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

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.

Source theiphoneblog

iPhone 3G finally unlocked, to debut at New Years

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

South Korea finally making progress with the iPhone 3G

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]

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

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

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

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

             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          

Use an iPhone or iPod Touch in disk mode with DiskAid

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

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

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

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.
RELATED ARTICLES

Lots in (App) Store for Smartphones
iPhone Apps Policy Stirs Discontent
Gartner: iPhone 'Acceptable' in the Enterprise

For more stories on this topic:

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.
LATEST NEWS

Cisco's Recession Playbook
Virtualization Coming to HP SANs
Why MySpace, MTV See Profits in Piracy
Sun Serves Up Some Java EE 6 in GlassFish
Yang: 'Best Thing for Microsoft is to Buy Yahoo'

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

HTC Touch HD SlashGear Review: Part 1

 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

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.

Read more: macsimumnews.com

UPDATE 2-Swisscom core profit down on iPhone costs

 * 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

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. 

Read more: latimes.com

AT&T and Firethorn Bring Mobile Banking to iPhone Customers

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?

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

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

Apple Doesn’t Want Opera Browser on the iPhone

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

Box.net iPhone application for FREE on AppStore

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