you. Jay Freeman (a.k.a. Saurik) has successfully ported Debian onto Android and the G1. Saurik is the guy that brought you (not us) Winterboard, Cydia, and Cycorder to the iPhone, so we know this is a fully legit claim.

Instructions are not for the faint of heart, although we’d suspect the faint of heart aren’t salivating over the notion of accessing the G1’s root file system.

Some readers may be questioning the usefulness of such a mod to an already open source operating system; however, at the moment the G1 and Android does not allow developers the right to access the down ‘n’ dirty of Android on the G1.

So, if you’re up for the challenge (which might be the only real benefit of this mod), use your deductive reasoning to find, and subsequently click, the read link.

[via ModMyGPhone]

iPhone steals Razr's throne

2008-11-11T06:47:00.000-08:00

That may seem an obvious statement, but consider this: The best-selling mobile phone among U.S. adults the past three years has been Motorola's Razr V3, which at 4 years old is ancient in the gadget world.

Now, the crown has passed from the Razr to the iPhone 3G in the latest quarter, according to new data from market research firm NPD Group.

It has taken the iPhone less than a year to topple the once-trendsetting Razr, as consumers gravitate toward handsets that not only look cool, but can handle advanced Internet tasks. The Razr achieved its stardom with its fashion-forward look. The iPhone and the other handsets in NPD's Top 5 rankings, including Research In Motion's BlackBerry Curve and the Rumor by LG, combine external design with other popular features.

source:chicagotribune.com

Where to Shop iPhone Application Gives Holiday Shoppers More Choice to Find the Best Price

2008-11-11T06:46:00.000-08:00

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Nov 11, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- --Find Products at Nearby Stores, and Compare Online and Local Pricing While on the Go

TheFind, Inc. ( www.TheFind.com), the leading shopping search engine for discovering lifestyle goods, is making it easier for consumers to complete their shopping lists this holiday season with TheFind: Where to Shop, a new application that gives consumers the ability to leverage TheFind's powerful shopping search capabilities and comprehensive local store data from anywhere, via the Apple(R) iPhone(TM).

"The economic challenges that the U.S. and global markets have experienced over the last couple of months are expected to impact retail sales this holiday season, with price likely to become the defining factor in product purchases, followed by breadth of product selection," said Siva Kumar, co-founder and CEO of TheFind. "In introducing TheFind: Where to Shop, we hope to ease some of the 'pocketbook' pain consumers are feeling, by helping them find products in their local neighborhoods and compare online prices while on the go. With TheFind's Where to Shop, consumers can find the best deals on their holiday purchases, without running all over town or having to sit at their computer to conduct their online research. Our comprehensive approach to finding products also ensures that those consumers will find even the most unique items in a snap."

Last month, the National Retail Federation (NRF) issued its 2008 Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by BIGresearch, which projects that U.S. consumers will "spend an average of $832.36 on holiday-related shopping, up a paltry 1.9 percent over last year's $816.6, and representing the lowest increase in planned consumer spending since the survey began in 2002." The report went on to state that "consumers say one factor will play the biggest role in buying decisions this year: price." According to the survey, 40.0 percent of shoppers cite sales or promotions as the largest factor when determining where to shop, while another 12.6 percent claim that everyday low prices sway their decision. Other consumers rated selection (21.5%) as the primary factor.

TheFind: Where to Shop bridges the gap between online research and offline purchases, enabling shoppers to compare products and pricing -- while out and about -- and ensuring that they find exactly what they're searching for, quickly and easily within reach. With a comprehensive index of more than 250 million products covering 200,000 store locations, TheFind's iPhone application aims to be the best resource for savvy shoppers.

With TheFind: Where to Shop consumers are able to:

-- "Carry" online shopping research -- product searches, prices, store locations and sales information -- with them anywhere they go. Consumers no longer have to sit at their desks in front of the computer before leaving home to do their Holiday Shopping -- they can have it all with them wherever they go.

-- Quickly and easily determine which retail outlets selling the desired items are closest in proximity. For every search, TheFind: Where to Shop graphically maps the locations of local brick-and-mortar stores whose websites have the item, and also gives phone numbers and directions to those stores. Consumers can use the map to determine which location is the closest to them, or call ahead to get more information or reserve the product - saving time, money and gas.

-- Check in-store availability. Through integration with inventory look up capabilities offered by NearbyNow and Krillion, TheFind's iPhone application enables shoppers to actually check the inventories of participating, nearby stores to see if a particular item is in stock. Additionally, all listings for local retailers have phone numbers listed so the busy shopper can call to check in-stock status before venturing out.

-- Compare online and local pricing and obtain the very best deal. TheFind: Where to Shop puts a wealth of information at one's fingertips, enabling a shopper at a store to assess prices from other retailers, to make sure they are getting the best deal. TheFind's application alerts shoppers to various considerations such as items on sale and driving distance of retail outlets, so they can make purchasing decisions based on their individual preferences and criteria.

Local search is one of the fastest-growing areas of search engine technology, and integration with brick and mortar stores, and location-specific data to facilitate in-store purchases is viewed as the "last mile" in search. An October 2008 report by Nielsen Research entitled "Research Now...Buy Later? How consumers balance an online and offline multi-channel world" found that "shoppers who browsed for products both on- and off-line at Wal-Mart, for example, spent 38% more than the store's average customers." The study goes further to show that "nearly two-thirds (64%) of consumers who purchased electronics in brick-and-mortar stores first researched the products they bought online."

"Mobile represents a real opportunity for retailers in the near term, as well as a bridge between the Internet and local stores," said Greg Sterling, analyst, Sterling Market Intelligence and Local Mobile Search. "As the audiences grow and the technology matures, mobile promises targeting, tracking and consumer loyalty opportunities not even available on online."

Availability

TheFind: Where to Shop is available now from the iTunes App Store. TheFind plans to release TheFind: Where to Shop for other popular mobile platforms with standard browsers, 3G and location services.

About TheFind Inc.

TheFind.com offers the leading search engine for shopping that delivers comprehensive, authentic and visually compelling results, especially in the lifestyle goods categories. From the most popular e-commerce sites to the most unique, hard-to-find brands, TheFind uniquely crawls the entire Web to find more than 250 million products from over 500,000 e-commerce sites. By using patented technology, TheFind.com displays the best-selling products, styles, brands and stores for any shopping search right on the first page of results -- saving consumers time and money. TheFind Inc. family includes leading fashion shopping website Glimpse ( www.Glimpse.com), which specifically caters to fashion-savvy shoppers searching for the latest trends and hottest apparel products, and TheFindGreen ( www.TheFindGreen.com) which finds organic brands, green stores and environmentally friendly products all in one place. TheFind Inc. promotes shopping that gives back to the community through its Color For A Cause campaigns, which have included charitable beneficiaries such as The Susan G. Komen Foundation, Doctors Without Borders and Global Green USA.

TheFind Inc., headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., is backed by leading investors Bain Capital Ventures, Redpoint Ventures and Lightspeed Venture Partners.

Apple and iPhone are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

SOURCE: TheFind Inc.

source: marketwatch.com

Apple's iPhone is the number one phone in the land in the world

2008-11-11T06:42:00.000-08:00

Not just smart phone mind you. Phone. Apple's iconic gadget phone which can only be had for $200-$300 with two year data plan outsold every mobile (and land line too, whynot?) phone. From the $25 dollar pay as you go phones to Blackberries and Sidekicks and all of the fallen iPhone killers in between. The Motorola Razr which you can get for less than free with a plan had been the best seller for the better part of the last three years. Not any more.

NPD has the news today..specifically that iPhone is the number one phone amongst adult consumer shoppers. The business market is smaller than consumer and the children's market is nuch less significant than the adult market so can't we just say overall? Or perhaps more Blackberries sold in the enterprise. Anyway, the point is clear. iPhone is on top.

That means in a few months, you'll probably be more likely to see an iPhone in someone's hands than a Razr. It also means that iPhone has reached critical mass. Non-techies can confidently pick one up as well. They'll of course have heard it is a best seller. This is of course fantastic news for the iPhone development community who now have millions more potential customers.

If this all sounds familiar for an Apple product, it really looks like Apple's iPhone is hitting the trajectory that the iPod line had hit. It is really the market leader in the smartphone space.

And things are only looking up. JD Power's annual survey of phone satisfaction came out recently with the iPhone on top.

Oh and don't forget it is twice as reliable as a blackberry and three times as reliable as the Treo. That, and really cool new apps are coming out for the App Store that are pushing the limits of what a gadget has been traditionally able to do.

Finally, there have even been a few rumors of price drops happening should keep iPhone up there with the leaders.

source:computerworld.com

Use an iPhone or iPod Touch in disk mode with DiskAid

2008-11-11T06:40:00.000-08:00

One of the first things that iPhone and iPod Touch users noticed was the lack of a built-in "disk mode," where your device would appear on the desktop as a drive that you could use for file storage. Other iPod models even had a setting to specify how much of their storage space should be used for music, and how much should be used for disk mode, but the latest and greatest ones didn't. But thanks to an app called DiskAid, you can still transfer files between your iPhone and your Mac or PC without jailbreaking or using iTunes.

Sure, you may already know how to access a jailbroken iPhone's hard drive via SFTP, but that's a pain in the butt compared to DiskAid. You can just plug your device in, start it up, and start transferring files in a straightforward interface that anybody who's ever used Windows Explorer or the OS X Finder can figure out. As a brief disclaimer, realize that storing files on your iPhone doesn't mean your iPhone can interact with them. It's like putting music on an old iPod in disk mode: you can store it there, but you can't play it.

Source: downloadsquad.com

iPhone and 360 Chatpad hacked into a wireless mess of need

2008-11-11T06:39:00.000-08:00

This hack isn't for the faint of heart. In fact, it's more a demonstration of Dr. Ralf Ackermann's technical badassery than anything practical. But its as good as it gets until Apple achieves a state of sanity and flips the switch on its Bluetooth stack to finally allow us the option of pairing a Bluetooth keyboard to the iPhone. The setup starts with a cobbled together Xbox 360 Chatpad and XBee wireless module. The good doctor then takes a Jailbroken phone (naturally) and attaches another wireless XBee module to the iPhone's jury-rigged serial port housed in an Akku enclosure. A work in progress, it will ultimately rely upon a VNC server running on the iPhone to feed keyboard input to any application of your choosing. See Apple, this is the corner of desperation that you've backed us into.

engadget.com

Surprise, an iPhone Failure? Dev Event Canceled

2008-11-11T06:35:00.000-08:00

While introducing himself to a packed hall of iPhone developers and entrepreneurs last week, Raven Zachary briefly mentioned one piece of bad news; an upcoming developer event he was supposed to co-chair later this month, had been canceled.

Zachary moderated a session on "The iPhone Market Opportunity" at O'Reilly's Web 2.0 Summit and was set to co-chair O'Reilly's iPhoneLive Conference, but it was quietly cancelled last month with this note:

"We're sorry to announce that we've made the difficult business decision to postpone the O'Reilly iPhoneLive conference, which was to take place November 18 in San Jose.

We are grateful for the support of those who had agreed to participate in the event, particularly program co-chairs Raven Zachary and Bill Dudney, and sponsor Catapulley.

Read more: internetnews.com

Devs Dish Some iPhone App Tips

2008-11-06T06:56:00.000-08:00

SAN FRANCISCO -- Is Apple the next Google? When it comes to mobile innovation, at least one developer sees parallels. "Apple has shown, as Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) did before, that it can reinvent an entire market," said Raven Zachary, a consultant to iPhone developers and founder of a developer conference called iPhoneDevCamp.

Zachary was joined by a panel of iPhone application developers and publishers here at the start of the Web 2.0 Summit Wednesday. Recalling his days at once high-flying Internet portal Excite, Zachary recalled how Google "out innovated" more established Web players to become an Internet giant.

One of those innovations has been the phenomenal success of the App Store, which has attracted over 200 million downloads of mostly free software since its launch earlier this year. There are no over 6,000 applications in the App Store, about a third of which are games.
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iPhone developer Bill Dundy of Gala Factory Software made a surprising connection between developing for the iPhone and the NeXT computer, an innovative workstation created by a company formed by Steve Jobs after he left Apple in the late 1980s.

"The NeXT computer was the coolest and most fun to develop for because I felt very productive," said Dundy. "Back then, NeXT was a niche opportunity. Today it feels the same way with the iPhone, but it's so much huger. Everyone talks about the iPhone and it's the thing kids want for Christmas."

Enterprise apps a disappointment

Most of the panelists were uniformly enthusiastic about the iPhone, and even dismissed complaints that Apple has been unfair in rejecting some applications for App Store distribution.
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One mildly negative note was sounded by Matt Murphy, who heads the $100 million "iFund" for new iPhone software. Murphy noted the dearth of new enterprise applications, despite Apple's efforts to embrace Microsoft's Exchange and work with enterprise customers. "An area we haven't seen as much activity as we expected is in the enterprise," said Murphy. "I expect that's because these kind of applications take longer to build." Murphy also noted estimates that about 40 percent of enterprise companies have started some sort of trial engagement or testing of iPhones.

The panel also acknowledged the iPhone has given competitors a kick in the pants, spurring them to add features like touch screen interfaces and online application store fronts. Tom Conrad, Chief Technology Officer for the Pandora Internet radio service, noted his company has developed for several different mobile platforms and nothing matches the iPhone.

"Apple has a pretty substantial head start, not only in the fit and finish of the device, but also with its developer tools …. They have a profound lead in the developer experience," said Conrad.

He said Apple seems to also benefit from its control of the device as the designer of the both the hardware and the operating system. "Devices like RIM BlackBerry, Palm and Danger, that are also integrated hardware and software, are where you see the really passionate users," he said. "On Windows Mobile devices, users aren't as passionate. We'll have to see how that plays out for Android."

Keys to success

Murphy ticked off some tips for iPhone developer success. These included keeping applications simple so users see the utility right away. "We've seen some companies overcomplicate things and while they may get a lot of downloads, there's a big drop off in actual use," he said.

The application should have a "natural business model." Murphy said it's a mistake to try and follow old Web models that launch without a real revenue plan. He also emphasized developers should gain a deep understanding of what the iPhone is capable of. "Understand everything you can do with the platform so you can take advantage of it," he said.

Source: internetnews.com

RIM hopes Storm will blow iPhone away

2008-11-06T06:53:00.000-08:00

Research in Motion has announced that its first ever touch-screen BlackBerry smartphone will be available in the UK from November 14.

Oh Thank Goodness, Someone Made an Antivirus App For Android

2008-11-06T06:51:00.000-08:00

Ask an avid desktop Linux user if he or she (ok, he) uses an antivirus solution, and he won't give you an answer, he'll give you a sermon. And while his zeal might be inappropriate, his sentiment will be largely correct: Linux really doesn't need antivirus software. Android, with a smaller market share and simpler guts than most common Linux distros, has even less to worry about — which is why it's completely absurd for SMobile systems to release VirusGuard, the first antivirus software for the mobile platform.

The software claims to be able to scan devices and their memory cards for over 400 types of known malware, none of which, as far as I can tell, are harmful to Android phones. Now, it's not impossible that dangerous malware could find its way to you G1 in the future — in fact,Android has already experienced one security scare — but installing a piece of software that scans your device for Windows Mobile virii won't do anything to stop minor exploits like that, which can be quickly and effectively patched anyway.

Of course, all this security talk could just be there to provide parents with excuse fodder to install this on their child's G1 — it also monitors voice and text communications. Anyway, VirusGuard is already available on Handango, but will make its Marketplace debut when Google finally enables its payment system in Q1 of 2009. You misguided peace of mind will cost a whole $10, by the way. [Android Community via Slashphone]

T-Mobile G1 hacked: follows Apple iPhone

2008-11-06T04:50:00.000-08:00

A gaping loophole in Android operating system on the T-Mobile G1 has been exploited by hackers who managed to jailbreak the Google phone. Although they do say that this jailbreak isn’t as impressive as the one that took place on Apple’s iPhone, which took several weeks for the hackers to get though the locks that was placed on the iPhone, the T-Mobile G1 open-source operating system only took the hackers one minute to gain root access, although you would reckon you would have to be a Linux geek to do it this fast.

You can see the hack for the G1 on the XDA-Developers forum, basically you use the PTerminal application to telnet to the device’s IP address and just like magic you how have the root, you can full steps on this hack here.

With this jailbreak it will allow to run your T-Mobile G1 like it was never intended to be. Google have said they are planning a patch that will be distributed to close the loophole.

Source: theregister

HTC Touch HD SlashGear Review: Part 1

2008-11-06T04:48:00.000-08:00

Relevant Entries on SlashGearUnboxing - Apple iPod TouchLenovo X60 Uber-Tablet video reviewsSprint HTC Touch Diamond: Video UnboxingOQO Model 2 is ready for its close-upiPod Touch to iPod Video hack makes your old iPod look new again

[Read original...]

Macsimum iPhone Video: Historic Apple Lisa demo from 1984

2008-11-06T04:46:00.000-08:00

Today’s Macsimum iPhone video is a demo of the Apple Lisa computer—presented by Alfred DiBlasi—from way back in 1984. The Lisa project was started at Apple in 1978 and evolved into a project to design a powerful personal computer with a graphical user interface (GUI) that would be targeted toward business customers.

Around 1982, Steve Jobs was forced out of the Lisa project, so he joined the Macintosh project instead. Contrary to popular belief, the Macintosh is not a direct descendant of Lisa, although there are obvious similarities between the systems and the final revision, the Lisa 2/10, was modified and sold as the Macintosh XL.

The Lisa was a more advanced (and far more expensive) system than the Macintosh of that time in many respects, such as its inclusion of protected memory, cooperative multitasking, a generally more sophisticated hard disk based operating system, a built-in screensaver, an advanced calculator with a paper tape and RPN, support for up to 2 megabytes of RAM, expansion slots, and a larger higher resolution display. It would be many years before many of those features were implemented on the Macintosh platform. Protected memory, for instance, did not arrive until the Mac OS X operating system was released in 2001. The Macintosh, however, featured a faster 68000 processor (7.89 MHz) and sound. The complexity of the Lisa operating system and its programs taxed the 5 MHz Motorola 68000 microprocessor so that the system felt sluggish, particularly when scrolling in documents.

The Lisa was first introduced in January 19, 1983 at a cost of $9,995 US ($21,482.26 in 2008 dollars). It is one of the first commercial personal computers to have a GUI and a mouse. It used a Motorola 68000 CPU at a 5 MHz clock rate and had 1 MB RAM.

UPDATE 2-Swisscom core profit down on iPhone costs

2008-11-05T06:56:00.001-08:00

* Swisscom Q3 EBITDA 1.19 bln Sfr vs forecast of 1.24 bln Sfr * iPhone introduction costs, lower telephony prices weighed * Confirms 2008 EBITDA forecast, cautions on revenue outlook (Adds shares, comment, iPhone details)

By Sven Egenter

ZURICH, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Swisscom AG's (SCMN.VX: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) core profit fell 3.6 percent in the third quarter, missing expectations and weighed down by launch costs of the iPhone and falling prices. Its shares fell 3.2 percent in early trade.

The former monopoly confirmed its targets for 2008 on Wednesday, forecasting revenue of around 12.3 billion francs and operating income (EBITDA) of around 4.8 billion francs.

But the prevailing currency trend may cause net revenue to fall slightly short of its target, the group said.

By 0855GMT, Swisscom shares were 3.2 percent lower at 355.50 Swiss francs, against a 1.2 percent fall in the Swiss European telecoms index .

"In general, Swisscom maintained good cost control to compensate for revenue declines in some of the domestic businesses," said Vontobel analyst Panagiotis Spiliopouolos.

The launch of the iPhone led to above-average growth in clients in the third quarter, with over 100,000 handsets sold, but the launch had 45 million Swiss francs one-off costs.

Swisscom's core profit, or earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), fell to 1.19 billion Swiss francs ($1.03 billion), the group said. Analysts had on average expected a largely stable EBITDA of 1.24 billion francs, according to a Reuters poll.

The group's net profit declined to 473 million francs, down 31.5 percent compared with the third quarter 2007, when an extraordinary gain from the sale of two business units boosted Swisscom's bottom line.

Swisscom bought Italian broadband operator Fastweb (FWB.MI: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) in 2007, returning to a more aggressive strategy to counter lacklustre growth at home where, like other former monopolies, it faces price pressures and increasing competition.

Swisscom shares have fallen around 17 percent this year but outperformed the European peers as the stock is seen a defensive pick given relatively benign regulation in its home market and the government's majority stake.

Swisscom is trading at around 9.8 times forecast 2009 earnings, an 11 percent premium over the sector. (Additional reporting by Jason Rhodes; Editing by David Cowell)

Source: reuters.com

Appiphilia: reviews of iPhone applications that make fake calls, inventory your closet, navigate L.A. and record voice

2008-11-05T06:52:00.000-08:00

Those of us with appiphilia -- an irresistible urge to download iPhone applications -- need some help sorting through what's worthwhile in Apple's App Store. Because iPhone apps seem to multiply with every click, we're starting this new weekly series, Appiphilia, to highlight and review a few that catch our fancy. We'll tell you which are the must-haves or the must-be-kiddings or those that fall somewhere in between.

In this first installment, we're looking at four apps that help with getting dressed, getting around, getting out of a sticky situation and getting it on the record.

SATC Carrie's Closet (free)

What it is: This is one of the few apps pegged to a movie -- in this case a DVD debut. (The Dark Knight app launched when the newest Batman film hit theaters and let you adorn photos in true Joker style.) Carrie's Closet launched shortly after the recent release of the girls' guilty pleasure "Sex and the City" in take-home version.

What sizzles: First of all, the ability to photograph, categorize and catalog what's in your closet. Are you kidding me? That's a dream. It's a bit like what Cher had in "Clueless," except in your hand. I added all of my shoes, purses and glasses. The ability to send that list of potential outfits to friends before a big date makes getting feedback from numerous trusted fashion sources a bit more civilized. Of course, it's wrapped inside a promotion for the movie. But most of us have learned to look beyond product placements.

You do need good lighting to snap photos of the items that are of much use. Remember, you're doing it with your iPhone camera. (My snapshots looked a bit fuzzy and the color was a tad drab.)

What fizzles: I get that this is a marketing tool that happens to do something for users. But really, the theme music that blasted every time I launched the app initially is not cute. (You can turn it off by going into the Settings for your iPhone and finding the app. But that shuts off all music, including the music clips from the movie that come with the app.) Man, was that annoying. Every time I opened the closet, I was outed as tapping something not related to work and specifically something "Sex and the City" related. Again, maybe great in theory for marketing purposes, but, free or not, it could cause a person to delete the app just to get the music to stop.

AT&T and Firethorn Bring Mobile Banking to iPhone Customers

2008-11-04T06:58:00.001-08:00

AT&T Inc. and Firethorn Holdings, LLC, a Qualcomm company, announced the availability of their market-leading mobile banking application for iPhone.

Mobile Banking on AT&T lets users securely and efficiently manage their finances, including checking balances and transaction history, transferring funds, receiving offers, viewing and paying bills, and tracking rewards points.   The service is now available for all Firethorn financial institution partners, including America First Credit Union, Arvest Bank, BancorpSouth, Carolina First, FirstBank, Mercantile Bank, SunTrust, Synovus, USAA and Wachovia.

Additionally, iPhone customers will have access to any new financial institution added in the future.   “Our customers are increasingly using their mobile phones as a hub from which they can manage nearly all aspects of their lives, and in addressing that trend, we’ve made it a priority to give them flexibility and control in managing their finances,” said David Christopher, chief marketing officer, AT&T Mobility & Consumer Markets.

“The extension of this convenience and functionality to iPhone customers is further delivery on our commitment to this space.”

AT&T and Firethorn have collaborated since 2006 to provide best-in-class usability and reliability in mobile banking.

“ Mobile Banking on AT&T with iPhone embodies the exciting evolution that mobile financial services must undertake to keep pace with consumers’ busy lifestyles. ” - Tripp Rackley, Chief executive officer, Firethorn.

"Mobile Banking on AT&T with iPhone embodies the exciting evolution that mobile financial services must undertake to keep pace with consumers’ busy lifestyles" said Tripp Rackley, chief executive officer, Firethorn.

“Our partners expect us to offer them the best technology available to help their users manage their finances. The Mobile Banking application promises ease of use, security and high visibility - all strategically designed to achieve mass market adoption - and we are proud to help make it a reality.”

source:designtaxi.com

Apple iPod, iPhone wonk: iQuit?

2008-11-04T06:56:00.000-08:00

A senior Apple veep who oversaw the development of the iPod is reportedly leaving the company.

Key iPod brainbox shuffles away from Apple?

According to the Wall Street Journal, Tony Fadell, who was also involved in the development of the iPhone and reports directly to Steve Jobs, is understood to be stepping down from his role at Apple for personal reasons.

The paper cites people familiar with the matter on Fadell’s decision to walk, although Apple, which was not immediately available for comment at time of writing, is yet to release any official statement.

Fadell will be replaced by IBM veteran Mark Papermaster, said the WSJ.

Big Blue, which last week threw a sueball at Papermaster in the hope of halting any switch to its rival, hasn’t confirmed the Apple move, however.

Papermaster worked at IBM for 26 years, most recently on the firm’s “elite Integration & Values Team”. He has also been a key designer of Power processors and blade servers.

IBM filed a lawsuit against him on 22 October in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York in which it alleged that Papermaster was “privy to a whole host of trade secrets and confidences” used by Big Blue to design products.

source: theregister.co.uk

Ziphone author demos iPhone crash to Forbes

2008-11-04T06:51:00.000-08:00

Ziphone creator Piergiorgio Zambrini has discovered a bug with the iPhone that causes the phone to crash when it starts to play a specially-created video. Forbes.com recorded a demonstration.

The bug apparently affects the audio track of the video, which takes down the iPhone operating system. I could not independently verify the bug, because the links to the movie (and the movie file itself) shown to Forbes were no longer available online.

The bug does not permanently damage devices, according to Zambrini. He said he hasn't yet contacted Apple's security response team. Forbes.com informed an Apple spokesman about the flaw and is still awaiting an official comment.

Zambrini claims he emailed Steve Jobs personally about the bug; around the same time, he applied for employment at Apple. Apple has not yet responded to his resume. It strikes me that Zambrini is trying to appeal to Apple in the same way that your ex-girlfriend tries to appeal to you by spray painting the front of your house.

In the Forbes.com article, Zambrini now claims his goal "...is not to work for Apple."

Zambrini created Ziphone, a popular iPhone unlocking tool.

source: tuaw.com

iPhone Buzz Week in Review - Week 44 2008

2008-11-03T06:57:00.000-08:00

Apple has managed to squeeze out a “Game Changer” ad that shows a baseball application. For now this is the only app for baseball fans, the drawback is it is only for this current season. Apple is now selling the Scosche PassPORT in retail stores. The PassPORT is the first car adapter that allows you to charge your iPhone with the same car charger you use for you iPod.

The iPhone Dev Team is now much closer to unlocking the iPhone 3G. The Dev Team is now able to modify the baseban but are still not sure how close they are to an actual unlock. iPhone and iPod integration is now supported in the majority of US cars. Apples music devices have become so common that now 58% of US cars support them. Even though our economy is down for the moment, Apple has managed to sell 6.9 million handsets in Q4. In other numbers, Apple’s App Store reached the 200 million downloads mark, which is a big landmark for Apple.

Reports came in that iPhone firmware 2.2 has even more goodies for us. One thing that is very impressive is Google Street View. Speaking of Google, the App Store has just recently received another gem, Google Earth. The iPhone may finally be getting a documents application capable of allowing users to edit Excel, Word and PowerPoint documents. Among all of the other features that have been added to the new firmware version 2.2 is a new ratings system. Now when you delete an application you get the option to rate it before it is deleted. This appears to be another attempt by Apple to fix a broken rating system. Apple also managed to squeeze in over-the-air podcast downloads in the new firmware version, this decision has made a lot of people happy. This may explain why Apple denied the podcast application a while back.

OrangeGadgets have brought GPS functionality to iPhone 2G and original iPod Touch owners. With all of these techniques there is som sort of catch, in order to use this device you must be jailbroken. AT&T has finally decided to give iPhone owners free Wi-Fi at participating locations. They have made it really easy to get started. Lower income customers are tuning the iPhone 3G to consolidate entertainment costs with all that the iPhone has to offer.

It appears that iPhone owners will never get to partake in the Opera’s forbidden fruit. The browser has been denied from the App Store, more than likely for duplication a primart function that Apple already offers. A very interesting hockey game will soon hit the App Store, Archade Hockey is a very useful game that is worth the time to look into. EA Mobile has finally decided to give iPhone owners a taste of their very popular game Spore Origins. They have released a lite edition of the game because Apple still has not put a demo option in the App Store. We had a chance to try out the iPWR backup battery by Eznex. This device is a perfect solution to the short battery life of the iPhone. This battery pack is also compatible with any iPod that Apple has released.

source: topiphonenews.com

AT&T Hotspots Now Free for iPhone Owners

2008-11-02T06:55:00.000-08:00

That's right folks! After months of speculation and rumors, iPhone owners can now use the Wi-Fi available at their local AT&T Hotspot at no additional charge. We thought it was ridiculous that this didn't come pre-packaged with the iPhone considering that most iPhone owners are using the web more than their minutes. If you haven't received this golden text message on your iPhone yet, we've got the scoop on how you can get access to free AT&T Wi-Fi on your iPhone.

Accessing AT&T Wi-Fi From Your iPhone

On Wednesday I received a text message from AT&T. This isn't unusual if you're an iPhone owner and still on the AT&T network. However the following text message probably made just about every iPhone owner run to the nearest coffee shop with an AT&T hotspot:

"AT&T Free Msg: Your Apple iPhone now has free AT&T Wi-Fi access at thousands of hotspots nationwide, including Starbucks*. "

AT&T hotspots can be found at thousands of locations. A huge emphasis is being placed on hotspots at Starbucks due to their new partnership that converted thousands of T-Mobile hotspots into AT&T hotspots. We all know that a Starbucks can be found on just about every corner and if not, there's always Barnes and Nobles.

Can I Use it on my Laptop Too?

In my personal tests at my local Barnes and Nobles I was able to connect my iPhone without a hitch. All it took was selecting the correct Wi-Fi network and my phone number to get things going. From there, a text message was sent to my iPhone with a secure link to access the hotspot. According to AT&T the link is only valid for 24 hours. Also, if you relocate to another hotspot you'll have to request a new link. Unfortunately, copying the link into the address bar of my laptop did not allow me to access the Wi-Fi from my laptop instead of my iPhone. Will we see a work around for this in the future?

source: readwriteweb.com

Marware's Game Grip Will Aesthetically Ruin Your iPhone

2008-11-02T06:53:00.000-08:00

Gaming on the iPhone and iPod touch could be great with the addition of a gamepad handle: the promise of the iControlPad comes to mind. But the iPhone platform doesn't deserve two giant foam handles that do nothing but ruin the sleek lines of the device, providing no buttons, no extra battery life, and no added functionality. Hell, the thing doesn't even look comfortable to hold. It's available for pre-order now and costs a whopping $50.

source: gizmodo.com

Apple Doesn’t Want Opera Browser on the iPhone

2008-11-02T06:51:00.000-08:00

Although Opera’s engineers have already developed Opera Mini, a version of the browser that can work on Apple Incorporated’s iPhone, the latter company has stated they wouldn’t launch it on their gadget, since it would go head-to-head with their Safari browser. Safari was released as a public beta on January 7, 2003, first on Apple’s Mac OS X operating system, followed by the browser’s launch on the iPhone and the iPod. Over the years, its marketshare has increased, reaching a percentage of 6.65 this September.

Another reason behind the refusal to use Opera Mini on the iPhone is the browser’s duplicate functionality, which entails that the software can interpret downloaded from the Web JavaScript. Still, the rules Apple has drawn for their AppStore do not allow that the core functionality of neither the iPhone nor the iPod be replicated.

Consequently, despite the Opera Mini’s features, which include faster browsing than the Safari one, enhanced security and small screen rendering technology, which better fits the web pages to handheld gadgets’ displays, iPhone users will have to make peace with the fact that they would be stuck with only the Safari browser for a while longer.

The Opera browser was developed by the Opera Software company to handle tasks such as displaying web sites, sending and receiving e-mail messages, IRC online chatting, downloading files via BitTorrent and reading web feeds. The browser is offered free of any charge for personal computers and mobile phones.

Currently, it is the forth most widely used web browser for PCs, following Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari.

source: efluxmedia.com

Things: Elegant task management on the Mac and iPhone

2008-11-02T06:49:00.000-08:00

Before I get into reviewing this app (or rather, apps), a bit of background is in order. I’m a big fan of David Allen’s Getting Things Done system, which I have been using on and off over the years with my trusty combo of my iMac with iCal, a Palm Tungsten T2, and Missing Sync to glue everything together. It’s worked well enough, though I find it can get a bit overwhelming once you start having lots of actions and projects.
We don’t need no stinkin’ To Dos

Being a bit of an Apple convert, I’ve obviously been interested in this thing called an iPhone for a while. If you’re a keen follower of this blog, you’ll remember that I was put off buying an iPhone by its inexplicable lack of a To Do list system, which makes it kind of tricky to replace my Palm with an iPhone. (Mind you, it’s hardly the only feature missing from the iPhone.)

So before rushing out to buy an iPhone that would have less functionality than my 4-year-old Palm (ha ha), I started researching third-party To Do apps for the iPhone to see if I could close the gap that way. That’s when I came across Things. Not only is it a To Do app, but it even follows the GTD methodology of projects, contexts, Someday/Maybe actions and areas of focus. What’s more, it’s available for both the Mac and the iPhone, and the two apps sync together over wi-fi.

In fact, the whole setup sounded so impressive that Things ended up being the catalyst that led to me finally buying an iPhone. So was it worth it?
The review

The Mac version of Things is currently free, though it’s going to be $49 when it comes out of beta in January ($39 if you sign up for their newsletter now). The iPhone version is on the App Store at $9.99.

I’ve been using the iPhone and Things in earnest for a couple of weeks, and on the whole I’d say I’m now more productive than I was with iCal and the Palm. The fact that Things lets you organize tasks into projects a la GTD is a godsend. And the wi-fi syncing is great; it’s reassuring to know that my tasks and projects on my iPhone are always up-to-date with those on the Mac.
Things on iPhone…

Here’s an overview of how Things works on the iPhone. The home screen shows you various lists of tasks and projects:

* Inbox is unsorted “stuff” - whenever you have something you want to do or remember, you create a new item here. Then when you review the list, you’ll probably move most of these items into Next (if they’re single actions) or Projects (if they have more than one action).
* Today is all the tasks that you want to get done today. You can move tasks in and out of Today as you please.
* Next is simply all your next actions, to do ASAP. It includes all the tasks in Today.
* Scheduled holds tasks that you don’t want to do ASAP, but on specified dates. When the dates are reached, the tasks automatically become active and move into Today. (Nice.)
* Someday is the GTD “Someday/Maybe” idea - tasks or projects that you don’t want to move on now, but might at some point in the future.
* Projects holds all your, well, projects. In GTD, a project is defined as anything that requires more than 1 physical action to complete. You can organize your actions into projects in Things (this is one of the key advantages over simple To Do systems like iCal).
* Logbook is the task graveyard. At the end of the day, any completed tasks are moved here for reference.

…and Things on Desktop

The desktop version has all the same features as the iPhone version, and it also has tags (which you can use for GTD contexts: At Home, At Computer etc), and Areas of Responsibility, which are a level above projects (for example, “family activities” might be an Area of Responsibility):

Things on the desktop is superb. It has lots of nice UI touches, such as keyboard shortcuts for adding tags to tasks and projects, that make it super-quick and easy to use. The whole app’s very nicely laid out and intuitive. The only slightly annoying thing is that, when adding new tasks to a project, you can’t see the project’s note field (which in my case often contains the very tasks I want to add!).

In fact, the lack of tags in the iPhone version is a fairly major problem, especially if you have a sizeable Next Actions list. However, tags are supposed to be “coming soon” to the iPhone app.
The bug (there’s always one isn’t there)

I have come across a rather frustrating bug on the iPhone version. Occasionally I’ve added a task, only to find out later that it hadn’t been added after all. I can’t pin down exactly when it happens - it seems pretty random - but it’s understandably annoying, and undermines my trust in the app to a degree. It sounds a bit like this bug here, except that for me it also happens when creating a task outside a project.
But it’s still great

Despite this bug and other niggles with the iPhone version, Things is a very nice combo of apps. It’s simple and elegant, providing just enough organization to help you stay on top of your GTD system, but without overwhelming you with unnecessary features, or frustrating you with rigid workflows. If you’re looking for a GTD-style app that’s intuitive and works across both the Mac and iPhone, Things is well worth checking out.

Apple says no to Opera Mini

2008-11-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

Many mobile phone enthusiasts can testify that Opera Mini is a really nice mobile web Browser. Reports have surfaced stating that Apple has rejected an Opera Mini application for the iPhone. Chances are Apple will say that they refused it because it copies a feature that the iPhone already has in place.

Opera Mini has found its way to several phones including many high-end phones such as the BlackBerry, as well as many feature phones such as the Helio Ocean. We have personally had a good hands on with Opera Mini and a few of us will argue that is has more to offer than Safari. Opera is a full-featured browser that looks fantastic when browsing the web. Handset makers are paying Opera around 50 cents to $1 for each phone that is made with the Browser on it.

For lower-end phones and those on slower networks can benefit from Opera Mini because an Opera server computer handles the processing of web pages rather than the phone itself. The server then sends a compressed version of the web page to the phone which saves on load time. Mr. von Tetzchner said, “3G isn’t really that fast,” he said. “We try to deal with the real world.” Opera Mini can offer a better solution to mobile browsing.

Most people love apple iPhone

2008-11-01T07:54:00.000-07:00

According to foreign media, from the beginning of June, the group of users iPhone, with an annual income of 25000-50000 US dollars of users grew by 48%, with an annual income of 25000-75000 US dollars of subscribers increased 46%.

These data indicate that a growing number of low-income mobile phone users have begun to favor the Internet, send e-mail and music collections. Mark, a senior analyst said in a statement that despite the current economic downturn in the form of smart phones, particularly Apple's iPhone, the user is becoming the eyes of the integration of communications and entertainment equipment.

The report pointed out that the iPhone in the low-income phone users, 43% of the annual income of more than 100,000 U.S. dollars. This year in June to August, this part of the increase in the number of people 16%. Revenue in the 25000-75000 US dollars user, this smart phone browsing through the news of the increase in the number of 5%.

The report also found that, in addition to the website, in the low-income users, the number of people using mobile e-mail increased by 7%, while the use of mobile phones to download music has increased by 5%.

JenWu senior analyst at comScore said in a statement, the prices of 200 U.S. dollars, plus 70 U.S. dollars monthly service charges, iPhone mobile phones become a luxury for low-income people. However, awareness, iPhone may be replaced by a variety of electronic products or services in order to save other expenses, which allow iPhone from a luxury into a common communication and entertainment tool.

In the current global economic downturn and the environment, many mobile device vendors are facing enormous pressure, Apple's iPhone This is a performance it is not easy. Especially in the third quarter of this year, mobile phone shipments rose from last year's approach of a double-digit number.

However, since July has been the world's first, 3G version of iPhone sales have reached generation iPhone sales to 2 times. At the same time, 3G version of the iPhone on April 3 quarter sales also exceeded the RIM BlackBerry sales. In the third quarter, sales for the BlackBerry 6,100,000, and 6,900,000 for the iPhone. According to Apple, and industry observers predict, 3G version of iPhone sales this year to reach 10,000,000.

comScore also cited a report by IBM, said smartphones are challenging the status of the PC, consumers are expected to become the first choice for Internet access equipment.

comScore said, 3G version of the iPhone's low-cost iPhone lead to the rapid expansion of low-income users. IPhone version of the 3G mobile phone 199 U.S. dollars, compared with last generation iPhone market price of 499 U.S. dollars and 599 U.S. dollars.

And other smart mobile phone users in comparison, iPhone users in the habit of using its own characteristics. In an annual income of 25000-50000 US dollars user base, the proportion using the Internet increased by 5%. As for the smart phone market as a whole, the use of the Internet users grew 3%. In addition, 82% of users iPhone e-mail, the industry average of 15%. 85% of users iPhone online news, tourism and shopping information, and book reviews in the trade for an average of 15.9 percent.

comScore analyst Mark - Donovan, said: "These figures show that an increasing number of low-income mobile phone users to use mobile devices to access the Internet, send and receive e-mail and downloading music. As a result, smart phones, in particular the iPhone, the user is becoming the mind The integration of communications and entertainment devices, despite the current economic downturn in form.

iPhone and Gphone are not enemy

2008-11-01T07:51:00.000-07:00

HTC by the foundry's first load of the Android platform GPhone mobile phone market, the mobile phone has a good name "Dream". Also the name of this phone is full of mystery, from the point of view exposure information Dream a powerful processor, with Apple's iPhone features finger touch with a large screen, the 3,100,000-pixel camera, support for Google streetscape features, and so on .

    Since Google announced the creation of the League of Android, some people will be this mysterious Google phone, as Apple's iPhone "imaginary enemy", but it seems the author is not a Google phone iPhone is the enemy of the iPhone's allies.

iPhone is selling the "Ping Guowei"

    In talking about this issue before I talk about Apple's first mobile positioning and consumer characteristics of the group.

    Apple iPhone listed in the recall, caused a sensation around the world, many Apple fans early in the Apple store camped at the entrance, hoping to buy the first iPhone, this does not appear to be warm in the purchase of a mobile phone, and the like in a scramble Of honor, as if in pursuit of a dream.

Is not an enemy: iPhone taste of the performance of GPhone

    Therefore, I have always been of the view that Apple is not selling the PC, mobile phone is not, nor is it MP3, Apple sold a "Ping Guowei." Yes, let Steve Jobs, Apple's brand from a perceptual to rational, which is a distillation of the brand, let alone from the sales of Apple products to a sales culture, a spirit of the idea of a perfect design.

   "There are product price, the feeling is priceless," Apple's use of such a desire to create a marketing margin is several times higher than the industry average of the performance, be it PC or iPod, cell phone or iPhone, Apple with its unique Ping Guowei let Apple fans Was willing to pay. For example, ordinary MP3 price is 300 yuan, while the same configuration of the Apple iPod product prices as high as 2,000 yuan, this reflects the desire of the marketing power of magic.

    Therefore, I believe that, although the Apple iPhone has a strong MultiTouch feature, multi-sensor capabilities, built-in itunes, and so on, but these are not consumers to buy Apple's cell phone only reason why they are mad pursuit of Apple phone, or the fact that Ping Guowei unique.

Apple has sold 3G iPhone

2008-11-01T07:48:00.000-07:00

It is reported that, in fact, from July 11 on sale starting in September to the first week, nearly half or more of the 3G iPhone in the United States is sold outside. Oct. 21, according to Apple's fourth-quarter results showed, 3G iPhone on sale in the first quarter, Apple's 3G iPhone shipments amounted to 6,892,000 and Taiwan.

Apple COO Tim Cook (Tim Cook) in the subsequent conference call announced in this Apple reported fiscal quarter, 3G iPhone is ready for sale in 51 countries, more than 30,000 sales outlets. "I can tell you an accurate data, we now have for the 51 countries prepared about 2 1,000,000 iPhone." He said.

This means that nearly 6,892,000 Apple's shipments to Taiwan, only about 2 million Taiwan Stock iPhone, which the rest of 4,892,000 units, according to the Cook explained that the store is still lying on the shelves or in warehouses. And Apple is all shipments as sales.

When AT & T release fiscal third quarter when the answers were revealed. Financial disclosure in a total of 2,400,000 3G iPhone at the AT & T network to activate. Therefore, the data are as follows: Apple out of the total volume of 6,892,000, of which Apple's own stock 2,000,000, accounting for 29%; sold 4,890,000, 2,400,000 are sold in China, accounting for 35%; 2,492,000 To be sold overseas, accounting for 36%.

Apple iPhone with BlackBerry future battles, or push 99 U.S. dollars Storm

2008-11-01T07:45:00.000-07:00

It is reported that in recent days, following the Vodafone statement for touch-screen BlackBerry Storm to provide full subsidies after, Verizon is likely to take similar measures in the high subsidies in order to enhance the BlackBerry Storm relative to the competitiveness of the iPhone.

     The message also said that if the user is willing to enter into the use of a two-year contract, Verizon could BlackBerry Storm free of charge. However, some sources said that the proposal has been rejected.

     In addition, most analysts believe that the BlackBerry Storm to take pricing strategy is feasible. And predicted that the mobile phone may be related to the 8GB version of Apple's iPhone pricing, there may be as low as 99-150 U.S. dollars.

     Recently, analysts have said that the iPhone should be more color products, and 32GB versions, and so on, and speculated that if the Apple iPhone launch more new products, the current version of the iPhone may have to price 99 U.S. dollars.

Intel's Moorestown Would Make IPhone Less Secure

2008-10-31T07:55:00.000-07:00

Putting Intel's Moorestown chip package inside a future version of the iPhone would make the smart phone less secure, according to an independent security researcher.

"That will make the iPhone x86 and that will make a lot of attacks easier," said Dino Dai Zovi, an independent security researcher, in an interview at the Hack In The Box security conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Due for release in 2009 or 2010, Moorestown is a chip package designed for smart phones and other handheld computers. The heart of the package is an upcoming version of Intel's Atom's processor, an inexpensive low-power x86 processor. Apple has never said it intends to use Moorestown in future products, but Intel is widely believed to be hopeful that Apple will adopt the chip package.

"The iPhone uses the Arm processor and most people are not familiar with it," Dai Zovi said, noting that x86 processors are familiar territory for malware writers and hackers looking for vulnerabilities.

"If you're doing exploits and vulnerability research, you need to know the specifics of the processor that's running," he said.

Dai Zovi is a well-recognized figure in computer security circles and is widely known for winning a 2007 hacking contest that involved hacking into a MacBook Pro laptop. The feat by Dai Zovi and partner Shane Macaulay won them the MacBook Pro as well as a US$10,000 prize, and laid to rest popular misconceptions that MacOS X was somehow immune from the type of security vulnerabilities that affect Windows-based computers.

Intel executives declined to comment on Dai Zovi's remarks, saying any discussion of a Moorestown-based iPhone is purely hypothetical. In addition, they said Intel's policy is to decline comment on other companies' products.

MacOS X is seen as generally safer than Windows, because the small market share of MacOS X means most malware writers and hackers choose to focus their efforts on Windows instead. But that could change as iPhone sales boost the number of MacOS X users.

"The iPhone is another OS X platform and whereas now the market share for OS X is definitely under 10 percent on desktops, on smart phones they recently sold more phones than RIM," Dai Zovi said, referring to the maker of the BlackBerry line of handheld devices.

The iPhone runs a slimmed-down version of MacOS X, the operating system used in Apple's desktop and laptop computers. As a result, some of the security features that are included in the desktop version of MacOS X are not included in the phone version.

"The iPhone is significantly less secure than the desktop version of OS X," Dai Zovi said.

source:pcworld.com

A handful of Halloween 2008 for your iPhone or iPod touch

2008-10-31T07:53:00.000-07:00

Ready for Halloween on your iPhone? The App Store provides a quick fix for trick-or-treaters, and the offerings provide a little of each category. I happened to grab a random assortment of freebies (several were temporarily free) themed around Halloween. Here's a quick review of each. Hit the gallery for sample screens. All app names are iTunes links.

Bust-a-spook
A simple tap-and-score game using some gradient-heavy backgrounds and simplistic artwork to keep you entertained. The audio, like most of the Halloween-themed apps, is appropriately annoying. I found this one to be too hard and pointless to play with it long. When ghosts, pumpkins or bats are "busted" they grow larger and fade away. That's really about it, except for choosing levels of difficulty. Price: $.99

Carve3D
Clever way to carve a 3D pumpkin on the iPhone. You swap between "rotate" and "carve" modes and carve into the pumpkin by tapping corners. A final tap near the first point closes the loop and carves a hole in the geometry. As an interesting touch, the light actually shines through the geometry, so you can project the face you carve, though getting the camera in a good spot is tough. Price: $.99

Crazy Pumpkin
eZone has a slew of nifty, gimmicky apps (they remind me of the Johnson Smith Co. products). Around Halloween several went free, including Crazy Pumpkin. It's a very simple app: swap the eyes, nose and mouth of a virtual jack-o-lantern. I like the pulsing colors and the audio is well-done. Kids love this one. Price: Free.

Crazy Metal Head
Essentially a ventriloquist's dummy in the form of a chrome skull with fire in its mouth. You can toggle metal music on or off. The head bounces around, like a bobblehead. That's about all it does, but it still is fun if you do crazy voices and have no shame. Price: $.99

Crazy Skeleton
Another freebie from eZone, this time a skeleton with eyes that bounce around. You can control the mouth (like Metal Head), but shaking the device makes a random video play, animating the skeleton. There are maybe a dozen cute performances here, and my kids found this one the most entertaining. $1.99

source: tuaw.com

iPhone Edges Closer To Business Use - iPhone news

2008-10-31T07:51:00.000-07:00

Surprisingly, the competition for the Documents To Go iPhone app may come from Microsoft themselves, who confirmed at this week's PDC event that their new Office Web Applications suite will be available as a technical preview by year end. According to Microsoft, Office Web apps will work in IE, Firefox, and Safari browsers. We're hoping that means iPhone's Safari browser, but we won't know until testing begins.

Until then, something like a Documents To Go iPhone app could push the iPhone even closer to enterprise adoption, especially considering that the phone now works with Microsoft Exchange Server. Currently, Office files arriving as email attachments can be viewed on the iPhone, but making changes to those files is not possible. Providing editing tools may be the final step towards getting the iPhone past the barriers of I.T., where there are still holdouts claiming the iPhone isn't a business-ready device.

Source:readwriteweb.com

Japan's Softbank operating profit hits record high with iPhone help

2008-10-30T07:57:00.000-07:00

Japan's Softbank Corp. said Wednesday its operating profit for the second quarter reached a record high on cost cuts as the iPhone pulled in more mobile phone subscribers.

The Internet and telecom company upgraded its annual operating profit forecast on the back of its solid performance, even though sales slumped.

Softbank said July-September operating profit jumped 7.3 percent year-on-year to a record 180 billion yen (1.86 billion dollars) as unit Yahoo Japan expanded earnings and units Softbank Telecom and Softbank BB aggressively cut costs.

However, net profit fell 11.5 percent to 41.1 billion yen, while sales also dropped 2.6 percent to 1.3 trillion yen on weakening mobile phone sale.

The company's mobile phone carrier Softbank Mobile benefited from the July launch in Japan of Apple Computer's iPhone 3G, allowing Softbank to attract more customers than its rivals NTT DoCoMo and KDDI's "au" service.

Softbank president Masayoshi Son, one of Japan's richest people, said he used an iPhone every day.

"It's useful, and the more I use it the better I can understand its strong points," he told a news conference.

Softbank, which entered the mobile market by buying British giant Vodafone's struggling local unit in 2006, anticipates rising profits from next-generation mobile phones, Son said.

Softbank's retention of mobile phone customers has also improved with the iPhone, he said.

However, its mobile customers are spending less time using their phones, with Softbank's income from voice calls continuing to slide, although earnings from data services edged up.

Son said the company, which holds sizable shares in major Internet companies in Asia, including China's Alibaba, aims to further expand its broadband operations in the region.

But Softbank said that its revenue fell as lower costs for handsets offset the solid performance of Internet units.

For the year to March, the company upgraded its operating profit forecast to 340 billion yen, up from an earlier projection of 324.2 billion yen.

Son, however, warned that the company may suffer as much as 44.4 billion yen in extra losses because part of its financial commodities may end in default in the wake of the global financial crisis.

The company did not offer forecasts for annual sales, saying that mobile handset sales fluctuate on too many factors.

It also refrained from issuing a forecast for annual net profit, citing the volatility of its securities holdings, among other investment instruments.

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hVUUdEOliFOFVxTrHuHy9hpKNJUg

Sonos releases Sonos Controller for iPhone

2008-10-30T07:56:00.002-07:00

The name Sonos is famous for releasing wireless multi-room music systems for the home, and this time round they have included their expertise by releasing the Sonos Controller for iPhone. Unlike other Sonos products, this is available as a free download over the iPhone App Store. What does this mean for millions of iPod/iPhone users around the country? Well, as long as you are in possession of an iPhone 3G, iPhone or iPod touch, you will be able to have total control over the award-winning Sonos Multi-Room Music System straight from the aforementioned portable device - no questions asked whatsoever.

How is this possible? Well, it brings together Sonos’ industry-leading multi-room control user interface to function on the iPhone’s generous display, relying on multi-touch technology that provides you with the power to control an entire Sonos system and a world of music, all from a mere touch. This functionality extends to include the ability to quickly link and unlink rooms without having to interrupt music playback. Other features available consist of Select, Play, Pause, and Skip music in any room. Heck, you can even perform an instant search for your favorite artists and songs as long as you key in the relevant words on the touch screen. Couch potatoes will definitely love the Sonos Controller for iPhone, but it does make me wonder whether all these modern gadgets will soon reduce us to tubs of lard as depicted in this summer’s hit movie, Wall-E. As it it, many of us already don’t get enough exercise, and with the Sonos Controller, things ain’t gonna improve either.

Make sure you have at least one Sonos ZonePlayer in action before you can make full use of the Sonos Controller for iPhone. Other requirements to look out for comprise of Sonos 2.7 System Software and iPhone 2.0 Software.

Source: coolest-gadgets.com

The New iSkin fuze for iPhone 3G Delivers Dual Layer Protection That Blends Innovation With Sophistication, and Tough Love for Your iPhone

2008-10-30T07:56:00.001-07:00

iSkin today introduced its all new fuze for iPhone 3G: a dual-layer body, screen and port protection package that skillfully blends function, form and style.

*(PHOTO 72dpi: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/08-1029-iSkin3G_72dpi.jpg)

*(Photo Caption: iSkin fuze for iPhone 3g.)

iSkin once again raises the bar with its innovative dual-layer design that "fuses" together a soft inner-layer and a tough outer exterior. The iSkin fuze flawlessly encapsulates the iPhone 3G's subtle dimensions and delivers superior protection against everyday hazards. The iSkin fuze features integrated touch-through screen protection, a built-in docking port protector, complete button coverage, accessible silence switch, and offers a transparent protective area for all iPhone sensors.
The iSkin fuze is offered in three sophisticated color combinations echoing those found in the automotive industry: Onyx (Gloss Black/Matte Black), Argent (Metallic Silver/Matte Black), and Magma (Metallic Red/Matte Black) and retails now at http://www.iSkin.com for $44.99.
Plus, for added convenience, iSkin fuze+iPhone 3G owners can pick up an iSkin revoClip 3G: a compact rotary belt clip that keeps iPhone 3Gs and their owners safely, stylishly connected. Also functioning as an ideal stand for viewing videos, the revoClip 3G is available at iSkin.com and retails for $14.99.
For additional iSkin fuze or iSkin revoClip 3G information, contact Kristian Ward, iSkin Marketing Manager at marketing@iSkin.com, or visit http://www.iSkin.com.
About iSkin Inc.
Home of the exceptionally popular and award-winning "iSkin" iPod fashion+protection package, iSkin Inc. designs and delivers an inspired line of accessories, enhancements and solutions for the thriving Digital Lifestyle marketplace. As a raving fan of everything cool in the world of Apple and beyond, iSkin gives its customers around the world an unmatched blend of design, technology, quality, fashion, selection and service. All trademarks acknowledged.
This release was issued on behalf of the above organization by Send2Press(R), a unit of Neotrope(R). http://www.Send2Press.com
SOURCE iSkin Inc.

http://www.iSkin.com

Location Based Technologies Completes PocketFinder Service for Apple iPhone

2008-10-30T07:53:00.000-07:00

ANAHEIM, Calif., Oct 30, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Location Based Technologies, Inc. (LBAS:
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, , ) , a leading-edge family service provider of personal locator devices and services, today announced that the PocketFinder application has been submitted to Apple for approval so that iPhone users will soon be able to download the PocketFinder(R) service for their handsets.
"We know that Apple has sold approximately 200 million iPhone applications from its online AppStore," noted Dave Morse, CEO of Location Based Technologies, "and sold 6.9 million iPhones in the third quarter of this year. After fully testing the service for Apple, we are very confident that the PocketFinder application will find a receptive and sophisticated audience to enjoy the proven benefits from touch-screen technology."
As it continues an aggressive effort to expand its global availability, Location Based Technologies has enhanced its PocketFinder(R) standalone products by using the iPhone's touch-screen navigation and location-sensing functions to offer new tools for families to stay connected. With this application, other authorized family members will be able to locate the PocketFinder enabled iPhone. The features of this application are similar to the recently announced Google Android phone application (GOOG:
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, , ) .
"Apple iPhone users will soon have the ability to stay connected and benefit from every PocketFinder feature including real-time location, zone and speed alerts, instant messaging, and travel history, for one low service fee," Morse added. "In addition, the new personal locator application will eventually support other smartphone platforms as we continue development efforts to make this capability available to their customers as well."
Upon approval, the Apple iPhone-based PocketFinder service will be available for a 15-day free trial and then will be offered for $4.95/month per phone during its first 30 days of availability. It will remain at that price as long as the account is kept current and in good standing. Upon Apple's approval the application will be available from the AppStore at www.apple.com/iphone/features/appstore.html.
The service will allow iPhone users to easily integrate with the PocketFinder family of products. PocketFinder and PetFinder(R) devices use advanced technology to help families stay connected. As the smallest known single-board GSM/GPS devices, they easily fit into a pocket, purse or backpack and can be accessed via the Internet, cell phone or landline to show their exact location in real time. In addition, the devices include several advanced features such as designating customizable alert areas as electronic "fences" to notify when a family member or pet leaves or enters a specified area. The devices can even track vehicle speeds to encourage safe driving decisions.
About Location Based Technologies
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, , ) , Location Based Technologies designs and develops leading-edge personal locator devices and services that incorporate patented, proprietary technologies designed to enhance and enrich the lives of families globally. The company is headquartered in Anaheim, Calif. For more information, visit http://www.pocketfinder.com.
This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results and outcomes may differ materially from those discussed or anticipated. For a more detailed discussion of these and associated risks, see the company's most recent document filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
SOURCE: Location Based Technologies, Inc.

Rogers cashes in on iPhone popularity

2008-10-29T07:39:00.001-07:00

Rogers Communications Inc. rode the iPhone's popularity to a big jump in quarterly profit in its last quarter but said costs associated with selling the device could weigh on future earnings.

Rogers said yesterday that profits almost doubled in the third quarter to $495 million, or 78 cents a share, compared with $269 million, or 42 cents a share, in the year-earlier period.

More than a quarter of a million people signed up for the iPhone through Rogers during the third quarter after it became available in Canada in early July.

Canada's largest cable and wireless provider said it spent about $95 million subsidizing and marketing the iPhone during the quarter.

"Margins are going to keep going down in part in the near- to medium-term because of the iPhone," said Genuity Capital Markets analyst Dvai Ghose.

The company trimmed its earning projections for 2008 to reflect higher-than-expected cost of iPhone sales.

Investors certainly approved of the third-quarter results, sending Rogers shares up 10 per cent yesterday on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

About a third of the iPhones the company activated were new Rogers subscribers. The popular device benefits Rogers because users tend to spend more than the average wireless customer on things like mobile web surfing.

Revenue climbed 14 per cent to $3 billion "in the face of an increasingly challenging economic backdrop," chief executive Ted Rogers said in a statement.

The iPhone drove net additions in Rogers' wireless division to about 239,000 in the quarter.

The company's cable-Internet business saw its customer base rise by 29,000 to 1.6 million in the quarter, while digital-cable subscriptions grew by 58,000 to 1.5 million, Rogers said.

Dial S for scam

2008-10-29T07:35:00.000-07:00

He desperately wanted an Apple iPhone, and he'd asked his Vodacom outlet to reserve one for him. But he wasn't all that keen to pay R6 500 for it.

"And then something came over me," is how a Durban businessman describes his sudden determination to find a bargain iPhone online earlier this month.

He went on to Gumtree, the free local online advertising site, and found several appealingly priced iPhones, settling on one advertised for R3 600.

He called the cellphone number listed in the advert, and "Edmund", who had an accent that sounded Nigerian, said he would SMS his banking details to the businessman.

source:http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=15&art_id=vn20081029060639653C139534

Softbank quarterly profit rises on iPhone sales

2008-10-29T07:31:00.000-07:00

TOKYO (AP) — Japan's No. 3 mobile carrier Softbank Corp. said Wednesday its net profit rose 1.9 percent in the July-September quarter thanks to steady demand for Apple's iPhone.

Softbank in July launched the much-hyped sale of the popular iPhone in Japan. The company said the launch of the Apple Inc. gadget helped lift its profit, which came at 21.7 billion yen ($225 million).

"The iPhone certainly supported our profit and boosted the number of new mobile phone subscribers during the quarter," said a Softbank spokesman, who declined to be named due to a company policy.

"Since the July launch, iPhone sales have been very good," the spokesman said. But Softbank declined to give iPhone sales figures.

The number of new mobile phone subscribers increased by 521,400 during the quarter, thanks partly to the iPhone.

But the company's revenue in the July-September quarter slipped 2.8 percent year-on-year to 681.7 billion yen ($7 billion) due to slumping sales of mobile handsets.

In the six months to September, Softbank's net profit sank 11.5 percent to 41.1 billion yen ($426 million), with revenue down 2.6 percent year-on-year at 1.3 trillion yen ($13.8 billion).

Softbank has been increasing users with the latest number of its mobile service customers standing at 19.6 million.

Its market share stood at only 18.7 percent, compared with Japan's top mobile carrier NTT DoCoMo Inc.'s 51.5 percent and its rival KDDI Corp.'s 29 percent.

Shares of Softbank surged 15.4 percent to 750 yen on Wednesday. The results were released after trading ended.

source: ap

Memeo(R) Brings Photo-Sharing to Mac and iPhone(TM) Users

2008-10-29T07:30:00.000-07:00

ALISO VIEJO, CA, Oct 29, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- Memeo Inc., a leader in digital media management services for the home and business, today announced the availability of photo-sharing applications Mac Memeo Share and MemeoPhoto. These programs let individuals share high-resolution pictures and videos directly to the computer desktops of friends and family from a Mac or iPhone. They join the PC version of Memeo Share, enabling consumers to now share pictures across multiple platforms using the program.

Memeo Share makes sharing full-quality photos and videos with friends and family easy by offering a better alternative to using email. With the product, consumers no longer have to resize pictures or send them one at a time. Memeo Share also allows individuals to simply share videos, as it seamlessly distributes content behind-the-scenes through user-created Sharing Circles(TM). Additionally, Mac Memeo Share integrates with iPhoto(R), allowing users to share and receive photos directly from and to the application.

MemeoPhoto enables iPhone owners to instantly share photos when on-the-go. After downloading the product from the iPhone App Store, users can take pictures and immediately send them to their Sharing Circles. MemeoPhoto users also instantly and automatically receive photos that others share with them.

"We're excited to bring Memeo Share to Apple fans with the availability of Mac Memeo Share and MemeoPhoto for iPhone. The addition of these products to the Share family allows us to provide a way for people to share their personal memories across multiple platforms and devices, including mobile, Mac and PC," said Hong Bui, CEO and founder of Memeo. "Our ultimate goal with this product is to make sharing personal again through a simple and easy-to-use application."

Mac Memeo Share is compatible with Mac OS X 10.4.8 and above and is available immediately in free 'Standard' and paid 'Premium' versions. The free version comes with 1GB of online storage to share photos with friends and family, and the Premium version provides unlimited storage and use for $4.95 / month. To download Mac Memeo Share, please visit www.memeo.com/memeoshare.php.

MemeoPhoto is also available immediately as a free download in the iPhone App Store at www.apple.com/iphone/appstore/. For more information on Memeo's complete Share product family, please visit www.memeo.com/memeoshare.php.

About Memeo

Memeo Inc., based in Aliso Viejo, CA, is a privately-held software company backed by venture firm G51 Capital and Foundry Group. The company is focused on helping consumers and businesses share, manage and protect their digital lives. The company was founded in 2003 in an effort to capitalize on the rapid move towards a digital world. The company developed its software to give consumers and businesses alike a better way of protecting, managing and sharing digital, portable files and make them universally accessible. For more information on Memeo and its products, please visit www.memeo.com.

Memeo Inc. trademark statements. Memeo, Sharing Circles(TM), AutoBackup, LifeAgent and Zero-Touch are trademarks of Memeo. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.

Contacts: Allison Mac / Amy White LEWIS PR for Memeo 310-407-5186 Email Contact

SOURCE: Memeo

 http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct?id=A832C87E42F5F189

Sonos Controller for iPhone debuts

2008-10-28T07:55:00.000-07:00

Sonos systems use wireless mesh networking to communicate with each other — you can set up speakers all over the house, replicating music from a single system called a ZonePlayer. Combined with a wireless remote control with integrated color LCD screen and software you can install on a Mac or PC (or music stored on a Network Attached Storage system), you can play your digital music in any room you’d like.

In conjunction with the release of the iPhone software, Sonos has updated the system software on its ZoneControllers to version 2.7. The new release sports new features such as the ability to stream audio from Internet radio services including Last.FM and Pandora. The system already provided access to subscription-based music services including Napster, Rhapsody and Sirius. A new radio guide lets you listen to more than 15,000 free Internet-based radio shows, including music and talk, local and international stations.

Rhapsody support has been updated with improved sound quality (192Kbps MP3, upgraded from 128Kbps WMA), support for the RTSP streaming protocol, and support for Dutch and Swedish.

Sonos Controller software works on iPhones and iPod touches running iPhone 2.0 software or later.

Rogers Profit Beats Estimates on Rising IPhone Demand (Update2)

2008-10-28T07:54:00.000-07:00

Oct. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Rogers Communications Inc., Canada's largest wireless carrier, posted a third-quarter profit that exceeded analysts' estimates on demand for Apple Inc.'s iPhone.

Net income almost doubled to C$495 million ($382 million), or 78 cents a share, from C$269 million, or 42 cents, a year earlier, Rogers said today in a statement. Excluding costs such as stock-based compensation, profit was 73 cents a share, beating the 51-cent estimate of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.

Rogers activated 255,000 iPhone 3Gs, the latest version of the Web-browsing handset which started selling in July. Wireless sales rose 20 percent to C$1.73 billion, accounting for more than half of the total and outpacing sales at the Toronto-based company's cable and retail businesses.

``It was all the iPhone,'' Greg MacDonald, an analyst at National Bank Financial in Toronto, said in an interview. He has an ``outperform'' rating for the stock.

Rogers rose C$1.30, or 4.5 percent, to C$30.37 at 10:13 a.m. in Toronto Stock Exchange composite trading. They had dropped 35 percent this year before today.

Total revenue increased 14 percent to C$2.98 billion, topping the C$2.92 billion average of analysts' estimates.

IPhone Costs

Rogers cut the upper end of its 2008 adjusted operating- profit forecast, citing ``high'' demand for the iPhone, which it subsidizes. Profit on that basis will be as much as C$4.1 billion, as opposed to C$4.2 billion predicted in January.

Average monthly revenue per subscriber increased 4.4 percent to $78.46, driven by the iPhone and other devices that allow consumers send e-mail and browse the Web.

``Customers embraced the iPhone,'' Chief Operating Officer Nadir Mohamed, 53, said on a conference call today. Wireless Web and other advanced functions ``are going to generate significant growth for Rogers and the industry overall.''

Rogers had at least $95 million in costs from activating iPhones. The company sells them a loss and tries to recoup the money in contract fees later on. Rogers lowered its price for iPhone contracts in July after more than 57,000 people signed an online petition, saying the rates were too high.

Source: bloomberg.com

Qik Adds BlackBerry Support — What About iPhone?

2008-10-27T17:26:00.000-07:00

Live mobile streaming service Qik is coming to the BlackBerry. Qik has signed a deal to offer its platform on the upcoming new BlackBerry Bold as well as on the BlackBerry Pearl. The program is officially now in alpha mode.

Qik lets you stream video from your phone to the Internet with a couple of clicks. Online viewers can then chat and interact with you as you transmit your live feed. It’s been used for reporting live coverage of events such as hurricanes and earthquakes, or even presidential debates.

Qik just recently signed a deal with Nokia to have its utility preloaded on its 5800 model. It’s also already available on Symbian, Windows Mobile, and other Java-based phones. As for an iPhone app, Qik has yet to announce any official release date — but there are signs of progress. The company is actively working on an iPhone application and has an early version under development, as Robert Scoble learned while touring Qik’s headquarters last week. (See his Qik-created video here.)

The BlackBerry version is expected to enter beta mode within the “coming weeks,” company reps say. Additional BlackBerry devices will receive support once the program reaches that point.

Source:inquisitr.com

Do you really need to buy an iPhone?

2008-10-27T17:16:00.000-07:00

Verizon Wireless may not have had the iPhone, but it managed to pull off an impressive quarter in terms of subscriber additions. The operator added 1.5 million new post-paid subscribers, while prepaid, wholesale and acquisitions chipped in another 600,000. And like AT&T, much of VZW’s growth was in the high-end smartphone line, where data revenues and high-dollar contracts helped boost average revenue per user.

While AT&T launched a single iconic device, the iPhone 3G, which sold more than 2.4 million units in three months, Verizon Wireless spread the wealth around among several devices. In total, though, smartphones accounted for 30% of all devices sold last quarter, said Doreen Tobin, chief financial officer, on Verizon’s earnings call. “There’s plenty of momentum and upside here to increase penetration,” she added.

Increased smartphone sales also are leading to higher data ARPU. Year-over-year, third-quarter data revenues increased 42.5% — just under AT&T’s 50.5% increase. Verizon, however, is still slightly ahead of AT&T in its data strategy, with data accounting for 25.5% of its total service revenues as opposed to 24.2% from AT&T. AT&T was much further behind Sprint and VZW in launching its 3G data network, but as most data revenues for the last few years came from low-bandwidth messaging and e-mail services, AT&T was able to keep pace behind its competitors. Now that Internet browsing and broadband access services are starting to take hold among consumers, data revenues are surging. Two-thirds of VZW’s data growth is coming from non-messaging services.

VZW’s churn rate veered upwards from 1.12% to 1.33% in the third quarter, after three quarters of consecutive improvement. Denny Strigl, president and chief operating officer for Verizon, acknowledged that bump in churn was due to the iPhone — AT&T claimed 1 million new subscribers in the second quarter from the iPhone alone — but he pointed out that VZW has the best churn rate in the industry. The iPhone’s success in Q3 doesn’t have Verizon worried, though, and it has no plans to change its business model in reaction to it, Strigl said.

“Our plan is certainly to continue to grow at the kinds of numbers you have seen in this quarter,” he said. “We meet the competition head on. We’re not wedded to just any one iconic device. We’re pleased with our result, and I think you can continue to see similar results.”

VZW is set to surpass AT&T in one all-important category this quarter: total wireless subscribers. Since Cingular merged with AT&T Wireless in 2004, AT&T has held the top spot in the U.S. VZW has been on AT&T’s heels ever since, several times threatening to overtake the GSM juggernaut only to have AT&T fend off the challenge with impressive quarters. Next week, though, the FCC is set to vote on Verizon’s acquisition of Alltel, which would add some 11 million customers to its subscriber base, helping it to overtake AT&T’s current count of 75 million. The recent Wall Street collapse and credit crisis have led to speculation that Verizon may be reconsidering acquiring Alltel, but CEO Ivan Seidenberg stifled those rumors today.

“Obviously financing costs for the deal will be somewhat higher than we thought, and there are a few regulatory issues under consideration by the FCC as we speak,” Seidenberg said. “In our view, absent a surprise or an unexpected condition, we still view this deal as very compelling. We believe it will be accretive in year 1, and we are very focused on trying to complete this transaction as soon as approvals are done.”

source: telephonyonline.com

The iPhone App Store - a classic protection racket

2008-10-27T07:54:00.000-07:00

Fail and You "Listen up, friend. We take care of the community. We all protect each other. You wanna set up shop in this neighborhood, you're gonna need some protection, you know what I'm sayin'? I mean, you got a real nice business here, nice store, nice people. It'd be a shame if something were to happen to it. Fire, robbery, these things happen all the time, but we can make sure they don't - at least to you. Let's say 30 per cent of your daily take? It's not in your best interest to say no to guys like us. It's bad for your health."

Does this shakedown sound familiar? If you're an iPhone developer, it should. When a developer sells an application through the iPhone Application Store, they only see 70 per cent of the revenue. The rest goes to Apple for “system upkeep.” There's no other way to sell iPhone apps. Apple's distribution channel is the only one. Users can't buy your program from their computer then load it onto an iPhone without jailbreaking the device, which is a gamble.

If you don't want to pay, well, let's not go down that road. After all, what good would a programmer be without his thumbs?

Two Years Ago, I Thought RICO Was A Relative Of His

This 70/30 split is actually a pretty classic extortion scheme. If you want to sell iPhone applications, you need to do it through Apple, and you need to accept these terms. For gangsters, the first step in the racket is to make the “clients” fully dependent on the mob, so crossing the mob is completely out of the question. At first, business is good. You sell your wares, and cut 30 per cent to the bag man. You feel only slightly uncomfortable with the whole situation, but you know that the mob has you by the balls. You hope that they will leave you alone as long as you keep paying. With such strong leverage, the mob can up your protection cost whenever they feel like it. And sooner or later, they'll feel like it.

What happens when Apple's 30 per cent vig becomes 35 per cent? What about 50 per cent? With nothing to stop them, Apple is in a great position to bleed developers dry. You can't take your business elsewhere, because there is no elsewhere.

Sure, there are good arguments for surrendering a big chunk of your revenue. With the centralization of the Application Store, your program gets plenty of exposure. You get a user-friendly distribution channel directly to the device. You get a payment processing system. I seem to remember another technology that solved these problems, though. Oh, right. It's the internet, in like 1996. The internet is the ultimate distribution channel for software, but it's unlikely that anyone will engineer the friction out of Apple's setup, because there's too much money to be made otherwise. Plus, Apple has a habit for making such problems disappear, if you know what I mean.

Let Me Tell You Exactly Where To Shove Your Tricky Recursion Questions

Sticking with the tradition of being the savior that nobody asked for, Google is trying to make mobile distribution easier for developers. If you develop an Android application, you can sell it through the Android Market under the same 70/30 split setup. However, users can install applications on their Android phones without using the store. Several developers have already taken advantage of this, considering that the Android Market isn't set up to take payments yet, as Google seems to have missed some of the finer points of free-market commerce.

Unfortunately, while Google asks a lot of hard programming questions to job candidates, they don't ask how the candidate would launch a consumer electronic device. It's pretty obvious that they just winged it and expected a single link from the google.com homepage to generate the kind of buzz that the iPhone got. With such a weak showing, it's no surprise that there's a general feeling of malaise among Android developers. This doesn't make a good case for potential iPhone refugees. Sure, they operate in the neighborhood run by gangsters, but as a result, the neighborhood is clean, generally safe, and has a lot of customers. Setting up shop in Google's part of town means that you're in the middle of a failed urban renewal. The retail space is nice, but the storefronts are empty, and the only customers are tourists who have outdated travel guides.

So what's a developer to do? Well, one option is suicide, but that may be a bit too extreme. The real problem is the asymmetrical gravity that developers have. More applications for Android doesn't mean more customers for Android, unfortunately. It's the other way around: The users hold all the cards. As long as the customers are lining up in front of the Apple store instead of the T-Mobile store, you pretty much have to bend over and take it.

For the time being, there probably isn't too much of a business risk in agreeing to Apple's terms. Despite the global recession, Apple is still pulling in plenty of scratch, and the evidence that Steve Jobs is alive is the strongest since the false announcement of his heart attack by the citizen-journalism brigade. Be that as it may, it's still possible for them to put the screws to developers. Earnings won't beat expectations forever.

A Bust-Out Is Like A License To Steal

The failing economy, however, may be the edge case that saves developers. Organized crime is one business that's recession-resistant. When things start to tank, gangsters rely more on gambling and prostitution than protection rackets. Shooting a broke guy in the knee is a net loss, because he's not going to come up with the money, and bullets are expensive nowadays. Software shops are cutting costs left and right (and by “costs,” I mean “employees”), so it's not in Apple's best interest to lean on them.

The next year is going to usher in the death of a lot of startups. While Apple's 30 per cent vig isn't likely to cause anyone to bite the dust directly, it's not going to help any profit margins. In the end, though, I suppose it's better to be laid to rest in public than unceremoniously in a hole in the desert. ®

source: theregister.co.uk

The iPhone quarter for Canada's telecom sector

2008-10-27T07:52:00.000-07:00

Earnings season for Canada’s telecom players kicks off on Tuesday and much of the focus is on the impact of Apple Inc.’s iPhone.

Rogers Communications Inc., which released the iPhone 3G on July 11, is first to report third quarter results to the end of September. While the launch has caused some short-term pain, Rogers should reap the long-term benefits such as a three-year contract term, lower customer turnover and higher revenues, Desjardins Securities analyst Joseph MacKay said in a research note. For example, average revenue per user should climb to $100 a month compared with roughly $74 now.

He estimates Rogers sold a whopping 225,000 iPhones, 60% of which went to existing subscribers and 40% to new ones. Assuming a subsidy of $400 per phone, this should add $90-million to its costs this quarter, the analyst noted. This should impact EBITDA growth this quarter and next since iPhones should be popular Christmas gifts, Mr. MacKay added.

BCE Inc. reports on October 29 and the Desjardins analyst expects the entry of the iPhone held back additions – from 137,000 in the second quarter to 85,000 in the third.

Telus Corp., which reports on November 7, should see an 8% dip in net wireless additions to 125,000 compared to the same period a year ago as a result of the iPhone. Mr. MacKay also expects its annual dividend increase to rise 20% to $2.16 per share.

Source: nationalpost.com

iPhone blog - Don’t go battery-mad

2008-10-27T03:41:00.000-07:00

Relax and recharge your (iPhone) batteries

27th October 2008 – The new iPow External Battery Case has just been launched in the UK to protect your iPhone and fight the frustration of limited battery power. The leather flip case protects your device whilst the integrated battery doubles the power capacity. With twice the amount of talk, usage and standby time you can avoid the annoyance of losing power at the most inconvenient moment. The case also incorporates mini stereo speakers so you can enjoy your music with friends whilst on the move.

The iPhone is designed for surfing the net and for multimedia and Bluetooth use. Unfortunately these are all power-hungry things which can eat into battery time. iPhone batteries are not easy or economical to replace. Other power solutions have come and gone but the iPow External Battery Case is the first neat and integrated solution.

The iPow External Battery Case is compatible with the original Apple iPhone. The integrated lithium ion battery can be simultaneously recharged with the phone. The standard iPhone battery currently allows up to 8 hours talk time, 7 hours of video playback, 6 hours of web access or 24 hours listening time. The iPow can double these. Charging the iPhone’s integrated battery less frequently can also extend its overall life.

The case fits snugly to the iPhone with a smart camera hole and magnetic flip catch. The case weighs just 98g so it is both light and convenient. The case is hard-backed to protect your device and the leather front gives a sleek finish. The integrated mini-speakers offer double the sound output from your iPhone without the hassle of wire-connected speaker accessories.

The iPow External battery case is a reliable and economically efficient way to enhance the battery capacity of your iPhone.

The iPow is priced at £49.99 and is available from selected high streets stores and www.twistedcarbon.com. Visitors to the Stuff Live & What Hi-Fi show (31st October – 2nd November 2008, Excel, London) will be able to see the iPow on the RXS stand (number 466). Look out for the next generation iPow which will be compatible with the iPhone3G and selected iPods – coming soon!

*Ends*

LBS Accessories and Twisted Carbon are registered trademarks of LBS Accessories Limited.

source:responsesource.com

Google Earth for iPhone released; Street View coming in firmware 2.2

2008-10-27T03:35:00.000-07:00

One of the big questions from many iPhone users and developers on the run-up to the T-Mobile G1 was whether, now that Google had their own mobile platform in the shape of Android, would they be quite so keen to code neat apps for other devices. A case in point was Google Maps Street View, which on the G1 is a compass-driven masterpiece but has been notably absent from Apple’s cellphone. Now iPhoneYap is reporting that Street View functionality, together with mass transit directions, is present in version 2.2 beta 2 of the iPhone firmware, as yet unreleased. It comes as Google themselves announce a Google Earth app for the iPhone.

Google Earth for iPhone demo video after the cut

Version 2.2 of the iPhone firmware also includes support for line-in audio from accessories, opening up the possibility of voice and music recording apps. Beta 2 of the software was seeded to iPhone developers on Friday. More screenshots here.

Google Earth, meanwhile, supports tilting the iPhone to adjust the angle of view (looking up to see the mountain ranges, for instance), browsing of geo-located photos and Wikipedia entries, Google Local Search for businesses and other locations, and the usual “flying” around the globe. More details here; it’s available for free download from the iPhone’s Apple AppStore.

Source:slashgear.com

The iPhone Tech Talk Forum

2008-10-26T00:12:00.000-07:00

Last wednesday, I took a day off work to attend the iPhone Tech Talk in Paris. Apple had reserved a couple auditoriums at Université Paris 5 (école de médicine), kind of a weird place for a tech event to happen. Nonetheless, the event was pretty interesting (I unfortunately cannot talk about what happened there, because it is under a NDA). Although, I can say that almost all information giving can be obtained by signing up for free access to the iPhone SDK (then you need a 99$/year subscription if you actually want to submit to the app store).

Now that the iPhone SDK NDA is lifted, I can talk freely about my experience using the tools provided by Apple in building GoVelib. As of today, GoVelib was downloaded by over 35000 people in the 65 countries where there is an Apple iTunes store. Of course, the majority of the people who downloaded it are from France. I think that I will open source the code on Google Code pretty soon. There are still tons of things I need to improve in this app, but it’s pretty usable for something I wrote in a few days. I received dozens of e-mails suggesting improvements and thanking me for the app. Open sourcing it will simplify contributions and improvements.

The most painful thing about the current iPhone SDK (I’m talking about version 2.1 here), is that Apple does not provide an official framework for mapping. Developers submitting to the the app store cannot rely on the UI components that are used in the official “Maps” app. On the one hand, Apple is strongly encouraging developers to build there app using the standard components they provided and base their UI designs on patterns seen in the Apple-provided apps (iPod, Stocks, Address Book etc…), but they are seriously affecting the overall quality of map-based apps by not providing a clean, fast, simple API for mapping. Most developers had to reinvent the wheel by implementing their own mapping component. For instance, GoVelib uses a Google Code project that basically uses a UIWebKit (a web browser component) to call the Javascript Google Maps API, this is a pretty lousy, slow and inefficient way of showing a map…. but the GMaps license prevents people from calling the map tiles directly. Another project came out recently, this one actually tries to create a full blown Cocoa-based map component by using royalty free base maps (the old MS Virtual Earth tiles or OpenStreetMap). These basemaps look pretty crappy when compared to GMaps, but at least they’re free.

The most exciting thing that Apple did recently is definitely the opening of an official, Apple-sanctioned, developers forum. I hope that developers who feel the same way I do about maps will let Apple know about it.

Source: edito.qc.ca

iPhone 2.2 software to add walking/transit directions

2008-10-26T00:10:00.001-07:00

Apple is testing new iPhone software features that bring Street Views, public transit options, and location sharing features, according to a new report on a beta version of the software. According to iPhoneYap, a site dedicated to the iPhone, a beta of the next iPhone Software was released to developers on Friday. Screenshots of the release, version 2.2 beta 2, show that the Maps application now offers an additional feature: public transit directions. According to the screenshots and report, users can choose from one of three icons while in directions mode: car, public transit, and walking (from right to left) -- all of which are centered at the top of screen.

The transit icon offers users a choice of transit options, including subways, buses, or both. Users also have options to choose the departure time and a custom schedule from a list of the related departure and arrival times (as well as total travel time for each option).

Android and iPhone users have similar taste in apps

2008-10-26T00:07:00.000-07:00

Apple iPhone users are slightly more into gaming, but users of both Android and iPhone phones like to play games, shop, and find out about music and the weather, according to an analysis of application downloads issued this week.

At least nine Android apps are already faring very well with consumers, even though Android Market only offers 10 percent as many software applications as Apple's App Store did on its own launch this summer, a new study indicates.

More specifically, nine Android applications made it into the 10,000 to 50,000 downloads territory within the first 24 hours of Google's Android Market, according to analysts at Medialets late this week, in a report analyzing downloads on both smartphone platforms.

Completely direct "Apples to Android" comparisons aren't really possible, the researchers suggested, in that Apple stopped publishing download data 15 hours after opening its App Store.

During those 15 hours, though, "only two [App Store] apps broke the 10,000 mark." A program known as Remote, the early App Store leader, got 16,000 downloads. AOL's AIM instant messaging software landed in second place on the App Store.

Meanwhile, of the nine Android apps surpassing the 10,000 download barrier, only three -- Pac-Man by Namco, Brain Genius Deluxe, and Bonsai Blast -- were games.

"ShopSavvy is at the top of the list factoring in ratings and number of reviews, followed by The Weather Channel, and Shazam, an app that helps people identify a song they are listening to," according to the report.

Produced by a company called "Big in Japan," ShopSavvy is designed to work with Google's search functionality to read bar codes on products such as boxes of software, and then conduct price comparisons among online sites and brick-and-mortar retail stores.

As previously reported in BetaNews, ShopSavvy provides street locations, in addition to pinpointing the stores on Google Maps.

In an interview with BetaNews conducted in September at the New York press launch for T-Mobile's G1 phone, Alexander Muse, the company's "Social Ninja," said the developers of ShopSavvy got drawn to the Android platform by the "flexibility" of the focal point on the G1's 3 megapixel camera.

Rounding out Android's top nine early downloads were T-Mobile Hotspot Connect, WikiMobile Encyclopedia, and MySpace Mobile, according to Medialets.

The firm also noted, "24 hours into the [Android Market] launch, it appears that either Android users are generally interested in the same types of application functionality as iPhone users, or possibly, that Android developers are generally interested in creating the same types of apps as iPhone developers."

However, in terms of percentages of overall early downloads, games seem to have garnered somewhat more interest among App Store users (about 27%) than among Android software downloaders (around 24%).

Downloads of multimedia, travel, toys, entertainment, finance, and reference software were also a bit more popular from the App Store. Android users, on the other hand, gave slightly more downloads to lifestyle, productivity, news and weather, and social networking apps.

Android Market is still in beta, with downloads of all available apps still being offered free of charge to users of the G1, the only Android-based phone to be announced or released thus far.

source: betanews.com

The iPhone for me as gift.

2008-10-26T00:05:00.000-07:00

I’ve had it for a few months now, yes I was one of those sad people queuing outside the O2 store during the first month they came out.

This little gadget has seriously changed the way I work these days, here’s why:

- It syncs with my calendar at the office
- It syncs with with my work e-mail in real-time via the exchange
- The internet is fast enough for me to read my RSS feeds on it each morning en route to the office
- I have a better back because I do not need to a lug a laptop with me everywhere I go mon-fri

I haven’t massively got into all the fun applications just yet, however, here’s my run down of the ones that I’ve found the most useful:

Shozu - lets you upload pics from your iPhone to Flickr
Evernote - my “cloud” notepad of choice
Facebook for iPhone, need I explain any further
Twittereffic - All things twitter
Wordpress - Blogging on the fly
Google.co.uk/reader/i - access to my feeds
Light Saber - Yes a Light Saber on your iPhone (hours of fun)

Another app I also recommend is EventSync for the Mac, not an iPhone App as such but it lets you sync all Facebook events to iCal and iTunes does the rest by syncing everything to your handset. I’ve given up on the Upcoming + Facebook app working, it just keeps dying and not syncing both ways.

My criticisms? bad battery life, I’ve had to drop the screen brightness right down to make the battery last a full busy day. Also the camera could be better, they could have quite easily incorporated an LED flash like they did on the Sony K750 a few years ago.

Rant and praise over, hope you guys find the tips useful.

Android based G1: A Winner or..?

2008-10-25T03:18:00.000-07:00

When 33 firms joined hands with Google on 5th November, 2007 to form Open Handset Alliance (OHA), it was apparent, that this alliance will change the course of handheld device industry. In a press statement issued on that day, Google Chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt remarked, "This partnership will help unleash the potential of mobile technology for billions of users around the world. A fresh approach to fostering innovation in the mobile industry will help shape a new computing environment that will change the way people access and share information in the future." On this fateful day, OHA also unveiled Android, an open source mobile phone platform based on the Linux operating system.

T-Mobile G1’s launch is round the corner. Technology experts, bloggers around the world have scrutinized every single detail for this much hyped “Google Phone”. Even the controversies are cropping out from nowhere , G1 still stands apart from iPhone in various aspects.

T-Mobile on 23 September became the first provider around the world to launch the first Android phone G1 (aka HTC Dream). The consumers are still short of getting the hands-on experience of G1 as there are still 4 days left for the market launch. In these 24 days, geeks world over have dissected every single chip of G1 and have come up with individual assessments.
From the debut of Android, there have been talks, rumors and gossips on the existence of HTC dream. It stirred up as much anticipation and hype as the Apple iPhone, not only because it would be the first smartphone to run Google's mobile platform but also because of the potential to overtake Apple's darling. Although G1 is good individually but when we compare it with iPhone, it lacks the charisma of iPhone.
G1 features a full QWERTY keyboard, 3G support, Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth. The Google Android operating system offers good integration with Google applications as well as access to the Amazon MP3 Store and YouTube, while G1 doesn't include a standard headphone jack and lacks stereo Bluetooth and Microsoft Exchange support.
There is huge potential for the G1 (and any Android devices after it) to become powerful minicomputers as developers create more applications for the open platform. Android has also been criticized for not being all open-source software despite what was announced by Google. Parts of the Software Development Kit are proprietary and closed source and some believe this is so that Google can control the platform. In the Android Market terms of service, Google expressly says that it might remotely remove an application from a user's phone. "Google may discover a product that violates the developer distribution agreement ... in such an instance, Google retains the right to remotely remove those applications from your device at its sole discretion," the terms, linked to from the phone, read.
Despite the deficiencies, the most powerful component of G1 is definitely Android operating system. Obviously, there's enough curiosity about Google Android to attract buyers; and in fact, according to reports preorders for the G1 have already sold out.

Source:android-blog.blogspot.com

Box.net iPhone application for FREE on AppStore

2008-10-25T03:15:00.000-07:00

Well that sure was fast. Just the other day I sat down with Sean from Box.net to discuss the online data storage service’s plans for the mobile space. In talking about how Box.net was gunning to cover the mobile, desktop, and web-based sides of the equation, we chatted about the Box.net iPhone application that was in the pipeline.

Turns out, the Box.net iPhone application went live last night!

The Box.net iPhone application offers cloud-storage fans unfettered access to their Box.net account, with some cool perks. In addition to being able to easily scroll through and view all your Microsoft Office, PDF, photo, audio and video files, the Box.net iPhone app integrates with your iPhone’s camera and contact list. That means you can share any files in your Box.net account with anyone in your iPhone contact list. You can also directly upload photos from your iPhone to your Box.net account.

The application monitors updates to your Box.net account, such as files or folders added by you and people that are collaborating and contributing to your Box.net account. And, the Box.net iPhone application automatically logs you into your account everytime you fire it up, so you get quick access to all your files in the “cloud.”

Source:intomobile.com

Will Apple Sell A $99 iPhone Next Year? Yes (AAPL)

2008-10-25T03:14:00.000-07:00

Apple's (AAPL) Sept. quarter iPhone sales -- 6.9 million -- were very impressive. But if Steve Jobs wants to catch the likes of no. 2 Samsung -- 51.8 million phones last quarter -- he's going to have to start selling iPhones for less than $199.

What pricing strategy makes the most sense? An iPod-like family of iPhones, starting at, say, $99, and going up to $299.

How will Apple get there? We think the company will lower the price of the current iPhones by $100 each by the middle of next year. We also think they'll introduce a new premium model at $299 with more color choices -- pink, blue, purple, green, etc.; at least 32 gigabytes of storage; and potentially more features.

This idea isn't new, of course. Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster has been talking about a family of iPhones for months -- it's baked into his forecast of 45 million iPhones shipped in 2009 -- and he reiterated his thoughts this week: "Apple could lower the price by removing features like 3G and GPS, and alternatively could make a premium [phone] with a sleeker design or higher-end materials."

This makes sense, but we do not think Apple will accomplish this by removing features like 3G or GPS. Why not? Because they're not very expensive components, especially relative to their utility. When Munster asked Jobs about his "big picture" roadmap for the iPhone on the Apple earnings call, Jobs said: "Well, I think we have to be the best and I think we have to not leave a price umbrella underneath us..."

An iPhone without 3G or GPS would not be "the best." It would be a two-year-old phone, like Apple's first iPhone. The iPhone's 3G network access, for example, provides more than just a faster Internet connection -- it lets you get a phone call when you're using the Internet, which the old iPhone didn't. Just as important, it allows AT&T to charge an extra $10 a month for Internet access, which is key to their willingness to subsidize phones by several hundred dollars up front.

More generally, we don't think Apple would ever sell a less sophisticated phone than today's iPhone, eliminating features like the big, multi-touch screen, large-capacity hard drive, mobile Internet access, or access to Apple's App Store for an "iPhone nano." Those just wouldn't be iPhones -- they'd be disappointments.

So the only option would be to cut prices on the current iPhone and keep it as a base model.

The good news: That might not hurt Apple's financial performance as much as previously thought. Citi's Richard Gardner estimates that Q3 iPhone average sales prices were $50-$75 higher than he previously expected, and margins "several percentage points above our previous estimate."

This suggests that, with greater scale, Apple could afford to cut its current iPhone prices by $100, sell a lot more phones, and still make impressive profit margins (volume will help, as will software sales from the increased number of units).

One caveat: Cutting the price of the iPhone won't reduce the iPhone's high monthly service bill -- $70/month mininum in the U.S., which is about 40% more than what people spend, on average, for cellphone service. Note that T-Mobile is charging $25/month -- $5 less -- for Internet service on its Google-powered G1 phone. This difference is probably not enough to stop someone from buying an iPhone, but it's still worth keeping an eye on as iPhone competitors improve. (Watch what Verizon Wireless charges per month for RIM (RIMM) BlackBerry Storm service, for example).

Meanwhile, we don't see carriers budging on smartphone subscription fees much, especially the ones with exclusive deals to distribute the iPhone. So service cost will continue to limit iPhone sales no matter how much the devices cost.

Source: alleyinsider.com

Apple kills the iPhone NDA

2008-10-25T03:12:00.000-07:00

Apple has always been a secretive company, and their iPhone developer’s terms were no different: basically, any information that Apple provided about the SDK was confidential. Not only did this prevent most Open Source groups from working on iPhone apps, but it created a lot of bad publicity when Apple revealed that those who had applications rejected for inclusion in the iTunes store were forbidden from talking about that.

Earlier this month, Apple stated it would release developers from the NDA and post new, less restrictive guidelines.

Loan Shark iPhone app

2008-10-25T03:10:00.000-07:00

A big thank you to kottke.org's first RSS feed sponsor, FoggyNoggin Software, makers of the Loan Shark iPhone App (check it out in the iTunes Store). Loan Shark is a tricked out loan calculator for your iPhone or iPod Touch. Here are a few capabilities from the web site:

One-tap Extra Payment
Making an extra payment on your loan each year can dramatically reduce the cost of your loan. With Loan Shark, you can easily see what that extra payment will save you over time.
Compare Loans
Want to compare loans to see which is best? Loan Shark lets you compare up to 9 loans side-by-side.
Nearby Banks
Using the iPhone or iPod Touch's built-in location sensor, Loan Shark can retrieve a list of nearby banks, making shopping for a loan that much easier.

Loan Shark also helps you calculate how long it will take to pay off credit cards...almost a necessity in today's slumping economy. Loan Shark is $4.99 at the App Store, an amount that would no doubt be offset by how much it saves you in future interest payments.

Source:kottke.org

Service 2.0 at the iPhone hotel

2008-10-23T18:45:00.000-07:00

Forget filling in room service forms or hanging do not disturbs signs on the door - hotels in the US are communicating with guests using iPods and iPhones, a practice that could soon spread to Australia.

Guests at the Malibu Beach Inn and the Sky Hotel, both in California, can order food, drinks, wake-up calls, spa treatments, concierge services and transportation, all from a special application on their iPhone or iPod Touch.

If they don't have either of the devices at check-in, guests are provided with a 16GB iPod Touch that has the "Hotel Evolution" application already loaded.

The application also allows guests - after logging in with their room number and security code - to look up information on shopping, nightlife and local restaurants, as well as check their messages.

There is an option to request DO NOT DISTURB, room cleaning, or additional linens, towels and toiletries.

Hotel Evolution's developer, Runtriz, said the system was also being installed in several hotels in Las Vegas, Orange County, Miami and New Jersey, but further details have yet to be announced.

"We would love to expand outside of the states to luxury properties in Australia but as of yet are not in discussion with any properties there," a spokeswoman said.

Hotels reportedly pay Runtriz $US10 per room for using the service but it is unclear whether this cost is passed on to guests.

This week Apple announced it was the third biggest mobile phone manufacturer in the world in terms of revenue, with the iPhone outselling BlackBerry handsets in the most recent quarter.

Its iPhone revenues of $US4.6 billion for the quarter place it behind Nokia ($US12.7 billion) and Samsung ($US5.9 billion) but ahead of Sony Ericsson ($US4.2 billion), LG ($US3.4 billion), Motorola ($US3.2 billion) and BlackBerry-maker RIM ($US2.1 billion).

In Apple's earnings call chief executive Steve Jobs hailed the result as a "milestone" for the company.

"RIM is a company that makes good products, and it's surprising after only 15 months in the market we could outsell them in any quarters," he said.

"If this isn't stunning, I don't know what is."

Source:smh.com.au

Intel Repudiates Executives' Criticism of the IPhone

2008-10-23T18:44:00.000-07:00

Intel distanced itself from criticism of Apple's iPhone made by executives at the company's Intel Developer Forum conference in Taipei, saying the comments were not appropriate. The chip maker also acknowledged its own products weren't yet suitable for such a product.

Earlier this week, Intel executives Shane Wall and Pankaj Kedia described the iPhone as slow and said the popular handset wasn't able to run the "full Internet" because it uses an Arm processor, instead of an Intel chip. The executives comments -- which neglected to note that Intel doesn't make a low-power processor capable of powering a handset like the iPhone -- were reported by ZDNet Australia, causing consternation within Intel's PR ranks.

"Apple's iPhone offering is an extremely innovative product that enables new and exciting market opportunities. The statements made in Taiwan were inappropriate, and Intel representatives should not have been commenting on specific customer designs," the company said in a statement posted on its Chip Shots Web site.

Intel also admitted its own chips are not yet capable of running a device like the iPhone.

"Intel's low-power Atom processor does not yet match the battery life characteristics of the Arm processor in a phone form factor; and, that while Intel does have plans on the books to get us to be competitive in the ultra low power domain -- we are not there as yet," the statement said.

The comments by Wall and Kedia are at odds with other statements by Intel executives, who generally lavish praise on the iPhone for its design and success in giving users easy access to the Internet. The remarks may have also put Intel in a difficult spot with Apple, since Intel is widely believed to be hopeful that Apple will use its low-power processors in future products.

Source:pcworld.com

Moblyng Launches iPhone Slideshow Application

2008-10-23T07:57:00.000-07:00

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Oct 23, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Moblyng, the leader in mobile social media, announced today the launch of its slideshow application for the Apple iPhone. This marks the first iPhone slideshow application that allows users to create and share slideshows for display on iPhones, other smartphones and social media sites. The cross-platform application will allow consumers to:

-- Create a slideshow using the photos on their iPhone (Photo Library or Camera Roll)

-- Enhance slideshows with animated effects and transitions

-- Share slideshows to other iPhones or any web-enabled, video-supporting phone or smartphone

-- Post slideshows as a Flash Embed to social media sites like MySpace

-- Post slideshows to m.moblyng.com for future sharing with friends and family

"With superior graphics and a large screen, the iPhone is an ideal device for creating and sharing social media," said Stewart Putney, founder and CEO, Moblyng. "We have already had tremendous success with people using Moblyng on the web to create slide shows. Our new slideshow application for the iPhone makes it even easier for people to truly create and share anywhere. With Moblyng's slideshow app, all iPhones can be used to easily create and share compelling slideshows to almost any media platform."

Moblyng also announced today that it received more than 1 million monthly unique visitors to its mobile site, m.moblyng.com, in September. Since launch in August of this year, the site has experienced rapid growth, with millions of consumers creating, viewing and sharing social media such as photo albums, slideshows and videos on their mobile phones.

Source: marketwatch.com

iPhone vs. T-Mobile (Android) G1 Speed Test

2008-10-23T07:56:00.000-07:00

Our sister site News.com has posted a speed test that pits the iPhone 3G against T-Mobiles new Google Android-based T1.

Bonnie Cha writes:

“In this quick Prizefight, CNET TV’s Brian Tong and I pit the two against each other in a 3G speed test, clocking the time it takes for each device to load CNET News from start to finish. Now, there are a couple of things to remember. Both smartphones use different Web browsers, and there are a number of factors that might affect 3G speeds, such as the area you live in and how many people are on the network at one time. However, in the spirit of friendly competition and out of pure curiosity, we decided to go for it.”

See the video embedded below or visit the full article.

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